As a roar so loud rings out from the Demons Folly mountain range it travels across the lands in all directions echoing far past the borders into other nations lands while Yorun and his group cover their ears either with additional magic or hands as the roar is so impossibly loud that even with protections against giants speaking their ears bleed and their brains rattle in their skulls. The mountains making up Demons Folly begin to have avalanches take place due to the roars sheer impact across the area in which it originated, this is not immediately noticed by those around including the residents of Little Town however as the snow-caps begin to come down and the roar travels into the distance it becomes all too obvious, Joolak is the first to notice due to his height advantage and he reacts first as his mind is less addled than everyone smaller than a giant so he quickly throws Sunhale, Golanier and Yorun to the ground before rushing over to the mountains however Golanier being in an undead body is mostly unaffected by the roars impact so he flies at great speed alongside Joolaks run and while Joolak uses both his giant arm as well as magic to cut off the snow coming down diverting it away from Little Town at the base of the mountains, Golanier uses his magic to great barriers from the ground to block and divert any future avalanches. Yorun and Sunhale get up after being tossed to the ground so suddenly and look over at where Joolak and Golanier are and see how they diverted the snow away
"They reacted quickly, faster than we ever could have anyway" Yorun said
"You don't say" Sunhale said
Joolak walks looks down at Little Town as people begin to gather, the towns leader steps forth and looks up at Joolak, he seems to recognise him.
"Joolak is that you? We've heard of you, you're an old giant leader correct?" The town leader asked
"Indeed I am, is everyone alright?" Joolak asked as Golanier landed on Joolaks shoulder
"Yes, everyone is alright save for a couple people who were knocked out by the force of that roar, as this towns leader I have to thank you and your friend there" The towns leader said
"Do not thank me, for I did not aid you, I was testing to see if I could still keep step with Joolak here" Golanier said with an annoyed tone
"Oh, uh okay?" The towns leader said confused
"Don't try and talk to him anymore than that trust me, anyway that dragon is a problem of which we are here to hopefully solve or at least talk to" Joolak said
"Truly? Why would you need to talk to that dragon?" The towns leader said
"The one calling himself Raeknar in human lands asked for my aid in this endeavour so here I am and he should be coming over now" Joolak said as he looked to the edge of the town
Yorun and Sunhale teleport to the edge of the town and walk through it approaching Joolak as the crowd of people move out of the way for them, as they do so they look at Yorun and despite not knowing he is a chosen they do not interfere with him as they fear him based on how he looks and those that have magic cannot sense his magic. Joolak brings his hand down allowing them to get on so he can bring them along and as he raises them up the towns leader looks at them.
"Be careful, that dragon gets angered and nothing is safe" The towns leader said
"We know" Joolak said before walking towards Demons Folly once more
Yorun looks around from the vantage point he has on Joolaks hand and he sees two things not related to Demons Folly, far in the distance yet still far too noticeable a giant wall stretching up into the sky and far closer what look to be ruins of a smaller races city. Yorun sees recent work on it and he grows curious.
"Joolak, I have a couple questions" Yorun said
"Well say them Raeknar" Joolak said
"In the distance that wall, a giant city?" Yorun asked
"Yes that is our city of Gianlocarn" Joolak said
"I remember that city, seems its been rebuilt well" Golanier said
"My people are still recovering after all you did to us one thousand years ago, some cities still have major damage we've been unable to fix yet namely a few dragon bodies that refuse to be moved, though their scales are useful so they've basically become mines" Joolak said
"Fair enough? Dragon scales really that useful?" Yorun asked
"Oh indeed less so for giants unless its an especially large one but the hardened scales of an older dragon? Well other nations buy them up in bulk for use in weapons or armour or even magical experiments" Joolak said
"Alright second question, that city over there in ruins, it's clearly not a giant city so what's the story there?" Yorun asked
"Actually we're still working that one out, the place was excavated recently but its clearly of elven origin" Joolak said making Sunhales pointed ears perk up
"Wait what? An elven city? Why do my people not know of this?" Sunhale asked immediately
"As I said it was only excavated recently and while the architecture is elven it is an older style so we hadnt noticed until we found some writing or more accurately carvings in the cities remaining buildings that were in clear elven words. There is another reason we didn't say anything yet however" Joolak said
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"Then spit it out this is our history and its a big thing!" Sunhale shouted quite annoyed
"We found evidence of demonic summoning's" Joolak said and that immediately turned Sunhale pale
"What? Y-you can't be serious right?" Sunhale asked
"I am at least based on reports, I've seen enough demonic shit from Golaniers conquest to recognise it" Joolak said and that made Sunhale pause as he looked over at the city
"Do you know the cities name?" Sunhale asked
"Based on carvings from what we assume were survivors of the city it was apparently named Felan'Oritka" Joolak said which upon hearing that Sunhale is immediately shocked
"Felan'Oritka? Ilsantrak" Sunhale said in the elven language
"Swearing Irankar so I'll guess this is serious, mind sharing?" Golanier said with a slight smirk
"Felan'Oritka is a city every elf knows though not as an actual place but as a city in which is destroyed in a children's tale, it's been a long time but I believe the story went on about how the city was once the capital of our empire until government officials were corrupted and some demonic force swept through the city destroying it. It was always thought to just be a tale, you know to scare children straight but now it's in front of my very eyes and we're heading into a mountain range called Demons Folly that can't be coincidental" Sunhale said as his eyes stay locked on the ruins
"We should be careful, Golanier, Joolak you both recognise demonic things so please keep an eye out for such things on the way to the dragon" Yorun said with worry in his voice
Both Golanier and Joolak nod as Joolak continues into Demons Folly however as he does so he and the others very quickly see signs of ancient combat scorch marks, weapons scattered across the grounds or stuck into rocks along their path yet as they continue along they see scratches dug into the walls some old but some newer as well with the newer ones being so large they are bigger than Joolak himself.
"Gods something big went down here a long time ago" Sunhale said
"Clearly" Golanier said scanning the surroundings with both his eyes and his magic
"Argh something doesn't feel right" Yorun said as he puts his hand on his head looking down
"Yo-Raeknar? Are you alright?" Sunhale asked as he looked to Yorun
"Yes I am fi-What the fuck" Yorun said as he looked back up
As Yorun looks forward he sees ghostly forms of demons fighting something all across the range, despite the variations in demons Yorun can tell that it is demons based on the ones he had seen before, their forms flicker in and then out immediately as if they were killed so suddenly, each time their forms flicker out the nearest scratch or weapons glow slightly.
"Raeknar you're seeing something aren't you? Your cloak isn't letting me sense what's going on but I can tell from your face" Sunhale said worried
"I'm seeing I don't know what to call them I guess ghosts? They're of demons fighting all across the range and dying but I don't get how this is happening" Yorun said confused
"That is weird, I've never known of demon ghosts or ever heard of such a thing" Golanier said intrigued as he looks around
"Nor have I" Joolak said worriedly yet intrigued
As Joolak continues forward Yorun watches as more and more of these 'ghosts' appear until they all hear something snap below Joolaks giant foot, Joolak moves back and they all look down theres large bones sticking out of the ground now parts of them have snapped due to Joolaks foot.
"Hold on, that's part of a dragon skeleton, I recognise that well enough" Golanier said
"Really? Maybe we're getting close to Ghairlakriar then" Yorun said
"Maybe so" Sunhale said
Joolak continues to walk and soon enough they see odd shapes seemingly carved along the mountain sides the shapes are all individually bigger than Joolak.
"Joolak stop right now" Golanier said urgently and Joolak did so quickly
"What is it?" Yorun asked
"The walls, look at them those aren't any kind of carving... those are scales" Golanier said quietly
As they all turn to look at the scales properly the area around them darkens as the ground shakes so violently that Joolak is knocked to the ground as a result throwing the others to the ground as well, when they hit the ground they look up despite the shaking nothing could stop them from seeing what has blocked the sun, the head of the dragon Ghairlakriar, grey scaled with horns large enough to skewer entire cities were they pointed forward. Ghairlakriar brings her head down and despite how far away it had been raised they still could not see its entirety and then they see why, her head as it lowers begins to be touched by every mountain in the range only upon her cheek they all begin to quickly crumble under the pressure until what feels like the entire sky from the groups point of view is nothing but her impossibly large eye. The wind pressure from her moving her head down almost crushes everyone into the ground from the act of her moving, her wings begins to raise into the sky the wind force from that alone sends every cloud in the sky away yet none in the group notice for all they see above them is still one of her eyes.
"WHO. DARES?" Ghairlakriar whispered, no shouting on her part yet her sheer size makes her merely whispering into a booming sound that echoes across the land
Joolak as well as Golanier fair better against her voice than the other two but they remain conscious.
"I am an ex leader of the giant miliary, I come with three from smaller races who-" Joolak said before being interrupted
"I BARELY SEE THEM, THEY ARE SPECKS OF DUST IN MY SIGHT... YET I FEEL DIVINITY" Ghairlakriar whispered once more before her eye squints to look at both Yorun and Sunhale
"There is a gods chosen here oh great dragon, so ple-" Joolak said once more before being interrupted again
"FOOL WERE THERE A CHOSEN THEN THEY WOULD SHOW THEMSELF TO MY SIGHT" Ghairlakriar whispered clearly not believing him
"Please use your shapeshifting becoming smaller and you will see, dragons are capable of such things yes?" Joolak said hoping to not anger her
Ghairlakriars impossibly large eye focusses on Joolak before her body begins to shrink, the others gradually begin to see the sky however Ghairlakriar remains an extremely large dragon, her legs all powerful and large rest on what remains of the mountains while the sun rays pass down between her neck, body and wings to them. Ghairlakriar brings her head down to them more so than before, her head does not touch any mountains when doing so and her eyes focus on Yorun specifically.
"The god of death and justice has a second chosen..." Ghairlakriar said, her voice just a bit louder than a giants
"So you do know of my predecessor, I have come to you oh ancient powerful dragon to ask about them if you are willing to give that information which I certainly hope you will" Yorun said
"Why should I aid you little chosen?" Ghairlakriar asked amused by the situation
"I don't know if I could give you anything for the information, I wouldn't know where to begin in that regard but I am a chosen all the same and hopefully I can do something with that" Yorun said which gives Ghairlakriar pause
"Little chosen. Do you need your gods words to join with them?" Ghairlakriar asked
"Not anymore apparently according to Raeknar" Yorun said and this makes Ghairlakriar smile
"In return for this information I give you then I have one simple request... I want to die" Ghairlakriar said much to the shock of everyone there save for herself as they all begin to wonder why this ancient dragon would want death so much...