Dragons

"Tell me their location!"

Hejinmal explained how the dwarfs had retreated to a different city, one with the name Feo Jera, because of some conflict that happened around two hundred years ago..

He further explained that three obstacles stood in between the cities, referring to each as a challenge, and naming the great rift the most challenging of them.

Akabaru looked at the dragon who had finished explaining what he knew of the dwarfs…

"How do you know so much of the dwarfs.. you don't seem like a explorer who would observe them and document it..?"

Hejinmal looked embarrassed as he replied

"Books.."

Akabaru couldn't help but laugh at the notion…

"Dragons are a stockpile of gold and wisdom as they say.." He continued to snicker for a bit, but stopped as it went on for to long. Getting back his somewhat more serious temperament.

"So demiurge what should we do with them..?" the dragons just stared at him, still unable to speak up, or interject, as fear slowly crept in their eyes.

"The tomb could hold them, but they seem unfit.. I am planning on creating a farm but the plans aren't confirmed yet.. but we don't have to move them at the moment… I can guard over them until you have decided or we could simply kill them.." some of the dragons began to shake in fear, seeing torture approach, but they were filled with relieve after hearing Akabaru's words

"Just take them to the Fifth floor, until we have a proper plan for them they will stay there… Hey Hejinmal do any other powerful creatures life in these mountains or is it just you dragons?" Hejinmal seemed to think for a second

".. I know that there are frost giants and other frost dragons in these mountains.. I don't know the number.."

Akabaru sighed.. "Fine.. no matter.. Demiurge could you transport these dragons to the sixth floor and inform Cocytus of their arrival.. after that take the leader of this group and search for the other dragons and giants that live in the mountains.. they should be useful in the future.." Demiurge smiled and bowed his head

"I will do as you command my lord.!"

"Then.." Akabaru turned to the still closed door at the back of the hall..

"I will inspect the treasures of the capital.. Aura.." Akabaru remembered Aura who had gone with him..

"Yes lord Akabaru?" Aura looked up towards him.

"Go to Shalltear and bring some Undead from the tomb to guard the remaining gragoa.. you will build a camp to better contain them after that you can return to the tomb… as I and Shalltear will meat the dwarfs and see if they are worth the trouble.."

-

Akabaru was thinking about the future, and how the guild would progress.. Aura and Demiurge had already left with the dragons leaving the hall empty, as he stood before the giant door.

The dragons weren't that powerful in his eyes but in the point of view from the world they are the peak.. myths of dragon slaying were heard in taverns around the kingdom as dreams of adventurers.. having a small stockpile of them would do no harm.

Pushing open the doors, his view was filled with a massive pile of gold. While vast in size, it was small in comparison to the guilds treasures.. looking around all the items were strewn around similarly to theirs but these items would be considered valuable to the dwarfs so it rather seemed like a attempt to prevent stealing…

Akabaru looked around seeing if he could find at least something that he found interesting and as he looked he came across weapons with carefully laid out runes and unique armours that were only fit for a dwarf…

Until eventually he came across a item that was in the back of the vault hidden behind piles of gold and treasures.. a simple parchment.. torn at the edges and dirty all around… as Akabaru picked up the item and opened the scroll he found on it a carving of the mountain..

Seeing the four caverns where the city's one's stood on the map with the caverns leading from them to the outside world. The deep chasm was visible on the map as if someone drew a line on it clearly standing out..

Lightly dragging his finger over the places he had been Akabaru feels a earthquake as he gave the slightest push…

Akabaru felt the importance of the object just by the first touch, but couldn't confirm if the item was what he suspected, only someone with a good inspect skill could confirm if it truly was a world item..

He rolled the scroll back up and pout it in his inventory for save keepings.. he looked at the empty pedestal and pout his own gift in its place.. a simple scroll that messaged him directly..

After leaving the scroll he picked up a interesting war hammer and left the treasury closing the doors and leaving the gold behind..

Walking out he saw Shalltear waiting for him in the hall, being the only one there besides him..

"Shalltear.. how is it going?"

"Lord.. may I ask.. am I not worthy of your trust?" Shalltear sounded meek as if all her confidence had drained and she was just left with a empty shell.

"What makes you say that?" Akabaru was confused as to how to deal with the seemingly sad Shalltear.

"You ordered me to accompany you, deal with the gragoa but after I am done I get told someone else will take over for me.." Akabaru realised what Shalltear meant and so he interrupted.

".. Shalltear, your punishment was to be degraded to a someone below a guardian to feel how it is so you can deal with problems in the future more effectively.. you felt bad because you attack me and Ainz, but that was a mistake that you couldn't account for.. so as a punishment was the first to learn humility.. to let someone else take over, not because you cant do it but because others are more suited…" Shalltear nodded along but still kept a meek expression

"Shalltear.. do you know why Ainz is guild leader?" Shalltear looked up not finding a proper answer.

"It is not because he is the strongest, or the smartest… it is because he was the most suited, from the report of Sebas and the investigation after.. you disregarded most things because you weren't carful.. Most of the time I suffer from the same thing.. but being prepared is of up most importance.."

"I understand Akabaru-sama!" Shalltear bowed..

"Now that you understand that.. you can resume the position of Guardian at my side, for the remainder of the trip.. understood?"

"Yes!" Akabaru couldn't help but smile at Shalltears renewed enthusiasm

-

Akabaru inspected the map he had gotten from the treasury while they arrived at the fist trail.. The maze of the dead… a long, twisting and branching series of caves, filled with poisonous vapours. If one inhales those vapours, their limbs will be paralyzed and their hearts will stop beating.

The poisonous vapour were no problem as Shalltear and Akabaru both were being that didn't need to breath, the challenge of finding their path could be solved by a simple spell but with the map in hand even that wasn't needed..

"Where did you get the map my lord?" Shalltear questioned the appearance of the map which Akabaru used to guide them..

"Well from the dwarfen treasury.. but it is more than a map… did you feel the quacking when you waited for me in the halls of the palace?" Akabaru explained as he made a sudden turn to the right..

"Does the quacking have to do with the item?" Shalltear followed Akabaru to the right while asking about the quacking..

"It seems as though some of the mountains caverns were not formed naturally… the map seems to have the ability to carve mountains… although it might be limited to this mountain range" Akabaru turned to the left coming to a wall..

"Has something gone wrong Akabaru-sama, did you make a wrong turn?" Shalltear seemed to consider the possibility that something had gone wrong while they talked..

"No.. this is the place.." Akabaru said while stashing the map in his inventory and winding up his arm.

"But it is a wall?" At the moment the question finished Akabaru punched the wall breaking it and revealing a cavern before them..

The cavern seemed to have some natural bridges along its path but under each flowed a layer of Magma.. looking down at the magma Akabaru saw something moving within It, as a tentacle came out from the magma and the creature seemed to prepared to dive deeper in..

"Interesting.. Who knows if Demiurge will retrieve other interesting beings.." Akabaru muttered as he observed the disappearing creature, reasoning that the mountain range was to big to only have frost dragons and frost giants.

"What did you say Akabaru-sama?" Shalltear didn't seem to see the creature was cleaning dust off of her gown..

"It was nothing.. just interested how good Demiurge will preform.." Akabaru walked towards one of the naturally formed bridges along the was…

They kept moving as they eventually arrived at the Great rift a massive chasm that ran along the western side of the Dwarven Capital, Feo Jera. It was a massive crevasse, over 40 miles long and 130 yards across at its narrowest point.

On the other side of the chasm could a fortress be seen, protecting a rope bridge that connected the two sides of the Great rift…

"What do you think is at the bottom?" Akabaru looked down into the gaping hole..

Shalltear looked down but wasn't to sure what to expect…

"Wouldn't the rift stop eventually.. either with rock or with magma?" Her first guess would have been magma as the core of a planet was made of it but looking down she couldn't see any light escaping from the surface..

Akabaru just nodded and moved towards the robe bridge, planning to cross and get to the dwarfen city on the other side…

As he walked the bridge with Shalltear at his side, who had caught up after he left her where they entered.. they could see that there seemed to be movement in the fort, but nothing that outright was an attack towards them.. just getting crossbolts ready and aiming weapons at them as they arrived at the other side of the cavern..

"State your business and affiliation!" a shout was heard from the fort..

"Stop in your tracks or we will fire!" a second shout was heard after Akabaru ignored the first one, not wanting to shout his answers to a unidentified dwarf.. but he decided to halt his approach, as he didn't want to turn business opportunity into a fight..

-

Demiurge had transported all the Frost dragons he could find and had captured some frost giants thanks to Olasird'arc Haylilyal bringing him to the groups, as he was finishing up and brought all the frost giants through the portal…

A streak of fire could be seen moving trough the sky… watching it move Demiurge turned to Olasird'arc Haylilyal and asked;

"Your son gave information about the Frost giants and Frost dragons, but didn't say anything about streaks of fire?" Demiurge looked down upon the traumatised dragon lord..

"They live in the Azerlisia Mountains but reside in Mt. Rappaslea. My son simply does not know of them because he never gets out of his room." The dragon admitted

"Wo is they?" Demiurge picked up on the plural of the word, when he only questioned about one.

"Fire dragons…" A smile appeared on Demiurges face… Frost dragons didn't suit the style of a of a Devil that threatened the world, but Fire dragons.. and demons made a great match..

Demiurge planned to capture the dragons and bring them to the Seventh floor to be held there until his plan was approved, by Ainz.. But that would certainly take a while as the first thing on the list was the Lizardmen tripes.