Confrontation of the Titans: Dragon vs Dwarf
The battles of the nobles began, but the main players were moved far to the back to build up the tension. In the arena, everyone was on the same level; everyone showed their talent uninhibitedly, with or without special skills. William and Jochen competed against each other. Jochen was not thrilled with the idea, but it was the only way to quench the fighting frenzy of his best friend, who loved crossing his blades.
If the younger fighters already showed amazing skill, the nobles demonstrated the source of that talent. With precise and masterful weaponry, they amazed the audience. From the lowest to the highest race, all were represented. Although these fights arose from rivalries, they often ended without rancor. After the fight, differences were put aside like quarrels among children.
Mortis and Edna watched the fights. While Mortis was calm herself, Edna felt nervous. Even though she had fought in battles before, this was new territory for her. With her druid magic, she would reveal her dragon form to the whole world. The "dragon of light" could put her at the center of questions, envy, and hatred. As she sank into her dark thoughts, Mortis knelt in front of her, looked her in the eye, and said reassuringly, "It seems you are back. Don't worry about it. You will win this fight. No matter what happens afterwards, always believe in me. I will take good care of you." After a kiss from Mortis, they set off together toward the arena, where Luxia and Sabalef announced Edna's fight. With a firm grip around Mortis' hand and a firm resolve to defeat her opponent, Edna banished all other thoughts.
In the arena, Nominene was the first to enter the stage. Confidently, equipped with shield and one-handed hammer, she raised her weapons and enjoyed the cheers of the audience. The dwarves of her clan and others who knew her were hardly restrained, and in their enthusiasm they swept the other dwarves along with them. They cheered Nominene on with undiminished zeal.
With a piercing gaze, Nominene looked to the other side of the arena, where Edna was making her entrance. Wearing iron armor that shone in white and silver, and a helmet that resembled a dragon's head, she entered the stage. The armor plates, which were designed like dragon scales, added a particularly elegant touch to her outfit. This accentuated Edna's orange eyes in an impressive way.
The dwarves were torn. Even though they usually preferred stocky, strong women, there was something attractive about Edna's petite appearance that took the breath away for many. Some immediately felt sorry for her, given her apparent inferiority to Nominene. But Edna was unaware of this. With the determination and ferocity of an angry cat, she fixed her gaze on Nominene, ready to defeat her.
Nominene couldn't hide her surprise and said, "I didn't know humans were capable of forging such a thing. But how wasteful to give it to an exile. After my victory, I will hang a memento of this armor over my mantelpiece, just as one hangs a stag's head, always reminding me of how I defeated you."
Edna laughed in amusement and replied, "Stag? I gave up that guise long ago. For I am not a stag, but a .... Dragon!" As she blurted out the last word, Edna transformed into a majestic white dragon, infused with brown and bronze hues that represented her Light Earth element. The entire arena held its breath.
Although it did not have the dimensions of a giant dragon, it was impressive: around 6-7 meters long, 3 meters high, and with a tail a good 3 meters long. Those present were frozen by the sight.
With a broad grin, Edna stood in front of Nominene in her dragon form and showed her sharp teeth, which seemed so massive that one could think they could bite iron blocks. Nominene was frozen in fear. But before the situation could escalate further, Luxia appeared and addressed her question to the fighters:
"Are you ready?"
Nominene shook herself briefly, slapped herself to collect herself, and then held her shield resolutely in front of her while swinging her hammer powerfully in her other hand. With a purposeful nod, she signaled her readiness.
Luxia's gaze drifted to Edna, who spat out an impressive beam of earth and light in response - her unmistakable sign of readiness for battle. "Then fight!" exclaimed Luxia, clearing the arena for the duel.
With fierce determination, Nominene charged toward Edna. She held her shield protectively in front of her as she lashed out with her hammer, ready for a devastating blow. Yet despite her massive appearance, Edna moved with the speed and agility of a predator. In a fluid 180° turn, she swung her massive tail around like a whip, striking Nominene with such force that she was flung across the arena.
As Nominene rolled across the floor to recover from Edna's powerful blow, Edna spread her wings triumphantly. She took a deep breath and let a mighty blast of earth rain down on Nominene, filling the arena with a rush of sand, pebbles, and small stones. Although Nominene was hit hard and showed open spots - especially on her face - she stood firm against it. Her shield protected her from the worst of it, and her dwarven heart burned with fury.
Suddenly Nominene sprinted again, raising her voice in a mighty battle cry that increased her strength. With the aid of a special leaping ability peculiar to dwarves, she leapt high into the air, directly at Edna's head height. It was a valiant and perhaps desperate attempt to strike the dragon form with her hammer. But before she could strike, all she saw was the glittering white of Edna's massive fangs moving quickly toward her, ready to grab her.
The dwarf realized her mistake and tried to protect herself, but she was quickly caught between the powerful fangs that began to slowly crush her. With all her might, Nominene fought back, but she was powerless against the impressive jaw strength of Edna's dragon form. Just as she seemed to surrender to her fate, Edna suddenly spat her into the air, spun nimbly, and hurled the dwarf towards the exit of the arena. Nominene, whirling through the air, resembled a baseball shot through the field. But before she could collide with the wall, Kaldig deftly caught her.
The silence in the arena was almost palpable as Nominene hung powerless in the arms of Kaldig. His eyes widened with rage and despair as he fixed Edna. With a swift grip, he pulled his wife's weapons to him, his intent clear. He was willing to do anything to defend his wife's honor.
Kaldig strode toward Edna with menacing speed, his wife's hammer firmly in his hand. "You rotten cowardly piece!" he thundered, raising the hammer, ready to strike. It seemed as if time had stopped as he moved closer and confronted Edna threateningly.
Mortis' heart raced. He could not stand idly by while his beloved dragon was attacked. He charged into the arena, ready to risk everything.
While Kaldig rushed at Edna, raising his hammer to strike, it was Thrain Stoneheart who came between them. In a lightning fast move, Thrain grabbed the hammer head with his bare hand as it came down on him. To Kaldig's and everyone else's surprise, the hammer crumbled as if it were made of nothing more than sand.
"You dare attack my daughter, Kaldig?" he thundered, and everyone in the arena recognized the danger in his voice. "In a world where strength means everything, you should know where you stand."
Kaldig, though surprised, retorted with the typical slyness that distinguished him, "Your daughter has struck the first blow. In our traditions, that means she must be held accountable."
"And in our traditions," Thrain replied sharply, "anyone who threatens my family must be punished."
Kaldig's eyes widened in horror, but he had no time to recover or defend himself. With impressive speed and strength that one would not expect from such an old dwarf, Thrain lunged wide with his two-handed axe, held with only one hand, and aimed it directly at Kaldig.
The axe whizzed through the air, and before Kaldig could react, it found its target. Kaldig crashed to the ground, defeated by the legendary warrior and father of Edna, Thrain Stoneheart.