Xhono stood with his axe in hand and staried down at the men who tried to attack and rob him. "my lord please dont kill me let me live ill pay you all the gold i have" The last man pleaded. Xhono looked at him and smiled, but it was not one of friendly demeanor. It was a smile, menacing and dark. "you will pay me gold for your life, is that it? Well unfortunately for you i have no purpose for gold of any kind." he said as the mans eyes widened. The man began to cry and weep. " well well well it seems as tho your true colors show atlast. oh how i do love a terrifed meal. It has a certain kick to it" he continues chuckling. the man trys to speak again but Xhono raises a foot up high above the mans head then brings it down on the face of the man. As the sun began to set Xhono decided to make camp here for the night. despite the seven dead corspes they lay scattered across the ground this area of the southern highlands were particularly peaceful. He laid out his bedroll he needed no tent or fire those out here were a waste of energy and trival at best. To him they served no purpose, and besides the open sky suited him just fine. As he drifted off to sleep gis mind thought of the finall leg of his journey tomorrow. For tomorrow by days end he would reach the sea.
* * *
Rhoghar and Horndol traveled cautiously as the made there way north as the elders described. They had been marching all day and were ready to stop when something cuaght there eye. Further ahead was a figure it had stopped when it had seen them to. "Rhoghar should we try and see if they are friendly" Horndol asked excitedly with a touch of nervousness. " Lets approach slowly we know nothing of these...wait Hordol is that a...." Rhoghar trails off as his eyes grow wide and his knees weak with anticipation. There just a few hundred yards from them was another dragonborn. He had never encountered another in his life. Truth was he had thought he was the last one left in exsistence. he began to walk faster and faster till almost at a sprint. When he got close he spoke hopeing it would understand him. Horndol walked slowly for fear of what might come of two Dragonborn meeting for the first time.
This dragonborn was not bronze like Rhoghar but blue, a blue as deep and pure as the ocean. his scales shown as the moon shines apon the waves. No horns adorned this dragonborn but the flesh and scales form five natural points on the back of its skull. it stood half a foot taller then Rhoghar. Tho unlike Rhoghar this dragonborn was not adorned in flashy plate armor, he wore what seemed to horndol was bones and rags. " Hello i am Rhoghar of the order Delahur me and my companion have come to search for the...." he was cut off as the large dragonborn swung a fist at his face and said something in a tongue he did not recognize. Both stood stareing each other down waiting, watching seeing what the other might do. "I take it you dont speak common, still i have no wish to fight you i only wish to know you. You see i have never encountered another of my kind i wish it not to be a meeting of violence" At first the other dragonborn seemed shocked then a smile formed and he began to luagh. " Never meet another of your kind. You are not Dragonborn, you cannot even speak draconic and you wear the armor of a human. No you are not my kind. I hail from the mighty Yul-struma clan i am the sole survivor of them. I am xhono the last Yul-struma barbarian" Xhono said in a deep violent growl. "I have been sent to test the strength of two warriors who will help me defeat the coming darkness. My lord Yungear has told me i would know the two once i have seen them. You two are these warriors. Now steal yourselves for if you cannot match my strength in battle i will kill both of you" Horndols eyes widened. Him?! fight a dragonborn?! this could not be true.
Rhoghar stood there a moment and then drew his mace it glistened in the late afternoon sun. A slight breeze began to blow across the highlands. A breeze that the gods them selves must have made as they descended apon the battlefield, cloaked unseen by the mortal eye.
Xhono drew his axe, the axe made Horndol quiver with fear. As he drew his own sword and shield he wondered if he had any place amongst tbese colossal beast. "Horndol sit this one out stand back way back, i have a feeling this will be a fight you cannot take place in" Horndol shocked retorted back "Commander you cannot face him alone you will be....." Rhoghar cut him off "I said stand back" he barked with an intensity that he had never seen before.
Then with out warning, without hesitation both charged in axe and hammer smashing together. The fight between these two creatures was almost one of legend. Something his grandfather would have told him and is father dismissed say things like, those dont exsist anymore or they were only rumors in the first place.
Down Xhono swung his axe. It was fast and violent but it just slide off of Rhoghars shoulder as he spun and swung his hammer horizontally hoping to strike the mid section of his opponent. His strike to fell short as Xhono parried his attack. Both stood defiant against the next neither willing to admit there even match. As Xhono opened his mouth to breath fire the strange feeling came over Rhoghar again and as a plume of dragons fire burst towards him he answered it talk in his own breath attack. Lighting sparked and crackled as it meet the flames.
"ha so you can atleast use a basic draconic ability" Xhono luaghed clearly enjoying this way more then Rhoghar. "i have only learned. Are we here to talk or fight" as he said this he swing his mighty hammer and struck the off guard Xhono in the face. The blow sent Xhono stumbling backwards. he struggled to keep his balance. Rhoghar left him no room to counter he held no margin for error. This was his first encounter with another of his kind and if it was a test of strength he wanted a test of strength he shall have. Again and again he pushed Xhono back, Xhono was shocked no one had ever held even ground against him. Then his axe began to glow and his eyes turned black as night from there once emerald green shine.
Again he spoke draconic and kick Rhoghar in his chest plate knocking him back. As he recovered the axe swung for his throat, nearly missing him as another then another. Rhoghar could read the blow, he had been trained to. still there was something other worldly about this dragonborn all of a sudden. Then as a swing for his chest came he dodged but did not see Xhono open his mouth to shoot a breath of fire. Rhoghar had no time to move, he knew he was going to die. Just then as all hope had faded Horndol had stepped between the two shield held high. His shield was a beautifully crafted elven made weapon. Story has it that the training commander had found it centuries ago during the battle of sanctuary when the dark army sought to devour the order of delahur. some say that the shield was off Delahurs own armory and it was sent to aid the order. All Rhoghar knew at the present was it held back the intense inferno. Horndol pushed against the flames and turned his head to look to his commander and gave him a nod, which he immediately understood. They marched forward together as a team, as friends and as brothers together nothing could defeat them. as Horndol made one last push the flames disapated and rolled aside as Rhoghar leaped Into the air hammer held high and yelled
" I am Rhoghar of the north mountains. I lead my brother's in Delahurs name. If my enemy seeks to harm me he harms my brother's and together we shall defeat them" Xhono had no reaction time. He fruitlessly attempted to raise his axe to block the blow but he to as to slow this time the hammer landed with a crushing blow that sent him straight to his back. As he fell unconscious the last thing he saw was the order knights towering over him then his whole world went black.
As Xhono sat up darkness had descended he looked around. someone had lite a fire, caught a boar, roast it and sat some next to him with a tankard of dark liquid. He heard a twig snap behind him as he quickly stood and spun around and sear he's frantically for his axe he spotted it next to where he had been sleeping. " clam down.....Xhono was it" someone said stepping in to the light. it was Horndol he had returned from speaking to Rhoghar who was alone and needed to meditate. "you human what has happened? am I your prisoner now? " he asked as he gripped his axe tight. Horndol smiled and raised an eye brow " if you were a prisoner do you think you would have your weapon, food and a tankard of ale? ". Xhono looked at him puzzled and after a few moments relaxed plopped back down and started to tear at the roast meat.
"where is the other I wish to have an audience with him" he said " he is that way just on the hill he figured you would like to talk. he has questions for you as well he was raised by a order knights who could his egg abandoned in these lands long ago" Horndol told him. Xhonos eyes widened and hurried off to speak with this strange dragonborn.
As he approached Rhoghar, he stopped Rhoghar had sensed his arrival and bowed and greeted him. " hail Lord xhono of the mighty yul-struma clan. I am pleased to see you have awoken. " he said smiling. Xhono bowed his head " I apologise for my hostilities toward you and your companion. its been many cycles since i was able to speak with another of my kind. ". Rhoghar smiled and held an arm stretched out towards Xhono " your kind? I see I have earned my right amongst you brother shall we discuss our business in these lands we need a guide and strong Ally to aid us. " Xhono gripped his forearm and Rhoghar the same.
When they did a vision rushed through both of there minds. it was of a battle, a small one a female dragonborn protecting her home from a knight the dragonborn was killed in front of her born childed and an egg bronze in color stolen by the knight. As the vision faded both dragonborn look to each other in wonder. Was this more then just fate Rhoghar wondered? Was he stolen? was his true family still out there? He needed answers, though Xhono had no memory of the event though he told of a village near by who might house a wizard that could help.