"Up on the High Steeple like peaks of the Claw Peak Mountains raged a war like no other. Men and Dragonkin clashed steel for four hundred years. In our civilized age, we no longer have to take the day trip to go about satiating our bloodlust. We instead walk into the alley down the road and shiv our neighbors for a copper or two."— From Lockesly Rider's 'The Blood Scale War: a History'
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Have you ever truly stopped to notice the sky? I don't mean in that superficial way where you might inquire about the weather with your neighbor. I mean in that caring and attentive way. To notice the soft tufts of clouds roll across the sea of blue like dandelions on the wind. Here on the great grey backs of the Claw Peak mountains, I have painted and drawn their beauty and splendor for two years. I have accompanied the Archaeological University from Dragon's Knee as their chief artist. Quite the feat for a Gnome of twenty years of age. I'm a long way from the bustling port of Logard back in the Alliance, but the ethno-nationalist zeal of those in the Warder Blood pact has far since waned. Yes, even here past the foothills a small scholar like me can find some peace and quiet. Well. At least I thought.
"Ah, Tanlel! How goes the landscaping?"
I just finished the final touches on a cirrus as I turned around to face the tall human male draped in about three different layers of furs. I tucked my paintbrush behind my curved ear as I greeted him, "Ah, just fine Wilfer. I'm trying to capture the grey in that cloud just over Brass Scale Peak."
He pointed his burly hand over the easel and at the tall spire of stone in the distance. "The fluffy one right over there?"
I smiled and moved his arm over a bit with both of my hands, which barely managed to clasp half of his forearm. "No, no. The one over to the right."
He retracted his hand and scratched his patchy chin. "Ah, I see. Well, my friend. This is why I've come to talk to you."
I smiled. "Oh, I'd love to discuss the finer details on capturing the nature of those wind blessed beings on canvas with you. You see, if you flatten the brush like so—"
"Errrr . . . Well, you see, Tanlel. Professor Uthgar would like you to wrap up for the day. We've found something quite extraordinary at the dig site."
I clasped my hands together and looked at the ground. "I see. . ."
Wilfer moved over and grabbed the easel and canvas. "I'll escort you there."
It was about a thirty-minute hike from the preferred painting spot to the excavation site. As only the most attuned would know, the best painting spots are on the eastern side of the mountain where the sunrise sets the sky ablaze with warm colors. The rocky slopes of Hawkesthron Peak were smooth like a battering wave had worn down its western face over tens of thousands of years. In a sense, it had. The wind-carved its way like a knife through this peak in Firesdeath. Its torrent would send rocks and loose camping supplies soaring in the air, which is why we had to wait till Greensbreath to return to our studies. As we finally turned the bend to the southern face of the mountain we saw the camp.
It was fairly developed for this early in the year, but it had to be. Uthgar was on to something. Something bigger than anything we could possibly imagine. As a gnome who indulges in the usage of mushrooms and herbs liberally, I do not say that carelessly. There were four major Geomancers from the capital with us this time. They turned the land and melded it out of the way so our team of about fifty students could upturn the soil with their more delicate tools. Of course, I never had to deal with any of these crude implements. I could sit at my leisure painting the sky as I wish until Uthgar found something.
We headed into the central part of the camp where the elderly Uthgar stood in his large field tent. He had both of his hands placed on a fairly long table, like he was a great general of old plotting a war. He waged this expedition much like one. When I approached him I took my painting from Wilfer and placed it on the table over Uthgar's maps. "Do you mind telling me what is so important that it must interrupt my cirrus clouds?"
The old human stroked his long beard and laughed. "Oh. I hope you can forgive me. I'll have a box of peppermint spriggan hearts sent to your tent in compensation."
My eyes widened as my jaw dropped slightly. "Pepper-mint spriggan hearts? Thank you! I shall have whatever this is painted for you by the setting of the sun."
He moved the painting aside and rolled up the vast map and stuck it in the crook of his arm. "Then you'll want to get to work immediately. Follow me."
He set a steady pace as we winded our way through the many tents of the camp. Once we made it to the edge of camp we saw it. In a giant pit rose out a pillar made of pure blue mithral with two alike it on the ground. A woman in long flowing robes walked towards us from her place by the hole. Her face was stern and the dress rather plain. She walked up to Uthgar with arms crossed. "It's about time the little forest rat decided to show up."
Well, at least she had the courtesy to say it by me if not to me.
Uthgar smiled. "Ah, Eldri calm yourself. Our friend was just attending to his landscapes."
"The toadstool sitter could shove his brush up his rear end for all I care."
I took out my notebook and moved past her. "Just hold off the gravel for a moment while I capture the sketch."
She sighed and made her sigil in her hands. She exhaled all of the air from her lungs and the earth around the statue froze. Individual grains of sand and gravel halted their fall mid-air.
As I walked around the pillars I began to see it. Written in a large series of lines of which from their depth looked like claw marks. Draconic.
As I furiously scrawled every detail my mind could capture Uthgar slapped me on the back. "Any idea what it says?"
I looked over my shoulder briefly. He was taking long slow puffs from his gold-inlaid pipe. I returned to the line I was on, "I don't know. I tend to only verse myself in languages on this side of the mountain."
"Ot layl woh etern nwko tihs si srotm mnto. Hlla ovn dei Wlde."
"Utter gibberish."
"To a bard such as yourself. 'To all who enter, know this is Storm Mount. Center of the World.'"
My eyes widened, "Does that mean anything to you?"
He scratched his beard. "Not at all."
The suspended earth began to shake and wobble as Eldri began to turn blue. Her arms shook as if a weight of a thousand ships had been laid on her shoulders. I rushed to finish sketching the base of the pillars as she inhaled causing the dirt and rock to fall back down on the bases.
I slammed my fist into my notebook. "Spurning Hells!"
She fell to the ground breathing heavily. "What did you expect? I had to breathe eventually."
I began to walk towards the tent. "It's fine, we can resume later." Well, maybe you should've kept going till you passed out.
My path was interrupted. A black carriage halted before me. Its chassis was decorated with purple and red panels that glistened in the foggy afternoon. The door opened revealing a pale handsome man in a silk suit. "Excuse me, little one. Duke Stravel wishes to speak with Professor Uthgar."
I furrowed my brow. "This is extremely untimely of the Duke! We are currently in the middle of an extremely important excavation."
He sat up from his seat and stood at least three times taller than me as he revealed the sword on his hip. "Excuse me. I tried to be cordial as requested. Although pardon me for giving the illusion that he asked kindly. He demands his presence."
Uthgar placed his hands on my shoulders as he gave a hearty laugh. "Ah, Gattas. I'll join you shortly after I have a word with my friend here." Gattas nodded as he sat back down. Uthgar walked me over to the dig site and got down on one knee. "I know this is inconvenient, friend, but I need you to leave."
"What? Why?"
"I fear that I do not have much of a choice. I grow older every day and pressing circumstances make me worry more for the life of my work than my own. So I need you to go to Hunter's Oath and speak with a friend of mine."
"To the Capital? That's at least a month's journey there and back."
"I know and you'll be going alone. Meet with Professor Admiral Durance at the Naval Academy; he has the key."
"To what?"
A black glove rested its hand on Uthgar's shoulder. "Professor, I fear the Duke cannot wait any longer."
Uthgar's eyes froze, unblinking. "Yes, I'll join you now."
He smiled at me as he turned and walked towards the dark carriage. I stood there still as the two dark mares roared out of the camp. I tried my best to maintain an illusion of composure.
Around dusk, I gathered my things in my tent. My easel, coats, pack, and even the small dagger my mother gave me before I left home. I laughed when she gave it to me initially, but now my hands shook as I touched its fine leather sheath. There was now a grim chance that this small bit of metal would make all the difference between life and death. I tied it to my belt and clasped a lantern. I turned to face the camp one last time. A few lights glimmered in the dark of night. They would be fine. They had to be. I then took a deep breath as I began heading down the mountainside.