Act II: Born Into Slavery
The woman’s scream echoed throughout the misty forest.
For a brief moment, Eigyys raised his head in alarm, tracking the distance from his location. He was duty bound to investigate the sounds of struggle that technically lay within his protected zone. Letting out an annoyed snort, he silently wondered if he would ever have a peaceful lunch in this cursed forest.
He had already devoured three wolfsteins and one very large orc, the commander of a poaching band that had the misfortune to stumble upon Eigyys’ territory. A very fortuitous find for an elderdrake of the Bright Sky.
It was rare that such a clumsy band would be brave or foolish enough to pillage Autfaer Forest. Only once or twice a year would a band of orcs, wolfensteins, or trolls take on the heart of the forest, where most of the dragon boons and whelps were to be found. Furthermore, tales of exaggerated dangers lurking within the forest were spread all across Lilephar. All of dragonkind made sure of that.
By the time Eigyys gulped down the final bite of his meal, the shouts of panic and clashes of steel-on-steel could now be heard within a two-league radius. Stretching out with his two front claws, he let out a long yawn that ended in a belch.
It is a good thing dragons are not easily embarrassed, he grinned to himself, as he debated delaying longer for takeoff.
A small boy’s squeal followed by more shouts snapped Eigyys out of his lethargic reverie. He shuddered as his mind idly speculated on what sorts of fools would bring a family into such a dreadful place.
“The greed for riches far outweighs the intelligence of these cursed creatures of Lilephar…” he growled under his breath, taking one last stretch before launching into the sky.
When he arrived, the battle was nearly over. Human carcasses littered the ground with two kobolds also slain. But three particularly menacing kobolds remained, hemming in the remaining survivors against a giant tree trunk.