CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  THE DRAGON FIREBAUGH

  Nestled comfortably atop his treasures, the dragon Firebaugh thought a bit about the peculiar group of adventurers he recently saw near his mountain. What they were up to, he did not yet know.

  The group included an elf and a dwarf, along with a handful of humans, which wasn’t really uncommon. But when two of the five humans were a Knight of Providence and a cleric of Elion, and they traveled together with a wizard, a mercenary, and thief, well that was intriguing to say the least, thought the sovereign dragon.

  Firebaugh had lain down to sleep, and as he started to close his eyes he caught a glimpse of one of his treasures that was displayed prominently against the wall of his giant cave. It was his prize possession. Something that paled in comparison to the gold and precious stones he laid upon.

  As he looked over at the ancient ring that held one of the Holy Stones of Elion, Firebaugh gave a small snort and short flames flew out of his great nose. No one had tried to get the ring for at least a few hundred years now.

  Could this band of adventurers be coming for it? Maybe, he thought. Or the motley crew that he saw were merely common lowlifes. Well, the assumed knight and cleric, at least. A poor knight and cleric had probably been killed, and their armor and robe taken as a disguise from authorities, or to complete some ruse against a wealthy lord, perhaps. There was a mercenary and a thief in the group, and they are all about money.

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  Slowly, the red dragon closed his eyes and confidently tried to drift off to sleep. Then his eyes opened again. Even so, the opposite could be just as likely. The fact that the current human high priest Of Elion was unlike his predecessors was interesting, to put it mildly. The ring housed a Holy Stone, perhaps he wanted them all.

  Let them come if that is the case, thought Firebaugh, confidently. They are no match for me. Then his mind went to the battle atop The Dwarven Mountains. Nor is the new magical lord that has invaded from The Barren Wasteland.

  Whether human or dwarf, elf or goblin, now that the rest of his kind had returned to The Domain of Dragons to live apart from these lesser races, let all of them fight among themselves. It matters not. Unless my kin return, I am the sole sovereign dragon.

  I am the true power that rules across their lands. I prove it repeatedly to the humans and their greatest soldiers in Parnigal. The elves fear me as they stay cooped up in their forest. Then Firebaugh smiled, as he took one last look at his lair. And I proved my power years ago to the dwarves.

  Feeling confident as always when he recounted his power, Firebaugh’s smile faded and his eyes fully closed as he settled more comfortably atop his treasure bed.

  As the gold and jewels sank deeper into his skin, cooling him physically, Firebaugh slowly drifted off to sleep, knowing that inside The Cloud Shroud Mountain, he would never be disturbed or challenged. And not just this day, but any other.