The Hero’s Right Hand

Summer arrived slowly along with melting snow. Avant’s coat remained white but the molting process had begun. Our carriage was transformed back to its original form allowing us to travel faster. It was necessary as the road inclined towards the Ikrali mountain range. Sun-bleached stone paths worked as a guide towards our destination. Rocks and minerals mixed to create a light dust that layered the carriage. If we momentarily stepped out of the wagon we were similarly dusted. But we had no choice as the roads became more perilous the further we traveled. The natural terrain and shifting ground resulted in thin areas we could just barely pass through. When we reached these spots, someone in our party always stepped out to help guide the driver.

It took a week of trekking and maneuvering before we saw the mountain town of Gromsev. The roads grew wider as we looked upwards to sturdy wooden structures bridging gaps on the mountain. The path forward snaked back, forth, and around the ridge before arriving at one side of the town. Without Gromsev there was no way to cross over Mount Ikrali. The distinct sound of wings on the wind surrounded the region. Silhouettes of winged humanoids hovered in the sky going about their business. Though it wasn’t possible to discern what they were doing it seemed harmless.

Carved into the side of the mountain were openings with enclosures built into them. One by the town entrance had stalls for horses and slots for carriages. Sariel slowed down as we got closer. A large dragonborn waited at an open window to receive us. Though he could be described as a greeter he did no such thing. With a skeptical eye he examined our vehicle before addressing Sariel.

“You must rent a stable and a carriage slot,” he grumbled.

“We do not possess a horse,” Sariel replied.

The dragonborn rolled his eyes. “I’m aware. You must pay for both.”

The half open door to the garage revealed only a single used stable and slot. Many others were left empty. 

“It’s fine, Sariel,” Aisha said and stepped down. “May we leave our bags?”

The dragonborn was hesitant at the sight of a fully armored adventurer. Experience helped him regain composure quickly.

“Five gold pieces,” he replied.

“Five?!” I asked loudly and rushed off the carriage. “That’s unheard of even with a horse. I’d understand two but—”

Before I said anything else Aisha fished five coins from her pack and handed them over. The dragonborn glared at me while making a gesture for Sariel to take the vehicle inside. Aisha grabbed my arm to drag me away while the greeter checked his payment.

“Remember where we are,” Aisha whispered. “This is Elmud’s home. They may not accept us simply due to our racial nature.”

Vofric stepped off the carriage and shook his head. “That is incorrect. I have visited this town in the past. They are likely wary after news of Dawncaster spread.”

“It is also possible they recognize Aisha.” Sariel added.

I sighed. “So the weather and the people will be cold here. Wonderful.”

Avant chirped in agreement. With the upper parts of Mount Ikrali still covered in snow, overcoats were required. I refused to emanate heat to avoid drawing undue attention as we looked into Elmud’s past. The greeter approached the wooden fence surrounding our carriage. When we stepped out he pulled shut the two doors at the front. With one palm against each, he muttered something. A near impercitable wall grew from the top of the fence and completely surrounded the carriage.

“If you must retrieve anything, let me know. I am always here,” he said and walked away. Though his attitude was unwelcoming, it was obvious he took his job seriously.

Upon exiting the garage, our attention was immediately turned towards the paths connecting the town. Due to the large amount of empty space between buildings Gromsev felt larger than it really was. Wooden planks and rope bridges covered massive gaps. An absentminded explorer could easily find themselves plummeting to a lower level or further. Even with the utmost attention our party moved differently than usual. Sariel and Aisha couldn’t easily leap from one place to another without accidentally breaking something. Vofric, on the other hand, needed to jump from plank to plank due to spaces between them being too large for his stature. I lifted Avant to assist him with the same issue. My experience clambering around Dawncaster paid off with how easily I could move about town.

Though we had the clear goal of uncovering Elmud’s secrets, we had no direction. Townsfolk intermittently descended from the sky only to avoid us and continue about their day. Signs were written in a script I was incapable of deciphering. Sariel knew the draconic symbols and was able to discern that most places were private domiciles. It was obvious Gromsev rarely saw outsiders and didn’t care to welcome them.

“This does not make sense,” Vofric said. “Gromsev must be encountered to pass Mount Ikrali. The lack of an inn or tavern is illogical.”

“Was there one when you visited last time?” I asked.

“I did not stay long enough to warrant seeking one out.”

We stood on one of many bridges scattered along the snowy cliffs. While Aisha looked out towards the horizon, Sariel squinted at the carvings in the mountain. I followed suit and noticed a larger enclosure in a deep gouge. Its door was carved from the very stone encompassing it. A plaque was bolted to one wall with symbols I could not read.

“Sariel, is that what I think it is?”

She smirked. “They do not welcome outsiders to stay. They invite us to imbibe.”

Many townsfolk occupied the tavern but they continued to pay us no mind. In a way it was a blessing as they discussed their opinions on current events. It would be foolish to assume they had moved on from the Dawncaster attack. Vethyea itself was permanently changed as a result of Elmud’s actions. Rumors of a failed undead attack on Gromsev caught our attention.

“When did that happen?” Aisha asked loudly to a small group at a nearby table.

They looked her over and their faces sank.

“We had nothing to do with it,” one replied defensively. “It’s just something we saw.”

Before we could ask further questions they moved to a different area. The waiter approached our table with drinks. We’d already paid the exorbitant price she demanded for four mugs of mead.

She nodded to Aisha and said, “You’re the Champion of Dawncaster. We all know why.”

“I won’t apologize for killing someone who sent an army of monsters to attack a city of innocents,” Aisha grumbled and took a swig of her drink.

“No one’s demandin’ it. But they ain’t gonna welcome you either. You killed one of our own.”

Sariel furrowed her brow. “Are we to assume you hold the same beliefs as the fanatic?”

“No, of course not!” the waiter replied immediately. “It’s just… You’re the first adventurers who’ve come here since the news spread. Are we wrong to fear your wrath? Or to think you see us all as monsters?”

“I fail to see why you would be equated to monsters,” Vofric pried.

“Well— It’s—”

An older dragonborn woman approached our table. With a soft pat of the waiter’s back she said, “That’s enough dear. I will speak with them.”

The waiter looked to her elder in defeat and nodded. Chairs scratched against the ground as more patrons got up to leave. At first I thought we offended them but quickly realized they were showing respect to their elder. Whatever she wished to speak about was deemed important enough for the townsfolk to leave. Only our table remained with a guard standing by the door.

“I apologize for our young one’s outburst. The blame falls on me for a lesson that was misunderstood,” the elder said.

“Did the same lesson cause Elmud’s mindset?” I asked.

The elder nodded sadly.

“Can you tell us more, Elder…?” Aisha said.

“Zhusthum. Thank you for allowing me a moment to explain,” she said while collecting her thoughts. “Gromsev residents are descendents of dragons. Though many outsiders are accepting of our kind now, that was not the case in the past. I raised many of our youth to be careful with their abilities. My hope was that they would aim to help others to prove their worth. Instead, many secluded themselves in our town.”

Aisha shook her head and sighed. “You put a lot of weight on an entire generation’s shoulders. It’s no wonder Elmud turned out the way they did.”

Elder Zhusthum rose to her feet and gestured for us to follow. Vofric had long since finished his drink and was the first to rise. Sariel quickly downed hers while Aisha and I drank the last of ours. As soon as we stepped out of the tavern, the original occupants flooded inside. The elder walked slowly as she led us upwards past many of the areas we’d previously searched. 

“During their childhood, Elmud began to resent being a dragonborn. They believed we were inferior due to worldly laws that required us to contain our abilities,” Elder Zhusthum said.

“There is no sense behind that thought. It’s completely illogical,” Sariel replied.

The elder agreed. “There is rarely hope in finding logic behind a child’s thoughts.”

Homes that weren’t built into the mountainside were secured to wooden pathways. One such structure was located near the top of the town with only the elder’s abode above it. It was especially precarious with long rods stretching hundreds of feet away from the mountain. A thin rope bridge allowed for one person to cross at a time. Elder Zhusthum flew across the gap and waited for our party to join her. The planks beneath the house were shaky as if they had been placed with no regard for security.

“Elmud rarely placed their feet on Gromsev once they grew wings. As they aged it did not take long to understand we were far more powerful than other beings,” the elder said. “My teachings of keeping their power under control were seen as heresy and they wanted to prove me wrong. Though I never learned how. Twenty years ago they suddenly left for Dawncaster. I assumed they had calmed down in their middle age but upon seeing images I realized they never did.”

“How would you discern their personality from an image?” Vofric asked while looking around the hut.

Elder Zhusthum paused. “I miscommunicated. Elmud had not aged since leaving Gromsev. They had lived nearly sixty years but looked half their age.”

“Meaning they probably aren’t dead,” Aisha said assuredly. She was leafing through loose notes left on a shelf of the empty home. “A spell must be helping Elmud keep their youth.”

I agreed. “The way they disappeared was peculiar. It’s likely Elmud is still out there.”

“If so, another attack is possible,” the elder said sorrowfully. Tears welled in her eyes but she continued. “This is all I can provide you to help discern Elmud’s motives. Please stop them however you can.”

“We will do whatever is possible. Do not tell your youth to hide their capabilities. Simply educate them on how their actions dictate the opinion others hold,” Sariel suggested.

Elder Zhusthum shut her eyes tightly but accepted. “I will do so as long as I remain and teach the next elder to do the same. However, little can be done to garner their support for you as long as Elmud’s motives are unknown.”

While the others spoke, I scoured every nook and cranny for any out of place notes. I was reminded of the underground hideout in Dawncaster. There were no secret enclosures or hidden containers. Everything was left out in the open with damaged clues. Aisha had the same idea based on how she thoroughly examined each book she found. For the hut to remain on stilts it needed to be small but even then, this was beyond imagination. Elmud clearly only came to the room to sleep and make plans. There wasn’t even a place to prepare meals.

“Is there somewhere else they went regularly?” I asked. “What happened when Elmud got hungry?”

“There are eatery caves for Gromsev residents who do not have the means to cook at home,” Elder Zhusthum answered.

“Lead the way,” Aisha said and nodded to me. “Good call.”

Sariel stopped us and added, “If there are multiple we will need to discern which Elmud used.”

With a hum Vofric said, “Don’t overthink it. It is likely whichever cave is furthest from here.”

The eatery cave was located at the lowest level of Gromsev. While a dragonborn could reach it quickly it wasn’t possible for us land bound humanoids. We slowly trekked back down the town and entered an alcove in the mountain. Stools, tables, and cooking pits were carved from the very stone that surrounded the room. There were four well-worn stations but we ignored those. The most obvious place to look was a small shelf located near the entrance to the cave. Recipe books both official and homemade were left unattended. Aisha scanned the dozen or so books and was drawn to a notebook. It matched the ones we’d found torn apart in Dawncaster.

She sifted through it and found only recipes. There were no symbols or magic circles. Even notes unrelated to meal preparation were scarce. When Aisha got to the final pages she hesitated. Rugged fingers traced the letters in the final passage. Something was off about them.

“These are fresh compared to the others,” Aisha explained.

“Elmud returned to leave notes?” I asked,

Sariel scoffed. “The bastard is taunting us. They demand our attention.”

“Have they left a location?” Vofric inquired.

Aisha slowly leafed through the notebook again. “There are a lot of recipes with strong effects for whoever partakes. It seems the power provided is what Elmud needs to stand alongside their master.”

“Their master…” I muttered. It was unintentional as I tried to speak the demon king’s true name. “What sort of meal gives enough power to match him?”

“One made of their ancestors.”

Elder Zhusthum let out a shaky breath.

“The fool is hunting a dragon.”