Private Tales Mountain Breaker | Zull

[Aivrid]

Tag: Zull Du'un

It is unwise to wake a sleeping dragon.

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Few things worried Aivrid. As a massive dragon, one of the few great wyrms left in the world, there were few things he could not accomplish, no challenge he could not overcome. He was the destroyer of civilizations, the harbinger of doom, the master of great magics. He was the greatest creature on Arethil; his shadow was dark and long, one he would cast long into the future and even longer into the past.

Still, there was one feeling, one concept he could never truly overcome: loneliness. His power and majesty were largely unmatched; a world full of lesser beings was a most disappointing one. So, when he came across knowledge that another might exist of his kind and caliber... it was one of the few moments in his long life that he felt excitement.

It was a long walk on human legs to the largest mountain of the Spine. The spell would take some time to wear off, but this was a matter he needed to take care of quickly. There was much work to be done. In this flimsy human form, there was still something he could do.

At the base of the mountain, the disguised dragon closed his eyes, focusing his mind. The wind flowed, the sun shone, and through it all... "Ixen," was the only word he spoke. And with that word the earth shook, the world fell away, and the great mountain was torn away by flames unmatched by any other.

 

[Zull Du'un]

”Ixen”​

The word had carried power. So much power that it pierced the snow and stone of the mountain, and bored its way deep into the peak’s core. It travelled with a single direction and purpose, and stuck its mark like an arrow.

The mountain shuddered, and at once was consumed by heat and light. Great geysers of flame and lava erupted from the explosion and the sky was swallowed by ash. The shockwave ripped across the sky, sending avalanches falling from the adjacent spires. From within the dark haze of smoke and debris, two gleaming yellow flares appeared. Beneath them opened a maw of molten fire, and it brought forth a roar to rival the explosion itself.

Deep black claws gripped the broken rim of the caldera, and a long neck brought the dragon’s head out of the smog. His body was criss-crossed with glowing red streaks, jagged windows to the furnace within.

Zull Du’un surveyed the mountain range with hungry eyes. How long had he been asleep this time? Couldn’t be more than a few thousand years, the peaks looked the same. Except of course for the massive golden city atop the highest spires.

The small creatures of the world did so enjoy their toys, perhaps he had been gone too long.

He stretched his mighty wings, sending a fresh cloud of ash and stone into the air, a new shower of boulders rolled down the peak. He inhaled a deep breath of the mountain air, and between the soot and fire and burning things, he smelled it. Another dragon.

But where? There were none to be seen. It would have taken considerable power to wake him… so where was the great creature? Empty… except…

He narrowed his eyes. Near the base of the mountain stood a lone, tiny, dark figure. He inhaled again, the scent was indeed coming from that direction. How very peculiar.

Zull Du’un pulled himself from the crater he had made and made his way down the mountain, setting off fresh rockslides and destruction as he moved. His legs were sluggish, they had been still for so long that they had begun to fuse with the stones, and boulders cracked and fell off of them.

He reached the lone figure, and lowered his great head so that he could see more clearly. The snow melted away around him, leaving a perimeter of baked earth. Through the haze of heat, he spoke.

”Who is it that awakens me?”

If mountains could speak, they would do so with his voice.

 

[Aivrid]

Tag: Zull Du'un

I don't think I've met an equal in my long life...

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This was a first. Aivrid had very few firsts left.

To be smaller, less potent than another being... he still had his magic, his wisdom, and his breath, but his size and majesty were hidden away in this suit of skin and flesh. The dragon that emerged from the mountain, however, seemed unshackled by these struggles. Aivrid felt his little human heart begin to beat faster, quietly realizing how the little ones viewed him. Zull Du'un seemed to dwarf even the mountains; for a moment the dragon wondered if he could eat the sun, before dismissing the notion as preposterous.

As the other wyrm approached, Aivrid felt almost uncomfortable in the heat he produced. Not enough to produce a reaction. Dragon scales were quite marvelous things. He missed their comforting weight dearly. Soon the transformation would wear off, but his counterpart was addressing him right now. His disguised form betrayed no fear or ill intent -- he was here to talk. Funny, considering the only other black dragon he knew was one he had sworn to destroy.

"Erominak Aivrid," he said simply, knowing the other dragon would understand. There was no point in wasting time listing titles or exchanging of pleasantries. Unlike most creatures, dragons took their business seriously... when it came to other dragons, at least. "I have heard of you before, Zull Du'un -- I know you are older than even I. For now I am concealed by this body, but soon I will return to my true form, if you would rather converse with a true dragon.

"I have come to speak with you of a matter I believe you will find most troubling, aside from the current state of the world as a whole. If you are willing to hear me out, that is."

 

[Zull Du'un]

Understanding dawned on him. The body was small but the voice, the voice carried strength. Dragon’s strength. Zull Du’un had heard of these sorcerers before, dragons that enjoyed disguising themselves and mingling with the small people. He had always thought the practice to be lowering, as if a king would dawn the pauper’s clothes and walk in the filth among them.

Yet if Aivrid had been able to wake him by force he had at the very least earned an audience. The mountain had been tall and the stones thick, yet his voice had pierced them like smoke. Zull Du’un’s curiosity had been peaked. Of course it didn’t hurt to have his ego stroked a bit as well. It was good to hear that his name had been remembered.

”Drem yol lok, Aivrid,“ he said slowly. His fires were still warming up, and his jaw felt sluggish. ”I would hear your news. Tell me, how has the world turned in my absence?”