"We roools," Hornfinger grumbled, holding a broken stone pickaxe in his hands with two others behind him in dismay, their tools also cracked and beyond repair.

  Har Firebeard stood in the ter of the cave with a crystal staff and little twigs still burning atop it, stroking his ginger beard with furrowed brows. Frustration burned deep within him. Despite their best efforts, these crystals were the best the dwarves could hope for with their current tools.

  "What about the crystals? Do they make food tools?" Har asked, though he already khe answer.

  Hornfinger shook his head. "Too brittle. If stone break the crystals, what makes you think the crystals will fair aer?"

  The dwarves sighed collectively, ing to terms with the fact that this was the end of their exploration of the cave uhey could e up with better tools.

  "Let's bring back what we this time," Har said firmly. His eyes flicked toward several dwarves who had joihe expedition, each of them hoping to return with treasures grand enough tain their dy's favor. "We'll have to figure something out."

  Wheepped outside, however, every dwarf froze as a rge creature- many times the size of these dwarves- desded uporas massive wings folded against its sides as it he ground quakih its weight. Its rge, predatory eyes gred down at them a shivers of fear running through their spines.

  "Quick! Bato the cave!" Har cried out, dropping his staff as the dwarves scrambled for safety.

  As they reached the depths of the cave, the cave shook as the creature let out a deafening roar that shook the stone walls.

  "What was that?!"

  "Did you see the size of that thing? We're dead meat!"

  "Pipe down," Hornfinger barked, his voice steady despite the pani the cave. "We'll be safe in here. It's too big to fit inside. We just have to wait it out."

  Unease rippled through the dwarves, but many saw the logid nodded. Like many wild beasts, o lost i in its prey, it would move on.

  The red dragon, unbeknownst to them, however, and perched outside their cave, was not like many wild beasts.

  It was frustrating that these tiny creatures escaped its capture.

  With a throaty growl, it unleashed its Dragon's Breath in a searing, fiery roar. Fmes engulfed the mountainside, and the rock turned molten, rivers of glowing red sliding down its face as the dragoed its fury.

  The cave trembled uhe heat of the attack, faint streams of smoke curling into the air. The dwarves huddled deeper iheir hearts pounding.

  Time went on, and the air gradually cleared. Miurned into hours before Har boldly stepped forward, nervously gulping as he made his way toward the exit.

  "Wait, Har!" Hornfinger protested. "Let me go with you.""It's dangerous, Hornfinger."

  "Aye, and two is better than one if you need saving."

  The two of them locked eyes before Har nodded, exhaling slowly as he pced a hand on Hornfinger's shoulder. "Thank you."

  They shared the moment for a sed longer before tinuing toward the exit, leaving the other dwarves huddled inside, nervously clutg their tools and whispering among themselves.

  -----------------------

  "By my beard!" Hornfiroked his beard as he studied the buttery smooth stone surrounding the cave entrance. Heat still radiated from it, nearly unbearable, causing sweat to drip down his forehead. Yet, he couldn't tear his gaze away, mesmerized as thoughts raced through his head, eg the dots.

  "This might be just what we o make ourselves better tools! No- not just tools," Hornfinger mumbled, his eyes widening with excitement.

  Har's gaze darted toward the entrand the sky above, sing for any sign of the creature. But he saw only charred stone and bed wood where the crystal had been.

  His frown deepened, and his expression twisted into shock. "It took our crystals!"

  "What?! Bloody...!" Hornfinger blinked befrowling. "What does such a thing need our hard-earned crystals for?!"

  "Thief!" Hornfinger shouted angrily, shaking his fist at a bird flying zily overhead. "Get your own, you damned lizaaaaa-!"

  Before he could finish, a massive, menag head materialized in the air. With a terrifying growl, its jaws snapped around Hornfinger, whose cries of aurned into terrified screams.

  Har stumbled backward, falling to the ground as the enormous dragon's head emerged seemingly out of thin air, answering Hornfinger's curses like a summoning.

  "Har! Help meh!" Hornfinger's face ale with fear as he struggled against the dragon's jaws. The creature wasn't crushing him but pinned him tightly, its sharp teeth pressing against his skin and drawing trace amounts of blood.

  The dragon's rge red eyes narrowed at Har, a deep snort of pt esg its nostrils. Without a sed g begareating, each of its steps shaking the grouh them.

  Har's gaze darted around frantically until he spotted the charred remains of the wagon. Gritting his teeth, he ripped off a rge k of burned wood and charged at the dragon with a battle cry.

  The creature didn't even flinch. Its massive tail whipped out, knog Har through the air. He hit the ground hard, the breath forcefully driven from his lungs as he rolled several feet across the dirt.

  The dragon unfolded its enormous wings, the gusts from their powerful beats kig up debris and sending Har sliding further back. He cwed at the ground, struggling to find something to grip, until his hand tched onto a nearby tree.

  Above him, the dragon asded into the sky, its wings carving wide, slow circles as it gained altitude. Hornfinger's terrified cries echoed faintly as the dragon soared toward the mountain peak.

  Groaning in pain, Har forced himself to his feet, his body bruised and shaking from the impact.

  "Hornfinger!" he cried desperately into the empty sky, his voice crag. The creature haden him yet, and that sliver of hope fueled Har's determination.

  Tears welled in his eyes, but he gritted his teeth and sprinted back toward the cave entrance.

  -----------------------

  When the red-scaled Primordial Dragon dropped the crystal into their den, the surrounding gems caught the light, refleg brilliantly off its surface. The area around it shifted in hues, casting colorful patterns like stained gss of different colors.

  o it was Har Firebeard's crystal staff, attrag the eyes of many by its smooth design with intricate curves and charred twigs extinguished atop.The Primordial Dragon Queen cooed with approval, nudging the crystal gently with her snout. Her brilliant sapphire eyes flickered upward, log onto him with a seductive glimmer.

  Pride swelled in his chest, especially when he goward his rival snarling off to the side with the weight of defeat hanging over him. But he wasn't do.

  With a sudden, thunderous roar, he startled the Queen. She recoiled in fusion, barieeth out of instind snarling before he took off, leaving everyone bewildered. Ripples swept through the den as some saw it as open disrespect toward their Queen.

  Those ripples were quickly stilled however when the Queen's menag gre swept over them.

  Wheurned sometime ter, her head tilted curiously but repared to deal with this male. But as he nded, her eyes widened slightly, log onto the small creature filiween his jaws.

  -----------------------

  Atop the mountain, Hornfinger was dropped into a warm basin surrounded by enormous creatures. His head spun from the sudden ge in altitude and his vision was swimming in disorientation.

  He felt panicked, knowing how much danger he was in, but he couldn't muster the energy. He had exhausted himself not only from his frantic struggles during the climb, but also the enviro shift taking its toll on him.

  A loud roar brought him to a straight, upright position immediately however. Hornfinger's head was on fire, but his gaze was stun-locked upon a massive, beautiful creature.

  Her white scales gleamed, refleg the sunlight with sutensity that he had to raise a hand to shield his eyes. But he saw enough.

  "I-I don't taste very good," Hornfiuttered, his voice crag with fear. "I ate some bugs this m, I think they poisoned me! I might make you sick!"

  His words tumbled out in a nervous rant, as if reasoning with the creatures would somehow help.

  'We will you.'

  A high pitched voice cut through his thoughts, freezing him in pd blinking in stunned silence.

  'I am the Primordial Dragon Queen, servant of the Sky.'

  "W-What?" Hornfiammered.

  He struggled to keep his gaze on her, but the blinding light refleg off her radiant white scales made it nearly impossible. Notig his disfort, the Queen cooed softly, and suddenly, her brilliance dimmed.

  Now, he could truly see her.

  His mouth fell open in awe. Not only was she rger, mrand- but her scales were far more beautiful than all the others surrounding. Beside her, two smaller female dragons perched regally, their status apparent by how the male dragoed to their presence.

  Their eyes locked when he heard high pitched, vibrant king sound as the red dragon he crystal staff with his snout.

  'How did you make this?'

  A deeper, more menag voitered his mind.

  Hornfinger blinked, gng at the staff before scoffing. "The staff? We just banged some rocks together and-" His eyes widened. "Wait… is this why you stole our crystal?!"

  His temper fred. He ched his fists, shaking one angrily at the red dragon t over him. The Primordial snarled, but Hornfinger refused to back down, gring defiantly.

  "Taking our shite! If I was just a bit bigger, I'd give you a real reason for those scales to be red!"

  Silehen, a chorus of guttural ughter rumbled through the den. The dragons were ughing at him. Hornfinger's face went bright red, his rage turning into embarrassment.But then, a gentle, feminine voice slipped into his mind.

  'Apologies, little creature. Perhaps you would like a smaller gem iurn?'

  Hornfinger hesitated. Normally, su offer would be insulting. But to a dwarf who had yet to see any of these sparkling gems and uones yet, his eyes widened like saucers.

  Suddenly, his attitude shifted. Bowing his head with uncharacteristic politeness, he spoke carefully.

  "That would be my greatest wish! My name's Hornfinger!" He raised his finger with a rabbit's horn attached. His gaze slowly drifted from the surrounding gems back to the crystal staff before he looked up at the Queen.

  "Perhaps I craft you a beauty from our crystal? Iurn, maybe you show us where to find more of these gems?"

  The den fell silent. A dwarf- so small, sile- was trying to iate with the Primordial Dragon Queen? The tension was thick, uainty crag in the air.

  Then, to everyone's surprise, the Queen nodded.

  A wide, excited grin spread across Hornfinger's face.

  -----------------------

  Several hours passed. Half of the dwarves had fled, carrying whatever crystals they could manage, while the other half, led by Har Firebeard, were climbing the mountain.

  They jeered and shouted angrily, hurling their ons and stones as the rge creature returned- despite being fully exposed on the mountain face.

  But it didn't seem to care. The projectiles bounced off its scales harmlessly, and as it desded, the powerful downdraft from its wings knocked several of them back.

  Har Firebeard snarled, gripping his crude stone ons, his muscles tense as he prepared to charge the massive beast- ready to face certain doom.

  Then, something strange happened.

  The dwarves froze, their battle cries cut short, as Hornfinger suddenly tumbled from the dragon's mouth, nding in a heap at the base of the peak, covered in thick saliva.

  But he looked unharmed. And in his arms were gems of indescribable beauty.

  A slow smirk spread across his face before he threw his head bad ughed loudly.

  "Hah! Thought I was dead, didn't ya?!"