Ember Dragon

After this earth-shattering "War of the Gods", the elite of the empire led by Dror quickly moved into Avendeldan and took away the fruits of the dwarves' wisdom and sweat for thousands of years.

After hearing that the Burning Empire had made a brazen move and destroyed the Mountain Kingdom once again at lightning speed, the continent of Feanso was in turmoil again, and people were dumbfounded and panicked.

Avenderdan, the common home of the shield dwarves, which had not fallen for thousands of years, fell into the hands of the evil dragon so easily!

The major powers around are trembling with fear, and the tension has reached its peak. Many countries have expressed their intention to form a military alliance, hoping to band together for warmth and resist these "barbarians" from the bitter cold land.

After successfully settling into Avondeldan, the Empire's patrols conducted a thorough search of the city and found hundreds of dwarves hiding in the city. Half of them died in the fierce resistance, and the remaining half defected to the Empire.

It's a pity that the "Lord of the Mountain" Ed was extremely determined and had a desperate attitude. He smashed the sophisticated machinery in the city before the war started and emptied the Lonely Mountain treasury in advance, which made Dror furious.

However, what surprised them was that due to the arrival of Dumathoin, who possessed the priesthood of "Secret Treasures of the Earth", rich veins of gold, silver, copper, gems and other minerals appeared in the surrounding mountains. After exploration by technical personnel, the mineral reserves within a radius of 100 miles were comparable to those of the entire Anzeta.

In just a few days, Avondeldan, which was about to become a deserted city, became busy.

Upon hearing the news of the mineral deposits, mine owners and businessmen from across the empire flocked to the city like piranhas smelling blood, and various investments and engineering projects emerged one after another.

Someone even hired three hundred hardworking fire dwarf miners from the Fire Elemental Plane Colony - or more accurately, slave laborers - in an effort to contract the development rights of the mine.

At the same time, according to the empire's original plan, in addition to Dror's tens of thousands of elite troops, more imperial troops were dispatched here, and hundreds of thousands of players received the call-up mission and came here upon hearing the news.

At Smaug's call, more than 500 wyverns from North Aether flew to Avendeldan in groups, black and dense. Those deep mines became their natural nests.

Smaug, with his thirty-two companions, moved into the Lonely Mountain Treasure House in a show of arrogance, becoming the true "King Under the Mountain" - but now the Lonely Mountain has become empty, not filled with mountains of gold and silver.

It is said that the miners in the surrounding area can often hear the hearty roars of dragons coming from the Lonely Mountain Treasury. That is His Majesty Smaug working tirelessly day and night to expand the dragon herd of the empire.

At Cassius's command, Avenderdan's name was changed to "City of Dragons", and the dwarf statues in the Road of Glory were replaced by rebellious dwarf craftsmen with statues of Cassius and the dragon-blooded nobles.

In the near future, Avenderdan, or the City of Dragons, will become a military fortress for the Empire to control the northeastern region of Feansor, and will also become a paradise for gold diggers, merchants and Asian dragons.

However, for Cassius now, the most important task at the moment is to eliminate the hidden danger hidden in the north - the orcs.

Cassius knew very well the horror of those spore greenskins. Compared with the original nomadic barbarians, the current orcs were more like a biological virus. It could even be said that as long as the orcs were not cleared, the north would not be at peace.

"when!"

"The sound of hammers bang, the mine tunnel is deep and long!"

"Dang! Dang!"

The crisp sound of hammers hitting stones rang out rhythmically, and the dwarves' uplifting songs echoed in the mountains.

"The mine is deep and bright, and the treasure is just ahead!"

The pickaxe knocks, the hammer shines, mining is as joyful as singing!
Don’t be afraid of hardship or tiredness, and be filled with jewels and gold!”

The dwarves' voices were full of enthusiasm, making this already hot and red land even more heated, and also making Zen's beard-covered mouth corners rise constantly.

The mine is full of mine caves dug by dwarves, platforms and scaffoldings built, and simple stone houses around them. The prototype of a city has already appeared.

Looking at the dwarves who were working hard and sweating profusely, Zen felt quite emotional, and the scene of the magnificent fortress, his hometown, Avenderdan, kept emerging in his mind.

He thought that their ancestors must have opened up their homes in the same way and built Avondeldan step by step.

A dwarf lady noticed the prince who came to inspect and was immediately overjoyed. She smiled and waved her hoe: "Your Highness Zen, you are here too!"

Zayn nodded: "I just happened to be free, so I came to see you guys, how do you feel about working here?"

The dwarf said cheerfully, "Very good! It is worthy of being the place provided by Lord Titus. This is truly a treasure trove. There is shining gold and gems everywhere. We can hardly dig it all out!"

She wiped the sweat stuck to her beard, hesitated for a moment, and then said hesitantly: "This place is just a little too hot. These days, many people have suffered from heat stroke. Kent next door to me was almost killed by the heat."

Zayn frowned and said in a deep voice, "I see. I will go and talk to Lord Titus about this matter and buy some heat-resistant potions from him."

The dwarf nodded and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. However, many people want to ask when we can return to Blackrock Mountain."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding dwarves gathered around and began to discuss the matter.

They have been living in the volcanic secret area for more than a month, and many dwarves can't stand the hot and unbearable environment here.

"Yes, Your Majesty, when can we go home?"

"How long have we been here?"

"Oh, my husband, old Cord, is a lazy guy. If it weren't for me, he would probably starve to death!"

Feeling the dwarves’ eager gazes, Zenn sighed deeply and replied seriously: “I said that Avenderdan is facing a great crisis, and we must stay here until the war is over.

Don't think about Blackrock Mountain anymore. Until new news comes, we must treat this volcano as the new home of the dwarves."

Hearing this, the dwarves all lowered their heads and sighed, with looks of loss on their faces.

Zayn turned around resolutely, but sadness and longing were revealed in his eyes. As a dwarf prince who grew up in Blackrock Mountain, how could he not miss his hometown?

Over the past month, the magnificent fortress had appeared in his dreams more than once, causing him to toss and turn and unable to fall asleep.

But Zen knew that he had a more important mission on his shoulders - to continue the mountain kingdom and pass on the glorious civilization of the shield dwarves.

"Your Highness! Your Highness Zen! Lord Titus is here to visit you. He said he has something urgent to tell you!" In the distance, the dwarf messenger was waving and shouting.

Zayn's heart suddenly tightened, and he suddenly had a bad premonition. Beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, but gradually evaporated under the high temperature and turned into smoke.

Urgent news, could it be that Avenderdan has fallen?

No, it's impossible. Zayn shook his head, denying his terrible guess.

As long as his father, Eddard, the "Lord of the Mountain", was there, no matter how powerful the dragon was, it would not be able to capture Avendeldan in just a few days.

Zen knew very well how powerful his father was. Even if he lost the Hammer of Rock, the dwarf king still had the power to command the mountains, enough to strike fear into the hearts of all invaders.

But even though he was confident in Ed, Zayn was still panicking.

Zen forced himself to remain calm, stepped forward quickly, and said to the panting messenger, "Where is Sir Titus?"

It was obviously not an easy task to run in this demiplane filled with fire elements. The messenger was sweating and panting as he replied, "Your Highness, Your Highness, Lord Titus is at the top of Mount Lysander."

"I see. I happen to have something to talk to him about, so you don't have to make another trip." Zen replied.

Mount Lysander was named after the fourth king of the Mountain Kingdom, the dwarf hero Lysander, and it was two miles to the north. Zen's physique was much stronger than that of the messenger, and he walked quickly and soon reached the top of the mountain and saw the familiar figure.

Its scales shone with golden light, its wings were wide, its head was majestic yet wise, its eyes were like deep pools of gold, and a dozen gill whiskers fluttered in the air.
——That was none other than Titus, the "Wing of Dawn," who was also the shield dwarves' closest and most steadfast ally.

But at this moment, the ancient golden dragon looked serious and sad.

"Zane, you're here," Titus said, his voice low and hoarse, like a sigh.

The young dwarf prince's heart suddenly tightened, and the premonition became stronger. He walked forward quickly and said anxiously: "Sir Titus, what happened to you?"

Hearing the dwarf's question, the golden dragon's pale golden eyes revealed irrepressible guilt and self-blame, and he said in a heavy voice: "I'm sorry, Zen.

Avenderdan has fallen."

"what?!"

Zayn's pupils trembled, his mouth opened, and his expression was dazed. This sentence exploded in his heart like a bolt from the blue.

The dwarf prince had rehearsed this day countless times in his mind, but he never expected it to come so soon. He kept shaking his head and muttering to himself: "How could this happen so soon!"

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, Zayn asked anxiously, "What about my father, Ed? He, he won't..."

His voice was stumbling and he choked up at the end.

Titus sighed again and said in a very serious tone, "Ed died."

Zayn's legs began to tremble first, and then he collapsed to the ground, tears welling up in his eyes, and the tall figure kept appearing in his mind.

Whenever in front of his father, Zayn was always the skinny kid.

He clenched the rock hammer in his hand and said incoherently: Father, it was me who harmed him. It was my cowardice that made him...

"No, it's not your fault, Your Highness Zen. It's the sin of those brutal invaders."

The golden dragon raised its head, its majestic face covered in the glow of flames, its eyes like pools of gold revealing an expression of nostalgia and respect.

"As for your father, he was a true hero and a close friend whom I will never forget. He died gloriously on the battlefield resisting the invasion.

History will always remember his name—Ed Klein, King of the Shield Dwarves, Lord of the Mountains, a warrior who died fighting against the tyranny of the dragon.

Hearing this, Zane wiped the tears from his face, grasped the Hammer of Rock, and got up from the ground. He said, "Sir Titus, I will inherit his will, overthrow the tyranny of the evil dragon, and take back Avondeldan."

"I'm pleased to hear you say this. I believe His Majesty Ed will be proud of you. But now is not the right time. The evil dragon and his minions are too powerful, and our strength is not enough." Gu Jinlong said.

Zayn looked into the distance and said, "I know, Sir Titus, but one day, evil will be defeated by justice, and darkness will be illuminated by light, right?"

"of course."

Titus smiled amiably, then turned around and looked at the dwarf prince with his wise golden eyes: "Your Highness Zen, His Majesty Ed entrusted me with something before he left, and asked me to give it to you at the right time."

The ancient golden dragon stretched out its giant claws and pulled out an object from the void - it was a crown made of gold, inlaid with gems of various colors, exuding the rich and majestic feeling unique to dwarven craftsmanship.

"This is."

Zayn's eyes suddenly flickered, and soon he saw the origin of that thing.

——That is the crown of mountains. Only a king who is recognized by all the shield dwarves can wear this crown and be crowned as the true lord of the mountains.

Titus picked up the crown and said solemnly: "If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. I think you are qualified to wear it now."

Zen was excited. He looked at the dwarven subjects who were working, at the city under construction, and at the tall figure in his heart.

He knew that at this moment, he had to shoulder the responsibility of the Lord of the Mountains and lead his subjects towards a glorious tomorrow.

"Lord of the Mountains!"

"Long live His Majesty Zen!"

There were shouts coming from the bottom of the mountain. Zen turned around in surprise and saw the old, weak and sick dwarves cheering with tears in their eyes, encouraging the dwarf prince.

——It turned out that the conversation just now had been amplified by Titus and transmitted to every corner of the volcanic secret realm.

All the dwarves knew that Eddard was dead, and His Highness Zenn would take on the responsibility of Lord of the Mountain and become their new king.

Titus smiled and said, "Look, don't worry, young king, you have been recognized by your future subjects."

Listening to those encouraging voices, a warm feeling surged in Zayn's heart, and his sense of responsibility became stronger.

Zayn walked forward with firm steps and lowered his head.

Titus carefully placed the crown on his head and said softly, "Congratulations, Your Highness Zen. No, you should be called His Majesty Zen now."

“Thank you for your trust, Sir Titus.

I swear - I will lead the shield dwarves to a bright future, and one day, I will retake Avenderdan and avenge my father. "Zen raised his head, his voice sonorous and powerful.

This is a promise to his subjects and also a promise to himself.

His expression was extremely resolute, and his features revealed the temperament of Ed, the former Lord of the Mountains - now, the heavy responsibility of reviving the shield dwarves fell completely on his shoulders.

"Your Majesty, Zen!"

"Zen, Lord of the Mountains!"

"Reclaim Avendeldan! Restore the glory of the dwarves!"

"Yes, we want to avenge His Majesty Ed!"

The dwarves cheered even louder and waved their hammers and hammers. Even though they were still grieving over Ed's death, they still encouraged and supported Zen without hesitation.

Titus, on the other hand, looked at the young king with satisfaction, clapping his paws. The ancient golden dragon was full of nostalgia, with tears streaming down his face, and exclaimed, "Resemblance, so much like him!"

He looked just like an old man who was satisfied to see his old friend's son succeed.

——I can only say that Cassius’ acting skills are superb and have reached the pinnacle. (End of this chapter)