4. The First Expedition

The ascent back to the surface is an arduous twenty minutes of monotonous stair climbing. By the time you reach the top, your legs are burning and you’re all out of breath.

You find that the cover across the top of the stairs is back in its closed position. However, an iron handle allows you to slide it open and gain access to the platform at the pyramid’s summit. The cool early evening air is refreshing after the staleness of the halls. Although you’re sheltered by the canopy, you see that it is still raining.

As you emerge, you notice that Billie is extremely agitated. He’s pulling at his tether and repeatedly winnying and braying. Looking around to see what could be the cause of this behaviour (hitherto Billie has been a calm and docile creature), you scan your surroundings. And then you see it. Silhouetted against the grey sky. A shape you’ve never seen outside of storybooks, yet instantly recognise. Wheeling above the south-western corner of the ruined city. A dragon.

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5:50 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Jacky gapes at the sight of the flying beast. "Where did that come from?"

Grim urges his comrades to step back. best just ta let it circle n’ den fer it ta be gone. N’ I say it, but it has a gender, n’ it’s prolly folly ta call it a beast. Dragons’re prgged ta be much more advanced in thinkin’ den we are.

I wanna presume, de dragon is what ruined de city.

Thurmarr's face goes pale and he instinctively tries to position himself behind one of the statues, attempting to stay hidden from the dragon.

"Very bad! What if dragon see?"

Jacky doesn't have much experience with dragons, but Thrudmarr's words give him something to do - calming Billy. He digs out a dried apple from among his rations and feeds it to the mule, murmuring to calm down the pack aninal. Maybe the dragon is too far to notice them, but it couldn't hurt.

Atop the Pyramid of Thoth
Whilst Jacky tries, with some success, to calm Billie, the others watch the dragon descend and settle on the most southwesterly tower on the city’s outer walls. It’s about 500 yards away from your current position (map …). As far as you can tell, it either hasn’t seen you or isn’t paying you any attention (at the moment).

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5:50 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

We should take cover, and wait for it to pass. I don’t feel like it wants to bother with us. But I also believe, it has claimed the ruined city as its territory, and we’d be better off not going there.

"Lùg!" she spat in her native tongue at the sight of the foul wyrm.

"There had been rumours about such a beast, we now see those were well founded," she continued in hushed tones. "We'd better take cover."

In saying this, the elf began looking around the pyramid, I n the direction leading back to the Sign of the Broken Head. She wondered if they could plot a sufficiently discreet path through the ruins by laying low, and rushing from cover to cover.

What a day. First, lose ten years. Then lose 10% of our treasure. Now die by dragon's breath? I should have been a butcher like my mom wanted, Zach thought morosely.