frerin launched across the valley as fast as his legs could carry him, leaping over stone and upturned earth, battle axe in hand and travel pack slung over his shoulder as he sprinted over rolling green hills, an idyllic slice of paradise faltered only for the great beast at his back. the dragon was monstrous -- deep purple in colour with a head the size of a castle and teeth as thick and as long as he was. he could feel electricity in the air, the rush of breath as the beast sucked in a breath. his hair stood on end, his ears popped and he ran with gritted teeth, springing forward frerin plowed directly into a human man with all of the force that a sprinting dwarf could muster.
together, they hit the ground hard and frerin shouted a string of rapid curses, kicking off the ground as they rolled one over the other before landing in a heap of tangled limbs. frerin jerked upright as best he could and bulked when the earth quaked beneath the pounded steps of the dragon far too close for comfort. the dwarf had no idea where the man had come from, nor could he find it within himself to care, he snatched a handful of his coat and dragged him up as if he intended to haul him across the ground and away from the beast single handed.
“ dragon . . . dragon ! ” frerin shouted, he stumbled up to his feet, released the man’s coat and grabbed his axe in both hands, he raised the axe in front of him and faced the great beast, beautiful in it’s terrible splendor but certainly not a monster that frerin intended to let eat him without a fight.
the creature roared and frerin roared back. // @icescale ♡‘d for a starter