ONC 2024 ~ On Hold
Once upon a time there was a little golden dragon. He was the last of his kind and knew nothing of the ways of dragons. One day his hoard of gold was stolen by some men from the castle down the hill. This is the story of how the l...
The next morning, when it was time to go, the dwarf Tedric stood watch as a group of castle hands loaded up three wagons with everything the party could ever possibly need or want while on the quest. Then when it was finally time to leave, the wizards mounted up on horses. Felix had a white horse and Derrick had a black horse. Shina rode in Felix's pocket and Yellow Feather rode in Derrick's pocket.
Selene had a brown horse, and the fairy Fawna rode on the horse with the elf sorceress. The little fairy rode on the horse's mane.
Tedric the dwarf rode on a white and brown pony. He had a second pony along for the journey so that when one pony grew tired, he could switch to the other pony.
Windam the centaur walked beside the wagons, cantering along with the horses that pulled the loads.
Golden Scale found walking to be quite tiresome, so he told the others that he would fly on ahead and map out the destination, and then return to make sure the party was going in the right direction. And so they set out on their quest, heading for the island of the Uneven Man to retrieve Golden Scale's mirror necklace.
They traveled to the beach, which was close to West Castle. But a day's ride came and went, and they reached the beach and made camp. The next morning, Derrick and Felix and Selene offered to ride on the dragon's back across the ocean to the Uneven Man's island castle.
The three of them flew together across the waves to the island. The island looked much different without all the petrified dragons. Golden Scale slinked through the castle ruins and inside to find the debilitated throne room with the Uneven Man. The treasure filled the castle, looking rather magical.
"You!" the Uneven Man screeched. "I don't want to see you. Get out, or I'll turn you to stone!"
"I don't think that's how your tricks work. I am a large dragon," said Golden Scale. "And I have friends!"
Felix and Derrick came out from behind Golden Scale's wings.
"Now, give me back my treasure!" the dragon demanded, holding out his claws.
The Uneven Man laughed, showing off his crooked teeth in his mouth. "My treasure! It's mine, and you can't have it. It has been cursed. Anyone who tries to take it turns to stone."
"I sense dark magic," Felix said. "He may very well be telling the truth."
"It's the truth! I cannot do a thing with this treasure! I cannot even trade it for food, for anyone who takes it from me turns to stone. All the people of the nearby town know not to trade with me. All I can do is sit here with my treasure and hate it." The Uneven Man glared at the treasure in the broken castle.
"I have potions that can cure petrification," Selene said. "Take back your treasure, Golden Scale. If you really do turn to stone, I will cure you."
"Are you sure it will work?" the Uneven Man asked. He seemed hopeful.
"I'm sure," Selene said. "The magic of these potions is powerful."
"Go on then," the Uneven Man said, gesturing with his crooked hand to his piles of treasure. "See if you can find your worthless treasure."
Golden Scale looked all through the piles of treasure, shoving the piles of gold coins over and digging through the treasure until he found his jeweled mirror on the chain that he could wear around his wrist. He took it and went up to the Uneven Man. "Give me this treasure," he demanded.
The Uneven Man said, "I will trade you that treasure for one rock."
So Golden Scale picked up a rock from the ground and traded it for the treasure. He slowly started turning to stone, beginning with his legs and then his body and then his neck and head and tail.
"I told you!" the Uneven Man shouted. "The treasure is cursed!"
Selene pulled out a potion, a swirling gray cloud in a bottle. She uncorked the potion and poured the potion on the dragon's claws.
Slowly the gray stone turned back into gold, and the potion's effects spread from his clawed hand all the way up his arm. The magical healing effect spread to his body, down his legs, down his tail, and up his long neck to his head, until the entire dragon wasn't stone anymore.
"You must give me that potion!" The Uneven Man gestured in desperation. "I only need two. Please!"
"But it will turn us to stone," Selene said.
"Just one of you," the Uneven Man assured them. "I can trade all the treasure for two potions and you can use another one of your bottles to undo the petrification. Please, I'm begging you!"
"No! We have what we came for," Golden Scale said. "You turned all the dragons to stone. You're evil! Why should we help you? Come on everyone. Let's go."
As Felix and Derrick and Selene climbed up on Golden Scale's back, the Uneven Man begged and pleaded for them to trade two potions for all the treasure, but Golden Scale just took off and left the man wailing in his castle.
And that is how a golden dragon got his mirror back while also turning to stone, and that is also how he was rescued by a friendly sorceress.
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