Firkraag's Lair pt1

“Do you remember when I told you not to trust strangers?” Came a stern, feminine voice. The black-haired elf sighed and rolled her eyes at the sound, prepared for another scolding from her companion.
“Yeah.” She responded without stopping, her hands swinging at her sides from the swift pace she’d set.
“Well then maybe next time you should listen to me, Vhaira.” The elf turned to her friend with a subtle grin. Her companion, her blonde hair a mess and her shining armor dirty and scratched, displayed her usual scowl of disapproval.
“Yes, I know… but things could be worse. Sure we had to fight our way through here, but we’re almost out!” She beamed. Jaheira sighed and turned her eyes away, but kept herself close to the young duelist.
“We’re not free until we find Firkraag, though. I know for one, I won’t be able to sleep soundly until I see that villain breathe his last.” Vhaira turned to acknowledge the low, quiet voice to her side; Valygar, his black eyes set ahead of him and his hands resting nervously on the hilts of his swords. His braided hair bounced along his padded shoulders as he moved quickly. Next to him was a smaller, swarthier figure, his hood up and his stance prepared.
“I agree with the ranger. I do not believe Firkraag will let us escape so easily; we shall not be truly safe until he is dead.” Yoshimo said quietly, his eyes on his leader as he spoke. Vhaira didn’t doubt his logic, but for some reason, she felt ill-prepared for the task. The thought didn’t continue for long, though, as an elven figure clad in purple robes took up pace beside her, followed by a smallish man with strikingly blue hair.
“I still say we turn back now. We have his hostage safe, and that was what we came here for, no? Why do we not just leave?” Xan pleaded, the usual worry lines creasing his brow and his brown eyes darting this way and that as if a monster would jump out at him any second. The blue-haired bard, not missing the opportunity, slapped the mage heartily on the back and gave him a knowing smile.
“Because, my petrel, this is no longer a quest to save an innocent. This has become a tale of revenge for our leader and ourselves. Destroying the deceitful baron is our only option.” He sang. Xan looked at him with narrowed eyes.
“But of course. How could you ever want to avoid a fight, Haer’Dalis?” Haer’Dalis merely snickered wickedly and raised a blue eyebrow at the elven mage, who only sighed and turned away.
“Seldarine, I am doomed.” Vhaira slowed slightly and cast a sidelong glance to Xan, who soon enough caught her eye. “He didn’t seem like much of a tough fight last time we met him, you know.” She said, putting one of her hands on his shoulder. The wizard looked back quite skeptically.
“Looks can be very deceiving as you well know, melamin. We could just as well be marching towards our own deaths.” Came his predictable reply. However, his hand managed to find its way to rest on top of Vhaira’s. His tired eyes turned back to hers and for a strange moment, a ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “Then again we… might not. I could be overreacting again.” The rogue elf couldn’t help but look skeptically at Xan. Jaheira and Haer’Dalis turned their heads as well to the strange comment.
“Impossible…” The druid mumbled to herself and the bard all but laughed aloud. “Has the raven gotten to you or has the sky begun to fall?” He chortled. Jaheira began to chuckle to herself at the bard before she realized that she had indeed lost her stern demeanor… and for Haer’Dalis, no less. The actor only laughed louder when the woman’s eyes widened, but then narrowed into a glare aimed at him. His laughter was cut off, though, when another strong voice rang throughout the cavern walls.
“The walls are beginning to slope upwards.” Valygar said in a harsh whisper. Vhaira looked him over to see his katana drawn in one hand and his dagger ready in the other.
“What does that mean?” She whispered as she  began to draw her longsword, the shimmering Daystar, out of its sheath at her hip.
“It means we’re close.” He finished, a familiar, anxious gleam coming into his eyes. Vhaira heard a universal scraping sound as the others took out their weapons. Glancing around quickly, she saw the group take their usual stances; Yoshimo melted into the shadows wile Valygar and Jaheira moved up front. Haer’Dalis stepped out to the side and his twin swords flashed into his dexterous hands, while Xan moved in between the bard and the elven duelist.
Vhaira noticed how quickly the walls did open up, and before she knew it, they were in an open cavern, much larger than she could’ve expected. A cursory glance around the area only made her more confused, though. High pillars were carved cleanly out of the stony walls of the cavern, and the floor, after closer examination, seemed to be some kind of mosaic. The multicolored tiles of the ground formed a distinctly detailed painting of some kind of war. The clearest image of the painting was a huge, beautifully detailed dragon, its scales almost glowing red and peals of fire arcing from his wide opened maw. People below scattered in terror from the terrifying beast.
The swashbuckler suddenly felt a subtle tingling of magic surge through her, and she glanced back to Xan, who muttered incantations furiously under his breath; he was obviously as intimidated by the splendorous room as she was. She looked down to see her dark leather armor shimmering slightly, as if the spell had given an extra layer of protection to it. The group continued walking as Jaheira joined the wizard’s chanting, adding additional protections. None were completely sure of why they were so nervous, for they had all seen Firkraag before, it just seemed as if the room was no place for someone such as him.
“I’m getting tired of this! Where is he?” Vhaira finally whispered. A few moments of pause rested on the group before suddenly, the ground shook. The elf quickly pulled out her other sword, a curved and cruel looking blade, as she stumbled. The floor shuddered again and the party glanced around nervously. Vhaira’s blood ran cold when she heard the echoing of a low, feral growl, louder than she could’ve imagined.
“Looking for me are you?” It said in a boomingly quiet voice.
Firkraag, the red dragon, his huge clawed feet clacking against the floor and his scaly wings fluttering in the air, walked nonchalantly into view. He was tremendous; larger than anything they had ever seen and far grander than any dragon they could imagine. The tips of his wings scraped the ceiling and his eyes glowed a fierce green. Steam rolled out from his nostrils and huge horns curled around his ears, while his red scales glittered beautifully.
“He’s… he’s a … dragon…” Came Vhaira’s shaky voice.
“Oh, merciful Seldarine…” Xan responded in turn.
“I can say your surprise is well founded, fools.” Came his booming voice again, followed by a cruel chuckle. “I can sense your fear. But do not fret, it will be over soon. You see…” Firkraag began at length as Vhaira felt her heart sinking “You all have destroyed my plans, my allies, and my home. I believe it is about time for you to die.”
Vhaira’s shoulders slumped at his words. She looked around to see the fear in her companion’s eyes; she saw Haer’Dalis glance at his short swords skeptically and saw Jaheira’s eyes widen. She noticed Valygar take an involuntary step back and noticed Xan’s shoulders slump, and she saw Yoshimo in the shadows glance back to the entrance of the room.
But none of it mattered, now; for the dragon roared, a terrible sound that shook the walls of the cavern, and they knew that they could not run.
Vhaira went for the first thing she could, the Daystar. The duelist flung the weapon out in front of her and focused on its shimmering blade, soon enough calling forth a ray of energy that thundered ahead into the dragon. She squinted for a moment but focused again to see Firkraag… completely unhurt.
Valygar, with his thoughts either valiant or suicidal, charged ahead, his katanas drawn. The dragon batted at him with it’s massive claw, but the ranger spun out to the side, quick to lunge at the dragon’s paw that was already retreating. Jaheira followed suit, finding no other practical use for her spells, and Firkraag, who looked as if he did not notice the druid, swung at her with his long tail. Jaheira rolled back to avoid being batted aside and she glanced for a moment at her spear. The weapon was heavily enchanted, but she doubted that it would do much. She ran ahead and jabbed at his massive haunches, finding the hide more difficult to pierce than she thought.
Firkraag did notice her, and taking his attention back from Valygar, he turned on the druid. A claw flew at the ducking woman, and it scraped against one of her paldrons, gauging a deep scratch in the metal and sending her reeling back.
Vhaira watched the whole thing in a moment before she realized that she herself did not need to charge into the fray. She nervously groped at her back for her bow and arrows, finding it soon enough. Lights and fire flew by her as Xan attempted to harm the beast, finding his spells almost completely useless.
The duelist shot a few arrows that sunk into the dragon’s flesh, but seemed to do little other than provide distractions for Jaheira and Valygar, who were still chopping at whatever Firkraag tried to hit them with. The elf stared blankly at her useless arrows for a few moments before she finally heard Xan calling her name over the din of the fight. Vhaira finally swerved around to see him already at her side, finding a desperate hold on her shoulder as he leaned in.
“Arrows, girl, arrows! Give them to me quickly!” The duelist was confused, but knew better than to doubt the seasoned mage’s judgment (it wasn’t as if she had a better idea). Her suddenly fumbling hands quickly dug out a handful of arrows from her quiver, and she quickly handed them over to Xan.
“What are you-?” She began before he cut her off.
“We don’t seem to be doing much… but perhaps with some of my enchanting, the arrows might prove more useful!” He shouted over the din of the fight. The mage barely looked at her, though, as his hands flashed around the arrows in strange patterns she had never seen him use before.  As Vhaira stood there, transfixed in his casting, Firkraag’s massive tail swished by them. She rolled to the ground, just dodging the blow, and she quickly looked up to see Xan attempt the same move with much less grace than she. One of the spiked hooks of the dragon’s tail caught a brief hold on his wide-flying cloak, tearing a deep gouge in the garment and sending the terrified mage stumbling to the ground.
The elf cursed to himself at the loss of his spell as he glanced back up warily to Firkraag. To his credit, though, the dragon seemed completely uninterested in him; busy was he with the two fighters nipping at his haunches. Vhaira glanced at him skeptically.
“This may take a while.” Xan shouted over to her.
“We’re in no rush!” she yelled back frantically. As the wizard went back to his casting, something caught the duelist’s attention. She turned to see Haer’Dalis, a wild look in his eyes, backpedaling to the shadows near the end of the room.
“What in the hells are you doing?” Vhaira spat, understanding perfectly well that the bard could not hear her. He caught her eye from across the room, and for the brief moment that he held her attention, Haer’Dalis winked mischievously before he disappeared into the darkness. The duelist, confused beyond reason, almost gave up then and there. The tiefling could not have just abandoned them, she thought, but what was he doing then?
Firkraag roared terribly as Xan’s frantic chanting became louder, and Vhaira was quite sure that it hardly mattered now.