In the Belly of the Mountain

Once long ago there lived two young boys. They grew up in the mountains to the north, their village surrounded by goblin tribes. All the young men in the village trained to be great warriors, some of the young women as well. As these two boys grew up they showed great prowess in the arts of strength, wrestling, fighting with sword and shooting with bow. The one known as Hawk was best at shooting while the one named Stone was best with sword. They both loved a girl named Flame who was their age, so skillful was she that both boys had been beaten by her in the art of the wrestler.

One day when the sky was grey and a great snow storm was falling from the heavens the eldest and wisest of the village professed that an attack from Thallini the Goblin King was nigh. The only way to stop such an attack was to block the passage from the East that would be the path chosen by Thallini and the goblin hoard.

“I shall go! I alone shall block the pathway!” announced both Hawk and Stone.

They looked at each other with fury for the boys were by then young men and rivals.

“I shall leave now!” announced Hawk and after gathering up a great sword and his favored weapon, an eight foot bow, the young warrior was gone.

Stone decided to wait as he had many friends and family he wished to farewell. When Stone came to the home of Flame he discovered the girl was gone.

Stone hurried away from the village and quickly discovered the tracks made in the snow by Flame. The tracks showed Stone that Flame had followed closely after Hawk and this somewhat troubled Stone. Pushing on through the storm and taking shelter where and when he could find it after a few days Stone discovered Hawk but found no Flame.

“Greetings, Stone!” Hawk stated gruffly upon discovering Stone’s arrival in his camp.

“What do you know of Flame, Hawk?” Stone asked immediately.

“She arrived yesterday in similar fashion to you,” Hawk began to explain. “In the night we were attacked and Flame was taken by goblin scouts.

“Why have you not left camp to search for her!” demanded Stone, unable to believe Flame was gone and Hawk seemed disinterested in her safety.

“Amongst the scouts there was a goblin mage, cursed I am to be blind to all trails,” explained Hawk.

“Then we must work together to find Flame and save the village,” announced Stone.

“So we must,” agreed Hawk.

Hawk allowed Stone to lead as the other could still spot the tracks of both Flame and the four goblins hidden, partly covered by winds and snow fall. The trail lead through the mountain range until it ended at the entrance of Draco’s cave.

“I have light,” announced Hawk. “It will give us away to any and all who look but it is better to follow a light than stumble in the dark.

“For the sake of Flame we shall use your light,” agreed Stone.

The boys were still rivals, but where logic is argued it quite often wins out.

The deep darkness of Draco’s cave was filled with shadows as Hawk stepped within holding high a flaming torch. Stone followed closely behind with throwing axe ready and sword drawn. As Hawk stated there were a few creatures from the dark that ventured out of the shadows to see what business these two mountain men had within the dark. Those too small to cause threat were left to flee. Those foolish enough to stay and fight were struck down by Hawk’s shafts or by Stone’s blade. That which was too big to fight, that with board leathery wing and row upon row of sword like teeth, from that both Hawk and Stone agreed themselves to flee. Draco was left to find some other form of sustenance for that grand lizard and his younglings and mate. Thus was it that the two rivals could continue their search for Flame, hopeful that the girl still lived.

The torch burned out as Stone and Hawk followed tunnels which twisted and turned, doubled back and then seemed to go on forever. In the dark the two used their skill as hunters to listen in the dark and allow their other senses to guide them. Finally though, in the belly of the mountain cave the two young men came across new light, evidence of the city of the goblin-kind. As they followed the stench of the verminous creatures they discovered the great throne of Thallini and beside it the cage of bone in which was imprisoned Flame. With fury and frustration the girl rattled the bars of ivory and yet even with her great strength it was obvious Flame could not break free.

“We must retreat and return with the village’s finest warriors,” decided Hawk.

“We have no time, we must rescue Flame ourselves,” argued back Stone.

Hawk understood that he would not make it back to the village alone and Stone understood he had no hope against the whole goblin-kind alone.

“So we wait,” suggested both men.

“We shall strike as you have suggested,” then said Hawk.

“But one strike and only one!” then added Stone.

“Should that strike fail then whom so remains must find their way to the pass and close it,” then said Hawk.

“For the sake of the village,” both men then stated in agreement.

In the world within the belly of the mountain there be no night and no day. The goblin-kind worked hard, toiling at the forge and creating weapon after weapon to prepare for the attack. Regardless of the lack of sun’s guidance the verminous monstrosities eventually fell to slumber. It was like the effect of a spell. The creature dressed in a robe of stars enchanted all but the few goblins destined to watch over the city. In such a city there are still many places for a mountain man to sneak and creep. First two, then four, then eight of the guardians fell to Hawk’s swift shafts or the throwing axe of Stone. As the hours passed by eventually the mountain men found themselves by mere yards from the cage within which were encaged the fierce Flame. As Stone’s blade broke through the bone bars the city and the girl both awoke.

Thallini rose up from the throne, eight feet of solid muscle. Hawk’s shafts did naught to pierce this skin. Stone’s sword blows were caught by claw and turned aside. Then beside the Goblin King appeared the wizard and all seemed lost. It was then that Flame grasped the great Goblin King about the thick neck and squeezed and squeezed and squeezed some more. Hawk rained down shaft upon shaft and Stone swung blade and axe, both rivals keeping the idle thoughts of King and Wizard busy until the eyes of Thallini rolled back and the life of the Goblin King was given up to Flame’s strength and fury. With one final strike then the shaft of Hawk slid through Wizard’s eye and Stone’s mighty sword claimed Wizard’s hands. The hands and the eye were claimed as prizes of victory. Within the cover of the chaos that followed the two men left with Flame between them.

As the trio returned victorious to the village they received great cheers. Upon the shared telling of their story the admiration for all three grew and grew. Fighting side by side created within both men a great friendship. So strong was this friendship that Hawk and Stone referred to each other as brother and in turn they named Flame their sister. With the Goblin King vanquished it was many years before another took the throne. In the times of peace Flame and Hawk and Flame and Stone had children. Such children raised by the new brothers became in turn the greatest warriors of the village. Equal were they in the skill of sword, bow and the art of the wrestler. True champions of the village were they, famous protectors of the mountains to the north. Their blood still runs today through the veins of all champions and still today do such great warriors guard the mountain pass.