Neb, Dee Dragon, An Dee End Of Nezzar
In those days, Nebuchadnezzar was not of suitable temperament to be leading Goblyns when there peace. When there be threat to Goblyns, when there pinkies to slaughter or Goblyns’ own weaknesses to stamp out, no one lead with more fury or cunning den Neb. But when there be no challenge, when Neb has crushed all enemies and weaknesses, an dee world quakes in fear at dee feet of Nezzar, Goblyns have nothing better to do den bicker amongst tribes, to complain about dis or that, to fight each other. So what? That how Goblyns is. But Neb be King, so they always wanting to bring problems to him, an be like, “Neb, dis Goblyn did bad thing to me, you must do something about it!” an Neb get tired of telling them to deal with it themselves an quit bitching. So finally, one day Neb get up from throne, walk around Nezzar to all dee Goblyns who he pissed at, punch them in dee throat and say he leaving. And so he did, vanishing deep into mountains that surround Nezzar an dee volcano.
For a while everyone really upset, an try to send Goblyns into mountains to bring back Neb. But they either not find him, come back beaten dee hell up, or never come back at all. Eventually Nezzar get its shit worked out, an stop worrying about Neb. Long years pass, generations of King rule an die in Nezzar, an Goblyns flourish. No one hears of Neb anymore.
Then dee dragon come.
It named Skazzhazaret dee Great, mightiest dragon of its time. Far in dee North it sleep on icy, golden bed, an even there it hear of Nezzar. It hear of powerful Goblyn kingdom, rich with plunder from a thousand hu-man an elfie cities, it hear of dee volcano. Skazzhazaret be old dragon, an he tired of ice, he tired of dead North, he tired of boredom. He decide to take Nezzar for his own.
Dee real danger of dragons be they have power of armies, but speed an unpredictability of single creature. You never have any warning. All Goblyns heard was beating of wings, sudden screams, and den fire pouring from dee clouds. It burn palace an kill dee King, it throw down dee Tower of dee Witchdoctors, it slaughter Goblyns as they run for weapons. Khadines throw themselves at dragon with fury, smashing it with weapons. Witchdoctors hurl spells, an Goblyns fill dee sky with spears an arrows. Nothing do any good. Day be raining an dark when dragon come, it hide in clouds or scuttle over an around Goblyn buildings in dee city. Fighting a dragon in dee open be difficult, fighting a dragon in a dark city be impossible.
When darkness finally come, Goblyns is broken an despairing, fleeing city an certain death to hide in forest. Skazzhazaret take to dee air an roar in triumph. He fly to top of volcano, an settle into nice hot lava to sleep.
Goblyns meet in forest, not knowing what to do. King dead, Khadines dead, witchdoctors dead, no one left to lead. Many tribes begin to leave valley, abandoning Nezzar as lost. Others stay, refusing to give up yet. They decide to try an find King Neb an beg for help one more time. No one is seen Neb in generations, no one had word of him at all. They not know whether he be alive or not. But no one really knows how long Goblyns can live, no Goblyn has ever had time to die of age, an we not count years too well. Besides, he the only hope left.
Three Goblyns go into mountains to look. On third day they find him, still alive. Neb sitting in front of cave, chewing on bark, looking starved and mean, hair grey, skin rough, but eyes burning as ever. First Goblyn run out of dee woods. “Neb!” he say, “Oh King Neb I is so glad I found you! You need to come back to volcano, you is nee--”
“Is I knowing you, greenskin?”
Goblyn stop speaking. “Uh, no Neb . . . you is Neb, right?” Grey Goblyn stand then, and little greenskin’s eyes bug as he see that old Goblyn loom over him by more den a foot.
“Yes, I is Neb, whoever you are.” With that Neb cuff Goblyn so hard he fall to ground unconscious. Neb sit again. “Congratulations on finding me.”
Other two Goblyns very worried now. Second one crawl out of woods, kneeling before Neb. “Neb, please, please you must be helping us. Dragon is destroying Nezzar, yes, very terrible, awful! You is only hope Neb, please you must come help!”
“What is this? Who is you? Why is you so pathetic an why should I care?” Goblyn cringe on dee ground. “Get dee fuck out of my face you worthless pinky-lover!” Neb scream. Other Goblyn scuttle away.
Neb now chewing furiously on bark, old teeth grinding. He look into forest and stare last Goblyn in dee eyes. Last Goblyn be named Kyit. He stand. He walk in front of Neb an look down at where Neb sitting. “What?” demand Neb.
Kyit punch him.
Neb fall back, bark flying, and Kyit have his hands on his throat before he hit ground, and knife out, threatening. “Move and he die!” Kyit scream to two Goblyns he see moving in dee cave. He not sure, but he think they grin at him. He look back down at Neb. “Now you listen, ‘Goblyn King.’ You have a choice. You can come back to kingdom you create, and help us. Or you can turn your back on Goblyns one last time, and I send you to see Baulk, you bastard.”
Neb grin. “Of course I help you, Goblyn. You just have to ask like a Goblyn. Now get off.” Kyit not move, he not sure of what Neb will do. A flicker of anger cross Neb’s brows. Suddenly his teeth flash and he catch Kyit’s knife in dem. Kyit struggle, and suddenly he hurtling through air to crash against tree. He try to stand, he get his eyes open just in time to see the knife coming, and watch it sink deep into tree trunk beside him. Neb’s face be very close now, lined and dark against his green skin. “Tell Goblyns I be there soon.” He smile, then turn and walk back to cave, laughing.
Sure enough Neb come out of dee mountains very next day, with last two members of dee Great Skryll of Nezzar, Mo’ber dee Warrior, strongest Goblyn to ever live, and Chita, most powerful witchdoctor of her Age. And before them walk Nebukhadnezzar, Forever King of dee Goblyns, tall and grim, wearing dee unbreakable armor given to Reth by Maglubiyet in dee depths of Goblyn history. On his shield he bear dee crowned, burning mountain of royal Nezzar, and on brow of his helm, the Eye of Maglubiyet sit quitely, its fury softly burning beneath dee iron.
They march up dee mountain, chanting, and Skazzhazaret hear them from his burning seat. He explode from volcano, wreathed in fire and filled with fury that Goblyns would foolishly challenge him so soon. Great Skryll draw close together and continue march. Dragon swoop down and burn them with breath, but Neb shelter others under his tall shield, and laugh, immune to flames. Dragon flies high and hurls spells at dem, but Chita turn them away an strike back. Skazzhazaret reel, surprised by strength of magic from one so small. Finally he land and charge them, but Mo’ber and Neb meet him head on an beat him back with sword and hammer, while Chita sting him with spells. Bursting with rage he take to air again, pursued by magic, and boulders thrown by Mo’ber, and Neb’s laugh. He perch on lip of volcano. Skryll is almost on him. Smoke pour from him mouth and from between his scales as he summon power for next spell. Before Chita know what he doing he strike at mountain itself, an rip its slopes with tremendous earthquake. Skryll is tossed into air an seperated from one another. Lava begin to pour down slopes, an Skazzhazaret move in for kill.
Chita bring herself upright, and know she in danger. Dragon bearing down on her, and without support from Mo’ber and Neb, she vulnerable. She summon all her magics, into one last attempt to bring dragon down before it reach her. A great whirlwind erupt from her feet, tossing boulders and flames into dragon’s path. It shriek as it blow through wind, and rocks tear its tender wings. But it still coming, dragons too strong, too magical to be defeated, even by Chita. As his claw approach, she hold out her staff and break it, feeling a great pull on her soul from deep in dee earth. An dee moment dragon’s claw touch her, and crush life from her, all dragon’s magic be pulled deep, deep down into earth. So Chita dead, but dragon has lost wings and magic.
Mo’ber be closest, and he filled with anger beyond description at seeing his mate killed. He leap over rocks, screaming vengeance, not hearing or not caring when Neb yell at him to wait! and work together! Skazzhazaret look up in time to see Goblyn hurtling through air at him, and catch hammerblow full in chest. He stagger back, not believing strength of it, clutching broken scales and feeling where a rib cracked. He lash out, smashing Mo’ber to ground, but Goblyn get up and swing again. They smash at each other over Chita’s body, as Neb race desperately towards them. Dragon try to pin Mo’ber with claw, but he grab thumb and snap it. Dragon roar in pain and finally smash ground with tail, hurling Mo’ber into sky. Skazzhazaret snatch him in his teeth, impaling Goblyn on back tooth. But with a yell, great Goblyn push, and dragons jaws begin to slowly open. Dragon cannot believe what happening, and begin to gather fire to breathe. But as the flames begin to pour, and Mo’ber understand he dead, he reach back, deep into dragon’s throat. And as skin peel from his fingers, his eyes melt an his hair burn, he grasp fragile bit of skin that control flame. As his muscles erupt an his soul leave he tear with all he have left.
Valve is broken, and all of dragon’s flame flush from him in tremendous gout. Force of it knock dragon back, and Mo’ber cease to be.
Now dragon has broken claw and no fire, and Nebukhadnezzar approaching. All anger that Neb has felt in his long, bitter life is nothing compared to hate he feel now. He swear, he swear to Maglubiyet, to Skribbit, to any god that care to listen, that he not die before he avenge his friends, and taste dragon’s life blood. Dragon look at him, and he know it. On Neb’s helm, a flicker of green flame appear in Maglubiyet’s eye.
Goblyn King fall on monster with madness in his eyes, his sword flicker and hack, blood splash, scales scatter broken across burning mountain-side. Skazzhazaret strike back in desperation, but Reth’s armor cannot be broken. Neb is hurled this way and that, but he always back, hacking, before dragon can take a breathe through scorched lungs.
Neb has bones broken, skin torn, dragon is filled with pain and desperation. He refuse to believe that three little Goblyns could kill him, a dragon of unbounded strength, but it happening. finally he know what he must do. He snap head out and take Neb in his mouth and swallow him. Neb claw at teeth and gums, he hack off part of Skazzhazaret’s tongue with sword, but dragon keep swallowing and swallowing, pushing Neb deeper, towards stomach. Neb jam sword into dragons throat, and dragon vomit. Neb stay caught in throat, but flame and acid from stomach cover him, getting beneath his armor and burning him, and he understand.
“Dragon!” He scream. “I not die until you dead! I swear! By hell that make you, I swear I not die until you dead, dragon!” Skazzhazaret choke in agony, and Neb lose grip on sword and fall. He splash into acid and lash out as it burn him, shrieking and hurling his bile and hate until it consume him, until it all that he is. And dee Eye awake. For first time since battle that ended Age of Creation, dee Eye of Maglubiyet open and look from Reth’s helm again. It open wide, and flames pour forth. And dragon’s face bulge in shock as he feel weight of creator’s wrath fall on him.
In stomach, Neb feels dee primal fury that give birth to life. He has sunk to bottom of stomach, acid has eaten his skin, taken his eyes. Still he hate, he dig fingers into stomach wall and rip. He tear, and dragon scream. He tear until his legs is eaten away at knees, until his fingers fall apart, until his body collapse, and his ruined head rest against torn dragon skin.
Barely alive, Skazzhazaret begin to pull himself towards volcano, to bury himself in fire, to hide, to heal, frantic to keep living. He lying at lip of crater when he feel it. Something burning, gnawing its way through him. Teeth and acid and fire! He is dragon, he born of fire, he master it, but now something burn him! He writhe as is burrow deep, as it destroy him from inside, as it taste his heart’s blood.
Dragon collapse in death at last, and topple into volcano, just as something emerge from his chest and drop to ground. It Neb’s head. He dead, but living. To angry to die, to full of Maglubiyet’s magic. Goblyns find him there, as mountain erupt and they flee what left of Nezzar, to scatter across world. They take him, and he talk to them. He talk to us. He lead us. Nebukhadnezzar, Forever King of dee Goblynz.