The Dragon Assault

“DRAGON!!!”Sebuah suara bernada tinggi melengking dari seorang dwarf perempuan mengejutkan angin. Lor Irihmedzuth tidak peracya dengan apa yang baru saja dilihatnya. Sekitar setengah jam yang lalu, dia sedang mengendap-endap mengintai seekor rusa liar di Trampled Jungles (Rimba Terinjak, dinamakan demikian karena banyak Dwarf terinjak oleh gajah liar di Rimba ini) ketika dia melihat sesosok bayangan raksasa yang terdapat jauh di kegelapan rimba. Saat dia melihat dengan lebih jelas di antara celah-celah pohon, ‘benda’ itu memiliki sisik merah darah (crimson). Sebagai seorang pemburu berpengalaman dia tahu segala jenis makhluk yang tinggal di rimba ini, namun tidak ada satupun diantara mereka yang memiliki sisik merah. Pada saat dia masih berpikir, makhluk tersebut bergerak ke daerah yang lebih terbuka di antara pohon-pohon. Makhluk tersebut adalah kadal bersisik merah raksasa dengan ekor berduri dan sayap yang sangat besar. Walaupun dia tidak pernah melihatnya sebelumnya, Lor secara insting mengetahui makhluk apa itu sebenarnya...Kakeknya dulu pernah bercerita mengenai makhluk bernafas api yang berdiang di Murks of Fangs (Rawa Taring, dinamakan demikian karena banyak Dwarf mati dimangsa makhluk-makhluk buas bertaring), sebuah rawa yang terletak di sebelah timur dari pegunungan. Bahwa, makhluk ini sanggup menyemburkan api yang melelehkan batu dan logam yang bahkan tak sanggup dilelehkan panas mama. Bahwa ,sisiknya sangat keras, pedang baja sekalipun tidak sanggup membuatnya lecet. Bahwa, setelah 1000 tahun, makhluk ini akan menjadi makhluk terbesar yang menapaki bumi. Dia tahu apa yang sedang dia lihat.Dia melihat DRAGON.

Jantungnya berdetak kencang. Dia tidak pernah berlari secepat ini dalam hidupnya. Dia perlu memperingati Kota Delerinod (yang berarti Pintu Baja) mengenai Dragon.“DRAGON!!!” dia berteriak kembali.Para penjaga gerbang kebingungan ketika dia melihat sedwarf gadis muda berlari dan berteriak. Apa yang terjadi? Apakah pasukan garis depan invasi goblin datang? Adalah salah satu dari pertanyaan yang muncul di kepala para penjaga.“Ada apa, Lor?” tanya salah satu penjaga dengan khawatir.“Se.se.se.se.se. seekor DRAGON! Di rimba! Sekitar 200 Tile jauhnya.!” Lor menjawab dengan suara bergetar sebelum akhirnya jatuh pingsan. Salah satu penjaga tinggal menjaga dia sementara yabg satunya segera berlari.“Demi Janggut! Pak Mayor perlu mengetahui hal ini!”

Jauh di bawah batu-batu Barb of Fealty (Duri Kesetiaan, pegunungan ini dinamakan demikian karena para dwarf harus ‘setia’ dengan negara Dwarf Sodel Durush kalau tidak ingin dilempar ke lobang penuh kawat duri), terdapat Fortres (Kota) Dwarf bernama Delerinod (Pintu Baja).Dinamakan demikian karena pemimpin ekspedisi sebelumnya

berhaarap untuk mendirikan kompleks produksi baja yang dapat memuaskan kebutuhan Sodel Durush yang sedang berperang dengan goblin dari Padang Es Utara. Walau memiliki banyak batu flux (batu kapur) sejauh ini belum ada satupun bijih besi yang mereka temukan. Dan hal ini menjadi permasalahan utama bagi seDwarf di kantor berlapis emasnya.“Kita punya sphalerite (bijih tembaga), galena (bijih timal), tetrahydrate (bijih tembaga), biji emas, bijih platinum, dan segala macam bijih logam lainnya, tapi tidak ada BIJIH BESI! Demi nama Zas (Dewi Gunung dan Fortres) yang Mulia, kenapa nama neraka jahanam ini PINTUBAJA dan bukannya PINTUAPAPUNNAMUNBUKANBAJAKARENADISINITIDAKADAYANGNAMANYABESI?” mayor Nish Zonestun berteriak marah, mengutuk para Forgefather yang mendirikan batu pertama. Walaupun telah menjadi kota yang makmur, ketidakadaan bijih besi membuat PintuBaja hanya memiliki sedikit baja. Sebagian besar besi yang diperlukan untuk emmbuat baja berasal dari hasil perdagangan (yang jumlahnya terbatas) dan melelehkan perlengkapan goblin ‘pinjaman’ (Dwarf menganggap Invasi goblin sebagai kesempatan mendapatkan besi gratisan). Oleh karena itu perlengkapan militer standar adalah perunggu dan bukannya baja. Perlengkaan baa hanya diperuntukkan untuk dwarf legendaris dan terbaas jumlahnya. Pada

“We got sphalerite, galena, tetrahydrate, gold ores, platinum ores and all kind of ores, but no IRON ORES! For Zas (goddes of mountain and fortress) name, why we once named this hellhole a STEELGATE and not LOTOFORESBUTNOIRON?” the mayor Nish Zonestun yelled furiosly, cursing at the Forgefathers that founded the outpost. Altought become a thriving metropolis, the lack of iron ore makes Steelgate only have very little steel. Most the iron needed to make steel comes from trade and smelting ‘purchased’ goblin equipments. Because of that the standard military equipment is not steel but bronze. Steel equipment only for legendary dwarfs and limited in quantity. In the last siege, several dwarfs died because their bronze armour sometimes can’t stop all the goblins furious blows, and Nish need to upgrade the militia equipment if he wants the Fortress last one more Autumn longer.While Nish still bickering and planning to do some exploratory mining in third level cavern, Urvad Lorget the militia commancer enter his office.“Sir! For Urdim (god of War) sake, a dragon has been spotted near our border and from the scouts report it seems heading to this place!”“Holy forge! Quick, seal the main entrance and side doors, deploy all our marksdwarfs in the towers, man the balista, evaquate all none essential personnel to level two!” Nish gives order calmly while thinking about contigency plan if needed.“What about our melee forces?” ask Urvad.“Are you lost your mind? A single dragon-fire can turn even the best equiped dwarfs into a crispy roast.” Nish scorn at the unwise commander. “Just take me to command tower and send additional drafts for marksdwarfs. We need 5 squads of marksdwarfs in the towers and ramparts! Do it!”“YES SIR!”

“All dwarfs in battle stations. All dwarfs in battle station. We now entering DWARFCON 1. All non-essential personnel must evacuate.” This orders echoed accroess the workhalls. The veteran militia take all the crossbows and bolts that has been supplied for them and run to the towers. While the newly drafted marksdwarfs that mainly comes from peasants and planters, most of them are under the age of 20, lines in the stockpiles to received their equipments and weapons. One of them is Onul Loravuz, only 16 years old, he never been outside the fortress since born. Her mother is a miner that works deep inside the earths belly, and the only sunlight he see is from beyond the green glass ceiling in the dinerhalls. Altought he wanted to see the blue sky, his works as a plump helmets harvester never gives him a chance to slip past the grand doors to world outside. He never thinks that the first time he will be outside the fortress halls is to man the tower and kill a dragon.

“Just pull this lever here and then put this bolt here, after that just push the trigger. Remember to aim big and miss small”, his father, in the past a marksdwarfs before a goblin slit his hands criplle, taught Onul how to use his new crossbow. Onul never held a dagger before let alone a crossbow. But he feel confident that he will get used to it. His father feel restless, for his son will have to fought a megabeast.

Meanwhile, on top of Command Tower, Nish Zonestun the mayor watch the faraway dragon. The dragon has just torched alive a chained kitty and alongside it the Gabbro Block Road into a liquified gabbro blob.“Damn! There goes our newly constructed road. I bet the masons will hate to construct it again.” Nish grumbling to himself.“Sir! I have identified the beast. It is a female dragon named in Elfish language: Nifi Thasafone Inirathali – Nifi Heatglowed the Fiery Brand. Nifi itself means Jewel in Elfish tounge. The elf says she had kill fifty six people, and devoured hundreds of other creatures. The humans says she has attacked many towns before. The dwarfs says watch out for its fire!” says Morul the bookkeeper after hours of searching into bundles of leaves, papers and stone slabs for informations.“So, a terrible foe has come. May Zas protect us!” the pious Nish pray for victory.

In the Front Left Tower or FLT for short, young Onul readying his crossbow. About 100 tiles in front of him, the dragons are busy destroying pumps in the murky pools. Onul feel fear creeping in his veins. His legs trembles more and more after hearing the dragon roars. His heart sometimes stops when he see the dragons breaths fire and burn the soil. Altough he keep telling himself to be a dwarf and brave but his mind tell he to run and escape. He curse this cowardly ideas, but the he doubt that he could win against the dragon’s might. The dilemma is torment him with every kind of emotions of guilt, fear, and pride. He calm himself. Take a deep breath. He look at his friends. Their face also ridden with fear and anxiousness. But none are moving from his place. He see the veteran and

elite marksdwarfs face. Their face show fear but everyone stay calm and give a courageous look as if they could slay a hundred dragons if needed. As the dragons burn a chained dog alive near the main gates, Onul collects his bravery and while shouting as hard as he could, “FOR STEELGATE!” he let loose a bronze bolt. It soon followed by the others marksdwarfs. But it is not needed, for the bronze bolt from Onul’s bronze crossbrow has tearing the skull and tearing the brain while lodged in the dragons head. The dragon is no more. Onul can’t believe it…

Several years later,Onul confidently aim his crossbow. The fleeing goblins are in his sight. Soon he struck down one of the fleeing goblin. While reloading his weapon, he looked at a nervous new recruits that has difficulty loading his crossbow.“What your name?” Onul ask softly to the young girl.“My name is Meng, Sir.”“Meng, don’t be afraid or nervous, just pull this lever here and then put this bolt here, after that just push the trigger. Remember to aim big and miss small.” Onul smiled.