Evolution: A Warlock’s Rise To Power

As the magma stopped falling the Edgit's head emerged.  He stood unblinking like a statue as he firmly grasped the chain.  The magma fell to the floor leaving his skin a rosy pink color.

His hair and magnificent beard had been burnt away along with his cloths.  The only thing that remained on him was his loin cloth made from the skin of an elder salamander.  The magma on the floor began to cool and harden into stone while his legs were still trapped inside.

"Hurry boys!  The potions!"  He shouted.

The dwarves each pulled out a few high grade healing potions in their hands.  They didn't waste a moment and tossed them forward.

They weren't aiming for Edgit Hammerstone.  They were aiming for the wyrm.  They struck true to their mark.

The potion vials shattered after they hit the band of cooling solar steel.  The healing potion sunk into the cracks of the broken scales.

Bone shards of a true dragon were extremely valuable.  Especial to any from of lower dragon.  The bone marrow seeped into the worm from the bone fragment and spread into the broken scales.

With the aid of the healing potions, the scales quickly recovered, becoming stronger than before. And as they healed, the bone fragments became part of the wyrm's body.

The band of solar steel wouldn't be coming off unless the pins were removed.  But now those pins were part of the wyrm's body and several times stronger than his other scales.

Edgit's muscles swelled as he held tight onto the chain of fire crystals while the wyrm bucked and tried to escape.

Lucan, Super, and the other dwarves ran and grabbed tightly onto the thousand meter long chain.  Only a single dwarf didn't grab hold.

He ran towards the other end of the chain and began to pound spikes through the gaps of the chain, pinning it into the stone floor.

"AHHHH!"

The dwarves bellowed as the chain began to slide through their hands.  The wyrm had dove into the river.

One by one the dwarves fell, but not until the other end of the chain was pinned down.

Edgit was the last to release the chain.

Once he did so he picked up his hammer and with a single blow, he struck the stone that had harden around his legs.  It crumbled as he freed himself and stepped out.

"Ha, ha, good work boys."  He said as he swung rested his hammer on his shoulder.  He turned to look at the chain and saw that it had stopped being pulled into the magma when there was still fiver hundred meters left.  "Good ,good, looks like we estimated the depth of the magma pool correctly."

He turned towards the other dwarves with a proud smile.

He immediately noticed that something seemed off with the other dwarves.  They were smiling while trying to hold back their laughter.

He looked at himself, and then back towards the dwarves.  "Don't tell me that you all have never seen a man in his knickers before."  He said.

"Ha, ha, it is not that."  Biggs said.

"Hmpf, what is it then?"

"He, he, who would have thought that you had baby face hidden beneath that beard of yours."

"Ha, ha, ha."

"He, he, he."

"Ha, ha."

The other dwarves could no longer hold back their laughter.

Edgit touched his face and realized that his precious beard had been burnt away.

"You idiots keep laughing and I will shave all your beards off myself."  He said while waving his hammer around.

The other dwarves ran from him towards the other side of the cavern.

"Ah, boss.  We are sorry, it was just too much of a shock."  Said Biggs as he scurried away.

"I will give you a shock in your keister."  He said while chasing after them with his hammer.

After giving each one of them a good whap he ordered them to get to work.

"I want proper mounts arranged for the chain right away.  As long as we can keep a hold of the end we will be able to reel in the wyrm.  Get to work, all you lot aren't allowed to rest until you're finished."  He hollered at them.

After that Edgit came over to Lucan and Super.  Super tossed the dwarf a cloak so he wouldn't have to walk around in his underwear.

"Will this be enough to get the wyrm under control?"  Lucan asked.

"It should be."  Edgit said.  "That wyrm is unable to break or melt that fire crystal chain and in fact it will help the wyrm to grow stronger.  With the fire crystal being so close to the heart of fire, they will slowly grow in strength, as they do the Wyrm will grow stronger from their energy.  But no mater who strong it gets, the fire crystal will grow stronger, faster than it."

"Mmm, well at least you can drag it out when ever you want."

"Aye, it is more than that.  A wyrm isn't a mindless beast.  It isn't stupid.  Just like the bones that locked on the collar, they also made it stronger.  The bone marrow from those shards might have even purified its bloodline slightly giving it a better chance to unlock its draconic lineage."

"Ah, so they are both a carrot and a stick."  Super said.

Edgit nodded.  "We will let the creature thrash around and vent its rage for a few days.  By then it should realize that there will be benefits to working with us.  If we can cooperate with the wyrm we will be able to move forward with the plan for the many forges down here."

"Then I guess I need to start looking for the rarer ingredients."  Lucan said.

"That would be best."  Edgit replied.  "But are you sure you will be able to track them down."

"Oh don't worry about that, I have my ways.  He, he, he."

"Good, good."

"Hey Super."  Lucan said.

"Just give it here."  Super said while shaking his head and extending his hand for the list of rare ingredients.

Lucan didn't hesitate to pass it over.

"Looks like I have more work to do before I can focus on my underground hide out."

"You don't need to rush.  We won't start building anything until we can confirm a cooperative relationship with the wyrm.  No point in building anything if it will destroy everything.  IF you can get then in two or three weeks that would be best."

"That sounds doable.  This way I can still build my floating city right away.  Well, I am not going to waste any more time then."  Super said as he headed towards the chain ladder that Oar had dropped through the trap door from above.

"I will get out of your hair, I have other things to do as well."  Lucan said, following Super out.

Edgit heard the others snicker when Lucan mention getting out of the dwarves nonexistent hair.

As Lucan climbed out of the trap door he could hear a heavy hammer being swung as several dwarves ran through the cavern.

"He, he, boss you are too mean."  Oar said.  "How could you poke fun at Mr. Hammerstone?  Though, he does look pretty silly."