An Unexpected Ally

"Why don't you open it, have a look inside?" The copper dragon nudged him, the force nearly knocking Harim to the ground. Harim glared at the dragon, forgetting it was a dragon in that brief second. "I promise you'll like what you see."

Harim grasped the lip of the gold chest. It was heavy. The dense wood coated in gold and gems protested, it didn't budge. He checked the back, the iron hinges were melted shut. Kargavir hovered above him watching intently. Harim had to break the hinges off somehow. After a few seconds of searching along the wall, he found a rock large enough. It only took a few bashes each one echoing throughout the mountain cavern.

He lifted the lid once again. With no support at the back, it slid off into the pile of other treasure. Inside the chest lay a beautiful shimmering cloak. It wasn't shimmering in a shiny way but it shimmered as if the cloak was fading in and out between planes, attempting to regain form. Harim stood staring at it.

"Well...try it on," Kragavir said, eagerly.

Harim reached down and grabbed the cloak. The material was incredibly light and he could faintly see his hands through the translucent cloth. Slinging it around his shoulders he could hardly feel it on him however he felt his body grow lighter and he shimmered as if he passed into another plane. Glancing around the dragon's liar he could still see his surroundings but it was now shimmering. It had the same appearance as his hand had when he saw it through the cloak. He could see the realm he had just left and behind him the mountain was no longer but rather a whole new ghostly and translucent world. It was amazing and terrifying all at once. Reaching behind him he grabbed the edges of the cloak and removed it. The world returned to normal.

"Where did you go Harim, you vanished?" Rothox asked his shocked expression fading.

"I think I entered the Ethereal Plane."

"Yes, you did. That cloak allows the wearer to travel through the Ethereal Plane, and for those of you that don't know, the Ethereal Plane is parallel to this one only it's invisible to us." Kargavir explained.

"Can this be my one gift?" Harim folded the cloak, he knew what it was.

"Hmm, it is very dear to me. How about, if you want that as your gift you may take it but then...your little friend does not get one."

Harim hoped Alissa knew what the cloak was, it was what they were looking for and somehow they had stumbled upon it.

"We can share the cloak." She winked at Harim.

"Splendid," Kargavir said.

"Kargavir...how did you come by this cloak?" Harim asked.

The dragon looked at Erigos, "He brought it to me."

The others glared at the elf.

"I brought you a trinket, not that chest, and definitely not that cloak." Erigos felt cornered.

"That is true, however, the trinket was a way to get the owner to come looking for it, and I struck a deal with him for his cloak." Kargavir was proud of himself as he gave a large smile.

"Why would he give up this cloak for a measly trinket?" Rothox asked before a few dagger-shaped items caught his eye.

"The trinket was more valuable to him than this cloak." The dragon noticed Rothox's interest in the pile of weapons. "If you like them you can trade for them," he offered.

"What do they do?"

"You know I've never used them," He scratched a claw against a wall. "I have my own."

"Can I test one?"

Kargavir had already moved on, returning back to Erigos, discussing the lord that gave up the cloak. He waved a large paw at Rothox giving him the go-ahead. Rothox knelt down and grabbed the two bracers with the small throwing daggers wrapped around the outside. The bracers fit loosely but the magic in them resized the leather to fit perfectly. 'How do I throw these daggers,' he thought. As he did a dagger appeared in each of his hands leaving a gap on each of the bracers. He examined the knives, but they faded away refilling the gaps on the bracers. He thought about throwing a dagger and they reappeared. He threw them into the wall. They were so sharp they stuck into the stone. Before vanishing back to the bracers, similar to his belt, except this was much quicker and apparently endless.

"Kargavir." He called to the copper dragon.

"Have you decided?"

"I would like to offer this belt to you in exchange." Rothox presented the belt.

"Ah, your juggling belt...this is acceptable. Leave it there."

Rothox almost found the nonchalance this dragon had for his lesser treasures annoying. His fingers twitched, an involuntary subconscious reflex of a memory of his thieving days. He stowed his hand, not worth the risk. He joined Harim off to the side.

"How are we getting out of here?" He asked the monk.

"Not sure our host will let us without asking him. When I met a dragon I did not envision this."

"What did you imagine?"

"Fighting it," Harim chuckled. They overheard Erigos speak what they were thinking.

"Kargavir, you have been a generous host but we do need to get going."

"No sense in heading out into the night, stay here till the morning. You have given me the greatest gift I have received in a long time; company. I shall return the favor by flying you closer to your destination," Kargavir glanced over them all. "How's that sound?"

Not wanting to anger the dragon and lose a free ride they agreed. Rothox and Harim went to gather their things from the first cave as Alissa and Ergos made a space in the pile of treasures for them to sleep. The whole time Kargavir chatted to them, asking about their travels. Harim and Rothox decided that they would keep watch, this was still a dragon, no matter how friendly he was.

Kargavir snored loudly all night. Harim had just woken Rothox on their nightly vigil. As he fell asleep Rothox's sticky fingers got the better of him and he couldn't help but borrow a few extra handfuls of gold. Not like the dragon would notice such a small amount missing.

When morning arrived Kargavir led them through a system of winding tunnels. They would have surely gotten lost without his guidance. The tunnel let out at the top of the mountain. From below noticing the entrance wasn't possible due to the nature of the outcropping.

"Where to?" Kargavir spread his wings, stretching like a cat at the entrance to his lair.

"Avent?" Rothox asked the group.

"Well, we can still go to Avent," Harim suggested. "We can maybe do some research on the next artifact there."

Alissa grabbed Erigos' hand, "It would be nice to see home, it has been a while."

"Avent it is," Erigos ended the discussion, Kargavir had been waiting patiently.

"Alright everyone, hop on." He lowered his body and angled his back so the four of them could get on his scaly back. "I will fly as close as I can, I'd prefer not to be seen, it tends to scare the locals."

As they settled onto his back, gripping whatever they could he stepped up to the edge. Extended his wings and leaped. The wind rushed around them as he dove, picking up speed before he leveled off coasting over the shorter peaks. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. What could have taken them hours maybe a day to traverse passed by in minutes. Looking back on his lair entrance they could see that it was on a higher mountain with a small cloud layer circling it. Kargavir carried on for hours, carrying them through the valleys of the shorter mountains, the forest eventually coming into view. At the edge of the range, he slowed down, landing on the slope of the last mountain.

"Why are we stopping?" Harim asked him.

"I need to rest for a bit. We have come a long way."

He didn't seem tired, although none of them knew how long a dragon could fly. Erigos did know this area as he glanced around. They were near the town his dad had brought to him as a child. He wondered if Kargavir was hesitant to be near people again. After their interaction, it didn't sound like things had ended well.

"Kargavir, we can manage from here, we appreciate the ride this far," Erigos said.

"Do not mistake my resting for fear. I am the Great Kargavir, I fear no one and no place." He roared showcasing his size and power.

"Sorry I doubted you, we will leave when you are ready," Erigos bowed to him.

Kargavir crawled away, finding a flatter area. He breathed fire in a circle along the ground, scorching the stone. Like a giant cat, he circled the spot and lay in it. He closed his giant eyes.

"Is he really sleeping?" Rothox asked the group.

"Doesn't really matter, we have no choice but to wait unless we want to travel over a fortnight to Avent by foot through that." Erigos pointed to the forest. They chose to wait, a couple of hours of rest was better than weeks of travel.