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As he leaned out over the edge of the pit and looked down, it wasn’t the bottomless blackness that caught the Silvershield Paladin’s attention.

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It was the sudden realization that he could scarcely see the opposite side of the pit that churned his guts to a frenzy. He stepped back from the ledge and took a knee, his armour ringing as it hit the rocky ground.

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The Paladin knew the ring as soon as he heard it. Volcanic glass. Could this massive hole in the Planet be a volcanic crater, and was it still active? There was definitely more to this pit than met the eye.

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For years, the good people of the coastal kingdom of Lyveria had been terrorized by a dragon.

Not an ordinary dragon, but a vicious and greedy Chromatic Dragon with a love for all things shiny and valuable. The Chromatic Dragon rarely killed anyone, but routinely descended upon each village, demanding their treasures for his hoard. Anything bright and shiny would be his, and over the years, the kingdom of Lyveria grew very poor. Eventually they had nothing to trade with neighboring kingdoms, for all the precious ores they mined were taken by the Dragon. The situation was bleak.

In a final desperate effort to save his people from starvation, the Lyverian King sent out a distress call to the High Order of the Silver Shield. The Knights and Paladins of the Order were widely known for dragonslaying, and though they possessed no supernatural powers, their strength and bravery were said to push humanity’s potential to its very limits.

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Weeks later, when the Silvershield Paladin had arrived after his long trip, there had been no royal welcome party, no fanfare. He had walked unnoticed by the deserted town square, past the unguarded royal gardens and through the empty Palace courtyard. The Paladin had not even met another person until just outside the throne room door, where stood a tired Royal Guard.

The Guard had brought the Paladin to the King, who in the aftermath of a recent plague had given up all hope for his Kingdom. “Thank you for making the long and arduous journey to come to our aid, but you must go now. We are lost. My people are starving across the land, and many died from the recent plague. The dreaded Chromatic Dragon will soon come for treasure. Alas, we shall have none, and it will finally destroy us, with whatever element it sees fit. Go, and remember Lyveria!”

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The King’s hopeless words had not daunted the Silvershield Paladin in his quest.

Quite the contrary; he had finally learned of the urgency with which he must find and slay the Chromatic Dragon. It had not taken him long to locate the Dragon’s lair, simply asking around town. In all his experience, the Silvershield Paladin had learned that you could often get more out of a friend in a pub than a king on a throne. It was in that pub that he had first heard about the pit.

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The three days journey through the mountains had not been as treacherous as the townsfolk had suggested. On the second day, the Paladin had met a Stone Golem, and after it attacked him, he was forced to destroy it in battle. It brought the Paladin no pleasure to slay innocent monsters (even ones that attacked him first), but the people of Lyveria were at stake, and few risks could be taken.

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Now, as the Silvershield Paladin stood breathless at the precipice of an impossible pit, gazing into a black vastness more massive than anything he could imagine, he felt incredibly small. He didn’t feel like the powerful hero of any story. He was afraid, more than these mere words can describe. But what the Paladin did not know is that this fear, this vulnerability, his being small… These things were the true sources of his power and strength. Without fear, there is no conquering, and without doubt, there can be no truth.

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The Silvershield Paladin knew that in spite of his fears, he would climb into the dark pit. The Chromatic Dragon was hiding somewhere within, and it needed to be stopped. Although it may have already been too late for Lyveria, a rogue dragon was a rogue dragon, and this one had five heads. Without any more hesitation, the Paladin prepared his supplies, summoned all his courage and approached the edge of the pit.

The End

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This story was written as an entry for the #steemmonsters Fantasy Story of the Week Contest. Follow @steemmonsters for regular contests and so much more! All images were labeled for free re-use, and edited with LunaPic.com.