A shadow of home.

Through the rainy night on the back of her trusted steed, Limbani, a beast of great strength, rumoured to possibly be the only of it’s kind, some called it a dragon without wings, a devil without fire, but just as deadly and powerful as both. The blonde dwarf was trying hard not to nod off into sleep while at the reins, she yawned somewhat loudly and very un-ladylike, her tired blue eyes panned across their surroundings, the only light they had was the faint glow of fireflies dancing about with the raindrops.
Loud stomps from her mount’s feet were soon accompanied by splashing as the white scaled behemoth waded through water coming up to her ankles as they crossed the shallow part of a long winding river. Ankles caked in mud and gunk from the long dangerous trek they had made through cavern, swamp and snow, over hill and through thick brush. 

 The reason? To reclaim a homeland once lost.

The great dwarven city Naal Drukat, once a flourishing city along a deep winding river, full of life and excitement. Now it lies in ruins, most of it returned to the earth it was built upon.
She could see somewhat of a silhouette of their destination not much further ahead. Familiar natural rock pillars and formations she once admired still stood proud.
“Hard to believe we’re home again, huh girl?” Kest asked Limbani, patting her mount’s tough scales as it let out a tired groan.
Memories began to flash, the day Kest lost everything, her home, her family, friends, and...
The goofy Halfling maiden she so loved to spend her time with. Always cheerful, and kind to everyone, they spent almost every day since they met side by side, they even lived together in a small house that was rented from the city’s lead historian that resided next door.
Everything was great until they came. Creatures not unlike the ones known to wander the nearby wilds, however these were larger, stronger counterparts surrounded by a fiery glow.
In droves they invaded the city, killing all they saw. Barely any resident escaped with their lives, the warriors tried their best to fight off the beasts, but to no avail. Kestsevenne and Limbani were both quite young when it happened – young by dwarvish standards at least – they had just started training with the city guard about a month before that day, and while they were able to keep some creatures at bay, it wasn’t long before they grew in to a large swarm, Pumnkin, her dear Halfling friend was riding with them, trying to fend off the creatures with a crossbow and arrows. A hard push from one of the bigger beasts knocked the Halfling off Limbani’s back, there wasn’t even a chance to cover the fallen friend before an unfortunately violent death was witnessed.
They heard the horns calling to retreat, to flee the city in hopes of survival, and so they did. They ran quick, and they ran far, as far as Limbani could carry them before her legs threatened to give out from exhaustion. Finding sanctuary at the mouth of a cave and rested for a while as Kestsevenne dressed both their wounds. Eventually heading further inwards, discovering the cave lead to a beautiful underground haven, lush grass and forest, a huge body of water in the center, the ceiling of the vast cavern had a large luminescent crystal that provided enough light for life to flourish, and thriving creatures of all kinds could be seen wandering around. Kest made the plan to stay, she built a basic hut for herself until she had healed both physically, and emotionally enough to work on something more complex. They waited for wounds to heal, and hoped others, at least one other dwarf might find their way down to this underground utopia. But no one came. She feared she may be the only one of her people to have made it, but held hope that some survived and found shelter elsewhere. Their foreseeable future, they thought, would be spent living in that cavern. Alone.

 But as luck would have it companions were made and unlikely friendships were formed while they spent life in the underground. A need to return, to make sure there was still one dwarf yet in Naal Drukat, to come out of their hidden life and perhaps serve as a beacon, a sign for anyone who might have survived, that it was time to return home. Limbani stopped abruptly, which shook Kestsevenne out of the trance those memories had thrown her in.

 They had arrived. Kest squinted her eyes, trying to make out shapes of the ruins in the darkness. Looking for the grand trumpets, they had been rigged, that if blown a certain way, they would kick on hidden machines that powered parts of the city. She remembered others thinking it was a silly and ridiculous concept, but it also protected their knowledge of machinery, as anyone who wasn’t a dwarf just assumed it was some sort of magic and didn’t really question further. A break in the clouds allowed rays of moonlight to shine on to the ruins, revealing that the horns were destroyed. Not by beast as no claw marks were seen, but by fellow dwarf, so that while the city lay empty, none could discover their secrets. She scratched at her beard as she wondered how to get the power running again, provided the machines were still in tact. She knew the vibrations caused by the horns had some part in it. Perhaps a loud roar from her friend might do the trick. Limbani then began to move again with a somewhat quick and almost bouncy pace, headed towards a familiar wood and metal gate, she pushed the huge doors open and wandered in, using one of her feet to close the gates behind her. The big pen she once used to sleep in, the house Kest and Pumnkin lived in sitting on the wide walkway above and mostly intact.
 Limbani found her favourite spot again, walking in circles before laying down. Kest slid off from her saddle, unbuckling and removing it from her mount so she’d be more comfortable.
Following the example set by her white scaled friend, Kest decided to settle down and rest for a while before tackling any restorations, they certainly deserved the break. Rather than taking the long ladder up to her house, she curled up with Limbani, both of them falling asleep quickly.