Prologue

Deep beneath Iron Mountains, former iron mine stretched like labyrinth of stone. Narrow passages wound treacherously through gloom, once delved by dwarven hands. But now only silence and decay lingered in forgotten depths.

Graig followed Ordas’ skeletal form warily, armored feet scraping ancient runes, etched upon floor. Torches sputtered weakly along walls – casting eerie light over weathered supports and crumbling shafts. The air itself felt heavy with history of past centuries – a graveyard for fallen dragons.

Hundreds of bones lay in secret chambers! Rib cages and vertebrae, jutting from earth like macabre sculptures. Skulls grinned mockingly in shadows, hollow eyes holding untold secrets.

Surrounded by darkness, necromancer Ordas stood amidst the grave – Book of the Dead cradled in his thin hands! His cowl shadowed face, as he murmured ancient incantations, each word sending tendrils of darkness, writhing through air.

Graig watched warily from shadows behind, armored form rigid with disdain barely restrained. He could feel malevolent magic pulsing like diseased heartbeat – tainting very essence of decaying chamber! Yet duty bound him here – witness to vile necromancer’s ritual.

The book flared violet, as Ordas opened it, pages flipping furiously under bony caress! Glyphs blazed brighter still, their unholy light illuminating weathered stone. Strangely shaped symbols danced macabre jig – seeming almost alive!

Ordas’s cowl turned toward ancient graveyard, bone fingers tracing glyphs upon Book of the Dead. A thunderous rumble shook decaying chamber, as he chanted in forgotten tongue! Grave dirt churned violently – and from depths arose monstrous form.

Skeleton dragon burst forth from earthen womb, massive skull gleaming beneath crumbling mine shafts! Bony wings unfurled with rasping shriek, each rib and vertebra stark against gloom. The undead beast loomed over necromancer – a blasphemy of ancient magic and decay, perversion defiling sacred resting place! Its hollow eye sockets glowed with violet fire – reflecting unnatural light from malevolent tome. Bony tail lashed angrily, knocking loose rocks and scattering them across cavern floor. Serrated teeth lined jawline – curved in eternal rictus of hunger! Clawed talons scraped stone, as undead beast paced restlessly, eager to spread destruction.

From tip of skull to end of tail, it measured twelve meters. Sleek profile belied terrifying strength, each vertebra and phalanx honed by millennia of burial. Armor plated scales had fallen away long ago – but skeletal form remained impervious to mundane harm.

This was a monster born of darkest arts, twisted from natural order itself! Fleshless wings flapped with audible creaks, raising swirls of grave dust. As it breathed, ice cold wind gusted forth – carrying echoes of forgotten screams.

– Arise my child! – Ordas commanded, skeletal voice reverberating through bones.

Skeleton-Dragon heeded unholy summons, bony jaws gaping in soundless roar! It flapped massive appendages, stirring dust and despair into maelstrom. Graig watched horrified, as first of many dragons rose to unnatural life. He had known this day would dawn eventually. But he never imagined such nightmarish spectacle!

The exiled knight steeled himself for trials ahead

– First fruits of death’s dominion! – Ordas rasped – skeletal grin splitting face. He raised tome aloft, like blasphemous gospel.

Graig shuddered at sight before him. A horror of rotting flesh and clattering bone, stinking of tomb-dust and despair. And still more emerged from earthen womb – an endless host of undead, ready to obey unholy master’s whim. One by one dragon’s arose. Ordas needed to rest, when his mana run out, but next day he continued. Gruesome work continued for many month, searching the mines, chanting spells, but in the end countless dragons were at his disposal. An army more powerful than any other.