Was I just going to pretend I didn’t see trapdoors open near the top of the hill and canons slowly slide out into the daylight?

No. No one in their right mind was going to do that.

Yet when I turned around to march right back down the hill, I couldn’t take another step back the way I came.

It’s gonna make me fight...against cannons?

No! I wasn’t gonna go through with this! I wasn’t going to risk my life for some stupid hill and-

You will turn around.

I...I...I’m not gonna-

You will turn around.

I...am going to turn around.

You will walk up the hill and claim your territory.

I’m gonna claim my territory. That’s right. That’s all I was doing. Who cares if there are cannons? They couldn’t stop a dragon, no matter how young I am! My Shottys and I would be a-okay!

Rudola Grimbrow watched the Head Maid and Dukgraeg argue about the aberrant from her post on the watchtower, fingering the buttons on her uniform. In all honesty, she agreed with the older Dwarf about how to handle it. She didn’t want to fight that thing. Those battle wands looked big and there were so many of them…

She turned to look out of her scope; the green thing was running now, coming ever closer to the top of the hill. She could see the mines in its way hurriedly being pulled underground as it ran. A small sigh escaped her lips as one it was about to step on sunk down just in time.

Sirrigit Chainfury, the other maiden in her unit, dropped down beside her. “Miss Grimbrow,” she greeted politely, folding her hefty body into the small space.

Rudola rolled her eyes at the formal greeting. It was mandatory for soldiers to show formality at all times. The Head Maid said it upped citizen moral to see the dwarven army so polite and uniform, whatever that meant.

“Take a look at the thing, Chainfurry,” she said, handing over the scope. “Can you believe the Head Maid won’t let the cannons blast it?”

“My, she’s a beaut!” Sirrigit cried. “Why would you want that gone?”

Rudola gaped at her and took back the scope. “It’s an aberrant, Sirri! Look at those battle wands; don’t tell me you want that thing to walk our halls!”

Sirrigit shook her head. “The Head Maid tells us stories of the dragon riders, you see. She says when they’re fully grown, they’re majestic things. To tame one would be the utmost honor! She’s been trying to get scouts out to look for one, but Duk-er, Mr. Battlegrip is firm against it. He says the beasts are too wild to tame.”

She scoffed, swinging her head from side to side. Her short-cropped red hair barely shifted on her scalp. “Can you believe him? Always arguing against the Head Maid. I can’t count the number of times he’s whined about women being in the army.”

Rudola sighed and lowered her scope. “Must we talk about politics when there’s an aberrant on the loose?”

“I’m just saying! How bad would it be for some progress to happen? Although, I wouldn’t expect a man to―”

“Spotters,” a gruff voice interrupted. Captain Daremdam Goldbranch loomed over them, his sunken eyes glaring daggers down at the spotters. How the bulky Dwarf had snuck up on them, Rudola didn’t know. But she hurriedly stood up on the shaky floor and snapped a salute up at him. Sirrigit followed suit, although a tad bit too slow.

“To your post, Miss Chainfury,” he said. “You’ll be manning the mines while the Head Maid goes to ‘greet’ the beast.”

“Greet it?” Rudola blurted. “Is she knocked on the head?”

“Mind your tongue,” her captain snapped. “See to your scope and don’t let me catch you chatting while on duty again. Am I clear?”

“Sir, yes sir!”

He climbed back down the ladder with a grunt. Sirrigit nodded at Rudola and ascended to the post she shared with another spotter.

Rudola went back to her scope, shoving the conversation into the back of her head. She had learned it was best not to have an opinion on how the Head Maid ran things. A Dwarf was either wholly on her side or thought she was completely bonkers.

As she peeked at the aberrant through her scope, she couldn’t help but fall in line with the latter side.

The midgets were waiting for me at the top of the hill. There were five of them; the lady midget in the lead looked like a queen of some sort with a tiny crown and shimmering yellow pantsuit.

I didn’t think the pantsuit suited her short and stocky body but who was I to judge when I walked around naked?

The man dwarves behind her were dressed in matching grey uniforms and had black caps on their redheads. Their beards were kept short and neat; their red hair barely poked out from beneath the cap. Their similar heights didn’t help distinguish them.

When I got close enough that I wouldn’t have to strain too much to hear them, the lady midget stepped forward and threw her arms out. I flinched backward, expecting a net to fly out but the move was just for theatrics.

“ʎtha dragon!” she cried. “Mì yått déjk ÿs háydínn dá ÿs mìgash humble Othá Dzýraz! Yĸ dá wôyz bo do kind ʎmaħ ÿs grace dáz presence ÿs dah rest déh mìgash Othá, déĸ wôyz bo dah utmost honor!”

I shook my head. “Little lady, you ain’t makin’ a lick of sense! You speak English?”

The lady midget gawked at me, her jaw nearly touching her chest.

“Close your trap, girl,” I said. “You gon’ catch flies that way.”

Her mouth snapped shut making an awfully loud sound. She winced and brought her hand to her mouth. There was a flash of light and she was fine a second later. A man midget with worryingly large hands scowled at the display of magic, clenching his fists.

A soldier displeased with a superior, I wondered. Or is magic not something the midgets approve of?

The lady midget pointed at me, still shocked. “Y-you’re like me?”

“Now I may be small, girlie, but this ain’t my full size,” I snapped. “Just cuz I’m shorter than y’all midgets don’t mean nothin’.”

Her look of wonder swapped places with a nasty scowl. She crossed her arms and sniffed at me. “We are not midgets, beast. I am a Dwarf. And as the Head Maid of this clan, you will treat me with the respect my position demands!”

I huffed. “Excuse me! When you mow down a herd of Acid Cattle single-handedly and come face to face with a dragon the size of the moon, I’ll show you some respect, miss midget.”

She clenched her fists and seethed. If looks could kill, those pretty little eyes of hers would’ve cut me in two by now. “How dare you! I have worked for three years to get where I am now! Who do you think you are?”

“The dragon about to claim her territory!”

“Your territory? Your territory?” She threw her head back and belly laughed so hard she nearly fell. The violent movement tipped the crown tucked in her ‘do dangerously but she righted herself after a moment and moved it back into place.

The predatory smile that graced her face twisted her face unnaturally. It suited her.

“Mr. Dukgraeg,” she said, eerily calm, “cage déĸ.”

The heavy-handed dwarf grunted and yelled, “Down déĸ uzeçe, Divashy!”

Uh-oh.

Too late, I tried to dart back down the hill but the ground opened up beneath me. I fell down into the darkness with the most indignant roar I could manage.