Grimbold and the Rusty Riding Dragon – The Forest of Iron Roots

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For three days, Grimbold and Rusttooth his riding dragon rode northward. Behind them, the slow thrumming of the last steam engine’s heart faded away, yet the memory of it accompanied them at every step. Time and again, Grimbold thought of the flickering veins of light within the massive sphere. If they failed to find the crystal core of Ferronar in time, it would not just be the City of Sleeping Automatons that fell silent once more; the entire world of machine-beings could be extinguished forever. The landscape gradually changed. The rusty plains gave way to dark hills. Strange metal plants sprouted among the rocks; their leaves were made of thin copper plates that clinked softly in the wind. Occasionally, they spotted small mechanical creatures darting between the stones. Gear-driven birds fluttered through the air, and tiny clockwork beetles crawled over rusted pipes. It was as if they were approaching the very origin of all machines. On the evening of the fourth day, they reached a mountain ridge. Beyond it lay the forest. Grimbold had seen many strange places, but nothing prepared him for this sight. Thousands of metal trees covered the land, stretching to the horizon. Their trunks were made of iron, bronze, and dark steel, with branches branching out like massive pipelines. Where ordinary trees would have borne leaves, thin metal plates glittered in every conceivable metallic hue. A silver mist hung over the forest, transforming the sunlight into countless reflections. Yet the strangest sight lay on the ground. Huge roots ran between the trunks—not made of wood, but of interlocking gears. Some were as large as houses; they turned slowly beneath the earth, creating a deep, steady rumble. “Now I understand the name,” Grimbold muttered. They stepped cautiously into the forest. The air immediately grew warmer. Tiny mechanical creatures were moving everywhere. Small clockwork spiders spun webs of wire between the branches. Brass birds sang melodic notes that sounded like chimes. Even the wind created strange harmonies as it swept through the metal canopies. For hours, they followed a narrow path winding between the iron trees. Then Grimbold noticed they were being watched. Shadows were moving between the trunks. Large shadows. Too large for animals. The goblin cautiously reached for his tool hammer. Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the mist. It was nearly twice the size of a human. Its body was made of dark ironwood and brass plates.