The Potion of Life

Bergold

His brother was finally back home. Gandogar had been away longer than the other dwarves. Bergold had missed his brother, and when he finally returned home, he couldn't wait to hear about all that Gandogar had experienced. Gandogar told Bergold about various discoveries and battles, but unfortunately, he also mentioned the dwarves who had lost their lives during the journey. The deaths of Bestuh and Badgrom had clearly had an impact on Gandogar. 

The three of them had decided to continue for a few more weeks, and this decision had proven fatal. One day, they were unexpectedly attacked by a Maraskan tarantula. The Marask had killed Bestuh and Badgrom without much resistance. The only reason Gandogar survived was that he put his pride aside and ran away. After that, Gandogar was alone for weeks, and it's a miracle that he returned to Dhiltodur in one piece.                                                                                                                

Since Gandogar's return, Bergold had spent all his time with his brother. The books in the library and his friends could wait; his brother took precedence. Today was the first day they were back to work in the mines. Bergold was pleased to stand alongside his brother again, chipping away at the rocks, hoping to find riches. After a full day of hard work, Bergold heard the sound of a horn, indicating that work for the day was over. They were expected to return to the city of Dhiltodur to report if they had discovered anything special. 

"Shall we go a bit deeper? Maybe we'll find something interesting." Bergold considered Gandogar's suggestion and decided to do it. It had been a long time since Bergold had mined so deeply, and he enjoyed doing it with his brother by his side. They walked to a dwarf elevator and descended a few more levels.

"Don't you want to do something else for a change? You've been mining for a whole year, and no one expects you to work even more." 

"I enjoy doing this, little brother, and it's a way to spend more time with you. If we go back to Dhiltodur now, everyone will want to talk to me about what I've experienced during my journey." The elevator stopped, and they both got out. They walked for a while and reached a large rock wall. Gandogar immediately noticed a white shimmer about thirty meters above them. 

"Who's going to chip that rock, you or me?" 

"You saw it first, brother, so you can do it." 

"Normally, I'd agree, but I already get enough attention these days. You go get it, you deserve the honor!"

Bergold took his climbing hooks and a rope, securing the rope around his waist and handing the other end to Gandogar. The rope would be a safety measure in case something went wrong. After ten minutes of climbing, Bergold reached the shimmering rock. He saw a beautiful white stone with a magical glow surrounding it. Bergold couldn't recall the name of the stone and realized he had never seen this type before. It must be incredibly unique and valuable. He carefully started chipping away at the rock.

After half an hour, it was almost free. He looked down and saw his brother waiting below. "Give me another fifteen minutes, and I'll be down, Gandogar."                                                                                

Five minutes later, he held the stone in his hands. It had one of the purest glows he had ever seen, and Gandogar needed to see this. The descent went smoothly until he heard a screech. He looked up to see a bat emerging from the hole where the gem had been. Bergold reacted too late, and the bat clawed at his eyes.

Bergold lost his balance and began to fall. He managed to pull the bat off his face with one hand and tried to reach the rock wall with the other. He also called for his brother's help. Just when he thought he was about to hit the ground, he felt the rope he was hanging from pull him to the side, breaking his fall. His right rib throbbed with pain, but he realized he owed his life to Gandogar.