Little Men, Big Treasures: Little Men, Big Treasures, #1

By J. Edwards Holt

O'balin, son of Blorn is an eager young dwarf and a native to the mysterious Mountain Realm. Having been a treasure hunter for most of his life, O'balin is overjoyed when he hears that the king of the Mountain Realm is offering a vast reward to the one who finds The Lost Treasure of Undur, a long-lost treasure that has been missing for generations. Despite warnings from his neurotic brother and others around his home, O'balin is unable to pass up such a grand opportunity and thus gathers a handful of his family and friends to accompany him on the journey of a lifetime. Along the way O'balin and his comrades experience grand adventures, incredible battles, fun and laughs, sacrifice, and even loss in the first to come in a series of epic tales by Author J. Edwards Holt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Edwards Holt
• Release date: Feb 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393207450

J. Edwards Holt

Born in North Carolina, United States, J. Edwards Holt always knew that he wanted to be a writer. After graduating high school, he attended college and pursued a degree in education, but later decided to change course and follow his dream to become a novelist and children's author. Now a full-time writer, editor, and blogger, Holt spends his free time dreaming up stories and reading. He is passionate about spreading Christian messages through his writing, watching science fiction and super hero movies, and collecting comic books.

Book preview

Little Men, Big Treasures

Book 1

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J. Edwards Holt

Copyright © 2018 J. Edwards Holt

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Visit www.jedwardsholt.com

Table of Contents

| Prologue |

| Chapter 1 |

| Chapter 2 |

| Chapter 3 |

| Chapter 4 |

| Chapter 5 |

| Chapter 6 |

| Chapter 7 |

| Chapter 8 |

| Chapter 9 |

| Chapter 10 |

| Chapter 11 |

| Chapter 12 |

| Chapter 13 |

| Chapter 14 |

| Chapter 15 |

| Chapter 16 |

| Chapter 17 |

| Chapter 18 |

| Chapter 19 |

| Chapter 20 |

| Chapter 21 |

| Chapter 22 |

| Chapter 23 |

| Chapter 24 |

| Chapter 25 |

| Chapter 26 |

| Chapter 27 |

| Chapter 28 |

| Chapter 29 |

| Chapter 30 |

| Chapter 31 |

| Chapter 32 |

| Chapter 33 |

| Chapter 34 |

| Epilogue |

| Prologue |

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The Mountain Realm. Anyone who has seen it will tell you that it is truly a remarkable and wondrous place; from its sky-scraping mountain peaks to its raging rivers, all the way down to the grassy valleys. From the tip of Iceman’s Peak as far down as the flowing river by Valleytown, the Mountain Realm is full of incredible sites the mind can only imagine. The days are filled with brilliant sunlight, and the nights give way to starry skies nearly as bright as the daytime sun.

Alongside the mountains, on top of them, under them, and even in them, live all sorts of creatures. Ranging from the tiniest insects to even humans themselves, the Mountain Realm is full of life. But there is one form of life that inhabits most of the realm. This form of life is smaller than a human but much larger than an insect. This form of life is none other than the dwarves. If one has never seen a dwarf, they could be described as little humans with long beards and large stomachs. Anyone who has ever met a dwarf will also tell you that the dwarves have a love for one thing, other than food: treasure. From gold to silver, from rubies to emeralds, and anything they can get their little hands on, the dwarves are obsessed with treasure.

If one was to engage a dwarf in conversation, one was likely to hear incredible stories of ancient dwarves who fought monsters such as goblins, trolls, and even dragons, to earn their treasure. Of course, one could never be too sure that these stories were true; dwarves had a nasty habit of exaggerating and stretching the truth.

But, despite their faults and shortcomings, dwarves possessed many good qualities. For example, dwarves were no strangers to manual labor. In fact, they were quite accustomed to it. Those who did not live on top of or around the mountains spent their time underground, mining day in and day out, searching for the rarest treasures. Though many of the dwarves spent their livelihoods mining for treasures untold, there were few who referred to themselves as treasure hunters. Those that did would often wander off in search of treasure, only to be taken by the dangers of the mountains. However, there was one dwarf, a self-proclaimed treasure hunter from a small village in the mountains, who would not back down to the perils of the mountain, one who was soon to become a legend...

| Chapter 1 |

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Small, quaint Mountainside Village was home to dwarves and was usually a calm and quiet place. But tonight, that was not the case. Not at all. Tonight, Mountainside Village was lit up so bright that some would say it was visible from the heavens. It was a special night. It was the two-hundredth anniversary of the founding of Mountainside Village. All its residents were in high spirits, everyone proud to call this village their home. Around the village, music and singing could be heard, and fireworks lit up the sky. Adult and child dwarves alike danced in the streets, seemingly not a care in the world. From one end of the village to the other, there were tables and tents filled with all kinds of foods and drinks.

In the center of the village, there was an enormous bonfire, where many dwarves danced, sang old folk songs, and told great stories of the past. This was truly the happiest time this generation of Mountainside had ever seen.

Having himself a great time at this celebration was a dwarf named O’balin, son of Blorn. O’balin, son of Blorn, was a young dwarf who grew up in Mountainside Village. He was about average size for a dwarf, with long orange hair down his back and a thick orange beard on his face. His beard was about medium length, coming about six inches off his face. He was stout and thick. Though he appeared ordinary, O’balin was far from it. Since he was a small child, he spent his days searching for gold, silver, and other treasure. As a toddler, O’balin found a diamond buried in his yard, and from then on, he spent most of his days digging around his home. When he got a little older, he started digging in other places, venturing farther away from his home each time. As years went by, he was home less and less, sometimes being gone for days at a time. O’balin craved adventure and excitement, and he often got himself into dangerous situations. But he knew who he was. As others around him began to accept it, so did he: it was his life. He was a treasure hunter.

Alongside O’balin was his best friend Bindle, son of Danlop. Bindle was O’balin’s closest friend. Bindle was an energetic dwarf who never turned down the chance to go on an adventure, or the chance to get in trouble. He was a little fatter than O’balin, and he had long yellow hair and a thick yellow beard. O’balin and Bindle first met when they were just small children and had been best friends ever since. They had many traits in common, but the one that stood out the most was a love for dangerous situations and mischief. When they weren’t out hunting for treasure, the two were pulling pranks and gags on family and friends. Bindle was a perfect match for O’balin, but he was a bit sillier, and some would even say he was often too clumsy for his own good. Nevertheless, O’balin was glad to have such a good friend to share his adventures with.

Walking around socializing with all the villagers was the mayor of Mountainside Village, an older dwarf with long gray pigtails and a beard that hung two feet off his face. Few were sure of his actual name, so most of the villagers just called him Mayor Pigtails.

In one of the many food-filled tents were O’balin’s parents, Blorn and Clara. In their tent could be found some of the greatest meats in the Mountain Realm. O’balin couldn’t resist stopping by to grab a few bites of his mother’s famous roast beast.

In the tent with Blorn and Clara was Clann, O’balin’s brother. Clann was slightly taller than O’balin, and a little thinner. He had long, brown hair and a beard, both in ponytails. Clann was an unusually intelligent dwarf who often used logic and reason to avoid having fun. Or at least, he used that logic to avoid what O’balin and Bindle considered fun. Unfortunately for Clann, they enjoyed danger a little too much. Cowardly, timid, and frail, Clann reluctantly accompanied O’balin and Bindle on most of their adventures. Clann felt responsible for his little brother, so he always tagged along. He hoped to be the voice of reason for the young and immature dwarves. After all, O’balin and Bindle would probably do something ridiculous without Clann there to keep them thinking clearly and logically. Even though they knew he meant well, O’balin and Bindle often had a hard time tolerating Clann and his neuroticism.

This night was going to be nothing short of amazing, and not just because of all the different kinds of food, drinks, and dancing. Being as mischievous as they were, O’balin and Bindle had something planned for the celebration, something that the dwarves of Mountainside Village would never forget. If there was one thing the dwarves of Mountainside Village were afraid of, it was trolls.

Over the past few months, O’balin and Bindle had gathered rocks, wood, and cloth to make the most terrifying troll costume they could possibly conjure up. The costume required two dwarves to operate, so they would get in it together, and when the time came, scare the entire village. Of course, this prank was all in fun, and when it was over, they would reveal to the citizens of the village that it was just a joke. O’balin and Bindle had been doing things like this for years, so they expected the villagers to understand.

Because O’balin was lighter than Bindle, he would stand on Bindle’s shoulder in the costume, operating the arms and head while Bindle operated the legs. O’balin had a bottle in his pocket that, when he spoke into it, would make his voice deeper.

It was nearing time to go through with their prank. Toward the edge of the village, there was a stage where a group of dwarves played instruments and sang folk songs. As the festivities went on, Mayor Pigtails made his way toward the stage, for it was nearing time for him to give a speech about the village and its history.

The plan was simple: O’balin would stand innocently in the audience while Bindle went behind stage and readied the troll costume. When it was time, O’balin would casually slip away and make his way behind stage. They would get in the costume and burst through the stage curtains, giving the mayor and the villagers the scare of their lives.

O’balin made his way to the audience, Bindle to the back of the stage, and Mayor Pigtails made his way onto the stage.

Residents of Mountainside Village, he said loudly. It is my honor to welcome you to the two-hundredth anniversary of our fair town! Applause erupted throughout the audience. O’balin was planning his next move