A dragonslayers tale
Chapter 10: Blood of the fallen, blood of the heart

Phraan did look at the battle surrounding them, even with the knights there were too many dreklugnins and Tersus had run out of those powder bags. The beasts were everywhere and didn’t care if many of their brethren were felled, all they wanted was to kill. Phraan stared down at Vitile, her heart was still beating but very faintly and he knew they would lose her, as they had lost Kapha. Their chances of escape were slim, Rhuk was on foot now, so was Fastonar since his horse had been killed under him and the knights weren’t skilled enough for such a huge attack. The dreklugnins were too fast and agile. They could all die there now and the thought was terrifying and bitter at the same time. Drake was fighting even without a rider, the huge stallion did kick at a dreklugnin which tried to bite it and broke its jaw and Phraan felt desperation clench around his chest. “Retreat, everybody, we need to return to the city”

Fastonar was panting, using his swords now. “Impossible, we’ll just delay the inevitable, we have to save the population”

Phraan leaned forth, kissed Vitile’s pale brow. “May the winds embrace you my love, and may they reunite us on the other side.”

He got up and pulled his swords, tears stinging his eyes. More dreklugnins were coming and some of the knights had been brought down, several beasts co-operating to kill both man and horse. Phraan stared at Shaluun. “Stay with them, protect them for as long as you can”

Shaluun nodded. “I will, I will not let them be taken as long as I still breathe”

He laid Ivran close to Vitile and prepared to fight. Dhokay and the two dwarves formed a line, Phraan and Fastonar joined them and the dreklugnins roared and rushed forth. Tersus did throw bags with some sort of purple liquid at the monsters but it didn’t do more than slow them down a little. Swords would have been enough against the dreklugnins of old, against these monsters they were not very efficient at all. Phraan let out some roars to give himself courage and Thiana and Taurin did join the line, they were out of arrows and let their horses flee. They could have escaped but chose not to, to stay with their friends and Phraan felt the anger burn in his chest. If he only could have made those responsible for this pay, then his death would be so much easier to face. They surrounded the two unconscious members of the team, keeping the dreklugnins at bay and they all fought with the strength and determination of desperation.

There were at least seventy dreklugnins left and only a few knights and they were being surrounded by the snarling beasts, everybody was covered with blood now, some their own and the rest that of the dragons and Rhuk staggered backwards and fell, hit square in the chest by a tail. The dwarf gasped and passed out and Dabin took his place, shouting insults. Phraan got a deep gash down his back from a claw and the pain made him feel dizzy, yet he maintained fighting and forgot his fear and sorrow. Suddenly the sun broke through the fog and in the sudden light they saw something approaching them fast. It was a rider, and Phraan knew that one rider could do naught to help them but the figure did shout something and raised an arm and suddenly a glowing blue bow seemed to grow out from its hand and it was a bow without a string and yet as the figure did draw its right arm back a glowing arrow appeared and flew straight and fast towards the dreklugnins. A normal arrow would simply bounce off the hard hide, this on the other hand didn’t. It pierced the dreklugnins head as if it was made from gossamer and the beast dropped like a rock, and the arrow continued flying. It was actively searching for dreklugnins and the figure fired more at a rapid speed.

Phraan was staring, it was a woman, an elven woman with amethyst hair and golden eyes and she was riding a huge mule which acted like a war horse. The female did fire again and again, the glowing blue arrows painting blue streaks through the fog and dreklugnins dropped everywhere, then they started to flee but the arrows chased them and more and more fell. The woman stopped firing and lowered her arm, the bow disappeared and she cocked her head. Phraan thought he knew what type of elf she was, their kind was very rare and renowned for their extreme magic. He was panting, feeling faint. Now he felt his wounds and the pain was almost enough to bring him to his knees. “Please…”

She jumped from the mule and ran over to them, placed a hand on Ivran. “He is simply knocked out, he will be fine”

Phraan was staring at her, pleadingly. She turned towards Vitile and clicked her tongue. “I am sorry, she is drifting away, I can awaken her, but just for a small moment, to say goodbye”

Phraan fell to his knees next to her, eyes overflowing with tears. The woman touched Vitile’s head and the wood elf did open her eyes, slowly. Her gaze was distant and glassy and Phraan sobbed. “Beloved, please, stay””

She smiled, a very pale smile, almost dreamy. “I cannot, they are calling me Phraan, I have to join them in the wind. Fight this scourge for me Phraan, avenge me”

He gasped, grasping her hand, almost clawing at it. “I will, I swear. Oh Vitile, I almost asked you to bond with me, now I am so sorry I didn’t”

She tried to give him a real smile but she was too weak. “Why did you hesitate?”

Her voice was so low, like a whisper. He sobbed. “I…I wanted you to be happy, and …I couldn’t give you a family”

She managed to raise her hand, let it rest against his cheek. “Oh you noble fool, I would have said yes you know, family or not. We were…meant to be”

Her voice was fading and her eyes got distant and Phraan let out a wail, “Vitile, no, stay, don’t leave me, no!”

She turned her eyes to him one last time. “I have loved you, let yourself be awakened, be who you were meant to be”

Phraan gasped and kissed her hand. “Vitile, I love you, don’t die, don’t you dare dying on me”

She just let out a small sigh and the light in her eyes disappeared, the strange woman looked at them. “She is gone, she is at peace”

Phraan roared, the grief so intense it felt like fire in his blood, he kept roaring until the roars became deep wracking sobs and he collapsed onto the ground next to her. Dhokay and Shaluun were crying, Thiana and Taurin did look as if they were in deep shock and Fastonar let out a shout of anger. “May every God curse those dragons, oh by every unholy curse, let them bleed”

He ran and at first it wasn’t clear where he was running too but he was aiming for where Vitile’s horse lay. Dhokay ran after him and found the man standing by the dead animal. “She shouldn’t have died like that, her horse just fell, it wasn’t natural, something is wrong here!”

Fastonar grasped the saddle and they both saw the strap which had attached it to the animal, it had clearly been cut at the spot where it was sewn onto the seat pad. Fastonar was growling and Dhokay felt faint, this was sabotage. The human bent down, stared at the animal. “Look, blood!”

He did point at a small red spot on the animals hide, just underneath the saddle. Dhokay rubbed his hand over it and yes, it was blood but not much. Fastonar seemed frantic, he lifted the saddle and ran his hand along the bottom of it, stopped. “Dhokay…”

The blue haired male did see it, a very thin needle which protruded from the saddle where the weight of the rider would be. “All gods, no!”

Fastonar threw the saddle to the ground with a wail. “Poison, she was murdered.”

Dhokay was staring at him with huge eyes. “Who?”

The officer was pale, his eyes black and large. “Find yourself a horse Dhokay, I know just who!”

Fastonar grasped onto a lose horse which had lost its rider and Dhokay did the same, the two rode hard against the city and the others stared with confusion in their eyes. “What is the hurry?”

The woman who had rescued them all straightened herself and smiled. “I think you will find out whence you return to the city, most of you are wounded. I suggest you use that wagon, you cannot ride”

Phraan stared at her, she was impressive and that magical bow? It was a sort of magic very few had ever heard of. “Who are you?”

She smiled, her eyes shining and Phraan realized that she was a very dangerous creature indeed. “I am Zaray and I am here to help you fight those dragons”

The wagon was in one piece luckily enough and big enough for all of them, the wounded knights were carried by their friends and they left the dead for now, only Vitile was being transported back to the city. Phraan felt as if he had fallen into a deep black hole, he just couldn’t bare it. He was sobbing the whole time, and Shaluun had placed himself next to him, embracing him tightly. Rhuk was unconscious too and all of them had injuries. Shaluun had dislocated his right knee and his face was pale and drawn and Dabin had a huge gash in his left arm. They were a mess, they couldn’t face another attack like that, only Zaray had saved them. Ivran was still knocked out, but he wasn’t in any danger. Tersus looked shocked too, right now nobody cared about his smell, he stood by Peter and his eyes told of disbelief. They did drive back to the city with a sense of defeat, their hearts clouded by grief and their minds darkened. As they got closer to the walls they saw something though, something which made them all turn their heads and stare. A crowd was gathered on the wall and someone was dangling from it, legs desperately kicking as the noose tightened. Shaluun pushed Phraan’s shoulder. “Look”

Phraan turned his head slowly, he was numb, all he saw was death. He did see Fastonar on the wall, he was screaming something from the top of his lungs and Dhokay stood next to him, looking shocked. The person hanging from the wall was Aiolo and Phraan remembered that the man had been working together with the wood elves, fixing their saddles. The truth burst forth, made Phraan feel nauseous and made an intense anger choke him. Aiolo was being strangled slowly, his arms were tied behind his back and the body was jerking and shivering, ghastly sounds came from the man as he died very slowly and Fastonar was roaring in anger and grief. Zaray stopped her mule, her eyes were cold and distant but there was something within the gaze which told Phraan that she was a bit shocked after all. “Did this man cause the death of that elven woman?”

Fastonar nodded, the rope was being held by many strong men on the other side of the wall and Aiolo had stopped squirming, he was a grotesque sight with his tongue sticking out of his mouth and his eyes bulging. “He is, he cut her saddle, and placed a needle dipped in poison in the saddle pad”

Zaray cocked her head. “I see”

She just rode on and the others followed, the carriage stopped by the infirmary and they were helped inside, the local doctor was already preparing to receive patients and Phraan saw that the albino girl was helping him. Phraan had lost much blood and now that the adrenaline was gone he felt terribly weak, and terribly sad. All he could see was Vitile and he moaned as some of the soldiers assigned to hospital service got him out of his soiled clothing and started to wash his wounds. The one on his back had to be stitched together and he was quiet as the albino did the job, she was swift and efficient and she didn’t waste time with small talk. Phraan was given something to drink and he emptied the cup without protest, before two minutes were gone he was fast asleep and some of the soldiers carried him over to another tent to recover. The night was spent caring for the wounded and some did ride out to collect the dead. The odd woman did follow them, she found the dead horse and the saddle and she made a small grin as she saw the needle and the cut. Then she broke open the saddle horn and retrieved the two gems, she had felt them from afar and she hissed as she stared down at them. They were tools of evil, there was little doubt about that.

She put them into a pocket in her leather belt before she tossed the saddle away, she knew what was going on, but did the group know? Somehow she doubted that, but it was as it had been foreseen. She rode back to the city following the carriages transporting the dead, of all the knights who had ridden out only fifteen had returned and it was a sad fact that nobody was able to fight the huge number of dragons. The packs they had seen were just the beginning. She needed to speak to Phraan, as soon as he was strong enough. The grief he had shown when that female died was not something she had taken into consideration, it was unexpected that his heart was taken by someone but it didn’t interfere with her plans. The grief however did, it would either make him hungry for vengeance, which was good, or make him depressed which was far from it. She would have to wait and see what happened next.

The infirmary was overcrowded for a while and Janok was in despair, the commander had no idea of what to do now. The city did house so many people and an attack of that scale would become a disaster if it was aimed at the residents. Crassian was among the few knights who had made it back to the city unscathed and he was in obvious shock, they all were. That mysterious woman had saved them all, and she had gotten rid of those monsters relatively easy. But who was she really? And what? None there had ever met an elf like her, and the magic she had wielded was impressive and also scary. The wounded had all been tended to when the young healer came forth and addressed Janok. She was an even greater enigma than the elf woman and the unreal red eyes made it hard to meet her gaze. Imeah just looked at them. “The city cannot survive another attack, these dragons are bred for destruction and nothing else than that. There is just one path of actions which will be efficient”

Janok looked at Crassian and then at the girl, she did look rather adamant and her chin was held up high. “What sort of actions are you talking about young one?”

Imeah stared at them, the red eyes did remind Janok of the blood which had been spilled, he shuddered a bit. “They must stop the dragons from entering these realms, the wall has been breached, it must be resurrected. The powers of chaos must be vanquished once and for all, the dark brotherhood wiped out completely”

Janok frowned. “You have seen this?”

She nodded. “Yes, and more. It will all become so clear eventually.”

Crassian sighed, he was extremely tired and filled with deep sorrow, he had lost many good comrades and he knew that the seer was right. There was no way they could beat these dragons, they were just too many and too strong. “The elf who arrived, have you seen her too?”

Imeah nodded. “She will show them the way, she will reveal what is hidden. She is the forgotten one, the one the dark brotherhood will fear and hate”

Imeah just turned around and walked off and the two was left there staring at each other. Zaray was waiting, she was a patient one but this time she had to hurry, yet she couldn’t force this upon anyone. Those who chose to follow would have to do so out of their own conviction, it was very important. She couldn’t risk that anyone came because they felt they had to, such people could be turned around and their beliefs transformed into something dangerous. The group would have to be told the truth while gathered, most were wounded and so she would have to wait for some days. She already knew that the young seer had seen the truth of it all, the young one had great powers and so did the young mage. She smiled to herself, he didn’t want the world to know of his powers and that was wise but he would have to use them now, and use them wisely too. The darkness has eyes and ears everywhere, she already knew that they had noticed the death of that dragon Ivran killed. Yes, they had to prepare, and prepare well. The death of the elven woman told her that someone already knew and that this someone was closer than what was comfortable.

Phraan did wake up very slowly, his thoughts were sluggish and his head hurt and he was terribly thirsty. He had a terrible taste of blood in his mouth and his back was on fire, or so it seemed. Then he remembered and let out a choked wail of grief, why didn’t the Gods claim him instead of her? It wasn’t fair, it should never have happened. He felt anger burst forth yet again, Aiolo had done this, but why? He hadn’t been there when Vitile took the gem from the huge dragon, he couldn’t have known about the gems at all, or could he? Was there perhaps more going on than they had thought at first? He had to find out. He sat up on the narrow cot, he was in his own tent now and a young soldier had been placed there to keep an eye on him. The lad shot up from the chair he was in when he did notice that Phraan was awake. “Sir, do you need anything? You should lay back down again, you have a bad gash on your back”

Phraan growled. “So I have noticed yes. A glass of wine please, and find Fastonar, I need to speak to him”

The soldier nodded and walked over to a table, poured a generous amount of wine into a cup and brought it back. Phraan tossed it back as if it was water, it did kill the awful taste in his mouth but it did nothing to ease his sadness and the feeling of loss. “I will go and see if I can find him sir, right away”

The soldier scooted out of the door and Phraan sighed, laid back down with a groan. His heart was bleeding, and his soul raged against the loss he had experienced. He knew that Vitile’s soul was safe with her ancestors now, but that didn’t diminish the grief he felt. Many had fallen this day but she was the only one who mattered to him. Fastonar appeared rather fast, he just rushed into the tent and Phraan could see that he too had been crying. He was grey in the face and looked very shaken and he sat down immediately and his expression was one of disbelief. “I cannot…I cannot describe how I feel right now Phraan, all of our plans, all of our hopes, it has gone straight down the drain hasn’t it? We cannot hope to win against these…abominations”

Phraan nodded. “Fastonar, you hung Aiolo, did he say anything about why he did it? He must have had a reason? And the needle in the saddle, where did he get the poison?”

Fastonar hung his head. “I am afraid I didn’t give the son of a bitch much time to speak, I was…I was so terribly angry Phraan, so filled with grief. I wanted to make him suffer! All I managed to get out of him was that he had gotten the poison from Tersus wagon, he had stolen it and knew what it was and thus he came up with the idea!”

Phraan scoffed. “Then why Vitile, why not any of us?!”

Fastonar stared at Phraan and his eyes were dark. “Because she was female, easier to kill or so he believed”

Phraan almost sneered. “You were too hasty Fastonar, I don’t think that bastard just decided to try to murder one of us out of ordinary anger, I believe that he was ordered to!”

Fastonar sighed, a deep sigh. “Yes, I do believe so too, now! I was too hasty and I apologize but I am only human, my anger got the better of me. I didn’t think Phraan, I was in shock and I have always been very fond of Vitile, it shouldn’t have ended the way it did Phraan, I just snapped.”

Phraan let out a deep sigh. “You are right, I would have reacted the same way, I don’t blame you. So, what now?”

The dark haired man shrugged. “Zaray wants us to gather, she has something to tell us. I am not so sure if I trust that one, but we ought to listen, she did save our hides back there”

Phraan nodded slowly. “If she only had arrived earlier”

Fastonar got up. “Yes, I have thought about that too. But rest now, regain your strength. We will meet tomorrow morning. Until then we are officially mourning, and nothing will be done”

Phraan sent him a somewhat shaky grin. “Alright. I will be there”

Fastonar left the tent and Phraan stared up at the canvas ceiling, he felt shocked still and something about the whole thing was bugging him but he wasn’t sure of what it was. Ivran had tried to help, but he had overestimated his own skills and that was a problem. The young human would really need some proper training. Phraan tried not to think of Vitile but it was terribly hard not to, he could hear that Taurin and Thiana were singing, a sort of slow and melancholic chanting. They were dealing with their grief the only way they knew how to, and Phraan wished to go out and join them but he was too weak yet. After a while a soldier came with a bowl of soup and some bread and Phraan did eat but he felt miserable. What hope did they have now? The dragons would ravage this land like a plague and leave naught behind but ruins and death and there was nothing they could do.

He felt sleepy after the meal and pulled the blankets up around himself, closed his eyes. In spite of the feeling of fatigue it did take quite a while before he managed to fall asleep.

Ivran did come to rather fast and Shaluun stayed with him, Ivran hadn’t witnessed the final outcome of the battle and was confused and then sorrowful. He couldn’t believe that Vitile was dead, and that they all had been close to death. Shaluun tried to explain that there was nothing Ivran could have done but it was hard on the young human, he felt as if he ought to have done more, to have chosen a different type of counter attack. Shaluun did know that the very brave but foolish attempt at stopping the dragons had been born out of desperation, Ivran hadn’t been thinking at all but acted on sheer instinct and if he had been stronger and more familiar with his skills it would have worked. Shaluun made sure that Ivran had some food and the young man was physically alright, he had quite an appetite but he still felt very conflicted. He had believed that they would be able to kill those dragons but now he knew that they would face some problems, and they were gigantic. Shaluun promised him that they would train some more and Ivran got dressed and left the tent with a sensation of sleep walking. It was as if everything he saw was a sort of bad dream and he saw that the camp was preparing for the worst. The palisades were strengthened and archers were placed along the walls. He saw that many of the soldiers looked rather frightened and the atmosphere of impending doom was heavy and laid like a lid over the entire place.

He walked over to the wall, the body of Aiolo had been cut down and burned already and he was glad he hadn’t witnessed that. He couldn’t help but wonder why the man had done what he had. Such actions are rarely done just randomly, they have a cause, and what had Aiolo’s been? He sighed and stared over to the house Tersus had been given, judging from the sounds coming from the building the alchemist was hard at work even now. It could be that he was their only hope. Ivran did feel a certain amount of curiosity, this approach to the mysteries of creation was so different from what he was used to, but he could understand its attraction. He stood there and stared at the activity when the tall stranger did approach him. Ivran was staring with huge eyes, he had never seen a person like that before and he was gob smacked by her appearance. He just stared and she smiled and leaned against the wall next to him. “So, you tried to stop the dragons, like you had stopped falling rocks. You do know that it was epically stupid but also equally brave?”

Ivran looked down. “Yes, but I just…I had to do something!”

She tilted her head, those odd eyes were hypnotizing. “You have considerable talent, powers which can dwarf even those of the great mages of old”

He frowned. “How do you know?”

She sent him a wicked grin. “I can sense it, and since I can sense it so can others too Ivran. You haven’t used your powers until now but that doesn’t make you safe, far from it!”

He looked at her, puzzled and a bit scared. “What do you mean by that?”

She sat down on a crate and her eyes got distant. “I was once well known Ivran, and I was feared too but that was a long time ago and in realms far from this one. I serve the light lad, but in order to do that I couldn’t follow the ways of light. There has to be a balance also within us all. You are born with a power which is genuine chaos, and the forces of chaos will be drawn to it like ants to a bowl of sugar”

He swallowed. “Forces of chaos?”

She nodded solemnly. “Yes, the dark brotherhood, they already know that there is someone out here with immense magical abilities. They will try to seek you out, either to kill you or to use you for their own twisted purposes.”

Ivran gaped. “Are you serious?!”

She smiled, the smile was a harsh one, with no teeth. “Yes, you must have figured out the real reason why the dragons have reappeared or what?”

He nodded slowly. “Uh, I think so, they have been prepared for an all-out war”

She nodded slowly and the eyes were almost glowing. “Yes, so they have to be stopped and there are very few methods which will work. We have to be bold, to be unpredictable.”

Ivran frowned. “We?”

She nodded. “Yes, we, there is no reason for this group to stay here, you came to do good now didn’t you? This is the only good thing you can do now. It will be dangerous for sure but it may save this realm.”

Ivran did almost shrink. “Uh, are you sure that…”

She took a deep breath and removed something from a pocket in her belt, handed it over and Ivran looked down at the two small gems which suddenly lay in his palm. He let out a small gasp and then he felt an intense need to toss them away. They felt just awful, like something which was way heavier than they truly ought to be and it felt as if they were trying to suck the very soul out of him. Zaray nodded. “You feel it don’t you? The tainted power within these? You have magic so to you it is very noticeable.”

He handed them over to her again. “Yes, they felt just…wrong?!”

She smiled and hid the gems again. “Ivran, you are a sensible young man, and you have learned the value of secrecy. What I am about to tell you is something you have to keep to yourself, no matter what”

He was confused. “Alright, but why do you trust me?”

She stared at the skies, the gaze was sharp as that of an eagle. “Because you aren’t a part of the group, your presence here is a coincidence, a trick of fate. And I can see that you are very honest, and a truly good person”

Ivran was blushing. “And you are sure of that?”

She nodded slowly, she was so much taller than Ivran she was staring down at him. “Yes, I can see the soul of other beings, yours is one of light. So, do you agree?”

He nodded but felt far from sure. “Yes, I do”

She stared at the skies again. “These stones are what got Vitile killed. Someone knew she had them”

Ivran frowned, then his eyes got large. “Oh Gods, that means that Aiolo did spy on her?”

Zaray turned her gaze toward him. “Yes, or someone else. Aiolo was a creature of chaos, I could feel that even from a distance. He was a slave of darkness even without knowing of it.”

Ivran swallowed hard. “Do you say that there are more like him around? More followers of chaos?”

She smiled and petted his head. “You are a smart lad Ivran, I didn’t say that”

Ivran stared at her, realized that she had confirmed it without actually confirming it. “So, what are we to do?”

Zaray looked down at her fingernails. “You are someone they already trust, and you have not done much to draw attention to yourself, yet. I think you are the one who ought to keep your eyes open. If there is a rotten apple within this barrel it is best discovered from the outside”

Ivran understood the wisdom of her words. “Alright, I see, and you?”

She smiled again, a wide smile with flashing white teeth. “I will try to lead this group towards their fate, we have one try, and one try alone.”

She let a hand slide through his hair and he shuddered, he felt the power in her like the tense atmosphere just before a thunderstorm. “We never had this conversation, remember that.”

She let go and walked away, slowly and seemingly relaxed and Ivran felt his throat go dry. She was very dangerous, and what was she really planning on doing? Was all of this even real? He ought to return to the academy but he did know that it was just a question of time before the dragons would reach the southern parts of the realm as well, there were no safe places anymore. He remained where he was for quite some time, trying to make sense of it all.

The members of the group were trying to cope with the things which had happened, and they all mourned in their own way. They were recovering from their injuries and luckily none had suffered anything life threatening, the healers could deal with it all. Dabin and Rhuk sat in their tent, Dabin was meditating, it was the way of his tribe but Rhuk was shaving his legs. He used a very sharp knife and did remove all the hair of his calves and knees and feet and he did use some time too for he was extremely hairy. Dabin cringed, it wasn’t the way of his tribe to shave like that but Rhuk’s people had always been odd. Rhuk stared at his freshly shaved feet and wriggled his toes, a sad expression upon his face. “I guess it doesn’t matter, for nobody of my kin will see this but it feels right. “

Dabin sort of cringed. “Shaving your legs is a way of showing grief?”

Rhuk nodded. “Oh yes, it is a way of saying that you are too busy mourning to think about fun”

Dabin rolled his eyes slightly. “So having shaven legs is a turn off if I understand you right?”

Rhuk turned around and put a foot up on a chair, removed a few hairs he hadn’t seen previously. “Yes, the dames will shun a male with shaven feet, the hairier the better.”

All dwarves are hairy in comparison with other races but Rhuk’s tribe had always had a reputation for being extremely so. “And I bet the ladies of you clan is furry lovelies with hair in all the right places?”

Rhuk nodded with obvious glee. “Oh yes, they are a delight and a joy to behold. I had a sweetheart once, her beard reached her thighs, oh she was precious, you know, the hangings ought to match the carpet!”

Dabin got a mental image which made him wince. “So I guess that it is hard to tell the difference between the ladies and the gents of your clan?”

Rhuk did look offended. “Not at all my lad, not at all. The ladies will be working at the forges or practicing the art of tossing stuff, we menfolk do spend our time writing poems and teaching the young ones embroidery and artful wood carving.”

Dabin swallowed hard, now that did explain a few misunderstandings, so few ever came across Rhuk’s tribe and not much was really known about them. So the rather aggressive and hairy stubby dwarves many had managed to piss off were female…good to know! “Ah, tossing stuff? Why?”

Rhuk rolled his eyes. “Duh, to impress the men of course, who would want a wife who is weak? She’ll give birth to puny small babes. No, I want a wife one day and she must be at least a head taller than me and have a beard more coarse than the hairs of a mountain goat! Such beauties are hard to come by I know but I will find her someday, and I will read her poems and sing in praise of her strength”

Dabin’s tribe was more like humans when it came to gender roles, this just made him feel slightly concerned. “So if a female of your clan and tribe does like a guy she’ll throw stuff to show it?”

Rhuk nodded with a wide grin. “Oh yeah, the heavier the better. The chief’s wife won his affection by tossing a whole pig across the room. It didn’t end so well for the poor pig but they got married the same day.”

Dabin had once had an interesting encounter with a dwarf from Rhuk’s clan, the stranger had stared at him the whole evening and before the inn closed the other dwarf had started throwing ale barrels. Dabin had sort of run off, afraid that the other dwarf had been a bit insane but now he did realize that it had been a female and that she had fancied him. Oh by every God, he was glad he had escaped unscathed. “I bet your dams are fierce in bed as well then?”

Rhuk sent him a nasty grin, wide and full of mirth. “Oh yes, they are amazing, they’ll ride you like none other, I can assure you of that”

Dabin had heard enough, he had lost the ability to meditate for the next century or so. “Well, I do wish you luck in finding that perfect wife of yours, I truly do!”

Rhuk nodded with a wide smile. “I thank you, and may you too find a lovely lass with a huge beard.”

Dabin got up and sent Rhuk what he hoped was a grateful smile. “Thanks, I think I will need to go for a walk now, I need fresh air!”

Rhuk had a devilish glimpse within his eyes. “Ah, need to take care of something? No shame in that lad, talking of the ladies can have that effect!”

Dabin just sent Rhuk a wide eyed stare and ran out of the tent, if that deranged dwarf really believed that he had become aroused by this then be it. He had to get away.

Dabin had volunteered for this in search of glory and to possibly gain enough fame to become someone of importance within their community. His tribe was large and spread out all across the realms and they did have much contact with humans and elves and other races as well and he had believed that killing a few dragons would help him become someone of importance. Apparently he was wrong, this journey had turned into a nightmare and he wasn’t sure he would return to the house of his kin alive. But he wouldn’t leave, he did have his honor and he did realize that this problem wouldn’t go away, they had to do something or else also the halls of his clan would become tombs. Dwarves are strong creatures, able to survive things few other races can hope to get through but they do have their limits and dwarves do fear fire. The reason is a rather obvious one, they don’t like flames, at all!

The hair and beard of a dwarf tends to be rather greasy due to the fact that they often use their beards to wipe off their mouth after a meal and grease burns rather well. The dwarves working in the forges would use huge leather hoods with only a hole for the eyes and the hoods covered their entire front down to their knees. It was all for safety. Dabin was not too fond of forge work, he was a hunter and loved the tranquility of the forests. He bet that Rhuk felt the same way as him when it came to this mission, neither of them were quitters, they would simply have to do what they could to save their own, even if it meant laying down their own lives. Dabin didn’t fear death, he only feared meeting his ancestors as a coward.

When a dwarf has his mind set upon something it takes something rather grand to make him change his mind, and Dabin knew that if he did survive this he would indeed become someone who would be remembered through the ages. It was the greatest honor anyone could ask for, a sort of immortality.

Dabin did run into Dhokay as he was heading towards the gates, the tall luptay was busy sharpening some daggers and he had his hammer standing next to him. Dabin had been impressed by the weapon from the moment he first laid eyes upon it and he wanted to know more. War hammers aren’t used by most dwarves simply because it takes a long arm to get enough momentum to really damage the opponent. Dwarves are extremely strong but they have short arms and to them a war hammer would simply be too long and top heavy to be wielded with success. Dhokay’s hammer was forged in one piece and that was extremely impressive in itself but the size of the weapon was intimidating to anyone knowing anything about such things. The head of the hammer was flat on one side and slightly pointed at the other and it was made from a very dense steel with a sort of bluish color. The handle was wrapped with dragon leather and Dhokay did notice that the dwarf was staring at the weapon. He smiled and nodded. “You can test it if you like, it won’t bite you!”

Dabin stared at the war hammer, it was almost as long as him and the head did probably weigh almost as much as himself. “I’d rather not Dhokay, I am not capable of wielding such a weapon. I just got curious, where did you get such a magnificent work of art?”

The hammer was indeed a work of art, elegant and very elvish in appearance and yet it was sturdy and solid. Dhokay put down the wet stone and cocked his head. “It is a long story but I have had it for a very long time. My people do favor war hammers when in battle, it is very efficient and feared”

Dabin nodded. “I know, I have seen the damages such weapons can cause, it is terrifying. But it is also efficient against dragons?”

Dhokay nodded and grasped the hammer, put it over his lap. “Yes, the hide is too hard for most blades to pierce it but it doesn’t protect against blunt force trauma, I usually go for shoulder blades, hips and joints”

Dabin looked at the weapon and cringed, a blow from that one onto such a fragile body part would most certainly cripple even a dragon. “So you crippled the dragons? What did the others do?”

Dhokay smiled, there was a hint of something melancholic within his eyes. “Shaluun would often kill the smaller dragons, he would run onto their backs after I had incapacitated them and stab them in the head or the top of their necks. He is very swift that one. Vitile would track the dragons and determine the number of individuals with the other trackers and they would also try to lure the dragons out and blind them with arrows. Kapha would help me most of the time and Phraan, well, he did kill the larger ones”

Dabin looked puzzled. “Really? Alone?”

Dhokay smiled. “Yes, he and Fastonar were a team, Fastonar would charge at the dragon and when it attacked him Phraan would know its weak spots immediately and go for it. He has a rare talent that one, he never failed in killing the dragons he went for”

Dabin sort of cringed. “If one can call killing a talent.”

Dhokay sent him a reassuring smile. “When it comes to dragons it is a talent for sure. But these new dragons are beyond our capabilities, our old methods are worthless”

Dabin sighed. “So I have seen. The dragons have no weaknesses right?”

Dhokay shrugged. “Oh they do have weaknesses but they are hard to find. Phraan managed to get the one which killed Kapha remember? But it came at a cost, one we cannot afford to pay.”

Dabin swallowed. “I bet that stranger has something important to tell us, I just feel as though we won’t like it, even a bit.”

Dhokay nodded and picked up the wet stone again. “So do I, but fate wanders in its own manner. There is nothing we can do to change it”

Dabin swallowed hard. “You rode with Fastonar back to the city after the attack, did he…did he just hang Aiolo? Without even interrogating him?”

Dhokay shook his head. “No, he did ask the bastard all sorts of questions but Aiolo didn’t really answer, he just mumbled. I had to go and get some rope and some men and when I returned Fastonar said that he had confessed, I guess Fastonar used his fists on the man for Aiolo did look as if he had been beaten severely when I returned. And then we just dragged him off to be hanged. The guy deserved it, it was a most vicious deed!”

Dabin sighed and shrugged, he felt even more depressed now and bid Dhokay farewell before he headed towards the fields outside of the gates. He needed to be left alone for a while, just to think.

That evening all the dead were buried and Vitile was burned as the customs of her people did dictate, the remaining knights and soldiers were quiet and didn’t say much, the loss of so many of their own did somehow paralyze their will. Thiana and Taurin were singing and the rest of the group was sniffing and sobbing or trying their best to look unaffected but that was all a lie. Phraan did come, his back was better for the wound was closing itself up already due to his elvish blood, but he didn’t manage to stay for long, It was simply too much for him and the grief too strong. He had to go before the pyre was lit, it was impossible for him to watch her burn. Instead he returned to the tent and cried for hours before he fell into restless sleep.

Zaray gathered them just after sunrise, she was sitting in a chair in one of the larger tents, her odd eyes were shining and she looked so relaxed, so self-assured. The group sat down, Ivran was among them now and he did stare at her, his eyes somewhat distant. Phraan did look as if he hadn’t slept at all for days and the two remaining wood elves were obviously in deep shock still. The mood was a gloomy one for sure and Fastonar stared at the woman with narrow eyes. “So, why have you summoned us here? We are grateful you helped us, do not doubt that but with what authority do you order us around like this?”

Zaray smiled, her mouth was very wide, and generous. She did look hungry somehow, sensual and elegant but it was the elegance of a well forged blade. She did perhaps look soft as velvet but hers was a soul of steel. “I can so this because I know things you simply don’t. I know you have heard the old tales, the stories explaining the reasons why these things have happened.”

Fastonar scoffed. “Old wives tales? Do you expect us to believe them?”

She just smiled. “Yes, for they are true. The dark brotherhood has gathered once more, and a plan has been built and refined through millennia. You are watching its final stage”

Dhokay was staring at her. “You know this because?”

She smiled at him, a hint of white teeth barely visible. “There is a city on the other side of those mountains, a great city, dedicated to the forces of chaos. The brotherhood has their stronghold there, it is where their devious plan has been set into action. It is where the source of their power is being held.”

She cocked her head, the golden red eyes almost haunting in their beauty and alien expressions. “I know this because that was where I was held for ages, a slave and a pawn, a plaything. But they did forget a very important detail, time changes the memory of men, even the written word won’t last forever. “

Fastonar did look very doubtful. “What are you then?”

She smiled again. “A mage? A bringer of salvation, a carrier of ancient magic, forgotten by all. What I am human, was forgotten by the world eons ago, and it is good that way. I did escape when they forgot to watch over me, when they took my weakness for granted. I have roamed the land ever since, keeping myself hidden and preparing for this mission”

Phraan cleared his voice. “I think I have understood what you wish for, but why should we trust you? Why should we even believe it to be true?”

Zaray stretched like a cat, her eyes showed that she was completely relaxed, so very confident. “You will believe me when you think about it for a while, for I do not lie. The dark brotherhood has created these new dragons and they aim for dominance over this entire world. Very powerful magic has been used to accomplish this, and you have seen what they have created. I am sorry to say that these new dragons is a mere beginning”

Fastonar was frowning, his arms crossed across his chest. “I cannot believe you, those dragons are beasts, what could be worse than them?”

Zaray laughed, it was a low and hoarse laughter, throaty and sensual and Ivran realized that Zaray was well used to exploiting her almost otherworldly beauty to get what she wanted. “Very much my brave knight, you will soon witness these new horrors, I can assure you that there is only one possible course of actions to take now. You must go to the mountains and undo what they have done, raise the wall again and eradicate the brotherhood once and for all”

Shaluun had been silent, now he did step forth. “That is no small task, nobody have ever been able to return from those mountains, what makes you believe that we will have more luck than the others who have tried? And raising the wall again?”

She nodded slowly, the amethyst hair did shine. “You are not like those adventurers who have ventured into the embrace of those frozen valleys, you will have me as your guide and you are all special, all destined for so much more.”

She was staring at Phraan as she said those words and he felt as if she was speaking to him in special. Fastonar made a grimace. “Why should we risk our lives on this? You could be lying, you could be serving the dark forces for all we know!”

She grinned. “You are suspicious and rightly so, but you do of course have a choice. You can stay here and try to fight but you will all perish then, and the realm will become a wasteland of ash and death and not even the memory of you will remain for there will be nobody alive to remember you. The brotherhood has unleashed something they cannot hope to control, their arrogance have taken them too far. They are not wise nor learned as their ancestors were, the dark mages of ancient days did at least know what they were meddling with and hubris was a sin back then as it is now. The new members are powerful but unwise and they cannot see that they lack so much of what made their forefather’s great. “

Ivran swallowed. “Were they really that, great I mean?”

She stared at him with a smile. “Oh, they were, they were great indeed. They chose the wrong side you may say but that doesn’t diminish the skills they possessed. They believed in what they did, and that made them almost invincible”

Phraan took a deep breath. “And this new brotherhood, don’t they believe in their mission?”

She grinned again, widely. “Oh but they do, fanatically. But their task is no longer balance, it is dominance and that is not the same as before. They want to rule everything, they want the world to dance to their chosen tune and fail to see that in doing that they will also destroy themselves.”

Dhokay looked down. “Chaos is its own greatest enemy isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yes, only order can make it work, and those two opposites cannot exist without each other, what they are trying to do will undo the very creation itself.”

Ivran was shuddering. “Is that even possible?”

She nodded solemnly. “Yes. For they have started to use magic that their ancestors did shun, magic forbidden even by the darkness itself. They cannot see the danger for their minds are not capable of understanding. There is no salvation for them, they must all be erased from the very weave of life or this plague will arise anew”

Phraan sighed. “So, if we do as you say and go to this city and slay those followers of chaos things will return to normal?”

Zaray smiled. “Yes, more or less”

The half elf frowned. “What do you mean more or less?”

She shrugged. “The dragons which have crossed the wall will of course still be here, so it is in our best interest to hurry before too many make it through. We will have to kill a lot of dragons before this is all over, believe me”

Fastonar was frowning still, he did look sort of gloomy. “And these followers of darkness and chaos will just allow us to enter their realm and mow them down?”

The sarcasm in his voice was rather thick and Zaray tilted her head to the side, her expression coy. “Of course not, that is why such brave warriors as yourself is needed, we need those of both experience and courage to do this”

Shaluun had stared at her for a while. “You look like an elf, like someone of the ancient m’shray tribe, but you don’t feel like a m’shray. You did save us out there, but I still question your honesty.”

She just grinned again, the grin sardonic. “I am not what I seem to be? That is something I have in common with many of you, and you don’t even know it yet. The forces of order do work with subtlety instead of boasting their powers, it is no coincidence that you are all here. We do all have a role to play in this, the Gods are playing a board game and we are the pieces they move”

Fastonar scoffed. “I am no pawn”

She shrugged. “No? You have spent the time after the last dragon war guarding the temples of Twelve towers now haven’t you? I bet you have found that task both tedious and boring, perhaps even soul draining?”

Fastonar did look shocked. “How do you know?”

She chuckled. “Oh I do know you all, very well. You could have taken some other mission, been sent south to battle pirates along the coast, north to negotiate treaties with the wild tribes. You chose to stay in Twelve towers”

Fastonar did stare at her, his eyes shocked. “I wanted to reap the benefits of my previous role, I was famous, and I loved it”

Zaray almost purred. “Oh I bet you did, but when that fame did fade, did you ask your king for a new assignment?”

Fastonar shook his head. “No, I just…I guess I never thought of that?”

Zaray smiled and her expression was one of satisfaction. “Of course you didn’t. You were meant to be here”

She turned to Thiana and Taurin, both stared at her with big eyes and she appeared to have some sort of power over them for they both were apparently mute. “You came because Vitile asked it of you, both skilled hunters and both carrying the blessings of the woods. Very few does these days, but now is the time to use it for all it is worth”

Dhokay turned his gaze towards the two wood elves. “Are you serious?!”

Both looked down, blushing and Taurin tried to speak but no sound came forth. Zaray grinned. “Yes, they are of the chosen ones, their powers yet untried but real enough.”

Phraan did look shocked. “But I have always believed that the power of the woods was a sort of chaos force?”

Zaray nodded and her eyes were stern now. “Yes, but there is chaos and then there is chaos. The force of the woods is a force born out of nature, and nature is chaotic but it is a nurturing chaos, from eventual destruction regrowth follows. The dark chaos forces leave nothing new, only destruction on a complete level.”

Phraan didn’t say anything more and Zaray stared at them all. “You came because duty called, because you yearned for glory and for the thrill of the hunt. Nothing has changed my friends, only the outer circumstances.”

Fastonar did look down at his toes and Dhokay was frowning, the two dwarves did however look almost eager. Ivran hadn’t said anything, he just looked slightly tired, as if this was something he had anticipated the whole time. Shaluun was still staring at her and his eyes told them that he was thinking and thinking hard. Zaray stepped forth, making a wide gesture with both arms. “I will leave you to it then, you must decide and do it now. We cannot wait, time is running short as we speak”

She bowed and left the tent and everybody sat there, staring at each other. Fastonar was scowling. “I do not trust her, and neither should you. Why should we believe all this?”

Shaluun sighed and the expression within his eyes changed, his gaze became keen and sharp and he was baring his teeth. “Because we have to, no matter who or what she is, the dragons do originate from somewhere behind those mountains. If we are to do anything useful except dying in vain we have to track them to their origin and strangle the source at the root.”

Dhokay nodded solemnly. “He is right, it is the only way, dark mages or no dark mages.”

Fastonar turned to Phraan, his eyes were pleading. “Phraan, don’t tell me that you too have swallowed her bait?”

The half elf stared at Fastonar and there was something new in his gaze, a dark fire none had seen before. “I don’t care what she said, or what her intentions are. It is indifferent to me now, but I do know that the force which sent the dragons south exist behind the mountains. I will go there, to avenge Vitile. I owe it to her”

Fastonar rolled his eyes. “By the Gods, have you all lost your marbles?”

Phraan sneered. “No, I have found a purpose, and if I have to die then be it, but know this, if I do die it will be with the blood of the ones responsible for her death coating my hands!”

Fastonar sighed, a deep sigh and he rolled his eyes. “Right, you are all mad then. But be it, I will follow you, just to make sure that you don’t mess this up.”

Phraan smiled, the smile was a tense one. “You do not need to do this Fastonar, you are sworn to the temples, you can return to serve there and nobody will blame you for it”

Fastonar shook his head. “No, I have watched your back for years and I don’t intend to quit now. It may be folly but I don’t desert the original mission I was sent out to do. We were sent to kill dragons so let’s do that, even if I think it is madness”

Dhokay stared at Thiana and Taurin, the wood elves were surprisingly calm. “How about you?”

The two stared at each other, small smiles barely visible. “We will join you, to honor Vitile and avenge her death. She was one of us, a sister of the woods. It is our duty to do this”

The two dwarves did also nod and Rhuk did run his fingers through his now short beard. “She was a fine lass, aye, a very fine lass. Her feet were…nice. For an elf I mean, but yes, she had good feet. I will honor her name and fight for her, my axe thirsts for the blood of those dark bastards”

Dabin grinned. “Hear hear, well spoken. We are all ready so why hesitate? Zaray says that time is important, we ought to go as soon as we can”

Phraan grinned. “I bet Tersus will want to join us too, he can be useful.” Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Ivran got up. “I will come too, I don’t know what powers I do have but maybe I can be of help. Returning to the academy is out of the question, I can do naught there, except cowering when the dragons reach Oakfell, for they will.”

Fastonar shrugged. “Right, fine, we’ll dance her dance then, but do not trust her too much. I think she has her own agenda and that may be a very hidden one!”

Nobody said anything more and Phraan got up. “I will tell the commander of our decision and ask for provisions and fresh horses for those who have lost their steeds. We cannot linger here for much longer”

Fastonar made a grimace “We cannot use the wagons, it will be a journey where we bring only the bare necessities.”

Phraan sent him a vague smile. “Just like the days of old right”

Fastonar had to smile back. “Yes, just like the days of old”

The great citadel was an impressive sight in the evening sun, countless torches were burning and the black marble of which the entire structure was constructed did shine like oil on water. The guards who were placed along the entrance stairs wore their best uniforms and the entire scene was made to create a sense of awe and fear. The ancient mages had really known how to make anyone approaching their headquarters feel puny and small, the entire city was simply stunning in its cold beauty. The old man stood in a window and his face was grim, he was staring at the citadel and his eyes burned with anger and hatred. They had banished him, for telling them the truth, for following the old ways. He was humiliated and hurt and he remembered all that he had sacrificed for their cause, it had all been in vain. These new brothers weren’t truly believers, all they saw was power and influence and they would bring doom upon themselves. Badrian stepped away from the window, the room he was in was grand and very luxurious but it was a prison, the doors were locked and he knew that only Simaon had the keys. That man ought to have been strangled with his own diapers as a baby, Badrian had seen a lot but never someone with such a ruthless and cunning mind, the man could have been an excellent leader and the one to lead them to new greatness if he hadn’t been unable to take advice and respect the past.

Simaon didn’t care about the old ways, he had never read the prophecies nor the work of their predecessors, to him it was all about using what was created back then for his own purposes. Badrian was furious, they would lose it all, and for what? For money, for fame, for things so unimportant he never had even contemplated them. He served a bigger cause, a sacred obligation to finish what their bold ancestors had started. The others had stepped away from the road now, they were heading for a disaster and they didn’t even know it. Badrian sighed and poured himself a little wine, he was given everything he could possibly need except freedom, they did fear him and his knowledge and that thought made him grin. He had become a stone in their shoe, a turd on the serving platter, something they didn’t wanted to be reminded off.

They couldn’t control them, it was as simple as that. The hordes which had been created were ready to be unleashed and if Simaon thought that these horrors would obey him he was so wrong. The ancient ones had been careful, they had never wished for something like this, never at this scale. Some dragons yes, strong and terrifying and able to bring a kingdom to its knees in fear but not the annihilation of every living thing? Badrian knew that it would be the result if Simaon and his brethren got it their way, they would release an avalanche of death and then neither the darkness nor the light would matter anymore. There would be no balance, just a scourge of dragons trying to devour each other. Badrian walked over to a shelf and pulled down a small book, it was very anonymously looking, just a few pages thick and wrapped in plain brown leather. He held it reverently and let a hand caress the soft surface. This book held the answer to his dilemma, his vengeance, his ultimate pay back. It gave him the spells and powers needed to control the orb.

They had laughed at him, locked him up like a disobedient child when in truth he was the only one left of the true brotherhood. He was among the last true believers and if he was going down well then he would take them all down with him. He walked over to the table in the middle of the room, a huge crystal ball rested upon three spikes made from obsidian and the orb was perfectly round and shiny. Simaon had no idea of the power this artefact held, of the abilities it gifted to those strong enough to use it. Badrian had been a mage all of his life, he was weak now, not able to do much of a magical nature. Only his will was strong and he knew that his will was the most important thing there was now. He knew that Simaon would have confiscated the orb had he known what it truly was, a good thing he didn’t. That piece of dragon dung wouldn’t have been able to use it even if his life did depend on it. Badrian stared at the orb, his eyes narrow. Was this something he was ready to do? Was he willing to go this far, to get his vengeance?

He sat down, the old body was aching more and more each day and he had long ago accepted his mortality and its inevitable outcome. No, he wasn’t afraid to die, he was sure he would meet his ancestors in the hereafter and take his place among them.

His forefather’s had tried to tilt the balance in their favor and he did see it now, the folly of those ideas. He had believed for so long, and now it felt odd to turn his back to what he had lived for but it was better to die knowing he did the right thing than to live within a lie. The wall had been erected for a reason, the truce made to save them all, both the servants of light and those of darkness. One cannot exist without the other, it was the truth these new brother’s had forgotten. The struggle would continue forever and force them all to better themselves, to evolve and become stronger and wiser. What the brotherhood was brewing up now was an abomination, and it had to be stopped.

He had made up his mind and he straightened his back and walked back to the orb. He placed a hand on it, gently, as if he was touching a beloved pet or child. Whispering the right spells to activate it and bring it inn under his will. “Show me, show me the ones of which the forgotten words speak.”

The orb became opaque, milky white and so did his eyes. The old man shuddered, the power which rushed through him was so strong it would have scorched the very soul of a lesser man. Badrian moaned and let go, smoke rose from the orb and his palm was burned, as if he had touched a red hot stove. He swallowed his cry of agony and blinked, he knew, he knew how to help them. Yes, the old ways were dead now, and he wanted them to be buried in a proper manner. He almost ran over to the shelf again, clutching his injured hand. He mumbled a healing spell and it helped to a certain degree but some pain still lingered and the hand was still red and nasty looking. He grasped a book and opened it, staring at it with wild eyes. “Yes, that is it, this is what they’ll need. That is what’s missing, she is may not aware of this”

He stared at the drawing and his eyes had gotten a sinister expression, to hell with them all. To hell with the brotherhood and their false belief, to hell with his own worship of something which had become corrupted and twisted by millennia of faulty teachings, he would make them all pay. He knew where it was, and now he was in a hurry. He had to make sure that the right hands got this and he smiled as he prepared to do a very difficult spell. It would drain him but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes and whispered words nobody but himself would understand and suddenly he was gone, the room empty.

Badrian blinked and gasped for air, his body was too old for this but there had been no choice. He was standing in the vault underneath the citadel, it was heavily guarded by spells and soldiers but that was on the outside. There was no protection on the inside of the huge room for there were too many magical items there and they would interfere with any spells uttered. He walked slowly, his body had started to die, it was inevitable. The amount of energy he had spent was simply too much. He hurried towards a closed off section, opened the gate with trembling hands and got inside. It held things of unknown origin and use, things not even the first brothers had managed to figure out. He stopped by a table at the back, opened a small box and picked out a gem from it. It was the size of an egg and bright golden red, it was absolutely gorgeous and he admired the beauty for a few seconds. They would need it for sure, it would trigger the transformation.

He put the gem on the inside of his robe, then he ran over to a closet and pulled out another object, it was almost too heavy for him to hold but he managed, with a hiss of agony. His heart was beating unevenly now, and his vision was getting blurred. He ran to the middle of the room, holding the gem and the other object and he was shaking all over. The spell he started chanting was taken from the small book and extremely powerful and he managed to smile as a giant figure seemed to appear out of nowhere, it watched him with terrifying red eyes and he bowed his head. “Ancient one, servant of the wilds, please hear my plea. Bring this to the one death loves, it is important”

The being cocked its head. “Your life is spent mortal, is this truly what you wish?”

Badrian nodded, he felt odd, a sort of relief was rushing through him. At least he had done what he could to stop the apocalypse, he had been misguided for years and he was glad he had seen the truth, but it had cost him so much. At least these so called brothers would face their end if things went well. The dragons were a horrible enemy and he knew of none who could go up against them, until now. “Yes, it is my wish. Bring it to him, do it soon. Let him see the truth”

The being grasped onto the objects with its maw and nodded and suddenly it was gone. Badrian gasped, his chest felt as if it was on fire but there was one last thing to do now. He whispered a last spell and returned to the room in the tower, he dragged himself over to the orb, his body shutting down. Slowly he got up and whispered the final words of his life, he fell forwards over the orb and the crystal shattered as if it was made from thin glass. They would never be able to use it, its secret was taken with him to his grave. The book started to burn and left only a few flakes of ashes and the magic it had held dissolved into a wisp of thin mist, then it was gone. The old man laid there in a heap of shards and there was a pleased smile on the narrow lips, they had been laughing at him, but the last laugh would most definitely be on him.

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