Morath laughed, “Hithrol is gone! Do you hear me? He is- Augh!” Morath clutched his head and fell to his knees, “Grask. I don’t have much time. Take my sword. He fears it. Maybe it will-.” The voice of Hithrol was cut off as Morath regained control, “Enough with this! You will give me my dragon or I will smash yours.” With a wave of his hand, Zargan is brought between the two of them. “It’s over, half-breed,” spat Morath.
“Alright, alright,” said Grask, slowly standing up and dropping his bow, “It’s in the cave, hidden. I’ll get it.” Limping slightly, he walked to the entrance of the cave, “Zargan. Your tail.”
Instantly understanding, the dragon swiped his spiked tail at Morath, knocking him off his feet with a shout of surprise, and earning Grask enough time to grab the sword. It felt strong in his hands, white blade contrasting perfectly with black hilt and pommel. Before Morath could rise to his feet, Grask rushed at him, sword raised and ready to strike.
Smoothly, Morath rolled out of the way and jumped to his feet, “It’s a swordfight you want? Then it’s a swordfight you’ll get.” A nearby fallen branch flew into his hand, instantly transformed into a green-bladed sword. Without a moment’s hesitation, he attacked Grask, who blocked with his own blade. The wood of Morath’s sword seemed as strong as steel and twice as sharp. The half-breed tried to hold his own, but Morath was faster and stronger, and Grask couldn’t risk doing serious damage, lest he hurt his friend. Morath had no such qualms. The first blow bit into Grask’s leg, nearly causing him to fall. The second smote his right shoulder and he cried out in pain, feeling fortunate it hadn’t gotten his sword arm. Fading quickly, Grask remounted his offensive, adrenaline rushing through his body, sweat pouring down his face and into his eyes. He was the next to score a blow, a small wound on Morath’s side. That only served to make his opponent fight harder. Grask couldn’t last much longer. His strength was fading, his leg starting to go numb. Then Zargan leaped at Morath. The dragon was still bound, but he tried his best to force Morath away from his friend. Seeing one last chance, Grask attacked from behind Morath. His sword struck true and Hithrol collapsed to the ground as a black, humanoid form sprang from his body. Grask slashed at it and it disappeared. They had won. Hithrol was free, but at the cost of his right leg.
-last edited on May 8, 2017 11:28:48 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 8, 2017 11:28:15 GMT
Chapter 119
It was at least an hour before Hithrol awoke, blurry-eyed and confused, “W-what happened?”
Grask fished Olifin’s stone out of his pocket, “You’re free now. I got rid of Morath, but, um, your leg. I bandaged it up as best I could, but there was nothing I could do. It was the only way I could think of to draw him out. The little attacks weren’t working. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” smiled Hithrol, “I actually managed to learn a few things with that monster in my head. One of them was this.” Extending an arm, he procured a fallen branch from nearby. It was shorter and thicker than the one Morath had used to make the sword, but as Grask watched it transformed into a lower leg and foot, complete with working ankle, and attached to Hithrol’s stump. The wood was streaked with gray and creaked slightly when it moved, “See? Good as new. Now, as far as I understand it, there’s a battle raging on in these mountains and it’s not going well for our side. If we’re going to turn the tide, I’ll need my dragon.”
Hithrol held out his hand and Grask placed the stone into it, “Do you know if you can remove the enchantment that allows him to be trapped in the stone? He was in awful shape when he came out.”
Shaking his head sadly, Hithrol replied, “I don’t think so, but I shan’t be using it.” With that, he released his dragon back into the world.
After a tearful reunion, the two Riders mounted up and readied themselves for battle. “Oh, I almost forgot,” said Grask, “Here’s Scalblas.” He handed the sword to Hithrol, who thanked him and gave him the green-bladed sword in return. Grask looked at him in surprise, “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I hardly need it,” replied Hithrol, “Now, let’s be off.”
“Let’s be off.” The two dragons rose into the air and flew in the direction of the battle site. It was time to end the battle.
“Regroup! We need to regroup! Stay with me!” Skirj’s cries were barely audible over the deafening sound of battle all around- shouts, screams; blade on blade, blade on armor, and other, strange sounds that indicated a magician was nearby. Quickly, Skirj’s squadron formed up around him. There were about fifty of them all told- most of the remaining goblins from Skirj’s clan. The other clans were just as pressed for numbers and even some dragons had begun fleeing the increasingly hopeless battle. If it didn’t end soon, all would be lost. Thus Skirj had formulated a plan. They needed to go after the dragon rider. No matter how many they lost in the effort, it would be worth it if they succeeded. And if they failed it wouldn’t matter anyway. Through a tiny gap in the soldiers ahead, Skirj spotted a clearing. That was where the rider would be, “Follow me!” With one last rallying cry he charged forward, clearing the last of the enemies in their way. As soon as they drew close, the rider turned his attention to them. In seconds, a third of their numbers were decimated. Onward they charged, spurred by the fury of battle. Suddenly, the enemy dragon reeled back in pain. He had been struck by an arrow- an arrow from above. Skidding to a stop, Skirj looked upwards- flying above them were two dragons- black and green- and they had riders of their own. The two dragons swooped downward at the blue, raining arrows and red fire. Quickly, Skirj ordered his troops back. If they got in the way of this there would be no coming back. This was exactly what they needed to win this battle. Let the dragons fight each other. Skirj and his goblins could take out the soldiers.
Grask fired arrow after arrow, all provided by Hithrol using magic. Most of them hit the blue dragon below them. Some sank into the earth next to it. None hit the rider. Hithrol rained fire upon the foes, while the hooded rider sent back fire and lightning, all of which Hithrol deflected. If they just kept this up a little longer, it would all be over. Both dragon and rider were tiring. Then the dragon opened its mouth. Out flew a bolt of shining lightning. It broke through Hithrol’s shields and struck all four of them. Instantly, the dragons dropped from the air and plummeted towards the ground. Fortunately, Hithrol cushioned the fall, but the impact was jarring nonetheless and Grask was still reeling from the lighting. He shakily got to his feet, sliding off of Zargan’s back and readying another arrow. Hithrol joined him, placing a hand on the pommel of his sword. Smiling under his hood, the enemy rider did likewise, lightning flickering in his hands. The blue dragon smiled smugly. Grask fired his arrow. It stopped inches before the rider’s face, who sent lightning back in return. Grask leaped to the side and narrowly avoided it. Hithrol charged forward, a red flame igniting on his sword. The enemy dragon readied itself to pounce, but stopped suddenly, as Olifin and Zargan attacked. The enemy rider waved his hand and his dragon gave a slight nod in return, rising to the sky. Olifin and Zargan pursued him. “Now then,” said the hooded rider, “My name is Zachaery Thoran and I am the archmage under Kelrin Dragonsblood. I’d like to do this civilly, so please introduce yourselves. After all, we’re not animals.” Looking at Grask, he added, “Barely, but the fact remains nonetheless.”
-last edited on May 8, 2017 23:14:13 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 8, 2017 23:13:53 GMT
Chapter 122
Grask snarled at the blatant insult. “Grask,” he spat, contempt audible in his voice.
“And I am Hithrol Jiwovz,” said Hithrol, without lowering his guard an inch.
Thoran smiled, “Excellent. Then we can begin.” Without another word, he released lightning at the two of them. For Hithrol’s part, Scalblas absorbed most of it. Grask was not so lucky, and he flew back several yards, landing with a groan, but quickly hopping back up to his feet and firing a few more arrows. Once again, they were ineffective. Hithrol attacked with Scalblas and Thoran blocked with a rod of flickering lightning. Drawing his own sword, Grask joined his friend. For a few minutes the three of them exchanged blows. Thoran wasn’t a very good fighter, but each time one of them got close, his weapon adapted to block it. And each time they struck the staff of lightning, a tiny shock ran through their respective arms. Finally, the staff erupted, throwing back Grask and Hithrol and knocking the swords from their hands. At the same time, Zargan and Olifin fell from the sky, defeated. The blue dragon flew down to Thoran’s side, the same smug smile on its face. Thoran walked forward, his staff dissipating as he did, “You’ve lost. Prepare-.”
“GET AWAY FROM MY GRANDSON!” Behind Thoran, an enormous shape rose into the sky. He was as big as or bigger than all three dragons combined. His massive wings like the sails of an enormous ship cast shadows on the earth, and the sunlight glinting off of his golden scales was like a searing light. Kalkuzar the Golden, mightiest of all dragons, had arrived. Panic in his eyes, the blue dragon rose into the air and tried in vain to fly away before Kalkuzar smote it to the ground and smashed it. Thoran did his best to put up a defensive shield, but the mighty dragon easily crushed it and its creator as well. “ZARGAN, I FORGIVE YOU. CAN YOU DO THE SAME FOR ME?”
Upon Kalkuzar’s arrival, Olifin and Zargan had immediately sunk into the dragon equivalent of a bow- knees bent, head down. The latter now looked up, “Of course.”
“THEN I AM DONE HERE.” Kalkuzar flew away, sending great gusts of wind to the ground below.
With their general smashed, the opposing army fled from the remaining goblins and dragons, who made quick work of any who continued to fight. Some wandered around and healed the wounded. Grask, Hithrol, Zargan, and Olifin were quickly recovering. Soon, Hithrol spoke, “It is time.”
“Time for what?” asked Grask.
“Time to go to the real battle,” he answered, “I’m afraid this was just one small battle in the greater war. All the powers of our enemies and our allies are converging at the castle of the Falcon Kingdom. Everything ends there, for better or worse.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Grask asked Hithrol.
Hithrol looked at Grask, “Well, first of all, we need to get you some more arrows, and I need to save my magic for the battle.”
“No problem. There are plenty around. I can just take them and clean them off. If I need more after that, I’ll make them.” Grask quickly began searching the battlefield for usable arrows. Most were used, but some he found in the quivers of the smashed. Before long, he had found plenty to supply him for the coming fight, though they differed greatly in size, head, and fletching. In the meantime, dragons had begun clearing the battlefield of people and rubble, soon restoring it to the mostly flat, empty area it had been before. To those like Grask, who had only seen it in the heat of battle and strewn with the aftermath, it was almost unrecognizable.
“Ready now?” asked Hithrol. Grask nodded in return and the two of them mounted up and took to the sky, flying for the Falcon Kingdom’s castle.
Lief and Dancan had been waiting for nearly an hour, but Pterio had yet to show up. If he didn’t arrive soon, Dancan would be forced to make his exit, for, as military advisor to King Dernar; he had a vital role to play in the ongoing battle at the Falcon Kingdom’s castle. This was not what worried Lief, however. The previous day, the attacking army had taken the castle despite the best efforts of the Dragon Kingdom, the dwarves, and the mages. If Pterio did not appear they would be forced to assume he was smashed.
Finally, Pterio’s face materialized in the mirror, smeared with ash and dirt and beaded with sweat. His clothes were dirty and torn, and his wide-brimmed hat had been knocked askew. Its feather was missing. Immediately, he began to speak, words falling from his mouth as though racing to be the first spoken, “The castle is lost. Everyone is smashed- the king, the royal family, the nobles, the army, and many of the peasants too. Everyone.”
Lief looked at him sadly, “I’m sorry. The Council never thought it would come to this. An unexpected factor was introduced that totally shattered our expectations for several key players. We’re still not sure what it was, but it is very powerful and very dangerous. And as for the Lions, I’m still trying to persuade King Leonus that our involvement is necessary. He seems to be coming around.”
“I have some information as well,” added Dancan, “Dernar seems to know something about this enemy, but he hasn’t said what.”
After a short pause Lief spoke again, “Well, if there’s nothing else, I believe we all have business to attend to. This may be the last time I can meet with you for a long while. The other members of the Council are none too pleased with my direct involvement here. Farewell, Pterio, and good luck. The same to you, Dancan.” The others said their goodbyes and their faces faded from Lief’s mirrors. He sat back in his chair with a sigh. There was much to think about.
-last edited on May 9, 2017 11:37:33 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 9, 2017 11:37:09 GMT
Chapter 125
Terra, Raini, Korin, and Cloventail were waiting at the edge of the camp as Zargan and Olifin touched down with Skrag and Hithrol. The two of them dismounted as the Dragon Riders- and dragons- greeted each other. As Hithrol and Korin exchanged information, Terra pulled Skrag aside, “I’m glad you’re okay. From what Korin told us it didn’t look good.”
“I suppose I nearly wasn’t. That dragon nearly drowned me. Fortunately, Zargan’s father got rid of him.” Skrag’s smile turned to a frown as he thought about those moments just before the darkness closed in, those moments where he fully expected to be smashed. He had a feeling they wouldn’t be forgotten easily. As his attention snapped back to the present, Skrag returned to the conversation, “But how are you? You must have seen your fair share of battle.”
Now it was Terra’s turn to frown, “It’s awful, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve fought before, but that was cleaner in a way. This is messy and horrible and terrifying.”
“I know,” Skrag said with a sight, “But we’ll get through it.”
“Of course we will. Conria and Knoxin, though…. Well, they were caught up between the two enemy dragon riders. I know you knew Conria before the Dragon Riders. I’m sorry.”
Skrag’s frown deepened, “At least I know why they’re not here. I’d like to hear more about the battle but not right now. First I’d like to rest for a bit, and then I’ll tell you my full story too. Honestly, I can’t believe so much has happened in one day.”
Terra smiled at him, “Of course. It’s getting late anyway. Tomorrow we will talk, and then to battle.”
Seeing the two of them moving towards the tents, the others began to follow, and while none of them spoke a word, each felt a semblance of peace, at least for a little while.
-last edited on May 9, 2017 21:12:02 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 9, 2017 21:11:05 GMT
Chapter 126
Skrag awoke to the midmorning sun shining through the tent flap. He sat up with a groan, trying with bleary eyes to remember where he was. It didn’t take long to recall the events of the night before. As soon as he reached the tent that Terra and Korin had prepared for him he fell fast asleep with barely enough time to reach the lumpy mattress on the floor. With his memories in order, Skrag stood up and peeked outside the tent. Zargan, Terra, and Raini were waiting for him there, as he’d expected. The former two both tried to speak to him at once, and thus all he heard was a messy jumble of “good morning”s and “how are you”s. Eventually, Terra acquiesced to Zargan and the dragon spoke. “Are you feeling better?”
Skrag nodded in reply, stepping out into the fresh morning air, “Let me get some breakfast and then I’ll tell the two of you all about it. You too, Raini, if you’d like.” The four of them marched off to the mess tent, where they discovered that breakfast consisted mostly of stale bread and a goopy, oatmeal-like substance that stuck to the rough wooden spoons like cement. Skrag had eaten worse. He hadn’t gotten splinters in his tongue before though. That resulted in a good hour of the four of them thoroughly cleaning each other’s mouths. That was also a new experience for Skrag.
After much strife and a very nasty-looking pair of tweezers, they wandered down to the outskirts of camp and sat by a small freshwater spring that burbled and babbled as they spoke. Skrag, naturally, took his turn first, describing everything that had happened since he arrived at the Dwarven Citadel up until the sudden arrival of Kalkuzar. Then Zargan told his own tale, focusing mainly on the events between Skrag’s apparent smashing and his arrival at the cave. As late morning turned into afternoon, Terra and Raini took their own turns. They made sure to describe in detail the current situation- including the siege that had led up to the enemy occupation of the Falcon Kingdom’s castle.
It was mid-afternoon when they all were finished, so the four of them decided to go for a walk along the stream, following it as it wound into the forest until it came time to turn back to the camp. They walked back in silence, merely contemplating the world around them. Tomorrow there would be battle, but for now the world was at peace. But peace can never last forever.
Wind rushed past Skrag’s ears as he and Zargan rocketed towards the castle, Hithrol and Olifin alongside them. The attack had begun. The plan was to have the armies on foot engage the bulk of the enemy troops, using siege engines to attack the castle itself, with Terra, Raini, Korin, and Cloventail helping them. The other Dragon Riders would engage the enemy dragons and riders. Suddenly, something slammed into Skrag’s back and nearly knocked him off of Zargan. Fortunately, he was able to hang on and his new chainmail armor had protected him from serious damage. As Zargan spun around, Skrag saw that their attacker was none other than one of the enemy dragons- a small yellow dragon with a long, fan-like blade at the end of her tail. Zargan instantly charged in for the attack, swiping with his claws and gnashing his teeth. It was instantly clear to Skrag that his dragon was the superior fighter, but the other was just a little bit faster, and was able to dodge most of Zargan’s attacks. Taking a momentary glance away from his own fight, Skrag saw Hithrol and Olifin battling against the other dragon and its rider. To Skrag’s surprise, they were losing, and badly. Though the white dragon was no larger than the yellow, it attacked with incredible speed and force, not allowing Olifin or Hithrol a moment to rest. As Zargan finally landed a solid blow on the yellow dragon, Skrag fired an arrow at the white. It hit its mark, leaving a nasty injury. Thanks to that distraction, Olifin and Hithrol were finally able to get some traction in the fight, landing several good blows. Realizing they had been defeated for now, the enemy dragons took off towards the castle.
-last edited on May 10, 2017 2:00:01 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 10, 2017 1:59:28 GMT
Chapter 128
Skrag was about to follow the two dragons when he saw Hithrol and Olifin. They were in bad shape, too injured to go on. They would have to return to the camp, and without their help Skrag and Zargan didn’t stand a chance. With simultaneous sighs, the green dragon and his rider began flying back to the camp.
In the camp, Hithrol and Olifin were taken to one of the medical tents, where a group of healers from the Towers was waiting. Skrag, recognized Syldar among the group, and pulled him aside, “How are you?”
Syldar smiled, “I’m well. I saw a couple of the slaves we freed the other day. They had gotten tangled up in the attack on the Towers.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” replied Skrag, “Did you bring them with?”
“They wanted to go home,” said Syldar, shaking his head. After exchanging a few more words with his old friend, Skrag took off with Zargan to find Terra and Raini. If they couldn’t fight the dragons at least they could help with the siege. Skrag found them among the Dragon Kingdom’s army, helping besiege the walls. Since they appeared to be busy, Skrag and Zargan took it upon themselves to help them. It was Zargan’s idea to grab large stones and rubble to drop on the walls, and his rider thought it was an excellent plan. As it turned out, it was indeed an excellent plan. None of the enemy soldiers had been anticipating an attack from above. The rocks were fairly accurate, and powerful enough that they didn’t need to be perfectly accurate. They grabbed whatever they could find and dropped it in any place along the wall where they wouldn’t hurt their allies. But even with that, the soldiers kept coming and the attackers had made little progress as day turned into night.
-last edited on May 10, 2017 11:31:17 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 10, 2017 11:30:48 GMT
Chapter 129
Arrana woke up in a cold sweat. A chill went down her back. Something was wrong. Hesitantly, she called out for her dragon, “Sichasia? Are you awake?”
A faint reply came a few seconds later as the white dragon approached her bed. The two of them had been placed in temporary beds while they recovered from the fighting the previous day. It had been short, but brutal, and Kelrin had been none too pleased when they had come back like frightened dogs. Of course, it wouldn’t have gone so badly if Pursigon and Fovos had actually managed to do their job. The thought of the two of them was enough to make Arrana’s lip curl in disgust. “Those two pathetic excuses for lifeforms should have been smashed long ago,” said Sichasia, as if reading her rider’s thoughts.
Arrana nodded, “Sichasia, do you feel like something’s not right? I just can’t shake the feeling.”
“I do, actually,” replied the dragon, “What do you think it is?”
“It’s me,” said the voice from the other side of the room. It wasn’t one either of the two recognized, but its owner didn’t remain mysterious for long. He stepped out of the shadows and into the dim candlelight to reveal a tall man in a gray cloak. A black staff was in his hand and as Arrana looked up she realized, with a growing sense of horror, that there was a gleaming golden skull where his face should have been. The man laughed at her expression, “It’s just a mask. What’s underneath is much, much worse.” For some reason, Arrana believed him. “Now,” said the man, “It’s time to get down to business. My name is Septimus Merlinsson and you have something of mine.” He pointed at Sichasia, who was so still she seemed to be frozen, “Her. She is mine and I am taking her back.”
-last edited on May 10, 2017 22:12:33 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 10, 2017 22:12:04 GMT
Chapter 130
For what felt like eternity, Arrana just sat there, frozen by her fear and confusion, and Sichasia did the same. But finally she managed to open her mouth and speak, “W-what are you talking about? She is my friend. I saved her life.”
Septimus Merlinsson looked at her, and for some reason she thought he was smiling under his mask, “I know. I know how you demanded that her egg be given to you, instead of being thrown out like the lifeless shell they thought it was. And I am grateful for that, for as you can see you were right and thanks to you she is here today. But did you even stop to wonder where her egg came from? How such a unique specimen came into their hands, and then into yours? Of course you haven’t. You’re all the same- short-sighted, petty, and only concerned with trivial things.” He laughed bitterly, “She came from me, from my workshop, my laboratory. She was the perfect specimen, my second greatest triumph, but then she was stolen- stolen by a group of fools who broke into my home while I slept in hopes of finding something valuable they could sell. All they got was her, and a lifetime of agony once I found them. But before I did, they managed to sell her, and can you guess who the buyer was? That’s right- Kelrin Dragonsblood, your master, or employer if you’d rather use that term. He was angry once he received her, for he felt he’d been tricked. He thought the egg was lifeless, and he would have gone after the thieves if they hadn’t made a break for it so quickly. He was going to destroy the egg, but then you stepped in and saved her, nurtured her, and turned her into everything I had ever dreamed she would be. But now I have come to reclaim what is mine, and if you have any sense at all you will turn her over right now.”
Finally building up her courage, Arrana stood up, clearing her throat as she spoke, “No. She is my friend and she stays with me.”
-last edited on May 10, 2017 23:13:21 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 10, 2017 23:13:02 GMT
Chapter 131
“So be it,” sighed Septimus Merlinsson, and instantly a bolt of lightning shot out from the tip of his staff, smashing Arrana before she even knew what was happening. “I really do hate this form of magic. It’s so messy, and convoluted, but you have to admit it does get the job done. Now then, it’s time to come with me, my child. You were made for a purpose, and that purpose begins now.” He gestured toward Sichasia, curling the fingers of one hand like a withered claw.
A tear running down her scaly snout, Sichasia spoke for the first time since she had seen Merlinsson, “No. I will not. You smashed my friend.”
“You don’t understand!” said Septimus Merlinsson, “I created you. You’re faster, stronger and smarter than almost any other living dragon. And it’s all thanks to my genius.”
“I understand perfectly. But you smashed my friend. I will never come with you,” replied Sichasia, her voice trembling slightly.
Septimus Merlinsson sighed once again, “I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but if you won’t come with me I have no choice.” He reached to his belt with his empty hand and drew his sword, “The blade is laced with a special concoction of Dragonsbane. One touch and you will be smashed instantly.”
Sichasia laughed, “It appears you don’t know me as well as you thought. I’m immune to Dragonsbane.”
“Normally, you’d be correct,” agreed Merlinsson, “But this is a unique strain I cultivated myself. Along with the other herbs I’ve mixed it with, it will do just as I told you. Did you think I’d make something as powerful as you without a failsafe?” Without another word, he brought the blade across the dragon’s exposed chest. She was smashed before she hit the ground. “I’m sorry, my child,” whispered Septimus Merlinsson, as he returned to his tower in a puff of smoke.
The sun shone faintly behind heavy, gray clouds in the morning sky. Rain poured down from the sky like a tremendous volley of arrows. The wind whistled across the grass and trees of the battlefield and the stone walls of the castle. All in all, Skrag thought, it was a horrible day for a battle. He could see fatigue and worry etched into the faces of the soldiers. The cold rain seemed to amplify it, wearing lines into their faces like it would wear lines into mountains over thousands of years. A melancholic mood hung over everything as the troops formed up ranks and servants rushed around the camp trying to keep tents from collapsing under the heavy load of water. The only comfort was that the opposing side would be met with many of the same difficulties- that, and the reactions of Terra and Raini. Naturally, the Mermian and the Water Dragon reveled in the streaming water, broad smiles plastered across their faces. A small crowd had begun to grow around them- servants, soldiers, healers, and others who were with the camp. As each new person joined the crowd, they couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected sight. Some even joined in a little, smiling and laughing as they pranced about in the rain. One smile was broader than all the others, however, and that was Skrag’s. He stood by Zargan’s side near the edge of the crowd, eyes focused on Terra. Beside him were Hithrol and Olifin, sheltered from the rain by a magical bubble being produced by Syldar. The two of them were still recovering. They would not be joining the battle today. Eventually, a horn sounded and the crowd dispersed- soldiers went to the lines of battle, servants to their masters, and others to their tents. In the end, only Skrag, Zargan, Terra, and Raini remained. As the four of them began going to their positions, Skrag’s smile faded. It was time to return to battle.
