-last edited on May 21, 2017 1:36:38 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 21, 2017 1:36:08 GMT
Chapter 160
Up on the balcony once again, Skrag rained arrows down on the enemy. A giant fell with a cry, seconds from bringing his hammer down on Link. A few well-placed arrows took care of a small contingent of goblins still bent on fighting. Suddenly, a loud bang filled the air as a door was flung open and Septimus Merlinsson strode into the hall. Close behind him came Fingolfin, Ethan, and Hoid. “Sorry we’re late!” shouted Hoid, “We had a spot of trouble with a tree monster!” With their help, the tide finally began to turn. Septimus defeated the sorcerer in short order and then began to take out trolls and giants. Fingolfin was little more than a blur as he spun through enemies, taking out two or three with a single swipe of his sword-staff. Ethan stuck by Hoid’s side, protecting him as they made their way over to Irya. At the same time, a second door burst open and in charged Shayden, Doli, and Alkkuto.
Just like that, the battle was over. The last few goblins had fled, and the trolls and giants had all fallen.
Skrag hopped down from his balcony and walked over to the center of the hall where the others were gathering. He saw Hithrol and Graylin recovering next to Olifin, and the others nursing minor injuries. Everyone looked to be okay. Except Sir William. Leinad ap Payton knelt over his fallen friend, a tear running down his face. Slowly, he returned to the group.
“Now that we’re all here,” said Hoid, with a sympathetic look for Leinad, “I’m afraid to say that the Well is not here. However, I have found another likely location. We must go to the castle of the Dragon Knights.” As he said this, the group heard a tearing sound behind them. They rushed to stop him, but it was too late- the sorcerer had fled through a portal. Septimus clenched his fists and stormed out through a portal of his own.
-last edited on May 21, 2017 13:37:39 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 21, 2017 13:37:17 GMT
Chapter 161
As the group, now two members smaller, began the next leg of their journey, Skrag found himself alongside Ethan, the agent of the Iron Wolves. The half-breed was surprised to see that the Iron Wolf was young- probably younger than Skrag himself. They walked in silence for a while before Skrag, a little hesitantly, spoke up, “You’re with the Iron Wolves, aren’t you?”
Ethan looked at him, “I am. I was chosen from our ranks to assist Hoid in this mission. I’m surprised you know of us- few do.”
“I once knew a member of your organization,” replied Skrag, “He told me that Iron Wolves value Loyalty, Honesty, and Integrity above all else.”
“He was right. What was his name?”
“Luke. Seven years ago, we were gladiators in the City on the River, not far from here. He helped overthrow the power-hungry governor and destroy the Arena. Do you know him?”
Ethan sighed, “I did know him. I’m afraid he was smashed in a mission a few years ago. Several of our agents were sent to infiltrate a new power growing near the mountains. Somehow, they were discovered. None survived. It was a sad day for the Iron Wolves.”
“It’s a shame,” said Skrag sadly, “He was a good man.”
Ethan nodded, “One of our best.”
Hoping to break the dismal mood, Skrag changed the subject, “How did you get selected for this mission?”
“There were a number of potential candidates. Our leaders narrowed it down based on skill level, previous experience, and compatibility with this particular assignment, and then Hoid was allowed to choose the final candidate.” Ethan replied, seemingly glad for the shift in topic.
“I think Hoid picked the right man for the job,” said Skrag, more out of friendliness than anything else. Ethan nodded his assent.
-last edited on May 21, 2017 17:45:41 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 21, 2017 17:45:18 GMT
Chapter 162
The sun began to set before they reached the castle of the Dragon Knights. As with the castle of the Falcon Knights, it was clear that it had fallen into disrepair, but it wasn’t in nearly such bad shape, as it had merely been abandoned, not destroyed. Skrag saw many of his companions who were familiar with the castle look at it with sad eyes. It was a mere shell of its former self, and with no one to maintain it, the castle would only get worse.
As the sky grew darker, Hoid suggested that they set up camp outside the castle and begin the search in the morning. Everyone agreed, and soon they were all asleep, except for Leinad ap Payton, who kept a vigil all night to honor the fallen Sir William.
Skrag awoke still tired and a little sore from sleeping on the cold, hard ground. It didn’t help that worried thoughts about Zargan had filled his head and made sleep difficult. Seeing that some of the others were already awake and preparing breakfast, he made his way over to Hithrol and Olifin. The former was still a little shaken from the events of the battle the day before, so Skrag spoke in a slightly subdued voice, “Do you know what might be keeping Zargan? I think he should be back by now, hopefully with a few other dragons by his side.”
But before Hithrol or Olifin could reply, Hoid began to address his group, almost all of who were now awake, “Before we enter the castle, I suggest we make a plan. We don’t know what might be in there and I don’t want to be surprised like last time. We don’t even know if we’ll find the Well inside, so I suggest that we search it as quickly as possible so we don’t lose any more time.” The others nodded their assent, and a discussion began on whether to divide into multiple groups, and if so how many.
-last edited on May 22, 2017 1:16:51 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 22, 2017 1:16:34 GMT
Chapter 163
As the sun shone through his grimy window, a man woke up. For a second, he sat in his bed, unmoving, but finally he pushed himself up and out. He began to get dressed, whistling a haunting tune as he did so. Once he was fully dressed, he opened his chest and pulled out his armor. He hadn’t touched it in a week, and dust was beginning to accumulate. The only reason he was wearing it today was because Exeter was supposed to come by so they could talk. Truthfully, he doubted Exeter would actually come- after all, he hadn’t the last three times he had been invited. But he had to keep trying. Exeter was the only one who could help him. Brushing off the dust, he started putting on the armor. It was light, mostly made of cloth and leather, but the breastplate, shoulder pads, greaves, and gauntlets were all steel. He sagged a little under the weight, remembering how heavy it truly was, despite the lighter design. The armor now fully on, he began to go about gathering his weapons. First the knives were put into their various sheaths; then the crossbow was clipped to his belt along with a quiver of bolts. His falchion went into its sheath on his other side and the Javelin Blade and his round shield, simple wood reinforced with steel, were placed on his back. As he walked out the door, he snatched up his helmet, holding it under one arm.
In the empty halls, his footsteps left echoes and the haunting tune he whistled seemed to have an otherworldly quality. He traversed seven hallways and three flights of stairs and crossed through four empty rooms on his way out to the courtyard. Each time he passed a dirty window, a cobweb in a dark corner, or a patch of mud on the foot-worn tiles he was reminded of how impossible it was to keep everything in good shape all by himself. He had tried for the first week or so, but after that he had simply given up. It was a hopeless task and it only reminded him that he was alone.
In the courtyard, he set up a series of wooden targets, just like he did every day, and began to train against them. The first took three carefully aimed crossbow bolts and one throwing knife. The second received a dozen blows from his falchion. The third was the destination for his Javelin Blade and two more throwing knives. By the time he reached the fourth target, he was tired and sweaty. He had forgotten what it was like to train in armor. He resolved to do it more frequently, but for now he would just have to keep going until he was too tired to fight any more. The number of things to do in this empty castle was small, and training was the best way to forget how truly alone he was.
-last edited on May 22, 2017 11:29:55 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 22, 2017 11:29:30 GMT
Chapter 164
The debate stretched on past breakfast and into midmorning, but eventually, it was decided that three groups would be optimal for the search of the castle and they were divided up. Hoid, Ethan, and Irya led the groups since they were most familiar with the Well, and the rest were divided up as evenly as possible. Skrag found himself in a group with Irya, Graylin, Link, Shayden, and Doli. Hithrol and Olifin were with Ethan, Fingolfin, and Harrox, and the last group consisted of Hoid, Legolie, Leinad ap Payton, Alkkuto, and Digls.
The three groups were preparing to enter the castle when a flash of silver light appeared and Septimus Merlinsson strode through a portal. “Septimus!” Hoid exclaimed with a sly grin, “How good of you to join us.”
Septimus only scowled back- at least Skrag thought he was scowling; it was hard to tell with the golden skull mask obscuring his face. “The Well is here.”
Hoid looked at him appraisingly, “What makes you say that?”
“It is a powerful magic. I can feel it,” Septimus replied, as if challenging Hoid to argue.
Hoid didn’t. “Lead the way.”
This time Skrag was sure that Septimus was scowling under the mask, “I don’t know where exactly it is. I just know it’s here somewhere.”
“Well, at least that’s something,” Hoid said, still smiling, “We’ll stay in the same three groups. You can come with mine, Septimus.”
Septimus merely nodded, walking over to Hoid with his hands clasped behind his back. Hoid looked around at the three groups, “Now, then, if there aren’t any more interruptions, let us begin.”
At that moment, another interruption arrived. Skrag heard a voice shouting his name, and he looked up to see Zargan flying towards them.
-last edited on May 22, 2017 20:10:28 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 22, 2017 20:10:01 GMT
Chapter 165
Zargan landed clumsily and skidded to a stop. He was out of breath, and, Skrag could see an injury along his left side. The half-breed ran over to him, worried about his friend’s condition, “Zargan! What happened to you?”
It was several seconds before Zargan was able to speak, and when he did his voice was weary and ragged, “You weren’t at the other castle. It’s a good thing you weren’t that far away, or I wouldn’t have been able to find you. It was Marrzak. In the mountains. He attacked me, and he stopped me from reaching the other dragons.”
Skrag took a moment to process the information, “Marrzak? Your brother? He attacked you?”
“Something about him is different,” Zargan replied, nodding a grim affirmation, “He’s never tried to hurt me before, not even when I found him after he smashed Kurukin.”
Hithrol stepped forward, drawing his sword, “This is the dragon who smashed my father and my sister, yes? What about when he attacked my house and left you to get chased by us?”
Zargan shook his head, “He just abandoned me. He didn’t attack me. This is different. I-I’m worried about him.”
“Well, worry no longer. I’m here, safe and sound.” With a villainous cackle, Marrzak landed before them.
“H-how did you find us?” asked Zargan, reeling back in shock.
“Don’t be so naive, brother,” said Marrzak, “I simply followed you from the mountains. I knew you would lead me straight to your friends.” He leaned in towards Skrag and Hithrol, a menacing smile on his face.
But before he could do anything, there was a bright flash of white light and the form of Dernis Jiwovz was once again standing among them. Fully conscious this time, Hithrol could see that this ghost, or spirit, or whatever, was translucent- but it was definitely his father. Dernis spread his arms wide, “Hello, dragon. Remember me?”
-last edited on May 23, 2017 0:52:35 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 23, 2017 0:52:17 GMT
Chapter 166
As Marrzak and the form of Dernis faced off, Skrag saw some of his companions, particularly Septimus and Harrox prepare for a fight. He turned to them, shaking his head, “Don’t get involved in this. We’ll take care of it. You need to go find the Well.”
Hoid nodded his agreement, “He’s right. We have to go before it’s too late. I trust they can handle this situation.” He began running towards the castle, and the others followed. Before he entered, he turned back to Skrag momentarily, “Good luck.”
“I think we’ll need it,” Skrag whispered to himself as he returned his attention to the looming battle.
“Why, I’m not quite sure that I do remember you,” Marrzak told Dernis, “Care to refresh my memory?”
Dernis glared at the dragon, “My name is Dernis Jiwovz. Eight years ago, you attacked my home and smashed me. Now it is time that I get my revenge.”
“Perhaps I do remember you after all. Your screams were wonderful. I’m afraid that I can’t allow you to have this revenge of yours. I suppose I’ll have to smash you again, along with your son, my brother, and their friends. After all, I can’t leave any loose ends this time.” Marrzak laughed menacingly, without taking his eyes off of Dernis.
Zargan looked at him sadly, “What has become of you brother?”
“Nothing,” replied Marrzak, “I have simply become enlightened. It’s a shame you could not do likewise.”
Without thinking, Skrag nocked an arrow and fired it at Marrzak. At the same time, Hithrol leapt at the dragon with his sword raised and Olifin took to the skies with a roar. The battle had begun. One way or another, this conflict would end today.
-last edited on May 23, 2017 11:00:55 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 23, 2017 11:00:43 GMT
Chapter 167
The man collapsed to the ground with a thump, too tired to continue. He took his helmet and right gauntlet off, wiping his hand across his sweaty brow. After a few minutes, he began to put away his weapons. His knives and his falchion returned to their respective sheaths, his javelin blade and his shield slid onto his back, and his crossbow and his quiver were clipped at his side. Some of the crossbow bolts were broken, but those that could be salvaged he put back in his quiver. It was alarmingly empty. He would need to make more soon, but that would have to wait. Now it was time to wait for his guest. With any luck, Exeter would finally come today. Unfortunately, the man was quite certain he had no luck. First had been the loss of his family- an occurrence that, though he had little true memory of it, still haunted his nightmares. Perhaps being allowed to join the Dragon Knights had been lucky, but the man thought it was his skill that earned his position, not luck. Then there was the smashing of King Dernar, not long ago. That was where things had truly begun to go south. Not long after that, people had started to leave the castle. Within a month, only the most devoted servants and soldiers remained. Within another month, the man was the only one left. Everyone else had moved on, but he couldn’t. This place, this job, was all he had. He had no family, few friends, and no home to return to. He was alone.
In the halls of the castle, he began to whistle that familiar haunting tune. He no longer remembered where he had heard it, only that he had heard it once and it had stuck fast in the back of his mind ever since. Whenever he was sad, or tired, or simply bored he whistled it. The song, perhaps, was his companion, but he never thought of it as anything more than a song.
-last edited on May 28, 2017 22:42:59 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 28, 2017 22:42:28 GMT
Chapter 168
Marrzak ignored Hithrol, instead choosing to swipe at Dernis, breathing a jet of fire up at Olifin at the same time. Skrag’s arrow went home, but it seemed to have little effect, failing to penetrate the dragon’s thick scales. He swept his tail at the half-breed in retaliation, sending him sprawling onto the ground. “Fools! You cannot harm me!”
Dernis, as unaffected by Marrzak’s claws as Marrzak was by Skrag’s arrow, brandished his glowing sword. “We’ll see.”
Seeing Skrag fall, Zargan charged at his brother, mouth agape in an angry roar.
Olifin barely managed to avoid being hurt by the fire. From his high vantage point, he noticed a curious sight- on top of Marrzak’s head was a spiky crown made of some sort of dark metal. It was much too small for the dragon, and it appeared to have been squeezed on, likely with much pain and difficulty. It must have been there for a long time, too, because the scales of the red dragon’s head had begun to grow around it. Olifin retched at the sickening sight.
Marrzak breathed a jet of flame at Dernis and Zargan. Dernis blocked part of the flames with his sword, but was still forced to the ground in the torrent. Zargan ignored them and charged onward, tackling his brother into the dirt. They exchanged blows for a little while before the green dragon was knocked back. Now without any serious opponents, Marrzak turned his attention to Hithrol and sent him flying with a swipe of his claws. The red dragon laughed, “I told you that you stood no chance, and yet you insisted on fighting. I have defeated three of you in no time at all! Which one is next? Will it be you, spirit? Or will it be the dragon who flies above my head, too afraid to attack?
-last edited on May 29, 2017 14:28:36 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 29, 2017 14:28:20 GMT
Chapter 168
Marrzak ignored Hithrol, instead choosing to swipe at Dernis, breathing a jet of fire up at Olifin at the same time. Skrag’s arrow went home, but it seemed to have little effect, failing to penetrate the dragon’s thick scales. He swept his tail at the half-breed in retaliation, sending him sprawling onto the ground. “Fools! You cannot harm me!”
Dernis, as unaffected by Marrzak’s claws as Marrzak was by Skrag’s arrow, brandished his glowing sword. “We’ll see.”
Seeing Skrag fall, Zargan charged at his brother, mouth agape in an angry roar.
Olifin barely managed to avoid being hurt by the fire. From his high vantage point, he noticed a curious sight- on top of Marrzak’s head was a spiky crown made of some sort of dark metal. It was much too small for the dragon, and it appeared to have been squeezed on, likely with much pain and difficulty. It must have been there for a long time, too, because the scales of the red dragon’s head had begun to grow around it. Olifin retched at the sickening sight.
Marrzak breathed a jet of flame at Dernis and Zargan. Dernis blocked part of the flames with his sword, but was still forced to the ground in the torrent. Zargan ignored them and charged onward, tackling his brother into the dirt. They exchanged blows for a little while before the green dragon was knocked back. Now without any serious opponents, Marrzak turned his attention to Hithrol and sent him flying with a swipe of his claws. The red dragon laughed, “I told you that you stood no chance, and yet you insisted on fighting. I have defeated three of you in no time at all! Which one is next? Will it be you, spirit? Or will it be the dragon who flies above my head, too afraid to attack?
-last edited on May 29, 2017 21:44:17 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 29, 2017 21:44:07 GMT
Chapter 169
Enraged by the insult, Olifin flew straight at Marrzak without a second thought. Too late, he realized that Marrzak was expecting just that. The black dragon crashed into the ground at a high speed, and lay still. Marrzak laughed, confident that Olifin was defeated, and strode calmly over to Zargan. He raised a claw, prepared to deliver a finishing blow, but the green dragon drew back his head and spat acid into his brother’s face. Marrzak howled in pain, reeling back and striking out blindly. But Zargan was already gone. He ran over to Skrag and helped him get to his feet. Furious, Marrzak leapt at Dernis, striking several times with his claws. Dernis, despite the fact that he was a spirit and, therefore, supposedly incorporeal, fell back, injured. Surprised that the dragon’s claws were able to harm him, Dernis released a blast of light at Marrzak. The red dragon ignored the blast, continuing to rain down blows with his claws. Several arrows rained down on Marrzak’s back, and he was forced to turn around to face Skrag’s bow. As he charged at the half-breed, Zargan tackled him, but Marrzak was prepared, and he used his brother’s own momentum to throw him off. Raising his blade once again, Dernis floated above the ground, “Face me, dragon. I am ready.”
“No, you’re not,” Marrzak replied, knocking the spirit out of the air with a blast of fire. Before he pursued Dernis, Olifin, now partially recovered, stepped forward and breathed a jet of flame into Marrzak’s face.
Without so much as flinching, the red dragon opened his mouth and inhaled the fire, a menacing grin on his face. “You think you can fight me with fire? I am fire!” His voice took on a manic tone, “I am more powerful than you could possibly imagine! All will bow before me!” Suddenly, he burst into a massive column of reddish fire, radiating an intense heat and incinerating everything around him.
