-last edited on Jun 2, 2017 23:48:14 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 2, 2017 23:47:47 GMT
Chapter 182
When the dust cleared, Skrag and Skirj, both battered and scraped after the crash, were locked in battle. Their swords- green blade and red- clashed with a ring that bounced off the walls of the castle nearby and cut through the air like a scythe. Zargan and Marrzak were still wrestling, even as they churned up more dust from the cracked ground. Each looked nearly as beaten as their respective riders, but the fighting was no less fierce for it. Both battles were in deadlock, with neither opponent able to gain any advantage over the other.
As the battles raged on, Hithrol rose unsteadily to his feet. He checked quickly to make sure Olifin was okay and cautiously approached the man in black, who also had begun to stir. Before he could rise, Hithrol placed the tip of his sword at his throat, “Who are you and what business do you have here?”
“M-my name is Reg,” replied Exeter, calling upon a name he had not used in years, “I heard fighting and I wanted to investigate.”
Hithrol raised Scalblas slightly, “I had heard the castle was empty. What brings you to the area?”
“Simply passing through on my way to the City,” Exeter lied, “Why are you here?”
Hithrol assessed “Reg” for a moment before replying, “It’s a long story. I am Hith-.”
“I know who you are,” said Exeter.
Hithrol frowned, “How?”
Exeter smiled, “I make it my business to know such things. What I don’t know is why you have Kelrin Dragonsblood’s sword.”
“This is my grandfather’s sword. As far as I know, Kelrin’s sword disappeared with him.”
Exeter laughed, “I shall have to tell you that story when this battle is over. I think we must also discuss your sword. I am most curious. But, as I said, that must wait. I assume you have good reason for fighting this dragon?”
Hithrol nodded.
“Then I shall help you.” Standing up, Exeter drew his short swords.
-last edited on Jun 3, 2017 12:10:00 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 3, 2017 12:08:06 GMT
Chapter 183
Until this point, the two duels- Zargan versus Marrzak and Skrag versus Skirj- had been next to even. Each strike had been met in kind and each movement mimicked, but now the tides had slowly begun to turn. Even as Skrag pressed down on Skirj ever further, Zargan began to wear down and Marrzak gained the upper hand. Zargan twisted, desperately attempting to get in a powerful blow and regain control of the fight, but his side was left exposed, and Marrzak leapt at the opportunity with a vicious attack. Wincing in pain, Zargan let his guard down for a moment, and this was enough for Marrzak to disentangle himself from the combat and fling his brother against the castle wall. Zargan let out a bloodcurdling howl of pain and lay still.
Hearing his friend cry out, Skrag turned to see what had happened. Distracted from the fight at hand, Skrag couldn’t react in time to stop Skirj from ripping his fiery sword across his arm. Skrag fell to the ground in pain as the goblin stood over him, suddenly triumphant. He scooted to the side and glanced back at Zargan again as Skirj brought his sword down. Skrag was torn- he could either continue to fight against Skirj or he could try to attack Marrzak and maybe save Zargan. Fortunately, before Skrag was forced to make the heart-wrenching decision, Hithrol charged in from the side and tackled Skirj. With a grateful nod to his friend, Skrag stood up and ran towards Marrzak.
As he charged at the red dragon, Skrag was surprised to see the man in black already fighting against him. Despite the fact that he was clearly past his prime, the man was still quite quick and Marrzak was having trouble hitting him. Skrag tried to fire an arrow, but his injured arm prevented him from doing so. Instead, he simply clutched his sword.
-last edited on Jun 3, 2017 22:37:47 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 3, 2017 22:36:45 GMT
Chapter 184
“Here we are,” said Digls, “the lowest point of the castle.”
Fingolfin scowled, “It’s too dark. I can’t see anything.”
“Does this help?” asked Alkkuto, lighting a torch. The room was suddenly flooded with flickering orange light.
As their eyes adjusted, Fingolfin turned to Alkkuto, “Why didn’t you do that earlier?”
Alkkuto shrugged, “No one asked.”
Before the exchange could escalate any further, Ethan stepped between them. “Look,” he said, pointing to the other side of the room. Close to the wall was a plain stone well, about waist-height, with no roof and no bucket.
“Is that it?” asked Fingolfin, taking a step towards it.
“It must be,” replied Ethan, awestruck, “That’s exactly how Hoid described it.”
Alkkuto chuckled, “Well, we’ve found it. When are the monsters and things going to show up to try to take it from us?”
Footsteps became audible behind them, in the corridor they had come in through. Fingolfin and Ethan glared at Alkkuto. He looked back at them, “What? I didn’t know it was actually going to happen.” The four of them readied their weapons as they waited to see who their adversaries would be.
With a savage cry, the first enemy leapt out from the passageway. It was Legolie. Close behind her were a man in Dragon Knight armor, Doli, Hoid, and Septimus. The two groups stared at each other in shock until Fingolfin broke the silence, “My queen.” He bowed to Legolie.
“Oh, stop it with the formalities,” she said, pointing at the man in Dragon Knight armor. This is Gyr Taluk, the last Dragon Knight. ” Gyr nodded to the others, sheathing his falchion. Legolie continued, “Gyr led us here. How did you find it?”
-last edited on Jun 4, 2017 15:33:23 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 4, 2017 15:32:48 GMT
Chapter 185
Charging toward Marrzak with his sword in hand, Skrag realized that he had no plan. How could he possibly defeat the red dragon when nothing anyone else had done before had worked? An idea came to him. Olifin had said something about a crown, something about getting it off of Marrzak. Skrag spotted a gleaming metal object resting atop the dragon’s head. It was worth a try.
Skrag leapt onto Marrzak’s back, grasping at the dragon’s golden spines with one hand and attempting to sink his sword in with the other. Marrzak howled in pain as the magic blade struck him. He writhed angrily, attempting to fling Skrag off, but the half-breed held on for dear life and the dragon’s efforts were in vain. Marrzak’s tail smashed into his own side right next to Skrag as he began climbing up the dragon’s back. He kept going. Fortunately, it appeared the fight with Zargan had injured Marrzak sufficiently to render him unable to fly. Skrag didn’t think he could hold on if the dragon took to the air.
Hithrol and Skirj wrestled on the ground, much as Zargan and Marrzak had done not long ago. Both had dropped their swords in the initial tackle. Though Skirj was slightly stronger, Hithrol’s larger size gave him leverage and he soon gained an advantage. As Hithrol reared back for a punch, Skirj saw an opportunity. He rolled to the side, away from his opponent, and retrieved his sword, still alight with the strange red fire. Quickly, Hithrol grabbed his own sword and the two began exchanging blows. Once again, Hithrol’s large size helped him take control of the fight, but Skirj was determined to win and he fought back with an unbridled rage that almost frightened Hithrol.
-last edited on Jun 5, 2017 15:01:12 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 5, 2017 15:00:54 GMT
Chapter 186
There was a moment of silence as everyone stowed their respective weapons. Then Hoid spoke up, “Now that we’re here, we’d best get this done as quickly as possible. There is a good chance that there are indeed enemies here, and I for one would prefer to be gone before they arrive.”
“Who’s goin’ tae do it?” asked Doli.
Ethan stepped forward, “I will.”
Fingolfin and Septimus looked prepared to argue, but Hoid shook his head. “I chose Ethan to accompany me for a reason. He has been preparing for this moment for years, since even before I chose him.”
Saluting his companions, Ethan closed his eyes and stepped into the Well. At first, there was only darkness, a darkness beyond darkness that seemed to stretch on towards the infinite expanse of void. A hooded figure crossed through Ethan’s vision, and then the darkness began to swirl. Streaks of color entered the void, spanning every hue of the rainbow and beyond. Ethan heard the screams of billions upon billions of voices, all saying one thing. Free us. He keeps us here. Please set us free. The hooded figure passed in front of Ethan again. His hood fell back, revealing only more of the infinite darkness. They must not be set free. Take the power. With it, you will shape the world. Ethan shook his head, “I can’t do that. I don’t deserve the power. It is too much.” You know not what you are doing. They must not be set free. Ethan screamed, “Who are you to keep them prisoner? I choose to set them free!” No! The streaks of color shrieked joyously. They turned towards Ethan. Thank you mortal. You have set us free. Ethan smiled, “You’re welcome. You are safe now.” We must feed. They leapt onto Ethan. He screamed, and everything went dark.
-last edited on Jun 6, 2017 12:14:48 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 6, 2017 12:14:35 GMT
Chapter 187
As Hithrol and Skirj dueled, Hithrol realized that he couldn’t win without becoming more aggressive- Skirj was just too relentless. With that thought in mind, he let out a savage cry and attacked with renewed vigor. Skirj was caught by surprise, and Hithrol quickly forced him onto the defensive. Their blades- white and flaming red- slammed into each other once, twice, three times, and suddenly Scalblas cut straight through Skirj’s sword. The fire went out and the goblin fell to his knees, now at the mercy of Hithrol.
Meanwhile, Skrag had managed to climb Marrzak’s back and neck and now held on desperately just below the red dragon’s head. He reached out to the crown and pulled on it, but it didn’t budge. He saw that Marrzak’s flesh and scales partially covered it- he would have to cut it out. The half-breed attempted to do just that, but it was difficult to swing properly from the low angle while still holding onto Marrzak’s neck. Looking down, Skrag saw the man in black still fighting against the red dragon. The man dodged a swipe from Marrzak’s claws, but then he stumbled and Marrzak’s tail swung at him from behind. Skrag tried to yell out a warning, but it was too late. The man was struck with the full force of the dragon’s tail. The half-breed turned away, but he knew the man was smashed.
Now that the man was gone, Marrzak was able to turn his full attention to Skrag. He swung his head around wildly, and Skrag was barely able to hold on. With a desperate shout, he struck a heavy blow with his sword and it stuck fast, giving him a temporary handhold. The half-breed tried to grab onto Marrzak’s spines with his free hand, but the dragon shook his head again. Skrag felt his grip slipping. He would fall any second now. All Marrzak had to do was shake his head again.
-last edited on Jun 6, 2017 17:16:13 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 6, 2017 17:15:53 GMT
Chapter 188
Legolie looked to Hoid, “What now?”
“I don’t know. It should be over by now. He should be back here.”
“And you’re sure he released the power?” asked the elf queen.
Hoid nodded, “We would have felt it by now if he hadn’t.”
“Look!” said Doli, pointing at the well. A hand gripped the edge of the Well. It was joined by another as a figure attempted to pull itself out. Doli began to walk over to help, but before he could the figure leapt out of the Well. Doli stopped, shocked at what he saw. The figure was not Ethan, but some sort of vaguely human-shaped shadow. Its form was black and wispy, but its eyes glowed an icy blue.
“What’s going on?” Legolie asked Hoid.
Hoid’s wide eyes stared at the figure, “I- I don’t know. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Fingolfin looked at him angrily, “What do you mean you don’t know?”
Hoid shook as a second figure began to come out of the Well. “Nothing I read described anything like this.”
“We need to get out of here,” said Gyr, as the second figure climbed out of the Well. It was a little smaller than the first and its eyes were gold.
Septimus nodded, “We do indeed.” He waved his hand, and a portal appeared in front of him. “I need to hold it open from this side. Go quickly.” The others began to jump through- Hoid first, since he was closest, then Gyr, Legolie, Digls, Fingolfin, and Alkkuto. Doli, still close to the Well, was the farthest away. As he began to run towards the portal, the first figure pounced on him. He tried to fight back, but nothing deterred his attacker. The second figure turned towards Septimus, but the alchemist gave him a warning glare and he stopped in his tracks. “I’m sorry to leave you to their mercy, dwarf,” said Septimus, “but there is nothing I can do now.” Calmly, the alchemist stepped through the portal and it closed behind him.
Olifin smashed into Marrzak’s side with all his strength. Skrag felt the red dragon begin to tip over, and before it was too late he snatched one of Marrzak’s spines with his free hand, holding as tightly as he could. He knew this was his last chance- the injured Olifin wouldn’t be able to last long against Marrzak. Closing his eyes, he swung himself up onto Marrzak’s head and let go of the spine, gripping instead with his knees. He wrenched his sword free and swung it under the base of Marrzak’s crown. With the last of his strength, he ripped it free with his other hand and flung it onto the ground.
The earth shook as Marrzak let out a scream of mortal pain. Olifin lunged at him, opening his jaws and biting down hard. The red dragon took a small step, faltered, and fell at last, the light finally leaving his eyes. With his final breath, he spoke, “What… have I done? I have caused… so much pain… so much destruction. I am sorry… brother. I… am sorry… to everyone. I shouldn’t… have listened… to Morath.”
Hithrol raised his sword to smash Skirj, but a dreadful cry turned his attention away. He watched as Olifin smashed Marrzak. Hearing the name Morath sent a chill down his spine- but at least the spirit was smashed, along with the dragon. It seemed as if everything was finally coming together- all they had to do now was find the Well, and then he could go back to the Dragon Riders.
He turned back to Skirj, ready to tie up another loose end, only to find the goblin gone. Angry at himself for being so distracted, he hastily scanned the surrounding area. To his horror, he saw Skirj picking up Marrzak’s crown. The goblin laughed, and then he was gone. Hithrol slumped to his knees. He had failed.
-last edited on Jun 7, 2017 13:34:36 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 7, 2017 13:34:09 GMT
Chapter 190
Graylin rained down spell after spell on the soldiers, causing mass havoc and destruction. Link and Leinad battled side-by-side, just as Shayden and Harrox had, their different fighting styles complementing each other well. Irya spun through enemies like a cyclone, each swing or thrust having a specific purpose and each accomplishing that. With the sorcerer gone and the portal closed, no more soldiers could arrive and their numbers were beginning to dwindle. Though Graylin’s strength was beginning to fade with the massive quantity of spells she was putting out, she continued to fight. Until the soldiers were gone, the Well, wherever it was, couldn’t be safe. Besides, Shayden and Harrox deserved to have their memories honored.
As Graylin sent three soldiers flying with a wave of her hand, the portal opened once again. She prepared for an onslaught of soldiers as the first few came through, but then they stopped coming. Instead, Harrox stepped through, lifting his sword high in triumph. More soldiers attempted to come, but Harrox smashed them. He threw a knife through the portal and it closed. Quickly, he joined the others in defeating the remaining soldiers. Some attempted to flee, but Harrox didn’t let them. That unnerved Graylin a little, but her misgivings were offset by her happiness at the return of her ally.
When all of the soldiers were gone, Link, Leinad, Irya, and Harrox climbed back up the rope they had descended on. The mood was somber, the memory of Shayden still fresh and not yet overcome by the victory. Quietly and unceremoniously, they left the castle. Hopefully, the others had found the Well and everything was done.
When Zargan awoke, all was quiet. The first thing he saw was Marrzak, smashed and sprawled on the ground. Even though they had been fighting for so long, the sight of his brother made Zargan sad. Skrag and Olifin lay on either side of the red dragon. Both were unconscious, but they appeared to be breathing normally. Also nearby was the man in black, smashed. Zargan didn’t know who he was, but he was sad to see someone else caught up in the conflict- it seemed a waste of life. Skirj was nowhere to be seen, but Hithrol knelt silently not far away. Zargan walked up to him, “What happened?”
Hithrol looked up, a little surprised, “Skrag got Marrzak’s crown off of his head and Olifin smashed him, but not before he smashed the man in black. His name was Reg. Marrzak said he was sorry. I don’t know if I believe him. Now Skirj has the crown.”
Zargan had trouble following the convoluted story, but he eventually pieced it together. “The crown?”
“I think it was Marrzak’s source of power,” replied Hithrol, “Olifin was able to smash him once it was off. And now Skirj has it and it’s my fault.”
“Don’t blame yourself. At least this chapter of the fight is over. We’ll deal with Skirj when the time comes.” Zargan helped Hithrol to his feet, and the two of them awoke Skrag and Olifin, relating the story as they did so.
Not long after they finished talking, a silvery portal opened and out came Hoid, Gyr, Legolie, Digls, Fingolfin, Alkkuto, and Septimus. At the same time, Graylin, Irya, Link, Leinad, and Harrox entered the scene from one of the castle’s doors. Finally, the group was back together- most of them, at least.
-last edited on Jun 8, 2017 15:11:57 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 8, 2017 15:11:01 GMT
Chapter 192
Beziov looked around the room. Everyone was silent as they waited for the Wanderer to arrive. At last he did, with a flash of purple light, “The power of the Well has been released. Ethan failed to listen to us, and now the entire world is in danger.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Petrion.
“The one thing we can do,” replied the Wanderer, “We must gather the remaining Honorblades.” Gasps went around the room.
Elowyn stood, “You can’t be serious!”
The Wanderer nodded, “It is our only option.”
“And what of the crown?” asked Barkot, “Are we going to ignore that problem? If we’re gathering the Honorblades, destroying it must be a priority.”
Mystika shook her head, “No. We must trust its new owner to use it wisely. I have had a vision, and he may be the only one who can control it.”
Now the room erupted into chaos, the conversation degrading into argument. Didime stood up, “Silence!” His order reverberated around the room as the others fell quiet. “I have news of Morath.”
“What do you mean?” asked Vasilla.
Didime grinned, “I know where he is.” Slowly, his face and clothing melted away, revealing a shadow with two green eyes. Didima slumped over, like a puppet with its strings cut. “Now, give me your Honorblades.”
Barkot stood up, “Never!” He touched two fingers to a tattoo on his wrist. A blast of yellow fire flew towards Morath.
With a laugh and a wave of his hand, Morath sent the fire back at Barkot. He fell with a scream. “Does anyone else wish to challenge me?”
The Wanderer stood up, drawing a sword with a white blade and a black handle. With a flash of purple light, it disappeared. “I have sent it to a place you can never get it, Morath.”
Morath screamed in anger and sent a bolt of green light through the Wanderer’s chest. He slumped over. “No!” screamed Beziov, leaping to his friend’s side.
The Wanderer looked up at him, “It is too late for me. You know what to do. The other Honorblades must be found before Morath can get to them. You have the paper.” Beziov nodded. The Wanderer smiled, “Save the world, Beziov. It’s up to you.” Then he was gone. Beziov looked up to see Morath taking an Honorblade from Hattie’s limp form. Mystika too was smashed.
Quickly, he ran over to Leif, drawing his Honorblade and a slip of paper, “You must deliver these to the people who found the Well.” Leif looked like he was about to protest, but a look from Beziov silenced him, “Go. We will hold him off.” With a flash of red light, Leif was gone. Beziov stood up. Elowyn, Petrion, and Vasilla still stood as well. They had to buy Leif enough time. The fate of the world rested on him.
Many years earlier, Duston Jiwovz sat fishing in the river. Suddenly, he saw a flash of purple light in the water. Curiously, he dived down to investigate. At the bottom of the river, he found a sword with a white blade and a black hilt. A strange rune was engraved in the base of the blade. “I will call you Scalblas,” he said. Excitedly, he ran to show his wife and his young son.
When Zargan awoke, all was quiet. The first thing he saw was Marrzak, smashed and sprawled on the ground. Even though they had been fighting for so long, the sight of his brother made Zargan sad. Skrag and Olifin lay on either side of the red dragon. Both were unconscious, but they appeared to be breathing normally. Also nearby was the man in black, smashed. Zargan didn’t know who he was, but he was sad to see someone else caught up in the conflict- it seemed a waste of life. Skirj was nowhere to be seen, but Hithrol knelt silently not far away. Zargan walked up to him, “What happened?”
Hithrol looked up, a little surprised, “Skrag got Marrzak’s crown off of his head and Olifin smashed him, but not before he smashed the man in black. His name was Reg. Marrzak said he was sorry. I don’t know if I believe him. Now Skirj has the crown.”
Zargan had trouble following the convoluted story, but he eventually pieced it together. “The crown?”
“I think it was Marrzak’s source of power,” replied Hithrol, “Olifin was able to smash him once it was off. And now Skirj has it and it’s my fault.”
“Don’t blame yourself. At least this chapter of the fight is over. We’ll deal with Skirj when the time comes.” Zargan helped Hithrol to his feet, and the two of them awoke Skrag and Olifin, relating the story as they did so.
Not long after they finished talking, a silvery portal opened and out came Hoid, Gyr, Legolie, Digls, Fingolfin, Alkkuto, and Septimus. At the same time, Graylin, Irya, Link, Leinad, and Harrox entered the scene from one of the castle’s doors. Finally, the group was back together- most of them, at least.
Um, Rule, you've posted chapter 191 twice
One mod to rule them all and in the darkness ban them - Lord of the Mods "I am the Mod Reborn!" - masterlegobuilders I'm the real boss
-last edited on Jun 10, 2017 0:52:04 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Jun 10, 2017 0:51:37 GMT
Chapter 193
As Septimus closed the portal, Digls looked at him, confused, “Where’s Doli?”
Septimus shook his head, “The figures. They attacked him. There was nothing I could do. I had to keep the portal open. I’m sorry.”
Alkkuto walked over to Harrox, “Where’s Shayden?”
“He’s gone,” said Harrox, “They surrounded us and tried to kidnap me. I don’t know what for.”
“We lost Ethan, I think. It was all so confusing,” Alkkuto replied.
As the group mourned their losses, Gyr noticed Exeter lying sprawled on the ground. He ran over and fell to his knees, “No.”
“You knew him,” said Hithrol.
Gyr nodded, “He was the last hope of the Dragon Knights. I fear now that we shall never have a king again. What happened?”
Hithrol smiled slightly, “I should have known there was something special about him. He went out fighting. We got the guy who did it.” He pointed at Marrzak.
“Good,” smiled Gyr, “That’s what he would have wanted, I think. At least when he was younger.”
As the talking settled down, Legolie rounded on Hoid, “What happened back there? You’re the one who’s supposed to know all this stuff, so what happened?”
Hoid took a step back, “I don’t know. Nothing I read suggested anything like this was possible! Ethan was my friend, you know. Don’t you think I would have done whatever I could to help him if I knew what was going on?”
“I’m sorry,” said Legolie, turning her eyes downward, “You’re right. But there has to be some sort of explanation.”
With a flash of red light, a young man in a black cloak appeared among them, “I believe I can help with that.”
Leinad gasped, “Leif? What are you doing here?”
Leif shook his head, “No time for questions. You must listen to me if you want the world to be saved.”
When Zargan awoke, all was quiet. The first thing he saw was Marrzak, smashed and sprawled on the ground. Even though they had been fighting for so long, the sight of his brother made Zargan sad. Skrag and Olifin lay on either side of the red dragon. Both were unconscious, but they appeared to be breathing normally. Also nearby was the man in black, smashed. Zargan didn’t know who he was, but he was sad to see someone else caught up in the conflict- it seemed a waste of life. Skirj was nowhere to be seen, but Hithrol knelt silently not far away. Zargan walked up to him, “What happened?”
Hithrol looked up, a little surprised, “Skrag got Marrzak’s crown off of his head and Olifin smashed him, but not before he smashed the man in black. His name was Reg. Marrzak said he was sorry. I don’t know if I believe him. Now Skirj has the crown.”
Zargan had trouble following the convoluted story, but he eventually pieced it together. “The crown?”
“I think it was Marrzak’s source of power,” replied Hithrol, “Olifin was able to smash him once it was off. And now Skirj has it and it’s my fault.”
“Don’t blame yourself. At least this chapter of the fight is over. We’ll deal with Skirj when the time comes.” Zargan helped Hithrol to his feet, and the two of them awoke Skrag and Olifin, relating the story as they did so.
Not long after they finished talking, a silvery portal opened and out came Hoid, Gyr, Legolie, Digls, Fingolfin, Alkkuto, and Septimus. At the same time, Graylin, Irya, Link, Leinad, and Harrox entered the scene from one of the castle’s doors. Finally, the group was back together- most of them, at least.
