Ancient Beginnings

[CYDA LUVA83]

((For those who haven't played The Suffering:

The things that are crawling around at the edges of the Forbidden Forest.

What's attacking Doom.

 

And some awesome music to listen to while reading:

))

 

Disgusting creatures at the edge of the Forbidden Forest crept close to the ground in anticipation. The sun's rays were down, now they would be able to attack. They're bodies were covering in leather trappings and their heads held aloft on their shoulders by a strange metal platform. Their for arms and lowers legs were replaced by sharp blades that could slice a dragon in half.

These creatures were the failed lab expirement of a deranged human who planned to use them as dragon hunters. The creatures killed their creator and escape into the Forbideen Forest, where the barrier had kept them at bay, but the barrier was crumbling now, and nothing could stop them from their bloodythirtsy desires.

 

They were called Slayers.

 

One slayer stood taller than the rest, with black spikes protuding from his shoulders and his blades longer than the others. His body was partialy decomposed like the others, but his head was a guaze wrapped skull instead of a disfigured face. He was known as the Slayer Captain. All Slayers were fairly easy to kill, as they did not have any protection from fire or melee attacks. But get surrounded by these fast, agile abominations and you were in trouble. The Slayer Captain, though, had donned a sleek, black armour made of strong metal that deflected nearly every attack but fire and electricity.

 

The Slayer Captain looked over the heads of his minions and sprinted through the Forbidden Forest, his eye on a certain dragon who he knew had had exposure to the arcane dark arts. He walked on his bladed legs behind the castle ruins and into the Hunting Forest, ignoring the animals he saw as he made his way to the black dragon.

When he came to the two dragons, he stood on his four blades and spoke in a gruesome voice. "Salvation. Is reserved. For those. Who pass. The. Test. If you survive, an elevated existence awaits. Initiating phase one." The Slayer Captain's blade arms and legs doubled in length. He stood to his full height and you could hear gears whirring and powering up inside his body. "Fire."

 

The Slayers crept out of the forest, heading for any dragon that was still outside. The Slayers were easy to kill, all you had to do was decapitate them or expose them to light. Exposure to light was their instant death.

The Slayer Captain charged at Doom, aiming with his left blade arm for the dragon's head.

 

~~~~~

 

Farengar lowered his gaze, slightly embarassed to gang up on a newcomer like that. "The resting area is down the stairs and to the right. Pick a nest-" A rattling sound came to his ears and he bared his teeth at the door. "-And stay there. Don't go outside for any means." The magi picked up his staff in his tail and walked out the door and onto the deck, shutting it behind him. He didn't notice Varaug and Fiyara, only the Slayers that were now roaming the Grounds. "Everyone get inside!" He shouted, blasting bolts of fire at a couple Slayers here and there.

Edited April 28, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Doomkaiser]

Doom kicked Roran away and roared at the Slayer Captain. "Bring it on!" He screamed at the captain, dodging the blade and swiping at the captain. The captain smiled and sliced at Dooms arm, scratching the surface of it. Doom yelped and growled at the Captain, who rushed towards him, slicing both his arms at him. Doom's eyes widened and he tried to dodge. The Captain sliced through Doom's tail, completely cutting it off. Doom roared at the top of his lungs and jumped on the Captain. The Captain impaled Doom's arm and swung him around, flinging him towards the lake shore where there others were and proceded to follow.

 

Doom got up and limped towards the castle, but was stopped when two blades went through both his back legs. "F**k you." Doom said as the Captain raised his blade, preparing for the final blow. Doom kicked upwards with his back legs, mometarily distracting the Captain. He jumped on to his back legs and slid the blades out, leaving two giant holes in his legs. "Though one aren't you." Doom said as the Captain stood up. The Captain smiled and rushed forward, slicing his arms.

---------------------------------

Akula had raised his head when he heard the roar. "What was that?!" He looked towards the other side of the lake, but saw nothing. "Weird, never hear anything like that unless..." His eyes widened as he saw Doom land. He cowered behind Keisha as the Captain rushed to Doom.

---------------------------------

Doom was tired, really tired. "What are you..." He said, panting heavily, blood seeping from his wounds. "I. Am. Your. Worst. Nightmare." The Captain said, walking slowly towards Doom, blades ready. "You. Must. Die." The Captain whispered as he impaled Doom's shoulder, lifting him up. "See you in hell, you son of a b**ch!" Doom shouted, as the Captain prepared his blade. The Captain shoved his blade right into Doom's chest, causing him to roar. He then sliced upwards, cutting through Doom's body like it was butter. "Good. Night." The Captain staggered a bit as black energy seeped out of him into Doom, but he shrugged it off and turned to look at Keisha. "You're. Next." He stood, ready to fight the dragons.

Edited April 28, 2012 by Doomkaiser

[CYDA LUVA83]

The Slayer Captain watched as his dark matter transferred into Doom's body. He shrugged this off, not really worried about it. If his dark matter did what it was supposed to, then Doom would be changed when he awoke from death, a darker side of him would be exposed. The side that never showed itself during the fight with the Dark Master so many years ago.

 

He turned towards Keisha and Akula, smiling and cackling his unnatural voice. "This. Is not as dark. Perhaps. You. Are fire. Fire. Destroys" The Slayer Captain skittered on his four blades past the two dragons,leaving their fates up to the many smaller Slayers that ran about attacking. When the beast came to the fort, he stood up on his two legs, balancing on the blades.

 

He held up his left arm and fired the blade that was attached to his arm at Farengar, wanting to shut the magi up and prevent him from warning anyone else. The blade flew from his arm at the magi, missing him by inches. The Captain cursed, as now his target was still alive and he was missing one of his appendages.

 

~~~~~

 

Farengar dodged the blade that was coming at his head. Breathing a sigh of relief as it sailed past him. He quickly regained his footing and shot a fireball at the Slayer Captain, who dodged it in turn. He looked over at Fiyara and Varaug, feeling his heart rise in his throat. "Go, you two. Get inside! I'll take care of this." The magi warned, shooting more fire bolts at the mass of Slayers.

[Lato_Dato]

Greilac looked back only to see one of those things leaping at her, aiming for the weak dorsal on her back. She twisted, catching the blade in her mouth and throwing the thing to the ground, where it attempted to slash up at her with much fail. Passenger protected, she took the lei8sure to stomp upon the interloper. With a vengeance. It stopped moving. She took that as a victory. A blade bounced off of her head as she raised it, coming dangerously close to her passenger. She felt it standing upon her head, preparing to stab down at her eye...

When a blast of fire shot it right off of her head. She blinked, before being forced to dodge another attack, and failing miserably. She was simply too big and slow a target; it struck her in the same spot the other one had, sending a stab of pseudo pain up her leg. She staggered backwards, and it moved forwards, attempting to slash at her leg again, lunging this time, she jumped on top of it, killing it just like the first. She looked about, realizing that she had been swiftly surrounded and cut off by the warped, deranged human things. She attempted stepping on one, but it was wise to her plans now, and simply hopped out of the way, slashing at her leg and sending another stab of pseudo pain go up her leg, She roared in pain and determination, feeling another stab pf agony, another attack glancing off of her chest. This had gone bad, fast. They were too swift!

---------------------------)

Vayli looked towards Farengar with steel in her eyes, watching as he opened the door. She rushed out from in between his legs, leaping to the sky in short order, seeing fire flying as the magi swiftly cast his spells. Something jumped up next to her, slashing down, and she dodged to the side, blasting it with a gout of magic from her tail gem. She blinked in surprise, before remembering the reason she had rushed out so hastily; her friends. Especially Greilac. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving her pal out here with those things without some capable backup. At the thought of Greilac, she heard a metallic shriek, and her vision turned towards it. She saw her chrome plated form, shining in the dark, under assault by many swift, blade armed beasts. She needed help, or she wouldn't survive. Destination set, she swerved towards it.

---------------------------)

Fiyara nodded, finding she shared the same view upon the situation. Those humans would pay, she vowed, nodding her head in silent agreement. With a startle, she heard Farengar yell out a warning, that the grounds was under attack. Turning about, she wondered by what, only to have her questions answered straight away. Those things, the human like ones with blades as arms and legs. There was a larger one, with a blade missing; Fiyara assumed it to be elderly and slow, so she sent a chunk of ice at it, catching it's leg and sending it tumbling to the ground. One approached her from the side, and with a snarl, she whipped around, slicing it's head off with a neat chop of her tail blade and sending it falling, boneless, to the ground. Boy, these things were kinda fast!

Edited April 28, 2012 by Lato_Dato

[Ælex]

Ashur growled, kneeled down slightly, ready to fight. The pack of abominations charged him, each charging a spell in the process. He intercepted the first with a fast lunge and dug his talons in its face. The two nearby unleashed some firebolts and electric jolts at the grey. When the fire struck Ashur, it hurt... but the lightning simply got absorbed right within him.

 

Focusing, he unleashed the charge and added some power to it from his own, striking the nearby abomination to the left. The bolt arched over to three others nearby, crippling or outright disabling them as it did.

 

'COME ON!!! -he roared at the remaining five. One stepped back, the others stayed motionless.

Ashur reared up and roared at the top of his lungs. It was enough, the remaining abominations fled back into the woods.

 

'Gotta get outta here... -he said to himself, looking back towards Geliac, she was surrounded by a pack of menacing bladed atrocities he'd never seen before, but could only have nightmares about.

 

Rearing up, he charged up another blast of static and discharged right at the nearest one. The bolt arched over towards everything near it, incapacitating and killing some of the bladed atrocities off.

 

==================================================

 

'Not a chance bro. -Varaug told the other magi and stepped outside and the second his eyes met the attackers, his heart missed a beat. He'd seen those, he'd had nightmares about them multiple times, and now they were right there. Right there so real and just as terrifying...

 

Once he and Fiyara had cleared the castle entrance, he mumbled something and a wall of fire formed right in front of the doorway.

'That'll keep em' out... -he said, then turned towards the nearest pack of monstrocities, snarled out 'Rorvaskr' Skredd'! -setting his talons and mane on fire entirely, and surrounding himself with some more, but dimmer flames, then charged right at them.

 

He knocked one down, mauling its face and chest area. Four slayers lunged at his back and went for the kill, but two caught fire too soon and simply stumbled backwards in a great deal of pain. The other two pierced his right wing membrane, damaging it further, and causing some nasty gashes on his back.

 

Roaring in pain, the magi snapped around, throwing them off, and yelled 'Kraizcte!

 

The fires dissipated from him and those surrounding gathered up into one bright dot on the tip of his nose, then expanded back outwards in a halo ring of fire, engulfing the remaining slayers within range. The monsters stumbled and collapsed in pain, but there were still more... heaps more... and they moved very fast.

Edited April 28, 2012 by Ælex

[Doomkaiser]

Doom was floating, in the darkness, alone. "Pain...Hurt...Despair..." A soft echo was heard through the darkness. "Fear..." It grew louder. "Famine...War..." A shadow slithered around him, barely visible in the darkness. "Hate..." Doom growled, unable to move. "DEATH!" The shadow enveloped him, spreading through his body, straight to his soul, crushing it, polluting it with hatred...Yet Doom still fought back. "Strong...you are..." The shadow said, pushing Doom's mental barrier harder and harder. "SUCCUMB TO ME!" It screamed at him. "NEVER!" Doom shouted pushing away the shadow, grabing it with his mind and forcing it to subdue. "I am your master...you shall obey only me..." The shadow hissed, but nodded. "Now...What should I call you?" The shadow transformed into a pitch black dragon with blue stripes. "Nightmare" It stated.

---------------------

Akula looked at Doom. He was just laying there, dead. "Why..." He whispered as he waddled into the water to hide. He had enough of the killing.

[CYDA LUVA83]

The Slayer Captain hissed as the chunk of ice found its way into his leg. He yelled at the dragon who shot it in anger. Using the sharpness of his blades, the Captain cut away as much ice as he could and left the chunks that were in his legs to melt. He skittered away on his bladed legs, slightly slower now that he didn't have one of his blades.

He raced off to find Doom, he was going to prove to these dragons that he was a force to be reckoned with.

 

~~~~~

 

Farengar screeched in defiance as several of the Slayers piled on top of him, stabbing and slicing at him with their blades. He crouched down low, hiding his face and using his wings to cover his vunerable underscales.

Finally, he roared and flared his wings, sending several of the abhorrities flying. Farengar inhaled deeply and sent a large cone of flame in the direction of the slayers. He lept off the castle deck and breathed fire at every slayer he saw, using the ole 'Spray and Pray' method of killing. He left a trail of dead Slayers in his wake. Remembering that light was insant death for the creatures, the magi held up his staff and chanted arcane chants. The tip of the staff started to glow brightly and Slayers that were near him dropped to the ground squirming.

He held the staff with his left front paw, waving it at every Slayer he could, watching in satisfaction as they dropped dead to the ground.

 

"Fiyara!" He called. "Make light! It's their biggest weakness!"

[Ælex]

'Mother of pootis, they move fast... -Varaug thought, now aiming at his second pack of Slayers. They were looking right at him and crawling like spiders twoards him, with obvious intent...

'Bring it... -Varaug snarled, unfolded both wings and focused on his next spell. They were pacing rapidly right at him, hunched up into one pile of putrid sharp pointy evil... Perfect.

 

'A little closer, a little closer... -Varaug thought, and when the moment was right- 'Incerne'el, -he yelled, igniting his extended wings covering them in bright flames... He reared up, and flapped both wings down until their tips met, expelling the flames in the shape of a small but dense rapidly moving wave of fire right in the faces of the pack of slayers.

 

Those at the backmost of the pack had a millisecond to react and leaped out of the way and the rest were roasted on the spot.

'Strike! -he yelled victoriously and did the guido fistpump.

 

But he hadn't noticed the three that lept away, which turned out costly. They attacked from behind, and one managed to land a deep incision in Varaug's back left leg. Roaring in agony, the magi furiosuly bashed two of them away with his paw and batted the third with his tail before they could do more harm.

 

'BURN!!! -he roared, and exhaled a cone of pure blue fires at closes two remaining slayers, before they could regain their balance. He turned to finish the third, but it was gone...

 

Crippled, Varaug felt vulnerable on land, so he did the only logical thing, he unfolded his wings and took off, leaving a trail of blood behind himself on the ground. If he didn't get medical help soon, the magi would start weakening from blood loss, and eventually fall unconscious.

 

He overheard something with the corner of his ear... Someone yelling something to Fiyara.

 

"Make light! It's their biggest weakness!" -he heard an unfamiliar magi yell. For a brief moment, he felt confused... Varaug'd gotten used to being a lone magi dragon since the death of his old mentor, now that'd changed all of a sudden. But that was irrelevant for now.

 

'Oy! Come to the deck! Let's give these atrocities a royal sunburn! -he telepathed, remembering an old trick he'd used once to bring about mass amounts of light. He'd failed, but only because he lacked the prowess to make it so.

 

With two magi however...

 

He made his way towards the deck and landed on the edge of it.

Edited April 28, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar cringed when the telepath came to his mind, he was not used to the feeling nor was he prepared for it. "A-Alright! I'm coming." He swiped away a hoarde of Slayers and flew up to the fort, leaping onto the deck and standing beside Varaug. "You mentioned something about a sunburn?" Farengar noticed that this dragon was a magi like him. If they could bring forth enough light... They might as well be one of those spotlights that the blimps have for night hunting.

 

"Alrighty then. Let's make some burnt toast." He said, sending his magical energy to the staff he held, making the glowing light at its tip burn even brighter.

 

~~~~~

 

The Slayer Captain saw the magi fly up to the deck of the fort with the staff of light in his tail. Abandoning his plan and wanting only to save himself, he bounded into the castle ruins and into the hole into the amber room. The Slayer Captain decided he would hide in the dark catacombs here until it was safe.

Edited April 29, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Ælex]

'And you already have a conduit for the job. -he said happily when he noticed the staff, it was perfect!

'Close your eyes! -he said, and grabbed the staff with one claw, focusing his energy into making the light brighter.

 

The already shining tip of the staff doubled in brightness, enough to illuminate a good 50 meters around the two. The light was very bright but it was also giving off a lot of heat, so much that it was scolding Varaug's paw where he was holding the staff.

 

He sat down and extended his other claw near the staff, draining the heat away and refocusing it into pure light, back into the tip...

 

The light grew brighter, and brighter, until eventually, the spell overloaded... The tip of the staff exploded into an outwards halo of pure light, engulfing anything in its path, sizzling and frying every slayer and abomination in its path within an surprisingly wide area.

 

Varaug let go of the staff and opened his eyes... naturally, he didn't feel all-too well from using so much energy at once.

Squinting into the darkness again, he stated the obvious: 'I think it worked...

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar pulled his black hood over his eyes as the spell increased and the light grew brighter. Even with the heavy wool hood from his cloak over his closed eyes, he felt pain from the light hitting his eyes with such burning brightness.

 

"I think it worked..."

 

He waited a couple seconds, then opened his eyes. The tip of his staff looked like a charred wooden stump and wouldn't respond to his requests for a little torch to view the area, but he didn't care, he could always get another one. Throwing the broken rod behind him, he lit the torches that lined the corners of the deck with little breaths of fire. The illumination provided light for the immidiate area. Having heard none of the skittering sounds that came from Slayers, he jumped off the deck and felt around. The ground held no writhing bodies.

 

"Yes, they're all gone. Good thinking, I must say. What is your name, magi?" Farengar asked.

Edited April 29, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Ælex]

Stepping off of the deck, Varaug casually glided down to the ground and looked around, somewhat surprised the whole area didn't look like a graveyard for de-limbed mindless atrocities. They were fewer than he'd imagined.

Still, that was an easy solution to what could have been a monstrous problem that they'd found. One could scarcely imagine what would have happened if the atrocities had reached the castle's insides...

 

'Thank you. Both our performances were exemplary if you ask me. -he quoted his old mentor-' Varaug, my name's Varaug.

'Nice to see another magi around here. -he did a light bow for courtesy's sake.

 

Walking over to the nearest slayer's corpse, he looked it over,

trying to identify the monster he was so sure he'd seen before... but where, and why?

'And yourself? What's your name? -he added.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar bent down over one of the Slayers and tugged on one of the blades that was attached to an arm. With a few tugs, it came free, a long blade that was incredibly sharp. "What a weapon..." He heard the magi answer his question, so its name was Varaug. Farengar went to work pulling the rest of the blades out of the Slayer's corpse. Varaug then asked him what his own name was.

 

"Me? My name is Farengar. I'm the lead hunter here. I see you've already met Fiyara, our guardian and/or caretaker. Our medic would be named Lydia, she lives in the tent that lies in the backyard of the fort.

 

"Grublin, he's a green dragon, not very strong at all and around here somewhere, probably hiding out in the fort, he's one of our scavengers. Means he goes through the ruins of your castle over there and checks out anything you might have left behind. Dvaros, our halfbreed of the Grounds helps him out." Farengar finished saying as he yanked the blades out of another Slayer's corpse. "Too bad that we don't live in sword and shield times anymore... These would have been more than useful." Thoughts whirred through his head.

"Perhaps if we attached cogs and ge-" Farengar stopped in the middle of his sentence, remembering what happened to the last group of dragons that tried to introduce Steam technology to the Grounds. No, the blades themselves would be fine weapons.

Edited April 29, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Ælex]

'Aha nice to meet ya, well, I've known Fiyara since she hatched back when I too was fresh out of the egg. She is my world entire. I am familiar with Lydia, er, the name, not the person, so much. Grublin is the one who busted us out, I think... And I guess I'll have to go and meet Dvaros. -he started responding without breaking eyes with the slayer he was examining- 'I've seen these before I swear. -he mumbled under his breath.

 

'Sword and shield times were simple, and somewhat fun. Have you ever taken an arrow to the knee? It pinches. Now try a bullet. THAT hurts! - -he cringed. Then he remembered... if this attack was bad, what if they faced twice as many slayers the next night? The barrier was desperately needed.

 

'Farangar... -he said in a serious tone- 'We have to bring the barrier back up A S A P. -he started- 'I have a plan... well sort of, but first... -he looked back at his damaged leg- 'I should see Lydia. Meet me in the library in thirty-ish minutes, okay?

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

"Alright, I'll see you then." He gathered up the blades he had collected and flew them to the top room of the fort, setting them down on the table in the centre of the room. He also snagged a Slayer, wanting to examine it further at a later time, he set the corpse beside the table.

The magi stretched his wings when he went outside. Throwing back his head, his hood fell to his shoulders. He looked like a bright orange beacon in the dark night. Gazing up of the crescent moon, Farengar estimated that is was about midnight. Good lord, would they ever get any sleep? He yawned and lept off the deck, landing the twenty meter drop with ease.

Farengar trotted to the library, his inch-thick wool robe covering his back, tail, and neck and making it very warm and cozy in the cold spring night. He walked inside the library and rested on the dragon sized chair that sit in the corner.

 

~~~~~

 

Lydia crept tentatively out the front door of the fort. Her feathered wings in dissaray and her paws bloody from killing Slayers. "What were those things?" The white dragon whispered fearfully. Several had come in while she was sleeping, the barrier that covered the top of the stone wall in the back had been broken and the Slayers had fallen on her tent, their blades had gone through one of her wings but the wound was superficial.

 

She noticed Varag's leg and rushed to him, her medical bag carried in her tail. "I see they got to you too." Lydia said quietly as she pulled antiseptic and guaze from her bag. She poured the antiseptic onto the guaze. "This will sting, but it'll clear out anything that those blades may have had on them."

 

The white dragon wrapped the guaze around Varaug's leg, tying it tight and making sure it didn't cut off any circulation.

Edited April 29, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Ælex]

Varaug watched as his new acquaintance gathered some things and left for the castle, before heading off towards the tent. Before he'd even made two steps, he spotted a white dragon making her way over to him, carrying medical supplies. 'Wow, that was convenient. -he thought in amazement, while silently observing the white's actions.

 

'Aye... thank you. -the magi told her when she said they'd gotten him.

'It can't be as bad as all th-SWEETPOOTISTHATSTINGS!!! -he exclaimed when the antiseptic came into contact with the wound, but didn't fidget around, for the sake of not making Lydia's job any harder than it really was.

 

When she was done, tried moving his leg about a little. The guaze was restricting his movements a bit, but it kept him from bleeding out like a popped baloon, and that's what mattered. He thanked Lydia once more, and took off, towards the castle entrance.

 

He walked inside and sat down, leaned against one of the walls for a second and closed his eyes. So much had happened, he was starting to get dizzy from all the shocks this one day alone had caused him. But at least they were making good progress towards recovering the castle...

 

A short-lived 15 minutes later, Varaug stood back up and made his way to the second floor. Nearing the bookshelf, he found the old all-too familiar rigged book. "Faeries, Goblins and Pegasi". He gave it a tug, and watched as the secret compartment revealed itself. Within it was the dusty old tome he'd only ever seen once.

 

'The History of the Dragon training Grounds, by Feralo Falell" -he confirmed, and made his way with the book towards the library, closing the secret compartment behind himself.

 

Once he'd arrived, he opened the library door, and there, sitting in a chair was Farengar.

 

'Right... let's get down to business before they decide to attack us again. -he dropped the book on the main reading table and opened it, listing through the pages rapidly, he found the chapter he was looking for- 'The old barrier worked on a kind of energy tank principle by the looks of things. Feralo wrote a great deal about it... but... -he frowned in disappointment- 'But it's not enough to go on. Take a look... -he sighed.

 

'However... -the magi's ears perked up when an idea crossed his mind- 'What if we... hmmm... -he cut the sentence short and walked over towards the forbidden section, scanning through the booklabels.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar narrowed his eyes when Varaug set the book down on the table. He would have to switch the rigged book if it was found so easily. The 1000 year old tome was so fragile... He got up out of his chair and trotted up to the book, opening it to the middle, where Feralo's entries started and Sgarr's ended. Yes, there were many diagrams and entries that Farengar had tried to figure out, but it was a mystery how the guardian dragon that Feralo was had contained enough power to do all that he did...

 

"Varaug, you lived here 200 years ago... What was it like? I didn't come here until the demons left. From what Feralo and Keisha have written, it was so peaceful, nary a bother at all." He sat down at the table and flipped through the pages of the dusty book again. "No hunting raids, no fallen barriers, families cropping up left and right. A perfect haven. Was it really like that?" Farengar sighed as he reread the section about a power source for the barriers. He'd never been powerful enough on his own to perform the spell.

"I can't imagine it, a haven like that. Too much of what we've been through tonight, peace here sounds like a misplaced dream."

[Ælex]

'Bud, it was the greatest place in the world. An utopia, in fact... more or less. It too had its dangers. -Varaug nodded in agreement while browsing through the different tomes.

 

'There it is! -he exclaimed and pulled out a crimson tome from the shelf, then went back over to the main reading desk and dropped it there, opened it and started listing through it to find that old segment he needed to re-read.

 

'A dream... let me tell ya something, this place was once just a flat patch of ground. Before the training grounds existed, I'm sure someone had a dream to make it into a peaceful haven. And they did. It too was just a dream, but they made it happen. -he spoke while turning page after page-

 

'Well, I have a dream too. And it's to see the grounds restored, if not even improved. And, I've set for myself a goal, and that is to do everything I can to aid in making that dream come true. -he went on, until he found the segment he was looking for, so he looked over to Farengar and finished- If we give up hope, we might as well just drop everything and wait for the atrocities to waltz in here and slice us to bits. -he shrugged, then looked back at the book.

 

'As for the barrier... there is a way we can bring it back up. Feralo described what the incantation is for it to fulfil its function when powered... it's just how he powered the damn thing that baffles me. -he said unsteadily and scratched himself on the neck.

 

'Well, we have three alternatives. But... you won't like em'. -he raised one eyebrow.

'One is highly impractical, the other two involve the application of the dark arts. One of those two demands some... commitment, and the other is just barbaric, it needs not to even be discussed. -he explained.

 

'The impractical approach I mentioned involves a rechargeable energy storage unit, namely... a collection of gemstones.

 

However... -he glanced the other way, walked over to a nearby desk, opened the drawer and pulled a gem out- 'These are really tough, when empty... but charge them up and... -he focused some of his energy into the stone until it started to glow, then hit the table with it lightly. The stone shattered in a puff of smoke as if it were made of brittle ice- 'And they're so crumbly the odds of a spontaneous power failure are very high.

 

'The other method is... well, unpleasant, but effective. -he started- 'It's a modified version of the energy tank, but it would require volunteers with the blood of natural-born spellcasters to step into a form of... well... binding magical contract. -he tried to explain it in a roundabout way, remembering what he'd read ages ago of how traditional magi abscond the dark arts as too chaotic and dangerous, and Varaug needed the barrier up as soon as possible- 'I'll be direct. Blood is drawn from the volunteers, an oath is struck and they become a form of conduit towards their newly created phylactery, sharing their energy with it and allowing the energy from sed' phylactery to be used for whatever purpose. The odds of a spontaneous barrier failure are next to none.

 

'As for option three... it involves a living sacrifice, we'd best not even talk about it. -he blew off the subject and nudged the book aside.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar listened with increasing sadness as Varaug went on about the Grounds so many years ago. Oh, what it would have been like to live in a utopia? He sighed when Varaug finished explaining the options for rebuilding the barrier. Crystals that provided little to no guarentee, a blood oath, or a horrible solution that the other magi wouldn't even speak about. "We really don't have a choice. Feralo is dead and Keisha probably couldn't do this on her own... Oh how I wish we found you all earlier..." He walked through the arcane section of the library, pulling out books and placing them back in their spots, only skimming over most of them.

 

"I don't see any negative side effects of being one of the volunteers except for an increase in fatigue. Doesn't sound that bad. They would only need to eat more energy filled foods." Farengar explained, setting down a book specifically for arcane rituals involving blood oaths."If one dies, the other dragon who shared the blood does as well. They'd have increased telepathic abilities with each other, reaching over farther distances. They'd be able to pull small amounts of energy from each other." He said, reading over a paragraph that explained what would happened to those involved.

"'Only do so with those you trust, know are mentally sound, and not danger-prone. Warning: Death to one equals death to the other. Major injuries on one are felt by the other.' Well, Varaug. What do you think? What other option do we have? I don't know you well, nor you I. But what other option do you see?" Farengar flipped the page of the book he was reading. "I don't see any other..."

[Ælex]

The magi sighed deeply. Were there any other choice he'd never agree to this... But then, safety usually came at a price...

'I think... -he walked over to the nearby desk, pulled out two crystalline phials, and a small knife- ...that this will end up coming back to bite me harder than I could ever imagine. -he continued, placing one phial on the desk, and holding the other up to his wrist- 'But we've no other options... -he then made a small incision where his vein was, and drew some of his own blood. The cut was very very small, small enough to heal on its own but large enough to let blood seep into the phial, filling it up in about ten seconds.

 

Once it was full, Varaug sealed it with another spell and set it on the table, ripped a bit of his leg's binding off and wrapped it around his wrist.

 

'But if it's anything I've learned about magic, it's that no matter how binding a contract is, there's always a loophole. -he rolled the empty phial towards Farengar, wiped the small blade off on some cloth and handed it to him as well- 'And I'll find it. -he said with solid determination.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar took the blade in his paw and lifted up his left wrist. He cut through his scales like Varaug had done and filled up the phial with his blood. "I wonder what that loophole would be. Breaking the phial and spilling the blood sounds too good to be true, but who knows?" He cleaned the blood off of the knife and wiped his wrist on a cloth. Putting the cork firmly in the phial, Farengar set it next to Varaug's.

 

He looked back at the book. "Now all we need os someplace safe for them."

[Ælex]

'Not just yet... -the magi pulled the book he was listing through closer to himself, and cast a spell to make it hover in front of himself. 'They're just phials of blood right now.

 

Picking his own phial up, he set it on the floor levitating it up above the stone tiles by several centimetres. Hovering one paw above the largest stone tile near him, he mumbled 'Iscrivi' and carefully started to mentally forge a runic circle around the phial. That done, he placed one hand over the phial and recited:

'Naz', Varaug, rogden ristokruven magi drakon, dnes zajivavam.

Nekje moyatie kruv du dade mocht, zai da molej tija'buddo upovtrebben' tam shto tej e nujnaia. -an eery red glow crossed his fingers while he recited the oath, but once done the phial started to glow and hum quietly with energy.

 

Removing it from the circle, Varaug looked at Farengar, motioned to him to take his place and pointed out the words he had to speak aloud. 'Almost done. The incantation is on the page. Go ahead. -he told the magi and stepped back.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar nodded and stepped forward, taking his place in front of the circle. He used his magic to bring his phial to him and set it down in the circle. He took a breath and held his paw over the small glass bottle. "'Naz', Farengar, rogden ristokruven magi drakon, dnes zajivavam. Nekje moyatie kruv du dade mocht, zai da molej tija'buddo upovtrebben' tam shto tej e nujnaia." Once again, like Varaug's had done, the bottle emitted an eery glow and a quiet hum.

 

"Now they have our energy in them. Let's store these little ****ers away and get some sleep." He set his phial down on the table and trotted to the corner of the room, returning to the table with a sizable chunk of amber encased in magical aura trailing behind him. "Amber is valuable to humans when it is refined and reshaped, so I brought some up here to fiddle with later. But it has a more useful purpose now than to be made into jewlery."

 

He set it on the stone floor and breathed his hottest fire on it, the white flame quickly softening it into the sticky sap that it used to be. He took the phials and stuck them into the center of the sap, watching as the syrupy inside of the amber ball enclosed around them, sealing them and protecting them. The cloaked magi then casted a spell on the ball of amber that aged it until the sap was hardened and firm.

 

Farengar went to work pulling the stone tiles from the floor of the library, then using his magic to dig farther down by about three meters. He set the ball of amber down into the hole, filled it back up with the misplaced dirt, and reset the stone tiles, even using a spell on the tiles he put back to make them larger and fit more tightly.

 

"Now, I feel like a leg of deer and warm nest for a good night's sleep. How about you?"

[Ælex]

'Me? I feel like finishing the spell. -he snapped his talons, and immediately felt a tug on his energy as the spell came into effect.

 

A loud whirring noise filled the air as the two phials activated. Meanwhile, outside, the barrier all around the castle grounds flashed a bright purple when it recovered its strength, hiding the sky and the surroundings for just a second, before turning transparent once more.

 

'And just like that, we are safe... -Varaug said, content with what they'd managed to do, and assured that, if not completely eliminating, the barrier would at least minimalize the attacks done on the castle ruins.

 

'Let's go, then. I could go for some food, but not sleep.

Not after two hundred years of it, anyway... -he shrugged and proceeded out of the library.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Ælex

[CYDA LUVA83]

Farengar gritted his teeth. Lord, what a show-off this dragon was... cocky, too. He prayed to the god of peace, Zeal, that he would keep his comments in his head. "Uh-huh... Right, well, the food is in the first room you see on the ground floor. Here's the key to it." He said, pulling the small, brass key from his cloak and tossing it to Varaug. "Put the key on the table in the upstairs. You've earned your access up there, to boot."

 

Farengar walked out of the library, stretching his wings to their full size when he got outside. The moon was nice and pearly, casting a soft glow on the lake... and the hundreds of Slayer bodies that still lay around. He frowned, stopped in his tracks and used a teleportation spell to dump them over the barrier and into the Forbidden Forest.

The ground was bloody, and the dirt was exposed in places where the bladed legs of the Slayers had dug it up, but at least the Grounds wasn't littered with bodies anymore. Farengar walked inside the fort and up the stairs, grabbing a deer haunch off the table in the cooking area before heading up.

He lay down on his cot in the upstairs room, eating off the haunch and slightly dozing. The magi set the meatless bone on the ground and turned in his cot, tired from the events of the day.

 

~~~~~

 

Ellen looked up from the crash blimp, seeing a purple flash in the distance. She looked back at the small campfire she made from a fire kit she had found in the cockpit before the airship went down. She looked over at James and sighed, thinking about what her father would do when he found out that she crashed his prized hunting blimp.

 

~~~~~

 

Lydia ran to a gleaming silver dragon who held a dragon in her paws. She had noticed the large beast getting attacked and wondered if she could do anything to help. Lydia didn't know who Greilac was, much less what she was. But the white dragon noticed that the dorsal Greilac held in her paws was also hurt. "Do you need help?" She asked Greilac, seeing no immidiate injuries, while taking Fusion from the dragon's arms and cleaning the blood away from its neck.

 

~~~~~

 

Garinka slept fitfully in her nest, tossing and turning as small shockwaves of pains were sent through her body. Her heart skipped a beat once very ten minutes, sending her gasping for breath and struggling to wake up. The white dragon's end was soon. Whether she was asleep when her heart stopped or not, she wouldn't know.

 

~~~~~

 

Grublin crept out from inside the ruins, having hid in the amber room earlier. He was relieved to see that the carnage was over and looked at the moon, basking in its soft glow. He didn't hear the quiet skittering of a creepy crawly as it crawled up behind him. Something pulled him back down into the amber room and somethin was stuck inside his jaw when he opened it to yell, silencing him. He didn't see what grabbed him, but the tapping sounded like blades on rock, and what pulled him back and acted like a gag felt like a knife wrapped in cloth.

Grublin squirmed but the thing that grabbed him didn't let go, it only dragged him further into the catacombs. His kidnapping was silent and stealthy.