Fading of the World

(Well, this has sat half-dead almost all week. Are we to just abandon this World to suffer under Moribidus? No, the story must go on!)

The next day in the land of Kruel....

"EESKWIRE!" Moribidus' icy shrill voice pierced the gloom.

"Y-yes my lord?" Eeskwire stumbled in and bowed.

"Where is Admiral Gaunt, he is late to pay his tribute to me." Moribidus sneered.

"My lord we have heard no news of the Admiral for days." Eeskwire squeaked shakingly and flinched at the slightest movement from the Emperor. "I do have good news to report my Lord. General Skar has returned and has very favorable news and presents for your most Highness."

"Very well, send him in." Emperor Moribidus said lazily.

Eeskwire left with a sigh of relief. Though he wasn't particularly bright, Eeskwire had become adept at reading the Emperor's mood. The Rodian knew all too well that when the Emperor was angry he took that frustration out on anything in his path. He returned hastily with General Skar and a few loyal troops carrying the choicest plunder from their raid of Timber.

"My lord." General Skar bowed and rose. "I recently recieved a tip that a group of bandits was trying to form a Resistance in Timber...." Skar stopped and looked at Moribidus' face start contorting in rage before he added quickly. "You were right my lord, there is no Resistance, merely a group of thieves and thugs. If there was a Resistance, there is none any longer, we massacred the town and burnt every building to the ground."

"Ah, you choose your words carefully Skar. I will overlook your transgression this time." Moribidus face lightened up as the soldiers began unpacking a huge supply of magical artifacts, gold, and other precious stolen plunder.

"Yes my lord, thank you for your clemency." Skar bowed again. "I beleive this may be the largest cache our troops have ever uncovered. I brought it to you immediately so that you may have the first choices of the treasure."

Skar's troops brought several magical artifacts to the Emperor's hands. Most of them he destroyed out of disinterest, or else gave to the troops. He ordered the gold and valuable non-magic loot to be taken to his vaults. An anubite soldier handed Moribidus a pale blue sword. The Emperor's eyes widened, and he made the soldier spontaneously combust into a wisp of black smoke.

"Well what have we here." Moribidus said silently more to himself as he took hold of the blue tinged sword. "Brother, you are alive." Moribidus said to himself as he turned Kel'Arboreal's sword over in his hands.

"What is that my lord?" Skar said leaning forward.

"I SAID GET BACK TO WORK YOU DOG-HEADED IMBECILE!!" Moribidus howled and Skar and his troops made a hasty exit before the Emperor could kill them.

"Brother, after all these years I thought you drowned when I sunk our homeland. How did you escape my wrath? Perhaps all this talk of a Resistance may not be false after alll." Moribidus talked to himself.

"Ha ha ha, the Resistance has existed for many years now Kel'Atheal. All ready your noble brother has charted the course of your doom. After your downfall it will be your brother Kel'Arboreal that they will sing about in songs as the last great champion of the Blue Elf people." The Wanderer's ethereal voice floated into the room.

"My brother was a coward! Did he try to stop me from killing our mother? No. Did he try to stop me from sinking our homeland? No. When I returned to our home with my great powers he fled and hid like a coward! He was always a weakling with no greater aspirations than to herd cattle! I will find my weakling brother and before I blot him out from history I shall commit the final sin with him." Moribidus began laughing hysterically.

"You are sick Kel'Atheal." The Wanderer voice rang with disgust.

"And people used to think you were a god! Now look at you!" Moribidus laughed ever more heartily "Eeskwire!"

"Yes my lord?" Eeskwire entered and bowed.

"Send a message to Rhythian. He has been in the East for far too long. I have a new job for Rhythian. He is to hunt down and capture a Blue Elf named Kel'Arboreal. I want the prisoner brought to me alive. Do you understand?" Moribidus smiled evilly.

Meanwhile on the High Seas.....

Kicked square in the jaw an orc pirate did an involuntary backflip before smashing into the deck of Admiral Gaunt's flagship. Set Apollyon stood on the deck of the ship surrounded by enemies. Ngombo the minotaur stood silently away from the action looking on, neither helping Set nor helping his priate comrades. Ripsmith stood in the crowd eagerly awaiting his chance to deal Set a blow of revenge.

A red elf lunged forward swinging an axe wildly. Set ducked the first big stroke, punched the elf in the gut and rose just in time to grab his arms stopping the second axe swing. As Set held tight to the elf's arms an orca-like Cetan launched forward tackling both Set and the elf. The axe fell with a clang. Set released the elf and began delivering haymakers to the Cetans blubbery head. The punches had little effect on the massive pirate. Set managed with his great strength to push the Cetan over on top of the elf who was screaming out a muffled plea as his Cetan friend crushed his leg. Set scramble to his feet and stomped hard on the pirate's blowhole causing him to gasp and choke. Kicking a cetan's blowhole is much like winding a person.

Ripsmith took the opportunity with Set's back turned to jump forward and pull out a dagger. Set turned around just before the knife could be plunged into his back. A dazzling uppercut sent Ripsmith skyward and off the shp with a great splash. Ngombo laughed to himself at this. The pirates were running out of men as Set had sent many of them overboard. Admiral Gaunt stood on the upper deck watching the fight below, growing ever more fearful.

"Ngombo! Go help these last three." Gaunt ordered.

"I'm sorry master, I have made a pact with the elf that I will not try to kill or hurt him." Ngombo replied.

"You traitor! Do as I say or else...or else you'll be hanged for treason!" Gaunt yelled back.

Ngombo thought for a moment as Set began fist fighting a Ceratur. The Ceratur was putting up the best match yet against Set and was ducking and dodging his blows. The pirate managed to get a glancing blow of his sharp horn across Set's left arm that left a deep cut. Ngombo acted, he jumped forward, grabbed the ceratur pirate from behind and lifted him into the air. With a mighty two handed toss he sent the pirate overboard.

"I'll tell you what Gaunt. There's only two of your pirates left. Surrender to me the keys of this ship and I will let you and your crew go away on the lifeboats." Set looked up at Gaunt's horrified face.

"I-I, well...." Gaunt stammered and thought to himself. "If I don't bring back a catch the Emperor is going to kill me. Of course I suppose if I resist you and this traitor Ngombo will probably kill me as well. Oh what a world we live in!"

"Take his offer Admiral. You may still be able to make a small catch on your way back to Kruel." Ngombo urged.

"Argh, be quiet traitor, my ears have no room for the scurvy words of a traitor!" Gaunt sneered, but his eyes remained wide in panic.

"You will report that Ngombo died in battle. If any harm befalls his family I shall find you again Gaunt, and I shall not spare you." Set said sternly.

"Oh very well. What do I care about a washed up minotaur anyways? I accept your offer, let me leave alive." Gaunt threw the key ring down to Set's feet.

The ogre Admiral and his last two pirates hopped in a lifeboat and hit the water. Set and Ngombo ran around cutting the other lifeboats loose for the pirates swimming around the ship to take. With their end of the bargain fulfilled Ngombo used a basic wind spell to get the ship moving. Set went down into the dark hull beneath. He freed all the women slaves caught below. The greatful women manned the oars and helped run the ship faster. With his new ship and new crew Set made course for the city of Typhoon, and he would arrive there with haste a day later.

In the Land of Kruel.....

Night was falling and the Emperor was in his personal chambers sitting upright on a bed of corpses. Fast asleep he rested amidst a scene of horror and debaunchery. Many of his choicest slaves, animals,and lay chained or weeping in a room made of corpses. Those that could slept soundly as the the Emperor slumbered. Many were so horrified by their daily existence that they simply went catatonic, crounching awake wide-eyed and far-starring into the distance beyond their horrible reality.

Abagael the pregnant golden elf slave girl was awake, though her eyes were closed. She was chained and collared near the Emperor's bed on the floor of bodies. Through the dark sickness the shinning blade of Medea shone, its light unmarred. The Wanderer's daimond was black and the ancient protector of the World was spared the sight of the horrors. Unheard Abagael spoke with the Wanderer in her mind.

"I have heard you speak out loud before, who are you? You said my child would grow to be a decent man never knowing about his father." Abagael said telepathically.

"I am what I am. The people of the world have called me The Wanderer most often. Perhaps Old Fool second most. It is hard for me to say what I am, I thought I was here to protect the World." The Wanderer's voice replied to Abagael telepathically.

"I know the legends of The Wanderer, he is well known by all the elf people as the guardian of our people. It brings my heart some joy that you are still alive. Everyone believes Moribidus killed you years ago. I know how you feel, you are trapped here like me. A bird in a cage." Abagael sighed

"Be joyful young Abagael, your captivity will not be as long as mine. The moment of your freedom is fast approaching. Your sister lives, and though she does not know it she is coming to rescue you. I may be trapped, but before my chaining I cast one spell on Kel'Atheal that endures. It is the spell of my prophecy. I have assured he will be undone before he could accomplish his goal." The Wanderer made a feeling of warmth tingle through Abagael and in her head he showed her visions of her sister Kathael and a rather strange and ragged little army riding through the desert.

"Kathael is alive.... Who are those people with her?" Abagael had tears of happiness flowing down her eyes.

"They are all great heroes of this age. All except for one will be remembered for the remainder of the Mortal History." The Wanderer showed Abagael each person and he show her a vision of each person's future.

"Can your words be true? Is this the future of them all? Will Kathael become the Queen of the Elves?" Abagael nodded knowingly that the visions were true. "And what will become of me?"

Surreally a vision unfolded before Abagael. She opened her eyes and found herself not in the Land of Kruel, but free on an intensely beautiful hill near sunset. A black hooded cloaked figure stood next to her and she nearly jumped back in fright mistaking him for a Black Robe agent of Moribidus. However at another glance she calmed down some. She saw a human man cloaked in black.

"Do not be afraid this is just a vision, an illusion, you may move around freely here. Nothing can harm you" The Wanderer laughed. "Come let us see your fate."

Following after his cloak he led her across the vivid green hills in a lush land. Abagael leapt in the air running around singing and yelling with joy, free in the illusion. As night was falling and fireflies came out shining like stars they approached the outskirts of a town. Outside families were gathered celebrating a festival. They were multi-colored elves of all kinds. A great banner read Happy Liberation Day!

"The fall of Kel'Atheal will become a holiday celebrated by many people in the future." The Wanderer laughed.

At a great table many elders sat together by a small wooden stage. An aging golden elf woman sat enjoying her meal talking to another woman next to her. She was Abagael but older, her beauty still remained in her wrinkled face. Her hair was now silvery grey. Happy with her few friends at the festival she only lamented that her husband had recently passed just days before and missed it. A strange color of elf never before seen, a teal elf man, young and strong walked up to her from another table. She smiled when she saw him and he took her hand and lead her away. The two walked home into the darkness to a grand elven mansion in the city. Future Abagael was tired and she was helped into her bed and tucked in.

"I love you my son." Future Abagael said closing her eyes.

"I love you too mom, now rest up you don't want to miss Aunt Kathael's visit tomorrow." The teal elf man replied blowing out a candle and leaving the room. Once he closed the door Future Abagael opened her eyes and sat up looking distantly out the window.

"I know you're there Abagael. You're there with the Wanderer. He was right, it turned out good." The old woman Future Abagael whisperred to the two of them even though she could not see them. She coughed and looked out the window serenely. In a few moments her soul left her body and she passed away.

Abagael broke down weeping and the illusion faded and the reality of Moribidus' chambers returned. Some of the slaves stared at her, but Moribidus remained sound asleep, far used to the sound of crying by now.

"Rest now Abagael, I will cast a spell of sleep on you for tonight." The Wanderer said so softly that Abagael immediately slouched over fast asleep.

At the Necropolis...

"Are you sure this is the spot?" Abasi asked as he consulted Tisias' map again.

"I'm positive I can feel the strong pull of magic." Maximus responded dismounting his Podbalor and walking around the dark desert search around for the source of the magical feeling.

"I feel it as well." Jasmine dismounted her steed and followed. Telador and Seth followed suit. Abasi handed the map back to Tisias and shrugged.

Adonis, Kathael, Siku, and Mixi lagged behind talking to eachother. Siku was half asleep in the saddle. Adonis suddenly felt the presence of stronger magic as Maximus had and felt the the urge to gallop ahead to the others.

"Adonis wait." Kathael called to him just as he was about to buck the Podbalor.

"What's wrong Kathael?" Adonis asked

"I, oh it's probably nothing." Kathael dismissed.

"What's on your mind, did you feel the magic too?" Adonis turned and could barely make out the figures of Abasi and Tisias ahead.

"Well maybe it was that. I don't know I just had this weird feeling that someone was looking at me." Kathael said in a hushed voice.

"Well yea, I am looking at you." Adonis cynically remarked.

"No, not that smartass. I meant up there." Kathael gestured her head and eyes upward into the clear night sky. The sky was cloudless and the full moon shone brightly.

"If there is anything it would have to be invisible. It's a nice night though." Adonis said looking around at the stars.

"Maybe it's the Wanderer" Siku said sardonically and laughed. This is a common phrase of mockery amoung people which basically means that your imagination is overactive.

Abasi and Tisias had all ready caught up to the four knights, pulling their abandoned steeds with them. Maximus stood smiling in front of a gigantic cactus and smiled. In the middle of the cactus was a large glowing red flower. Above the flower a smalll hole burrowed into the trunk of the cactus where a small own peeked out hooting merrily.

When the rest of the group finally caught up Abasi pulled out his torc. Tisias began to open his pack to retrieve his but Abasi stopped him.

"We may need yours to get out." Abasi plainly said and Tisias nodded sagely.

With a hoot the little owl flew out of his nest and rested on top of the torc. Maximus laughed and Jasmine took the little owl on her finger and cooed at it.

"He is made of magic, this little owl. He is not real at all." Maximus laughed.

Abasi placed the torc inside the owl's nest and at once the ground began shaking as the giant cactus grew and expanded into a small rocky mountain. The magical owl hooted happily and flew off of Jasmine's finger. A large stone door appear with the torc in the center fixed to it. Hooting the owl sat on the torc. Telador stepped forward and placing a hand on the torc he turned it and using all his arms gave a mighty push opening the Necropolis. The magical owl began glowing and hooted flying into the gloom.

"I guess we follow him." Abasi shrugged.

Tisias lit a magic light on the tip of his wand, throwing out a warm yellow light, as bright as a torch, into the door. The light didn't reveal much, but that said something in itself. Even the anteroom was huge. The owl cast a shadow on a pillar as it flew past, then circled, waiting for the group to continue on.

Tisias went in first, holding the light out ahead of them. He heard a sharp ping from each of the Cetans behind him as they sonar-checked the room on their way in. Miki muttered an incantation (something about spirits of ancestors and a walrus skull, from what little Tisias knew of their language), and a wavering light traced its way along the blade of his staff, front to back, before enveloping the entire blade in a radiant glow, bathing the entire room in green and purple light: the northern aurora, summoned to light the catacomb.

The owl simply waited until everyone was inside before the doors shut behind them. Everyone whirled around as the doors closed with a ground-shaking thud, exchanging nervous glances. Tisias and Abasi made eye contact, then both shrugged. They'd expected something like this might happen, and they had prepared by only placing the one torc. There was nothing to do about it now except press on.

The owl stopped circling and flew on into the next room, following several twists and turns. Judging by its size, the Necropolis could have been a city unto itself, as the name suggested. The first few rooms were mostly empty, with walls and pillars covered floor-to-ceiling in friezes and carvings depicting valiant deeds, the creation of the necropolis included. Some of the other walls were empty or partially filled in, as though room was being left for the deeds of future occupants. Most of the subjects' identities had been lost to time, but most of the races were recognizable, including a few recurring characters: an anubite, a Strigid, and some something Siku assumed to be an elf, until Miki pointed out its unusual ear shape. Whoever he was, he must have had a pivotal role; he might have even been the Wanderer, for all they knew.

Then, they seemed to enter another division of the Necropolis, as the rooms changed from grandiose artistic displays to named alcoves in the wall, each covered with a crystal barrier and a seemingly perfectly-preserved body in each alcove. The area was positively buzzing with magic, as Tisias and Miki could both tell. The alcoves were all focus points of the larger magic that surrounded the place; either the corpses were magically fresh, or there was some sort of illusion showing what they would have looked like in life.

The owl stopped at a closed door with an inscription on it, that everyone saw in their own native language: "Trespassers and Defilers of the Dead Turn Away Now, Or Join the Restless Dead in Eternity."

"Well? Anything we can use isn't going to be left unguarded. We're going to have to go in, warning or not," Abasi said. "Anyone armed goes in first. The rest follow close."

The owl faded away; it wasn't going to guide them anymore. Miki's staff dimmed to little more than a candle-flame, much to his own surprise. He checked the staff over, repeated the incantation, then smacked the staff against his hand just to be sure; nothing worked. Tisias' light, meanwhile, was little more than a glowstick.

"Something blocks the magic," Miki reported, then cast a wind spell back the way they had come. The gust was only slightly diminished from its normal strength. "Not all, though. Just the light."

The door in front of them opened, revealing the greater catacomb. If the door opened by itself, surely there was more than met the eye there.

Minutes later In the Necropolis....

The Party stepped through the door lead by Abasi. At once torches ignited in a misty blue flame along the walls of a great hall. Despite the faint illumination the magical torches provided, the mystic blue light only seemed to accent the darkness rather than relieve it. At the end of the long wide hall real fire danced and flickered illuminating the end of the hall.

The group began very cautiously making their way down the hall. They came to the first two entrances opposite one another. There was no door on the entrances, but instead a faint magical field infront of each. Above each entrance was a plaque. Above the left entrance the plaque read "Here Lies Cuthbert." Peering inside the group could see a well lit room filled with golden treasure. In the center of the room atop a stone table lay a knight decked in full armor. Above the right room the plaque read "Here Lies Xavier." Inside the room was less magnificent. Some strange religious symbols and weapons adorned the walls. In the midst lay a stoic looking dead human, the first human any of them had ever seen. Xavier the great hunter of black magic and necromancers lay clothed in the garb of a West Medean warrior monk just as he had lived in life.

The adventurers continued down the hall peering warily into each room of the crypt, but not yet acting on the impulse to plunder the rooms yet. Exactly halfway down the long hall they abruptly stopped as Tisias stood wide-eyed looking at the corpse of a dead Strigid. Above his resting place his plaque of bronze read "Here Lies Euxodus."

"Euxodus!" Adonis blurted out causing Kathael, Jasmine, and Seth to jump in fright. "This must be it. Now how can we get inside?"

Tisias usually acted logically. He was not the kind of person that often acted on impulse or without safety, especially where magic was concerned. Yet something hooked into his mind as he beheld the body of his grandfather. He was transfixed, almost in a trance. He had never known his father except for the rumored Locke he overheard Lythe talking about a few days back. His mother had died very early on before Moribidus' Reign. He had met his grandfather only a few times as a youngster before his mother passed away. Everything though in his life seemed to be influenced by the ancient wizard grandfather Euxodus. He had Euxodus' heirlooms which he relied on much. He had learned much from his grandfather's books and felt like he had known the man without ever actually knowing him. Tisias without thinking stepped through the misty magical screen and into the crypt.

Several things happened when Tisias stepped through the threshhold. First the group all shouted surprised and bewildered. Then they all grew silent watching Tisias anxiously. At the same time the little glowing magical owl flew down from the ceiling in front of Tisias and quickly and magically expanded into a life-sized glowing figure of Euxodus. This caused Tisias to jump back, and Sir Telador to raise his shield and charge through the magical veil into the room sheilding Tisias.

"Intruder! This is your first warning, The Next offense will be lethal." The magical Strigid yelled.

Inside the room Tisias immediately heard the magical avatar of Euxodus yell in a voice he had not heard for years. A screaming firebolt blasted out of the walls ripping Telador off hisfeet and throwing him out of the room back into the hall. The group began panicking as they could not hear anything inside the room. They all rushed to Telador who was smoking singed and getting up gingerly. The fire had went through his armor without even touching it and burnt much of his body. Abasi and the Cetans looked up instictively at Tisias whom was standing in the room completely unharmed, though a little frightened.

"Hello and welcome." the ghostly Euxodus smile at Tisias. "I am Euxodus. Well no not really. He is Euxodus." The phantasm Euxodus pointed at the dead Strigid on the stone table. "I am a magical recording created in the image of Euxodus though. If you are in my tomb and not suffering severe burns and talking to me then you must be one of my relatives. Welcome!"

"Err, hi...grandpa." Tisias said meekly, and turned around to see the others starring at him. They began mouthing at him, and he realized they could not hear eachother and sighed with some relief. He walked over and poked his head through the veil.

"Are you okay Tisias?" Siku asked.

"Yea I'm fine, apparantly each tomb has a condition for who it will alow in. This one allows in only family members, as I'm sure many of these do." Tisias explained what he figured out.

"I see, good work. Investigate this tomb further and take everything you can out of it. See if you can find a half of a crown inside. I am going to leave Telador and Seth here to guard you. The rest of us are going to check out these other tombs, we won't get too far." Abasi ordered and everyone nodded in agreement. Tisias returned to talking with the recording of Euxodus.

"So who exactly were you?" Tisias asked eagerly. He felt joyful this was as good as he could get to talking to his grandfather.

"I lived during the ending days of Medea and the dawn of the World Age. In life I was a cadet of the Fortress, a mage though not a very good one, and an alchemist. In my later days I found my passion in writing the histories of our time and I am the author of several very famous books which you have no doubt read. Along with my friend Valir Ironcrest VII the famous Ringmaker of Medea also interred here, Euxodus helped design the Necropolis." Euxodus smiled and explained.

"How did you die?" Tisias asked a lil choked up at the word die.

"My apologies this magical recording was made before the death of Euxodus." The ethereal Euxodus replied in a more robotic voice.

"Oh, sorry. What are these things you have here?" Tisias looked at the bookshelves around him along with various magical instruments and a small pile of gold. On the wall above the corpse of Euxodus was an ancient staff glowing with magic.

"The items interred with Euxodus are a copy of every book he has written along with some of his famous stories by past authors. The famous Staff is the Staff of Euxodus which was made by Euxodus with the help of the legendary Wanderer himself. Euxodus left most of his money in his will to his grandson Tisias. The remainder sum in here is a special inheritance along with anything you the Rightful Visitor wish to take aside from the body itself." The phantasm smiled.

"Do you know who I am?" Tisias face broke a little.

"You are the Rightful Visitor. Euxodus laid down enchantments on each tomb within to the specifications of the person interred. Those that were dead before the creation of the Necropolis have a similar spell to this tomb allowing only a blood relative of the interred to enter. I admit you could be a very powerful intruder, but Euxodus made me specifically to only activate when a blood relative of his enters. I would not be speaking to you if you were not the Rightful Visitor."

"May I take the staff of Euxodus." Tisias reached forward warily.

"The famous Staff is the Staff of Euxodus which was made by Euxodus with the help of the legendary Wanderer himself." Magical Euxodus repeated.

"May I take it?" Tisias asked again a lil apprehensively.

"The remainder sum in here is a special inheritance along with anything you the Rightful Visitor wish to take aside from the body itself." Euxodus smiled.

"Thanks grandpa. Oh I almost forgot. Something about a Crown. Half of a Crown. Is there half of a Crown in here?" Tisias stumbled out of his lapse of short term memory loss remembering Abasi's inquiry.

"Along with my friend Valir Ironcrest VII the famous Ringmaker of Medea also interred here, Euxodus helped design the Necropolis. We created the Necropolis as a burial spot for many of our friends and valiant heroes of our age. We also managed to recover partial remains of great Lands of Myth Age heroes Valir Ironcrest III, Nicholas Mystos, and Alfred the Troll. They are interred together within the special Tomb marked 'Here Lies the Heroes of Myth.' Thanks to the hero Tobias also interred within, we were able to recover one of the lost pieces of the legendary Crown of Medea. The Crown is at the end of the hall. The World is not suited for such power and we have buried it here so that we might prevent its misuse. Even though it is half of the Crown it is still dangerous in the wrong hands which so often obtain it. Do not steal the Crown, you have been warned." The Ghostly Euxodus began boringly then ended quite darkly and Tisias began to feel uneasy.

"What happens if someone takes the Crown piece?" Tisias asked fearfully turning around and looking at Seth and Telador lazily watching him and talking to eachother.

"If the Crown is removed from its resting place the magic of this place will cease. The mountain will remain permanantly and the booby traps will be disarmed. The illusion around the bodies will fade. More importantly the magical spell trapping the army of zombies and ghouls hidden in each of these bricks will disappear. We know you will be powerful if you take the Crown so we were careful to ensure that there totals no less than 100,000 undead within this entire complex to immediately swarm you and overwhelm you in seconds. Do not steal the Crown, you have been warned." ghostly Euxodus said quite matter of factly.

Tisias' eyes widened and he quickly grasped the Staff of Euxodus and looked at each wall. He put his hand on the stone trepidly. It was smothe and solid as rock. He placed his ear to the wall and he jumped back. It was very faint almost imperceptible even to his ears. A very low growling within the rock. Magical Euxodus shrunk back into the the small magical owl and flew up through a hole in the ceiling. Tisias ignored the rest of the items inside for the moment and walked back outside looking nervously towards the beckoning light at the end of the tunnel where the Crown was awaited.

Further down the hall Kathael and Adnois stood guard outside a tomb marked "Here Lies Abasi I." Naturally the name and the fact a rather old canocephalus rested inside lured Abasi away from his mission temporarily. A grizzled old war veteran that died before the building of the Necropolis and lost his arm at the Battle of Mount Fate rested inside. Abasi knelt by the illusionary figure saying some words of respect to the dead. Abasi really hadn't known his family at all, his father Abasi III and his grandpa Abasi II had both died in the first years of Moribidus Reign in a period called the Inital Purges.

The Initial Purges were scapegoated as a purge of Wanderer believers. However, it had really been a program to exterminate anyone still alive connected to the Medea Era. After those people all died Moribidus then began eradicating the people around Abasi's dad's age the next year. By the time Abasi was 5 his mother had died due to disease in the Plague Year. As a result Abasi grew up between relatives and being homeless until he joined the Resistance. He didn't know or care much about his origin, just his unstoppable wish to see the Emperor fall.

Abasi the Fourth looked at Abasi the First. He never really gave much thought to the First. He always had wondered about his dad, or maybe even his grandpa from time to time whenever his thoughts did carry him back to them. A largers plaque detailed Abasi I great accomplishments and life. Abasi IV read it and was awestruck. Here was a man, his namesake. Abasi the First like Abasi the Fourth had lived in a time of utter turmoil and had fought the wielders of the Sword and Crown at the still legendary Battle of Mount Fate.

Siku and Miki were observing the especially gold and gemstone laden tomb of Valir Ironcrest VII. Siku plotted how to get to the hefty treasure payload while Miki stood staff in hand casting various spells over the crypt to learn what its conditions for entry might be, or else how to defeat the trap inside. Maximus and Jasmine stood nearest to the bright end of the hall slightly off to the side talking to eachother quite unconcerned with anybody except eachother.

Abasi continued to search through his legendary ancestor’s tomb, and uncovered many secrets of the past through an old alphabet uniquely learned through his race. He learned of the burning of Medea, the prophecies of the Wanderer and proof of his teachings, and the old ancient teachings of magic his race once knew; a way to manipulate the desert’s sand, a unique form of Earth magic. Magic in the blood was unrequired, and this education was earned mostly through learning their philosophy of perspective that was next to impossible to achieve if you were any other specie – as the canocephalus had a rather unique culture that influenced their thinking. He uncovered many secrets in the tomb, and this only fueled an unquenchable thirst for uncovering more secrets of his ancestor’s past. No owl came to personify Abasi I, but behind his coffin, there laid the ancient alphabet, surrounded by a frame of an artisan’s carving. Abasi slowly walked forward and fingered the symbols in awe before reading them in a whisper.

“Here I lie in the legendary coffers of the Necropolis, as a badge of honor reflecting my deeds in life, as does reflect the rest of mortality in my death. Having trained under the school of the Wanderer, I was destined for glory, and I was met with the rise and fall of my comrades who may now flourish in their Heavens; their Gardens; the Jagvelde, the gloried hunting grounds of our race. I’ve seen much slaughter, and not all by my enemy’s hand, but my own. While my heart cries out, I feel no twinge of regret for I have lived our true life’s purpose, to serve something greater.

“I have lived such a life I find grandeur, but now it is your turn, my kin, to acheive great honor, as the acheivments of an old crone matter not more. It is your turn to uphold a glorious prophecy in which you hold a greater purpose. It is your turn to earn your place in the halls of the necropolis. It is your turn to bring honor to your family’s name. It is your turn to be honored in song! Search throughout this tomb and you will find all you’ve wish to know, and uncover the secrets necessary to fulfill your ambition. Search throughout this tomb, and you will uncover the artifacts to grant you the fire to carry out your task. Now, I offer you my strength; I offer you my agility; I offer you my cunning; I offer you my wit; I offer you my will; and further, I offer you my blessing as you carry out your life’s purpose. Rise, my son, and light the candel above the coffin with the torch next to you. Maak vir die jong en bestem!

“Death to Moribidus!”

Abasi was momentarily confused by the referencing of a torch, but as he finished deciphering the glyphs, two unlit torches on either side of him exploded into inextinguishable life with unparalleled hunger. Abasi cautiously grabbed the torch and took it off its stand before looking up by a candle hanging from the ceilings by a small chain. He raised the torch to light the wick of the candle, and in doing so, in emanated a bright light that filled the tomb and stopped its entrance. A low sound rumbled, and Abasi turned around to see a part of the wall beneath his ancestor’s message. “Oh my lord…” He uttered out loud.

He took a step forward, and gazed at its contents. One was his ancestor’s mace of a much finer caliber. There was spikes on the ball shaped head with tips that had blades almost thinner than paper, and a shine the resonated an almost holy quality. It was rather dense and heavy, but as he swung it in the air, it felt no lighter than a dagger. Inside, there was also a pair of ancient gauntlets. It was made of leather, and had bear fur trimming. The gauntlets lacked fingers tips, and around the knuckles were three metal claws. Abasi was in awe by the gifts given to him. He put on the gauntlets and felt a unique power surge through him, unmistakably strength-enhancing magic. One last thing he noticed was a pan-pipe, a common instrument in his culture. This one in particular appeared to be made of elephant bone. Upon inspecting it, he noticed his first language lightly engraved in the side: “bel vir hulp”.

Abasi left the tomb after a minute or two of more looking around and found the others not nearly as interested as looking through tombs as he was – he felt almost ashamed, until he saw Tisias walking out of a tomb as well. Regaining his composure he marched on with Tisias coming in close behind. “Well what did you find, commander?”

Abasi paused for a second to choose his words carefully. “...my ancestor. Abasi I.”

Tisias looked at him with a curious gleam. “The first?”

“Aye, and I be the fourth.” He replied. Abasi raise his hands up as he flashed his brand new pair of gauntlets. “I also found a pair of these.”

Tisias’ eyes gleamed. “Those are amazing.” Tisias blinked his eyes a couple of times and regained a hold of himself. “In any case, it would seem my grandfather was buried here as well... do you think they knew each other?”

“Impossible to say,” Abasi replied, “but before we get too comfortable here, we should get what we came for and get out.”

“Speaking of which...” Tisias started, “there might be a problem with that.”

“Speak.”

“Once we get half of the crown, we might have to do a bit of fighting.”

“How much fighting?” Abasi inquired.

“About a hundred thousand worth of undead critters.”

“Dammi!” Abasi snarled. “These things are never easy, are they?”

“Maybe we should—“

“We’re gonna have to find another way through this mess.”

“That’s kind of what I was getting—“

“I’m going to need someone to coordinate a way out of here.”

“Sir, maybe if we just—“

“Adonis is a scout of sorts, do you think he is capable?”

“I don’t really—“

“I’ll just talk it over with Kathael.”

“I’m just going to go warn the other then...”

“Alright then, we’ll see if we can organize something after all.”

“Right...”

(I think we made it to Page 3, Huray! This page's theme music I imagine to be sort of a theme for the Resistance as a whole. I am going to post this real quick to save my spot, and then go back and EDIT this post and add in the story. I kinda sense a monster post coming and it might take me a while to write it. I'll post in the OOC to let you know when I'm done.)

In the Necropolis...

Together the Party stood in the chamber of the Crown. The room was circular and well lit with torches around the wall. In the middle and back of the room was a small podium. Above the podium floating suspended in air was half of the Crown of Medea. Behind the floating Crown piece was a large mural carved into the stone. The mural depicted the end of the Medea Age. Carved by a famous orc artist named Drek the mural showed Victor impaling himself with the Sword of Medea and Elycia tearing the Crown in two.

"So I guess we just grab it and run like hell." Abasi shrugged.

"Wait, I have a plan." Maximus spoke up. "This won't hold th undead back for long, but it will buy us some time." Holding both palms facing the ground Maximus began muttering. Though tricky to see what he was doing at first, suddenly many twinkling drops of water began siphoning out of the cracks of the stones through the room. Maximus stood holdign a large orb of swirling water in both hands. Gently he lifted his arms and the orb and the water began to slowly spray over the walls, freezing solid the moment it made contact. Maximus kept doing this until the circular room was coated in a thick sheet of ice.

"Not a bad idea." Miki nodded agreeingly. "That should hold off the initial rush for a bit, but we will still have to force our way out somehow."

"Well I don't suppose we could just ice all the walls and make a run for it." Abasi asked.

"No, there's not enough moisture in here for me to cover all the walls." Maximus grumbled and unsheathed the Greenblade. "I think we're just going to have to fight our way through."

"I have some zombie cure if anyone gets bittne. It typically takes 3-5 days to turn anyways, so we don't have to worry about that." Adonis pulled out a potion flask from his pack and showed the group.

"Well that's good. What about the Crown though. My grandpa..er, I mean the magical recording of my grandpa mentioned that we'd become very powerful with the Crown in our possession. Perhaps we can use it to help us." Tisias butted in relaying the information he learned earlier.

"Hmm." Abasi thought to himself for a moment. "Okay here's our plan. Tisias, Mikie, and Maximus will stand in the doorway. When I take the Crown piece from the pedestal I am going to immediately throw it to your Tisias. Then you and Mixi use as much of your power as you can to just blast whatever is coming at us down the crypt hall. We'll let you guys blast them for as long as the ice holds. When I give the order you will give Maximus the Crown and he will charge out cutting the path for us. The rest of us will have to do our best to follow him. Telador you should be able to use you shield to cover our rear. The rest of us will try to do what we can to keep our flanks defended."

"All right." Maximus said and nodded and the other agreed. They set up their positions. Maximus stood in between Miki and Tisias who both had their staffs at the ready. Tisias was looking back anxiously, hoping he didn't bungle this up. He hadn't really used very powerful magic before and felt rather uncertain about his abilities despite now carrying the powerful Staff of Euxodus.

"Get Ready!" Abasi roared. The tips of the mages' staffs glowed as balls of energy formed at the tip. "NOW!!!"

Abasi snatched the Crown out of the air. At once the hallway in front of them went black. The real torches in their room stayed lit. Then many howling gutural noises began echoing around them. Behind the sheet of ice the stone wall had disappeared and a multitude of undead began hammering on the ice. Abasi wasted no time throwing the crown to Tisias who caught it poorly, nearly dropping it. Miki had all ready realsed a blast of fire down the hall as a dark mass was running towards them. Faintly the moving swarm of zombies was seen as the fire blast exploded.

Tisias holding the Crown Piece felt an incredibly strong surge of power. The magic enterring his body from the artifact made him start to swoon and he nearly passed out from the rush. He gathered his senses as Abasi yelled out to him. Holding the Staff of Euxodus up he thought about sending a wave of energy down the hall. At the whim of his thought the ball of energy at the end of his staff glowed white and then streaked down the hall vaporizing several hundred zombies. Tisias blasted again and again down the hall.

"Ahhhh! Help me!" Kathael screamed from behind them causing Tisias to look back. The zombies were busting through the ice, and several molding arms had grabbed kathael and were holding her to the ice. Adonis ran over and pressed his healing staff on the rotting flesh around Kathael's waist. At once the healing magic burned the undead arm and the monster's shriek could be heard. Adonis repeated until Kathael was free.

"Oh Adonis, you saved me again. You're my hero." Kathael blushed and batted her eyelashes. She pursed her lips looking at Adonis with interest.

"Damnit there's no time for that now!" Abasi shouted at Kathael. "Quick! Tisias give Maximus the Crown they are breaking through!" Abasi yelled just in time as a resounding crack echoed around the room and zombies began pouring out of the hole in the ice.

Tisias turned quickly and handed Maximus the Crown. Maximus staggered a bit upon reciving the Crown, but being a bit more veteran with magic than young Tisias managed to keep his feet and prevent himself from swooning. The goblin charged forward and decapitated the nearest zombie. He slashed his green sword in the air and magical blades flew through the air out of Greenblade cutting zombies in half. One zombie from the side grabbed Maximus and bit the tip of his ear off. Siku jumped forward and skewered the Zombie. Tisias and Miki fired lesser fireballs over Max's shoulder.

As the group moved into the hall Telador stood behind the holding his shield with all his strength as a mass of zombies pushed against him with great force. In one free hand he held a torch for light and with the other he stabbed repeatedly at the mass of liches he was holding back. Kathael had two long hunting knives withdrawn and with Adonis and Jasmine they held the left flank off. Abasi was swinging his new mace as swiftly as the wind crushing down the right flank all by himself. Siku jumped rather higher than one could imagine a Cetan to be capable of. He landed smashing three zombies pouring out of a tomb, stabbed a few times into the crypt and doing a backflip off a zombie as he doward impaled it he leapt back into the midst of the party. Seth in the center of the group fired crossbow bolts in all directions strong enough to remove the heads of his targets.

"Tisias, Miki, Adonis, concentrate your powers and release them!" Maximus yelled. The four of them at once shot four rays of laight down the hall. The light converged and with a roaring blaze a grate fire swept back towards them stopped right before it reached Maximus. Ahead of them several zombies on fire howled and pressed on towards them, some slwoly falling to the ground as their vitals burned away. The group took the chance and made their dash for it. Telador with the help of Tisias sent a few fireballs behind them as the group pressed on.

More zombies still poured in after them as they found themselves in the entrance hall. Telador now stood in the doorway leading back into the tomb hall. He held his shield up making it into something of a door to stop the hoorde behind them. In front of them was not much better. They were now completely surrounded in a wide open area. The entrance cut off from them by a sea of walking corpses.

"This is going to be a gamble. Take my sword Abasi." Maximus said in between sending lightning bolts to explode two zombies rushign at them. He threw the Greenblade over to Abasi. Then Maximus turned around facing Abasi and struck him with a beam of magic. At once the canocephalus began spinning around at an absurd rate. He resembled a blurry tornado of steel and brown fur. Maximus magically guided the twisting tornado of death around the room. Body parts began flying around randomly and the group pushed hard into the crowd after the Abasi-cyclone. Telador was psuhed back and staggered, but managed to follow close on their hells as a fresh wave of zombies poured out of the hall behind them.

They were at the stone entrance. Abasi stopped spinning around and wobbledo n his feet extremely dizzy. Drunkenly handing the Greenblade back to Maximus, Abasi began pawing the entrace. Kathael pounded on the wall and bent down trying to make it lift up futiley. Abasi searched around the stone door for a keyhold to place the torc in. There was no keyhold though. Things began getting hairier and the group was getting squeezed closer and closer together. Tooth and claw was finding its way to marking everyone as they struggled desperately to escape. Adonis was grabbed by many corpses, and bitten on the leg and arms as they lifted him up above their heads and began carrying him away.

"Adonis!" Kathael screamed and jumepd away from the wall charging into the group of zombies slashing left and right with her logn knives. "Abasi do someth---AHHHH" Kathael screamed as she was bitten multiple times and zombies began to pile on top of her.

"The torc Abasi. Do what you did at Typhoon, maybe that will open it!" Maximus shotued as lasers began firing from the tip of his sword repeatedly. Abasi stood puzzled looking down at the torc trying to figure out what Maximus meant. Then he remembered suddenly and held up the torc above his head.

Deafeningly a screaming magical shout caused many of the group to drop their weapons in surprise. At once the morning daylight burst forth over them as the stoen entrance flew open. Every zombie at once became immobile. Adonis fell roughly to the ground. Kathael pushed her way out screaming from underneath the dog pile of paralyzed corpses. Then a magical air lifted all the zombies back onto their feet. Inanimate they all flew off in many directions forming rows standing rank and file. In a bright blue flash magical stone materialized and hardened around the undead.

"You mean that's all we had to do in the first place?" Siku asked exasperatedly breathing hard.

"I guess so." Abasi laughed a little.

Moments later outisde the Necropolis...

The group had emerged tired but relieved from the all night ordeal. Shining brightly the morning Sun hungi n the sky welcoming our travellers back to the land of the living. Adonis emptied his entire bottle of zombie antidote. Everyone had been bitten and required a good deal of the potion. They rested a moment by their Podbalors as they ate lunch and tended to their injuries. Behind them loomed the large mountain and its large stone gate now shut again, permanantly added to the landscape.

Abasi sat with Maximus and Jasmine. Maximus opened his palm where when was clutching the Crown piece. He turned it around and examined it. Upon it pointed jagged palms he saw fresh blood stained on it shiny golden metal. Instinctively, he looked at his own hand thinking he must've hurt it without thinking. However no blood was on his hand, just some grime and dirt. Curiously he touched his index finger to the smear of blood. He found he could not feel it, only the metal behind it. He tried to rub off the stain on his sleeve but found it would not alter. After observing it with Jasmine over his shoulder he handed it to Abasi.

"So what do you suppose the Fox wants this for?" Maximus wondered.

"Beats me. I can only speculate. Obviously its powerful and important. If that mural inside is accurate this is could be half of the Crown of Medea. This is pretty good news for us. It's very powerful even though its only half. We actually stand a chance now with this weapon in our arsenal." Abasi's voice dropped to a whisper as he took hold of the Crown. He looked over his shoulder at the others not far from them enjoying food, talking and laughing merrily.

Siku was bragging and holding up a golden cup set with many jewels that he had managed to seize during the mad frenzy to escape down the hall. Tisias sat nearby off to the side not eating, but looking at the staff and some of the books he had taken before they took the Crown half. Seth also sat off to the side muttering curses as he bandaged his wounds. Gingerly he nursed a maimed ring finger that had been bitten off at the knuckle when they were being swarmed by the entrance to the Necropolis.

"I am beginning to wonder if perhaps the ancients were correct in keeping it hidden away. Could imagine this in the hands of..." before Maximus could finish a deafening roar tore the silence.

Everyone looked up and many jumped out of their place. Maximus and Abasi stood with their weapons at the ready. Tisias mouth was wide open in shock at what he saw. High above them circling lower and lower came a sight not seen in this World for over 100 years. Young and scaly flew down Kilamondread, the Last of the Dragons.

A ring of fire issued from his mouth trapping the party inside a wide wall of flame. Shaking violently the ground trembled as the beast landed on the dunes. From his massive yolked back Shaqaa and Lythe floated down in front of the group laughing wretchedly. A top Kilamondread holding the reigns was Locke. Shaqaa strode forward arrogantly towards the party and Lythe followed still laughing insanely.

"Maximus, did you really think you killed me with that little water spell of yours?" Shaqaa snorted and laughed. Maximus gritted his teeth and drew the Greenblade. "Not much water around here in the desert for you to use though!" Shaqaa stomped his hoof laughing. "I'll tell you what I have a deal for you all. You all are Resistance fighters, but that doesn't matter. Help me take Maximus' head and I'll just leave you alive to go on with your business."

"Wait a minute." Lythe stopped laughing and his manic grin faded. He stomped forward and threw off his black hood. His face had healed somewhat but it was badly scarred over and gruesomely disfigured. "TISIAS!" Lythe pointed at the Strigid his voice filled with rage "I FOUND YOU AT LAST! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY FACE YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Then an insane and crooked smile appeared over Lythe's face and he began laughing like a psychotic again. "Hahahahaha, this is too good!" Lythe turned and looked back at Locke on the dragon. Quickly he flew over to his brother and yanked him off his seat and dragged him back shoving him to the ground between the two groups. "Look little brother! LOOK!" Lythe tore off Locke's black hood and pulled his head by the scalp upward to look at Tisias. "I FOUND YOUR MISTAKE OF A SON!"

"Er, he could be." Locke looked away averting Tisias wide-eyed gaze.

"Don't be foolish little brother. LOOK AT HIM! HE'S A FILTHY HALF BREED IF I EVER SAW ONE." Lythe roared with laughter. "His age fits and everything. Strigid and lizardman! An abomination to our race. Honestly brother, what was going on in your mind when you lay with that filthy bird-slut?! JUST LOOK AT THIS WEAK FREAK OF NATURE, SURELY HE IS YOUR SON." Lythe screamed and sneered.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Shaqaa roared and stomped his hoof. "Locke. Tell the dragon to eat Maximus!"

Locke gratefully took the chance to escape the tense situation and took some steps towards the dragon. Magically he spoke to Kilamondread. The mighty creature slammed its tail into the ground and snorted thick smoke.

"Err, he says he doesn't want to hurt anybody." Locke replied meekly.

"Doesn't want to hurt anyone? HE'S A FUCKING DRAGON!" Lythe screamed and a jet of fire seared his way making him duck and roll. "All right all right. Come on Shaqaa we'll do this ourselves."

"Come and try!" Maximus challenged them waving the Greenblade. Jasmine withdrew he weapon standing by her man. Abasi and Telador leapt to their feet with their weapons out next to Maximus.

"Ha! Time for the ace of spades boys!" Shaqaa snorted. "NOW SETH!"

At once Seth jumped from the side and grabbed Tisas from behind, pressing a knife against his throat. He disarmed him of the Staff of Euxodus which fell to the ground. Lythe casually walked over to the struggling Tisias and picked up the Staff and felt its surge of power. Tisias struggled harder. Fuming at seeing his enemy holding his grandfather's most treasured possession. Lythe's hand turned into solid metal and he knocked Tisias unconcious and took him from Seth. Seth turned facing the group with his crossbow ready and aimed.

"They have something very powerful. A half of a Crown, perhaps the Crown of Medea." Seth said.

"Seth! How could you?!" Jasmine burst into tears

"You damn traitor. We swore an oath of knighthood to General Maximus and you have been working to have him killed this whole time?" Telador's all ready red face burned bright red as enraged his face and voice broken and angry.

"I-I am sorry. I did mean my oath when I swore it, but... Th-they came to me right after we left Timber and they caught me alone while we were on our way to Typhoon.... They said they took my wife, my Jenny and my son to Camp 16. They're going to kill them if I don't.... This is the only way..." Seth choked up and looked away. Lythe laughed more maniacally than ever.

"So, we all ready have one of you. And apparantly this staff is quite powerful." Shaqaa grinned. "My offer still stands, let us take Maximus and we will let you live. Hell, I'll even give you back this little halfbreed."

Lythe turned and began to argue with Shaqaa, just at that moment Abasi acted. Using the power from the Crown he cast a powerful bolt that rocked Shaqaa off his feet. Lythe jumped, turned, and using the Staff of Euxodus got a surprise blast in on Abasi. Abasi in reaction sent a return blast at Lythe but just too late. Both were thrown backwards. The Crown piece flying in between the two of them on the ground.

Maximus had used his magic to disappate the ring of fire. Shaqaa back on his feet was sending angry lightning bolts at Maximus and Jasmine. Seth launched a bolt at Telador, whom deflected it with his shield. The two drew their swords and began a fierce duel. Taila arms whipped the shield and sword in two hands a piece while the anubite danced around the scramble of limb and steel trying his best to stab Sir Telador. Telador was quick and he easily blocked every strike. Seth was quick though too and ducked and dodged every slice and thrust. Adonis, Kathael, and the Cetans had tried to jump into the fight but another wall of fire from the dragon prevented them. They gathered their equipment.

Abasi and Lythe both staggered to their feet. They both looked down at the Crown laying in the sand between them and then they looked up at eachother. At once the two dashed forward hands out-stretched. Even though he was older than Abasi Lythe moved quite fast. Just as the lizardman reached the Crown piece first and leapt forward to take possession of it he was forced to jump back losing his balance and tripping into the ground. Three arrows landed around the Crown piece. With the blast of a horn silenced overtook the melee. In on their many-legged steeds rode Belisarius and his two royal guards.

Abasi grasped the Crown piece as Lythe got to his feet bewildered looking up at the Avian King in exile. Seth backed away towards the dragon. Shaqaa and Lythe backed up to Tisias' body. Maximus made the firewall trapping the Cetans, Adonis, and Kathael disappear. The Party regrouped and Belisarius dismounted with his guards.

"What's going on here?" the young king demanded.

"I'll ask the questions little puppet, know your place!" Shaqaa mooed back angrily, his eyes wide seeing how he was vastly outnumbered now.

"I think you had better leave now..." Belisarius began nobly but an earsplitting crack silenced him as the sands between the two groups ripped apart into a fissure.

"AH HA! HIDE GO SEEK IZ THA OVERZ! I WINZ! Huh huh huh huh huh huh huh" General Trollus rose slowly in the middle of the fissure standing on top of a rising stone pillar. His cape fluttering in the wind heroically.

"Trollus! Ah what great timing I am relieved. Now we can take these lowlifes on with ease!" Shaqaa pumped his arm in victory as Maximus and the others looked both worried and yet puzzled at the appearance of the bizzare Trollus.

"Shocker, whut you meanz by lowlifez? Iz you a razist?" Trollus scratched his head stupidly.

"My name is SHAH-KAH, not Shocker. I mean we can kill Maximus now Trollus. Come on, you need to be serious right now more than ever!" Shaqaa said exasperatedly.

"Uhh, Maxmust iz dead Shocker. Plz be zerious." Trollus looked at Shaqaa skeptically.

"YOU IMBECILE MAXIMUS IS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU!" Lythe screamed enraged pointing towards the goblin.

"Uhhhh. That iz not Maxmust. Emperorz Morbidust sez dat Maxmust isz tha dead." Trollus looked at Maximus and laughed then turned back to face Lythe. "Why you all wayz yellz zo much Lyte? You needz to uze ur indur voicez plz."

"GRRRR, YOU MORON WE ARE OUTSIDE!!!!" Lythe was shaking in anger. The good side of his face flushed red as the chromataphors shifted with his mood.

"Whyz you gotz to be zo hatezfull uzing wordz like da imbuhsoul? Trollus laughed stupidly as Lythe was now screaming nearly incoherently in rage.

"THAT'S IT I AM SICK OF THIS SHIT!" Lythe screamed and began whipped the Staff of Euxodus around causing massive explosins to detonate around Trollus. After five minutes that scattered the group the smoke of the cluster magic bomb cleared and a pile of dust lay where Trollus stood.

"If youz sick wit diarhea you shud going to da hozpitalz." Suddenly the dust reformed into Trollus body and the troll guffawed his stupid laugh making Lythe rage more intensely.

While the others looked on slightly amused, Siku was even snickering behind his flipper, Abasi used the power of the Crown to make them turn invisible one by one and sneak off. As Lythe continued raging and Trollus Abasi hismelf vanished and snuck off. The group mounted the steeds brought by Belisarius. The Cetans turned back looking at Tisias' unconcious body at Lythe's feet.

"Wait we gotta go back for the lad." Siku blurted out when he saw Tisias and remembered he was unconcious.

"We can't Siku. General Trollus might appear to be a buffoon but he is very powerful, and this is the ideal environment for his magic. Plus Lythe has that Staff. I fear all of them might be too powerful for us even with the Crown. Let's not forget a dragon is with them. I thought dragons went extinct years ago!" Maximus shook his head sadly.

"Damnit, you mean to tell me we're just going to leave the boy to die?" Siku looked back one last time before the group went below a dune and out of sight.

"We have no choice. We will all die and Moribidus could obtain the half of the Crown. Only the Wanderer knows where the other half is. It could be with Moribidus for all we know. We can't let him get such a powerful artifact." Abasi spoke up and seeing the dark look of disgust on Siku's face he looked away and added. "Who knows, he didn't look dead when they hit him. There's something deeper between him and them. Perhaps they will keep him alive long enough for us to save him."

"It just doesn't feel right." Siku said crossly and spoke no more the whole journey. With the aid of magic empowering all ready fast steeds the Party minus Tisias would reach Almaday by nightfall.

Trollus realized Belisarius was missing and resumed what in his mind was a lethal game of hide and seek. Shaqaa had a panic attack when he realized Maximus had elluded his capture. He demanded to take the dragon to search for the goblin. Lythe still bitter and angry at his fight with Trollus insubordinately denied this of Shaqaa, took Tisias and with Locke they left Shaqaa in the desert. Shaqaa howled curses and then broke down crouched over and weeping. He knew at that moment his life had become forfeit.

High in the clouds Kilamondread soared. His wings stretched out, his spirit free and happy. Normally the dragon was kept under lock and key. The only person Kilamondread would allow handle him was Locke. Locke sat in the massive saddle looking down at Tisias now that he was unconcious. Locke said nothing but he could not avert his gaze from Tisias. Something deep connected with Locke at that moment. He knew looking down at Tisias that he was indeed looking down at his long abandoned son.

“Dammit!” Maximus shouted as they strode across the desert under the blaring sun with their destination of Typhoon in their hearts. However, the recent encounter with the Generals left behind them was didn’t make their situation any easier, and with the Staff of Euxodus and a hostage in their abusive care, things weren’t going as well as they thought they were. “Why did you leave him there? Now they have the staff, the location of the necropolis, and the means to open it!”

“We got what we came for,” Abasi snarled, “we went for the crown and now here it is! Tisias knew of the dangers that awaited him, and it will do no good now to risk our lives and the power in our possession to rescue him!”

“Knew of the dangers?” Maximus asked rhetorically. “Because we ALL expected Moribidus’ generals to be outside waiting for us! And if they interrogate him, they’re going to learn of the crown! And this will be your entire fault!”

“My fault?!” Abasi yelled back. Their ride through the desert slowed to painstakingly pace of no-pace-at-all, and at this point, was sitting in the desert arguing, and the tension was getting high and tempers were flaring; the rest of the group, for now too meek to speak up. “It was that anubite, your knight in shining armor, which betrayed us! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him, and I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you!”

“Why, you arrogant little dog!” Maximus roared as he unsheathed his Greenblade. Almost immediately Jasmine leaped him from her steed and landed between the two warriors, breaking them apart from each other. Maximus seemed near ready to fillet Abasi, and Abasi waiting to break every bone in Maximus’ body. “Enough!” Jasmine shouted, “You’re both being ridiculous! There was nothing we could have done for him then, and there’s nothing we can do for him now! He’s probably already half way to the land of Kruel now.”

Both warriors seemed to be calming down now. “Look,” Jasmine started, “let’s just get back to Typhoon as soon as we can so we can return the crown to the Fox, and find out where the other half is. As soon as we save the world from whatever scheme Moribidus has for it, you two can return to tearing each other apart, alright?”

“Yes, my dearest.” Maximus resigned. Jasmine rubbed the goblin’s shoulder has he mounted his steed once more. Abasi said nothing more and did the same, and the group continued riding through the desert. Looking up at the sun, Abasi figured it would be three hours until nightfall. If they’re heading straight towards Typhoon, they should be able to spend the night at the inn, and if not, camp out in the desert… and many creatures lay beneath these sands. Predators of a different sort.

In the Land of Kruel in the dead of the night.....

Kilamondread gave one great liberating roar across the sky as he spiralled down descending into the large city-fortress of Kruel. Downward the dragon landed in a wide bit pit open to the air above near the top of the dark castle where Moribidus lurked. This pit was his home and he rarely left it. Kilamondread was the son of the great dragon Gilmadread whom was slain in the days of Medea. After the events of Medea, and because of Gilmadread's alliance with Elycia most dragons were hunted and the species hid itself away.

When Moribidus came to power he naturally sought out many of the ancient treasures guarded by these beasts and slew them mercilessly in the process. Realizing he had killed all the dragons and that Kilamondread was quite young, the Emperor captured him so that he may use him to intimidate his early enemies. Dragon pride is so deep that not even Moribidus could turn the young dragon into his puppet. Moribidus had Kilamondread tied away in his tower to use him as an execution device for his bloody pleasure.

"Feeding the dragon" had been pretty much a mocking death sentence by Moribidus as Kilamondread devoured any of Moribidus' men that tried to feed him or interact with him in anyway. This continued on for years until Kilamondread had met Locke. Locke knew magic, but most magic he was rather poor at. He had been a soldier in Moribidus' Army along with his brother since the early days of the dark king's reign. Despite his poor performance in the army Locke did have one speciality. He knew more about animal magic than perhaps anyone in the World save the Wanderer himself. When Locke encountered Kilamondread the dragon was asleep, so Locke had begun singing a hymn in the crocodilian tongue, some of which was close to the dragon words. Waking up intrigued Kilamondread spared Locke and taught him the language of dragons. The two of them became fast friend and because he was the only person whom could reliably handle Kilamondread, Locke was made into a Black Hood.

The moment Kilamondread's great bulk slammed into the cold stone pit magical shackles immediately bound him to his pit. A great collar was around his neck and a chain extended and bound to it. Connected to the colar as also the large saddle and reigns. The collar ensured that if Kilamondread did disobey while Locke had him out of his cage that the driver could immediately kill him with the collar's power. From the massive saddle there was no easy way down.

The trio, with Locke being forced to carry Tisias' now magically asleep body levitated off the massive dragon's back and landed. Locke turned around and telepathically said farewell to his only true friend in the World. Seth lingered behind after they exitted the dragon's holding chamber. Lythe and Locke turned to face him and he crossed his arms.

"I fulfilled my end of the bargain. Release my family and take me to them now as was promised." Seth said darkly, his face heavily lined and slightly angry.

"HA! YOU FUCKING IDIOT. Your wife and son were executed the very same day we found out you betrayed the Emperor and helped that rogue Maximus. Consider your work repaid, you will be allowed to live for your service." Lythe looked at the mortified Seth and then glanced at Tisias and his lunatic grin played over his face. He magically conjured up a black robe and hood and threw it at Seth. "IN FACT, you did me two great services by getting THAT INCOMPETANT Shaqaa out of the way for my promotion and leading me to my little nephew here. I promote you to Black Hood. You should thank me, Shaqaa was just going to kill you after telling you he all ready killed your family himself HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! COME LOCKE!"

Lythe laughing psychotically walked off through the palace with Locke meekly following behind, Tisias over his shoulder. Seth stood there just looking down horrified at the black robes in his hand. Arms shaking violently he threw down the black cloak and began beating the wall. He broke a few knuckles and reopened the wound on his recently severed ring finger. Breaking down he sobbed into the cloak.

Hours later Seth stumbled down the winding streets of the Fortress city. All around slaves at the markets were sleeping. Drunken captains and army men stumbled out of taverns. Prostituted slaves and their pimps stood by offering to show Seth a good time for only 10 silver. Regularly battallions of army and Black Hoods patrolled the complex city of Kruel. In the midst of the sprawling black metropolis the castle he was in moments ago was before him. He had walked through the city surreally as if in a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. Seth entered the castle once again and ascended to one of the towers.

His heart was filled with grief. He had betrayed his family by betraying Moribidus. He had betrayed his friends when he betrayed Maximus. It was even because of him that this poor kid Tisias that he recently met was now guranteed an ill fate. Would he now become a Black Hood and begin a career of betraying his superiors to take their positions as Lythe did? No, Seth could bear this World no more. The knot in his stomach was like the knotted noose he fashioned the black cloak into. The heaviness of his heart filled with treacherous guilt was like the heaviness of his anubite body as he dangled out the tower's window.

Meanwhile in Almaday past Midnight.....

"Commander Abasi!" Governor Silus saluted Abasi as the Party reached the gate of Almaday.

"Is there a problem Governor?" Abasi asked warily looking up at many legions of Resistance fighters behind the Governor.

"Yes commander! Quickly, this is not the place to discuss it, let us meet at the city headquarters." Governor Silus bowed and opened the gate letting the Party rush in.

Abasi excused himself from the group and left for the headqaurters. Headquarters was just a plain old house in the middle of town. Many soldiers stood outside guarding it and inside were a few guards and leaders. Abasi took a seat at a conference table and Silus began.

"The city of Timber was razed by Skar." Silus said bluntly.

"WHAT?! Did they catch the Fox? What is going on?" Abasi jumped out of his seat just moments after sitting in it.

"The Fox is alive. The Resistance has moved Headquarters to Typhoon. Much of the main army was scattered, but that's of no consequence. The Fox has issued a called for us to send as many of our fighters to Typhoon as possible. I...err, well we seized your boats and were using them to ferry fighters to Typhoon while we were gone. Those Cetans particularly did not like that and we had to detain them." Governor Silus explained trepidly.

"Oh boy, I'm having enough trouble with Siku as it is. He's really not going to like this." Abasi facepalmed himself.

"Yes we understood as much from the threats of the Cetans. I am presuming you are going to free them?" Governor Silus said resignedly.

"Well of course, but they're all ready going to be miffed because you imprisoned them. Are the ships back yet? I am on a rather important mission for the Fox and if he is thinking about an open war against Moribidus then I need to get to Typhoon at once." Abasi again jumped out of his seat.

"Yes the boats are back, but we need them to ferry troops, we have no other vessels Commander! So you can see our obvious dillema." Governor Silus jumped from his seat and plead putting his wings together.

"I understand. The Cetans will probably be upset and leave. We cannot commandeer their ship, that is something Moribidus would do. Let them leave freely if they wish. I also demand you pay them all a decent reward of 100 gold a piece for the wrongful arrest and for Siku helping us. My trip will be short, I now have some powerful magic and I'll get to Typhoon in less than a day. I'll send the Marred Thistle back to you to use and see if I can get Headquarters to dispatch additional ships here to help you. I am glad there are so many fighters down here in the South." Abasi thought then said sagely and bowed.

"Thank you Commander, you are wise. It will be done!" Governor Silus smiled and bowed.

"You're sure we left the ship here, right?"

Siku, Miki, and the rest of the Cetan expeditionary group stood at the dock where their ship was - or at least, where it had been when they left. Siku and Miki discussed the predicament in their native language as the others looked around and waited. Cetan was widely considered to be a grammatical labyrinth amongst its few non-native speakers (who were almost exclusively in the North, on the borders of Cetan territory). It blended sounds from a number of seemingly disparate languages, along with a set of blowhole clicks and whistles with a non-additive adjective/adverb system. It was said that Cetan had a dozen different words for water and another twenty for snow, but that wasn't the case; they added adjectives in the middle of words, not before or after, so a given noun/adjective combination would likely be regarded as a separate word by the uninformed.

"Pretty sure, yeah." Miki gestured to a sign at the front of the slip. "Slip 22. Either we all misread the sign, or the ship got moved."

"But you'd think they might have had someone hang around here to let us know where to find them." Siku rubbed his forehead. "Do you think something happened to them?"

"If something happened, we should find out sooner rather than later. Let's go to headquarters and see if anyone knows anything."

"Good idea."

With that, they all walked over to headquarters, where they sought out the harbormaster's office. The harbormaster sat at a desk, putting the finishing touches on some sort of form. "Can I help you?" he asked, looking up at the Cetans.

"Yes, we seem to have misplaced our ship. May you tell us where it's docked?" Siku asked.

The harbormaster pulled out a logbook from under the desk. "I think I've seen your ship around; it's currently in… let's see…" He thumbed through until he found the logs for the appropriate slip. "You're in slip 34."

"I see," Siku replied. "That's a long way off from slip 22. We were all pretty sure we arrived in that one, weren't we?" The rest of the crew nodded assent.

"Well," the harbormaster said, looking through the book, "Apparently that is where your ship started, but your crew was detained and your ship was seized-"

Siku didn't wait for the harbormaster to finish. Normally he was more understanding, more willing to hear the other person out and make a shrewd deal, but that boat was more than just the parts it was made of. It was their home; it was where their pod was. It was their own form of rebellion against Morbidius.

When Morbidius had claimed control of Cetan territory, he had used the tried and true tactic for breaking up the social structure: scattering everyone to the four winds and importing foreigners. While that did its job to some extent, it also didn't. Cetan tribe structure was fluid, and members joined and left pods as they wished. Breaking up tribes hardly did away with permanent ties, and little pods popped up in other places. Meanwhile, the imported foreigners were thrown headfirst into the language barrier, in a climate that was unfamiliar to many. Some of them were welcomed. Some of them weren't. Many froze to death. None of them could make it to the underwater cities without the sort of magical aid that was generally only afforded to Black Hoods. Eventually they integrated in an uneasy alliance as the Cetans took pity. In the rest of the world, the local magistrates were afraid of this relatively new group that had been thrust into their midst. They were socially insular and physically different; that was all that it took for them to earn the local ire, and even their smaller groups, as individuals were deported far away from each other. The ones that were sent inland typically became loners and reverted to savagery. Others found work at docks and on ships, where the atmosphere of a ship's crew was usually sufficient to maintain sanity.

Siku's mother had been the captain of what was now his ship. Siku had spent most of his life on the boat, spending some time living in various ports, but never really getting an attachment to them. Staying on the solid ground, always in one place - where was the adventure in that? So long as he had the rest of his mother's crew, he was fine. But then the unthinkable happened, and his mother was killed along with many other crewmembers when an Imperial ship came to commandeer supplies. According to custom, leadership would fall to her oldest daughter, but she only had one child: a son. For a male to captain a ship was a rarity - almost an unspoken taboo - in such a matriarchal race, but it had to be done. After much deliberation, it was decided that Siku's rite of passage to adulthood would be captaining the ship for a month. Nobody thought that a man could handle leadership properly. Nobody but Siku. To everyone's surprise, he had brought success; his sex lent him an advantage, in that many outsiders were far more comfortable dealing with another man, rather than a butch Cetan maven. Thus, he was accepted as the captain. Some time later on their travels, he met Miki and took him in. It was then that he realized the plight of his fellows who had been cast out of their homes, and Miki came up with the idea to begin taking them in and forming a pod out of the outcasts.

And it had all happened aboard that boat.

If you messed with the boat, you messed with every single one of the crew. If you messed with one of the crew, you messed with all of them.

All of the un-messed-with crew were right there, staring down the harbormaster, who (not being an idiot) was slowly cringing back against the window.

"Don't hurt him; it wasn't his decision. It was mine, and I can explain." Silus slowly strode in the door with the air of a bored bureaucrat, and the Cetans turned around to face him. "If you'll hear what I have to say, that is."

Siku and Miki pushed their way back to the front of the crowd - or rather, Siku pushed his way to the front, and much smaller Miki followed in his wake. "It had better be good."

"Morbidius' forces attacked Timber, and the Resistance needed every ship that was available to evacuate the refugees to Typhoon. Your crew violently declined the use of your ship, so we had to detain them. I understand that this was a major imposition, and that your ship and crew are important to you–"

"No, you really don't."

"I can't undo what happened, so I'm willing to offer a hundred gold as compensation." Silus cocked his head and crossed his arms behind his back.

"Sure, that should keep the ship provisioned for a few hours." Siku rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front. Miku seemed downright offended.

"Per person, both present currently and incarcerated."

That changed the tone in the room. The money didn't heal *all* wounds, but such a generous compensation indicated that Silus understood at least some of the gravity of the situation.

"At ease," Siku said, relaxing his posture somewhat. "I'll let it slide this time."

"Are you serious, he imprisoned the rest of the crew!" Miki whispered.

"Quiet, Miki. It was for a good cause. You know what it's like to be a refugee as much as anyone. If this was for Morbidius, I wouldn't have even considered it. Ultimately, you're on our side, and we would be willing to help. Do understand, that you deal with me and no-one else. If you wish to use my ship again, it will be operated by us alone, but the offer will always be open."

Silus smiled and bowed, relieved at the easy conflict resolution. Given what Abasi had told him, he expected worse. "I understand and agree, of course, yes. We still have troops to ferry to Typhoon, so may I take you up on that offer immediately?"

Siku nodded. "Yes, you may. Do not expect us back immediately. If you are amassing troops, then after reaching Typhoon, my men and I will continue on back to the Northern Ice Fields. The Resistance will need all the help it can get."

"As you wish. The Harbormaster will show you to the holding cells; it would be best if you went and got them yourself. When you get back, I should have your compensation prepared."


Meanwhile, in Kruel

Tisias did jack shit, because he was unconscious.

The same night in the land of Kruel....

Deep inside the Emperor's torture chambers painful screams echo off the stone walls. Inside the dimly lit chamber Lythe stood over a now conscious Tisias bound by the wrists and legs in shackles forced to stand. Locke stood nearby in the corner looking on. An expression of horror played on Locke's face. Lythe's manic grin was as full as it could get. Lythe laughed psychotically as he ripped the last of the talons out of Tisias' feet.

"Why do you scream so much little nephew? I'M JUST TRIMMING YOUR NAILS! HAHAHAHAHAHA" Lythe cast the talon away laughing as Tisias shook with pain and nearly swooned and passed out.

"Why don't you just kill me?" Tisias cried out.

"Why would I kill you little nephew? You must become one of us, we're just removing all those dirty bird features from you." Lythe said in a mock sympathetic tone.

"What's that?!" Tisias looked up warily as Lythe withdrew a large syringe containing a malicious black liquid..

"Ah, this will ensure you do not make the same mistake as your worthless father." Lythe injected the syringe directly into Tisias genitals. At once they began to burn and he screamed and shaked rattling his manacles. The poison effectively killed off Tisias' reproduction organs, but left them intact. Lythe withdrew the empty syringe and tossed it aside. "ARE YOU HAPPY NOW BROTHER? I HAVE FIXED YOUR MISTAKE."

"Err, yes, very good." Locke said meekly looking away from the scene.

"Why don't you tell my nephew what a whore his mother was?" Lythe smirked and chuckled.

"Yes she was a whore." Locke murmured half-heartedly looking away as if remembering something.

"You bastard you're not my fath--" CRACK! Lythe smacked Tisias roughly interrupting his sentence.

"DON'T TALK TO YOUR FATHER THAT WAY! HAHAHAHAHA" Lythe started laughing at his own little joke. "Enough of this. Now it is time to get rid of all these disgusting feathers!"

Lythe grabbed a tuft of Tisias head feathers and roughly tore them out at the root. It was a brutal process that took over an hour. Slowly Lythe tore out every feather on Tisias body. Tisias endured so much pain that he kept swimming in and out of consciousness. When it was all over he was left bald, exposing scaly skin with copious amounts of blood all over his body. His fingers were long and skinny without the feather cover. His bald head still with beak looked particularly lizardlike. Tremors rocked through Tisias body as he began going into shock from the pain. His feathers would never grow back.

"Brother, heal him! He is close to death." Locke stepped forward and pleaded.

"DON'T tell me you are beginning to pity this whelp. THIS ABOMIANTION OF OUR RACE!" Lythe screamed in Locke's face and looked his rother in the eye with a hint of hostility.

"N-no that's not what I meant. I mean, we should heal him so we can torture him more." Locke stammered and explained himself.

"Oh I see. DO YOU HEAR THAT NEPHEW? Your father would like to torture you." Lythe laughed, healed Tisias' wounds, and handed Locke a dagger. "GO ON BROTHER! Cut out his eyes or something"

Locke's hand shook as he held the dagger up to Tisias barely open eyes. Tisias had come back to consciousness barely. He did not move or struggle. His body ached all over unimaginably from having all his plumes torn out. Cold and naked his bare scales felt in contact with the air. For the briefest of moments Tisias' eyes met Locke's for the first time. Locke quaverred and dropped the knife clanging to the floor.

"YOU ALWAYS WERE WEAK! I am starting to think maybe you enjoyed your company with the Strigid whore. GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Lythe grabbed Locke by his black robe roughly and threw him to the floor before turning to Tisias. "Now little nephew, its time to repay you for what you did to MY FACE!"

Out of thin air Lythe conjoured a disk of metal. At once the disk of metal turned a molten hot orange and began spinning around. Tisias' swoon faded as horror set in and he began strugging in his shackles as Lythe used magic to gently and slowly push the disk closer and closer to the left side of his face. Tisias turned his head. Lythe grabbed him roughly at the top of the skull and forced him to watch the searing metal approach. The burning disk was so close to Tisias' exposed skin now that he could feel the intense heat. His skin began to blister as the disk slowly approached, an inch away from making contact.

Just then a resounding thud and a sickly crack of bone break. Tisias swooned and passed out. The burning disk dropped and exploded on the stone floor. Lythe fell over crumpled and unconscious, the good side of his face slightly bloody and disfigured. Locke stood over his older brother holding a large log taken out of the fire. Throwing the log aside Locke bent down and felt Lythe's neck. He was not dead, but merely out cold. Locke looked up at Tisias' limp figure. Raising his hand the chains around him snapped and Tisias slumped forward. Locke catched him and threw him over his shoulder. Quickly Locke left the torture chamber and began running through the halls of Kruel.

"Where are you going Locke?" Eeskwire met Locke carrying Tisias in a hall and looked at him suspiciously.

"Food for the dragon." Locke mumbled and continued on.

After turning a corner Locke began outright running. He made his way to a stairwell and bolted up it taking the steps three at a time. Normally not very physically impressive, Locke's body went into overdrive with adrenaline. Doors burst open as he enterred the holding chamber of Kilamondread. The dragon roused awake as Locke entered it settled back down. Not much surprises dragons, but what Locke did next surpised Kilamondread.

Raising his hand the magical chains around Kilamondread broke and the dragon stirred a bit for a moment. The massive serpentine head looked skyward and for a moment he thought of escape and turned back perplexed to Locke who was levitating up to his saddle. Locke grabbed the magical collar which made Kilamondread uneasy, Locke had never grabbed the collar before.

"Whati s going on Locke? Who is this?" Kilamondread asked Locke in the dragon language.

"He is my son. We are leaving my friend. I am going to break your collar, you are free at last. Please remember my kindness and take us far away from this place." Locke said sternly in the dragon language. Pointing his palm downwards an earsplitting crack echoed in the chambers as the massive colalr fell to the ground with boom.

With fire ushering out of his mouth the dragon raised its head letting loose his most ferocious and joyful roar he ever uttered in his life. Kilamondread was free at last and he streaked up into the dark night sky. High above the perpetual clouds of Kruel. Against the wind and far into the sky they flew. Against the odds they were the first and only people to ever escape Kruel alive. Locke took off his Black Robe and cast it away. He regretted this action immediately as he began shiverring violently from the cold. However, looking down at his son a strange sensation of warmth poured over him. Into the most glorious sunrise father, son, and dragon went towards freedom.

Arythian entered into the throne room in the fortress of Kruel. He was actually amused by Moribidus' morbid decorations. A little reminder of mortality. Something that was all too real for him now that he had accepted the gift of The Black Rose. But he was getting off track now. He knelt down in front of the throne, bowing his head. "You sent for me, my lord?"
Moribidus responded, "What do you think? I've an assignment for you. As you know, one who was formerly in my service, a man named Gaunt, has fallen out of my favor. I want him now, and it has exasperated me to the point of accepting him dead or alive. I would accept his head dumped in front of my throne if you could prove he's taken care of- do I make myself understood?"
Arythian spoke, almost in awe, "Yes, my lord."
Moribidus yet again spoke in his intimidating voice, "Well then you are dismissed. Do not fail me."
Arythian rose, and spinning around faded out of view as he willed the Black Rose to hide him. He hurried back to his chambers, and retrieved his leather boots and gloves. He put the hood of the ancient robe up, and checked to be sure if the Black Rose was where he kept it and could retrieve it at moment's notice.
He then went to the nearest stable and rode for where Gaunt was last known to be. Gaunt, of course, had had the sense to move when he got suspicious, and he was long gone. Now came asking the locals. A few threats and abuses of authority later, he was informed Gaunt had headed west six hours ago at a long-range pace. Of course, that meant that he could only have gone so far. Arythian spurred his steed west as fast as he could go, and within two hours he saw smoke rising from a campfire somewhere in the nearby woods. It was dusk now. Soon, he came upon Gaunt eating some form of smoked meat by a fire. He had activated the invisibility a few feet before, so Gaunt could not see him. Arythian took one step, and had the bad luck of stepping on a twig. The brutish ogre looked around. worried. I'm a fucking idiot, thought Arythian, barely daring to breathe. Eventually Gaunt dozed off, and thus Arythian snuck around behind the ogre. He retrieved a black executioner's bag from his pack. He lunged and attempted to fit it over the ogre's head, but he had made to much noise and the ogre flinched just shy of being bagged. Arythian muttered a curse and deactivated the invisibility, seeing no purpose in keeping it. He looked into the ogre's eyes and saw nothing but sheer terror and hatred. "You're here to take me to Moribidus?" Arythian remained silent. Gaunt grabbed a branch like a club and charged him, but Arythian was able to sidestep. He considered the situation, and decided the ogre would be too much of a threat to just bind him up alive. He sprinted after Gaunt and leaped up onto the ogre's back. Gaunt now dropped the branch, grunting and yelling, and began groping around on his back to catch this strange assasin sent by Moribidus. Arythian waited for his chance, and then dealt the deciding blow: a stab to the back of the head just above the neck, severing the spinal cord. He then jumped off the back of the now-dead Gaunt and set to work removing the head. Now, at midnight, he put the head into the executioner's bag and rode for Kruel.

The Morning in Typhoon....

Abasi rose bright and early at the local inn and stretched. The crew had arrived in Typhoon late last night and immediately hit hay. Siku and the Cetans had come ashore briefly in the night for some free provisions provided by Abasi. Afterwards they had set sail for their homeland. Maximus magically created a small tidal wave to help give them extra speed for their voyage.

Abasi allowed the others to sleep and went downstairs to enjoy a hot breakfast with the other early birds. Sir Telador was all ready awake down stairs eating his breakfast quickly. Abasi looked at him suspiciously. He knew Max and Jasmine were likely not traitors like Seth since they seemed to pretty much consumed with eachother, and clearly the Black Order wanted him dead. However Abasi didn't know much about Telador, he seemed okay, but Abasi resolved he would keep a closer eye on him from now on.

Telador finished his meal rose, nodded at Abasi and exitted the inn. This perked Abasi's curiosity even mroe and he gobbled his food down quickly and left half of it untouched before he was running out the door to shadow the Taila knight. Sir Telador didn't seem to notice Absi creeping along behind him and he walked into the lumbermill. Abasi stood by the door and heard Telador offer his services to help cut the timber inside. Abasi shrugged and walked off.

Abasi almost reached the inn when a dark elf bumped into him.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Abasi apologized.

"Oh its no problem. Say, aren't you Commander Abasi?" The dark elf dismissed then took a closer look at the canocephalus.

"Yea I am. What of it?" Abasi looked at the dark elf suspiciously, all ready being suspicious this morning since he woke up.

"Oh, err I meant no offense. My name is Set Apollyon. My bad. It's jsut The Fox he sent me to get you, but when I got to the inn they said you had left. He just wants to talk to you from what I understand." Set Apollyon flushed a little grey on his black skin in embarassment.

"Set.... I see, thank you." Abasi lingered for a moment on the dark elf's name. He didn'tlike how much the name Set sounded like Seth. He never wanted to hear that name again.

Abasi made haste back to the inn, and Set followed him not speaking and then went on up the road to the not so secret headquarters. Abasi put on a proper shirt and he attached his mace to his belt. Opening a drawer he looked down at the half of the Crown of Medea. Holding it his eyes lingered in the stain of blood for a moment. He looked at himself in the reflection of the crown's metal. So this was the powerful Crown of Medea. Abasi shrugged and put it away in a pocket and left the inn.

An old abandoned school had been converted into the new Resistance headwuarters. Inside Set Apollyon, Maximus, Telador, Jasmine, Kathael, and a few soldiers stood at the ready. Sitting on a chair the Fox barked eagerly seeing them all. Abasi stopped in the midst of the room and crowd and bowed. Without saying a word he pulled the Crown piece out and laid it next to the Fox and bowed again.

"You have done very good Abasi." The Fox nodded approvingly.

"Commander, I am sorry, but I failed. One of ours betrayed us, Seth, and a new recruit in my care Tisias was captured by the Black Robes." Abasi stared at the floor in shame.

"No Abasi, you have not failed, you might have saved all of us." The Fox said and Abasi looked up at him. "This is the Crown of Medea, half of it anyways. We are going to make war with the Emperor. We are going to march into Kruel."

"My Commander, can we simply march into Kruel?" Kathael spoke up.

"Yes, I believe I have a plan that will work. I.....I have not been honest with you Abasi and Kathael, forgive me. I was not dishonest out of guile, but out of deep shame. Now that we have the Crown piece though we might have hope, we might be able to kill my brother, or at the least weaken him dramatically." The Fox took his turn to look down in shame.

"Commander, whatever do you mean?" Kathael took a step forward.

"I....I told you that my brother turned me into a fox all those years ago. That was a lie. I turned myself into a fox. I was so scared when he came to our island I didn't know what to do. I was still very young. He came in a fury like a hurricane. We thought he was a mosnter, we did not know he was one of our own. I-I watched him as he....killed our mother. I felt so defensless. I should have died right there defendign her. I.....I ran instead and turned myself into a Fox and escaped before he sunk our homeland. I am a coward, forgive me." The Fox told the truth about his real origins. At once magic twisted around him and he grew forming into a tall Blue Elf man sitting on a simple chair. He had a noble look abotu his face and long green hair. "I have hidden long enough. I am ready to die now to defeat my brother."

Everyone looked around shocked to see the transformation. Shocked to see a Blue Elf, a race with onyl two living members. Abasi and Kathael were shocked at the true story, but the others didn't seem to mind. Kel'Arboreal cast aside his mask of the Fox and became himself once more.

"So, what's the plan then? Are we going to use the Crown to jsut blast Moribidus to pieces?" Abasi smirked.

"No, I think he may be too powerful for that Abasi. We are goign to march on him and fight him as a distraction. We will insert a small team armed with the Crown to break into Kruel while we fight. The plan is to have them steal his Sword while he is not looking. My brother was never good at magic until he got that Sword he calls the Blackblade. I am certain it is the sole source of his strength. I believe it his the Sword of Medea." Kel'Arboreal plotted.

"I don't know, it seems like you're leaving an awful lot to chance." Set Apollyon interrupted sagely.

"This is true, but I have all ready expected that. I sent a message by magic to Kruel this morning. It should be arriving to my brother anytime today." Kel'Arboreal held up a magic mirror. Inside the mirror you could see distant lands moving past quickly. "This mirror let's us see everything the magical avatar sees. It seems it is halfway to Kruel now. I will challenge my brother to fight without his precious Sword. I know Kel'Atheal, Moribidus, I know him even though he has changed much. He is still arrogant and hot headed I am sure. I do not beleive he will miss this opportuntiy to kill me. I think he will kill me as well I may not survive this coming war, but I hope at the least we can get the Sword and use it on my brother, use it to kill him once we steal it. Use it to destroy all of his army."

"Commander if we are to distract him we will need mroe troops, the enemy army is vast and much better equipped." Kathael offered. "Let me go to Kiros and convince my father to send us some reinforcements."

"Yes, thank you Kathael, you may take a small crew and a ship and go to Dalarov. Make haste and return. I think this is a good plan, but we must be quick about it. Our troop movements will not go unnoticed. We must act quickly." Kel'Arboreal nodded and agreed.

"Ah this reminds me. I have a gift from your father Princess Kathael." Set Apollyon stepped forward and removed the legendary Blade of Ahmed and handed the high elf king's sword to her and she looked down at it in awe and wept a little.

"You have brought me the Sword of the Elves. For what reason is this?" Kathael stammered.

"I don't know, your old man wanted me to give it to you. Said he wanted to see you again. " Set Apollyon shrugged.

"And that remidns me of something" Kel'Arboreal laughed. "Abasi you must make haste and go back to the East on the coast to the city of Garan. An old friend needs to be extracted, and he specifically asked for you."

"A friend? You don't mean.....Redeye?" Abasi wondered then asked. Kel'Arboreal nodded and Abasi pumped his fist in the air with joy. "YES! I knew he was alive!"

Some minor nuances were discussed and the council ended its session. Kathael took a small group of Resistance fighters and enlisted Adonis to join her. She left early with another water spell on her boat from Maximus and set sail for Dalarov. Abasi was sent with another quick moving spell by boat to the much closer East city of Garan to reunite with his old comrade Redeye the Orc. Due to suspicion the Three Knights stayed in Typhoon and used their great battle and magic skills to train the soldiers pouring into Typhoon from all over the World.

A Day Later In the Land of Kruel.....

Dull steely grey skies calm, but gloomy surrounded Kruel. Emperor Moribidus sat upon his throne of slavery half asleep from boredom. Eeskwire entered the hall and Moribidus snapped to attention. The Rodian bowed before speaking.

"My Lord Black Robe Arythian has returned from his duty." Eeskwire bowed.

"Ah, yes finally some entertainment. Show him in Eeswire." Moribidus smiled.

Arythian walked in and bowed low. An arrogant smirk palyed across his young face. He withdrew a bag and opened it. Holding the ogre's head by the hair Arythian lifted the grizzled trophy up to the Emperor outstretched hands. Moribidus took the head of Gaunt and rammed his fist through the neck. Grotesquely he move the jaw like some sort of morbid puppet.

"You did well Arythian." Morbidus puppeted the head. "You're quick to betray your superiors would you betray me too?"

"I-No, of course not Emperor. I killed Gaunt because it was your will Your Highness." Arythian stumbled abit and bowed lowed.

"Good. I can sense a dark spirit in you Arythian. You will be promoted soon enough." Moribidus threw Gaunt's head back to Arythian.

"Thank you Your...." Arythian began but at once the gates burst open with a slam and a pale blue illuminescent magical copy of Kel'Arboreal walked into the throne roome. Moribidus jumped out of his seat and summoned the Sword from across the room. He pointed it threateningly at the magical version of his brother. Arythian jumped to the side in surprise and looked between the two.

"It has been a long time brother." The magical Kel'Arboreal nodded and smiled.

"So you survived all these years brother! Or is this your ghost? No matter I can still send you onto the next dimension." Moribidus lowered the sword and laughed.

"I am alive and well brother. It is I who has formed this Resistance against you. I am done hiding brother. I come to challenge you to a battle, let's settle this once and for all!" Kel'Arboreal declared.

"Ah finally accepted your fate have you? Mother accepted hers long ago. You always were a coward, this is why power never came to you brother. Very well how do you and your brigands want to die?" Moribidus laughed.

"Give us a week and we will march to Kruel ourselves. I discovered your secret brother. Your Sword is the source of your power. Come fight me without it if you have the balls, we'll see who is the real coward." Kel's arboreal spit magical blue spit on Moribidus.

"Ah, you miserable bastard. You think this Sword is my power?" Moribidus looked down at the Sword and saw the Wanderer silently pointing and laughing at him. "This trinket means nothing you fool. Come and ifght. My powers are supreme to yours without the Sword. I will toy with you first brother. I have a new toy that I have been dying to test out anyways." Moribidus stabbed the Sword into his throne and a magical seal like ice surrounded it.

"Your weopens and magic are strong brother, but all your subordinates are incompetants and slaves. My people are hardy warriors who have survived all the evil you have wrought on this World. After the champions of the Resistance crush your underling I will fight you one and one. Without your Sword you maybe powerful from years of experience but you never learned the magics of our people!" Kel'Arboreal defiantly responded.

"Yes, stay at the back of your army like a coward brother. I won't intervene. I'll watch with glee as your puppets are pitted against mine. Then I will find you and when I find you brother I will overpower you. I will make you my slave and defile you before I cannibalize you alive. You will have the worst fate of all my victims of this World and the next! You have one week to present yourself, if you chicken out this time brother I will find you the hard way and destroy every town between me and you." Moribidus puut both hands together and made the magical illusion of Kel'Arboreal explode. Far away in Typhoon Kel'Arboreal's magical mirror shattered.

"WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? GO GET PREPARED FOR THIS ONCOMING BATTLE YOU FOOL!" Moribidus zapped Arythian who was standing staring at the scene in wonder with a sadistic smile on his face. He yelped in pain with a painful blast of red lightning striking him in the arm making it go numb and useless for hours. The young Black Hood ran from the hall with haste to prepare his assigned battallion of the army.

Abasi had left as soon as the order was issued, after saying his farewells to his comrades; his brothers and sisters in arms. He said a hearty farewell to Sir Maximus, who returned the good will, and a flattering goodbye to Lady Jasmine. He and Adonis made a salute, and Abasi had a hard time trying to figure out which of Telador’s hands to shake. The most genuine, and possibly most meaningful and endearing farewell was to his friend Kathael, whom he knew the longest out of this raggedy old band of warriors. He readied the sails, the coastal breeze beckoning him ever closer to the east. So it really was time to pick up old Redeye, huh? That orc was one of the best damn warriors in the Resistance. He was ferocious, resilient, and surprisingly enough for an orc, honorable. The two of them joined the Resistance together. Apparently his reason was that Moribidus had completely torn his land apart until it was just a pile of ash floating on top of the ocean. Wherever his homeland was, it must have been where the Tainted Sea now lies. The sky forever blanketed in dark clouds and smoke, the air shrouded in mist and the sea thick with dead creatures and gross muddy waters… the mud likely being the ash of the mountains and his people.

Abasi had undone the ropes that tied the small ship to the docks. Just before setting sail, just before he pushed his foot against the dock, a walking stick from a robed, hooded frail old man hooked onto the boat. Abasi jumped slightly, his hand firmly gripped to his mace. Abasi looked at the man up and down. He couldn’t see one bit of him, no skin showed. He ever wore fingerless gloves that showed a wrinkly… green complexion…
“Halt,” Abasi ordered, “stand down; you are interfering with official business. Who are you?”

Abasi’s eye travelled down the mysterious man’s arm and all the way towards his walking stick, which had shown to be more along the lines of a staff which was shown by mysterious arcane runes etched into it. The wood of the staff was dark, and the gripping was undoubtedly swoop leather. Swoops, being massive, cursed carrion birds that preyed on anything dead or alive. Adventurers often felt sudden feelings of nausea and uneasiness whenever a swoop draws near. The green tinted black leather gave Abasi such a feeling of uneasiness. The head of the staff seemed to fork off into two different directions, and either side was tipped with an odd, dark green metal. Abasi gripped his mace even tighter.

The stranger had made no noise except for a low, silent laughter, as if remembering an old joke.

“Speak!” Abasi demanded.

“Why are you so serious?” The stranger asked, his voice sounded scratchy and old, and definitely did not sound like a normal citizen by any means.

“You are interfering with my mission. Stand aside, or else.”

The stranger was silent for just a moment, and spoke in a hushed, hurried voice. “Where is it that you’re going?”

“…I’m going to the city of Garan in the East.” Abasi replied hesitantly.

The stranger was silent once more, and the pause was longer than before, as if trying to decide something. After what seemed to be half a minute of awkward silence, the stranger’s head rose, revealing the face of what was clearly a small goblin. “Then you’ll need me to come along.”

Abasi looked appalled. “Do you honestly think I’m going to let some citizen journey with me to the desert lands?”

“Yes,” the goblin said snidely, “because you will. You will need my assistance, I assure you.”

Abasi looked the goblin up and down suspiciously. He was dressed in ragged white robes with black and purple symbols from an ancient alphabet littering the cloth. The goblin didn’t look safe, or at least, it looked capable of treachery. “I believe that would be unwise.”

“Unwise?” The goblin remarked. “Of course it is. But what little choice do you have, anubite?”

“I am not and anubite!” Abasi snarled with his mace drawn.

“The two species are one and the same, it matters not what you are. If you believe killing General Skar is the only way fixing it, or satisfying your own taste for revenge, that alone makes you an anubite.”

Abasi’s jaw dropped just slightly, and he lowered his weapon. His harsh eyes and tongue slowly softened. “How did you know…”

“I watch.” The goblin said. “I keep a close eye on Moribidus’ generals. How funny it is that each generation of his soldiers are more reckless and foolish than the last. Moribidus is measuring them solely on their cruelty.”

Abasi just gazed at the goblin wide-eyed with curiosity. “Who are you? What is your name?”

“Vokky Boulroki.” The goblin bowed. “A wandering sorcerer of the ancient magics.”

“General Abasi Chol’kaju of the Resistance. Ancient magics?”

“Old magic. Old, old, old. Think nothing of it for now. You’ll need some help,” he told him, “and what better assistance can I provide than what it is you lack? Magic.”

“Magic,” Abasi spat, “I’d rather get the job done without parlor tricks.”

Abasi turned his head back towards the sea. “Well, we’re wasting time.” He said. “If you want to get on board goblin, I suggest you do it now before I make the departure without you.”

“Yes general,” Vokky laughed.

So did the two of them depart, and along the journey, while the boat slowly made its way towards the center of the sea, Abasi kept a close eye on the mysterious goblin. It would take another day or two before they would arrive, so he and Redeye should be coming back by the time everyone’s readying for the final battle. His mind was distracted by the goblin’s mention of “ancient sorcery”, and the more he thought about it, the more confused and suspicious he became, so he tried to distract himself with chores, and his own studies. Abasi was mostly walking around the ship, getting various jobs done, such as navigating, steering, checking the sails and other things while Vokky mostly sat in a chair reading one of his many books, or just simply sitting there staring into the distance. Only once has he been seen doing something else, and that was when he seemed to be writing on a large piece of parchment. Abasi recalled Vokky mentioning one time that he was a mapmaker in his spare time, and made edits to his recording of the world as he wandered the lands. Abasi got few breaks, and he finally settled down for good not too long after sunset. When he wasn’t working, such as now, he was in his cabin staring at a jar of sand and an old book that he managed to smuggle out of the Necropolis from his ancestor’s tomb.

“Dans vader, dans ma, leer om weer te lewe.” He murmured, staring intently at the jar of sand. But nothing of interest had occured. He murmured the phrase once more. Still, nothing happened. He murmuring developed into pleading, his silent voice grew almost desperate. His voice became more frantic, and his heart full of passion and hope. The upper layer of sand appeared to stir for just a split second, until the goblin stepped into his cabin and wrecked Abasi’s concentration. Neither Abasi, nor Vokky seemed aware of the sand in the jar.

“I thought you’d rather get things done without said parlor tricks.” Vokky commented snidely before entering Abasi’s cabin and taking a seat at his table.

“Hush now, tidbit.” Abasi growled before regaining his composure. “I want to at least say I’ve tried.”

Vokky nodded and looked into Abasi’s book. “I can slightly decipher the text, but I can’t say I recognize the magic you’re practicing.” He commented. “This is a strange way of interpreting magic.”

“This is the old magic of my people,” Abasi told him, “it’s earth magic founded off philosophy.”

Vokky nodded, trying to understand based off the small amount of information being given to him. “So the magic you’re practicing has no specific incantations?”

“I suppose that is so. It’s the philosophy of perspective.”

Vokky raised an eyebrow. “What are you perspecting then? What is the philosophy?”

“It’s complicated,” Abasi admitted, “it’s some philosophy that has grown with my specie’s culture. It’s simple to us, and incoherant to other races.”

“What’s the philosophy then?” Vokky conjectured.

Abasi thought for a moment on how to put his words sensitively. “Alright, imagine if you will – you, your family, and all that you are is one and the same with the desert. Every grain of sand is a dead relative, a loved one, and the rest of your entire species. As soon as you perceive this, and learn how to talk to them, it’s supposed to be easy and simple, to manipulate the sands. Your family following your movements and doing as you ask if you’re in their favor.”

“So it is like praying?” Vokky suggested.

“I suppose so.”

Vokky was silent for a moment, and encaptured in thought. “That is completely illogical.”

“Whether or not you’re religious doesn’t allow you to determine—“

“I’ve educated myself in many religions; I am not talking about praying. The concept of being ‘one with the desert’ is inconceivable. And if that philosophy is so simple to you, how is it you cannot perform this feat?”

“Like I said,” Abasi replied, “it’s complicated.”

Vokky leaned back, rather unconvinced by Abasi’s story and opened up his own tome. As he did, a flash of purple appeared for just a moment in the goblin’s eyes before returning to normal. Abasi didn’t notice this and began thinking to himself. If Redeye caught him practicing magic, he’d be sorely disappointed. The two of them were hardy warriors, not well-dressed magicians. If anybody else he knew saw him, he’d be a laughing stock. His proud reputation would be ruined. He closed the book for just a moment in defiance, and then an idea struck in his head. “Maybe...” he murmured to himself.

He was able to perceive as if every grain of sand was his ancestor, but was it possible that he simply didn’t believe it? If he were caught in a situation right now, and he asked the sand for help, would it be simply hope? A hopeful passion, yes, but it was different than the passion that desperation brought, when you believe that the sands can help. Faith. You know they will. There wouldn’t be any way he could control magic if he simply hoped it would work.

He had to know.

But like a God, it was hard to make oneself believe. How would he do it? He sat the tome aside and removed his gear before turning to face the goblin. “I’m going to bed. Out.”

Vokky Boulroki the goblin nodded and slammed the large book shut before walking out the door and closing it behind him. Abasi walked towards the door, and locked it shut. It was true, he still did not trust the stranger. The goblin claimed to be a sorcerer, and claimed to have extensive knowledge that still hung over his head. How could the goblin be trusted? He wrapped the chain that held the key around his hand, and gripped the key tightly before laying his head against the pillow. And as quick as a whistle, the Resistance general was out like a light.


The morning came quickly to Abasi, and soft rays of light shone through the cabin window into his face before being extinguished. That burst of light however, was all Abasi needed to awaken. He rolled over in bed trying to get some extra sleep.

“You’re a curious one, you are.” A voice said aloud.

Abasi jumped from his bed and leaped over to where the voice sounded from, and with his key in hand, pressed the tip against the side of his intruder’s head. That’s when he realized that the intruder was the goblin Vokky. In compelte and utter shock, he let go of the chain, leaving the key hanging from his wrist. Abasi turned to look at the door and back at the key. The door was unlocked. “That’s impossible!” He exclaimed. “That door can only be opened with this key!”

“Yes, I know.” Vokky mused.

“What are you doing in here!” He snarled. “This isn’t some assassination attempt, is it?”

“Oh please,” Vokky said dryly, “don’t be daft.” The goblin pointed towards Abasi’s book full of queer methods of magic. “I wanted to get a better look at that book. I’m afraid I still don’t understand it. I am a practician of many forms of magic, let me tell you, but that one still escapes me. I’m intrigued.”

“How did you get in here?” Abasi demanded.

“Oh, I was getting to that. Like I said, you’re a curious one. Your mind is well protected, I couldn’t sway you one bit. It took a bit of puppeteering for me to get in.”

“What?” He said legitmately confused. His anger still lingered.

“You helped me get in.”

“Elaborate already, you skinny bag of bones.”

Vokky sighed. “It is simple,” he said slowly as if he were talking to a child, “I manipulated your body to have you open the door for me. When I got in, I had you back in bed. Sim-ple.”

Abasi’s jaw had been dropped once more, and was completely appalled. Had this goblin seriously just done what he says he done? He was consumed by a massive flurry of emotions. Rage, confusion, amazment, distrust, awe – but he was also quite furious. Manipulation seems almost as bad and frowned upon as necromancy. Abasi stepped forward and grabbed the goblin’s robe before pulling him over and hanging him over the boat’s edge, leaving Vokky flailing his skinny limbs to and thro. “Give me two good reasons why I shouldn’t leave you stranded in the ocean right now!” Abasi snarled.

Vokky looked around and below him, and quite nonchalantly said, “Well, for starters, you’ll regret it.” Abasi, in response, let go of him for just a split second before catching him again by the hood.

“And two, it won’t work anyways.” Vokky smiled.

As if to test this theory, Abasi did in fact let go of him to drop him into the seawater below. Vokky screamed in firght for just a second and just before the goblin even touched the surface of the sea however, Vokky appeared to be devoured by a horde of purple and black pixelization, and appeared right next to Abasi once more.

Abasi looked surprised. “You teleport? So that’s how you really got in.”

“For your information,” Vokky said, starting to correct him, “actual teleportation is impossible. What I just did was displacment, which doesn’t always work out the way you want it to.”

“How so...” Abasi asked with a newfound suspicion.

“Well, you don’t always go where you want to – that’s teleportation. I could’ve ended up at the bottom of the ocean, inside a volcano, or worse, inside the Emporer’s palace.”

“So either way, you used displacment to enter my cabin.” Abasi suggested sagely.

“Oh heavens, no, far too risky. Like I said, I used you.”

Abasi snarled, and made a point to tell him to never do that again, which he promptly agreed to. Abasi marched his way to the wheel and looked towards the horizon, and the coastal city of Garan was just at the edge of vision. It was a cloudy day, and the wind was blowing strong. It would take a good hour more to reach their docks. He rolled the wheel towards the right, and the mast shifted, directing the sails towards their destination, so that he could meet up with his old friend Redeye. He heard he was locked up in a small cot in the middle of the desert, not too far from the town, trying to stay undercover and away from the prying eyes of the Black Hoods, and their Robes. Let alone the Black Hand, and General Skar who wrought terror around these parts.

As the boat made its advance, the city came ever closer. It took very little time for them to reach Garan’s docks, and tie up a couple of ropes to the docks. It would be best if they got their business done as quickly as possible. Garan was infamously known as a city full of theives and rogues. “Stick close, and don’t say a word.” Abasi whispered to Vokky. Abasi pulled an old brown hood over his head to hide his face. It’s been a while since he’s been here, and his specie would be a rare sight indeed. Odds were that Skar was stilling hunting down every last man, woman or child of his kind. The two travelled through the outskirts of Garan, ignoring the beggers and sly characters that came around. They reached the edge of the city and Abasi looked out into the desert. About a half-mile out, a small sandstone igloo-like structure stood under the hot sun. The beggars around here were far too pitiful to extort anything from, so the Black Hoods likely never came out this far, or at least not for long.

The two nodded as they pushed themselves through the loose hot sand and shifting dunes to reach the residence. It was hard, and the sun beat down harshly upon their backs. Abasi was used to this climate, and almost welcomed it. But on an old goblin like Vokky, it was difficult. “Say, Vokky...” Abasi said.

“Yes?” The goblin replied between heavy breaths.

“Moribidus made magic illegal, and it just occured to me. How is it that a citizen like you knows such an extensive amount of magic and not get caught?”

There was a long pause before Vokky responded accordingly. “...I try not to get caught.” He told him, although it felt like he was leaving something out. “I travel the roads and the woods. The secret police tends to make their searches through cities, not along the roads. Long have I fortold that would help lead to their downfall.”

“Fortold?” Abasi asked. “Who have you been telling?”

“Oh, stories to childrens and adults alike and whatnot.” Vokky tacked in quickly.

“I see... well, that’s all. I was just curious. The world is a dangerous place now.”

“Now?” Vokky commented inquistively. “It’s always been dangerous, Moribidus or no Moribidus. The Emporer is just a phase in the World, a phase that will be gone in a blink of an eye.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Look for yourself,” he said, “he’s arrogant, and ignorant of the dangers poised against him, ignorant of fate, and ignorant of the danger he poses to himself.”

“To himself? You act as if you know him.”

“I know of him. I’ve seen him. He’d rather destroy himself than be humiliated in front of the world by a simple mortal.”

“Vokky...” Abasi started, “who are you?”

“I believer in something greater than a fool, that is all. We’re here now. Go get your friend so we can get out of this blasted desert.”

“Fine. Come inside, it’ll be cooler.”

“A stone oven in the middle of a desert? I think not.”

Abasi smiled as he moved away a boulder that acted as a slab. “I don’t think you’re aware of how people used to make houses in the desert before – or how intelligent Redeye actually is, despite being an orc.”

Abasi climbed into the igloo and disappeared as he appeared to jump down. Vokky had his curisity piqued, and looked inside. Sure enough, the room inside extended downwards under the earth and away from the baked sand that crusted the surface. Instead of jumping down like Abasi, he took what appeared to be a more logical solution – climbing down the ladder. Meanwhile, an orc looked up from the book he was reading at the sound of loud thump as Abasi landed on the ground. Momentarily shocked, he realized that the person was no Black Hood, but Abasi! His captain!

“Abasi!” Redeye cheered with delight. Abasi responded with laughter, and the two warriors wrapped their arms around the other’s shoulder in a hearty hug. “Where have you been you old mutt! I thought you said you were going to bring me a ship immedietly?”

Abasi laughed. “I apologize, we’ve been seriously caught up in the meantime.”

“Such as?” Redeye smirked.

“Besides sinking one of the General’s ships and fighting our way through a horde of ten thousand zombies in an underground chasm?”

Redeye laughed and engaged Abasi in the ultimate warrior high five of ultimate manliness. It was at this point that Vokky finally got down from the stairs and straightened himself out before meeting Redeye in greeting. However, that chance didn’t really happen. “Stop your dilly-dallying, Vokky! It’s time to leave already. We have to get back to the ship.”

Redeye didn’t seem to hear Abasi and was caught up in gazing at Vokky’s staff, despite his general disdain for magic and its practioners. “Is that orcish metal?” He asked the goblin, sliding his finger along the green tinted metal on the tip of the staff.

“Indeed so.”

Redeye’s finger slid to the top, where the flesh split easily like butter, and a small trickle of blood ran down his hand. However, it didn’t seem to bother him. In fact, Redeye laughed. “Haha! It is!”

Abasi sighed and set his hand in the air. “I’m sorry to intrude on this moment here, but we seriously need to get going very soon.”

“Already?” Vokky asked inquisitively.

“I must agree with the small one,” Redeye said, “why must you go so soon?”

“Redeye, it’s time that we’re setting this war in earnest.”

“What?” Redeye’s eyes widedened in dis belief.

“Kel—“ Abasi bit his tongue, “The Fox decided that we are going to be marching on Kruel soon.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Redeye said, his once cheerful tone was replaced, and his voice was serious as serious could get. The orc gathered his gear and supplies. His belt had two war axes on either side, and he bore a large claymore that settled on his back that lay underneathe a big backpack. The muscular orc wore a shirt with many layers of chainmail underneath, and metal boots reinforced his feet, and clawed metal gauntlets accented his brutish hands.

Abasi nodded and started to climb up the ladder before Vokky spoke up. “You’re not going to win.”

“We have little choice,” Abasi retorted.

“He’ll consume you all. Fate would have it so that the Resistance would be reduced to nothing but an orphanage for half-dead soldiers with burned souls.”

“Shut it!” Redeye roared.

“You have friends waiting for you outside.” Vokky warned the both of them ominously. Abasi and Redeye looked at each other for a moment, before climbing up the ladder furiously, followed by Vokky. Abasi stumbled out of the desert home and before his eyes stood General Skar and a platoon of his own anubite soldiers. Redeye followed close behind and Vokky slowly crawled out. Skar’s mischevious smile greeted all three of them. “Well, well, well. General Abasi and Captain Redeye! How please I am to finally see you lot again.” He turned to face the goblin runt. “And I see you’ve brought pets.”

Vokky stayed silent, seemingly untouched by the insult, but Abasi snarled. “You monster. You killed my people!”

Skar yawned. “Huh? Oh. Hm, yes. It appears I did. You’re a disgusting lot, I’ll have you know. Inbreeding with the humans? Disgusting, it really is.”

“It’s no use Abasi, we can’t fight him now. Especially not with so many men guarding him.” Redeye told him in his ear. Abasi growled in resignation. He hated to admit it, but he was right. Skar was beyond his own abilities right now, and they were vastly outnumbered.

“I think you’re right!” Skar said joviacally. “Go on Meshin, give them a sample.”

A large anubite carrying a massive battleaxe charge forward with his axe overhead. Redeye and Abasi took a step back, and then an wrinkly green hand shot forward from Vokky. Almost immedietly, the anubite’s once large muscles deteriorated into what could be compared to the muscles of an old man, and he seemed to be just skin and bone by this point, his strength has been sapped. The anubite fell over from the weight of the battle axe, and Vokky watched the weakened anubite struggle in the sand. Abasi couldn’t help but notice that the goblin was full of surprises, and he found his jaw dropped once more.

“You are not to harm these two while they are under my protection, General Skar. Moribidus has chosen a fool for his general.”

“Why you little!” Skar yelled in rage while both of his hands were engulfed in massive red flames.

“Halt, Skar!” Abasi called out. “Do you know of my culture’s philosophy?”

“What philosophy?” He spat.

“Every single grain of sand here in this desert is my ancestor. Did you know that? A dead realtive. Surely you wouldn’t want to enrage them.”

“HA!” Skar laughed. “Then I guess it’s time to make the desert a little larger!” Skar let loose a massive fireball, and instinctively Abasi spun around in what seemed to be a dance while murmuring the words, “Dans met die vlamme.”

Streams of sand synchronised with Abasi’s hands and a tornado, or a funnel of sorts engulfed the three of them and Skar’s fire simply meshed in with the funnel. The sand and earth beneath Abasi, Redeye, and Vokky collapsed, leaving the three of them to sink beneath the earth, and into an underground tunnel. As the sand and fire disappeared, Skar found that the three of them disappeared. Esceped from his grasp.

“DAMN YOU ABASI!” Skar shouted with all his might. His wailing was heard from even under the ground. Redeye, first in awe at what has happened, turned around to Abasi.

“Magic!” Redeye yelled. “You’ve been practicing magic!”

“Relax old friend, it got us out of there alive. Besides... it is the old magics of my people. Surely you wouldn’t deprive me of my heritage.”

Redeyed sighed with resignation and turned around, looking around the place he put them in. Vokky was the first to speak up concerning this. “Where are we, general?”

Abasi nodded and marched forward, signalling the other two to following him. “Skar wasn’t the first to attempt a mass genocide of my people, thogugh I admit, he has been the most effective. It was many years ago during the days of old Medea. My people built large underground tunnels as means of transporation and escape. Many of these tunnels still exist today.”

“Where do they lead?” Redeye asked.

“Everywhere. All over this continent. Garan should be just ahead. We should hurry before Skar makes it back. We must reach Typhoon at all costs.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Vokky intruded. “Get us out of here.”

In the Wilderness of the Northern Continent....

Quite crisp was the afternoon air of the north. Shimmerring sunlight danced across the lazy lapping waves of a small lake. Lowering his massive head, the dragon Kilamondread happily drank up the cool water. Locke sat nearby rubbing his exposed arms trying to regain some warmth. Tisias woke up after being unconscious for a period of several days.

Looking around in a daze Tisias expected to see the dark halls of Kruel. Instead his face turned upward towards the smiling sun high in the sky. A shiver went down his body as he looked down at his exposed skin. The memory of Lythe's torture briefly quaked through his body. For a moment Tisias wondered if perhaps he was dead and this was heaven. Kilamondread sighed with relief after finishing his drink and Tisias in surprise jumped. He looked down and noticed he was on the back of the gigantic dragon. Peering over the side of the beast, Tisias jumped in fright again seeing the lizardman sitting down below. At first he mistaked him for Lythe. Then doing a cautious double-take Tisias noticed that the lizardman lacked the characteristic black robe.

"HEY! Where am I?" Tisias shouted down to the lizardman, who jumped up, stumbled, almost fell, then corrected himself and stood to face Tisias.

"I'm not too sure myself. Somewhere in the North. Kilamondread was thirsty so we stopped down here. Seems isolated enough, there isn't a town for miles. We should be safe here." Locke explained quickly rushing over his words. "I'm sorry, how are you? Are you feeling better?"

"How do I get down from here?" Tisias yelled back.

"Oh my bad, I didn't think you'd wake up so soon." Locke mumbled and raised his hands pointing them at Tisias. Tisias eyes widened as he felt an invisible hand clasp around his body, gently levitating him down to the ground.

"Y-you're Locke, right? They said you are my father." Tisias stood up straighter, and his expression hardened.

"Err, yes, I am your father." Locke's face flushed pale and he looked downward somewhat ashamed. Tisias deftly punched Locke in the jaw with his exposed skinny fingers. The punch hurt Tisias hand somewhat. Locke spit out some blood and looked back at Tisias. "I deserved that."

"Why did you walk out on my mother?!" Tisias howled.

"I...That....It was a long time ago son." Locke stammered and Tisias belted him in the face again

"Don't call me son. You never raised me. I'm not your son!" Tisias spat.

"I'm sorry. That is fair. Look Tisias, I can't change the past or what happened. We are on the run now, Moribidus and Lythe will surely hunt us down for the rest of our days. We are going to have to work together." Locke resolved.

"Is that all you have? Apologies and excuses? Damnit, tell me why you abandoned mom and me!" Tisias shouted, tears of anger began welling up.

"I.....All right, but hear me out." Locke stated and Tisias tersely nodded showing he would listen. Locke sighed and removed his shirt. All across his chest were various scars. Tisias' anger faded slightly seeing his dad's grizzled body. Locke pointed to a blueish scar in the shape of an owl obviously caused by magic. "I recieved this scar the day you were born. Your grandpa Euxodus never really liked me. When he first found out about me and your mother dating he'd chase me away. I always came back though. The day you were born he came after me and jinxed me so hard I couldn't walk for a week." Locke turned around and pointed to a similar owl scar on his back. "Euxodus forbade your mom from seeing me. I got this scar the last time I saw you. I snuck into your mother's room to see you. You were such a cute baby. Your grandpa though must have heard us talking and he cursed the shit out of me. I got this scar when he blasted me clear through the wall. He beat me so throughly that night that I almost died myself."

"Don't you blame my grandpa! You are telling me you couldn't have seen me after he died?" Tisias crossed his arms. Part of him wanted to laugh at this story, part of him wanted to throttle Locke just like Euxodus had done years ago.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blame Euxodus. He was a good man. He just didn't like me all too much. Things back then were different though Tisias. Not long after that happened my brother Lythe found out about my son, about you. You've all ready seen what Lythe is like. He's always been a maniac." Locke pointed to several scars obviosuly made by torture. "He also beat the hell out of me. Not a year later Moribidus came to power. Lythe signed up for his army immediately. He dragged me along as well. Once I was in Moribidus' army I couldn't go back."

"You didn't have to join that foul bastard's army in the first place!" Tisias said indignantly.

"I can see that now. Things were different back then though. Many people saw Moribidus as a liberator. A uniter of the World. And like I said, Lythe pretty much forced me to join. He would go on and on about how I had to redeem my 'racial pride.' He threatened to kill me, to track you down and kill you if I did not join. Anyways though, I was never a very good soldier. No doubt I would have been executed if it weren't for Kilamondread here." Locke put his shirt back on. "I suppose being the only person in the World that can speak dragon is what kept the Emperor from killing me."

"You can speak to dragons?" Tisias anger faded away washed over by curiosity as he looked up at the dragon looking down at them.

"Oh yes. Kilamondread is probably my only real friend." Locke smiled for the first time.

"Will he still fly us around?" Tisias asked, a plan began formulating in his mind. "Ask him if he will take us to the Northern Ice Fields. They can't be too far from here."

"Let me ask him." Locke cleared his throat and spoke in the dragon language to Kilamondread. The last of the dragons stomped a massive foot and roared in response. Tisias cowered slightly covering his ears. Locke's face turned slightly pink as he blushed.

"What did he say?" Tisias uncovered his ears and looked at Locke's expression.

"He said....He said that he also was ashamed of his father and that he will take us wherever Tisias wants to go." Locke looked downcast again.

"Look Locke.... I'm not too angry with you, you did save me I guess. It's just that won't take back all the years you were missing. Understand? Maybe we can at least become friends. I plan on getting my grandpa's staff back from the scuzzy evil bastard Lythe. Will you help me?" Tisias looked sternly at his father. He always imagined for years what he might do if he ever met the father that abandoned him. Something about seeing Locke and hearing his story though made him feel something of pity for his father. Locke wasn't evil like he had imagined him. He just seemed kind of worthless and broken.

"Oh, wait! I almost forgot." Locke's face smiled again and he bent down and picked up the knife containing Tisas' wand off the ground and handed it to Tisias. "I managed to grab this before we escaped."

Later that night in Typhoon...

Kel'Arboreal had just fallen asleep late at night. All day long he had been drilling his army with Maximus, Telador, and Jasmine. Spirits were high in Typhoon. Resistance members from all around the World were flowing into the city. Word had spread that they were going to confront Moribidus, and several new recruits gladly signed up. The Resistance army was over two thousand strong, and growing by the day.

A candle flickered in the dark room as Kel'Arboreal slept. A massive figure very silently enterred Kel'Arboreal's door and shut it ever so slowly and quietly. The figure stepped forward and snuffed out the candle with his fingers. Rhythian lowered his hood looking down at the blue elf. Withdrawing a small white cloth coated in a sleeping poison, he covered it around Kel'Arboreal's face. The blue elf woke up and struggled under Rhythian's strong grasp for a moment before falling limp and asleep.

Rhythian put the cloth away and picked the Resistance leader up, slinging him over his massive ceratur shoulder. Looking around cautiously, the chief Black Hand dropped Kel'Arboreal out the window. Then he stepped out the window and picked the sleeping blue elf up. Creeping along the side of the building slowly Rhythian made his way from the shadow of the headquarters to the wall of another building. He crept through the city house by house until he was nearly to the city gate.

In a little bit of haste Rhythian stepped around the corner of the last building preparing to make his dash for the wilderness with his prisoner. Just as he stepped around the corner a fist conencted with the side of Rhythian's head staggering him. A quick kick to the chest winded him making him drop Kel'Arboreal. Rhythian stumbled to his feet, clutching his chest where the kick had broken a rib.

"Leaving so soon?" Set Apollyon smirked before delivering another kick to Rhythian's legs.

The ceratur did two backflips to dodge an incoming flurry of punches from the dark elf. Standing and smirking himself Rhythian nodded approvingly. Then the ceratur rushed forward. Setting up a combo of punches Rhythian and Set Apollyon began to fight. The dark elf was quicker and managed to deflect or dodge most of the punches. One strong punch from Rhythian made conenction to the dark elf's face and dropped him to the ground.

Apollyon recovered quickly and leapt up in one motion kicking Rhythian in the stomach. The ceratur huffed out and then leapt back into the fight. In a blur of limbs the two continually blocked and punched at one another. People were now beginning to wake up and gather around at the sound of the commotion. Rhythian connected another fist to Apollyon's face causing the dark elf to stumble back a few steps clutching the left side of his bruised face. Rhythian lowered his head and charged the dark elf. His sharp horn ready to gore the brave fighter. Just as Rhythian reached Set, the dark elf in the nick of time grabbed onto the horn. Using it as leverage, Apollyon swung around, let go of the horn and kicked Rhythian hard in the back. Rhythian returned the blow with a quick elbow to Appolyon's chest as he turned around to face him. Set crumpled to the ground. Rhythian lifted up his massive leg, prepared to deliver a death kick.

"Enough!" Maximus yelled out as he, Jasmine, and Telador rushed to the scene weapons drawn. The Resistance fighters all around began powering up spells, notching arrows, and aiming all their weapons and magic at Rhythian. Just before the mob could annhilate Rhythian, the crafty ceratur held up a rusty red rock. Some of the crowd gasped and began to back away.

"You know what this is?" Rhythian asked and the rock glowed red. "It's a Combustite Crystal. If I drop this everything within a mile radius will explode. I have a proposition for you."

"Yea, what's that?" Set Apollyon asked cautiously.

"You are an honorable fighter. Let me leave here. Let me heal myself. Let us fight a fair fight." Rhythian offered.

"This is Rhythian! Moribidus' most feared assassin. We can't just let him walk out of here after trying to kidnap our leader!" Telador spoke up.

"Ah, Telador, Maximus, and Jasmine, I see the rumors were not wrong. You really did survive." Rhythian laughed. "Well you don't really have much of a choice now do you. I will not be captured alive. Either you let me go or I kill myself, and probably a couple hundred of ya'll."

"Why don't you join us instead? Help us fight Moribidus." Kel'Arboreal groaned a little bit groggily getting up to his feet.

"I am sorry. Even though I respect all of your courage I swore an oath to Moribidus that if he allows me alone to fight the physically strongest fighter in the World that I would serve him." Rhythian laughed a little bit. "Now that I have met this dark elf here I can tell he is the only one even close enough to rival my fighting skills. Had you not caught me off guard this would have been a much better fight. The best I can do is swear right now that I will not kill a single person until I fight this dark elf and we establish who is trully the greatest fighter in the World. "

"I accept your challenge!" Set Apollyon declared.

"Good. Rest up and train well worthy adversary. I have learned while spying on you all that a battle is imminent. I know a place not far from the battlefield where we can duel. It is a small hill with one lone tree on it. The only tree in the whole land of Kruel. This will make an appropriate place to fight." Rhythian explained.

"My lord, you're not just going to let him walk out of here are you?" Telador turned to Kel'Arboreal exasperatedly.

"We have little choice here. Rhythian, all of us are witnesses to your challenge. We will hold you to your oath not to kill a single person until you and Set fight." Kel'Arboreal turned to Rhythian.

"I will not break my oath. I have never broken my word in my life. So your name is Set. I am Rhythian. I am honored to finally meet an honorable fighter who fights only with his body and not with cowardly magic." Rhythian bowed low respectfully to Set Apollyon.

"You seem like a rather honorable man for someone that is in the service of Moribidus. I am honored to meet the only real warrior in the Black Order." Apollyon smirked and returned the gracious bow.

"I'd say you probably would have dodged my death kick. Plus you msot certainly broke a rib." Rhythian touched his chest gingerly. "I will say you won this round Set. I will train hard for our fight. I will take my leave now." Rhythian bowed again and backed away slowly until he was past the gate. Melding into the night darkness Rhythian made haste to Kruel to heal hismelf and prepare for the fight he has waited for all his life.

At the Cetan City of Cahedio Far to the frigid North....

Here in the remote north the Cetans people had there secret city of Cahedio. The furthest city North in basically a waste land of cold, snow, and ice was a perfect hide away for the Cetan people when they were otherwise not abroad. Almost all the buildings were made of the permanant ice and frost of the region. It had been only a small village in the days after Medea. Under the dark times elsewhere in the World though it had grown into a magnificent bustling city. There was a small minority of other races, mostly mages whom had fled or bribed their way to the Cahedio and with their help much improvement came to the settlement as well as a thriving production hub for many of the illegal artifacts circulating in the World. With abundant supplies of seal, walrus, penguin, and seafood the starvation known in the outside World was not a reality here.

The Cetan people actually made out well being rather resistant to the cold. The region was impassable for ordinary ships. Cetans had the most superior ship design of the era, fastening magicaly metal plating to the front of their ships to break through the ice of the north with ease. This in part was why Cetans valued their ship beyond all other things in ths World, besides it being their home on the Seas. To lose ones ship you might lose your ticket back to the prosperous sanctuary of Cahedio.

In the bustling city markets a shadow passed above and the people looked up and began to panic, scrambling every which way. A dragon, a creature not seen by a Cetan in over 100 years swooped past and turned. It was heading back towards the town and passed low again. The mighty beast landed inland on the outside of the frozen jewel Cahedio. A small plain of snow and ice was on the inland side of the city. Just outside the plain three large mountains cut off the small peninsula from the rest of the North Continent. Between these lands were a large barren tundra and mountain formations for many miles. It was more difficult to reach Cahedio by land than by the grinding sea of iceburgs.

Tisias and Locke lowered themselves off of Kilamondread. The mighty last dragon roaored and ascended into the sky. He flew happily and freely out of sight to explore the nearby mountains until Locke called upon him. Some level of activity resumed as they walked into the city. There were no walls around the city since it was generally assumed nature was the best wall of all. Tisias and Locke were actually the first people to ever arrive to the city without escort of a Cetan. People murmured and looked amazed at the two strange figures. Tisias smiling at their reaction warm from a spell he cast on himself. Locke shiverring violently in his shirt desperately rubbing his arms. Lizardmen are the most intolerant to the cold, and one has never set foot this far to the North before. Immediately some guards regained their composure and surrounded the two wielding speas and halberds.

"You! You two came with that dragon! What is the meaning of this?" One of the orca type guards said flabbergastted.

"We come in peace seeking refuge. I am Tisias, friend of Captain Siku." Tisias bowed and made a strange gesture with his hands. Locke tried to bow as best he could shaking violently and turning a dark purple.

"We will see about that soon enough. Matter of fact Captain Siku just docked here not two days ago." a braver dolphin type Cetan guard declared and walked off. The other guards eased.

"You look cold." The orca guard laughed at Locke shaking like a leaf and cast a spell making a bubble of hot air surround him.

"Thank you." Locke sighed with relief and his color began to turn back to green slowly.

After several moments the dolphin guard accompanied by Siku, Miki, and the whole crew of Cetan sailors under Siku marched through the crystalline streets of Cahedio. Siku broke out into a run, a look of curiosity and shock was on everyone's face as they neared Locke and Tisias. Siku came to a dead stop and looked up and down at Tisias, a look of shock on his face. He turned and looked at Locke, an expression of disgust mixed with his expression.

"Tisias. By the depths of the Sea! Is that really you?!" Siku looked at Tisias his heart bursting.

"It is, I am alive. Locke saved me, we escaped Kruel." Tisias nodded, his expression broke into a smile

"It really is him boys! He's alive!" Siku turned and shouted to the rest of the Cetans catching up to him, and the crowd of curious on lookers emerging from their abodes. "TISIAS IS ALIVE! HE ESCAPED THE DUNGEONS OF THE DAMNED EMPEROR AND EVEN CAPTURED HIS DRAGON!" Siku crowed at the top of his voice.

All around the people cheered and clapped their flippers. The guards threw down their weapons and together hoisted Locke and Tisias up on their shoulder and paraded them into the center of the city. Everyone rejoiced because of Siku's happiness and because the World had a great hero now. The capture of the Dragon and the escape from Kruel would become a song sung for centuries among the Cetan people as the first defeat of the Emperor.

In Dalarov.......

Kathael, Adonis, and their entourage had arrived to the grim city two days ago. For two days those left celebrated and feasted with King Kiros thrilled to see the return of his eldest daughter. Most of the townsfolk had been evacuated to Set Apollyon's property far to the north. King Kiros nobly decided to remain in his city with one hundred of his bravest and most loyal soldiers. They had expected a reprisal from Admiral Gaunt, and were delighted to hear that the Resistance was swelling up.

The crisp cool air signalled that the Summer season was coming to an end in much of the World. Autumn's crisp cool clean wind washed through the windows and ito the well lit feasting hall of Dalarov. The guests ate merrily inside the lofty hall, singing, and drinking. At the head of the famed Long Table of Dalarov sat King Kiros with Kathael and Adonis on both sides of him. The King was showing Adonis the Blade of Ahmed which Set Apollyon had delivered to Kathael. Kathael sat watching Adonis as the two talked.

"Why in fact, some stories of the great King Ahmed are still known by our bards. Plutonae, give this fine young man a song about the golden days of our people." King Kiros put the sword away and clapped to a soldier feasting on some chicken laughign at a joke of his comrade next to him. The bard choked at the summons from the King and took a hearty gulp of some mead to clear his throat. He stood and bowed before the king. Clearing his voice he begin to sing:

"When the elves were one
They were ruled by a King whose skill matched none
He was Ahmed, the High King of All Elves
From the Days of Eden
To when King Victor dwells
Ahmed was the first and the last
King of All Elves

He was born but a poor man
When the World was so young
But he rose to unite his people
To him now our greatest songs are sung
He was there with the Wanderer when General War was thrown down
He was there with King Victor when the Lands of Myth began to drown
And his spirit lives on at the tip of our tongue

Woe to the Lost Race who paid the full price
By the human's treachery Ahmed was enticed
Betrayed by King Victor killed by his own hand
The elves were divided across Medea's land
Divided along lines of color and race
Without Ahmed as whole we never will stand
Until the day our Great King returns to this place."

The bard finished the elven song and many drunkenly clapped and cheered. His comrades at his table joked with Plutonae a bit and offered him drinks. King Kiros resumed his conversation with Adonis. Night passed over the land and many of the soldiers fell asleep in their chairs, or disappeared from the hall into the mostly empty city. Adonis had fallen asleep during one of King Kiros' nostalgic tales of the Golden Elves and the High Elves. Kathael had dozed off a bit earlier and shook herself out to sleep. Kign Kiros was sitting silently looking forward at all of his troops sipping a glass of wine.

"Father." Kathael said softly, and the King stirred a bit and looked over. "Father, we are leaving tomorrow. The Resistance is marching on Kruel. We're finally going to end the reign of Moribidus."

"Yes, I thought you might still go there. Is there no way I can convince ou to come with us? We have all ready established a decent little colony in a safe place to the north." Kiros looekd sadly at Kathael.

"I know that's what you want father, but you talk all the time about the glory of our people. This is our moment father. It's more important now than ever." Kathael's face broke at her father's sad expression and she looked away from him.

"You know that he is too strong Kathael. I fear that Kel'Arboreal is too idealistic." King Kiros lifted her chin up to meet his gaze. "But you have a strong spirit like your mother. I know she probably would have put on her armor and face the Emperor himself if she were still with us.'

"I know it too dad. And Abagae.....Maybe she's not dead." Kathael's broke into a smile, but a few tears ran down her golden cheek. "I know we might lost this battle, but we are a lot stronger than either you or Moribidus thinks we are. At the least I might be able to find and save Abagael and get away."

"Yes, I have thought of this too. However, Gaunt took her, she could be anywhere in the World if she is even alive. I am happy just to have you Kathael. I don't want to lose you. I have made up my mind. I know that I cannot talk you out of going to war. So me and my men will come with you. We have one seaworthy vessel left which the priates did not seize. I will go to battle with you my daughter." King Kiros stood up and declared and Kathael looked somewhat shocked and stood up and hugged her dad.

"But who will take of our people?" Kathael asked. and let go.

"It's okay, The generals at the new settlement have been leading them. To tell you the truth, we all expected to die fighting Gaunt. I suppose we are just extending our life by going to attack him." Kign Kiros laughed.

The King retired to his makeshift royal chambers in the drinking hall. Kathael enterred a room for herself and went to sleep not long after. Early in the morning the soldiers awoke and after an hour awoke the King and his guests. The Golden Elf King of Dalarov officially abandoned the city and boarding the Marred Thistle and his own larger gallen the King and his 100 men along with Adonis and Kathael set sail for the city of Typhoon.

In the Land of Kruel......

The perpetual clouds rumbled with thunder, but lightning had not issued from the heavens for the whole week. The Emperor's mood was elated. Inside and outside the citadel of Kruel massive portals had been opened up connected to all the Emperor's strongholds throughout the World. A consistent stream of soldiers marched out of the portal.

Outside of Kruel around a ring of hills overlooking a murky river is where the troops had begun setting up. Grey Earth was torn apart by shovels as the troops dug out trenches. Gnarled barbed wire laced the hilltops. The Black Robe Arythian was at the base of the hills drilling his battalion ruthlessly. He had all ready killed two recruits in the training session. One orc troop drenched with sweat looked off towards the castle looming behind him. For his brief distraction Arythian kicked the man hard in the stomach before demanding fifty push-ups.

Inside the castle of Kruel things were no less busy. Slaves were running about entertaining and serving the army. Inside the throne room Emperor Moribidus stood next to his throne. Around the Emperor were all his important underlings. The five Generals, Skar, Beatrice, Trollus, the General of the West a Taila named Tsao, and the General of the North a Yeti name Wendell were pouring over a map of the Kruel region. Rhythian, the head of the Black Hand enterred the scene escorted by Eeswire.

"Ah Rhythian, you have returned. I assume you have discovered plans changed about kidnapping my brother." Moribidus smiled evilly. "That is okay, I have another task for you."

"My Lord..... I have some news myself." Rhythian bowed and began. "You and I swore an oath that I would serve you if I would be given the right to hold onto my title as the strognest man in the World. I have found my rival, he is strong, and I wish to take my leave to defeat him."

"What?! At a time like this you are worrying about some silly title?!" Moribidus' eyes widened angrily His hand instictively reached out and clutched the Sword frozen into his throne.

"My Lord, I will serve you for as long as our oath holds. I have always fulfilled my end of the bargain." Rhythian said sternly, looking Moribidus directly in the eye, the only of his servants that would do so.

"Oh very well, you can have your fight. Just remember who you serve when you are done! Remember your part of the bargain Rhythian. You may fight the strongest fighters in the World, but you must serve me for all your life, and after life leave you your body belongs to me." Moribidus screamed. Like the breaking of ice he pulled the Sword from the throne and pointed it at Rhythian's heart. "Now I have a job for you Rhythian. Your underling Shaqaa has not been seen for weeks. Bring him back for this battle!"

Emperor Moribidus turned the Sword away from Rhythian's chest. With a strong thrust he stabbed the air itself. With a downward slash time and space were sliced away and a small portal opened up. Moribidus speared the sword into his throne, and once more the magical barrier holding his seat together crystallized around the Sword trapping it within. Before the Emperor could yell at him some more Rhythian bowed and stepped through the portal.

From a pocket the cerataur assasin pulled out a small silver looking compass. This was no ordinary compass though. Once becoming a member of the Black Hand the assassin had a small magical device implanted into his body. Rhythian use his one of a kind magical compass to locate his subordinate assassins.

Following the magical compass Rhythian wandered the desert of the Southern Continent. After two hours he found Shaqaa. The minotaur was by an oasis sleeping. Rhythian snuck up on him and stood over his sleeping body. With a smile Rhythian let his massive bulk fall onto Shaqaa. With a great yell Shaqaa tried to jump up awake, but he could hardly move with Rhythian sitting on his chest.

"And what have you been doing?" Rhythian looked at Shaqaa's frightened expression and laughed.

"M-master Rhythian. I'm sorry. I did not mean to be absent, but....... Well General Skar sent me to kill the traitor Maximus. I failed..... again. I'm sorry, but Skar threatened to kill me if I did not return with Maximus' head." Shaqaa explained, his voice quavered with fear.

"Who do you serve Shaqaa?" Rhythian put his face close to Shaqaa's

"I-I serve the Emperor?" Shaqaa stammered stupidly.

"NO! You serve me Shaqaa! You are under my responsibility. I ought to punish you for going behind my back and taking orders from Skar!" Rhythian snorted into Shaqaa's face.

"Y-yes that's right! I-I serve you Rhythian, of course. Please forgive me Master. I was only trying to help catch the traitor,. I did not mean to decieve you!" Shaqaa pleaded and Rhythian stood up off his body and extended a hand.

"Get up. The Resistance plans on marching right into the lion's den soon. Perhaps you will still have your chance to kill Maximus and redeem your honor. Don't worry about dogbreath Skar. I will take care of him and ensure he remembers that I am responsible for punishing and rewarding the Black Hand." Rhythian lifted Shaqaa up out of the sand and the two marched back towards the portal that would take them back to Kruel.

In the skies above the high seas....

Kilamondread soared over the open water. His dragon heart bursting with exhillaration at his freedom. The mighty last of the dragons swooped low over the waters letting his talons tears through the surface leaving a decent wake. A mighty roar of freedom blasted from his mouth and fire turned to steam as it hit the water. Kilamondread rose back up into the sky. On his back Tisias, Locke, and Miki were seated.

"Say, why didn't more of the Cetans hitch a ride with us? Kilamondread could carry a boatload of people by himself you know." Locke yelled over the rush of wind to Miki behind him.

"They are far too proud to use anything except for their own ships." Tisias answered for Miki.

"That and Captain Siku wanted to perform the Blessing Ritual before he left." Miki yelled forward to Locke and Tisias.

"The Blessing RItual? What is that?" Locke asked puzzled.

"Before going to war it is customary to rest one full day and offer praise and walrus sacrifice to the Sea Spirits for a safe journey." Miki replied.

"I see..... So why didn't you stay behind and perform the ritual?" Locke asked more questions.

"Ah, I never was very superstitious myself. Plus we're in the air. What need do we have of the Sea Spirits?" Miki laughed. He was young and not as traditional as his elders.

The three a top the dragon soared off across the water. Soon the Northern Continent was entirely out of sight. To avoid potential danger, they had decided instead of flying directly over the Central Continent, that they would loop around past the West continent to reach Typhoon. After some hours the West Continent could be seen on their right hand side.

After stopping in the Western wilderness for dinner they took flight again. The Sun was setting over the scene and it painted the water with a glow or orange and red. The group was making haste away from the Western Continent, turning inwards towards the Central Continent's southern peninsula where Typhoon would be located. Below them Tisias spotted two ships. With some urging Locke directed Kilamondread to circle past the ships for a closer look.

Down below on the ships elven fighters scrambled on deck. Many looked up terified and in awe at the massive dragon wheeling around the sky above them. Kathael and Adonis ran up on board the Marred Thistle and looked at eachother nervously. They had seen Kilamondread before and were expecting more trouble. King Kiros on his galleon had his archers begin to train their arrows at the beast. Before anyone could attack the dragon came very low to the Marred Thistle and a magical voice boomed across the water.

"Kathael? Adonis? Is that you?" Miki's magically magnified voice yelled down at them. At once Kathael ordered her soldiers to stand down. King Kiros seeing what was happening did the same with his troops

Miki and Tisias levitated off the hovering dragon and onto the Marred Thistle. Kathael and Adonis rushed over to them through the crowded deck. Miki landed roughly and had to regain his composure. Tisias looked up at them beaming with a smile even though they did not initially recognize him. King Kiros had his troops steer his ship closer to the Marred Thistle to observe the strange scene better.

"Miki! So are the Cetans coming to war also?" Adonis asked.

"Oh yes, they'll be on their way. I hope that they make it in time for the battle. Captain Siku has been assembling the Cetans into a mighty fleet. I do not beleive our kind has ever amassed a fleet this large. After they perform the Blessing Rit...." Miki began but was cut off.

"Never mind that. How did you tame the dragon?" Kathael interrupted pointing at Kilamondread circling above with Locke.

"Oh, well, I didn't do that. Ask Tisias." Miki smiled.

"Tisias?" Kathael turned to Tisias. At once she burst into tears seeing his de-feathered appearance. "Oh my, Tisias! I-I am so sorry."

"Hey now, what's the matter? Am I really that ugly?" Tisias laughed nervously.

"N-no. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get emotional. It's just that.... Well we thought you were dead. Abasi was right we should have gone looking for you. Please forgive us Tisias." Kathael wept and bowed low and kissed Tisias' bony hands.

"Errr, it's okay. There's othing you guys could have done for me. I thought I was a goner myself." Tisias accepted Kathael's apology. A rush of embarassment made his skin turn pinkish when Kathael's plush lips touched his skin. "Really I guess you guys should thank Locke. He's the one that saved me."

"Locke? Oh you mean your fa---" Kathael began but a look from Tisias made her stop. "Well good for Locke. We will pardon him of his crimes if he is working for us now."

"HEY LOCKE!" Miki shouted magically up to the sky. "COULD YOU GIVE US A LITTLE HELP HERE?"

In the sky Locke was grateful no one could see him blush dark red. Locke leaned over and whisperred in the dragon language to Kilamondread. Showing off a little bit the mighty dragon soared up in the sky blasting fire. Turning around he dive bombed towards the water sending a jet of fire in front of the ships, scaring some of the elven soldiers. Before crashing into the water the dragon turned upright and flew behind the ships. Stopping in mid-air Kilamondread began beating his massive wings. A strong gust from his wings caught the sails of both ships. Propelled through the water the ships and the Dragon reached Typhoon in only a few short hours. After the initial shock of seeing a dragon all the Resistance in Typhoon rejoiced and began to sing songs bragging how they would almost certainly defeat Moribidus now that they had the aid of the last dragon.

In Typhoon the next evening....

The troops were finishing up their last training excersises. Telador paced up and down the regiments correcting the soldiers on proper fighting stances. Maximus was giving a pep speech to his battallion. Jasmine had just concluded training with her troops and walked over to Maximus cutting short his long winded speech. Set Apollyon leaned cooly against a wall looking at the scene. Kathael, Adonis, Locke, and Tisias were with a group of soldiers around Kilamondread. Adonis was magically multiplying steaks and the soldiers laughed throwing them into the air to feed Kilamondread.

At once the warning bells began to chime down by the docks. Telador and his troops finished their training and hurried down to the port. Kel'Arboreal had emerged from the headquarters curiously looking at the docks. A mighty ship pulled into the harbor. Breaking into a run Kel'Arboreal saw Abasi's happy face waving to everyone. The ship docked and Abasi leapt over the side onto the wooden planking. A ramp lowered from the ship and Redeye the orc and several canocephalus fighters marched into town.

Kel'Arboreal went forward shaking Abasi's hand vigorously. Abasi began to tell the Blue Elf of his adventure, but seeing as more people were swarming around decided to hold off. With Redeye, Abasi and his comrades relocated to the town's pub. Maximus, Jasmine, and Telador decided that now was a as good as any time to let their troops relax. The city hummed with life as Kel'Arboreal stood on top of a crate and silenced everyone.

"Brothers! Sisters!" Kel' Arboreal nodded to Jasmine and Kathael. "We march for Kruel in the morning! In the World of Darkness we will finally bring Light. Tomorrow we will go forward and throw down the chain of oppression that Moribidus has brought upon each and every one of you. Many of you will not return from this battle. For tonight be happy. Freely celebrate for the first and maybe last time in your life." Kel'Arboreal spoke and many clapped.

With the Fox's order the troops broke into the supply cache. All around food was distributed and laid out. The stashes of brew were opened and flowed freely. Many people simply danced and sang and celebrated right in the street. All the important officers lodged into the main tavern in Typhoon. Locke stood outside with Kilamondread watching the scene. A certain thrill went through his heart, and at the same time a detachment and guilt.

Inside the raucous tavern Telador was playing songs of mirth. Jasmine and Maximus sat near eachother drinking up the finest wine that had long been stored within. Adonis and Kathael sat at a table talking with Miki. Abasi and Redeye enterred with their comrades and seated themselves in the corner. Tisias was also present at a special request from Kel'Arboreal and was seated next to the Resistance leader. Holding up a hand, Kel'Arboreal called Kathael, Adonis, and Miki over to him. Abasi saw this out of the corner of his eye and left his company to join them at the table.

"Tisias, I have not met you, but I have heard much about you from the others. You are the one that came here with the dragon." Kel'Arboreal began.

"Yes that is right." Tisias looked at Kel'Arboreal shrewdly trying to guess what he was getting at.

"Ah a valiant deed in itself no doubt. However, this dragon got me thinking yesterday that perhaps we can increase our chances of victory. I know you must have all ready faced horror being inside Kruel once. What I am asking is if we might borrow the dragon. You have seen the inside of Kruel, and know it better than any of us here. I would like to have the dragon drop off a small band of soldiers including Kathael, Miki, Adonis, and yourself inside the castle itself while we fight the battle." Kel'Arboreal looked at Tisias now anxiously.

"I.....Well...It is a good plan you have. However I cannot control the dragon. Only Locke can do that, and he knows the castle better than I. I was not conscious for most of my time there. I do not think I can lead the party through the castle." Tisias sighed.

"I see. Well if you believe we can trust Locke then he may accompany you. Do you think he will agree?" Kel'Arboreal looked downcast.

"I think we can trust him. I am sure he will agree. Why exactly do you intend to send us into the castle?" Tisias asked suspiciously.

"Ah, a valid question. I am sorry I forgot you were not present when we made up our battle plans. The goal of the army is to distract Moribidus long enough for you to steal his Sword. I am certain it is the source of his super powers. Once you have the Sword we can turn it on my brother and use it to utterly destroy him." Kel'Arboreal explained.

"Are you sure this will work?" Tisias asked skeptically. "It seems like you are leaving an awful lot up to chance. What if Moribidus does not take the bait?"

"He will take the bait. I can assure you of this. He is my brother. I know him very well. Moribidus will not want to miss his chance to finally kill me. I accept that I will likely die, but if I can hold him off long enough for you to get the Sword we may be able to squash him once and for all. Or at the least take away his immense powers." Kel'Arboreal's expression hardened.

"I will go too." Abasi chimed in.

"You have always been my bravest general Abasi. However I must deny this request. I will have much more need of you on the battlefield. Should I fall or be captured you must become the new leader of the Resistance." Kel'Arboreal stood and bowed to Abasi.

"Aye, and I will go with Abasi onto the battlefield. It is clear to me that Siku will not be able to reach Typhoon in time. You will need me on the battlefield to let him and his troops know our location." Miki piped up and withdrew a silver pendant in the shape of a snowflake. "This is a relic of the Lands of Myth Age. A Snow Pendant. All of the Cetans carry one. It emits a signal to all the Pods across the World thus letting all the Pod leaders keep track of eachother and their own crew."

"Ah Flipper here is just too scared to go inside Kruel." the old goblin Vokky stepped out of the shadows where he had been eavesdropping. "Besides, you need a REAL mage, not some cheap conjourer, to break into Kruel."

"Miki, NO!" Tisias had to physically sit Miki down. The Cetan took quite an offense to being called Flipper by an old washed up goblin.

"Oh, and who are you?" Kel'Arboreal laughed a little bit under his breath and looked at Vokky.

"You can call me Vokky. I was an apprentice to the Wanderer himself! I know more magic than this whole army put together. Let me go with your small squad into Kruel." Vokky bowed solemnly.

"And what reason do you have for wanting to undertake such a dangerous mission?" Miki looked at Vokky suspiciously.

"Well..... They say that Moribidus killed my master the Wanderer with that Sword thingamabob you are talking about. You could say I would like to get my hands on the Sword and avenge my master's death." Vokky laughed a little bit.

"What do you think Abasi?" Kel'Arboreal turned to Abasi.

"I think we can trust him. He's a little bit strange, but I beleive we can trust him." Abasi chuckled a bit and Vokky smiled and bowed to Abasi.

As the leaders discussed their plans for attack Maximus and Jasmine became more drunk with wine. Jasmine was now sitting in Maximus' lap with her arms around him. Clinking their glasses together they toasted to eachother and drained another glass. Jasmine set her glass down and began animalistically kissing Maximus on the mouth. One goblin hand in her green hair, the other running up her tunic, the two began making out right there at the bar. Jasmine began quickly unbuttoning Maximus' shirt, no dubt prepared to do the act right there in front of everyone. With a few jeers from the soldiers Maximus stood up, with Jasmine clinging to his front kissing up his neck. The goblin carried her off upstairs to a room.

Telador meanwhile had started a new song as a fresh round of ale went around. People clapped rhythmically and danced to the tune. Redeye and his canocephalus comrades exitted the tavern and joined the bigger party out in the streets. Kathael watched Maximus and Jasmine going at eachother and her eyes followed the two when they had gone upstairs. She turned to Adonis looking longingly at him as he absent-mindedly began carving into a freshly cooked steak. Abasi and Kel'Arboreal were deep in conversation.

"So you said you and Redeye were ambushed by General Skar. What happened? How did you escape?" Kel'Arboreal wondered.

"Ah well you see there are some ancient tunnels in the East that my people know of. I don't know how I did it, but this old goblin somehow awoke the magic inside of me. We slipped down the tunnels and got away." Abasi spoke.

"I see. Didn't Skar try to follow you, or at least try to destroy your ship?" Kel'Arboreal probed.

"Ah I thought the very same. However when we got out of the tunnel we hid near the docks. I-I saw him!" Abasi shuddered. "I saw your brother. He teleported out of thin air. He yelled at Skar. Something about him being on the wrong continent, and then he dragged him through the portal and they were gone. We ran for the ship and here we are now."

Abasi slugged down his ale and ordered another one. Vokky left the building and joined Locke outside. The two talked about dragon lore and became acquainted. Tisias and Miki were sharing a large platter of various seafood brought out to them by a Felinid soldier named Zeppo, the best chef in the Resistance. Telador's music faded and a brief silence went through the tavern.

"Ooooh Maximus!" Jasmine passioantely moaned from upstairs over the rhythmic creaking of a bed.

A round of laughter went throughout the tavern. Telador laughing himself brought the guitar back up and began playing a light-hearted love song. Kathael looked over at Adonis suggestively. Adonis was leaned back in his chair after his hearty meal fast asleep. Outside the Resistance soldiers partied late into the night. For many of them this was the first true feeling of freedom and happiness they would ever experience in this harsh World.

* * *

Morning came quickly. Everyone was roused from their sleep. Abasi was naturally the first awake and had all ready assembled his legion of soldiers with Redeye mounted on a podbalor by his side. Telador woke up Maximus and Jasmine in their room. He chuckled at their embarassment as they were both naked in eachother's arms when he found them. The dressed hastily and made their way to the outskirts of town and assembled their troops. Tisias, Locke, Vokky, Adonis and Kathael were given an extra hour to rest since they would be flying in via dragon. King Belisarius, the young Avian lord and his two guards approached Kel'Arboreal and bowed.

"I want to thank you for your kindness." The young avian declared.

"You are most welcome young Belisarius." Kel'Arboreal nodded his head.

"I am sorry, but I will not go to battle. While all of Moribidus' Army is here I cannot help but assume that Trollus also is here. This is too good of an opportunity for me to waste. I must return to the South to reclaim my throne." Belisarius looked Kel'Arboreal in the face seriously.

"Ah, I understand. Very well, you have my permission to go with your guards back to the South. You may take any ship you wish. Here take this also." Kel'Arboreal looked sadly and withdrew a piece of paper with a large wax seal on it. "Present this to Governor Silus in Almaday and he will supply you with what remains of his troops to help you in your endeavor."

"You are very kind. I will not forget this." Belisarius bowed again and him and his two guards marched off to a small boat and began their voyage back to the South.

With everyone now awake and alert the march began. Across the Central Continent all day and into the night the army marched. Many times an evil shadow appeared over the army. Echoing evilly the laugh of Moribidus sounded above them from time to time. The Resistance marched unopposed though. Passing through a small village their eyes caught sights of horror. All the townspoeple were impaled with messages and threats written in blood all over the buildings.

It was not until mid-afternoon the next day the the Resistance came to the border of the grey lands of Kruel. Bravely they stepped past the boundary and into the dying lands. Thunder blasted above them as Moribidus waited happily on the outskirts of his city for them to arrive. Kel'Arboreal lifted his fist to the air and magically a small space in the cloud parted and a ray of shining sunlight hit the desolate land.

Reaching the Black River Kel'Arboreal and the Resistance stood on one side. On top of the hills towering over all his soldiers the evil king Moribidus looked down laughing at the scene. So at last the two brothers came to meet one another once more. Kel'Arboreal looked up at what had once been his younger brother Kel'Atheal.

(I imagine this to be Maximus and Jasmine's Theme Song)

Outside the fortress of Kruel on the banks of the Black River......

"Ah brother, so nice of you to come. I was beginning to think you might have chickened out and hid yourself away again." Moribidus laughed darkly standing atop a hill with his massive army behind him.

"I am here brother. It all ends here." Kel'Arboreal shouted back defiantly.

"Well then, shall I wipe you out now or shall we have start this thing with a little fun?" Moribidus smiled twistedly. "Let's foster that false sense of hope you harbor. Send forth five of your best warriors to face mine. Let us get a dispaly of our peoples' strength."

"We didn't come here for games brother. We came here to end your reign once and for all!" Kel'Arboreal shouted up to Moribidus.

"Wait commander!" Telador stepped forward and turning his back bowed to Kel'Arboreal. "I alone can take five warriors." Telador dropped his voice to a whisper "....And this might be a good way to buy the dragon more time."

"Very well! My strongest warrior versus five of yours. What say you brother?" Kel'Arboreal smirked and Telador stepped forward brandishing his spear, shield, and sword.

"Ah well at least one of your thugs has some guts. Very well!" Moribidus cackled and turned to see Arythian standing next to him "Whelp! You go!" Moribidus picked Arythian up roughly by the collar of the shirt and shoved him forward. Four other soldiers stepped forward helping Arythian up. They drew their weapons and charged down the slope towards Telador.

Meanwhile on a hill with one tree not overlooking the scene.....

Rhythian sat cross legged under the dead tree. His eyes closed and his mind deep in meditation. He could feel through the ground the many legs of soldiers preparing their place on the battlefield. Deep breaths of the heavy muggy air filled his lungs. Feeling a presence enter his aura Rhythian opened his eyes.

Set Apollyon came trudging up the hill. When he reached the top he stopped suddenly as Rhythian rose from sitting on the ground. Apollyon bowed respctfully to his adversary. Rhythian returned the gesture. At once both fighters assumed their stance and stared at eachother. They circled one another for a moment before Apollyon laughed.

"Well, shall we begin?" Apollyon chuckled.

"No, let's wait until they begin their battle." Rhythian stood straight up and extended his arm pointing to the battlefield nearby.

"It seems they have all ready started fighting." Apollyon stood straight up and looked down at the scene. In the distance he could make out five figures charging one tall Resistance fighter.

"That is just a game Moribidus is playing. You will know when the real battle begins." Rhythian laughed a litle bit himself.

"How will I know?" Set resumed his fighting stance eying Rhythian suspiciously. He began to suspect the cerataur would sucker punch him.

"Oh you'll know. Moribidus' Secret Weapon is quite loud." Rhythian smiled. "I won't take any cheap shots on you. I have been waiting to fight an honorable fighter all my life. I will not squander my glory on a petty trick."

Back on the main battlefield.....

The first assailant, a large ogre came crashing down the hill just as Telador crossed the river at it's shallowest spot. The mighty Taila raised his shield deflecting the swing of a mighty war club. Doing a roll past the ogre, Telador turned around abruptly speared the massive soldier right at the base of the skull severing his spinal cord. The massive ogre fell to the ground twitching as the last of his nerves fired off. A great cheer rose up from the Resistance.

Next Arythian and a red elf came at Telador at the same time. Raising his shield Telador managed to deflect the red elf's sword. Arythian ducked a simultaneous stab of the spear and with a quick movement of his blade he cut the spear in half. Telador grew angry and with a fierce slash he felled the red elf before turning towards Arythian. With a mighty throw Telador chucked the staff of the spear at Arythian, who dodged it lazily.

Just before Telador could lunge at Arythian the other two soldiers came up behind the taila. One was an anubite wielding a curved sword. The other was a dwarf holding two battle axes in each hand. Telador turned quickly to prevent a series of slashes from the dwarf. The anubite saw his chance and jumped forward meaning to stab Telador. In the nick of time Telador side stepped avoiding impalement. The curved sword did manage to leave a small gash in his side. Collectively the Resistance gasped as Telador knelt over. The arrogant anubite laughed, and did not see Telador's upward slice which split the anubite's face into two.

Arythian now lunged at Telador's exposed back, and his knife bit down shallowly below the shoulder blade. The dwarf also charged in at this moment. Enraged Telador used his top two free hands to blast the dwarf to a crisp with a searing fireball. Turning around with the knife still stuck in his back he decked Arythian in the face with his bare fist sending the Black Robe agent sprawling to the ground. Reaching back he pulled the knife out. With a roar of bloodlust he threw the blade spinning into the air towards Moribidus whom lazily swatted it out of the air before it made cotnact with him.

Telador stomped over to Arythian. Arythian tried to scuttle backwards but to no avail. Telador loomed over him. Stabbing his sword into the ground the mighty taila warrior began bashing Arythian with his shield. Angry blow after angry blow hammered Arythian into the soft ground. At first he held his arms up, but the strength of Telador weakened them and there was little he could do. As the magic deflecting shield smashed into Arythian's face it seemed as if his skin began to crack and peel like old paint. Telador went to deliver one final crushing shield blow to Arythian when he noticed that he no longer looked old, but instead he saw a young boy, no older than a teenager cowering in front of him.

Telador picked Arythian up with his two free hands and looked at him closely. His eyes bulged in something of shock. His anger began to incense again inside him. Up on the hill Moribidus was laughing at the scene. The Emperor began to taunt Telador.

"Kill him now!" Moribidus shrieked.

"What trickery is this?" Telador looked deep into Arythian's eyes. He saw weakness and fear in the boy and his heart quaked. "What devilry is this?! You are disguising children as adults and forcing them to serve in your army?! Have you no honor?!"

Telador let out an angry war cry. Just then the ear-splitting roar of Kilamondread sounded as the dragon appeared in the sky. The Resistance cheered at the sight of the dragon. All of Moribidus' army shrank back in fear for a moment. The Emperor himself looked up at the dragon his face contorting with rage. Kilamondread circled around the fortress of Kruel. Unseen by the Emperor; Locke, Tisias, Vokky, Adonis, and Kathael landed on the highest tower. Wheeling around the great dragon made a beeline for the Emperor's troops.

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME?! MAKING CHILDREN FIGHT AND DIE FOR YOU?!" Telador raged over the commotion from both sides. With a strong throw he tossed Arythian uphill. The young Arythian quickly began to scramble back to his line. The aging curse began to take effect on him again and his appearance began to deteriorate.

Telador picked his sword out of the ground. Raising his shield and the sword he pointed it sqaurely at Moribidus whom was watching the dragon now soaring over the Resistance protectively.

"MORIBIDUS! I WILL KILL YOU NOW!" Telador screamed in fury. The Emperor turned his attention to the taila and laughed. "CHARGE!!!!!!"

On Telador's word Kel'Arboreal, Maximus, Jasmine, Abasi, Redeye, and the other Resistance commanders lifted up their fists signalling a charge. The whole Resistance gave a great warcry and the ground shook as they rushed forward. As the first line was crossing the river Telador was running up the hill. His shield raised and his sword ready. He bolted straight towards Moribidus.

Just as Telador was feet away from Moribidus the Emperor lifted up a hand. At once a strangely shaped object leapt off the ground and into his arms. He seemed to cradle it. It appeared to be a long tube with odd rectangles sticking out the bottom. Telador raised his shield expecting some sort of magic. Much of the Resistance fighters stopped and looked up. Magical silence swept through the field.

Suddenly from the strange device fire burst forth. Searing hot streaks of light rained down on Telador . A mechanical cacophony shredded the air. The magical shield did nothing to stop the shreds of light. Like the sounds of breaking glass the shield was torn apart in a hail of bullets. Blood and flesh sprayed out of Telador's body as he was struck. His angry expression was replaced with one of total surprise. He fell for what seemed like an eternity down the hill. Finally coming to a rest at the bottom. The valiant knight Telador was dead.

"Do you like my new toy?" Moribidus mocked and taunted the Resistance fighters whom shouted with rage and anger and began to charge up the hill with renewed zeal. "I call it The Gun!"

“Telador!” Abasi shouted, lunging forward to hold onto the Talia knight’s limp body as his comrades rushed past him on either side. There were no last parting words, no grievances to by exchange. His body was torn apart, and his dead body expelled the blood from the empty husk as if it didn’t belong. Closer inspection revealed small metal pellets embedded in his flesh and bones, and the shock remained frozen on Telador’s face even in death. Even as tears of blood ran down his cheeks, and into the tainted earth that made up Kruel. Loud explosions of fire and metal sounded all around Abasi. Looking up, he found his fellow fighters of the Resistance joining Telador in death. Bodies began to pile up on top of the blood stained soil. “You fool…” he couldn’t help but murmur as he stared into Telador’s brave eyes. He put his hand on his face and closed the knight’s eyelids so that he may sleep in peace.

Abasi stood up and withdrew his mace as anger flares in his eyes. “You monster,” Abasi yells as he joined in on the charge with the Resistance army. He made a beeline for Moribidus, but his warriors got in the way forcing him to cut his way through. An orc charged towards him with a wooden shield and iron axe, but Abasi brought down his mace upon the shield, cracking it in half, and crushing the arm behind it. He swung the mace from the side in a swipe, to sever his foe’s spinal cord in the neck and the orc’s body stumbled down the hill. An imp flew towards him with two wicked daggers in its hand, but Abasi’s hand shot out to grab it by the throat and tossed it down the hill behind him. He picked up a short sword off the ground, and swung around to parry a blow that was coming from behind with his mace, and deposited the short sword into an Avian’s breast before removing it.

Meanwhile, Redeye was having quite a bit of fun himself. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it a bit too much. With two devious looking axes in his hands, he chopped down any one that got in the way, and was laughing as if war was an old past time of his. It was true what they said about pure-blooded orcs; they were some of the best warriors in the World. They lived for battle. One young Resistance fighter was almost too close for comfort as one of his axes came to close contact with his head. “Ha-ha!” Redeye laughed, “did’n old Moribidus teach any of ya little dogs how to fight? Ha!” One of his axes gutted an Anubite wide open, and slimy red tubes of intestines spilled out onto the ground before the poor soldier. The anubite stared at his entrails in horror and collapsed onto the ground and waited for death to take him.

On the Hill With One Tree jsut outside the larger battle....

Rhythian's fist connected squarely into Set Apollyon's chest sending him flying backwards. Apollyon slammed roughly into the lone tree of Kruel, his back scraped up from the bark. He had only enough time to sloppily throw himself out of the way as a massive kick from Rhythian came tearing across his head. Managing to miss most the blow, the edge of Rhythian's boot sliced the dark elf's right ear, leaving the pointy top section hanging on by a sliver of flesh.

Set rolled down the hill a ways and regained his stance. Rhythian when his leg connected with the tree used this opportunity to jump off the tree doing a high backflip, and turning himself with surprising agility for a man of his size into a spinning cyclone kick. Set was ready this time to catch the spinning leg, for a fraction of a second holding Rhythian above him. Rhythian let his body fall backwards, pivoting on his ankle held in Apollyon's fist. He put his head forward as best he could with his sharp horn ready to gore Set in the stomache as he swung himself now upwards missing his head smacking the ground by a centimeter.

At the last moment Apollyon realized the certaur's deadly horn fighting technique. In a clever bit of improvisation Set himself leapt up into the air doing a forward flip. With amazing strength for a lean looking dark elf Apollyon kept hold of the leg and using the momentum of his oppenent he landed on the ground and threw Rhythian. Crashing from the force of the throw was so powerful that Rhythian's great bulk cut through the tree sending him tumbling down the other side of the hill.

Doing several flips off of the ground, Set Apollyon circle around the small hill, dodging the once mighty tree trunk slamming down where he had stood moments before. Locating Rhythian staggering to his feet halfway down the hill Apollyon came dashing at him. For a moment he took his mind off of the fight and looked up, somewhat horrifed seeing not too distantly the greater battle at hand. He came skidding to a halt and Rhythian slightly dazed prepared himself fists raised defensively in the air. Seeing Set's expression he decided not to kill the dark elf in his lapse of attention. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the dark entanglement behind them.

"What the hell are those things?" Set said pointing at the battle. Rhythian turned for a moment and looked at the scene.

"It's Moribidus' Secret Weapon. The gun. Its some sort of device that causes metal to shoot out without magic to devastating effect. Sort of like the crossbow I suppose, but much deadlier and quicker. From what tests I have witnessed on it almost all armor is worthless against it. Just another coward's tool so that lesser men can feel strong." Rhythian circled away from facing Set to watching the battle

"This is a horrible thing. Look at them!" Set Apollyon raised his arm. pointing at the fray in the distance.

"It is simply the new way. Lesser men will always have new toys to fight with. The old way, the way of the fist will be forgotten. Anyways, that was a hell of a throw you had there. I have never met someone whom could counter my Sickle Flip. Shall we resume our fight?" Rhythian laughed.

"Yes let's face off on either side of the tree stump for Round Two." Apollyon laughed and the two fighters turned from the chaotic scene that so mystified their eyes enough to distract from them killing eachother. They raced up to the top of the hill, readying their stances facing eachother across the rough ripped up stump of the tree that used to sit on the hill. With a respectful nod from each fighter the next round was on.

In the thick of the battle....

Most of the Resistance fighters were across, or crossing the river's shallows and slowly pushing up the base of the hills where Moribidus' Army was focused. The Emperor's foot soldiers were losing steadily to the Resistance's melee fighters in close combat. As the Resistance's Army came ever more closer Moribidus smiled evilly at the turmoil below. Just as another battallion of his soldiers charged down the hill to meet the battle Moribidus ordered his gun troops to open fire with his new weapon. Bullets came tearing down the slope killing many fighters of both sides in the melee clash below.

The hail of gunfire cut down many enemies in front of Maximus It also killed his steed, and the valiant goblin knight plowed into the ground. Getting to his feet he put his sword into the ground kneeling over it as if in prayer. At once a turbulent screen of magic appeared in front of him dissentegrating most bullets that whizzed past his head or towards his body. He concentrated quite hard and his body began shaking as he expanded the screen trying to shield as much of the friendly flank as he could.

His troops cheered as they began reforming behind Maximus. A patch cleared in front of this flank as the Resistance fighters were shielded and the enemy close combat fighters were shot in the back by their own army. Taking note of this development, Kel'Arboreal in the center of the fray began focusing his own immense magical skills to replicate Maximus' disentegration shield. With no other powerful enough mages present though the exposed flank was getting mowed down under the intense barrage.

It was just in this moment that screenching out of the clouds where he had disappeared to Kilamondread came dive-bombing the Emperor's frontline. With a rush of fury and fire much of the gun legions were incinerated or began to break and run in fright of the dragon. A mighty triumphant cheer from all of the Resistance's Army followed Kilamondread's own victorious roar. Kel'Arboreal ordered a charge and letting down their magic shields the Resistance rushed up the ridge unopposed towards the scrambling enemy army.

Howling in rage Moribidus magically grew to thirty feet tall and flew up into the air soaring towards the dragon wreaking havoc on his army. Abasi was the first to reach the ridge where a few brave soldiers in the Emperor's Army made there stand. He crushed them with ease as his comrades came running up behind him. Moribidus' Army began to break northward towards the hill where Rhythian and Set Apollyon were duelling. Generals Skar and Beatrice were desperately trying to regain control of their forces.

On the Hill where the tree used to stand....

Set Apollyon stood with his feet firmly planted into the ground. His muscles ached as he held both of Rhythian's fists, pushing the cerataur away from him. The chief Black Hand had his head lowered, his horn poised to striked Apollyon in the chest. It was taking every ounce of strength Apollyon could muster to keep Rhythian at bay. As his heel dug deeper and deeper into the barren ground, the dark elf realized he could not outlast Rhythian much longer.

Dropping to his feet, and releasing Rhythian's fists, the cerataur stumbled forward. In a swift motion Apollyon did a leg sweep knocking rhythian over. The Black Hand tumbled headlong falling nearly on top of Apollyon. The dark elf scrambled to the side just in the nick of time to avoid being flattened by the cerataur's massive bulk. A sharp shock of pain went through Set's body as the horn tore a gash across his left arm.

Scarmbling to his feet much quicker than Rhythian, the masterful dark elf controrted his body to deliver a spinning kick aimed at his opponent's face. Still on one knee Rhythian put his hands up just in time to grab the dark elf's leg. In the same motion Rhythian stood up swinging Set Apollyon over his head and then slammed him roughly into the ground in front him. Keeping hold of the leg, Rhythian lifted the dark elf up again, and once more slammed him into the ground.

On his third attempt to slam Apollyon, a few bullets whizzed past Rhythian's head, causing him to momentarily become distracted. Apollyon used this to his advantage and swung himself inwards towards Rhythian and delivered a crunching elbow to the ceratuar's mouth, knocking loose two teeth. Rhythian released the dark elf in surprise and staggered backwards while Apollyon did three backflips to get himself out of reach.

"The battle is getting closer." Rhythian gestured down to the base of the hill they were fighting at. Moribidus' troops had fallen back to the area and were beginning to reform just below.

"Well let's get on with it then." Set Apollyon laughed taking a moment to look at the battle scene drawing closer to his location. A few poorly aimed magic spells exploded on the side of the hill not far from where they had been fighting earlier. Rhythian nodded and the two fighters charged once again at eachother.

Meanwhile inside the dark Fortress of Kruel...

"This way!" Locke turned back and called to the others following cautiously behind.

"My good Wanderer, how big is this place?" Vokky huffed and wheezed as he came down the last step of a staircase.

"Nevermind that now. Where is the throne room Locke?" Kathael unsheathed the Sword of Ahmed as she walked next to Locke standing in front of a door.

"It's all the way at the groundfloor level." Locke replied.

"Damnit! That means more stairs. I'm getting too old for this." Vokky belly ached.

"Shhh, I think I hear someone coming!" Tisias said in a harsh hushed voice.

On the otherside of the door that Kathael and Locke were in front of echoing footsteps could be heard drawing nearer. Eyes widened as the footsteps became louder and heavier. Whatever it was it was very large. Adonis and Tisias stood back some charging up spells aimed at the doorway. Locke had stepped back behind them, unsure what to do. Kathael hugged the wall near the side of the door with her ancient blade ready. Vokky was bent over behind all of them still enar the stairwell huffing and puffing trying to catch his breath.

At once the door slammed open. Before they could even get a glimpse of what was on the otherside Tisias and Adonis released their spells at the same time causing a roaring explosion and a small fire in the next room. Multiple gorans were heard. Out of the smoke and dust a grotesque figure emerged. It was a tall magically made creature sewn together with many body parts. It had five heads clutsered out of its shoulder. An elf head, an ogre head, a troll head, an anubite head, and a head so mutilated it was hard to tell what race it came from. The beast had three pairs of arms sewn on, and two massive minotaur legs.

Kathael leapt forward and the gleaming blade of Ahmed stabebd deeply into the monstrosity's chest. Unphased with a sword pierced through it the mosnter backhanded Kathael with two arms sending her to the ground. Tisias was launchign spell after spell at the creature. Adonis rushed forward to try to help Kathael, but was also smacked down unconscious. Locke whimpered and bit flusterred trying to think of some way to help. The creature kept advancing despite all the magic Tisias could throw at it.

Just as the creature lifted Tisias up off the round it seams unravelled and it fell compeltely apart. Vokky stood laughing.

"Ah simple magic. Like my master said, Keep it simple stupid." Vokky laughed.

Upon The battlefield….

General Skar’s whip lashed into a soldier cowering behind a large rock. Three sharp razor blades attached to the whip raked across the dwarf soldier’s face. Barking orders for him to fight the soldier stood up from behind his cover and began launching a barrage of gunfire. Hot lead sliced through the air missing Abasi’s head by inches. Resistance soldiers following Abasi that picked this new weapon off some of the dead returned fire. The dwarf soldier took cover behind the rock again. General Skar held out his free hand causing a wall of lava to melt the incoming bullets. Flicking his wrist upwards the lava shield encased the cowardly soldier.

“Fight damnit!” Skar snarled at the rest of the soldiers behind him fighting and cowering.

Abasi could see Skar’s rage and the low morale of his troops. His unit paused watching the terrible general kill his own soldier. With a great war cry Abasi lead a full out charge at Skar’s position. The enemy troops with melee weapons spurred on by the whip of their master and the impending assault unsheathed their weapons bracing for the fight. Throwing fireballs wantonly Skar indiscriminately killed his own troops and the charging Resistance fighters with ease. A small circle in the storm of violence surrounded Skar. Bashing his way through the chaos Abasi felled enemy after enemy making his way to Skar.

Halfway up the hill where Set Apollyon and Rhythian were continuing martial arts duel another front had opened. Maximus, Jasmine, and King Kiros were fully engaged with the unit of General Beatrice. Cunningly, Beatrice had turned the flight of her troops to her advantage. Rushing ahead of them to the hill she had began creating magical fences made out of lightning. Retaking control of her units with the help of her apprentice the Black Hand Tybalt, her troops quickly assumed positions inside the deadly barriers.

Maximus unable to negate the lightning barriers was forced to lead his troops through their narrow checkpoints. The fighting was intense in the narrow paths between the fences. Soldiers of both sides were being cut down in a bloody tug of war while some behind were knocked off balance into the high voltage trap, and killed almost instantly. Jasmine and Kiros had separated from Maximus fighting down the corridor opposite from where Maximus’s troops were fighting. With great skill for an older man King Kiros was doing backflips in and out of the left side’s ranks cutting them down with speed, jumping back to his own ranks, and then attacking again.

In the Skies above….

Raining down from the bleak clouds magical droplets of pain gleamed off of Kilamondread’s strong dragon scales. Moribidus came flying down after the dragon out of the clouds his magically enlarged arms outstretched. Quick and young for a dragon Kilamondread veered right in time to avoid the Emperor’s grasp. A mighty swipe of his spiked tail grazed the Emperor’s shoulder. Flying across the sky the Emperor healed himself while cursing.

Regaining his balance, the Emperor launced back at the dragon in a fury so hot his dark grey skin glowed red. Anticipating the dragon to try something of that nature again Moribidus countered by grasping the valiant beast’s tail when Kilamondread attempted another tail slash. One of the spikes impaled clean through his hand, but his anger blocked out the pain. Moribidus reeled the dragon in breaking his tail in several spots. The maimed hand regrew quickly, clenched in a fight it dug deep into the side of the dragon.

Fiercely clawing with his great talons and snapping at the Emperor the two struggled in the skies near the Black River where Kel’Arboreal and Redeye with the bulk of the Resistance were fighting with Generals Tsao and Trollus’ armies. The Resistance fighters had the army of Moribidus up against the dark polluted river. Things were going well below for the Resistance. Many of their enemy soldiers were being pushed by the sheer force of the Reistance frontline into the deep waters, swept away and drowned if they wore heavy armor. General Trollus could have easily made an earthen bridge for his troops to cross, but he was near the bank of the river asking drowing soldiers why they couldn’t swim. A few spells and bullets bounced off of his skin which had been turned to solid metal.

Emperor Moribidus discharged a blast of fire which struck down below killing a few troops. The dragon bites into his shoulder causing the magic to discharge. Screaming with rage and pain the Emperor’s left leg turned into a blade and he kicked out into Kilamodread’s underbelly. The magicall blade pierced the dragon. Releasing the Emperor from his jaws the beast let out a shrieking cry which could be heard all over the increasingly wider cast battle. From his wound a third arm grotesquely grew out of Moribidus' shoulder blade. From the other shoulder a fourth arm tore through the skin and formed.

His original arms had hold of the dragon’s forelimbs. The new arms reached up and took hold of Kilamodnread’s open mouth. Stretching with all his might Emperor Moribidus opened the dragon’s mouth wider and wider. The last of the dragons thrashed madly, his talons slicing the Emperor’s wrists. Desperately he tried to shut his mouth, his teeth slicing into his foe’s artificial hands. Moribidus was stronger and with a sharp crack and a tortured scream the Emperor tore off the Dragon’s lower jaw. Turning his real right hand into a blade the Emperor sliced vertically up the dragon’s body rigid with pain and shock. Easily the bladearm cut through Kilamondread’s body. Falling to the ground with his innards spilling out, Kilamondread and the race of the Dragon departed from the World.