The War of Ten Dragons

Prologue

Afternoon
Outskirts
Lost City of Arada

The wind whirled as a lone adventurer stood at the entrance to an ancient city.

She wore light armor – without it, her speed was cut neatly in half. It had been enchanted by the elves of a city…right before it had been destroyed by Nocturne – a god of death.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail and hung down her back. It was the same dusty brown color as the dirt at her feet. Slung across her back was a tall bow that reached to her head. Under that was a quiver filled with arrows. Attached at her waist was a scabbard that held a sword as long as her forearm. Her boots had accumulated a layer of dust and dirt over the years, and she leaned down to futilely brush it off.

I've almost forgotten their voices…

She was lost in thought as she walked forward through the deserted town. She stared into shops that were once bustling with people, walked through squares that once held great events, walked past a crumbling castle that had once been ruled by a great king.

The lost city of Ziol. It used to be proud, but Nocturne had taken care of it.

The adventurer walked forward to a great tower that watched over the city, and the great sea of plains surrounding it.

Maybe it's fate…I'm the only survivor of our adventure…

She walked up to the entrance. She didn't bother trying the entrance, knowing well that it was caved in on the other side. She instead turned her attention to the five graves sitting in front of it. All of them held twenty neatly placed black roses.

It's been twenty years…and I'm ready to move on.

She carefully placed one more rose on each of the graves and knelt, praying softly.

There's just one more thing to do.

She stared into the distance after her prayer. She sighed and sat on the ground. She scratched a circle into the dust and pressed her hand on it. Nobody knew how she could do it, but the circle glowed, vanished, and a fire and bedroll quickly sprouted from nowhere. She was sitting on the bedroll. She reached into midair and seemed to pull a book out of nowhere. It was the same color as both her hair and the ground, and sealed with a lock. She softly spoke into the lock and opened it.

It was completely blank.

Twenty years…now to tell our tale.

She did the same thing for an inkwell and a pen, dipped the pen into the ink, and began writing.

Now it's time to tell my story.

Twenty Years Earlier
Living Room
Earth, Household of Shane Juack Hallavasso

"You are sitting in a tavern known as 'Ye Olde Taverne'. And yes, that is with all the seemingly unnecessary e's placed at the end of every word."

Four friends sat around a large, rectangular table in a modern-day living room. There were odd trinkets put up everywhere around the room. The television was large, but off.

The table was covered with paper – character sheets, mostly – as well as several guides that were hidden behind a piece of thin cardboard bent in two places to create a shield to hide the one sitting behind them – Shane – and the secret rolls he made.

All four of them were dressed similarly. Two boys, two girls, all four dressed in plain black t-shirts. Plain all but the back, that is. The back of the shirt held a large alchemy circle – a circle adorned with patterns. They were the Nameless.

They had names, of course, but they were a group of four gamers who called themselves just that – the Nameless. The obvious leader of the group, the dungeon master of their campaign, was Shane. His hair was thick, black, and (Though he denied it) was similar to that of one of his favorite characters from one of his favorite movies.

The second one, sitting to Shane's right, was Rigus. That name he picked for himself – his real name wasn't one he was proud of. His hair was cut short – almost a buzz cut, but not quite there. It was orangish red.

The third was sitting to the left of Shane, and was the first of two girls sitting at the table. She had fiery orange hair, and it was currently growing out in every direction. She called herself many things, her current name being Phoenix.

The fourth one sat across from Shane, and was practically his girlfriend (Though he'd never admit it). She was Rika Sokaru, and wore her brown hair in a ponytail down her back.

"Always the unnecessary e's." Phoenix grinned. "What be our options, oh great Dungeon Master?"

"You have three choices. Choice A: talk to the bartender about any rumors that might be going on. Choice B: go to 'Ye Olde Gossipe Boarde' to check for quests. Choice C: go to 'Ye Olde Arenae' and fight randomly generated monsters for experience and treasure. Rigus?"

Rigus rolled a die. It landed a twenty. "I'll go to the arena." Phoenix rolled her twenty-sided die, a second twenty.

"That's a rarity." Rika piped in. She rolled her die. It also landed on the twenty side. "Huh?"

They all heard Shane rolling dice behind his piece of cardboard. He put the cardboard down with a confused look on his face.

"All twenties." He said.

"Glad you noticed." A voice said.

"How'd you get in here?" Shane asked, wildly looking around and seeing nothing.

"Well, I can't reveal that at the moment. Gives me an…air of mystery, if I don't say so myself." The voice said.

"We're busy." Shane growled.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll be plenty busy in…about ten minutes, actually." The voice said. "Ooh, that reminds me, I need to do…this."

A black portal opened just above the table. It didn't take long for all of the paper on the table to be sucked into it.

"Go in, all of you."

"Why should we?" Rigus asked.

"Because I say so." The voice grunted, and Rigus flew forward into the portal. "Come on, don't make me do it to all of you."

"I'm not doing anything…" Rika said. She was the next to fly in.

"Rika!" Shane willingly jumped forward into the portal. Next came Phoenix, also by will.

"Heh…that was easier than I thought." The voice said to himself in satisfaction. "Now to gather the other two…"

Evening
Outskirts
Lost City of Arada

If only I'd been there…they might not have died.

"Rika Sokaru?"

Rika had been writing so thoughtfully that she didn't notice the man come up behind her. On instinct she whirled around, yanked her short sword out of its scabbard and had the blade to the man's neck. She studied his face carefully and brought the blade down, though she didn't put it back in its sheath.

"Who are you?" Rika asked.

"A messenger, from the trader's village. A man named…" The man looked at a scroll of paper. "Aukku would like to speak with you."

"What?" Rika almost gasped. She stole a glance at the five graves and furrowed her brow.

"If you have a moment…he wishes to speak with you immediately."

"Hmph. I suppose I have to come to the village?" Rika asked.

"Of course. It is far too dangerous for him to be traveling outside the mountains…or so he says."

"Very well." Rika sighed and crouched. She quickly scratched a circle around herself and pressed her hands to it. She vanished without a trace, along with her campsite.

She wasn't there to hear the messenger's screams of terror as hundreds of jet-black creatures descended on him.

Evening
Dontera Comhe Inn
Trader's Village

"How are you alive?" Rika immediately asked as soon as she warped inside.

Sitting in a wheelchair was a man wearing a black cloak. His entire upper face was hidden. Had these been normal circumstances, Rika might've questioned what a wheelchair was doing in a medieval setting.

"Rika." He said simply. "You remember…how I died, don't you?"

"I was there! I was the only one who escaped the village when Nocturne came down on Jondan!"

"I'm sorry for all this mystery…but I did manage to escape. An old mage managed to get me out in time…it seems that my noble blood is still needed."

"How is it you can keep coming back?" Rika asked. "In the twenty years we've been here, you've managed to die three times."

"Might I remind you that twice I cheated death? In the tower, that was the only time I truly died. And I've been here longer than you, Rika."

"I don't even care anymore. It was twenty years ago. What I want to know is why did you wait so long to contact me?" Rika paced the floor slowly. "I mean…the only reason you came on the journey was because your blood was needed to stop the summoning."

Aukku cleared his throat nervously. "Well…"

"Don't tell me."

"Rika…they're back."

"I told you not to tell me." Rika sighed and leaned against the wall. "I already lost five friends to them."

"Remember, there are eight more left. We have to destroy them all before you can go back."

"Maybe I don't want to go back. I mean…at first, I dreamt of it, but now…it's been twenty years, and I've grown on this place."

"Rika…you don't belong in this world. It's not even real. It was –"

"I know, the creation of my friend. Well, now he's dead, Aukku. He's dead, and he's not coming back."

"It was never meant to be this way…"

"I know, Aukku! He, the others, they were never meant to be killed here! That fool didn't know what he was doing when he brought us here."

"Aw, well that's just mean, Rika."

"Oh, no."

"Yup, it's your old pal. I've gotta guide you through eight new continents, sixty-four more dungeons."

"What, annoying my best friend wasn't enough? Now you have to torture me?"

"Sorry…but you don't belong here."

"That's the second time today I've heard that."

"Rika." Aukku took Rika out of her trance. "The trials ahead of you will be immense…let me give you this amulet. It will protect you from evil." Aukku reached into his cloak and pulled out a small circle of gold with a glowing white diamond set into it. He held it out, and Rika grabbed it, putting it around her neck in one fluid motion.

"Why do I feel…so tired?" She asked, nearly collapsing as the amulet took control.

"I'm sorry, Rika, but it was the only way." Aukku said, only seconds before Rika blacked out.