A/N: Hello, I am called Tintress and it is my duty to carry on the works of my counterpart Tint. This is his idea, but seeing as he is unable to complete things, I've been left in charge of the neglected stories. I don't want to get into details and bore or depress people.
This is a 'little' tale referred to as The War of Granster. What you have before you is chapter one of book one of series one. In other words, there's a lot more coming, assuming I can get to it all.
This fic is based off the world of Dungeons and Dragons, to which no ownership is assumed or implied. There will be violence, swearing, probably drinking and gambling, and just maybe some sexual content.
As far as the story goes, I won't give away anything more than: "War looms in Granster. Can one individual sway the course?" Enjoy.
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"Have you ever had one of those days where you've got a feeling that something very bad is about to happen, but you can't tell what it is or when it will happen? Today has been one of those days," Fellis Swiftcraft admitted with a nervous smirk. None of the other four men scurrying about the room bothered responding to the young vagabond, who merely shrugged at their dismissal of him.
Fellis Swiftcraft was what the officials referred to as a 'troublemaker', 'scoundrel', or a 'thief', but Fellis much rather preferred referring to his occupation as a 'gatherer'. As a youth running rampant through the bustling streets of Ravenhearth, opportunities to 'gather' things were abundant. At least they were until he got caught by one of the Empyreal guards and tossed in one of the thousands of cells beneath Castle Ravenhearth. Who would have guessed that in those dingy cellars that Fellis would catch his big break?
Barely two weeks after being imprisoned, Fellis had been offered a chance at redemption on the condition that he could carry out a small task for the Royal Archmage Taronis. Ol' Terror, as Taronis was referred to among all citizens within the Empire, had a reputation of using prisoners as test subjects for his new spells, which more often than not ended with scraping body parts of the floor, walls and ceiling.
Three years later and Fellis, now a young man just seeing his twentieth summer, was still helping the Archmage with his experiments; sure, he was missing a few ribs on his left side as a result of that first spell test and there were those violent nightmares that plagued his sleep after the incident with the undead, but he was alive, a minor miracle in itself.
Fellis casually cast a glance over at the assortment of components that the four cloaked wizards had brought into the room and once again felt a twinge of dread creep down his spine. Over the last few years, Fellis had learned a fair amount about the arcane magics worked by Taronis and his apprentices, but any man could tell you that a spell that required a human skull made of solidified blood was definitely a bad thing.
"So… This won't end well now, will it?" Fellis muttered as he checked over his equipment for what seemed like the hundredth time. Daggers, check; healing potions, double check; prayer to whatever deity gave a rat's ass about him, check. He'd be finding out if he'd lived a good life by their books soon enough.
Well, if this was his end, there wasn't much that Fellis had to regret as far as at things that he had never done. A smile managed to find Fellis' face as he recalled a time when he had accidentally got teleported into a princess' bed chambers while transporting a newly discovered mind-affecting drug, although he would never publicly admit to have partaken in the events that followed since there were certain royal families that still sought Fellis' head for it.
"Ah, Princess Nisara of Deyburne, one of the finest flowers in all of Granster!"
The coarse voice wheezed from just inches off his shoulder, causing Fellis to nearly jump out of his leathers. He knew that the voice belonged to Archmage Taronis and wisely turned with a flourish, dropping to one knee before the master wizard, partly as a show of respect, but mostly so he could avert his eyes from Taronis', hiding the disgust that would be showing. "Master Taronis, you know my feelings regarding your mind probes."
Taronis laughed, a hideous cackle that carried enough girth to almost shake the old man apart. "Ah, but your thoughts are so… entertaining, my dear Fellis." The Archmage gently laid a hand on Fellis' shoulder, "Now rise, we haven't the time to waste on trivial matters such as station, my new spell awaits!"
The Archmage beckoned for Fellis to follow him over to the table holding all the mysterious components. Not all of the items were as gruesome as the blood skull, but still were unnerving all the same. Organs from lizards, insect parts, exotic powders and liquids; your typical assortment of arcane reagents. "These are all for your new spell, Archmage?" Fellis couldn't help but ask.
"No, no, of course not," Taronis replied with an enthusiastic shake of his head, "These are just in case something that isn't supposed to comes out of that portal."
"And I'm going through that portal…"
"No, I just felt like creating a portal to a dragon's lair for the hell of it. Of course you're going through the portal!"
Now Fellis understood what that feeling of dread had been hinting about. At least if he was going to die, it would be at the hands, or claws, of a dragon instead of having one of Taronis' spells kill him. Plus, the fact that Taronis was preparing counter-measures against the dragon meant that the portal would work on the return trip. There was a glimmer of hope, although faint, that he would live through this.
One of the apprentices approached the Archmage at that point, holding out a small wooden chest towards Taronis. The Archmage chanted a short phrase, waving a hand over the chest as he uttered the final syllable. In response, the container popped open a crack, a faint silver glow emanating from within. Taronis lifted the lid, peering inside, the wicked smile on his bony face growing wider with appreciation.
"I think that you will greatly appreciate this spell, Fellis," Taronis whispered, removing the contents of the chest, holding the tiny glowing object in cupped hands. Fellis strained to see what it was that Taronis has carrying, but the Archmage closed his hands around it, blocking Fellis' attempts to catch a glimpse of the shining item.
"Naqo slyb qliwypd," Taronis' eyes flared a deep red, his voice thundering with profound power. Suddenly, the Archmage thrust both arms out, palms open facing Fellis, striking the youth in the chest. A painful burning feeling filled his ribs, spreading slowly throughout his body. Fellis looked down at his chest, a silver lizard's scale disappearing into his body leaving a thin wisp of smoke as it vanished.
"What the hell…" Fellis began as the magelings grabbed hold of his arms, dragging him across the room over to the portal.
Taronis waved a withered hand in Fellis' direction. "Twenty minutes. That is when the portal will reopen on the other side. It will stay open for five seconds, no more, maybe less. I want to know if my spell worked."
"I want to know what it's supposed to do first!" Fellis tried shouting at the Archmage, but his voice was lost as he found himself falling, surrounded by a swirling tunnel of blue and white, carried forth by a strong pull from the opposite end. A second later, Fellis found himself hurtling face first onto a rocky ledge, the momentum of the portal just barely enough to carry him to safety.
Fellis lifted his head from the pebble covered ledge, peering around intently at his surroundings. Before him loomed a massive opening in the cliff face, a cold air seeping out of the cavern. A curtain of water flanked his sides, the roar of the waterfall deafening at this close proximity, yet intoxicatingly beautiful as moonlight reflected off the shimmering falls. Behind him was the open night sky, the outlines of several mountains rising up in the darkness. Far below, the sight almost made Fellis dizzy, a small cluster of lights shone brightly, some remote village at the base of the mountains.
The rogue could easily have spent the next ten minutes sitting at this ledge, enjoying the short period of freedom that had been granted to him, but Fellis had work to attend to, even if he had no idea what that work was. At times like these he really hated the Archmage… Correction, he always hated Taronis, now was just one of those times when it was more evident. With a resigned sigh, Fellis turned towards the cave, letting its complete darkness envelope him.
A plan was forming in Fellis' mind, one that just might allow him to test Taronis' spell and let him live at the same time. He just had to hope that his instincts regarding the nature of this particular dragon were correct. If he was wrong, at least the dragon would have a good laugh about it later.
"Oh, good dragon who inhabits this cave, please assist me!" Fellis called out blindly, "I have been cursed by an evil wizard and have no knowledge of to the nature of my affliction. Perhaps you may be able to cure me?"
Fellis continued forward, listening intently for a response or sign of movement from deeper within the cavern. Nothing. Surely he had yelled loud enough to attract the attention of the dragon, that, and the fact that any intelligent dragon would have some manner of alarm that would alert him of an intruders presence. There was always the possibility that the dragon knew of his presence and was lying in wait, ready to ambush Fellis when he reached a more favourable position. This entrance path was too confining of a space for a large dragon to move about freely, favouring the nimble Fellis. Ha, look at him, trying to make himself appear the superior of a dragon, at least his sense of humour was still intact.
He could hear the dragon's breathing now, a steady rhythm that sent a rumble through the walls. The dragon was above him, but finally, a stroke of luck; the dragon was asleep! The tunnel was widening and a beam of light shone down from a large hole in the ceiling up ahead. Fellis had to rub his eyes to make sure that they were showing him the truth. A pile of gold coins lay directly in the center of the light!
It had to be a trap, Fellis told himself as he entered the circular chamber that housed the gold pile. A staircase circled about the room, starting along the far wall, curving around the wall of the chamber, eventually passing through a small doorway, continuing upwards into what had to be the dragon's main lair. It pained Fellis greatly to leave the gold untouched, but greater treasures were sure to await in the room above.
More gold, along with handfuls of silver, dotted the staircase. The room above must be overflowing with treasure if so much had spilled out. Fellis had lost count by the time he reached the doorway, but there was easily enough to fill his pockets, his belt pouches, his gloves and boots, and whatever else he could carry the coins in. Yet, it was nothing compared to the view that awaited him as he exited the stairwell, entering the dragon's lair.
Fellis stood near the center of the immense cavern, with hills of golden trinkets stretching as far as the eye could see in any direction. Torches protruded from most piles, burning with magical silver fires, casting enchanting shadows across the fields of gold. Weapons and suits of armour rested among the gold, each piece not only expertly crafted, but works of art at the same time.
The young man was awestruck at the wealth laid out before him. Never in his wildest dreams had he pictured such an immense collection of riches. He found himself wandering around the hills, his gaze wandering from one treasure to another, his hands not sure which one to swipe. That was when he stumbled around one hill, coming face to face with the sleeping dragon.
Larger than the piles of gold, but of a silver lustre that was so flawless that it was impossible to discern the individual scales that covered its body. A spiked ridge ran down the lizard's spine, from the tip of its tail to the peak of its bearded head. Two horns ran back across its ears and its massive wings tucked tight against its resting body. Fellis could have stood there for hours watching the dragon in sheer appreciation of its grandness, but something else caught his eye.
The dragon lay curled about a stone pedestal, atop of which rested a small amber sphere, no larger than an apple. Midnight black clouds churned within the tiny orb, at times swallowing the entire thing in shadows. It gave off a pale glow that steadily grew, only to fade just as evenly seconds later, like a lighthouse beacon as it turned.
The only difference was that instead of warning people to stay away, this beacon pulled them in, for Fellis was practically climbing over the sleeping dragon to get closer to the orb. Somehow, the dragon still slept soundly, even with Fellis standing a foot away from its nostrils. All that remained between Fellis and the mysterious crystal was the dragon's outstretched hind foot.
Fellis slowly crouched, lowering himself as quietly as humanly possible to lie flat on his belly. Then, he inched himself slowly forward, twisting awkwardly to pass underneath the curve of the lizard's massive foot. He had to remind himself to keep breathing as he retracted his trailing leg, nearly knocking over the stack of coins leaning against the dragon's claw. He had made it through untouched!
Only to promptly step on the dragon's tail curled around the base of the pedestal when he turned around to claim his prize.
Immediately, the dragon's eyes shot open, twin pools of mercury that were brimming with anger. The massive head swung to face Fellis, the lizard's jaw snapping open to issue a terrifying roar directly at the trembling thief. As the jaws closed, the head drew nearer, those eyes looking intently at Fellis. It seemed like an eternity that the dragon stayed like that, as if it was daring Fellis to make the first move. The lizard's nostrils flared rapidly, almost pulling Fellis off his feet with each powerful intake.
"Where are you, trespasser?" the dragon hissed, its voice rich and inviting, echoing throughout the lair, but Fellis couldn't care less about the dragon's voice. The dragon was staring directly at him, so how could it not see him? Could it not hear Fellis' frantic breathing, nor smell his sweat?
Fellis dared a smile as the dragon turned its head, looking confused as it glanced around its lair. The second that its gaze was off him, Fellis removed a dagger from his belt, tossing it as far as he could. There was a brief clang of metal hitting metal followed by the sound of rustling coins. The dragon's head shot in the direction of the noise, a cloud of blue frost issuing forth from its mouth.
His distraction won, Fellis promptly pocketed the amber orb, darting towards the descending stairwell. The last wisps of frost still trailing from its jaws, the dragon once again returned its focus to Fellis. "Impressive sorcery, thief. I may have to let you live so that I can learn your trick!" There was no doubting that the dragon clearly saw Fellis now.
"My master is not recruiting apprentices at the moment. Perhaps another time," Fellis shouted over his shoulder as he hurdled over a pile of treasure.
The dragon chuckled as it plodded after Fellis, toppling entire mounds of gold as it pursued the scrambling gatherer. There was another sharp intake of breath, but this time a yellow cloud spewed forth from the dragon's maw. Fellis found himself completely absorbed by the cloud, his body slowly tightening up, his legs refusing to move. "I can wait for centuries, but I always preferred learning something the first time it becomes available. Tell me who your master is, before my paralyzing gas silences that cheeky tongue of yours."
"Paralysis? Thanks," Fellis was all smiles as a wave of energy flowed out of one of the rings hidden beneath his gloves. In a second, Fellis was off running once again.
"More magic? You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" The dragon unfurled its great leathery wings and with a single flap had elevated itself above the waves of treasure. "Luckily, I have my own tricks. Lomoldo Wlimahu."
Fellis found his feet leaving the stone floor, the stairs just coming into sight, and flung violently up against the ceiling of the chamber. The impact rattled his head, nearly sending him into unconsciousness. He was just aware enough to see the golden floor rise up after him at an alarming rate.
From below the treasure littered ceiling the dragon looked up with distaste, "I hate smearing blood over my treasure and it makes such a mess when it all falls down, takes me weeks to put everything back how I like it." In response the golden rain began, first as a gentle sprinkling before unleashing a flood of riches. The dragon basked in the shower, enjoying the cascade of gold pouring off its body and back onto the floor.
In that moment of self-indulgence, Fellis fell silently onto the great lizard's head, daggers flashing in his hands as he buried them hilt deep into the dragon's closed eyes. The dragon roared out in pain as Fellis released his grip on the embedded knives, slipping down the beast's arched neck and into a headfirst dive for the hole in the floor. The dragon's front claws shot out blindly for Fellis, but only caught air, the young thief already out of reach.
He hit the ground in a hard roll, coming up on his feet and running. By his estimation, he was right on time for Taronis to be opening the portal. A gentle pat on his belt pouch reassured him that his treasure was still with him. The Archmage would surely be happy with this little item!
There was a heavy thud behind him, followed by an angry roar and a wave of cold that nipped at Fellis' heels. "Return Destiny, the power within should not be awakened!"
The dragon was lumbering after Fellis, closing steadily with every giant step. The sound of rushing water filled the tunnel, reinstalling the slim hope that was working overtime for Fellis. He heard the dragon taking in another breath, this one from barely ten feet behind him. There were the twin waterfalls flanking the entrance and the open night sky. No sign of a portal.
Fellis didn't care. The dragon exhaled his frost cloud just as Fellis jumped into the night. All that remained was the five-hundred foot fall. Fellis closed his eyes, half expecting to feel the chill of death creep over him as his body became a frozen ice cube, the other half expecting to feel the air scream past his ears as he plummeted to his death.
He hit the ground far sooner than he expected, his back was numb, and he was still alive to taste the blood in his mouth from where he had just bit his lip.
"Artrescent?" a delicate female voice asked.
"He's the only one I know where to find," replied the coarse voice of Archmage Taronis.
Fellis dared to lift his head, shuddering as he heard ice crack apart along his neck. Standing before him, but behind a row of frozen apprentice statues, stood the Archmage and a beautiful elven woman wearing the robes of a priestess. Both looked past the row of icicles, the woman smiling brightly. "Your spell failed," Fellis snarled as best he could.
"Damn the arcane!" Taronis spat, "I was sure that my spell would hide you from the dragon."
Fellis let his forehead thud against the tiled floor. "It did, until I touched his treasure."
Taronis' face brightened, "Oh, it's supposed to do that."
"Damn you."
The elven priestess knelt beside Fellis, running a caring hand along his frozen spine, sending warm pulses with her healing touch, "Now, now, young Fellis. You know better than cursing a member of the council, especially in the presence of two such members."
Her admonishment fell upon death ears, as Fellis had already passed out. She smiled fondly at the unconscious young man, then turned her smile to Taronis. "You feel that aura?"
"Felt it the second I reopened the portal. Hard to miss something that strong. Can't believe the little runt managed to sneak Destiny out from right under Artrescent's nose," Taronis chuckled as the priestess fished through Fellis' belongings, triumphantly holding the amber orb aloft.
The priestess pointed at the sleeping Fellis, "I like this kid. Think I can borrow him for some of my errands?"
Taronis snorted, "Just once, Luna Ananodel, since you did heal him. But be careful, he's my errand boy."
Luna smiled wickedly, "No promises, Terror."
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A/N: So, any comments? I think I did a real good job at it and would appreciate any feedback. Oh, and little spoiler: the main character hasn't appeared yet. Will try having an update ready next week.