Chapter 3: Cavern of the Dead
Kalec and Raac watch as dwarves chip away at the ice as they un-ice a dead Behemoth. -What are they doing? Why are they trying to free the remainsof that Ancient Behemoth?- he watches their movement, -They're so careful, if they don't want to hurt it. But it makes no sense, unless it could be-- he states but saw that something had caught Raac's attention. 'raac!' he he lets out as he flew at the something that was behind them.
Kalec looks behind him and saw a dwarf with a shovel, "No!" he states as Raac attacks, "Away from me Beastie!" the dwarf snaps at Raac as he raise his shovel. Then Kalec summons his magic, -Got to concentrate!- he tells himself as Raac was hit and flung at the wall. The dwarf smirks to himself but the shovel was cut in half and he looks over and saw the Kalec had his sword, the young dragon smirks at him, but the dwarf smirks at him as he was looking behind him. Kalec look behind him, -Wha-?! Not again!- he said and was hit in the back of the head. He hits the ground knock out cold, What'll we do with it?" one dwarf asks him. "For now, tie it up. He'll know what do…"
~8~8~8~
Back at the castle, Anveena and Belle stood on the open balcony and look out at the snow as it falls and flutters in the wind, the Baron stood behind them, "It's beautiful… yet…" Anveena states, "Ominous?" The Baron asks her, Anveena turns back and looks at him as well as Belle did, "So that ring of yours…" Belle states, the Baron looks down at the ring and smiles softly. "I was married once, my wife and my best friend; Anna, she and I grew up together and she was beautiful and I loved her as she had loved me." he states. "What happened to her?" Bella asks her, the Baron lowers his hand and frowns.
"When I was apart of the scourge, she look for me and tried to free me from their control… she paid a heavy price." he states and looks away. Belle took a step back, "You killed her?" she asks, he looks away. "I never want to harm her in any way, but seeing her dead body laying there… I came to my senses and return to my ruin home and buried her body in the fields." he tells them, "I'm sorry for your loss." Belle tells him the Baron nods, "Yes, I miss her as well… I can barley remember what she look like, even sound like." he mutters looking at his hand as he was gazing at the ring. "But still, I don't understand how I can help you! Wanting Belle's help, I understand, but I don't have any magical powers and my friends-" Anveena states, "If they live, they are probably Ichor's prisoners… which is no time for hesitation!" The baron reminds her, "What are we suppose to do if we agree to help you?" Belle questions him as she cross her arms, "If you help, girl, we can still save them." the Baron tells her.
Belle looks at Anveena and saw she was consisting it, then straightens up and looks at him, "All- All right, Baron, what must I do?" Anveena asks him. He then turns away from them, "Nothing too terrible. When we venture out again, I will give you a crystal. You stand where I say and think of your friends. And you can guard her, mage." The Baron answers her, "That's all?" Anveena and Belle asks him. He nods, "That's all, yes… I will do the rest." he tells them, "But how will that-?" Anveena went to ask, but Trag walks out to them. "Little ones, it is growing colder you come head inside." he tells them making the three look at him "Ah! Yes! Forgive me! I no longer sense the cold!" the Baron informs them. "A-Alright." Anveena states, then she took Belle's arm and they both walk back in. "Great Baron… this is not right! They are innocent!" Trag argues with him then the Baron looks back out at the scenery. "Sacrifices must be made, young Trag. If some must die." The Baron said in a calm tone.
Trag was shock to even hear such words from him, then the Baron looks at his raise fist, "There are worst things than dying… as I can vouch." he states and clutch his fist "My wife gave herself so I can kill the Scourge and I will not rest until every last one of them are dead." he said with venom dripping from his mouth. Then throws his hand back down "No more of this talk! Come! There is work to be done!" he orders and Trag sighs, hung his head and nods. "Aye… as you say… Baron."
~8~8~8~
An orb as it was showing an image of Jorad, as he was still frozen in ice "Jorad Mace… Jorad Mace! You must awaken!" a voice whispers out, Jorad's lip twitches a little. "Awaken!" it whispers again. -B-Borel? S-So cold… can't move…- Jorad shivers; then two hand reach out and hovers around the orb. "It must be you that frees you. You have the means… and the will." Borel whispers to him -The… The hammer…- Jorad states as he clutch his teeth and grips his handle tightly.
"It is you… and you are it… strike together! As one, you strength is multiplied!" Borel tells him, then the ice started to crack. Then with all his might, Jorad lets out a might battle cry and the ice breaks, freeing himself from the cold prison, then he exhales as he was drain of his prime strength causing him to collapse to the ground. But then, just as he was going to hit the ground, he collects himself and then rolls onto his feet. Jorad exhales and looks over at the other ice prison. "TYRI!" he cries out at the dragon that was frozen inside. He stood to his feet, hiss as he grips his side in pain, then limps walks over to the ice prison. -Does she live?- Jorad asks as he looks at her, -I hear nothing… but she must!- he argues to himself, then grips his hammer with both hands and raise it over his hand, lets out another cry and slams it right down, but was only able to dent it a little.
Both something in the shadows lurk as it heard Joard's cry. He then lowers his hammer as he places his hand on the ice, "Tyri! Can you hear me?" he calls out, Tyri twitches her foot, Jorad then steps back, "My lady! Tyri! I don't know if I can crack it all the way!" he calls out, Tyri eye remains unmoving "There may be one way! You have to transform! Do you hear me? Transform!" he calls out to her, "Tyri! Do you-!" he stops short as her dragon body went up in flames. Her claws and feet shrunk down into hands, her tail vanishes, wings become a claw as her scale legs were pale skin. Her snot shrunk into an elf face and she was in her elven form again, but her skin was pale as her face was flush a little.
Jorad watches with awe as she falls and he catches her in his arms, he just looks at her. -She's so beautiful…- he mutters to himself, then Tyri groans and flutters her eye open slowly, "J-Jorad… w-where are we?" she asks him, "I don't know, my lady. It seems-" he stops as he heard something hissing in the shadows, making him look over then sent Tyri on her feet and took a hold of her wrist, "That sound! Quickly! This way!" he states and pulls her along. But then they stops and he pulls her in close, gripping her shoulder, but she didn't have the strength to feel concerned or worried. He looks over and saw the skeleton dragon from before, hissing as it steps out of the shadows, "RUN!" Jorad shouts as he grips his hammer and Tyri grips his arm.
The frost Wyrm flew frost at them, but as it almost hits them, Jorad had leap out of the cavern, taking Tyri along with him and they both crash into the snow. He huffs as they were away, then stood up, pulling Tyri to her feet and held her close to him, then they started to walk. "C-Can't go on… so tired…" she mutters, Jorad grids his teeth as he had no idea where they are, then he looks at Tyri. "We must! The Beast'll be upon us!" he tells her then looks around, "But- where is it?" he wonder, then suddenly something else steps in there path. "Sssso… what have we here?" the creature questions and the two look at it in surprise.
Then the scourge surrounds then, as Ichor, the leader of the rogue scourge stood in front of them and Jorad held Tyri protectively close to him "Live onesss, eh? Well, not for long…"