DRAGON CAMPAIGN
CHAPTER 5
New Dawn
The Wingly city of Vellweb was still an impressive display of power and beauty. However deep beneath the depths of that beauty, was an uglyness even the most cruel of beings couldn't help but shudder upon seeing. Deep within the lower recesses of the floating city lay the horrid mines that kept the generators moving. Like all Wingly cities, slaves were needed to keep the generators moving non stop. This was by far the worst possible job anyone could be forced to perform and Vellweb was the absolute worst of them all.
Deep within one of the many thousand mining areas, one man toiled endlessly at his job. One of the various tasks was for workers to chip away stone work and then dump it into the advanced generators powering the floating city. Over a hundred people died each day. This man hated the work but even still, he considered himself fortunate as he was still alive after seven years of labor.
Indeed it had been seven years for the man known as Zieg. Seven long years since he last saw his home or his friends. Seven years since he last confronted the Wingly Emperor and received his brutal beating. Seven long harsh years. Over that time, Zieg had grown much since then. His hair was longer as he allowed it to flow down the back so as not to get in the way of his line of vision. He kept it set with a headband he wore over it. His muscles had greatly developed as well. The long toiling work had paid off in terms of manual labor strength. His clothing was much more simply now as he only wore a pair of slightly baggy leggings and a dirty tunic with no sleeves. Zieg didn't mind however. He had long since gotten used to the smelly cloths he was forced to wear, as he had gotten used to many things.
Yet he had never given up on his dream. The many lashes across his back were proof that he was still firm in his belief that the Wingly monarchs should fall.
Beads of sweat trailed down the man's face as he continued to chip away. He absently brushed against another larger human worker. Only too late did he realize his mistake. The larger man grunted angrily then pushed him roughly to the side.
"Out of my way you piece of shit!"
Zieg stumbled a bit as he lost his balance then fell into the large pile of rocks they had already collected for the furnace. Many other workers around the area momentarily stopped what they were doing to watch the commotion. By the looks of things, everything was in motion for a fight. It was no secret that the man Zieg was a problematic worker. They had all seen him flogged by the Wingly enslavers more then once. After the seven years he's been there, many of the workers either developed a grudging respect for the man or an angry hatred, intent on believe that he thought himself better then everyone else. Apparently this giant of a man thought so as well.
Zieg noticed the gathering crowd as he slowly picked himself up out of the rubble he had fallen into. He evenly drew his hand across a split lip, wiping the blood away. 'So it's a fight they want eh?' He thought to himself absently while measuring up the big man.
In all of his years, Zieg had never seen a human this big before. The man ranged at about 7 feet in height and just as proportionally big in build. However, normally if a man were that big, an even measure of girth would have to be the factor. That was not the case with this man. As Zieg scaled him out he noticed that every inch of the man was pure muscle. No doubt the man had worked much longer then he in the cruel mines of Vellweb.
Regardless, Zieg did not take the affront lightly. Even if the guy was huge, he wasn't about to take any abuse from anyone.
"What the hell is your problem?" Zieg demanded, glaring at the giant.
"Right now my problem is you bumping into me! Stay out of my way and you won't get hurt anymore."
"Oh so you feel like you can just push anyone around just cause we're all smaller then you?"
The big man frowned lightly as he glared at Zieg. Upon closer inspection, Zieg saw that the man had a shaven head. Either that or he was bald. Regardless, it didn't surprise him. Most men often shaved their heads so as to be able to deal with the heat of the mines in an easier fashion. Aside from that the man had almost the same attire as he did, only in a bigger size.
"I never said that!" the big man protested. "Look runt I'm in a really bad mood today. I suggest you just accept it and move on."
Zieg's eyes flashed with a hint of anger at this. "Ok… I'll move on…" He replied gamely, turning his shoulder to leave. Suddenly he whipped back around and rammed his fist right into the giant's gut causing the big man to reel over slightly. "Move on to kicking your ass!" He finished smugly.
As if on cue, loud shouting and hooting erupted from the crowd of onlookers, for they knew a fight had brewed and they couldn't wait to view the acts of carnage the two men would deal towards each other.
The giant quickly rose to his feet and tackled the brown haired man full force, ramming him to the ground. Zieg cried out in protest as his back was crushed against the solid rock concrete. The big man sat over him, pummeling his fists into Zieg's face. After a few blows, Zieg quickly drew both of his hands together, smashing them in between the man's head. The Giant reeled in pain as he clutched his skull, giving Zieg enough time to roll away. Zieg quickly got up to his feet then ran up to the man and kicked him square in the jaw.
The giant began falling back from the blow but immediately stopped his progress with his left arm. He quickly rose back up and sidelined Zieg. The smaller man flew back from the assault and slammed hard into the ground. The big man then picked him up and threw him right into one of the walls. Zieg grunted in pain as he slumped against the wall. A trail of blood made its way down his lip. Zieg wiped it away with the back of his hand, giving the gigantic man a malicious look. "First blood goes to you big fella. Now its my turn."
Before he could react, Zieg ran up to the big man with quick lightning speed then jumped in the air performing a flying kick directly to the mans chest. The giant fell back in pain, clutching his wound. Zieg wasn't finished however. He pounced on the big man and wailed him with his fists in an almost berserk-like rage. The big man had no choice but to fall victim to the malicious attacks, all the while the people in the background continued to cheer wildly at the display of blood.
Suddenly a loud whistle zipped out through the air, silencing them all. For they all knew what those whistles meant. Unfortunately Zieg either didn't hear or didn't care as he continued pummeling the man senseless. A group of 5 Wingly quickly ran up to them bearing swords and shields. The Winglys quickly got to work hammering the smaller man with their shields to get him to stop. Zieg finally ceased in his attacks as he instead tried to shield himself from the assault on all sides.
"You know the rules!" One of the Wingly Warden's ordered from within the group of five soldiers. "If you two want a fight so much you can take it out in the pit!"
Many of the workers quickly assumed an even more oblivious attitude as to draw little attention to themselves. The pit was the worst place any slave could go into. If any slaves were caught fighting, they were immediately sent to the pit. There they were pitted against ferocious Cyclops beasts and crazed Gigantos. Usually the prisoners were chained together so that they were forced to work together and survive or operate apart and die. Either way, very few slaves were known to survive the pit and those that did would never dare to go back.
The pit served as a two-fold system for the Wingly Wardens. Not only would it quell fights but it would also give them a means of entertainment and gambling.
Zieg glared in defiance towards the Wingly Warden as he was forced to his feet. "Ah the pit again eh? You really must want me cleaning up your entire stock of monsters and beasts don't you?"
The Wingly Warden violently retaliated by delivering a hard backhand across Zieg's face. It was widely known that Zieg had been one of the only few humans to ever survive the pit alone. The last time, he had been thrown in and his partner had died immediately. Thus Zieg was forced to defeat his opponents himself along with the handicap of dead weight chained up next to him by long coiled arm cuffs. Nonetheless, Zieg triumphed that day and defeated his enemies. This served as an inspiration to the humans and an embarrassing humbling event for the Winglys.
The Wingly was now staring hatefully towards his fallen victim. "Don't get too cocky human filth. It's not going to be so easy this time! Something might 'happen' and we might just end up releasing more then the usual two monsters!"
Zieg's face turned pale as the Wingly Warden smiled smugly. "Heh, can't wait to see them rip the both of you to shreds! Take them to the holding cell until it's time!"
The Wingly guards forcefully yanked both Zieg and the big man he was fighting with away and towards the holding cells where they would await their fate.
****
"This is preposterous!"
This from one of the many members of the Wingly council currently gathered around the conference room In Melbu Frahma's castle in Vellweb.
At the moment tension was running high for a few of the Wingly council men as they listened more and more attentively. A few of the Winglys wore disgruntled looks whereas other more brave ones had frowns of disapproval. One Wingly, however had managed the audacity to stand up directly against his Emperor.
Melbu Frahma, in turn merely sat back comfortably in his throne, taking this all in with an amused smirk on his face as he rested his face lazily on one upturned fist.
"And what would it be that you find so disagreeable, Oraxious?" He asked in a disinterested voice.
The Wingly named Oraxious was slightly intimidated by Melbu's disinterest yet he continued, spurred on by the faith he held in his own words. "Forgive me my liege but what you speak of goes beyond all limits?"
"According to whom, may I ask?" Melbu Frahma suddenly rose up from his chair with a graceful skill which only one with his genetic abilities could perform. "I present my decision to everyone here and you have not the patience to hear me out?"
"I meant no disrespect my liege…" Oraxious stuttered trying not to offend the short-tempered Emperor. "But your majesty… what you seek…"
"Is more power!" Melbu finished, clenching his elongated fingers into fists. "It is true. I wish to acquire more power through the energy of the ancient inscription runes known as Signet spheres!"
"Your majesty those are only myths of legend!" Argued a second Wingly official. "There is no real proof that they actually even exist!"
"Ah but they do Falzrak. For I have witnessed the power with my very own eyes. When I was infused with spiritual energy during my last evolution into the supreme being I am now, I was offered a glimpse of them. The surge of absolute power I felt was almost overwhelming! Even for myself!" As Melbu continued to rave, his face became more and more passionate while he rung his hands harshly.
"I tell you it was the greatest feeling I've ever felt! Once I was privy to their magnificence I knew it had to be mine! All of it!"
"But master!" Oraxious began in a pleading voice. "Even if such power actually exists, think of the repercussions of such an action! Remember what the legends say! If one exists who tries to summon the powers of those beyond, they will suffer the ultimate price for their greed. The world as we know it will be engulfed in fiery flames of death and a new life shall begin from its ashes. The past will close in on itself just as a new dawn begins. Master if you take this action, you could doom us all!"
Melbu erupted into a fit of loud laughter. "Fairy tales my dear Oraxious! Fabled children's stories to keep those who seek power away from its glorious magnificence. I am not afraid of destiny. When I am done I shall all but control its very essence myself. I fear nothing! In time when I have gathered my supreme essence, there shall be nothing more for me to fear. I will have absolute control!"
The room quickly fell silent. Already, Melbu Frahma was easily the most powerful being in the entire world and now he sought more power? It was madness, some would say but all feared Frahma's might and none would challenge his decisions directly. Thus all they could do was bow as the maniacal Emperor laughed cruelly into the cavernous conference room.
"It is madness…" A low voice muttered amidst his laughter.
Melbu immediately stopped and looked directly towards Oraxious. Melbu's eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded the slumped Wingly figure. "Is it madness, Oraxious, for me to want to possess all the greatest powers in this world and bring our race even more glory?"
"I fear, my liege, that your ambitions will lead to the deaths of us all…"
Frahmas expression suddenly shifted from one of indifference to that of ice cold anger. The whole room suddenly erupted in shocked mutterings. Oraxious had just done the one thing no Wingly by ancient tradition was ever permitted to do. He had doubted the ability of his higher authority to rule over them.
Upon realizing what he had just done, Oraxious quickly placed his hand over his mouth, shocked at his own audacity and quickly slumped back into his chair.
He quickly bowed his head humbly. "My liege… I apologize. My words were at a distance from my common sense. My instincts overruled my words, I did not mean the words I have spoken I-"
"Silence!" Melbu interrupted in a surprisingly calm voice. "Don't say anymore Oraxious. As you have just recently made clear, you have already spoken too much." Melbu easily walked closer and closer towards the now trembling Wingly.
"Please my liege… I am unworthy of your mercy. I shall not utter such words again!"
Melbu continued to walk closer looking disinterestedly towards the ceiling. "It is understandable Oraxious. Your words were for the most part well placed. You only wish to ensure the safety of our Empire. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, honor is to be bestowed upon you for such nobility."
"My liege… I am not worthy…"
Melbu leaned further down, placing his pale elongated palms on the table so as to stare the man square in the face. The Wingly trembled slightly as his breath came in light gasps.
The pale rigid lines of Melbu's face curved upwards as he smiled comfortingly towards his underling. "You are tired Oraxious." He replied gently. "You're words are clearly above you this day. Perhaps you should simply rest it off hmm?"
The Wingly quickly closed his eyes, bowing his head obediently. "Of course your majesty."
A slight grin formed on Melbu's face as he rose up from the table standing to his full height. He then turned around to face the rest of the council, Oraxious now completely forgotten. Oraxious sighed in relief then rose as well.
As if by the speed of light, Frahma then suddenly turned around, ripping his sword from the sheath at his belt and slicing Oraxious head off in one fell swoop. "Rest in peace Oraxious. Maybe in death you will be better equipped to quell your tongue then you were in life."
Frahma savagely kicked the decapitated head away from his decorated boots so that it rolled unceremoniously towards the feet of the now disgusted council members.
"Now…" Melbu commanded in a stern voice. "Would any of the rest of you care to make the same mistake Oraxious did?"
The unearthly silence gave Frahma the answer he sought. "Very well then. My orders are clear and simple. Find me the three Signet spheres! Grant me access to the power I seek and we shall rise to a position of unearthly power! Defy me and you share the same fate as Oraxious! Do I make my point clear to you now?"
The low mutterings of acceptance and the bobbing of heads once more confirmed Frahma's answer. A cruel smile played on his lips as new visions of his dreams of power floated through his mind.
****
Zieg groaned in slight protest as he forced his eyes open. He felt as if he had been thrown off a thirty-foot cliff. It wouldn't be the first time he's felt this way. The brown haired man, painstakingly pushed his face up off the ground, realizing he was currently in a holding cell. He could feel the new stinging wetness of fresh new lashes across his back, making it difficult to lean against anything.
Nonetheless, Zieg found the energy to hoist himself into a sitting position and lean his shoulder against the stone wall. He closed his eyes in exhaustion. He knew he must have done it again. From the way he felt, he was sure the Wingly Wardens had beaten him senseless until he blacked out. However, for the life of him, he couldn't quite remember what it was he said to trigger their reaction this time.
It didn't matter. Zieg let out a pain-filled sigh. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to even think for that matter. Yet Zieg was strong. He wouldn't back down from any Wingly, not in his past and definitely not now.
"You look like shit."
Zieg strained his head up and stared into the cell room across from him. Sure enough, the giant he had fought in the mines was sitting perfectly still in his position by the center of his own cell. It seemed as if he were meditating. When he had spoken, his eyes were still closed.
"Hope you can pull yourself together by the time the pit fight starts."
Zieg smirked confidently as he pulled his shoulder away from the wall then rammed his back into it. His whole body promptly wrenched in pain. A low grunt escaped his parched lips as he held in the pain. It was the exact feeling he needed to jolt himself awake the fastest. Zieg quickly pushed himself up to a standing position, all the while, his back leaning against the wall.
The giant from across the room watched silently as Zieg did this, then shook his head, smirking lightly. "Heh, you're crazy."
Once more, Zieg flashed him another grin. "H…hey… anything it takes…to win right?"
There was no time for the giant to answer however, as suddenly the hallway became engulfed in a swarm of Wingly guards. One of the men roughly jammed his key into the lock of Zieg's cell then ripped it open savagely. Zieg closed his eyes, still silently fighting against the horrible pain at his back.
The Wingly guard came directly up to him then whispered harshly in his ear. "How's your back feeling worm? Sure you can fight with injuries like that?"
Zieg braced himself against the sudden urge to strike the man then and there. He clenched his fists, biting his lower lip instead. It would be better for him to save his strength for the pit.
The Wingly guard completely misinterpreted the action as Zieg wrestling with more of his pain, and burst out into arrogant laughter. He roughly clenched his hands around Zieg's arm, clamped down a pair of manacles around his wrists then yanked him out of his cell.
Zieg looked over and saw that the same was being done with his previous opponent. However, with him, twice the number of Wingly were around to ensure the big man didn't try anything funny.
The two human prisoners were forcefully ushered down the narrow halls. It took Zieg every ounce of his strength not to fall over from sheer pain and exhaustion. Every second he continued to remind himself of how much he needed to stay alive and make the Winglys pay. He constantly clenched his fists and bit his lip to keep from blacking out completely.
The other prisoner glanced his way, giving him a sympathetic look before he was rammed in the back.
"Move faster you slug!" Yelled the Wingly guard behind him. The gigantic man said nothing, merely opting to follow the orders he was given.
Soon, Zieg could see a bright light from the end of the corridor and suddenly he knew that they were very close to the pits now. He could hear the loud cheers and hoots from Wingly spectators. He could tell just by listening that they were eager for blood this day.
Zieg grinned, despite himself. Unfortunately, they would not be disappointed this day. Zieg and his gigantic partner were roughly pushed out through the hallway door, into a huge collosal room with blinding lights. Zieg knew this place all too well. He would never forget the first time he had come here. The closest he had ever been to death, yet he conquered his fears and in turn, conquered his enemies. Zieg had be proud of himself yet no matter how hard he tried, he would never forget the pure fear he held in his heart upon entering this arena of death.
Lights bore down on he and his new partner. The Wingly guards, now shielding their own eyes, quickly unlocked their manacles then snapped a single iron coil around each man's wrist, chained together by a long iron cord. Afterwards the Wingly quickly scampered out.
Zieg continued to blink furiously against the blaring lights above. He knew the feeling of blindness would fade as his eyes adjusted to the view. The big man at his side, also blinked rapidly as he walked closer to him.
"You gonna be able to do this in your condition?" He asked, fingering the coil around his wrist.
Zieg leaned low but remained on his feet. "I'll live. Don't worry about it. You just make sure you do you're job."
"Don't worry. I've never lost a fight yet."
"You mean until a few days ago, right?"
The giant frowned indignantly towards his partner. "As I believe, we never did finish that fight."
"Oh come on!" Zieg chuckled lightly. "The outcome was obvious. You were gonna lose."
"Hmph, think what you will…" The giant replied.
Suddenly loud trumpets blared through the air. The Arena was huge, ranging from around 6 miles long and wide. At random spots on the sandy arena floor there were huge pitfalls where if one of the fighters fell through, they would surely die as it was an 80 foot drop down to the very core. Huge barricades surrounded the ring so that nothing could get through to harm the spectators. At the far end from where Zieg and his giant partner were standing, two huge metal grates were placed securely for the easy access of monsters.
Now, as the trumpets grew louder, Zieg and his giant friend watched in growing anticipation as the grates slowly began to rise. Suddenly a huge Cyclops rushed out into the open, wielding a large battle mace with jagged spikes around the striking end.
"Oh great… Zieg sighed in annoyance. "Not another one of those…"
Just then, yet another monster came out. This one was a huge Goliath ranging at 11 feet tall. It was an even larger monster then the Cyclops with huge furry patches on its shoulders and forearms. It had huge teeth and two small beady red eyes. Its weapon of choice were the sharp claws it had as finger nails.
"This may get tricky." The giant man replied, sizing up his opponents. "I'm sure you know about the Cyclops strength but the Goliath can be a real pain in the ass. See that green crap it's salivating? That's like acid, only 10 times stronger. Those nails are pretty bad too. Ripped me up good last time I fought one of em. Best way to take em out is to go for the kneecaps. They don't have good defense against low attacks."
Zieg grinned thinly. "Perfect… well doesn't seem that bad, we'll just have to strike low."
Just then, two more creatures came out into the open, both were Cyclops with similar weapons as the previous.
"Shit!" The big man hissed. "What was that about it not seeming that bad again?"
Zieg didn't respond as he opted instead to clench his fists together in anxiety. The big man took this as a sign that Zieg had nothing more to say and so, he opted instead to wait like his friend. Just then the objects they've been waiting for was thrown down into the ring a few feet ahead of them.
Generally it was that tradition where Wingly's would fly high above the ring and drop two swords down for their slave challengers. Normally the Wingly would try to have fun with this and aim it so that the weapons impaled their prisoners as they dropped. However, this time the viewers wanted a good blood bath and all the Wingly officials would make sure they got one.
Both Zieg and his big partner hurried to their weapons, picking them up quickly. Zieg frowned at the low quality of the blade he wielded. The edge was rusted and the hilt was sweaty, more then likely it was probably just recently retrieved from the dead grip of its previous owner. Zieg glanced at his partner watching the big man easily flex his blade. Yet his expression was equally as displeased.
"Fat chance of us doing any good with these pig pokers."
The big man merely smirked then stared back towards their opponents. "You ready?" He asked, a light touch of fear laced in his voice.
"Always." Zieg replied with a smirk.
The two men braced themselves then charged headlong towards their enemies. Zieg darted in low towards the Goliath. The huge beast swiped at the nimble man but missed as Zieg quickly ducked under the strike. Not waiting for a second chance, Zieg plunged his sword into the thigh of the huge beast. Just then the Cyclops came in from behind to smash Zieg with his club. The big man saw this attack coming and rammed his entire weight into Zieg, knocking them both out of harms way.
Zieg rammed into the earth just as he saw the Cyclops mace crashing to the ground. "Heh, thanks for the save."
"Let's just finish this!" His partner yelled, charging once more towards the beasts. Zieg had no choice but to comply as his chain hoisted him right up off the ground. The big man rushed in right through the legs of the Goliath. The beast roared in fury as Zieg too zoomed right through.
"Cut through the tendons behind the knees!" The big man yelled before plunging his blade through the right leg.
Zieg nodded as he struck at the other leg.
The beast promptly roared in protest as if fell to the ground. One of the Cyclops charged in, swinging wildly trying to hit one of the two men. Zieg ran towards the right while his partner ran left. Unfortunately, their chain stopped them both short, as they came to an abrupt halt. The Cyclops loomed in close with its mace. A sudden idea came to Zieg as he charged towards the currently felled Goliath. His partner quickly picked up on his train of thought and charged after him. The Cyclops anxiously rushed in and swung as it saw the two men converge.
At the last possible second, both Zieg and his partner quickly rushed out of harms way, allowing the mace it instead strike the crippled Goliath. The monster screamed in pain and fresh new blood shot out from its body. Meanwhile, the Cyclops roared in rage as it ripped its mace savagely out of its latest victim, not caring about the other creatures welfare.
Both men hastily got to their feet and began running as fast as they could. "That was too close!" The big man hissed.
Zieg said nothing as he instead watched in growing horror as another Cyclops charged in towards their front. Both Zieg and the big man looked at each other in alarm.
"Oh SHIT!" They both cried before spinning around and running directly to the right. A Cyclops was chasing them on either side and who knew where the third one was. Perhaps directly behind them. This made the two prisoners run even faster. All the while they could hear the roaring and cheers of the audience above them.
Zieg's steps faltered when they finally came to a halt a few feet in front of one of the underground pits. The big man looked down the huge depths of the hole, then looked back at the many rushing creatures heading their way. "No turning back now…" He replied in a tense voice.
Zieg kept a rigid expression but he could feel his heart pounding with anxiety. The big man suddenly rushed towards the monsters now, letting out a loud inhuman roar of battle as he swung his sword high above his head. Zieg watched with surprised eyes as the big man barely dodged one Cyclops attack. The huge beast roared in outrage then struck again. The big man dodged once more, letting the huge mace crash loudly into the ground. The big man closed the distance and raised his sword preparing to strike. Suddenly, the second Cyclops rushed in and swung its mace in a horizontal arch. The huge weapon rammed solidly into the big man. Zieg watched in shock as blood sprayed everywhere from the big man's wounds while he flew swiftly through the air. Fear suddenly replaced shock as he trailed his partner's trajectory.
"SHIT!" Zieg hissed then bolted as far to the left as he could. It was too late. The big man went soaring straight through the pit with a blood-curdling scream. Zieg tried to run faster but it was to no avail. His chained arm suddenly wrenched back with a sickening rip. He was positive something got dislocated as he flew back along the dirty sand. Despite the injury, Zieg clutched helplessly with his other hand, trying to claim purchase on the now slippery floor.
Zieg grunted painfully as another strong jerk wrenched him down even faster. Zieg tried with both legs and his good arm, to try and remain out of the pit. Unfortunately, the hole continued to come up faster and faster and he wasn't slowing down any sooner. A final scream escaped Zieg's lips as he was finally engulfed in the huge pit, sand trailing down after him in an endless stream.
The crowds cheered merrily as did the Wingly Warden's. They had finally got their revenge on the human who so arrogantly tried to upstart them.
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 6.