Disclaimer: I don't own D&DC nor am I making any money off of this, the memory of Megan and Drake are credited to me please ask if you wish to use them. Thanx to Amy who checked my grammar and plot holes.
Pride, Power and Promises Part 3By
Day Dreamer
Copyright. ©DayDreamer2001, all rights reservedThe towering dragon started moving his arms in a slashing motion, retracting and extending his claws to get used to being in his own body again. He threw his head back and roared, a thundering noise as terrifying and as unearthly as the last time the King of the Dragons stood proud.
"Yes!" the monster hissed. "Finally I am back where I belong! Only this time I am IMMORTAL! Nothing can stop me from taking over the Realm!" He began to flap his massive wings, kicking up a dust storm. The Young Ones ducked down as Drake took off and flew back through the portal, never paying them a second thought.
Hank stood up and looked at his small band of warriors. They had failed; they had failed to keep the Realm safe from a force ten times stronger than Venger! Suddenly realisation hit him.
"Eric! Where's Eric?!" he asked. They spotted the motionless form of their friend lying inches from the edge of the ledge. The helmet had fallen open and they could see his features were deathly pale. They weren't sure if he was still breathing.
"ERIC!" Sheila yelled as they ran over.
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Tiamat, the reigning sovereign of the Dragons looked up to the skies at the roar. She shook her head slowly, putting it down as impossible. A large shadow darkened the ground around her. She looked up again and gasped as the navy blue form of her grandfather landed in front of her.
"Ah, Tiamat, my dear granddaughter. I always knew you'd make it to the throne," Drake spoke with fondness.
"Ah, yes, Grandfather, but I had to do away with the competition the way you taught me to!" the raspy voice of Tiamat answered. Drake laughed with what could pass for a dragon smile.
"You were always the quickest to learn of the dark ways to power." His voice became dark. "But you never avenged my death at the hands of Venger!" Tiamat began to look panicked. Her other four heads bowed in shame and she would not meet his eyes. She knew her powers paled in comparison to her grandfather's.
"Grandfather! I tried but I am no where near as powerful as you are!" she replied, coming up with an excuse.
Drake shook his head, disappointedly, almost regally. "You will abdicate the throne and return it back to the true leader for the Dragons!" he ordered.
Tiamat bowed her heads with a nod. "As you wish, grandfather, King Drake il drago di fuoco immortale." She didn't dare oppose him; he would crush her too easily.
Drake grinned, flashing all his teeth. "Very good. Now you will assist me in bringing down Venger once and for all!"
The two titanic dragons took to the sky.
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Venger was working against the clock. He was trying to get his army together and equipped for the imminent attack. Shadow Demon had been flying back and forth across the expanse of the Realm alerting all soldiers that Venger wanted them at his castle as soon as possible. Venger's army was huge but it was always spread out across the Realm. Only when the whole lot of them were arriving at the castle doors did Shadow Demon realise just how big.
Venger observed his vast army from a balcony. His face showed nothing; emotional indifference at best. But inside he had doubts; he doubted he would be able to stand up to Drake and his granddaughter Tiamat. His Nightmare was restless, nervously hopping from one foot to another, a sure sign that the dragons were on their way.
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Presto reached the fallen teenager first. He rolled him on to his back, easing the helmet off slowly. Sweaty black hair stuck up everywhere. The other 5 gathered around him, letting the Magician do his work. The black chain mail armour made the Cavalier look porcelain white. The auburn haired boy pressed two fingers to the side of Eric's neck. He frowned and moved his fingers to the other side of his neck. Presto's eyes widened and he reached under the heavy metal to place his hand on the middle of the inert figure's chest. He gasped. Diana couldn't take it anymore.
"What?!" she asked him, a very distinct tone of worry to her voice. Presto lifted his head up to look her in the eye.
"He's dead Diana. Eric's dead."
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Eric shook his head slowly, trying to get rid of the spider webs. Last thing he remembered was Drake grabbing the crystal and beginning to use it. Then there was a piercing pain as Drake's essence was ripped out of his body and replaced into the dragon skeleton. The only thing that compared to this pain was that dream when he had been surrounded by the black, ice-cold cloud. As he stood up he realised he wasn't touching the ground; that there was no ground! He was floating along towards some place he didn't know. All he could see was a distant light way out in front of him.
And that was where he seemed to be headed.
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Drake laughed as he flew.
"You will never know how much I missed this! Thank the Realm for that sword!"
His granddaughter nodded. "I searched for the crystal but I didn't know what to look for," Tiamat told him.
Drake tutted, flying ahead of her. "Never mind that. Call our troops. Venger is waiting for us," he ordered her, letting loose another roar.
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Presto was sitting shocked beside the body of his best friend. He just couldn't believe that his friend would never again make fun of a spell that had gone wrong. That he'd never give him that smile afterwards to say he was only frustrated and didn't mean it. That he'd never see one of those rare moments when Eric would let his true colours show and risk his life for them all. Tears that the Magician didn't know he'd been crying traced his face.
Bobby was beyond consolation. He'd stood up to Venger, he'd stood up to Tiamat, and he'd stood up to every two-bit monster in this place with the enthusiasm and gusto that was Bobby the Barbarian. But he couldn't stand up to the fact that one of his friends wouldn't be returning with them when – and if – they ever made it home.
Sheila was hugging her younger brother close to her. Her green eyes shimmered with tears but she held them back for Bobby's sake. This was something no ten-year-old should have had to see. Indeed it was something none of them should have had to see, but they did, and there was no turning back the clock.
Diana was dazed. She was sitting on the edge of the ledge staring up at the sky. Night had fallen long before now. She stared up at the stars; the ache from losing Kosar had grown at losing Eric. Though she could at least tell herself that Kosar was alive somewhere far away. But still, he was alive. Unlike the poor Cavalier…..
Uni the unicorn nudged Eric's face gently, trying to get him to wake up. She made a soft sound in his ear hoping to make him stir. She didn't seem to understand the concept of death; all she knew was that everyone was greatly upset because of Eric. Finally she understood why. Memories of her mother not moving, the way that the Cavalier refused to do, floated through her mind. She licked the cold white face gently before curling up next to his head, watching the body with wide unblinking eyes.
Hank was a little way away from the others, something snapped inside of him and he mercilessly punched and kicked the rock face, asking himself the same question over and over again.
"Why?!"
A voice from behind him answered him.
"There is a reason for everything, Ranger."
Hank spun on his heels to face the short wizard. Hank saw red and for a moment wanted nothing more but to punch Dungeon Master. Somehow, he harnessed his rage.
"Don't talk to me, Dungeon Master! Just don't talk to me! We've failed! Eric is dead and Drake is reborn!" Hank cursed turning away from the DM.
The Dungeon Master sighed, leaving the blonde haired Ranger to his curses. He approached the body of the Cavalier and the shaking form of Presto, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Take heart, Magician, all is not lost," he consoled him. With that he knelt by Eric's head, pulling it into his lap. He stroked the hair from his forehead, muttering under his breath. Anything Presto caught didn't make any sense.
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Eric was getting closer and closer to that light. He had tried going back, but the pull of the light was too strong.
"Eric!"
Someone was calling him. He squinted in to the light to see who it was. Eric gasped; there was no mistaking those eyes, that hair and her smile. She looked absolutely fine, no mark of how she had met her end upon her.
"M……Megan?" Eric called. "Is that really you?" He reached out for her, but he was too far away. She reached for him too, but withdrew her hand reluctantly, as if ordered too by some unseen power that Eric couldn't hear but he was only aware of because of the sheer power emanating from this place.
"Yes, it's me. Listen, Eric, it's not time yet. But don't worry; I'll be waiting. Never forget, I love you," she told him. Megan blew him a kiss before she faded from sight.
"Don't go!" Eric pleaded. Trying to make his feet obey him and go after her. He felt tears roll down his face as she called again in an ever-fading voice, "I'll be waiting."
He felt his heart tear in two once again. He'd lost her for a second time, but strangely he was comforted. She was waiting for him. Suddenly he was pulled away from the light, his mind spun, and everything went black.
*****************************************************
Eric groaned. He was laying down on something hard. That much he knew. He strained to open his eyes.
"Welcome back, Cavalier," the face above him greeted softly. Eric groaned again, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Urgh! I'm back in Hell!" he moaned.
He was roughly pulled up in to a sitting position and bear hugged. Opening his eyes revealed it was Presto trying to choke him.
"Eric! You're alive! God! I thought we'd lost you!" he exclaimed. Eric pushed Presto away, surprised to see the tears in his eyes. He was about to say something to his friend when an extremely happy unicorn bounced in to his lap, followed by an equally happy ten year old. Eric felt slightly overwhelmed as Bobby squeezed the life out of him. Diana and Sheila were hugging each other, crying. Hank held out a hand to help his friend up. Eric took it, when he was up Hank hugged him tightly.
"I am so sorry, Eric. I'm so sorry," Hank whispered to him. When he was finally let go he looked to Dungeon Master.
"What happened?" he asked.
"When the Dragon King's essence was removed from your body your spirit was too weak to reclaim your own and you passed on. I brought you back," the Dungeon Master explained.
"But I thought you couldn't interfere?" Sheila stated.
"I can when the future of the Realm is threatened, Thief." Dungeon Master replied solemnly. "Now hurry! Drake and Tiamat will soon engage Venger in a cataclysmic battle that will wipe out the entire Realm!"
"What can we do Dungeon Master? How can we take on Drake?" Diana asked him.
The short wizard picked up the fallen and forgotten crystal. "The Crystal of Astral Projection is the only thing that can reunite a soul with its body," he informed them "It is also the only thing that can take a soul away." It glowed in his hands, sensing his powers. He gave it to Eric.
"But how does it work?" Presto asked.
Dungeon Master smiled enigmatically. "When the time comes, you shall know. Take up your sword, Cavalier; for although Drake possessed that sword long ago, now that he is gone its power can shine true! I give you the Sword of Power. Its blade is the strongest metal know to man, dwarf, or bog beast. It can cut through anything and it is yours."
Bobby picked the sword up, holding it out by the blade for Eric to take.
"Mine? But I have a weapon, my shield" Eric stammered, gingerly accepting the hilt offered to him. He was still trying to get over the concept that he had been dead up to a few minutes ago.
"I gave a means to protect yourself until you found the courage to fight." The Dungeon Master smiled at them fondly. "Now go, my children, your means of transport is getting impatient."
They glanced up at the Nightmare on which Eric had arrived, pawing thin air with a snort of frustration.
"You expect us to ride on that?……Dungeon Master? He's gone!" Hank exclaimed.
Eric rolled his eyes. "How you can still be surprised I'll never know," he commented sarcastically.
Although Drake had trained the demonic horse to respond to simple commands, Eric didn't know if it would obey him. He whistled to the dark horse and it landed on the ledge beside him. It looked a lot more imposing now he didn't have the dragon spirit within him. He hesitantly reached out and stroked its nose tenderly, surprised when it reacted like any other horse and nuzzled his hand. He eyed the saddle sceptically. "I don't think we can all get on her."
"Leave that to me!" Presto pulled off his hat, waving a hand over it. "Hat, we need to defeat a dragon, to get there we need an air-borne wagon!" He reached in and pulled out an old style covered wagon with wings. Eric watched as his friends clambered onto the flying cart before hauling himself into the saddle of the Nightmare.
"Follow me!" Eric yelled to them, his Nightmare taking off.
"How does he know where he's going?" Diana asked.
Presto shrugged. "How hard can it be to find Venger and two giant dragons?"
*****************************************************
Venger saw the two colossal dragons flying towards his castle. As they got closer the pair of them seemed to blot out the moons in some prophetical metaphor for the outcome of this battle. That these two titanic beings were the dark destruction that lay in every lands library of legends and myths. He steeled himself silently; he knew he'd be fortunate to escape this with his life. He willed He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named to give him strength.
Venger and his horse were standing on the highest balcony in his castle. His vast army of nigh-on ten thousand warriors of varying species stood in front of the castle; a few cowardly deserters dropped their weapons and took off to the woods at first sight of danger.
"FIRE THE CANNONS!" Venger ordered, as approximately fifty large weapons along the castle's battlements exploded into a hail of deadly projectiles, lines of ash and dust followed after them Tiamat and Drake skillfully flew up in to the sky, avoiding them.
"Now, that's not very nice! We haven't seen each other in years and that's the way you greet me!" Drake's voice was dripping with sarcasm. He was having fun tormenting his nemesis. "Prepare, Venger. Prepare to meet thy doom!"
"I beat you once, I shall do it again," Venger yelled empty words.
Drake smiled. "Ah, yes, I remember the Dragon's Bane."
In their last final battle together, Venger had concocted a deadly poison using Dragon's Bane, a very rare plant, with which the live flowers can be crushed and used as the one way to kill a dragon as powerful as Drake. The plant only bloomed for two days every 5000 years. Needless to say, Venger didn't have any to use, and things looked very bleak for him.
"You didn't expect that I had placed a spell on myself to possess the first object I came near, did you?" Drake asked rhetorically. "You thought my soul would wander forever on these plains, held back by my dreams of revenge and conquest. The spell meant that not only my life force went in to creating the Sword of Power, my mind went with it. Leaving anyone who possessed the sword susceptible to me."
"My army will crush you!" Venger threatened him.
Drake laughed, long and hard. "How about I just crush your army? Literally!" He turned his nose to the ground and dived down, beating his huge wings. He pulled up at the last second, landing heavily. Any unfortunate soldiers that had been too slow would never get to see another sunrise.
"MEN! ATTACK!!" Venger ordered. The hordes of archers fired at Drake, the arrows bouncing harmlessly off scales that were tougher than the finest armour. Swordsmen attacked his feet with blades no bigger than toothpicks compared to him. Drake swung his tail around, swatting them all like flies.
"Why don't you join me down here, Venger? Then we can have a battle of true brute force!" Drake challenged.
"Good thing it's not a battle of wits because you're obviously at an disadvantage," a voice called from Drake's right hand side.
He moved his head to look at who had interrupted him. He didn't have time to react as Eric swung his sword at the dragon and caught him on the cheek. All the surviving men stopped at the cry of pain as the blade sliced as easily as a hot knife through butter.
Drake angrily swiped at Eric, whose Nightmare skillfully dodged the massive claws.
"You!" he hissed in accusation, "You survived! A mistake I soon plan to rectify!" He took a breath ready to shoot fire at the Cavalier.
"Yah!" Eric spurred his steed into rapid movement, narrowly avoiding becoming barbecued.
"Tiamat!" Drake yelled, "GET HIM!" He looked up to see Tiamat had problems of her own, however, trying to stave off attacks from the rest of the Young Ones in their air-borne covered wagon. Her ice head shot an ice beam, managing to freeze the left wing of the wagon, preventing it from flying. It started to spiral in its descent.
"Abandon wagon!" Bobby yelled as they all jumped out. Hank fired arrows down into the ground, effectively protecting them from turning in to pancakes, by creating a trampoline, similar to that of when he saved the Cavalier from an early death when he was Dungeon Master for the day.
Eric found himself being double-teamed by the two dragons. He knew he had to get higher to gain the advantage. As he steered the dark horse upwards, Drake reached up and raked his claws down the Nightmare's underside. Eric felt it spasming beneath him in pain. He knew holding on would mean certain death. He jumped off the dying horse in midair, trusting himself to fate, to do with him as it willed.
Time slowed down for him as he hurtled through the air. He could see both dragons taking to the sky in the attempt to ensure he met his bloody end. His thoughts strayed to Megan, he knew she was waiting for him and he wasn't afraid of death anymore. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the familiar yellow of Hank's bow being raised, but before the Ranger got a chance, a red fireball whisked under the Cavalier, carrying him away from the danger of the dragons. He had trouble maintaining his balance on it, but he was surprised to note that the fireball felt as steady as any sort of vehicle on Earth. It placed him down on he ground.
Venger allowed himself a smirk at the young teenager's shocked face.
"Why?" Eric asked. "Why did you save me?"
"Believe me, Cavalier, it will not happen again. But while Drake is a threat, you need all the help you can get," Venger told him.
"No way! You murdering piece of scum! Why I oughtta take this sword and……" Eric stopped in his tirade as a memory and a voice entered his mind. 'For anger, when it is wanted most and at its highest, will break your tie to your homeland forever.' Dungeon Master's advice to him when he had that nightmare again. Venger had killed his one true love, but maybe he did have a point, any grudges they had could be sorted out in a different time, a different place.
"Thank you." It hurt him terribly to say it, but Eric was being sincere. "And take this. I think you'll know what to do with it." He drew the Crystal of Astral Projection from his chain mail.
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Hank lowered his bow as he saw Eric touch down via Venger's magic, seemingly safe. He soon measured up the situation. "Listen, guys, we have no chance unless we split Tiamat and Drake up. Follow my lead!" He raised his bow again, firing a succession of shots at Tiamat. She growled and turned around. She landed on the Realm floor in front of them.
"You insolent fools! Can you not see all is lost?" she rasped.
Bobby only had one answer for her.
"YEEAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" He brought his club down heavily on the ground, causing a crack to open up towards her. She stumbled into it slightly, getting more irate. She breathed fire at them, causing them to scatter.
Presto took of his hat and waved his hand over it. "This is getting hot, it's getting tough, hurry up, hat, and do your stuff!" he chanted. He felt power building up inside the green fabric. He spun on his heel holding the hat out in front of him. A pink beam of light fired out, successfully knocking Presto onto his backside and hitting Tiamat.
The dragon roared as flowers started sprouting all over her without any sign of stopping. Presto hid a laugh as Diana helped him to his feet and hurried him out of the path of Tiamat's fire breath.
Suddenly Sheila gave a shout. "LOOK!"
They all turned around to see Eric riding a fireball like a surfboard. "Hey, big, bad and blue! Can't catch me!" he taunted. The huge dragon simply reached out a taloned claw and plucked him from the fireball like he was an apple from a tree.
"No!!" Bobby yelled with Uni echoing him.
"Now I will be rid of you forever!" Drake stated with finality as he tightened his grip. Eric cried in pain as he felt a few of his ribs crack.
"Don't…….don't be so sure!" Eric answered, freeing an arm and pointing to the castle.
Venger was standing with the crystal suspended above his head; power being generated from his hands keeping it there. Drake gasped.
"The crystal! No!!" He watched helplessly as the crystal emitted its ethereal light and shot a beam out to Drake. The dragon roared in anger and pain as his mind was ripped from his body once more. Eric watched as the black eyes of Drake rolled up into the back of his head and his huge body began to topple forward.
"Oh great!" Eric muttered as he saw the ground come up to meet him.
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"I think he's waking up now."
Hank's voice was soft and concerned as Eric's eyes flickered open. Presto helped him to sit up. He groaned as his ribs racked his body with pain.
"Are you ok?" Diana asked him.
"Yeah, just peachy." There was a slight trace of sarcasm in his face as he looked around. They must have dragged him from Drake's, now lifeless, grasp because he was laying a few feet from the dragon's prone form. Venger had been standing apart from the group. He walked forward.
"The battle is won. There is just one more thing to do." Venger held up the crystal, which was glowing an angry navy blue. "Drake's mind is trapped in this crystal. It is vital that he not be allowed to escape and reuse his body again."
Eric stood up painfully. "Way ahead of you."
He pulled his sword from his scabbard, and Venger placed the crystal onto the floor. Eric swung the sword high above his head and brought it down on the gemstone. It shattered into pieces like glass. The remaining shards lost the light that the Young Ones had come to associate with the crystal.
Before anyone could celebrate, thundering footsteps began coming towards them. They all looked up to see Tiamat towering over them.
"If you're looking for a fight, you've found it!" Bobby told her, brandishing his club.
"No, Young Ones, I have not," Tiamat's central head hissed. "I have come to thank you. A force as large as my Grandfather's would not have stopped until he destroyed the Realm completely and all those who dwell within it."
"Uh, I guess you're welcome" Eric rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I will now take Drake's body back to the Graveyard," Tiamat stated as the portal to the Dragon's Graveyard opened. Tiamat put her huge tail around the navy blue monster and pulled him through it.
"I, too, must depart. But never fear, for we will meet again, children." Venger turned around, summoning his Nightmare and taking off.
"Yeah, a little 'thank you' wouldn't go amiss either!" Eric muttered bitterly.
"Although he does not say it, Venger is truly grateful, Cavalier," the short wizard said as he walked into view. Eric rolled his eyes.
"Fashionably late as always, I see. Glad that some things never change." Eric seemed to be back to normal as far as his attitude toward the DM went.
"What happens now, Dungeon Master?" Sheila asked.
"Well, Thief, now you must travel to the icy southern regions and free enslaved dwarves. They are being oppressed by an evil sorceress," Dungeon Master told them.
Bobby leaned on his club, looking at Eric then back at the DM. "That sounds swell, but I've got one question, why does Eric have two weapons now?" he asked.
Dungeon Master smiled softly and warmly. "Simple, Barbarian. He has now advanced in his training and taken a much needed step forward towards home."
"Really? How have I advanced?" Eric asked curiously.
"Because of your courage and selflessness you are no longer a Cavalier, you are a Knight!"
Eric's mouth hung open, Presto patted his shoulder. "Way to go, Eric! Or should that be Sir Eric now?" Presto laughed.
Hank shook Eric's hand firmly. "No one deserves it more!" Hank told him. Eric felt overwhelmed as Diana gave him a hug and Sheila kissed him on the cheek.
"I wonder what I'd advance to? Dungeon Master! Wha……. He's gone!!" Bobby exclaimed.
Eric laughed, walking up beside Bobby, stroking Uni's mane, his feelings towards the little unicorn had changed somewhat, somewhere between being possessed, dying, being brought back to life and then nearly dying again, a little thing such as a useless unicorn paled in comparison. "Of course he is. He always disappears when we aren't looking." He looked to Hank. "So where we going now?"
"Where else? South!" Hank answered pointing the way with his bow.
And our young heroes embarked on another adventure, in the hopes that it would bring them just that little bit closer to home.
And so it ended.