The dragon twisted its head back and forth in agony. The spear had indeed
gone to the brain and Shivanashei knew it. These were her last moments
alive.
The barrier faded and disappeared completely. The blue dragon rushed into the arena, heading straight for the enemy dragon. "HEEEYAAAAARRRRRRR!!!" The blue dragon extended his claws out and lunged for the dragon's head. Shivanashei was too tired to move, death was upon her and she welcomed it. The blue clapped his claws together, compacting the dragon's skull to nothing, blood and gore gushing everywhere. The blue's eyes grew bright red in vengeance and bellowed into the morning light.
The dragon released his claws, letting the raison-looking skull crash into the ground below on top of its body. The dragon dropped to the ground as well. His feet touched the ground, and in the dragon's place, Kelevandros kneeled.
He looked up. The sun rose behind the splintered home that his brother fell. Kelevandros watched the whole battle, desperately trying to break through the barrier. His brother's stubbornness was the only thing that kept him from saving himself. The elder brother was helpless; there was nothing he could do. Nothing. The elf wept where he knelt.
Illarion stirred the soup he had made. How long have they been gone? What are they doing? Better yet, how are they? He forgot long ago about the rest of the soup that's over the fire, now burnt to a crisp. Fiora slept peacefully on a few blankets he had found on his spider. Nadya was also asleep on Fiora's chest, slowly rising and lowering with every one of Fiora's breaths.
The morning fire reflected off her skin, giving her a warm glow, that Illarion was too occupied to notice. His bowl of soup splashed onto his pants as he stirred too hard. "Ach!" He jumped up and cleaned it off with some water from a pouch. The smoke caught his attention.
Leaving his mess behind, Illarion ran to the smoking pot and lifted it off the fire with an extra blanket. He placed it in the sand and tipped it over. "What a waste of good food..." he grumbled.
The grass closest to him stirred. The elf jumped and grabbed his boomerang. The rustling grew louder, and he gripped the weapon even tighter. A pointed hat erupted from the grass, startling Illarion and causing him to trip over the pot and awake the whole camp.
Gnimish blinked. "Is that you Illarion?" The elf stood up and adjusted his shirt. "Yep, that's him all right!" a voice yelped in happiness behind the gnome. Beow pulled back the grass and revealed his face. Illarion gave a bright smile and laughed. "You again?"
The two midgets stepped into the sandy clearing and bowed. "It's great to see you Illarion." Beow continued. Illarion knelt on one knee. "It's great to see you too, master."
Beow saw movement behind the elf and picked up his sword. "Behind you!" he yelled. Illarion whipped around and found Fiora standing behind him. "Oh!" she yelled at the sight of the hafling. She picked up some firewood and held it like a club, poised for a fight. "If a fight you want, a fight you'll get!"
Illarion quickly stepped between them, arms out. "Whoa! Whoa!" He turned to Beow. "It's okay, she's on our side." Beow gave Fiora a look, then lowered his weapon. Fiora did the same. "This is Fiora, of the Fire faith." Illarion started to sweat at the tensity. If a brawl came, whom would he defend? His master or his love?
Gnimish spat in the ground. "No person of the fire faith is a friend of mine. These traitors broke from the Great One and created their own faith, persecuting the faith of Earth. There's no way in Hades am I going to trust her, nor stand near here. I'm going to sleep with one eye open from now on!"
"Hold on!" Beow shouted. "You said you're name was Fiora correct?" The girl nodded. "I think I've seen you before, years back. Yes. I remember now. You were the little one who mother..." he broke off. Fiora shifted uncomfortably. "Wait, you know her?" the elf was shocked.
"Yes, a long time ago, Balkoth's forces were invading a town of Kamiya. A merchant town. Gnimish and I brought our own forces to defend the city. The magic was intense, too powerful. Gargoyles filled the air, chaos laid everywhere. We put up a good fight, but it wasn't enough. The town was overtaken in less then a fortnight. But I do remember one night; a bunch of Nightshades broke into a home. I saw them and followed. They discovered a family of three. A mother, father, and a daughter.
'They slayed the father before the girls eyes. I came to late for him, but then they turned to the mother. I pulled out my bow to slay the one that held the mother in its claws. I let the arrow fly. The nightshade dodged it and the arrow struck the mother. The girl fled in tears. Leaving the nightshades to turn to me next. I slayed them all in my rage with my sacred knife."
A tear dripped down Fiora's face as the story ended. Beow faced the ground. "I thought I had perfect aim, accuracy, but I was too slow. Because of me, Fiora's parents are dead..." Fiora chipped in. "Yes, I blamed you for the death of my parents. I learned the ways of a ninja, hoping one day to find you and slay you. But as years went by, I found out it was all Balkoth's doing from the start. Then, your name came up when I asked what Balkoth wanted so much to find. I figured I could slay you in order to hurt Balkoth, take his glory, then slay him next. Current events has come to change the way I think." She burst into tears, a side Illarion has never seen before. He was immediately at her side, and she cried into his chest, much to his enjoyment.
Gnimish, who had listened to the story intently the whole time, decided to add his fair share. "You said the Nightshade dodged your arrow correct?" Beow nodded. "I saw how you shot back then. Nothing could be faster then your arrow, I know that." "No Gnimish, don't try to butter me up. It won't change the fact that her parents are dead. "Beow sat down in the dirt.
"No, here me out. I've heard of Nightshade experimentation before." Beow looked up. "It is most likely you were facing mutated Nightshades. If that were true, then nothing in this land could have been faster then them."
The conversation stopped. Everyone looked to the East to see the source of sound. Two elves approached the campsite carrying bodies. One carried a woman on her back, and another brought a silver-haired elf.
Laurei and Kelevandros stepped into the campsite, looking worn. "Laurei! Where have you been?" was the first thing to come out of Gnimish's mouth. Illarion and Fiora, however, stared mournfully out the body Kelevandros held. Vijayendra...
The barrier faded and disappeared completely. The blue dragon rushed into the arena, heading straight for the enemy dragon. "HEEEYAAAAARRRRRRR!!!" The blue dragon extended his claws out and lunged for the dragon's head. Shivanashei was too tired to move, death was upon her and she welcomed it. The blue clapped his claws together, compacting the dragon's skull to nothing, blood and gore gushing everywhere. The blue's eyes grew bright red in vengeance and bellowed into the morning light.
The dragon released his claws, letting the raison-looking skull crash into the ground below on top of its body. The dragon dropped to the ground as well. His feet touched the ground, and in the dragon's place, Kelevandros kneeled.
He looked up. The sun rose behind the splintered home that his brother fell. Kelevandros watched the whole battle, desperately trying to break through the barrier. His brother's stubbornness was the only thing that kept him from saving himself. The elder brother was helpless; there was nothing he could do. Nothing. The elf wept where he knelt.
Illarion stirred the soup he had made. How long have they been gone? What are they doing? Better yet, how are they? He forgot long ago about the rest of the soup that's over the fire, now burnt to a crisp. Fiora slept peacefully on a few blankets he had found on his spider. Nadya was also asleep on Fiora's chest, slowly rising and lowering with every one of Fiora's breaths.
The morning fire reflected off her skin, giving her a warm glow, that Illarion was too occupied to notice. His bowl of soup splashed onto his pants as he stirred too hard. "Ach!" He jumped up and cleaned it off with some water from a pouch. The smoke caught his attention.
Leaving his mess behind, Illarion ran to the smoking pot and lifted it off the fire with an extra blanket. He placed it in the sand and tipped it over. "What a waste of good food..." he grumbled.
The grass closest to him stirred. The elf jumped and grabbed his boomerang. The rustling grew louder, and he gripped the weapon even tighter. A pointed hat erupted from the grass, startling Illarion and causing him to trip over the pot and awake the whole camp.
Gnimish blinked. "Is that you Illarion?" The elf stood up and adjusted his shirt. "Yep, that's him all right!" a voice yelped in happiness behind the gnome. Beow pulled back the grass and revealed his face. Illarion gave a bright smile and laughed. "You again?"
The two midgets stepped into the sandy clearing and bowed. "It's great to see you Illarion." Beow continued. Illarion knelt on one knee. "It's great to see you too, master."
Beow saw movement behind the elf and picked up his sword. "Behind you!" he yelled. Illarion whipped around and found Fiora standing behind him. "Oh!" she yelled at the sight of the hafling. She picked up some firewood and held it like a club, poised for a fight. "If a fight you want, a fight you'll get!"
Illarion quickly stepped between them, arms out. "Whoa! Whoa!" He turned to Beow. "It's okay, she's on our side." Beow gave Fiora a look, then lowered his weapon. Fiora did the same. "This is Fiora, of the Fire faith." Illarion started to sweat at the tensity. If a brawl came, whom would he defend? His master or his love?
Gnimish spat in the ground. "No person of the fire faith is a friend of mine. These traitors broke from the Great One and created their own faith, persecuting the faith of Earth. There's no way in Hades am I going to trust her, nor stand near here. I'm going to sleep with one eye open from now on!"
"Hold on!" Beow shouted. "You said you're name was Fiora correct?" The girl nodded. "I think I've seen you before, years back. Yes. I remember now. You were the little one who mother..." he broke off. Fiora shifted uncomfortably. "Wait, you know her?" the elf was shocked.
"Yes, a long time ago, Balkoth's forces were invading a town of Kamiya. A merchant town. Gnimish and I brought our own forces to defend the city. The magic was intense, too powerful. Gargoyles filled the air, chaos laid everywhere. We put up a good fight, but it wasn't enough. The town was overtaken in less then a fortnight. But I do remember one night; a bunch of Nightshades broke into a home. I saw them and followed. They discovered a family of three. A mother, father, and a daughter.
'They slayed the father before the girls eyes. I came to late for him, but then they turned to the mother. I pulled out my bow to slay the one that held the mother in its claws. I let the arrow fly. The nightshade dodged it and the arrow struck the mother. The girl fled in tears. Leaving the nightshades to turn to me next. I slayed them all in my rage with my sacred knife."
A tear dripped down Fiora's face as the story ended. Beow faced the ground. "I thought I had perfect aim, accuracy, but I was too slow. Because of me, Fiora's parents are dead..." Fiora chipped in. "Yes, I blamed you for the death of my parents. I learned the ways of a ninja, hoping one day to find you and slay you. But as years went by, I found out it was all Balkoth's doing from the start. Then, your name came up when I asked what Balkoth wanted so much to find. I figured I could slay you in order to hurt Balkoth, take his glory, then slay him next. Current events has come to change the way I think." She burst into tears, a side Illarion has never seen before. He was immediately at her side, and she cried into his chest, much to his enjoyment.
Gnimish, who had listened to the story intently the whole time, decided to add his fair share. "You said the Nightshade dodged your arrow correct?" Beow nodded. "I saw how you shot back then. Nothing could be faster then your arrow, I know that." "No Gnimish, don't try to butter me up. It won't change the fact that her parents are dead. "Beow sat down in the dirt.
"No, here me out. I've heard of Nightshade experimentation before." Beow looked up. "It is most likely you were facing mutated Nightshades. If that were true, then nothing in this land could have been faster then them."
The conversation stopped. Everyone looked to the East to see the source of sound. Two elves approached the campsite carrying bodies. One carried a woman on her back, and another brought a silver-haired elf.
Laurei and Kelevandros stepped into the campsite, looking worn. "Laurei! Where have you been?" was the first thing to come out of Gnimish's mouth. Illarion and Fiora, however, stared mournfully out the body Kelevandros held. Vijayendra...
