---
Chapter Three: Before the Council
---
"Why are you here today, Mr. Jerra?' the mayor of Orimali asked.
'I have brought this group of Adepts with me today because of the Sumera tragedy. If you don't know what that is, you should read your newspaper more often.'
'Of course I know what that was, Mr. Jerra! We all know that it was awful, but you can't dwell on the past...'
'Shut up!' Garet said. 'That was my town, my friends, my family, my...Jenna! How dare you tell me not to dwell on the past! So what if it was Orimali that was burned and you were the only survivor?!'
Rita entered the conversation. 'I know I'd feel horrible, mainly because this is my home. I may have left years ago, but my heart is still here. If the town was burned, I'd be devastated.'
'Thank you, Ms. Rita, but I am speaking to Mr. Jerra...'
'Put a sock in it, mayor.' Garet said angrily. 'Now all I ask of you, is to allow me to take my troop into Tolbi and execute a secret capture mission. If you do not comply, you are an enemy to us. Is that clear?'
'Garet, please calm down...' Michelle begged.
'I won't, Michelle...solely because this buffoon of a mayor will not comply to our demands.'
'Buffoon? Hardly...' the mayor chortled. 'At least I wouldn't leave my town for a week unsupervised and come back to find it a steaming crater!'
'You take that back!' Garet rushed at the mayor, but was held back by Jason and Phil. "I was only gone for TWO days, and there was someone left in charge! None other than my father, the retired mayor, had control over the town!'
'Your father was a sniveling, cowardly, infantile man. He knew nothing on how to run a city. And that's why it's gone.'
Garet broke free from Phil and Jason's restraint, and tackled the mayor.
'How dare you! You damn fool! You speak ill of a dead man, and expect me to stay here and take it in? I don't care what you think!'
Garet let loose with a powerful punch to the mayor's face. As blood trickled from the mayor's nose, a councilman snuck up behind Garet, and whacked him with a piece of pipe. Bruised and bleeding, Garet exploded with anger and hatred for this town. He knew it now. The only reason Orimali had ccepted him in was because they were under order of Tolbi. Suddenly, a blast of dark energy pulsed throughout the room. A large gust, followed by a massive wave of ice and earthen spikes, followed close behind.
Phil walked up to Garet, stood by his side, and raised his fists.
'You'd be a fool to take these punks on alone. Here, let me help you.'
'And I'd be damned if I didn't, too.' David took his space next to Phil.
'You could never wish to survive, even with a Shadow Master and a Water Guardian by your side. Prepare to face your first major fight!'
The room began spinning, and the walls began crumbling. The Orimali mayor and councilman had summoned a dangerous creature, the Thunder Dragon.
'Hey, watch out!' Phil yelled to Jason. A large bolt of lightning had pierced the roof, and struck within five feet of him. Jason joined the fray, wielding his sword, the Ragnarok. All it took was the holy power of the blade and Jason's fury to destroy the dragon.
'Easier than it looked.' Jason said, pulling the blade from the body of the creature, and putting it back into its sheath. Garet told Rita, Michelle, and the rest of the party to flee, as the city was crumbling. They ran from Orimali, which was slipping into a deep fissure in the earth. This was the second attack from Tolbi, done by two of their spies.
'We're being followed.' Garet said to the party. 'Otherwise they wouldn't have found us so quickly.....'
---
Chapter Three: Before the Council
---
"Why are you here today, Mr. Jerra?' the mayor of Orimali asked.
'I have brought this group of Adepts with me today because of the Sumera tragedy. If you don't know what that is, you should read your newspaper more often.'
'Of course I know what that was, Mr. Jerra! We all know that it was awful, but you can't dwell on the past...'
'Shut up!' Garet said. 'That was my town, my friends, my family, my...Jenna! How dare you tell me not to dwell on the past! So what if it was Orimali that was burned and you were the only survivor?!'
Rita entered the conversation. 'I know I'd feel horrible, mainly because this is my home. I may have left years ago, but my heart is still here. If the town was burned, I'd be devastated.'
'Thank you, Ms. Rita, but I am speaking to Mr. Jerra...'
'Put a sock in it, mayor.' Garet said angrily. 'Now all I ask of you, is to allow me to take my troop into Tolbi and execute a secret capture mission. If you do not comply, you are an enemy to us. Is that clear?'
'Garet, please calm down...' Michelle begged.
'I won't, Michelle...solely because this buffoon of a mayor will not comply to our demands.'
'Buffoon? Hardly...' the mayor chortled. 'At least I wouldn't leave my town for a week unsupervised and come back to find it a steaming crater!'
'You take that back!' Garet rushed at the mayor, but was held back by Jason and Phil. "I was only gone for TWO days, and there was someone left in charge! None other than my father, the retired mayor, had control over the town!'
'Your father was a sniveling, cowardly, infantile man. He knew nothing on how to run a city. And that's why it's gone.'
Garet broke free from Phil and Jason's restraint, and tackled the mayor.
'How dare you! You damn fool! You speak ill of a dead man, and expect me to stay here and take it in? I don't care what you think!'
Garet let loose with a powerful punch to the mayor's face. As blood trickled from the mayor's nose, a councilman snuck up behind Garet, and whacked him with a piece of pipe. Bruised and bleeding, Garet exploded with anger and hatred for this town. He knew it now. The only reason Orimali had ccepted him in was because they were under order of Tolbi. Suddenly, a blast of dark energy pulsed throughout the room. A large gust, followed by a massive wave of ice and earthen spikes, followed close behind.
Phil walked up to Garet, stood by his side, and raised his fists.
'You'd be a fool to take these punks on alone. Here, let me help you.'
'And I'd be damned if I didn't, too.' David took his space next to Phil.
'You could never wish to survive, even with a Shadow Master and a Water Guardian by your side. Prepare to face your first major fight!'
The room began spinning, and the walls began crumbling. The Orimali mayor and councilman had summoned a dangerous creature, the Thunder Dragon.
'Hey, watch out!' Phil yelled to Jason. A large bolt of lightning had pierced the roof, and struck within five feet of him. Jason joined the fray, wielding his sword, the Ragnarok. All it took was the holy power of the blade and Jason's fury to destroy the dragon.
'Easier than it looked.' Jason said, pulling the blade from the body of the creature, and putting it back into its sheath. Garet told Rita, Michelle, and the rest of the party to flee, as the city was crumbling. They ran from Orimali, which was slipping into a deep fissure in the earth. This was the second attack from Tolbi, done by two of their spies.
'We're being followed.' Garet said to the party. 'Otherwise they wouldn't have found us so quickly.....'
---
