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Deria: about the holes. I honestly don't think he even remembers it if he shows them to other people. He thinks he's so all fired powerful and great and all, but this is one of those things he forgets. Are you kind of understanding me?
Chapter 4
Seeing as Chaos likes his huge flaming demonic man form, he decided to keep it while speaking with his mortal "consorts". Seeing as it was several stories high it was an imposing figure indeed. Imagine how everyone felt looking upon Chaos. Awed and pee-in-your-armor- scarred. He had something like the term dragon fear to go with him. Though I can't see why it's called dragon fear, it's hardly as though dragons are scary. Anyway it seemed as though this was traumatic experience to everyone but me, and perhaps the dark mage known as Dalamar (he remained sort of stoic). I thought it was wonderful and a great story to tell my friends when I get back. Imagine, their captain met Chaos!
It's not every day one is fighting among the ranks of his friends, and is randomly plucked from among the battle, thrown into the most boring place in existence (even more boring than the abyss I hear), then practically strangled (that would have made an interesting death- don't you think?), and put here.
Here being another nice blank room. It had the same gray ground and orange sky that the whole rest of –wherever-we-are had. You only knew it was a different room because it felt like a different room. The minute I could breathe again I started noticing other things as well. Like the way Dalamar was staring into Adrian, as if he was trying to read her soul or more interesting the number of other creatures that had started to randomly appear (their faces or heads slightly blue from lack of air).
I wonder what it would be like to suffocate. Would you see red? Is that what people talk about when they say "see red"? Anyway my uncle Tas always told me if you ever see anything that people say is dangerous think, is it contusive to a long life? That's beside that point isn't it.
Anyway, I suddenly found myself standing in a line next to Dalamar and Adrian. How boring is standing in a line? Very Boring! My feet won't move off the line! Adrian tried to get in between me and Dalamar but to no avail.
Sentient creatures of all kinds stood there. Looking down towards the end of the line I noticed Dragons. Two there were. One was jet black its scales glistened in the odd light. Horns lined its face and body, bits of smoke streamed from its nose. Dark Green eyes flashed in my direction. The other dragon was a bronze. Its shimmering scales glittered with blood from its enemies. It too looked towards me; it bared its lips in large toothy smile. Its beautiful majestic body was weakened in the struggle, but there was no regret.
People don't regard kender as deep. Well, we are! We are very deep people! Just as long as we get to have fun! And now standing here with the dragons and the Minotaur and the goblin… From the looks of things there was only one of each species.
Milkweed felt a feeling of incredible awe creep over him. Not fear, but awe and sorrow. These beasts should never been taken. They just stood, their tails curled around their fore legs.
Adrian felt her knees go week. Her heart went out to the bronze dragon. What had it done to deserve this? What had any of them done? She could believe the goblin deserved this, the orc, and the draconian, Dalamar, and the black dragon. Anyone who kills because they like death should be, but there were too many who didn't deserve this.
The Black dragon smiled maliciously over at her. The feeling of awe she had felt looking at the bronze was replaced by a nameless fear. Dragonfear. The black flexed her claws, milking her effect to those around her. The bronze hung his majestic head. Adrian realized two things. The bronze tried to escape, but could not. And was quickly losing hope.
Then Chaos appeared his gigantic form. The flaming man beast that he had been on Krynn. Milkweed's mouth hung open. Adrian's dragonfear was quickly replaced by another fear. Chaos himself. She swallowed hard.
Chaos gazed at his line of creatures. No one spoke, no one moved, even Milkweed was silent.
"I suppose you're wondering why you're here?" He sat on a great carved stone throne that appeared out of nowhere and plucked a string of fire from his beard. "One of each creature. Hehehe, you're immortal now, you'll be glad to know,"
Dalamar's lip curled, lightening shown in his eyes. He wanted Chaos dead, to die a painful death, writhing at his hands. Adrian saw this, she pulled away at little bit. Dalamar sneered at her.
"You laugh dark elf?" Chaos turned his attention on Dalamar. The elf just nodded slowly.
"Why should I fear you? You won't even kill me," His soul shrunk back in fear. Nameless terror. Those terrible orange flaming eyes burned into his, but Dalamar held the gaze. He's just like your shalafi, just think Raistlin. The thought calmed him. He could deal with Raistlin. Unconsciously his hand moved to his chest.
"No dark elf, I won't kill you. I'll break you. You see," He made a solid bar of flame and caught spot under Dalamar's neck where his pulse beat. The hot flame moved within the bar itself. Like living metal. Dalamar twisted his head to the side. This was like the slave markets. He felt like he was a slave on display. Chaos addressed the whole array of creatures, and dragged Dalamar forward off the line with the bar of flame.
Every part of Dalamar cried for him to resist, but he didn't, let Chaos think he had him. The same tactic had worked many times in Silvanesti.
"You see, like this little dark mage," Chaos continued. "You have each done something worthy of becoming, shall we say, gladiators,"
Adrian caught her breath. There hadn't been gladiators since the games of Istar had ended.
"You are examples to my children. I think, displaying the worst aspects of what they created, some of you are heroes' people. You will have to kill, some of you are the scourge of Krynn, and you will have to learn how to be killed,"
Dalamar dug his fingers into the flame. Pain sprung again into his hands it shot through his body, fiery tongues. Dalamar chanted the words to a destructive spell. Magic coursed through his veins drowning out the pain. Then there was too much. His body writhed under the magic. He needed control of it; it sought to rip him to shreds. There was too much. He fell to his knees, arms flaming up to his elbows. The fire around his hands glowed green. No! He crushed the magic back. It would not take control of him. A small spell like that should never have generated so much power. The spell fizzled out leaving him empty and in pain. He could get used to pain if things like this kept happening.
Chaos spoke again.
"Sorry little black mage, you have no power here," Dalamar smiled, he had accomplished something. He had power here, more than what was natural. And Chaos's power was so much greater, that he hadn't even noticed the disturbance. Despite all this his legs buckled and he leaned onto Adrian.
Adrian, feeling the sudden weight, braced herself and let him lean on her.
After that Chaos went through to each of them telling why they were in the realm of the gods. When he came to Adrian he stopped.
"What are you? Even I do not know,"
"Nor do I,"
"You are not elven, human, or kinder, yet you carry aspects of each,"
"I have heritage in each race lord,"
"Right," Chaos stared at her while longer, smiled and went on.
Milkweed was the most heroic kinder of the bunch!
"Surprise, surprise," Adrian muttered. She was left with the feeling of emptiness and confusion. It felt as if Chaos could see right through her lies.
Dalamar's hands were already beginning to heal. They blistered up and oozed strangely. He fixed Adrian with a not unchaos-like gaze.
"If you won't tell him what you are, will you tell me?"
"No,"
"You knew, didn't you?" How could he see so much? Adrian searched her mind for answers.
"She knew what, Dalamar?" Milkweed butted in.
"She knew why each of us was here, and I think quite a bit more than that as well,"
"It's not important! What's important is getting out of here before we all die in the arena," Adrian spluttered.
Dalamar smirked.
"All right then, have your secrets, it doesn't matter at this point anyway. If you could have escaped you would've,"
Adrian hung her head.
"No, I wouldn't," she whispered. Dalamar heard this but said nothing.
Then suddenly there was no more air and the three were whisked back to their "cell."
"I figure whenever this happens it means we're going somewhere?" Milkweed gasped. Adrian nodded before she lost sight of him.