Carnax Rises!
Chapter One
It was a harmless-looking scroll. It didn't look different from the ones she had seen in the Guardian Tower or Yulgar's Inn. But this one was different. It was enchanted by some magical spell that, when opened, hurled the reader through time to a random point in Lore's history.
She was just glad that it didn't knock her farther back then it did.
She found herself standing before a group of people she recognized instantly. Captain Krieger was standing in the middle with Galanoth on his right and E on his left. Behind E was Warlic and behind Galanoth were Aquella and Captain Rhubarb. Lore's finest was here to do battle. But against what?
"Who are you?" One of the people asked. Maria looked around, trying to regain her bearings. She hadn't quite taken grasp on the concept that she was knocked back in time.
"Come on, girl. Speak up. We haven't got all day." This voice she recognized as the voice of Paladin Atrix Krieger. "You wear the armor of a Battleon Guardian, but I don't recognize your face. What's your name?"
"My name's Maria. Maria Despair. You know me, Captain." Maria spoke, shielding her eyes from the sun. The younger-looking Atrix scanned her with scrutinizing eyes. After a few choice seconds, he shook his head.
"No, no I can't say I recognize you. But, just because I don't know you doesn't mean I'll stop you if you want to lend aid in beating that…thing." He flicked his head upwards, indicating something behind Maria.
"What thing?" He asked. She wished she hadn't. The moment those words left her mouth, a piercing screech echoed over the sands and mountains. Stiffly, the X-Guardian turned around. She came face-to-face with a gigantic iced leg, or arm or something. It was not four hundred meters in front of her, but still huge. Reluctantly, she looked up. Towering above her, Battleon, even the Guardian Tower, was a behemoth of a creature. A three-eyed, quad pedal monster. She'd heard horror stories and seen pictures of this thing, but never in her entire life has it graced her eyes in reality. She froze in fear.
"Carnax the Scourge. We had long heard stories about the beast, but never had we seen him for real. We put a call for all the adventurers and Guardians of Battleon to come to our aid, but they've not gotten here yet. So, if you truly are as you say, and as your armor looks, I want you to hold that creature off for as long as possible, at least until reinforcements arrive from Battleon. Can you do it?" Atrix asked, looking up at Carnax.
Maria took an extra glare at Atrix, and then spoke:
"I need a weapon."
"Great!" Atrix smiled. He moved aside, revealing a rack of blue Dragon blades. "Take one of these. They're a copy of the Dragon blade, forged with Azru Stones. Carnax is weak against Azru Stones." Maria walked up to the rack and ran an almost motherly hand across the various hilts. Her smile changed to that of an assassin who's job had just been completed, she grabbed one of the blades and pulled it free. Then, with her other hand, freed another. Spinning both blades around, she pivoted to face Carnax.
"All right, Carnax! Let's see if you're as tough as Captain Krieger tells me!" She shouted towards the creature.