Call of the Ancestors

Chapter 13: The New Guardian

The assassins were swift. Light footed, yet clad in sturdy armor which was seemingly a mix of plated metal and leather. Dragons and bipeds alike.

Alas one of them wasn't as lucky as his comrades, having landed far too close to the Guardian of Ice, whom with a huff of his breath sent out a cloud of ice and snow, and once it laid to the ground, the Assassin was frozen solid inside a clump of ice. The Guardian spread his wings, admittedly looking terrifying. "I may be old, but that doesn't mean Congeria can dare think just a few lowly assassins can take me down!" Cyril called out, as he made his way in between the entranced Fire Guardian and the minions of the dead god.

Whilst all this had happened, the two captains came to their senses after the brief moment of confusion. Sethelis was just about to rise up on her paws, when she felt a boot onto her back and a blade against her throat. Shame one cannot simply grab at shadows.

Turning herself into a mist of black smoke, sinking low against the ground, Sethelis was free of her bonds. She noted how if she hadn't been as quick as she had, her throat would have been slit by now. Before she rapidly drew back behind her and Miarko's assailants, launching up from the floor in a flurry of claws and choking darkness. This in turn gave her companion a chance to whip with his tail, sending one of the two assassins flying into a nearby wall. She saw how he grimaced, having to strain his recently healed leg.

However, one of their assailants were still standing, landing heavily onto the ground with a thud. His glowing eyes fixated on Captain Miarko. A dragon who had… Far too many spikes all over his body. And indeed the assassin's approach towards his Firebreathing target wasn't as orthodox as a elemental blast, but rather a charge where striking back would hurt as much as being hit.

Miarko had to think quickly. That living pincushion was heading straight for him. And with his still recovering leg he wouldn't be able to launch himself to the side in time. So the Fire dragon used a more… Direct approach.

Fireball.

To the face.

And indeed it did lead to an explosion. The Assassin had dropped dead, its corpse sliding across the marble for a few seconds before stopping as a smoldering heap of burnt flesh. Turning around to see how Cyril was doing, and to his relief the Guardian was staving off his attackers fairly well. But one had slipped past, and made their way around the Guardian and was sprinting towards Ifrit, blade drawn. Just as the foe was about to strike Miarko enwrapped himself in flames, and dashed forth, just as she arose from her trance with a surprised gasp did the Fire Captain push her off of her paws and out of the way.

The Assassin with their glowing eyes glared emptily at the Fire captain, he was once more standing firm, despite being unable to put too much weight at his leg. The Captain asked Ifrit, without turning to look at her, "Are you alright?" To which the Guardian replied with a simple "Yes… A bit disoriented, but I should manage," as the Captain of the 17th helped her regain her footing.

But not shortly after, the Assassin descended upon them again, his blow deflected by Miarko raising a wing. The blow cut through the membrane of the Fire Captain, causing him to cry out in pain. The blade mere centimeters away from the Guardianess' face.

He fell down as the Assassin raised his blade again...

Then… Sethelis dove out out of the corner of his eye, slashing at the Assassin with her claws, the enemy fell after a short trade of blows, earning the Shadow Captain a new couple of tears in her right wing. Whilst she wasn't bleeding, He heard Sethelis snarl as she dispatched their foe.

After the sounds of battle stopped, and the glow in the eyes of the six murderers had waned, leaving their corpses cold on the marble floor. Cyril was bleeding from a wound upon his shoulder, the dagger still lodged into his flesh as he turned to speak with the younger dragons.

"You two saved our lives today. That will not be forgotten soon…" He mused, Miarko noting how Ifrit was looking at him specifically, admirably.

Cyril sighed before looking over at his wounds. "I will need to go and see myself tended to. If you wouldn't mind, Sethelis, you could join me and get to Volteer." He spoke, to which Seth gave Miarko a knowing nod, before following the Ice Guardian. Once the doors were shut, Ifrit had turned to Miarko.

"You saved me. Thank you…?" She started, leading on to draw an introduction.

Miarko replied "Miarko. DOW, Captain of the 17th."

The Guardian in turn nodded, "Very well, thank you Miarko. I owe you my life, and I love I'll make it up to you, I assure you… It would have been a shame if I were to die so soon after being initiated. I was… Busy when you and your comrade came in, so do you mind if I ask why you are here?"

"We're here about the business concerning the Congeria crisis," Miarko responded, nodding his head at the question, "Any information the Guardians may have stored away about her capabilities, plans, etcetera."

This caused Ifrit to frown. "This explains my visions. I have been getting them more and more frequently, and they all follow a similar pattern. A great darkness once more threatening everything, just not in the way we might imagine." She admitted, glancing towards the green pool, whose waters remained surprisingly still yet murky.

"You believe these visions to point to Congeria's growing presence within the City?" Miarko responded.

"Within and outside our walls, yes. It is very rare for a Ancestor to take direct action outside of minor influences. The latest time such a thing happened was back when the Dark Master was defeated the second time." the Guardian replied, nodding. She sat down upon her haunches, resting.

"10 years ago," Miarko responded, as images of the struggle against Malefor flashed through the war veteran's mind, "Anything concrete that you can determine from these images?"

"Well, we know already that her power is growing. But also, I think… Yes!" Ifrit shone up, as if a sudden realization had struck her.
"Just like upon the Dark Master's return 13 years ago there was recordings of Ignitus suffering from visions like mine. Darkness focusing…." She went quiet, and scurried over to a small shelf lined with old scrolls.

She pulled one out, opening it as it showed drawings, few details but yet clear. Darkness focusing down into one single being.

"All the evil is stemming from one person. Congeria must either have a Avatar of sorts, or maybe someone under her command, a host?"

"A...Host? We've had conflict with more than a few of those controlled by the Chaos Mistress, but do you think there's a...central one? A commander, of sorts?"

Ifrit pointed with a claw at the center of the deep green murky waters. "Aye. I presume these ones with glowing eyes were different from her other minions?"

Miarko looked into the Pool and saw nothing, "Unfortunately, I don't have the gift to see the images that you do in the Pool, but from the way you describe it, it seems as if that is not far from the truth."

Ifrit sighed; "I am sorry… I get carried away and sometimes do not remember that others cannot see the waters in the way I do. But what I am asking of you is: can you describe to me the foes you have fought so far? I can bet that Volteer will pour over this information once you've told me." And just as Miarko was about to ask her why, " Not everyone can withstand his…" She interrupted him, visibly rolling her eyes. "Enthusiasm."

Miarko thought for a few moments, before recounting their foes; "A while back, when the investigation was still young, there was your average run-of-the-mill people who were dedicated to her, they retained free will and could even leave the order on their own behest. Like the Skav Pirate Elmira, I doubt you've not heard of her. But once we had started to dig into the case we discovered that Congeria was getting stronger, eventually using some form of mind control to create drones, or just… Force her way into people's heads." He started, Ifrit listening in, concerned.

"Do you think these were…?" The Guardian then asked, and motioned to the corpses with her tail.

Miarko shook his head in response and said "No… They acted far too independent to be her mindless drones, and these were the first with glowing eyes."

She proceeded to roll one of the corpses, the one which had nearly taken her life, onto its back. The eyes were normal, and yet empty as if the stare they produced was into nothingness.

"Well, whatever Congeria had put into them disappeared when they died. Maybe it was some sort of mystical power?" She theorized, to which a clear and rapid voice spoke:

"That is possibly a rather plausible and positively inclined hypothesis, Ifrit!"

As Ifrit turned to face Volteer, Sethelis had taken note to the strange scrolls and texts it seemed the Guardian and Miarko had been studying.
She wasn't the best at reading at a distance, might be because her lack of depth perception, but those scrolls were about the Dark Master. Did the fallen Purple Dragon have something to do with this?

She'd hold her speculations back until later, as the Shadow Captain sat down upon her haunches the Guardian of Electricity stepped forth.

And Sethelis was surprised he hadn't run out of breath yet. She glanced to Ifrit who nodded in a patient manner. It was seemingly not a unfamiliar thing that Volteer would be lost in his own little bubble where he'd just turn into a tide of self-debating, information and hypothesis. The Shadow Captain did have to keep her poker face straight as her companion limped over, tapping the talkative Guardian on the shoulder. The effects were rather humorous as Volteer blinked, going from a slew of words at near the speed of lighting to a confused "Erhh…?" Earning a reaction from Ifrit; "Slow down you silly old wyrm." The Fire dragoness spoke, causing Volteer to fluster slightly.

"I am sorry, young ones. I just usually get very… Caught in my own thoughts. But yes, to clarify what I was indeed suggesting: Congeria had the abusive power to inbound her servants with a power of… Spontaneous effects. They always varied for good or bad, seemingly like she didn't care what happened to her followers as long as it caused her enemies harm. And it seems she didn't cease to think this was a bad idea even post-resurrection." To which Sethelis interrupted.

"Volteer, so what you're saying is that if we see one of her minions with glowing eyes we should just turn our backs and run?" To which the yellow dragon shook his head.

"No. Not necessarily. But the fact that she can corrupt her minions to the point of them breaking before her dominating will is… Bad. It means that we only have one option before she turns her ever-burning gaze upon our very citizens." Volteer said.

This in turn caused Miarko to state, deep in thought: "So what do we do to hide from a entity… Eh, god of sorts?"

Which made Ifrit nod. "There is a way. If all of us Guardians agree we can activate a… Countermeasure. But I doubt It'll not be liked by anyone in the City." This earned a questioning look from the two non-Guardians in the room, causing Ifrit to explain.

She walked over to the pool of Reflection, sweeping with a paw over the shallow green water huffing out a flame. A magical image of the Dragon City appeared floating shortly over the surface. "After the defeat of Malefor, the Guardians and the two Saviors all decided that just after the mourning of Ignitus and the reparations of Warfang we'd make sure the City would always be safe and never under pressure from any magical threat again. Thus we created, in utter secrecy, what we call The Infinium. A magical energy field strong enough to surround our entire city and a small portion of the lands outside our walls. There is a catch; All connection to the Ancestors will be broken. For everyone. All dragons within the shield will lose their elemental powers, I will lose my ability to see visions or… At least it's assumed I will, and all magic crystals will lose their power rendering them useless. We haven't tried removing them from the field once activated, so we do not know if the effects on gems are reversible. We do however know that once a dragon is out of the bubble they'll have their powers restored. And before anyone asks, precautions have been taken to ensure that the new "floating streets" won't come crashing down upon the new areas which sprung up bellow."

Miarko's eyes widened. "You can do that? It will render a large part of Warfang's army and gem stores useless!"

"Yes, Miarko. But what other option do we have?"

A/N:

Hello! Hawk here telling you that this sure doesn't look too bright. What is a dragon without fire?

On another note, me and Mike are sorry that we're taking such time, but this is the holiday season after all. December tends to be slow for us, due to Christmas and New Year's Eve.

So from Miarko, Sethelis & me and Mike to you guys reading: We hope you guys had some Happy holidays and that 2018 will (hopefully) be even better!

As always, we appreciate any and all feedback! Reviews are always read and responded to when we can get to them.

See you next time!

-Mike & Hawk