C rimson Menace-Orixy Drake

CRIMSON MENACE

-Orixy Drake

Prologue-The Eye in the Sky-Ethan

Ethan yawned and opened his eyes. Yesterday had been an exhausting day because he had to stay up late on guard duty. Lately, many monsters had attacked. Then there was he eye in the sky. He immediately rolled off of his bed. "Ow! Watch where you fall, dude!" cried a voice. Ethan got up, careful not to enrage Andrew more. "Hey, sorry. I just remembered- It's the day where everyone's trying to bring down the eye!" he explained. Grabbing his Golden Helm, Ethan put on his Desolation armor. He was not that poor of an individual having come into this realm a year ago. Ethan had also a powerful Archon sword and a ring of paramount dexterity. His friend Andrew owned a Dragonsoul Sword, a Mithril Shield, powerful golden vengeance armor and a ring of paramount defense. After equipping themselves, they opened the cabin door and stepped out onto the streets of the Nexus. At this point everyone was standing in the streets. Those who could cast magic like the clerics, wizards, necromancers, mystics, and sorcerers, were sharing their most powerful spells with each other. Bow users stringed their bows and brought out their best arrows. Everyone else quickly bought a bow if they could or made one themselves. Some tried to learn magic but of course none succeeded. Ethan and Andrew had their own bows, acquired through hunts through the Blue Woods and into the Ocean-Border Mountains. Wow. I never thought that one day I would have to use this bow thought Ethan as he clumsily pulled out his green Verdant Bow. Andrew on the other hand had a purple Bow of Fey Magic. "Hey Andrew, what do you want to do after this is over?" asked Ethan. His friend sat and thought for a moment. "I heard that there is a new town near the foot of Amerdoth. We should go and help them survive the tough first days of existence." Just then someone shouted; "Everyone! Get ready! We're starting in 1 minute! Load up your bows, ready your wands and staves. The time is here to put down the Eye!" A cheer greeted him followed by some clamor as everyone readied themselves. "Well, are you going to come to the new town?" asked Andrew again. "Sure! We can make ourselves useful instead of growing fat here…" replied Ethan. "START FIRING!" Then everyone cast their projectiles towards the eye. With many eyes following, more spells came from all around the realm. They merged together into one massive stream. There was a moment of tense silence. The projectiles curved and flew into the pupil. The sky lit up, and the eye disappeared. Cheers rang out throughout the Nexus as everyone celebrated. "Let's go. We have a town to save." Said Andrew. "They must be stupid to set up a town at the foot of Amerdoth…." Scoffed Ethan. He turned and walked to the gate of the Nexus. "Let's Go." And they left.

Chapter 1-The Town of Eldrin-Athena

"A little more Night Elves Incoming!" shouted a paladin. Athena looked over and saw a horde of those purple creatures streaming out of the caves at the foot of the Shadow Lands. This is what you call a LITTLE more? Then she saw part of the wall collapse. With a roar, a scaly monster forced its way inside of the city walls. "A Leviathan is here!" she told the paladin. Ledge turned and his eyes widened as he saw their position. Drawing his blue skysplitter sword, he yelled to some other fighters. "Come on! The Leviathan won't wait to be killed!" He led them towards it. Suddenly Athena noticed something. The Leviathan had a rider on its back. Too late. Ledge and his group of fighters clashed into the dragon. A bolt of lightning fried a knight, and he yelled as electricity arced through his body. Athena cast a healing spell as she ran over to him. "Don't move." She said as she cast yet another spell and reversed the effects of the lightning, then casting it back at the shadowy figure, which deflected it into the ground. The knight nodded his thanks and, hefting his shield; he brandished his sword and charged-straight into the middle of the battle. Athena followed, stopping at the back of the battle with the Leviathan and now more night elves and some cyclops. The figure turned its head and pointed at the purple robed paladin hacking his way through the cyclops horde, his blue blade a vermillion glimmer in the sun. Ledge looked up and catapulted over the heads of a group of Night Elves and activated his seal. A burst of light surrounded him and he plunged his sword into the Leviathan's chest. Clinging onto the hilt, Ledge carved a jagged wound. The Leviathan howled. "You've injured it!" roared the figure. "Meet the wrath of Septavius!" Septavius slid off the collapsing dragon and threw off his hood. "Puny mortal, experience what happens to those who meddle in foreign affairs." Ledge smiled and brandished his sword. "I'll be delighted to. Have at you, Septavius." Septavius stepped forward and an arc of electricity formed, solidifying into spear. It gleamed a wicked red, and he spun it leisurely. Ledge charged and began to swing his sword back and forth, in dazzling patterns of an experienced swordsman. Septavius held his electrospear like a quarterstaff and blocked Ledge's sword again and again, cackling like a maniac. He then summoned a second bolt of electricity, which transformed into an evil looking red blade. Holding it out to his side, the electrospear changed into an identical sword. Septavius now stared at Ledge with an intense hate and charged forward, both swords hacking away with the power of the gods. Ledge frantically blocked, but even he could not stand the relentless assault alone. "Quick! A shield!" he yelled at one on looking knight. The knight tossed his shield at the purple fighter and Ledge caught it, strapping it to his arm with a fluid move, catching both crimson blades on it. A look of intense concentration appeared on both figure's faces. Athena lifted her wand and conjured a massive ball of flame. Septavius looked at the oncoming ball of flame, and he snarled. "No! None of that weak magic of yours; I have an affair to deal with." Septavius stomped on the ground once and a barrier expanded, knocking Ledge back several feet. The fireball was deflected, and flew into the sky, exploding upon contact with an unlucky bird. An ash covered, smoking blue shield was lifted up. Ledge grimaced and got to his feet. Activating his seal once again, he glowed with a bright light and all his wounds healed. Now smiling like a lunatic, he covered himself with the shield and prepared to fight to the death. Septavius advanced leisurely, swinging his two swords. "It's time to die, fool." He said, and swung with all his might at the shield. A terrible sound of two tough materials striking resonated through the air. The crimson blade shattered, and the shield was heavily cracked. Septavius smiled and swung again with the second blade. Ledge yelled as the shield was cleaved in half, along with his hand. He collapsed, clutching the bleeding stump of his left arm. "Nooo!" screamed Athena. She ran, casting a spell of healing as she went, hoping that it wasn't too late. "Move, girl, and let the men fight." Said Septavius, brandishing his blade for the final strike; "Or rather, let me kill him." Athena pointed her wand at him. "YOU $#$^!" she shouted angrily. Then she cast the biggest ball of lightning she had ever seen and watched as it struck Septavius straight on. With a huge explosion, he was blasted back. Silence prevailed for a few long seconds. Then Septavius rose up. "Nice try, girl. But it's not going to be that easy." He tossed aside the crimson blade. Dark energy flickered around him and as the last shreds of his cloak blew away, he was revealed to be wearing a golden green armor. "N..Noo…Th…That's Acropolis Armor….Strongest in existence…." Moaned Ledge, who's bleeding had stopped but was in pain nevertheless. "Yes. And here ends the great hero Led…." mused Septavius. "He's not dead yet!" yelled Athena. "Oh yes, he is. You, little girl account for little more than bangs and explosions; I've seen stronger…no, destroyed those who are more powerful than you. And now, he is dead." He summoned a bolt of lightning and with a crackle, it flew at Ledge.

Chapter 2-The Town of Eldrin-Andrew

Andrew brushed aside a low-lying branch. The steady ring of metal was becoming audible. "Hey, do you think they're in trouble?" he asked. Ethan waved at him to be quiet. "Shh…I think I hear something. Let's get closer." Andrew nodded and followed Ethan, now quietly moving to the edge of the forest. He could hear someone laughing, and then heard a yell of pain. "Someone's in trouble. Let's go!" he yelled, hefting his shield and, using it as a barrier for the two of them, charged. Ethan unsheathed his sword and followed. They broke out of the undergrowth and into a scene of devastation. Smoke billowed out of the village, and a giant hole was visible in the wall. Andrew continued, a little more cautiously, through the breach and into the village. A figure with green armor was advancing leisurely on 2 figures on the ground. Andrew was momentarily confused – who was he supposed to help? Then the figure summoned a lightning bolt which swirled around his hands. Only dark sorcerors use electricity…he thought, and, making up his mind, he once again brandished his shield and charged towards those 2 figures, now discernible as a girl and a boy who was bleeding badly. The figure blasted the lightning towards those 2 figures, just as Andrew leapt in front of them. His shield absorbed the lightning. Ethan caught up, and both stood, with swords drawn, ready to fight. "Ha-ha…more sacrifices?" the figure said. "You missed out on the pleasantries. I'm Septavius. And which of you fools would like to fight and die first?" Andrew whispered to Ethan; "When I finish introducing myself, we both charge, okay?" Ethan nodded slightly. "I am Andrew, and this is my friend Ethan. We'd rather you die first." Replied Andrew, now advancing slowly with Ethan who was spinning his sword in deadly arcs. Septavius summoned two more bolts of lightning, bending one into a black and white bow with a grey string, and the other into a dark quiver of arrows, which he slung over his back. From it, he drew an arrow. "Meet your doom." He said, knocking, sighting, and firing the arrow in 1 swift movement. Andrew braced himself for impact; as the arrow slammed into his shield he was still pushed back a few feet, leaving a trail of shield fragments. Septavius was surprised. "How did that not kill you?" he exclaimed. "Never mind that, I'll just have to keep hitting you until you do die." Drawing 3 more arrows, he lifted the bow into the air and with inhuman ease; he fired 3 arrows at once high into the sky. The first came down, smashing into Andrew's shield. The second followed, moments later and demolished his shield even more, turning his limbs into lead. Andrew braced himself for the killing blow as Ethan rushed towards him. The arrow never came. Looking up, he saw where the arrow ended up. "Never. Ever. Try. To Hurt. Anyone. Again." Seethed the girl. The third arrow had been redirected towards Septavius himself, punching through his unprotected neck and killing him instantly. Andrew sighed, and staggered over to the wounded paladin on the ground. His arm now ended in a stump that had stopped bleeding. The paladin grimaced. "I'm Ledge, and she's Athena. Thanks for helping us." Ethan smiled, though there was something different his expression. "It is us who should be thanking you, Athena. You have proved to me that not all beautiful girls are heartless and weak." Athena blushed. "Now now, guys, don't get distracted. We still have to rebuild this town." Said Andrew, faintly embarrassed about his friend's behavior. "Let's get to work."

Chapter 3-The Town of Eldrin-Ethan

Ethan picked up a brick and carried it over to the furnace to be reused. Everything's so perfect today he thought. After Septavius died, all we had to do was to clean up the town. He was still embarrassed at his behavior with Athena. But the way her hair swung as she walked, and how her cute brown eyes would-Ethan shook his head to clear it. "Hey! Ethan! We have a quest today. There's a cave in the mountains that we need to clear so that the city can have peace." Shouted Andrew, walking over. "Ledge and Athena are bringing a second party to assist us but first they need to make sure the village is secure." Ethan was a bit tired. "Now? We just finished battle and you decide to go traveling again? Wouldn't it be prudent to stay a night?" Andrew looked at him. "No. I mean tomorrow. We're staying for the night in the inn and tomorrow morning we set off towards the mountain." Ethan nodded and walked with his friend towards the inn. "You know, I've always wanted to be a wizard." Murmured Ethan. "Then we could just stand back and let everyone else fight while assisting from afar. It's so annoying how we have to charge into battle and fight face-to-face." Andrew nodded, "I agree completely, but don't you think that it would be better to be a rogue? That cloak of invisibility would come in handy in so many places. We could be able to decimate the legions of darkness while invisible. Think, Ethan, about what we could do together. 2 rogues, removing the world of evil." Ethan looked down. "Yeah, but what do you think we do in this realm, just kill Oryx's minions? There must be a greater meaning to life. When we came into this realm, we were already grown. We weren't born. That says that we came from somewhere else. A better place." "Hey! You 2! Are you seeking to stay in this here inn?" shouted a voice. They turned. A fat man was standing there with a dagger in his belt and a lantern in his hands. "Yes! What's the price for 1 night?" asked Andrew. "I've got a Dragonsoul sword, a horror staff, and a drake hide armor. Which do you want?" The man replied, "Hmm…I despise staves, they take up space and don't sell for much. Give me the Dragonsoul sword." Andrew and Ethan walked over to him. "I'm Johnathan by the way. Welcome to the Wild Chicken Tavern and Inn, the best accommodation for the wandering…" "Yeah. Spare us the pleasantries. Please lead us to our room so we can get settled down for the night." Johnathan smiled. "Tired, aren't you?" Ethan nodded. The innkeeper led them into the building, past the gleaming dinner tables, up the stairs, and down a corridor. At the end, he turned, drew out a pair of keys, and handed them to Andrew. "Sword, please. The key works; you can open the door right now as your partner is tired." Andrew handed over the sword and unlocked the door. "A good night to you all!" said Johnathan, retreating back down the hall. Ethan took off his armor and fell right onto his bed. He was asleep within a few short minutes.

Chapter 4-The Diary of Orixy

The day is hot; I am traveling along a road. What I need is to find an oasis. Hope I find one soon, even though it is really hard while in the desert. Now I see a horned drake. I run up close and let my magic arrows do the work. It isn't carrying anything. Then I see it-an oasis. I run up to fill my water sack and then I realize that I am not alone. There are horned devils everywhere. I take a quick sip of refreshing water and nock my bow. After taking care of them, I see a chest in the middle of the oasis. Inside is some crappy gear. I think I'll pass.

Right now I wish I had a better quiver. It really is ineffective. There is a huntress. I team up with her. We then head towards the distant ruins. Near it, we hear a hissing sound. I sneak up through the gates, but there is no sneaking. Plenty of enraged bears are trying to claw me to shreds, but my new drake hide armor blocks it without getting scratched. After getting past their blockade, we are confronted by a nightmare-a giant 40 foot long boa constrictor. It lunges towards us, and we throw our bodies to the side. We use our bows to snipe at it. When I am slammed by the tail down the hall, I realize that there is a chest. Inside is a 2-arrow shooting bow that is useless to me, but helpful to my friend. I rush over to her, and toss it to her. Together, we quickly take care of the snake. Then we rest.

Yeah, there was a tunnel behind the snake's corpse. Being a curious explorer, I clamber down. My friend follows me. Then we walk into a cavern. I sneak through the trees, until I see a blood-covered mask. It jumps up, and somehow shoots fireballs at me. I dodge, and suddenly a ghost behind me knocks me 10 yards. At least my friend is here. I get up. Then, knowing I have only one chance, I leap onto the boss and shoot all of my arrows at it. I hear it growling in pain, and it falls. Then I see it- a robe of the titaoni. Surprised, I summon my pet. Then I gave that junk to my pet. My friend picked up a bag of what looked like pollen powder, and we clambered back up the tunnel.

We travel for a while, before running into another ruin. This time, no enraged bears are present, and having the experience, shot the snake full of arrows, and jogged to the end of the hall. As always, there is the same old junk inside the chest. I pull back the snake's corpse and clamber inside the tunnel. When I see the mask, I then jump up, and shoot all my arrows at it. It works-until 6 totem poles pop up around us, and start emitting energy rays. I barely manage to make it out of their alive. Then I see a crystalized skull. I pick it up, and feed it to my chicken. It unfortunately turns him into crystal.

Then I come across a guy desperately trying to fend off a medusa with a sword while cowering behind a large iron shield. We leap into action. I jump in front of the medusa and it tries to look me in the face, until my chicken jumps in front of my eyes and grabs onto my hair with its small claws. I see through it, and just in time see my friend get nabbed a group of hiding demon swordsmen. In a fit of sadness and rage, I unleash a blast of energy so large, it vaporizes the medusa instantly. Then I lunge over, and behead a demon swordsman with its own sword. I keep the sword to remember my friend. Then I shred the demon swordsman with the sword. I pick up my friends armor. I put it on.

After traveling with the guy I saved, we join a group of people wandering in the mountains. We kill more rampaging gods. Then I find a castle with high battlements and skeletons everywhere. We enter the gates, and immediately are besieged by a group of mummies. We dispatch them, and then we head towards the large silvery thing floating in the distance.

It turns out to be a large ghost wearing a crown. It tried to snatch me, but I managed to duck. My friend sprinted towards the ghost, and suddenly, he dropped, dead with a large blot of red on his chest. Then, mad that both of my friends have died, I grab my friend's sword, and throw it towards the ghost. I kill it to take revenge. All my closest friends have gone-I can only rely on myself.

When I rejoin the group of people, they are whispering frantically waving amidst each other. I ask why. They tell me there is a headless horseman. I see him. Only some of the most elite warriors are fighting in. I join. After about an hour of fighting, we manage to subdue it. Then, noticing that he had a map leading to a haunted cemetery, we took it and went to the haunted cemetery

As soon as we had all entered, the gates swung shut. Then a ghost of a richly-dressed witch appeared. She challenged us to a gladiatorial arena. We accepted. Suddenly, several skeletons crawled out of the ground next to us. In seconds, several of our number perished to their deadly bone blades. The rest manage to escape. Then we are amazed as a bunch of trolls jumped into our vicinity. Since some of us expected it, we quickly, if not easily, subdued them. Then a giant troll lumbered into view. I filled it with my arrows, and my comrades ran forward, stabbing and hacking with swords. Then the giant gave one more shudder of pain, and collapsed. Several bags fell from the air. I got a blue one, and it contained a strange drink. After drinking it, I realized I could draw and fire my bow quicker. Then we went on to the next part of this annoying gladiatorial arena.

When we appeared, we were confronted by several ghosts. Easily, we dispatched them. Then some children ran at us, purple mist flowing around them. We had to kill them to release them from such a fate. Then a dead woman, dressed in shimmering cloths, and covered with blood, threw up her grave and climbed out with a giant knife. She tried to stab us. But our knights, who were excellent swordsmen, just flicked her blade out. Then the deadly duel began. She, being dead, still had excellent moving skills. She jumped up, picked up her knife, and decapitated an unwary warrior. Then I fired a poison arrow my friends gave me, and she was immediately paralyzed. We killed her. As last time, bags of stuff dropped from the sky. I collected one. Upon opening the contents, I was greeted by a purple enchanted bow, and a quiver of never-ending arrows. I also found a ring. When I put it on, I could draw and shoot arrows way quicker.

Hence, collecting the gear, we departed for the third region. Upon entering, hundreds of zombies converged on us. We did all we could to kill them. Then….they were truly dead. Suddenly, an elderly grave caretaker with glowing blue eyes emerged. He raised his hands and several black blobs of goo launched themselves at us. I was hit by one, and it stung like crazy. Then we converged upon it, burying it in our hacking and firing mass of swords and arrows. Then it was over, and bags were falling again. I caught another one. It contained a strange concoction. I drank it, and suddenly, my focus sharpened. Delighted by my new skill, I readied myself to go.

Upon entering the last region, we were horrified that several werewolves along with zombies were waiting for us. Another knight died from being eaten alive by werewolves. We killed them all. Then that ghost witch appeared. She told us the reward was death. We jumped back to dodge her knife, but 2 warriors were not so fast. 2 decapitated heads rolled onto the ground. I launched all of my arrows at once, along with a poisoned arrow, and then we lunged forward. It was a tough battle, but in the end, we managed to persevere and survive and kill the boss. Then we got the loot. I, myself, got a strange bag. It contained only some crappy swords, which I tossed on the ground, and then I gasped. There was a small store of concoctions. Delighted, I jumped up and down. Then I had a wizard enchant the bag so that it would stick to me, wherever I went. Then I exited the haunted cemetery.

Upon exiting, I sought to take revenge on the demons. I therefore am looking for a group of demons. When I see a group of demons, I am bathed in my anger and charge forth, shooting my arrows. Just then, I see a flash of a un-demon-ish color. Then I realize that this is the group that abducted my huntress friend and she is there. As the demons die off, I see 1 approaching another castle. He gives the huntress to a mummy, and then closes the gates. I charge up, and behead it with the sword that I took from the first demon I killed. After examining the gates, I hear a sound behind me.

Turns out that that sound was made by a fellow knight. He taunts me about the huntress, and charges at the door, breaking it. Then he enters, killing several mummies. Then I join, killing mummies and vampires from afar. Then I see my friend, bound and gagged on a bench. That is all I see before the knight charges toward the ghost king, and before I can tell him not to rush, he is laying on the ground, with that same blood stain that the other warrior that was killed by a ghost king had. Angry, I entered.

As I entered, I noticed several things at once. One was that it had skeletons hanging everywhere. I also noticed that a paladin was hiding behind a suit of armor. I use my eyes to signal him to distract the ghost king. He springs forward before the king can notice me. Then, shouting, he starts attacking the king. The king was a good swordsman, but he never expected me. While he pressed the paladin back step by step, I took the initiative and fired my arrows into the ghost king's back while alternating between regular arrows and poisoned ones. The ghost king gave a loud groan, and collapsed. The paladin picked up the ghost king's sword. It was stronger than his own. He put it into his sheath. Then, he introduced himself as Koonrad. I introduce myself as Orixy.

After talking about what to do next, I notice my huntress friend sitting up. She was struggling, and Koonrad walked over and unbound her and then ungagged her. She tells us that after she was abducted by the demons, she was tortured for the location of the Nexus. Then she says that she didn't reveal its location, through many a torture strategy. So then we found her bow and arrows, her hunting trap, and found a set of armor. Then we left the castle.

Now that our group was 3 strong, we rampaged through the mountains. When we found an enemy, I would paralyze it, and the huntress would net it. Then we would just casually snipe at it while Konrad hacked it to pieces. After traveling for a distance, we stopped at a ruin. Resting in the shade was comfortable. Then, a gnome carrying a lollypop walked by, humming a merry song. It had red eyes. That, to us, meant it was evil. Our huntress ensnared it, and then I paralyzed it. Konrad leapt towards it, and cut its head off. As it fell off, his body morphed into a round portal.

As his body morphed, we watched in astonishment. Then we stepped into the portal. We wandered through these lands of candy. Then a giant unicorn flew out of nowhere and attempted to ram us. As it saw the Huntress, it stopped. Then it bowed. Out huntress, astonished, walked over and was petting it. She then mounted the unicorn, and it turned around. We followed it, until it was crouching next to a tree. The huntress dismounted, and peered around the side. We quickly followed her gaze. A giant fat unicorn was sunbathing on a rock. It had red eyes. So the huntress threw a net, just as I fired a poison arrow. My arrow was quicker, but the fat unicorn dodged…straight into the huntress's net. It was ensnared, and then I shot a poison arrow again, and paralyzed the unicorn. Suddenly, I heard a loud whooshing sound, and I ducked. The first unicorn we met soared above us, and then dove, slashing at the fat unicorn. Between us and our friend the unicorn, the fat unicorn died. Then bags fell from the sky. I was astonished as a brown bag landed in my hand, full to the brim with candy. I put it in the invisible hovering light blue bag behind me.

Then as we left this forest of candy, the unicorn followed us, and then we realized it wanted to be with the huntress, so the huntress climbed on the unicorn, and off we went. As we traveled the mountains, we then witnessed a giant cube. This was strange. Then 2 bolts made of a-material-I-did-not want-to-find-out-it's-origin flew at me. I dove to the side, and then shot a poisoned arrow. Then it was paralyzed. My 2 friends then went on a rampage, cutting it apart. Bags fell from the sky, but none came to me. Koonrad acquired a belt seal made of a black material. When we were fighting a random rampaging ghost god, it suddenly expanded into a black vortex. Then everyone was sucked in. People from a long way away suddenly were pulled toward it. We were sucked in.

As we landed, we realized the unicorn was gone, and then the huntress sat down, sad at her loss. Then a boom rang out. A friend then warned me to be away from the center of the room. 2 stone golems holding swords stomped towards us. Everyone converged upon a golem. All of a sudden, 4 decapitated knights, 3 headless archers and 7 unsuspecting wizards were dead. But the golems were too. Only one bag dropped, and to a knight in shining armor. We realized that there was a tunnel behind where the golems had come from, and we followed. We were 25 strong.

As we entered the throne room of the castle, a black warrior in black armor and a black shimmering sword stood waiting. He told us in a menacing tone to go. We refused. Then, fast as thought, all the people with bows fired. They bounced off of invisible shields. Then the warrior charged towards us. We all moved aside, and the warrior was circled in a rank of people. More quickly joined the circle. 8 knights and 4 warriors circled the black warrior. Then there was flash of light. 3 knights and 2 warriors were dead.

Doom settled on our crowd. Everyone sword-wielding person converged upon the black warrior. We followed, just shooting, or in Koonrad's case, slashing. The warrior slammed his sword into the ground. "I SHALL NOT PERISH!" A powerful force slammed into me. Lights out.

Chapter 5-Somewhere in Amerdoth-Orixy

Orixy opened his eyes. He was lying on the ground; a faint white light filtered through the ceiling. Wait, ceiling? He stood up and stretched. Walking around, he investigated his surroundings. He was in a cell in a white crystal. Oh, no. I'm with a crystal prisoner…In the cell next to his, a purple monster was hammering on the crystal. "Crack the crystal for great rewards!" it yelled. Orixy groped around for a bow. His hands met something unfamiliar. He felt a bow, sure, but there was something wrong about it. Picking it up, he pulled back the drawstring. His hand stopped half way back from full draw. What? What kind of bow is this? He mentally ran through all the bows he knew of. Golden Bow, Fey Magic, Blood Bow, Covert, Doo...oh….a DOOM BOW? How? Only the most legendary bow users had a doom bow. It only appears when a legendary lightning ghost is killed. The latest one he knew of was Septavius, who had been terrorizing outer settlements. In order to use the bow, he first had to subdue it with his mind. Bracing himself, he closed his eyes and extended his consciousness into the bow he was tightly gripping with both hands. Nooo…we shall not …obey…you…trespasser…murderor…Voices rang through his head. YOU WILL OBEY ME! He thought, pressing everything into the mental image of the bow. Something shattered and something trickled down his right hand. Orixy looked down at his hand-but nothing was visible. Grasping the bow with his left hand, he drew back with his right. Surprisingly, he easily pulled it back to full draw. A black and white arrow appeared when he released, spinning as if flew towards the wall of the crystal. It shattered. Hurrying out of the gap he made, Orixy sprinted towards the group of explorers clustered around the crystal. "Hey! Don't break it! Don't bre-" The crystal exploded and a figure emerged. "I AM THE CRYSTAL PRISONER! YOUR REWARD is DEATH!" it yelled. The figure grew in size and raised a fist, smashing several foolish knights with impunity. Orixy, realizing that he was safe from view from the middle of the crowd, drew back his bow, and fired an arrow. It seemed to fly in slow motion, but Orixy's aim was true. It slammed into the prisoner, and it flew backwards. Taking advantage of the moment, a knight raised his acclaim sword and charged forward, stunning the beast with his colossus shield and driving the sword into its chest. The crystal prisoner let out a feral scream and blew up. A beautiful white bag was left sitting in the middle of the crater. Orixy had a feeling only he could see it. Holy crap…a white bag…he thought. Walking forward, he opened it and reached in. His hand closed on a hilt, and he drew out a crystal like sword with a purple hilt. Someone spoke behind him. "That was a nice arrow. A doom bow, I suppose? Congratulations on getting a crystal sword. But do you think you'll be able to use it?" Orixy turned around. The knight was standing behind him. "I am Legend. Glad to meet you." He said, holding out his hand. Orixy smiled. "I am Orixy." He said, holding out his hand. "Do you happen to have any armor? I only have this ragged tunic." Legend opened his pack and rummaged through it. "…hmm…no…if I want…..nah…this might!" he said. Straightening up, Legend brandished a green armor. "I collected this a while ago; my mentor and I were in a cave with dragons. This is what I got from a green dragon. It's the only one in existence. But I'll only give it to you for a price." Orixy grinned, and held out the crystal sword. "I expected that. Trade you?" They exchanged items and Orixy put on his new armor. Immediately, he felt faster and more nimble. Legend examined his sword. Unconsciously, the knight said; "Hey, do you want to travel together? There's a new town called the Town of Eldrin, and they need some help. Besides, I've wanted some company for ages." Orixy immediately answered. "Of course! I just woke up, after a failed fight with Oryx, in that crystal. I could do with some adventure." And so they set off.

Chapter 6-Ice Cave-Ethan

Ethan was very tired, yet he trudged along. They were approaching a sheer cliff of ice; a dark gaping hole was visible high up on the cliff. Andrew took out his hook and started to swing it in a circle. "What are you waiting for? Let's throw them now so we actually can see where they go." Releasing his hook, it flew to the top and landed with a faint ding. Putting on his spiked shoes, Andrew started climbing. Ethan waited until Andrew was at the top before starting. He heard a noise behind him. "LOOK OUT! GODS INCOMING!" shouted Andrew. Ethan looked behind him and saw the red eyes of a Medusa. "Oh F**K!" he yelled and scrambled like a wild monkey up the side of the cliff. His heart pounding, he grasped the rope and tried to imitate Andrew. He heard the Medusa hiss in frustration as he left her reach. Once at the top, he looked down. "Oh my god. How's the second party going to get through?" he whispered. Andrew looked down at the hordes of gods. "I don't know. They'll figure it out. But let's get going or we'll freeze." Turning around, they walked into the cave. Suddenly, a bat flew at him. Drawing his sword, he cut it in half. "Umm…Do you hear something?" asked Andrew. Ethan listened. A faint flapping noise was growing stronger. "Do you think that there's a BAT SWARM!" he yelled as a horde of little bats flew at him. They turned and ran back out of the cave. "Hey, why don't we make them think that we've gone down the cliff? Then they'll fight the gods" said Andrew. "Hopefully". Ethan nodded and took a spare Mithril armor and threw it down the cliff. Flattening themselves against the edge of the cliff, they watched as a huge swarm of bats emerged and went down the cliff. It seemed that the swarm would take forever to disappear but it ended. Ethan carefully peered into the cave. Nothing moved. They quietly walked into the darkness. "What did they say is in here?" he asked. Andrew thought for a moment. "Well, there's supposed to be a monster with power beyond anything we've seen. And not to mention, those bats and some…yetis…" Ethan looked around. "Hey. It's growing kind of late. Let's make camp in the ice walls." He whispered. They walked over to a wall, and started carving into the wall. They left a transparent sheet of ice to shield them from the gaze of any monsters. Once inside a tiny square room, they packed the opening with snow to ensure that no greeblies would come. "It's kind of cramped. I'm going to make it slightly larger." Said Andrew, who was a big character. He strode over to the back of the little room and started carving a niche in which he could sleep. Ethan set down a magical light and took out some dried pork and a loaf of bread. "Well, I'm good as is except that I'm hungry. Want some?" he asked. Andrew turned around, smiling. "Of course, you doofus." Ethan gave him some bread and a bit of pork. They ate in silence. "Good night?" he asked, once he had laid out his sleeping bag. "Good night. Don't let the bats bite!" joked Andrew in reply. He extinguished the magical light and laid back. Tomorrow, we either live or we die. He thought. Turning over, he fell asleep.

Chapter 7-The Town of Eldrin-Legend

It was tiring business, being a knight. Legend carried so many heavy items. Although he was strong and had a lot of experience, he wished he could be an archer. Orixy was prancing around next to him; they had arrived at the Town of Eldrin. Greeting them was a sight of a place that had just survived devastation. "What happened?" he asked a young man. "Lightenin' ghost just attacked. Two young men helped us drive them off. Now they're helping us clear out an ice cave yonder. Say, you look mighty strong. Would the two of you like to accompany Ledge and Athena to help them?" Legend looked over at Orixy. "I'm okay with that. What about you?" Orixy chewed his lip. "Alright. Hope we can find them. Ice caves are mighty dangerous." Legend stared. "How long have you been in this realm?" Orixy replied immediately. "Oh, about 2 years. But I woke up yesterday with nothing so, yeah." The townsman anxiously asked, "So are you coming to help or not?" Orixy smiled. "I'm coming." An hour later, Orixy and Legend were waiting outside a fine home. "He's a veteran alright." Said Legend. The door opened and a young woman appeared. "What do you want?" she asked. Legend looked at her. "We're looking for Athena and Ledge. We're here to accompany you into the ice cave." He said. The girl turned around. "Ledge! We're going now!" she shouted. A figure appeared. Orixy gasped. "His left arm…what happened?" Ledge's left arm ended at a stump halfway down. Still, he was impressive. He wore abyssal armor, and wore a large pink ring on his right hand. In his sheath was a skysplitter sword. He wore a belt with a silver seal. "Hello. Are you two Orixy and Legend? Legend…hmm…mighty like my name…" he smiled. "Yes, we are." , said Orixy, "Are you two ready to travel?" Legend nodded, and the four of them set off. Along the way, he got to know them better. Ledge was a paladin who had been in this realm for 3 and a half years. He had came to Eldrin to help them defend against monsters, but had not expected a lightning ghost to turn up. Ledge acquired his sword during a fight with Oryx a year ago. He acquired his armor from trading a potion acquired in an ocean trench; and he earned his seal and ring from an intense battle with a lord of the lost lands a few days before the eye in the sky closed. Rumor has it that the lord had been finished off by the white ninja and so Ledge came to see if he got anything and acquired his seal+ring. Athena was a priest who had a very powerful wand of recompense from a cube god, an illusionist robe from the first Medusa that she killed, and a ring of exalted magic from Oryx. The two of them became friends when teaming up in an abyss of demons and were a perfect match of the other; both were funny and liked to tell stories. While traveling, Ledge became interested in how Orixy acquired his bow. And so Orixy told his story. "….woke up in a crystal with the bow on the ground. So, yeah." Ledge thought for a moment. "That'll come in useful." He said. "Hey! Gods incoming!" shouted Athena. She raised her wand and cast a spell, immediately incinerating a flying brain. Ledge drew his sword with his one good hand and charged ahead, his sword a glimmering arc of blue that carved through the gods. Time for fighting! Thought Legend as he drew his sword and followed. He found himself face to face with a ghost god. He lifted his shield and slammed it into the god, instantly killing it. He followed Ledge into the middle of the gods, where they stood back to back, ready to fight. A comet flew out of the sky and incinerated the gods closest to them as Athena announced her presence. Orixy followed, shooting his bow and every time he fired an arrow, another god fell. Soon, they were surrounded in a horde of dead gods. Picking his way through, Legend saw a purple potion and drank it. He felt a boost in strength. "Here. Have this. I have a feeling that your attack is almost maxed." Said Ledge, who had found another one. Legend nodded his thanks and drank it. "Yup. You're now attack maxed." Said Orixy. "How can you tell?" queried Legend. "Well, every time you drink a potion, a faint number appears above you, informing people how many of that pot you need to max. For example, I'm defense, dexterity, and attack maxed." Informed Ledge. "Ohhhh…" said Orixy. "That's cool…" Legend smiled. Let's get a move on! He turned around, ready to set out. However, others had different plans. The ground started shaking. "What's going on?" he shouted. Then a shadowy figure appeared at the other end of the clearing. "I AM MACEDON! YOU ARE BRAVE TO HAVE SLAIN MY SCOUTS. COME FORTH, INTO MY PORTAL; GREAT REWARDS ARE WITHIN…." The figure disappeared, leaving behind a shadowy portal. "Umm…do we go in?" he asked. The other were stunned. "How about we….go in?" suggested Athena. They got together and as one, stepped through the portal and into the unknown.

Chapter 8-2nd Dimension-Orixy

Orixy looked around. Round fruits hung from the ceiling. Dew glistened on the leaves and all was quiet. Then something leapt out of the shadows and silently loped towards his friends. "GUYS! BEHIND YOU!" he screeched. Raising his bow, he fired several times towards the beast. But his arrows that normally would instantly pulverize a creature had no effect. Ledge and Legend both prepared to fight the unseen creature. "Orixy…Are you fooling with-ACK" exclaimed Legend, who fell towards the ground, a glistening dark sword rammed through his chest. Orixy sprinted towards his friends now, determined to stop the monster. "Legend!" he screamed. No…NO…NOO! I WILL NOT LET HIM DIE! He thought, drawing a golden arrow. Taking aim, he let it fly. The beast turned, sensing the arrow. But it simply plucked it out of the air, and threw it at Athena. She cast a spell and a protective barrier formed around her and Ledge. "Go now, foul creature. Our weapons might have no effect on you, but you will not harm us." She declared. The creature, now visible as a hideous looking undead elf stood up and examined the barrier. Then it carefully extended a finger and prodded Athena's protective bubble. Orixy knew what was about to happen a moment before it did. The beast leapt forward, slamming into Athena. Then it hissed, and cast a spell. That beast can cast…spells? Oh F***…Then something strange happened. A hole of pure darkness opened underneath Ledge and Athena. In a second, they were swallowed. The beast then turned to him. "You FOUL PIECE OF SCUM! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY FRIENDS?" he yelled, tears streaming down his face. "They are useful-you are not. My master left no instructions concerning you. Which means, you die like your friend. Legend, his name was? That won't matter. What will, is your death!" it crowed, before pulling the sword out of Legend and charging at Orixy. Orixy drew his dagger and attempted to parry the blade, but it's sword went through his blade, and dug into his arm. Ow..Oww..Ow… "Argh!" Attempting to stand up, he received a cut across his chest and collapsed upon the ground. "Time's up, little hero. It's time to die." Then he felt his pain disappear. A faint pink halo appeared around him. "No, he will not die today. You will." Said a calm and reassuring voice. A beautiful woman stepped out of the trees, wrapped in a white cloak. Two feathers graced her flowing brown hair. She brandished her spear, and with one swift move, removed the creature's head. Orixy looked up in amazement. "Who-Who are you?" The woman knelt down next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Immediately he felt better and, to his amazement, his wounds closed. "I am Frigg, angel of Marriage. Welcome to the Realm of the Angels, as you would call it. You are here, because of the dark lord. He wishes you to be dead. However, we have other plans for you. Come with me, brave one, to the council meeting. You have much to see." Orixy nodded and stood up slowly; following her into the unknown.