Author's note:Hello everyone, long time no see. My editor disappeared so I wont delay the release of this any longer, typos be damned! Enjoy the new chapter and please review :) pestering me to update works!
Straydog Saga
Flea 43: A Fine Goodbye
The violet scales were flying as blades, spells, and sheer will seemed to cull the mad beasts leading to the Violet Sanctum. Orifiel felt slight pangs in her chest as the occasional scream or death cry reached her keen hearing, but her eyes remained focused on the path ahead. When they entered what seemed like a small chamber from the pathway, Orifiel gasped at the vast space that met them.
Despite being in a cavern, the makers of the old kingdom seemed to dig well, creating a space beneath the fragile earth that could have housed 100 or more fully grown dragons comfortably. They built lavish buildings and, more importantly, a large barrier of an entrance gate. The intricate patterns that marked the gate, only marred by dust and dirt, seemed the only thing the violet dragons did not destroy when they moved in. Orifiel squinted at the towering gate which would have easily fit her and her mate, walking side by side, in their elder dragon forms.
"Is that the way in?" Trenton shouted over the melee, as he sent a fireball crashing into an unfortunate dragon spawn.
"It is, instruct the heroes to keep the dragons off us—I'll need your and Kat's help to break down the gate, I sense a vast magic protecting it!" Orifiel shouted as she looked to her son and the red dragoness, who valiantly fought nearby, before bringing her steed around and making her way toward the solid-looking gate. Kat nodded and followed as Trenton turned to address nearby heroes.
"You heard the lady, fight well friends. Keep them off us while we trash this thing!" he shouted before following. The three mortal-disguised dragons focused fire and temporal energy on the old but steadfast gate as more and more packs of dragonspawn, drakes, and whelps descended on their heroes.
The heroes fought well and hard, but the seemingly endless number of violet-scaled beasts began to overwhelm them.
"Almost!" Orifiel hissed through her concentration, she could see small cracks forming on the reinforced gate's surface, beneath the three dragon's powerful casting. The three dragons could not hear the screams of their soldiers as more and more fell to the violet onslaught. They could not see the number of draconic reinforcements threatening to swarm those tired few that remained.
The remaining heroes held as long as they could, despite being nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number and power of their foes. Just as it seemed the violet attackers might reach the three dragons, a roar burst from one of the side tunnels leading into the vast chamber. Despite the volume the cheer did not seem to come from the maw of a dragon, but one equally purple in hue.
"COURAGE, DO NOT FALTER!" The voice of Violetina, with the thunderous backing of her force, rushed into the chamber with weapons and spells loosing onto the violet enemies. The usually chipper draenei's face seemed twisted with determination and anger as she sent sharp, bursting bolts of lightning towards a drake that looked to be gnawing on an unfortunate soldier.
"Die ya bastids!" F-bomb grunted as followed suit, hurling a gigantic ball from her steady hands. Despite suffering a vicious wound to her right cheek, F-bomb's resolve seemed unshakable, even as several dragon spawn bore down on her. With a twitch of her dry lips, she send a circle of lightning from her frame, violently hurling the dragon spawn in every direction and even causing a few to be impaled on the jagged stalagmites that littered the space.
All the while, the solid door began to crumble as Orifiel and her companions' magic worked to undo the sinister wards that kept them from their goal. But just as the tide seemed to turn in the mortals' favor, another roar came from one of the larger tunnels. The sound seemed to rattle the Shepherds' bones and cause a chill to spread down their backs. Orifiel felt her heart skip at the familiar sound and resisted the urge to turn her head.
Her keen hearing picked up the sound of bitter cackling and as the owner of the roar emerged her biting voice made Orifiel silently curse herself.
"Foolish pale hag, you thought a few branches and a pair of mortals could contain me forever?" the violet-scaled dragoness, though visibly exhausted from her ordeal at Mydrasil, snorted. She turned her attention to the still-embattled mortals below and sent a bolt of twilight energy hurling towards them. The bolt easily slaughtered foe and friend alike, leaving only a few weakened but still standing victims below.
F-bomb let out a pained cry as she felt her bones crack and skin burn, but still managed to raise her shield in time to be spared any fatal damage; Violetina suffered similarly but also managed to escape death. When their eyes turned to their comrades, both their hearts and shoulders seemed to sink in despair.
"Pathetic! This is the best your mortals can muster? Killing you and your feeble whelp will be as just as easy!" Pashima declared with a mad cackle. Her maniacal, roaring laugh was interrupted by a small but stinging fireball to the side of her maw.
"No, it won't!" a young, human teen declared. Pashima turned to see some of the lagging members of Orifiel's original force finally emerge. The young mage, accompanied by three of her classmates, her dark-robed instructor, a ferocious worgen hunter, a rogue, a warrior, and several others bore their weapons and bravado at the dragon with some fear but determination in their eyes. Pashima gave an amused snort before turning her full attention to the group.
"I suppose the gate can hold a little longer, I'll delight in slaughtering you-foolish rabble. By the twilight eyes of DARGONAX!" Pashima roared as she began her vicious attack. She lunged for the rogue who hadn't had enough time to cloak himself, only to be battered by the lone warrior among them.
"Oh no you don't!" Shandori grunted as she slammed one of her swords into Pashima's maw with all her might. Pashima hissed and turned her teeth to Shandori, who's reclaimed shield was more than enough to bare the brunt of her biting attacks.
"Is that all you got? No wonder they left you behind to rot in that tree. Your mother was an iguana and your father smelt of legion-taint!" Shandori spoke in a sneering, almost childish tone. The words were more than enough to enrage Pashima and keep her fully focused on destroying the source of the silly words, allowing the others to mount their assault. The mages and shamans hurled all manner of elemental might at the violet dragon, pausing only to throw an occasional, blessing or heal to their valiant warrior.
Pashima reared her head and cast a barrage of twilight missiles towards her targets, showering them with brilliant destruction. Many were quick to avoid the missiles, but a few more inexperienced members of the force could only stand there, eyes agape and mouth gasping.
"Blodwyn, look out!" Finely shouted as she shoved her friend out of harm's way. Both fell, suffering a few minor scraped and bruises before getting up again and continuing their casting. The small group seemed to be doing well, as the dragon's vicious strikes seemed to become labored and lackluster. Pashima growled and closed her eyes for a moment as purple lightning began shooting from her wings and back. Violetina's eyes went wide.
"She is trying to pull us into t'twilight realm, we must interrupt her!" She commanded, hurling a shocking frost spell in hopes of slowing the dragon's casting. The hunter's arrow struck the dragon's side with a concussive blow, but still she whispered. It was not until the spell was nearly finished, did Christoffel kick an open would he'd managed to create in her arm did she finally shriek in pain and loose her concentration.
"You'll pay for that!" she roared with renewed resolve and quickened her swipes and bites, nearly swallowing F-bomb in one biting gulp, but the shaman managed to leap to safety just as the teeth came down. Shandori's taunts and insults irritated the dragon's keen hearing and with an annoyed grunt she turned her attention back to the warrior.
Despite the rush the dragon seemed to gain after the painful kick, her arms became sluggish once more. Her eyes clinched closed as a powerful burst of energy came from her body, knocking the mortals back and stunning them.
"ENOUGH! It is time to end this-"
"I couldn't agree more," a chipper, male voice came from the shadows. Pashima turned to see a small, teen human emerge from his shadowed hiding place. His dark skin and glowing red eyes betrayed his mortal visage, and the bravado and swagger he walked with was as bright and loud as the blinding-white desert garb that adorned his small form.
"Cowardly gnat, come to fight once I've been "softened up" by your friends? I'll enjoy ending you while they watch," Pashima cackled as a ball of violet light began pulling in her wide-open maw.
"If you must," the human shrugged, looking at his gloved hand as if admiring a hidden manicure. The brash human merely stood there, unmoving, with an amused smile on his dark lips. It was then some of the Shepherds were finally coming to, just in time to see the horrific scene.
"No!" one among them shouted as she rushed to the boy's side. The boy's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the slightly taller human collide into him. The action knocked him sideways and into a roll, as Pashima unleashed her violet-colored fireball. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the brave human was consumed in flame, the full force of Pashima's attack raking over her thin, girlish frame.
"FINELY, NO!" Blodwyn cried as Pashima's mouth finally emptied with an exhausted pant. Blodwyn attempted to run to her friend's aid, but a pair of dark-gloved hands, still hot from launching fire spells, firmly gripped her arm, pulling her back. " No, let me go!" she shouted, turning to see the severe, face of her fire-spell instructor.
"Stupid girl!" Holly Diver shouted and tugged the young high elf back and out of harm's way. Tears filled Blodwyn's blue vision as a smoking body hit the ground, unmoving. She stomped down as hard as she could on Holly's foot, causing the pale human woman to curse and let go. Blodwyn ran to her friend's side, disregarding whatever was happening in the scene, and picked up the badly burned mage into her trembling arms. "Finely, Fin…" Blodwyn spoke as she felt streams of tears fall onto her cheeks. Finely wasn't moving, she wasn't breathing, and Blowdyn could feel no heartbeat. She was no longer holding the vibrant farmer's daughter turned mage but only a lifeless shell.
She didn't feel the heat at her back, nor did she see the light of a massive burning boulder fly over her and towards the murderous violet dragon. The boulder struck Pashima in the face, crushing the bones within, shattering teeth, and burning her eyes blind. She roared in pain as the now scowling human-bodied teen glared at her with burning red vision. He dusted off his now slightly dirty garb and moved to stand in front of Blodwyn.
"Finish this worthless whelp, heroes. You've more than earned your kill. I'll tend to the girl," the young man asserted as he turned to kneel beside his fallen rescuer. With rage, hatred, and burning anger, the group of embattled mortals seemed to find new resolve. The crippled dragon could only blindly swipe at her attackers as their assault seemed to double in intensity.
"No, it shall not end like this!" Pashima spoke with fear in her trembling voice as she attempted to take flight. She furiously flapped her wings, but the many holes torn into them by blades and spells rendered her grounded. Shandori moved her blade upward, just as Pashima's head haphazardly came down, plunging the blade into her throat. Shandori grunted and pulled the blade from the dragon's neck, dousing her, Christoffel, and several others in the tainted blood. Those caught in the blood torrent recoiled in pain as the felt their skin and eyes begin to burn. Violetina rushed to send soothing, watery energy to cleanse them, wiping away any chance of corruption or permanent harm.
"Dar-Dargonax!" Pashima weakly called as she finally succumbed to her wounds and fell to the ground with a limp, reverberating thud. When they were sure of her demise, F-bomb and Violetina rushed to heal their bloodied comrades, as Ima, Holly, and Gawain rushed to where Blodwyn crouched, arms still holding their fallen classmate.
"I-Is she…" Gawain started, but the uncharacteristic stream of tears flowing from Blodwyn's vision was enough of an answer. Holly watched on with her usual angry expression, but a small hint of some softer emotion seemed to come to the surface in her reddened cheeks. Ima sank to her knees as she shook her head.
"This…this can't be happening," Ima shuttered as large tears formed in her own ember vision. Blodwyn's gaze turned to the troll in her sight as her eyes full of hurt turned to a vision of pure rage.
"You stay away from her you disgusting troll! You won't get a single damn bite of her!" Blodwyn screeched in accusation, clutching the roasted body to her bosom.
"Blo—I-I'd never! Finely is my friend!" Ima sobbed, bringing her blue hands to cover her eyes.
"She shouldn't have done that," the young man turned to face the small group of mourners, sighed, closed his eyes, and with subtle sadness, shook his head. Blodwyn's white-hot rage sharply turned to the boy as she gently laid her friends body down, stood, and formed pools of arcane energy in her anger-trembling hands.
"You, YOU UNGREATFUL- YOU GOT HER KILLED! I'LL KILL YOU!" Blodwyn shrieked as she brought her hands up to drop a ball of arcane energy on the young man's head. But a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up and back, causing her to loose her grip on the arcane ball and send it hurling harmlessly behind them.
"LET ME GO!" she shouted as she attempted to kick and elbow Gawain, who maintained his grip on the thin high elf.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Loddy—h-he's…" Gawain warned as the dark-skinned young man stood without anger or threat in his neutral face.
"I don't CARE what he is, I'll rip out his entrails and feed them to him!" she cried, as her struggles began to slow until all that remained was a frail, crying young woman. Gawain put her down and pulled her into a comforting hug, as she sobbed into his red robes. He stroked the back of her flaxen hair as his fearful vision turned to the white-garbed boy before him.
"You-what are you doing here?" Holly carefully asked with a hint of fear in her voice, causing the young man to chuckle a little despite the serious scene.
"Nice to see you again, dear one, you and your little red pet," the young man coolly smiled as his vision turned to Gawain, who visibly shivered in his gaze. Before Holly could respond, several more of the healed fighters came to gather around the young fallen heroine.
"S-Sir, when did you get here?" Christoffel, fully cleansed of Pashima's blood, had walked over to where they stood only to see the familiar form he'd dealt with ages ago standing among them. He fell to one knee, and pulled a confused Shandori down with him.
"Why Christoffel how long has it been? Glad to see you're still live-and I've been here the entire time," the familiar young man informed.
"Chris, who's the creepy kid?"
"Dori he's-"
"-We'll have time for proper introductions later. Rise and rest for a moment, I need help get this barrier down," the young human interrupted with a wink to her former employee as he briskly walked to where Orifiel, Trenton, and Kat labored. Orifiel's eyes widened a little in confusion, as another bolt of powerful magic began assaulting the gate before them. With the added power, the large cracks finally gave way, exposing the path to their final goal: Dargonax. Orifiel and her companions turned to the young man with questioning eyes.
"T-Thank you stranger. Who are you, who possesses such raw might?" Orifiel panted, taking a moment to lean on her son's still steady shoulder.
"I am but a humble drake, my lady," the young dragon bowed for a moment with excessive pomp, "One who wishes to remove the abomination that awaits us, personally." Despite the strange feeling welling up in her stomach, Orifiel's mind knew that they had no time for suspicions. The anticipation nearly overwhelmed her senses.
"We welcome the help, young one. I would be honored to have you fight at our side, but Dargonax's death shall be mine," Orifiel informed.
"I wouldn't dream of depriving you of your kill, my lady. I had heard about a black dragon, a corrupted black dragon that still lived. My intent was to end him, but after some silent observation, I was more intrigued by him and his…unconventional family than anything. It would be an honor to aid one capable of quelling the maddening voices in her vengeance," the young man spoke with some measure of sincerity behind his otherwise cunning gaze.
"Good. Please join the remaining champions and aid them however you can, once I catch my breath and they regain their resolve, we shall hunt Dargonax," Orifiel nodded, as the mysterious drake gave another pomp-filled bow and strutted back toward the remaining force.
The looks of sadness and defeat at the loss of his brave savior were apparent in his keen vision. He gave a small sigh and walked toward his former employee whose sore back managed to stand straight in the boy's presence. Shandori gave her companion a mocking look and pointed to him with her thumb.
"What's with him?" she smirked to the dark human who seemed immune to her attempt at humor.
"He knows with whom he speaks, as will you, in time. Come with me, I have some business to discuss with the two of you," the young man politely demanded as he lead the pair of elves into a hidden, secluded crevice in the stony wall. When he was certain they were out of earshot- the young man began whispering his proposition. "I've seen and heard much about you, Shandori Sagesmoke-Christoffel was quite smart in befriending you. Such a skilled, shrewd and…materialistic woman. I have a little job for you, if you're interested."
"Um, isn't this a little inappropriate? I mean we're in the middle of a siege here…" Shandori whispered and motioned with her head to the regrouping heroes behind them.
"Oh-do forgive me, my lady. I thought you might be interested in items of legendary prowess, ones that would fetch an obscene amount in black-market dealings, but if your scruples are burdened by this offer…"
"Now,now,now - no need to be like that. I'll hear you out. What's the job?" Shandori spoke, eyes alight with greedy excitement. The action brought a dark, amused smile to the young human's face.
"There is one among the heroes—a mage named Holly Diver. She is…valuable to me. Ensure she survives the coming battle and I will reward you so handsomely that you will never want for money for the rest of your lives," the young man's outlandish offer seemed to betray the serious expression on his face. Shandori resisted the urge to laugh, but did manage a mocking smirk.
"Um, we're elves. The rest of our lives is a LONG time," Shandori spoke, only to be silenced by Christoffel's elbow to her side. "Ow-what?"
"Worry not, my lady. I know better than to make a false deal with such a mighty warrior. Will a small forward be enough to convince you?" the young offered, pulling out a bulging sack of gold, rare gems, and small trinkets. Shandori's jaw dropped in awe. "Is it too paltry? I know it is rude of me to think such a small amount would sway you, but rest assured the full cache will be far more…abundant. Do we have a deal?" the young human seemingly innocently asked. The false naïveté was something Christoffel had seen before, but the ego stroke was more than enough to make Shandori greedily snatch the cache from the human's grip.
"Wonderful. I'm sure my decision to hire you two is a wise one. We should get back to the others; it appears they're nearly ready to progress," the young man motioned to the main group who sent the dead and wounded to be tended to and the living to an uncertain fate.