Fantasy The Dragon Wardens

[CloudyBlueDay]

Chaos, utter chaos.


Feria could not keep track of who was where, who was causing this and who was causing that. The cave was shaking. It looked like her wall of ice had helped for just a moment, before it shattered. So much was happening around her. Her heart was pounding in the midst of this mess and she did not know what to do.


IFER!


The ice dragon had already been up and alert, prowling around Liola and guarding her like sacred treasure. He did not want to leave her, but Feria's call for him was so distraught. A tone of voice he didn't hear often. He hissed, telling her no. He would stay with Liola. Feria's eyes widened as she realized Ifer would not be helping her. But she had to ask herself, if it were Zachary, would she do the same?


Probably.


"She was supposed to be mine!" "Ava! Feria! Hit me with your own! DO IT! We can't take them alone; if we fight together they stand no chance! Now DO IT!" It occured to her now that Hale stood no chance. Everyone stopped, frozen with pain, and Feria half expected that she too would feel the same any second now. Except, she didn't. No white hot pain, no more shadow taints. The necklace grew bright, and Feria understood.


As she willed the water to ice from the reservoir, Feria felt empty without Ifer standing by her side. They'd grown so far apart after the attack of the Haven, the one person that truly understood Feria no longer understood her, because she'd changed. And it was truly terrifying. Feria could see Hale's face, scrunched up in pain, and she'd wondered if there was anything that she could've done to save him, the man that continued to attempt to help her over and over again.


She sent the ice to Vant, encasing him entirely over Hale's earth prison. Then she forced the ice skidding over the lava, freezing the top and causing it to steam. Her ice climbed up the other Shadow Warden's legs, trapping them, but there was no way it would last very long.

 

[Unwavering Knight]

Eelikas - SUFFER





Pain, excruciating pain. The arcane dragon roared in suffering, even as her Warden grasped his heart, sinking to his knees as the vile shadow-burn suffused his flesh and made his body spasm with overcharged signals sent to burdened nerves and receptors. The groaning form of the usually-confident Tronje was wracked with ache, reduced to little more than wailing as the most primitive of perceptions forced regression into a pathetic state.





She had seen this before, the bleeding, groaning form, remaining eye devoid of hope and voice without sanity as empty hands clawed across the ground in a mindless attempt to reach eerie salvation even as fingernails broke and the skin was excoriated to the bone, teeth snapping and chattering as a ceaseless trail of tears kept escaping the remaining orb.


Loathing, oh the loathing, what she did that day, the deed she fulfilled, the crime she committed.


Burning, hatred-filled eyes turned towards the source, the Shadow-Casters, the excoriators. The unyielding tide of her amassed self-loathing directed itself towards the burning source of light, the fire-drake that served the Casters as their artifact.


Eelikas's hateful screech joined the maddened roar of Kraeg, wings opening wide to propel her shining form into the air even as her body swelled with arcane energy, her roaring maw unleashing her magic-fueled breath towards Escher.





She would defile them.

 

[Macaberz]

Olsten.

​

A flicker of life probed at the fringes of his mind. Like the tip of a needle touching his temple he sensed Grybil’s presence, muted and cold. Squeezing his eyes shut a little further he reached out. But whenever he tried to get a hold on Grybil’s distant presence, it slipped further away.


”I’m Addiver Cald”


Olsten’s eyes snapped open and he turned to face Addiver with a stoic expression. His lips settled into a thin line as he re-assessed the officer. He’s lying. He must be. They’re not exactly helping me…


“What does it matter to you anyway?” he answered at long last. The cold air bit at his face as they hobbled ever onward. “You’ll have to do a lot better, you know,” he scowled. “Do you really think I am stupid enough to just take your word for it? You’re no guide, and even if you were you’re no bloody use at all. If this is your way of helping…” he nodded towards the road ahead. “If you want to help, you can start with these,” he held out his wrists to Addiver, though he doubted the commander would undo the cuffs.

 

[Keitsumah]

Ava and Feral:


Focus
​

Screaming. Agony. Fear. Pain. Madness.


Ava had just started to try and stand when Kraeg snapped, his roar shaking the very earth, tearing through her senses. Feral stopped her flood of lava as the sound met her own ears, and their link communicated what Feral had sensed from Kraeg's blast of sound and fury. Ava's legs trembled and she looked to her companion where he lay on the ground, and his words bounced off of her almost, as if a thick glass wall had been placed between Ava and everything else.


Her eyes focused on the black sludge, glowing violet tendrils creeping over his chest. Her freind. Her ally. Her...


Her body began to shake, her eyes wide in shock. All this time she had been blind, and now could see. And now it was too late.


"H-Hale..."


Then she felt something warm and solid press against her back, and amidst all the chaos around them Feral had lowered her head, and a deep, mournful hum spread through the young Warden's body. Ava trembled, her legs nearly caving in from under her as Feral showed her the emotions that the fire dragon had felt from the earth. He was gone. Both of them were...


Because of Vant. Because of the Shadow mages. Not because of the humans, the orks, the elves.


Her fury had been misplaced all along.


Her eyes shifted from Hale's chest to his eyes as he implored her to do the one thing that she would never have even thought to do. How could she control it? How could she even attempt it? As the flames surrounding them continued to grow, the girl's fear building to its peak, her dragon growled.


Do it.





A chill ran all through her body, making her feel as cold as ice as the flames around them suddenly flared brighter, changing from a deep, blood red to a golden hue. Her breath was sucked in faster, fueling the magic, as she slowly brought her hands up in a circle over her heart, as if holding a ball there. Turning her hands, shaping it, the fire covering their bodies began to snake down and coalesce into a compact orb of vivid blue flame.


Do it.


Feral's head moved away from her back, the dragon raising her own and opening her jaws wide, the flames in her belly creeping up her neck and turning her scales a sapphire blue as they both locked onto their target. Focus.


For him.


Ava moved her hands forward, then flattened them outward, a beam of condensed, burning light shooting toward Vant, Feral's own flame crackling in the air, the very heat igniting and burning away any stone that flew toward them, not even melting. Incinerating.


Ash drifted into the air like black snowflakes, a feeble representation of the Warden that was soon to be lost. And despite the heat even beginning to burn her own hands, turning her skin a blistering red, Ava felt as cold as ice.


The only warmth she felt was running down her cheeks, and she mouthed three words.


'I love you'

 

[Effervescent]

The Mouth of the Mountain

​

The rumble of the earth halted the pain caused by the Shadow Burn as the two Shadow Wardens stumbled to catch their footing. Vant would have done the same had he not been pinned by Hale's quick thinking. Annoyance pinched his brow to a furrow, and he tried to move out of it as if it were a possibility, but he could not budge. The pressure of the rock around him made it difficult to breathe, and the growing smoke from Ava's flames only caused his lungs to scream. He stopped casting the taint into Hale to strengthen the shadowy wreathe of protection around him as it slowly ate away at the stone. But the effort was halted, and Vant became cold with Feria's ice encasing his legs.


A bright burst of blue joined with the orange glow around Ava and Feral. Eelikas breathed her arcane breath onto Escher in her rage, the beam searing and piercing through the Shadow Dragon's skin. Escher cried out and flew towards Eelikas, his jaw snapping towards the dragon's wings as he passed. The arcane energy had left its mark upon the dragon in a deep gash, the blood dripping quickly from the wound.


The two remaining Shadow Wardens exchanged fearful glances to each other. The only way out was through the cavern's mouth, and it was a straight climb upward. One of their dragons was missing, and the other quickly becoming a mangled mess before them. Their efforts now turned to the four dragons before them as they cast various spells, leaving the other group completely freed from their tyranny.


Heat filled the room as Ava's fire became more and more intense. As the light grew brighter, the color changed drastically to a brilliant display of blue before shooting out towards Vant. The Shadow Warden barely had enough time to scream before he was engulfed and obliterated. As the beam of light dissipated, it revealed the blackened rock and the ash of his remains littered across the crevices.


Escher cried out, suddenly plummeting to the ground heavily and falling limp and cold. The purple glow slowly faded from between his scales as he released his final breath. Centuron and the two other dragons with him quickly finished off the other Shadow Dragon and turned their attention to their attackers. The two remaining Shadow Warden screamed as they were pinned, their bodies ripped to shreds with ease by their bloodied maws.


All fell silent as the chaos faded.


@Keitsumah @Red Thunder @CloudyBlueDay @Unwavering Knight @LadyMatsudai

 

[Red Thunder]

Kraeg

​

Escher, that accursed dragon, was down, pummeled by Eelikas' furious Arcane Breath. The light on his eyes faded along with the Shadowy glow from within; no one could begin to think that he still lived.


Kraeg didn't care. Eelikas, that damned Arcane Dragon, had denied him his revenge on Vant's beast. She'd be dealt with later. For now, Escher's body still lay upon the stone floor, mocking him. Screaming in rage once again, he dove, mighty wings thumping in the smoky air loudly. With an earth shattering crunch, the Wyrm impacted the corpse directly. His jaws and claws eagerly went to work, decimating, ripping, smashing, and in all other violent ways defiling his enemy.


Suddenly he ceased, his attention drawn elsewhere. His granite like head turned, and he spun toward his Warden. Their connection was weakening, and fast, and sheer terror stabbed at his dragon heart.

Hale

​

His scheme had paid off, and Vant was gone. Gone. He could have savored that thought, if not for the pain. For a new pain had been introduced into the melting pot; because he'd held Vant by the lapels when the united magic had struck him, Hale's hands and arms had received the full brunt of it, too. Even now, as his enemy's remains scattered and his own stone fell away, the ends of his arms were black, nearly destroyed by the shock of extreme ice and fire.


For his part, the half-elf could only lie there, wracked by pain and encroaching death and his own fright. Face twisted unnaturally in torment as purplish black lines crept across his skin out from under his shirt, he looked over to first Feria then to Ava. A small wry smile pulled at his cheeks.


"W-w-well done. You'll have t-to keep that in mind for the f-f-future.


"Hey, Avs." He started to chuckle, but the effort caused a bitter pain to lance up his body, and his back arched. But it passed, and he lay back down. "Look after Kraeg please. He's gonna be rather needy now. G-gods know he needs a loving hand to guide him around, and I-I-I'd trust him to none other."


The light in his eyes began to fade, and acceptance finally enveloped his features. His voice grew weak, the next words soft, almost as if uttered to himself.


"I'm g-glad you came back into my l-life, if only that I c-could help beat back that Vant one last. I love you, you know." A hacking cough briefly interrupted him, and blood covered his chin. "It's what kept me going after Haven's fall. And I'm glad I could spend a f-few more days with you before ... before ..."


But he couldn't continue. Breath came in ragged gasps, and he could only look at her tenderly. Struggling, Hale lifted his charred hand to touch his Fire Warden's cheek. Gritting his teeth even as he smiled gently, he managed three more words.


"I. Love. You."


The dark lines of Shadow Magic corruption finally scattered across his face, and the light finally disappeared from his darkened eyes. His arm went limp, and he died.


@Keitsumah

 

[Keitsumah]

"Hale... Hale..."


But Ava's words went unheeded as the girl lowered her head to rest it on his mangled body. Clutching the remnants of his shirt, sobs began to wrack her frame, her cheek stained black where the remnants of a hand had been. Vant was gone. But he had taken with him the most precious thing Ava had ever known besides Feral, and the young Fire Warden felt her heart being torn in two.


Behind her, the fire drake took several slow, heavy steps forward, casting a pained glance to where Kraeg was ripping into Escher's carcass. She was half tempted to do so as well, but left the great earth wyrm to his lost prey. He deserved as much. She had not lost her Warden.


Turning to look back to where Ava lay over the half-elf, a low sound built in the Fire dragon's chest. Too many lives had been lost. Too many Wardens and Dragons alike. The young fire drake felt the sorrow built up from the loss of their home as well as she threw her head back, and released a mournful howl that echoed about the cavern and escaped into the sky. Raw, filled with pain, the single note hang in the air for what seemed like an eternity as she curled her tail around her legs, enveloping both Wardens, living and gone, in the safety of her embrace. Her wings spread in a half circle, and for those who had observed Fire Dragons in a time of mourning, they would all circle around that of the lost, howling their grief to the sky until each individual cry became an eerie melody that could be carried on the wind for miles around.


Her head tilted still further back, the note reaching higher, throbbing in her chest and sending a faint vibration into the ground. It was a note, Ava noted, pounded in her chest alongside her own heartbeat, and as she buried her face in Hale's chest, she could feel even more clearly a distinct absence...


Closing her eyes, the girl slowly pushed herself to her feet as the she-drake continued her mournful solo, and Ava walked toward the enraged Kraeg with no more fear than one might have had of a kitten just born, its eyes and ears shot off from the world. Covered in blood and ashes, she paused just within three feet of the behemoth as he crashed down and split Escher's skull, his breath coming out in plumes of steam.


Slowly extending a hand, the girl's eyes were glazed as she sang alongside her companion:


"I see you here, I see you there,


Brother, brother, please come share,


I see your face, but you are not here,


I see you here, I see you there..."


"I hear your footsteps brother dear,


I hear your song, filled with cheer!


I hear your voice, loud and clear!


I see you here, I see you there..."


"Brother, brother, please come share,


I hear wings beating, high up there.


Take me with you, let me follow,


When my time comes, let me fly to there!"


"I see you here, I see you there..."

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

Feria stepped away from the scene between Ava and Hale to give them privacy, but watched from afar. But something that refused to leave her mind was that at least he got to die near the people he cared about. The people he loved. Watching Hale speak so wearily to the young fire warden made Feria's heart drop to her stomach. And as she listened, unknowingly, she'd clutched the glowing necklace tightly.


Why couldn't the Dragon Wardens be left alone? Why couldn't they live in peace?


Feria gazed with tired and sad eyes as Feral and Ava mourned. Their sad song filling her with true grief, for even when Zachary died she refused to accept it. She had waited for days at the ashes of the Haven, praying he would come back, he would say something stupid and scold her for thinking he was really gone. But it never happened. He never came. But she didn't allow the feelings to settle inside, she refused too.


Now all the bottled up emotions broke free. And once Ava had finished her song, Feria went over and placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder. And then she took her in her arms and hugged her. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, or as quiet as her hoarse voice could get. "I'm sorry."

 

[Unwavering Knight]

Spoiler

She had long since forgotten the face of the first person she killed, nor could she remember the reason for it. There may not have been a reason to begin with. What she did remember was... how easy it was.


The second time was the same. The third may have been even easier. The fourth definitely was. By the time she stopped counting so very long ago it seemed like all she had to do was decide 'die' and they did so.


Flesh parted like paper around her claws. Bones crumbled like eggshells. Skulls popped like watersacks.


She no longer had anything holding her back. She was finally and truly free.


Beware, for I am fearless. And therefore powerful.





At the far side of the cave, the arcane dragon could be seen dragging with her the torn remains of the other Shadow Casters, a certain giddiness in the way her tail swept across the ground and her claws tore into the floor as she propelled herself to a corner where she could be undisturbed with the corpses.


Truthfully, however, what propelled her was no joy, Tronje noted with weariness written across his face, a tired sigh escaping his dry lips. Her preference for destruction, as always, outweighed her desire to uphold. A mournful melody serenaded through the cave, the diminutive Emasari's singular eye drawn towards the grieving Ava as she approached the despondent Kraeg, leaving behind the charred remains of Hale, before being comforted by Feria, both seeking to quell eachother's misery.


Another sigh. A surge of exhaustion in line with the grief setting over the battlefield. A familiar sight, its effects dampened on the Emasari, but still remaining strong and oppressive. Letting his gaze sweep over the cave, the wounded, the debating, then back at his own dragon who was out of sight, though through their bond he could tell was engaging in her own idea of "relief".


Was this what they had been reduced to?





Alone the diminutive Emasari remained amongst the carnage. A certain feeling of redundancy was registered, the usual question of why he remained while everyone else just seemed to pass on. From his first and oldest memories, of those he had been close to, only Eelikas remained, and she too had changed, to an extent he could not even quite fathom by now.


Tired, the Emasari sat down, caring nothing for the dirt of the rough floor. Fingering the locket tied to his neck with thoughtful eyes, he finally opened the empty thing, inspecting the contents.


With glazed-over eyes and honest smile he looked at his family and slowly recovered his hope with blind serenity in his heart.

 

[Seanzah Angel]

Alarik and Alannea

​

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/Alarik.jpg.2e158aa0b2e196eff52b0477ae5c3525.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="62316" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/Alarik.jpg.2e158aa0b2e196eff52b0477ae5c3525.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> In the thick Woodlands of Valnahar, several miles away from the nearest Folhath settlement, there lived a Dragon Warden named Alarik, and his dragon, Alannea. The two were sent on a mission in the Veridan Mountains two days before the attack on Haven. When The Haven was attacked, the pair was already finishing up their task, and were on their way to rest in Folhath when they were intercepted by a man in brown robes with green trim. Obviously a resident of Falhath, and the way he walked and carried his bow, Alarik could tell he was a hunter.


Even though the two were on foot and walking towards the central hub of the elven forest city, the hunter was running towards them, closing the distance quickly. At first, the Dragon Warden thought the man was going to attack. The way he was running for them, and the extreme alarm in his eyes suggested he was not friendly. There were many things wrong with the situation, but Alarik had no choice but to set up defenses. The air around him dropped to subzero levels, while his mind began searching for source of water to freeze, and because he was in the forest, there were many. Next to him, Alannea lowered herself to the ground, flexing her leg muscles to pounce like a cat at the man that looked one part dangerous, and one part crazed.


Then, as the gap between the two and the man began to close dangerously, Alarik began to move his hands forward. As he did, the ground between him and the crazed hunter began to freeze, and soon became a thin sheet of ice. Without realizing what was happening, the man ran onto the ice sheet. Because of the momentum from running, he fell onto his backside and continued to slide towards the Dragon Warden before being abruptly stopped by a freezing hand on his chest, which balled up the front of his robes and lifted him to his feet so the man and the Ice caster were face to face, with the Ice Dragon's bared teeth only inches away, ready to disembowel.


"What is the meaning of this?!" The man asked, trying to push himself away from Alarik, but to no avail. Alarik's grip was too tight, and the man wasn't very strong.


"You were going to attack us, weren't you?" Alarik asked him, but now that his actions were being questioned, he began to wonder if he had over reacted on the situation, that he shouldn't have tried to defend himself before knowing what the man was doing.


"No!" The main exclaimed, still trying to get away from the Ice Caster, back to where it was warmer. "I was trying to save you! It's not safe in Folhath. Nowhere is safe for Dragon Wardens. How can you be so careless?!"


Puzzled, Alarik let go of the man, causing him to stumble backwards before he regained his balance and straightened himself out. He hugged his body tightly to warm himself up as he watched the pair process. "What are you talking about?" He asked, the freezing temperatures subsiding as his focus broke.


"What... you mean you haven't heard?"


"Heard what?"


"All the Dragon Wardens are being hunted. The Haven was attacked. There's no one left." His words were heard, but they sounded empty and hollow to Alarik. Next to him, Alannea cocked her head to the side, grunting in protest to what the man was saying.


"She's right. That's not possible. There's no way we're being hunted - we help people. Who would want to attack us?"


The man shook his head in pity and sighed. "Queen Vivian of Thallas is the one who led the attack. There were no survivors. It's a wonder you're still alive, though obviously you weren't there...You're extremely lucky, Dragon Warden."

<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/57a8c35e69f1b_PossibleDragon2.jpg.66aa7b477443541ed3a1a0480dbb6b58.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="62317" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_07/57a8c35e69f1b_PossibleDragon2.jpg.66aa7b477443541ed3a1a0480dbb6b58.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

The Dragon Warden's stance broke as he collapsed to the ground, his mind racing with images of the possibilites, what it could mean for him and his dragon. He wondered if there were any other Wardens that survived, or if he was the only lucky one that somehow managed to miss the battle. His breathing became labored as his thoughts grew darker. Next to him, his dragon began to whimper, her head dipping low to rest on her warden's shoulder. As a bonded pair, they both knew how the other felt, and neither of them felt like continuing.


Realizing this, the elven hunter straightened up and cleared his throat. "I would be more than happy to assist you in hiding from anyone that would do you harm. There is already a small group forming that aids Dragon Wardens. There are still good people who believe in all of you. I'm one of them." The Hunter assured them, forcing a smile as Alarik and Alannea looked up to him with tears in their eyes. "I'll provide you with food and shelter. There is an underground grotto where I stay in when I go hunting. It's just big enough to fit your dragon and yourself, plus a little extra room. You can stay there until something is figured out."


The Dragon Warden shook his head, standing quickly. "We could never do that. We would be putting you in danger."


Chuckling, the hunter placed a hand on Alarik's shouler. "Don't worry about that. I can take care of myself. I have several friends in Folhath, as I provide a lot of food for our city. And the grotto is never visited. It's well hidden by trees and brush. No one would suspect a thing, as long as your dragon doesn't leave it."


Alarik looked to Alannea for his final decision, even though he already knew what she was thinking. It was their best option, and if they really were being hunted, there wasn't far they could go without putting themselves in danger. The dragon's eyes were wet with tears, but the way she looked from her warden to the hunter told him that he was their best option, even if it was a little risky.


"Alright," Alarik said, turning back to the man. "You have our trust."


--


Several weeks later, while sitting in the damp underground haven provided by an elf hunter, Alarik heard a noise from just a few feet away from them. Alannea, her hearing much more powerful than his own, whipped her head towards the direction of the sound, baring her teeth to show she meant business, should anyone be able to see her. Defensively, the temperature around the two dropped drastically as Alarik stood in a defensive stance, ready for whatever might come for them. In a few short moments, the water that coated the cave walls began to freeze, just by the drop in temperature. Anyone who entered would feel like they had stepped in a pile of snow.


And, a few moments later, the elf hunter appeared from the direction the sound was coming from. Acting quickly without realizing who it was, Alarik raised his arms and clenched his fist, raising the moisture from the ground around the man and freezing it so that thick shards of ice were only a short distance away from his neck while Alannea simultaneously unfurled her wings and took a deep breath in, ready to breathe a deadly blast of ice at him.


When finally the two realized who it was, the temperature raised back to normal and the dragon calmed. "This happens literally every time I come and see you. I'm glad you're taking precautions, but there has never been another person to visit you." The hunter growled, sitting on a stump to the left of Alarik. "Anyways, I have news for the both of you, and I believe you'll quite like it."


The Dragon Warden quickly apologized and set down next to the elf, as did Alannea. The two waited expectently for the good news.


"So I told you when we first met that there was a small group forming to aid the Dragon Wardens to help them survive. Well the group has grown larger, and communication has been established among the villages. Word has it that there is a meeting forming for all surviving Dragon Wardens. Not a single Dragon Warden will want to miss it, as the future of the Wardens will be discussed there. The meeting will be in the southeast slope of the Northern Mountains - the Mouth of the Mountain. I'm sure you've seen it, so you should find it quite easily." He explained, taking a deep breath and removing a large sack from his back.


"The trek will take a day if you don't take any breaks. I realize that's quite a lot to ask of your dragon, but you really must get there as soon as possible. I have gathered enough food to energize you for the beginning of the journey, and sustain you during the trip." He removed several food items from within his bag. Several cooked meats and breads were among them, as well as fish and a water canteen. "Stick to the high skies, above or inside of the clouds, and fly fast."


The elf rose, bowing respectfully to the two. "I must go. There have been rumors of soldiers seeking us out for information about Dragon Wardens. Do not be alarmed, though. I am a hunter, so I have covered my tracks. No one will find you. However, my actions in the city have brought suspicion onto me." Glancing instinctually behind his back, the elf bowed again and began to make his way away from the cave. "Good luck to you two. I believe in you." And with that, he began running back towards the city, his footsteps remarkably quiet, even among the frail fallen leaves of autumn.


Shortly after he left, Alarik rose from where he sat and faced Alannea. "Well, I suppose that means we should leave soon. Night will be upon us within a couple hours, so we can use that to our advantage." He told her, giving her the largest cuts of meat from the sack, which were obviously meant for her. She ate them quickly, happy to have such a large amount of food after having to keep left overs in the event of the hunter not coming back. She rose and exited the cave, stretching her wings out before lowering herself for Alarik to climb up in order to ride.


The Dragon Warden quickly mounted the Ice Dragon after he slung the bag over his shoulders and gripped the fur on her backside gently as she began to move forward, flapping her wings to rise up. Within the span of a couple short minutes they were in the sky, high above the Woodlands until they were in the clouds.


Using his memory of the land, Alarik began to guide Alannea to where the Mouth of the Mountain was, excited and nervous all at once for the journey and the meeting.


---


Nearly 20 hours later, the Mouth of the Mountain was in plain sight. However, to take extra precautions, Alarik had Alannea bank left, leaning in the wanted direction to circle around, just to make sure there was no one that might wish them ill will. As they neared the opening of the volcano, they could see the tail end of a fight. And, getting even closer they could see bodies of both dragons and Dragon Wardens.


For a moment, Alarik was hesitant to continue. Was there an attack on them? Was it unsafe to continue? What if it was an ambush, and the fight wasn't over? He wondered, but instead of turning away to go back to the possibility of safety, he instead kept going. He knew that if there was a fight he would be a lot of help. Especially in the mountains where it was colder and he could freeze things faster. He could already feel himself becoming more comfortable in the air high in the mountains. It was as if the cold wind warmed his heart to the atmosphere, calming his nerves.


It was a good feeling, but he would need to be on guard if there was still the possibility of a fight. Alannea dipped lower and lower, and finally they landed a good distance away from the brunt of the group. He gave a quick once-over of all of the Wardens and the dragons, and could see that it was a fight between Shadow Casters and the others. A knot caught in his throat as he saw a woman kneeling over a man, obviously killed by Shadow magic.


At least now he knew he was among allies. Among friends. He moved forward, towards the group with Alannea close behind him. The first thing he noticed, the first thing he was happy to see, was the shade of everyone's hair. It made his heart beat quicker with excitement, though he kept his emotions calm in accordance with the sorrow that filled the room. He withdrew his hood, then took the brown robes off of his body that he used to camoflage himself in the forest. Underneath, he wore a very loose and thin white shirt with blue trim, and a pair of leather pants. He looked good, but his clothes were just for his comfort. His body needed to be as cool as possible for his ice casting to work to its full potential.


He stopped just a couple yards away from the woman kneeling over the dead man, but broke his attention from them to look at the rest. Obviously it a was a bad time, but what else was he to do? "Hello... I'm Alarik," he said, pointing at himself, and then to his dragon. "And this is Alannea. Was there an attack on this meeting?" He surveyed the damage one more time to see several injured and dead - both dragons and Dragon Wardens. It hurt to see it, but he masked his emotions well. It was probably best to stay as neutral as possible.

 

[Red Thunder]

Kraeg

​

Fury. Terror. Rage. Despair. Disgust. Hopelessness. Madness. Solitude. Emotions unending raced through Kraeg'zech's troubled mind. A mind that was now solely, utterly lonely. It is the worst feeling, to be surrounded by a crowd of others and yet to know that they do not know you, cannot know you, like the person you have just lost. But a Dragon and his Warden don't merely know each other better than any other: the share the very essence of their present emotion, they feel the anxieties and pressures that the other feels, and they find support within each other. To have lost that ...


NO. He hadn't lost that; it had been taken, ripped from him unjustly, unfairly. IT WASN'T RIGHT. Hale. Gone. Gone. The Earth Dragon turned back to Escher's corpse. For all Kraeg's efforts, the accursed creature, the honorless beast still stared up at him with empty mocking eyes. Lifting himself onto his back legs, he fell bodily forward, obliterating Escher's hated head with a solid stomp.


A gentle voice suddenly caught his ear. Still furious, he whipped his head about toward it, snorting as he did. But his nose touched a hand, her hand, and his inner fire died. Sorrow flooded in, the traditional Dragon Warden Song of Passing drawing it from where it was buried to the front of his heart. He stood silently as she sang, enveloped in her notes, until she finished. Slowly, as Feria approached, Kraeg dipped his head until Ava's hand touched the top of his head, the one place on his body he'd until now allowed no one but his Warden to touch. The massive skull pressed into her palm, seeking her comfort.


But the Fire Warden needed comfort, too, and only another Two-Legs could properly give her that. Kraeg pulled back, allowing Feria to wrap his friend on an embrace. As she did, the Wyrm slumped over toward the still form of his Warden. Standing stock still, he tipped his head forward until the top of it was pitched forward and placed on the ground. He stayed, displaying the Earth Dragon sign of utmost respect for many minutes afterward and generally ignoring all others.


@Keitsumah @Effervescent

 

[Keitsumah]

Ava and Feral



​

Ava could see the agony in the giant earth dragon's eyes, and wished for a moment that she shared the same link with him as she did Feral. But just as soon as that quiet moment passed, she felt someone's arms wrapping around her and she looked around in confusion, her eyes widening when she realized Feria had been the one to approach her.


"I'm sorry." She said quietly, or as quiet as her hoarse voice could get. "I'm sorry."


Her body trembled and she let the older Warden embrace her as she buried her face in Feria's shoulder, hiding her tears. He was gone. And she had been so blind all along...


I will make every last Shadow Mage Pay for this.





Feral registered her Warden's spike of anger, but neither of them showed it visibly. Instead the she-dragon slowly looked up from the body of the fallen warden and padded over to where Kraeg lay hunched over, sitting close to him, but not touching him. Her voice had faded to a dull croon now, and eventually the fire dragon was silent, guarding over her companion. Ava could feel the fire dragon mulling over what they had just witnessed and now felt, but the she-drakes attention turned to Ava as the serpent inside of her stirred again.


Stone caving in all around them. Banners torn, burning to cinders as blood rained from the sky. Ava looked up to see dragons clashing high above, black against red, white, and brown. Light arced across the sky, beams carving into the earths surface until the very world cracked beneath her feet. Something far away screamed, and her eyes widened as the sky was torn in two, revealing the branches of a tree so large she couldn't even begin to grasp its domain. Wounds lay scattered over its branches and trunk, seeping crimson amber as its leaves burst into flame. On each leaf she could see a face, a child, an elder, a warrior, a healer, a mother, a father...


Laughter. Him. Vant stared down at her from his dragon's back where it hovered over the destruction. Her lip curled back to expose her fangs in hatred, and as the dragon landed and the boy ran at her, she sprang at him, her body changing to something else. Wings. Scales. Claws. Feral's scream ripped through her body, and the boy only had a moment to pause, his eyes widening in terror before she landed on him, ripping into his throat.


Over. Over. Over again.


They would all bleed. They would all burn.


They would all DIE!





Ava's grip had tightened ever so slightly around Feria, and her eyes sparked as she pulled away, wiping her face free from tears as she looked over toward the once-councilman.


"What do we-"


"Hello... I'm Alarik," he said, pointing at himself, and then to his dragon. "And this is Alannea. Was there an attack on this meeting?"


She looked the other Warden and his dragon up and down, yet her expression remained blank. "Shadow Wardens." she spoke coldly, then glanced back at Wuld again. "Do we bring this news to Thallas?"

 

[Red Thunder]

Kraeg

​

Lost. He felt so incredibly lost. There was now no direction, no heading. No one for him to protect. Ava would certainly be worth staying to do so ... But no, he couldn't do that to Feral. Ava was her Warden, and her privileged responsibility. And he'd not step on that.


Kraeg sat up. The usually shining emerald of his eyes was faded into a hollow sad seagreen. He eyed Hale's fallen quarter staff; it still lay where it had fallen when Vant had tackled the Earth Warden, a reminder of his failure to protect his friend. But it was Hale's nonetheless. He gripped it gingerly in his mouth, being careful to not snap the wood. A sigh eased out of his nostrils. Turning back to Feral, he nuzzled her gently one last time before looking up at the sky. His wings unfurled, and with a last lingering look at his lifelong friend, Kraeg left, traveling out of the volcano's crater and into the open sky, fading in time into the distance.

 

[Effervescent]

The Mouth of the Mountain

​

The aftermath of what transpired was unsettling. Ice melted with the heat of the lava that only just began to cool. Wuld finally collapsed during Ava's lament, his aged body no longer able to hold himself upright. The twins rushed to the old man's aid while the others stared on at Hale in a mixture of horror and sadness. Flashbacks of the suffering they endured ran through their minds that began with the sacking of the Haven. The loss was something most could not get used to or gain solace from apathy.


Ava's song came to a close, and silence blanketed the cavern solemnly. Idhrenan cleared her throat to choke back the lump that had formed and spoke quietly. "We should give him a proper burial," she said. Her mouth hung agape as she attempted to will her words into fruition, but she could not speak without knowing she would croak. She felt she needed to be strong; to be there for those who suffered the most even if it was just to be sound direction.


Her attention was halted by the sudden appearance of another Dragon Warden. Her guard was up as the threat was only just neutralized. It was possible the final Shadow Warden was still out there and possibly had recruits. So far Idhrenan did not detect a hint of Shadow Magic within the boy who introduced himself as Alarik and the dragon Alannea. Once again she found herself looking over to Tronje for silent council or his own opinion. The man looked occupied in a locket, and she turned away.


Sallen stepped towards the newcomer with a frown, her clean shaven head still glistening with sweat from the recent battle. "Did you see anything coming here?" she asked. "Any signs of a camp or signs of Shadow Magic or one of those damned turned Shadow Dragon Wardens being chased by one of us?"


Wuld sat slumped on the rocky surface of the cavern, the twins aiding in keeping the old man upright. Centuron lumbered over to her warden and gently sat herself behind him to allow him to rest upon her. The dragon's face and claws were blackened and bleeding from battling the effects of the Shadow Dragon she helped take down. As Ava spoke to the former councilman, he lifted his head and leaned back against Centuron.


It was then Kraeg flew off. Idhrenan felt Eosphelon's urge to fly after the mourning Earth Dragon, but she suggested he hold back. Losing the bond through death took a heavy toll on any party that survived. Kraeg likely needed time to mourn on his own and space to figure out where he wanted to go next. She felt it a respect to give that to the dragon, and Eosphelon agreed once reflecting on the situation.


"The better question would be: How can we make Thallas listen to us?" Wuld said. "After what we've just seen I understand why Queen Malan reacted the way she did and why she refuses to believe that there are still those of us who are good; who mean well."


Using Centuron and the help of the twins, Wuld rose to a stand. "But first, let us honor this fallen hero of ours and lay him back within the world."


Traditional Dragon Warden burials were always ceremonious combining each form of magic. Wuld moved the earth to create a deep hole in which to place Hale's body signifying his return to the earth from which all come from. Before he is buried, the body is to be encased in ice for preservation and in offering. Then the body is buried and sealed. Upon the grave is set a pyre lit by a Fire Caster and set eternal by an Arcane Caster's Ward of Preservation to signify the everlasting soul. Since they lacked the traditional pyre, wood was collected and set upon the rocks to suffice.


Wuld made a chisel and approached one of the granite stones Erramun had smashed into the wall and began to write within its smoothest face. As he worked the chisel into the stone, he spoke thoughtfully. "Hale was a smart boy," he stated. "I do remember him from our time in the haven. A good head on his shoulders. I admit I was sorely mistaken in my time as a councilman to believe he was mixed up in the wrong crowd. He knew better than I did, and his wisdom was displayed in many ways today. It was truly an honor to have been alongside him, even in this short amount of time. His observation and quick thinking in the heat of the battle revealed to us the key to fighting off the greatest threat the Three Kingdoms will ever know. Through Hale, we know the secret and the weakness of a Shadow Warden: Teamwork."


@Keitsumah @Seanzah Angel @Unwavering Knight @CloudyBlueDay @LadyMatsudai

Eastern Thallas

​

Addiver looked down at the cuffs that encased Olsten's hands completely. Etched within the rough iron shell were wards against every type of magic. The Vuaturi craft was always a favorite of Queen Malan, but had only ever been used on Dragon Wardens since the fall of the Haven. The officer sighed and looked away from the boy in muted sadness.


"We don't even know if you're truly one of the good Dragon Wardens," the woman stated just as coldly. Addiver did not protest against her speaking out. "For all we know you'll just kill us as soon as those are off."


"He's just a boy," Addiver pointed out in exasperation.


"I'm guessing you're forgetting about Lorelai Toulus or Benton Groves," she spat back. For a time it fell quiet between them. Addiver kept his gaze forward and his grip loose on the reins of the cart. The road was straight at this point, the hills rolling less and less as they carried their way towards Rosenfall.


"We shouldn't be long now," Addiver finally said, and nodded his head forward as they made their way down another hill. Just above the treetops was the silhouette of the Rosenfall castle upon its small mountain. The colorful stone was surrounded by trees, and the rooftops of the city homes were barely seen. To the two Thalls it was home, and part of them was relieved to be returning. The other part loomed in unknowing with how things would transpire with the young Dragon Warden they were bringing with them.


@Macaberz

 

[CloudyBlueDay]

All her life, Feria had avoided the world around her. That was who she was. All she knew, really. Forever a scared and lost kid at heart, never knowing what else to do with herself. Ifer, always being quite a bit worse than her, did not help. The two bonded over their own lonesome, keeping each other company while they shut everyone else out. But I'm not trying to tell you Feria's a nice person under all that, because she's not. She's stubborn and rude and impulsive and cold and selfish, and the list could go on and on.


But I don't see the harm in telling you that someone can change.


Feria closed her eyes and held the fire warden tightly, staying silent and allowing her to cry. The way the young girl shook in her arms stung. Feria had only known Hale so long but he was a good man, and he did not deserve this fate. She knew exactly how Ava felt. Ifer had only experienced these feelings from his warden once. A strange mixture of hatred and grief and rage and sadness. Ifer would rather be alone then be plagued by such emotion.


It was then a new Dragon Warden entered the scene. Ava had pulled away from her, and Feria looked towards the new warden. Her breath caught in her throat. In her grief over Hale, it reminded her so much of Zachary. And this man, looked so much like him.


"Hello... I'm Alarik," he said, pointing at himself, and then to his dragon. "And this is Alannea. Was there an attack on this meeting?"


It's not him. It's not him, you idiot.





Feria exhaled, gazing at the.. stranger with a sad look on her face.


~


She had volunteered to encase Hale's body in ice along with Sallen. Feria felt claustrophobic, suffocated by the sadness everyone reeked of. She kept her lips pursed has Wuld spoke, knowing her words were not needed, her head bowed, and ashamed to know that she wanted nothing more to get this over with.


@Keitsumah @Effervescent @Seanzah Angel

 

[LadyMatsudai]

When the Shadow Magic was cast across the entire group, Dinyla had been knocked out from the sheer power overwhelming her senses, her body exhausted from using so much of her magic at once with her weakened health, still somewhat recovering from her illness. Her glassy blue eyes fluttered, attempting to stay open as the world slowly came into focus. She could hear the murmuring of voices, everything merging in with one another like a booming distorted voice, slurring words into incomprehensible sentences. Erramun, who had endured the Shadow Magic and watched the others start to bury Hale into the soil as Kraeg take off to the skies while offering a roar to encourage the other Earth Dragon to return, quickly rushing to Dinyla's side when she began to awaken. Chirps escaped the dragon's mouth, his large snout carefully nudging Dinyla in the efforts to encourage her to wake up faster. The Earth Dragon gave a faint lick to Dinyla's cheek before resorting to nudging her body again with his massive snout. Whimpering to the pressing prompt from her dragon to get up, Dinyla slowly rolled onto her side and shakily pushed herself to sit up, cringing to the waves of pain hitting her body, muscles screaming to rest longer.


Erramun's chest rumbled deeply to seeing Dinyla manage to push herself up, his large head gingerly rubbing into her to comfort her. "Erramun..." she rasped weakly, clinging to his head as the purring continued. "What ha...happened, boy?" she asked before the massive dragon grew quiet, nuzzling his face more into hers in sadness. "Erramun...what is it?" she asked gently. But that was when she felt it...that pit sickening heaviness of someone being missing...someone...no longer on this planet with them. "No..." she said to herself quietly, her head turning to glance in the direction of the others who had congregated around the burial site of Hale. Too weak to push herself up to walk, Dinyla crawled towards the burial site, her mind racing and no longer listening in to Wuld speak. Fingers sprawled out as her hands pawed at the ground shakily, trying quickly to determine what was beneath her before her hand stopped just over where Hale's head was just a few feet below her hand. Her fingers sunk into the rubble and rocks in a half-clenched fist, tears starting to run down her cheeks as she felt the last of Hale's soul seep from the rock into the air, dissipating as it returned to the hub of magic of all life...no longer harnessed in its vessel of flesh. "He did not deserve to die...he didn't..." spoke Dinyla with a trembling bottom lip, collapsing on top of the grave from her arms giving out, her tears falling on top of the rocky soil.


In between her heavy breaths and quiet sobs, the loose pebbles on the top of the grave began to stir, movement squirming just where Dinyla's tears had fallen. The diplomat gasped to suddenly feeling soft bristles brush against her fingertips. Her head lifted up to feel a familiar presence albeit ever so small. "What is this?" she spoke to herself, scooting a little closer to examine whatever appeared, her fingers delicately reaching out to brush against small petals. Upon carefully touching the small sprout that appeared in the earth, Dinyla's eyes widened, letting out a shaky faint laugh, sniffing. "It's you, Hale..." she whispered to herself, her bottom lip shaking again, sniffing in the hopes to try and control herself a little.


@Effervescent @Keitsumah @Seanzah Angel @Unwavering Knight @CloudyBlueDay

 

[Keitsumah]

Ava and Feral


What makes a Soul?



​

The tears had stopped, leaving Ava feeling cold and numb on the outside, but inside that old rage had begun to kindle brighter than ever. Feral, ever connected with her Warden, rumbled as they both felt the dark viper stir, but their anger did not belong here. Not when they could use it elsewhere...


Stepping forward when it came time for the fire rite, Ava noticed in the back of her mind the fact that Kraeg was moving: picking up the staff, turning to nuzzle her dragon for a moment, and then taking off. Feral keened mournfully as the last relic of their friend faded away, and as the girl opened her palms to add fire to the crypt, she prayed. Prayed for Hale to find peace, and for his dragon to be safe.


Her hands trembled, burned by the intensity of the rage-blue flame that she had cast with her dragon not minutes ago, but now she felt something different. She struggled to stay calm, felt her pain, felt her fear, of losing her closest friend. The only one who had ever really thought that she had had any potential and wasn't just another troublemaker.


Maybe she had been... and now it was time to make things right, and to restore the Wardens.


The fire that she bound to the crypt was not from her hands. Instead, it crept from her eyes, her nose, her mouth like a breath. White as snow, thin, delicate, it slithered down her arms and gathered along the stone, neither hot nor cold. A common human could pass their hand along the flame and feel no pain of either kind, instead only feel the loss of the man who lay below.


Finally the tether severed, and Ava gasped, fell forward. Her dragon trilled in alarm as she caught her Warden across the bridge of her nose, and gingerly set her down. Neither knew what had just happened. Ava had often looked back upon her dragon, ever more gifted with fire than she was, but this... this even confused Feral, and the closest that the dragon could communicate it was, was a part of Ava herself, and not just the energy sacrificed to make her magic.


The girl exhaled, her gaze glazed over, her body weakened, but she forced herself into a standing position. "Wuld. I need to talk to you in private." she said lowly, ignoring the new ice Warden and his dragon as she stumbled her way toward the back of the cave.


The viper was hissing in glee.

 

[Effervescent]

The Mouth of the Mountain

​

Brightness overwhelmed the cavern as white fire beamed from Ava's hand. Idhrenan shielded her eyes with the back of her hand and turned her head away. There was no heat that accompanied the light, and once it was over, she lowered her hand to her side and looked upon the singular bud that came from Dinyla's will. It was all so strange and unlike anything she'd ever witnessed. There was nothing in text books stating that these things were possible. In silent question, Idhrenan turned her attention to the former councilman for answers into this phenomena. But by the time she looked over at him, he had gone back to his work upon the stone.


Wuld blew the dust away from the freshly chiseled granite rock face, a bony hand reaching up to wipe away the excess as Ava requested a private meeting. He turned away from the massive stone, a brow quirked thoughtfully at the girl as he stepped down the rubble. Behind him, now embossed beautifully within the dark veined stone read the words:


HERE LIES THE BRAVE DRAGON WARDEN HALE. BELOVED FRIEND AND TRUE KEEPER OF THE PEACE.





The old Dragon Warden shuffled in his step as he made his way towards Ava, a smile adorning his lips once again as his gaze fell upon the newcomer. "Alarik, you said?" he asked thoughtfully. "Hmm, I will be with you in a moment to offer you a proper greeting. You've missed quite the battle. But for now this lovely young lady has requested my audience."


Sallen still waited for Alarik to respond to her, her brow setting low as her impatience grew. The bald Dragon Warden wasn't the only one anticipating the newcomer's answer, for the twins gathered around in curiosity. Wuld could see the newcomer was in good hands for a greeting and possible explanation, and so he continued on, halting just before the fiery girl.


"What is it you'd like to discuss, Ava?" Wuld asked. Up close his happy disposition could be noted as a facade, for sadness subtly deepened the wrinkles upon his brow and his warm smile didn't quite reach his eyes. The old and former councilman had practiced strength in both body and mind for so long knowing that when it came to tragedies he could not display despair. If he were to break down, who would follow? A focus needed to be maintained, and he knew he could act as an anchor.


As Ava and Wuld discussed private matters, Idhrenan scanned over the survivors of the brutal attack. Thannel covered his mouth as he fought back the sick that churned in his stomach. There was so much blood and death within the cavern space, and he brought himself to sit against a jutting remnant of rock from the fight to wait out the weakness. The lone Vuaturi elf had never seen such devastation in his hundred years of living, and thus it came as quite a shock. Would this be life from now on?


"Is anyone injured?" Idhrenan asked.





@Keitsumah @CloudyBlueDay @LadyMatsudai @Seanzah Angel @Unwavering Knight