Pangaea-world.dk

On the west road to Moonglow city, near the runekeep, a hooded traveller wielding a large staff approached the city gates. He regarded the runekeep with a satisfied expression and smiled.

It wasn't so uncommon for lone travellers to enter the city through the west gate, but there was something about this one that made Gary cautious and alert.
'Paul, check out this one,' Gary said.
Paul, who was half asleep as usual when gate duty was forced upon him, shook his head and looked up. 'Why did you wake... I mean, why did you call me?'
'There's something about that guy I just can't place,' Gary said, while he rubbed his chin with his free hand. In his other hand he wielded a halberd.
'Oh Gary, just shut up and leave me alone,' Paul scolded.
Gary stared at the hooded man for just a moment longer until their eyes met. The hooded man regarded Gary and smiled at him. Gary didn't smile back but he stopped staring.

The traveller didn't recognise the guard who was so intently staring at him. He probably wouldn't recognise a lot of people in city so he just headed on, towards the center of the city. He passed by his old house and smiled again. Ofcourse it wouldn't have been left alone all this time. Someone else lived there now. It didn't matter. He wouldn't be staying for long anyhow. He turned around and headed to the southwest part of the city and entered the inn. He ordered an ale, sat down at a table in a dark corner but didn't touch the drink. There he waited.

It didn't take long for another man to enter the inn. A familiar face, finally. The man noticed him and joined him at his table. They stared intensely at eachother for a few moments, face to face. Slowly their expressions changed to one of joy and broad smiles appeared on their faces.
'Let us find a private room to talk,' the hooded man said.
The visitor nodded, still smiling.
They entered one of the backrooms in the inn and closed the door. The hooded man started chanting and for a fraction of a second, a blue glow surrounded the room. 'There, nobody will be eavesdropping on us.'
'How long has it been, old friend?'
'Longer than I intended, that's for sure,' the hooded man answered.
'I am glad you have returned.'
'Aye this visit was long overdue, but don't rejoice just yet. When we finish our business, I must be on my way once again.'
The visitor's face saddened by that remark, but he tried to hide it. 'So you have finally found what you were looking for.' It was a statement, not a question.
The hooded man nodded, 'That and more, old friend. The stories I would share with you, had I the time to do so.'
The visitor changed his tone and blurted, 'Things have changed while you were gone.'
The hooded man thought about that. Of course things had changed. He would have been surprised if they hadn't. 'Word has reached me that you took in three stray girls, supposedly raised here in this very inn.'
The visitor smiled and said, 'That I did and they have quickly become the joy of my life. You must meet them!'
The hooded man shook his head and said, 'Sadly I cannot. I thought my letter was clear on that. I do not wish people to know I am back, not even for this short time.'
The visitor nodded. He had read the letter and understood the reason.
'You're the only one who knows I'm here and also the only one who knows about the artifact. I plan to keep it that way.'
The mention of the artifact triggered his curiosity and he asked, 'can I see it?'
The hooded man reached into his pocket and took out what appeared to be an empyrean necklace and handed it to the visitor.
He took the necklace in his hands cautiously and examined it closely. 'Not quite what I had expected, though I can sense it by just looking at it.'
'Aye the presence is very strong. It takes most of my concentration just to keep it at bay.'
'Does it obey any commands yet?'
The hooded man shook his head. 'It doesn't trust me yet. We will have to spend days, maybe weeks taming it, my friend. If we do not manage, I need not remind you of the consequences.'
The visitor nodded gravely. 'We should start immediately then. The longer we wait, the more power and influence it gains. Those of weak character might already be drawn to it as we are talking here.'
The hooded man nodded.
'Oh and Aznar,' the visitor said, 'It's good to have you back.'
Aznar smiled and said, 'And it's good to see you again as well, Gwydion.'

Aznar closed the door behind Gwydion, who just left his inn room. They had been working on the artifact all day but there was little progress. It maintained it's resistance to all their attempts. It was Gwydion who eventually decided that they needed a little break. Of course Aznar agreed with it, but he was worried that even a small break could prove disastrous. He decided that it really didn't matter now, for he needed Gwydion's help anyway. So instead of worrying, he left the inn to take a walk in the city.

As he wandered the streets of Moonglow, he couldn't help but feel an outsider. So much had changed. This city that had been his home for so many years felt different, empty even. What events had transpired that so many faces he knew had gone from the city? The friendly banker, the baker and even the woodcrafter who had supplied him with so many staffs had been replaced by other people.

He wondered if he would find more familiar faces in Britain. It would be a good oppurtunity to check on his runekeep, once created by him when he was still the archmage of Moonglow. He intended to provide the people with an easy way of transportation around the realm, but word had quickly spread and people from all over the world started using the keep to travel everywhere.

He entered the oh so familiar building, touching the doorpost and examining every detail with sentiment. The runes were still there, though they were positioned differently and other, unfamiliar destinations were amongst them. He couldn't help but smile. Not only had the new owner maintained the keep, he had even expanded it. The Britain rune was found fast enough and he chanted 'Kal Ort Por' while focussing on it.

Britain had changed as well. It seemed to Aznar that there were a lot more guards patrolling the streets. The atmosphere was stressed. The people that passed him by all seemed nervous, as if they expected an assault. It was not the Britian he remembered. He wondered how the old King would be doing and wandered towards the castle entrance. He noticed many people dressed in Order of Law uniforms enter and leave the castle. So they had relocated their headquarters to Britain. A logical choice, he thought.

Then he saw a young blonde girl wearing white exit the castle in a hurry, holding documents against her chest. A few moments later another young blonde girl passed him by, also wearing white, trying to catch up with the other one. They were twins, there was no doubt about it. Then to his suprise, a third girl came running by, chasing the other two.
'Hold up! Wait for me!' She yelled.
Aznar smiled again, instinctively recognising who these girls were, without ever having met them. These were the newly adopted daughters of Gwydion. They were pretty young girls indeed and full of life. He almost went to talk to them, before he realised it would complicate his visit to Britain. Instead he whispered the words 'Kal Ort Por' and recalled back to his inn room in Moonglow. The artifact was still there, looming on the table, waiting for him, whispering to him, promising him all the things he wanted most and more.
'I will not listen to you!' He shouted towards the artifact. But the voice inside his head was relentless.

The next day, Gwydion knocked on the door in the code they agreed on. There was no response. He knocked again. Still no response. He called for Aznar a few times but still there was no response. He realised that something was wrong and cast a spell of telekinesis to open the door. It failed. The door was somehow warded against magic. He slammed his shoulder against the door in a futile attempt to open it. After a few tries, he decided to use a different kind of magic. He summoned a blade spirit and sent it towards the door. In a few moments, the door was shredded to pieces and he dispelled the spirit. He rushed into the room to find his friend fast asleep in the bed, or so it seemed.
'Aznar! Wake up!' he shouted.
But Aznar didn't wake up. He started to shake him, but the moment he touched him, he knew his friend wouldn't wake up this way. He felt a presence, the same presence he felt when he had examined the artifact for the first time and he suddenly felt very dirty. He looked to the table where they had left the necklace the day before, but it was gone. He quickly searched the room, but couldn't find it. He checked Aznar to see if he was wearing it, but he wasn't. Seeing no other options, he went to fetch a bucket of ice cold water from the stables. When he returned to the room, however, Aznar had already awakened.
'Wh... what happened?' Aznar asked.
'I don't know. I came to your room moments ago. Your door was heavilly fortified and warded against magic and you didn't respond to my calls.'
'The artifact! Where is it?' Aznar shouted.
'It is gone. I have searched the room but it's nowhere to be found.'
Aznar tried to remember what had happened the night before, but his mind was foggy. A voice inside his head explained more than he wished for though.
'Kill him,' the voice demanded.
Aznar put his hands against his temples and shouted, 'No!'
Gwydion looked at Aznar in disbelief and misinterpreted the outburst. 'Calm down, my friend. We will find it,' he said.
Aznar shook his head, his hands still clenching it. 'You have to kill me.'
Gwydion's jaw dropped and it took him a moment to regain his senses. 'Are you insane? Why would I do that?'
Aznar dropped his hands and gave Gwydion an intense stare. His eyes suddenly had a blue glow about them. 'Kill me now, before it's too late!' he growled.
Gwydion took a step away from him. 'What's gotten over you?' But he already knew the answer he realised. The artifact had possesed his friend. Aznar was fighting it, he could sense that much.
'We will find a way to fix this! Keep resisting it!' Gwydion said.
The blue glow in Aznar's eyes suddenly dissappeared and he said, 'Fix what? Resist what?'
'Did you beat it?' Gwydion asked.
'What on earth are you talking about?'
Gwydion thought about explaining it, but he assumed Aznar had beaten the possesion. 'Nothing, my friend. Everything is fine now.'
Aznar smiled. 'Good, cause I decided that I want to meet your adopted daughters today.'
Gwydion's expression turned into one of concern. Hadn't Aznar told him he didn't want to meet anyone during his short visit just yesterday?
Aznar stretched and stood up from his bed and said, 'Aah it's such a beautiful day, don't you agree old friend?'
Gwydion couldn't find the strength to talk, so he just nodded. His face turned pale and he had to go and sit down. Aznar didn't even seem to notice his troubled face. Instinctively Gwydion knew that this was not his old friend. Not entirely anyhow. But he couldn't just kill him, no matter what the consequences were. This was Aznar, they had been through so much together. He just couldn't do that. His dilema only increased when there was another knock on the door.
'Go away! We don't need anything!' Gwydion shouted.
'Oh nonsense, Gwydion! Is that any way to treat a visitor,' Aznar said, 'come right in!'
Gwydion's jaw dropped again, when he saw who entered the room.

"Yet another prophecy turned to reality. I should have known," the newcomer said.
"Malek Goodheart!" Aznar shouted.
Malek smiled and approached his friends and shook their hands in turn.
"Should I even bother asking how you found us?" Gwydion asked.
Malek chuckled and said, "Should I even bother answering?"
"You couldn't have come to us at a better time, my friend," Gwydion said.
"I know, that's why I've come in the first place."
Gwydion looked at Malek with a confused expression and said, "How do you know all these things, I wonder."
Malek smiled again and said, "Let's just say that I'm not only cursed with a long lifespan. But what's more important is that Aznar has gotten himself into trouble. More trouble than even he anticipated."
Aznar looked at Malek incredulously and said, "What do you mean, trouble? I'm feeling great! Actually I've never felt this good in my entire life!"
"And that, my friend, is part of the problem," Malek said. "I can tell you that even the Gods fear what you have unleashed."
"Unleashed? We were merely studying it so that we might contain or even destroy it!" Gwydion said.
Malek shook his head and said, "This is beyond the both of you. This is even beyond the power of all the Gods combined. I have seen the prophecy and I know this to be true."
Gwydion started walking up and down the room nervously, staring at the floor while Aznar merely smiled happily at his dear old friends. The contrast couldn't be greater.
Malek's face was grim when he said, "What Aznar brought back to this realm, should have been left alone."
Gwydion nodded, "I agree with you. We are talking about him while he is here, but he hardly seems aware. It's as if his mind is somewhere else."
Aznar looked at Gwydion then, a blue glow appearing in his intensely staring eyes when he said, "Do you wish to die, Gwydion North? I can end your life whenever I please."
Gwydion stared back at his friend. Was he still his friend? "Aznar, listen to yourself. This is not you! Fight it!"
Aznar started laughing and his voice sounded demonic. "Aznar has abandoned you, mortal. He saw the weakness in your old bones and he rejected it. He never liked you, you know. I can see his thoughts. You were just... convenient to him."
Gwydion was quite perplexed at that statement but he shook his head and said, "Begone from his body! You have no right to posess it!"
Aznar stared blankly at Gwydion for a moment and then his eyes turned normal again and he looked at Malek. His voice was returned to normal too when he said, "So, what brings you to visit us, old friend?"
Malek, understanding the problem better than Gwydion replied, "I just came to visit you Aznar. I am curious to hear all about your travels."
Aznar smiled then and started his tale of how he left Moonglow all those years ago, in search of the artifact.
Gwydion looked at the two and just couldn't understand why Aznar was suddenly so oblivious to the problem. He had to believe that Malek knew how to save him, because killing him was no option to Gwydion. If anyone knew a solution, it would be Malek.
When Aznar finished his story, Gwydion said, "Malek, a word with you?" He gestured to the inn hallway.
Malek nodded and said, "I will be back soon, Aznar. Now rest a bit. You look weary."
Aznar happily agreed and lay back in his bed, while Gwydion and Malek left the room.
"Can you help him?" Gwydion asked.
Malek immediately said, "I am not sure, but if there is a way to help him, know that the price will be high."
"Is it a price I can pay alone?"
"I'm afraid not. This problem is not restricted to Aznar, I'm afraid. Soon the being that took control of Aznar will start to gain power and eventually absorb Aznar fully. It might not look that way, but Aznar's subconsciousness is fighting for control of his body even as we are standing here, talking. The question is how long he will be able to fight it."
"Can't we help him fight it somehow?"
"We could, but it would only delay the inevitable. Aznar will be consumed. The being has already sent out magical beacons to summon nearby evil to it's calling."
"What do you mean? Magical beacons?"
"Let us sit down so I can tell you about the being that took control of our friend, Gwydion. In ancient times, many millenia ago, the world was ruled by dragons. They didn't have cities or a social society like we have, but the world was theirs. Every dragon had it's own personality and every dragon had followers, worshippers even. These were elves, humans, lizardmen, orcs and all of the other lesser races. They meant nothing to the dragons and served mainly as cattle. One of the dragons had heard a calling from the being we now know as Dennac. Dennac promised the dragon power and wealth beyond it's dreams if only it served him. This was the start of what historians call the Era of Void."
Gwydion interrupted him then and said, "What has all this to do with the current problem?"
"Patience, my friend. In the Era of Void, this dragon commanded absolute power from the other dragons. It demanded them to join him or die. At first, the other dragons just laughed and ignored him. But when he started to fight them one by one and beat them all, some of them eventually joined him in fear of being his next victim. So they pledged their loyalty to him. Together they fought the other dragons and their numbers kept increasing, until finally, there were no more dragons left to oppose them. He declared himself Dragonlord then and Dennac ordered him to destroy all life so that he might reshape the world in his image again. The Dragonlord eagerly started killing off the lesser races. Then the Dragonlord, treacherous as he was, got an idea and in stead of killing the lesser races, he started absorbing their souls into his very being. Soon he wasn't satisfied anymore with the souls of such pittiful creatures and secretly he started absorbing the other dragons, one by one. He became stronger and stronger until he felt like he could challenge the Gods themselves. And so he did."
"I assume the Gods defeated this creature before it even got close?" Gwydion asked.
"No. You must realize something. Back in those days, there were many Gods, but they fought amongst themselves continuously. As it was then, the Dragonlord had become so powerful that a single God wouldn't have had a chance against him. So he slew many of the Gods, absorbing their essence into himself, becoming even more powerful. It was only then that the remaining Gods decided to start working together, but there were few of them left. Esuna, Gaea and Dennac himself and some other Gods whose names have been lost in time joined forces and eventually defeated the Dragonlord. The victory had come at a high price and Esuna, Dennac and Gaea were the only ones left then. The Dragonlord, though defeated, still remained very much alive. His essence couldn't simply be killed. So the Gods decided to cast his being into a small and ordinary looking necklace and hid it in a place they hoped it would never be recovered from."
Gwydion's face turned pale. "But our friend here has found it, resourceful as he is."
Malek nodded and said, "He found it, but he didn't know exactly what he found, nor could he have known. History has no mention of the Dragonlord and for good reason, as you can imagine."
Gwydion nodded gravely. "So you are meaning to tell me that this Dragonlord has taken hold of Aznar? This being that destroyed Gods?"
"Yes. And whatever our actions are in the coming few weeks, they will mark the destiny of this world forever."
Gwydion had never felt this hopeless before in his life.

They talked about the problem for the rest of the day, discussing potential solutions, but even when the daylight outside was dimming, they still hadn't formulated any definate plans. Eventually they decided to take some rest, as they were becoming very tired. There was not much else they could do at this point anyway, so Malek rented a room next to Gwydion and they went to sleep.
The next morning, Gwydion knocked on Aznars door and again there was no response. He wasn't too worried, as it was somewhat early still and Aznar might be very tired. So in stead he went to awaken Malek. He almost knocked on the door, but before his fist reached it, the door opened, slamming against him.
"Oh excuse me," Malek said, while he stepped outside, still adjusting his travelling cloak.
Gwydion rubbed his nose and forehead and said, "Malek, Aznar must be very tired. He isn't answering my knock again."
Malek's expression turned into one of concern and he said, "bust it open!"
Gwydion reacted to Malek's expression immediately and slammed the door with his shoulder, only to find that it wasn't locked, nor warded. He tumbled into the room to find it empty. He bumped his head against the side of the bed which increased the pain he already had from the encounter with Malek's door. Rubbing his head and slowly getting back to his feet, he scanned the room. There was no sign of Aznar. "He's gone!"
Malek nodded at first, but then slowly started to shake his head and said, "I should have known better."
"What do you mean?"
"We should have guarded him."
"What? Why? I have put magical wards on his room that would have awakened me if he had tried to leave his room through a window! How did he," Gwydion started, but he was interrupted by Malek. "We should have guarded him because of what he has become. Remember this is no longer Aznar. He may appear like him, sound like him and act like him, but the being that is possesing his body can read Aznar's mind as if it's his own mind. It knows exactly how to fool anyone who knows him into thinking it's really Aznar himself."
"We have to find him!"
Malek nodded and said, "Ask the innkeeper, I'll search the other rooms."
Gwydion went downstairs and approached the innkeeper. "Have you seen anyone leave the inn today?"
The innkeeper snorted and said, "Ye think I be sittin here all day just to be watchin who be enterin and who be leavin? Don't ye be daft old man!"
Gwydion was about to reply when Malek came down the stairs and shook his head. He pulled Gwydion aside and said, "Forget the innkeeper. Aznar didn't leave this way."
Malek went back upstairs gesturing Gwydion to follow him. He entered the room next to Aznar's and pointed to a large blackened hole where a wall used to be.
Gwydion just stared at it, not catching on until Malek said, "He went to the next room and made an exit for himself, expecting your magical wards. He knew he couldn't leave his room through a window without triggering the ward and awakening you. He also didn't want to leave through the front inn door, risking someone seeing him leave and telling us about it."
Gwydion nodded, "Aye, Aznar knows me well."
Malek shook his head and said, "We should stop calling him Aznar, you know."
Gwydion stared at the blackened hole for a while before he nodded and said, "Aye, let us find this Dragonlord then."
They went downstairs again, gave the innkeeper a bag of gold that would cover all expenses, including the replacement of the destroyed wall. "You might want to check upstairs," Malek said to him. With that they left the inn, in search for the fugutive Dragonlord.

Aznar didn't know what had happened. He found himself in the forest just outside Moonglow. He remembered Malek and talking to Malek. He remembered Malek and Gwydion talking about him, but no matter what he tried, he just couldn't remember the words. He remembered going to bed at some point, while there was still daylight. He remembered feeling so deadly tired. He realised that his tiredness was something unnatural and that Malek had caused it to him somehow. Now he was here in the woods. What events had transpired that had driven him here?
He heard a sound in the bushes nearby and turned his head to look at them. The sound was gone. Was he imagining it? There was nothing he could be sure about now. He took a step in a random direction, not knowing where to go, but then there was that sound again, a rustle of leaves, barely audible. He turned around again to look into the direction the sound came from. Then he was grabbed by two men from behind.
"Let me go!" he shouted.
The men remained silent.
"You don't know what you're dealing with! Let me go, quickly!"
Still the men didn't say a word. Aznar turned his head a bit to see both men wore hoods that covered all of their face except their eyes. Robbers! They were robbing him!
A sudden rage built within him and he started to grow physically. The men couldn't hold him anymore, as Aznar's arms were already twice the size they were moments before. One of his arms was changing into some kind of giant blade. Then the men saw his eyes, radiating a blue light that blinded them. Aznar slashed his blade arm and he cut one of the men in half. The other started to make a run for it, but he was shot down by a blue ball of magical energy that burned a hole through his chest.
Aznar ran through the woods for minutes, cutting down trees in his path, his rage unbridled. Then finally he seemed to calm down and slowly he changed back to his normal size. The blue glow in his eyes dissappeared.
He shook his head to clear the fog in his mind. He had lost another piece of his memories so it seemed. He was still in the forest, but not in the same spot he had been before. Then he remembered the two men who had grabbed him. What had happened to them? Had they simply left? He didn't think so. Before he was able to finish his contemplations, he felt a dagger on his throat.
"Hello Aznar," a voice behind him said.
"Who are you?"
"You should know, you hired me," the voice said.
Aznar opened his eyes wide. He remembered it now! He had hired this man to kill him!
"I do not appreciate what you did to my men. They were good men. Walk," the voice said.
Aznar was too baffled to do anything but follow the man's orders. They backtracked his steps, passing the fallen trees, neatly cut down and the trampled bushes, back to where the two men that had grabbed him earlier had obviously died horrible deaths.
"Now I will do what you hired me for, Aznar. It will just be three corpses and no witnesses. Yet another failed robbery that might result in many questions. Many more questions than answers. Any last words?"
Then Gwydion and Malek appeared and Gwydion shouted, "NO! Skrin! Don't do it!"
"Leave it be Gwydion. You shouldn't be here!" Skrin said.
Aznar was observing the scene in amazement. What had happened in the inn? Did he hurt any innocent people?
Gwydion said, "Why would you kill him? Why get Aznar? No one would pay you to do such nonsense, it's Aznar!"
Skrin shook his head and said, "We have no time for this."
Aznar saw Gwydion chanting some words, the start of a magical spell, but he was interrupted by Malek who pointed to the men on the floor and said, "Gwydion wait! Look at them. It's not Aznar, maybe this is meant to happen?"
Aznar who agreed with Malek, wanted to tell Gwydion it must be like this, but for some reason he couldn't make a sound. It was as if someone or something was manipulating his vocal chords.
"No! I don't care what you say. It's Aznar and I will find a way. I beg you Skrin, let him go," Gwydion pleaded with tears in his eyes.
"I never, never fail a target, " Skrin said with a calm and cold voice.
The next moment Aznar felt an itch in his throat and he felt some fluid drop on his hands. He tried to look down but then suddenly there was nothing but blackness in his vision. In the distance he could hear Gwydion's cry, but after a few moments it no longer registered to his ears, that could hear no more. Or could they?
Aznar saw nothing but blackness and felt nothing. This must be what the void is like, he thought. He thought? How could he still think if he was dead? Then a voice spoke to him and said, "This is not the end, Aznar. You thought you could defeat me so easilly?"
The voice then started laughing loudly. The volume of the laughter increased until Aznar couldn't bear it anymore. He shouted, or at least he tried to shout, but he had no voice to shout with anymore.
"For your betrayal, you shall remain here in the void, to suffer eternity without any senses. You will know blackness and emptyness forever. Your soul will not find rest, ever," the voice said and started laughing again, but this time the volume of the laughter seemed to decrease and somehow instinctively, Aznar knew that the voice was returning to his body while leaving him behind. He was surely doomed now.

http://www.knoechel.dk/pangaea/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6497

Malek stared at the spot where just moments earlier Gwydion had grabbed Aznar and they had both dissappeared. He knew that the Dragonlord would return to take control of Aznar's body again. It's spirit was too powerful to be slain by an ordinary dagger. He wasn't too sure about Aznar's spirit though. He could only hope his old friend was alright. Gwydion had moved too fast for Malek to warn him in time. He also hoped Gwydion was alright.
"Malek Goodheart, the bringer of balance. What a pleasant surprise to meet you here on this fine morning," Skrin said.
Malek regarded Skrin casually and said, "Skrin Dagda, master of information and assasination."
Skrin nodded in approval, not denying the claim. "It's a shame he had to die like this."
"Aye it is. He was a good friend," Malek said. He didn't bother explaining the situation to Skrin. He would find out himself sooner or later anyway.
"Care for a drink in the inn?" Skrin asked.
Malek shook his head and said, "I'm not in the mood."
Skrin nodded and said, "of course, the spilling of blood can leave a bad aftertaste to some."
Of course the notorious robber assasin Skrin was hardly bothered by it, Malek thought. "Before we part our seperate ways, let me give you a warning Skrin. I know your intentions are rarely noble, but you serve an important use to the balance of this world so heed the following words: Prepare yourself and your men for the dark days that are ahead of us. A terrible evil has been set loose upon the world and those able to fight must stand together to defeat it."
Skrin laughed and said, "you have a way with words, honorable Malek. But as you probably know, the Birds are my main priority. If there is any room in my busy schedule to help saving the world, I'll let you know. Farewell old man." With that Skrin threw some kind of potion on the floor which caused a lot of smoke and made him dissappear from sight.
Malek forgot all thoughts of the bandit leader and headed toward the runekeep which wasn't too far away. He had already figured out his next move. Even this early in the day, mages were teleporting themselves from one spot to the other, using the runekeep as a central hub of transportation. Malek was no mage, but he knew a bit of magic. Enough for him to use the runes inside. He knew where to find this particular rune and once he had found it, he chanted, "Kal Ort Por" and dissappeared from sight.
He appeared again in front of a large cave opening. It lead to one of the most feared dungeons in the world. A dungeon inhabited by dragons. The dungeon known as Destard. Few people knew that dragons were intelligent creatures. Some of them even capable of speach in the common tongue. Malek had read about it a few hundred years ago in an old tome and remembered that now clearly, so he went inside to seek out this most ancient of dragons only known as the oracle. In the ancient text of the tome he had read, it was written that this dragon was the only survivor of the Dragonlord's rampage in the Era of Void. He was the only dragon that had turned on the Dragonlord in the time of need when the Dragonlord was fighting the Gods. Malek realized that he probably was the only living human who knew about all of this.
Inside Destard it was dark, so Malek sang a magical song that illuminated his surroundings. A dragon, nested near the entrance awoke and growled. Malek sang a calming song that made the dragon forget about any hostile thoughts it had just moments before. It curled up again in it's nest and fell asleep shortly after. So he continued through the dungeon, calming any dragons he encountered with his entrancing music. For more than an hour he traversed the huge caverns until he came to a small tunnel. Hot air was flowing out of it. He didn't hesitate and continued through it. It proved to be a long tunnel and the farther he went into it, the hotter the air became. Then finaly after what seemed to be hours, he saw a light in the end of the tunnel. He dispelled his magical light and headed on.
He wasn't prepared for what he saw, when he stepped out of the tunnel into the largest cave he had ever seen. It was illuminated as if there was daylight coming through the roof, but a closer investigation revealed that the source of the light was some kind of fungi growing on the ceiling of the cave. Then he turned his head down and to the side and his jaw dropped. Even though he somewhat knew what to expect, nothing could have prepared him for the sight of this giant golden dragon, it's scales sparkling like a million diamonds. The dragon covered nearly the entire cave with it's mass. Even while lying there, it was nearly 30 feet tall.
"Malek," the thunderous dragon voice boomed, "I have been expecting you for many years."
Malek just stared at the dragon, speechless, his jaws still dropped.
"You may close your mouth now," the dragon continued.
Malek finally regaining some composure did exactly that and said, "mighty oracle, I have come..."
"You have come to gain information. You have come to request my aid. You have come for the whereabouts of the one called the Dragonlord and you have come to learn the fate of Aznar," the oracle interrupted.
Malek smiled and said, "you are right on all accounts, of course."
"You have not brought the required payment."
Malek raised an eyebrow and said, "payment?"
"Ah yes, how foolish of me. I sometimes forget not all have the gift of foresight. The payment will be one young human female volunteer to serve me for the remainder of her life."
Malek gasped and said, "request another payment of me, I beg you."
"You will bring me the volunteer. I have foreseen it. Now go and find her. She lives in Britain. Her name is Sabrina Rio."
Malek recognised that name from somewhere. Wasn't she that young assasin who had caused quite some tales when she had killed a notorious robber in the graveyard of Britain? This felt wrong, but still. The girl was an assasin and probably rotten so she most likely deserved a punishment for her wicked deeds. It might just serve the balance if she was indentured to the service of the oracle. Besides, Malek didn't have a choice. He needed the information that only this oracle could offer. "You have a deal," he said.
"Go then, Malek Goodheart. You will be back in three days."
Malek didn't doubt the oracle, yet he still had to figure out a plan to make this assasin girl volunteer to serve a giant dragon in a deep cavern in Destard for the rest of her life. He left the dungeon the same way he entered it and when he came out of it, the daylight had already waned. He would go to Britain and he would return with Sabrina in three days, so it was foretold apparently.

From the nearby woods, a man watched as Malek recalled in front of the dungeon and dissappeared. He slowly stepped from the tree he had been waiting behind. He had a large thin scar on his neck and a blue glow radiating from his eyes. His smile was wicked, evil even. He had followed Malek's magical signature here to this place and now he would find out what the old man had been doing in Destard, though he already had his suspicions.
He entered the dungeon in total darkness. The blue radiance from his eyes increased and the dragon nesting near the entrance awoke again. But this time it didn't growl. As soon as it saw the man, the dragon started shivering in fear. The man smiled and continued his path inside the caverns of Destard, following the footprints the bard had left behind. He was not bothered by any dragons. Soon he came upon the tunnel and followed it to the end.
"Rish Nal, I have been expecting you." the oracle's voice boomed.
"Gadru Nal, it has been too long old friend," the man replied, then he chuckled. The way he pronounced 'friend' didn't sound sincere at all.
"So finally the day has come. Know that you may take my body, but my spirit will remain free always," the Oracle said, accepting it's fate.
"Are you sure about that? Would you bet your soul on it?" the man asked while grinning evilly.
"You may call yourself Dragonlord, but this world does no longer belong to you."
"Look into the future," the Dragonlord commanded.
"I... cannot," the oracle admitted.
The Dragonlord started laughing then and said, "Of course you cannot for your existence will come to an end on this day. As repayment for your betrayal, I will claim your body, Gadru Nal! I will cast your spirit to the pits of eternal hell!" He started chanting then and Gadru Nal was powerless against it. He had forseen his doom ages past and now there was nothing left for him to do but to try and secure his spirit. He felt a pull on his mind then, and he resisted it with all his considerable powers, all the while realizing that he would lose in the end. His spirit was sucked out of his body the next moment, and for the first time in millenia, the oracle could not foresee the future anymore. Cast into the void, Gadru Nal tried to cry, but there was no sound to be made in the empty space. He was truly lost then and even his thoughts were fleeting. The last thought he had was that at least his soul hadn't been absorbed by the Dragonlord, but he wondered if this existence was any better. Then there was nothing but blackness.
As Gadru Nal's spirit left the giant dragon body, part of the spirit of the Dragonlord entered the empty shell. He couldn't leave the human's body fully, for his spirit was anchored in that weak shell of a body. As soon as his spirit essence entered the dragon body, it's eyes opened and the same blue glow radiated from the huge dragon eyes.
Rish Nal laughed then, in a roaring thunderous voice and stretched his paws. Gadru Nal hadn't moved in many centuries so the muscles felt weak, but that would soon change. He stretched more and more, pushing against the cavern ceiling, destroying fungi and rock alike, until he felt the mountain above him crack. With a loud noise, the mountain collapsed on him.
It was silent for many moments, but then a rock in the huge pile of rubble moved a bit. Then another rock and another. Then all of the rubble was thrown aside in a single blast, as the Dragonlord spread his wings and his body was shown in it's full glory.
"It is my time now. The Gods will fear me and the mortals will worship me!" The Dragonlord roared, then he flew off to finish what he had started all those millenia ago.

Malek wandered through a dark alley in one of the less popular parts of Britain. He had disguised himself as a beggar, as he would draw too much attention in his normal attire. The poor and the rejected lived here. Everywhere he looked he saw desolation and hopelessness. Some people stared at him with their toothless faces, their eyes begging for just a piece of bread so that they might survive another day. He could help them, of course, but that would reveal his identity. He couldn't risk that.
Every now and then he would talk to one of the real beggars, his words so quiet that nobody else could listen in on the conversation. Not only that but his words were calming and soothing as well. There was a magic in his voice that would make anyone think he was their best friend whom they hadn't seen in years. It was a quick and easy way to get the information he needed and had already taken him this far, to these slums of Britain.
The girl was nearby, he knew. He would have to be careful now. The magical serenity his words had given those beggars would soon disappear and then they would realise they had given a stranger way too much information. He started to imagine daggers being drawn in every dark corner he passed by.
"Not another step, old man," a voice spoke behind him.
He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to face the source of the voice. He saw a figure in dark, filthy clothes wearing a mask, but it was immediately obvious to him that this was a woman. She had seen better years but her shape was still somewhat pleasing to his male eyes.
"Sabrina?" Malek tentatively asked.
There was no response, but the woman slowly drew out a splendid looking kryss that seemed to be frozen somehow. Malek knew the material was called Startear and it was rare indeed. The fact alone that she could afford wielding this weapon, revealed much to him. She stared at Malek with fire in her eyes but remained quiet for a few awkward moments. When she finally spoke, she said, "Follow me, quickly."
And so Malek found himself following the woman to another alley, then yet another one and after passing through five more, the woman finally entered a shady building and made an impatient gesture for Malek to follow her in, while her eyes searched around, probably to make sure they weren't seen entering.
As soon as they were both inside she said, "Who are you, old man?"
Malek chanted a few words and his disguise dissappeared. Then he smiled to the woman, who was still wearing her mask.
"I know you! You're that bard who was the leader those mercenaries years ago, aren't you? The ones who have recently surfaced again. I thought you were dead."
Malek nodded and kept smiling.
"What do you want," the woman continued.
Malek's smile dissappeared then and he said, "Are you Sabrina Rio?"
The woman remained silent for a few moments and then she removed her mask. "The one and only."
Malek studied the woman. He remembered the tales about two young lively sisters who danced in the shadows and had taken down many powerful men with little effort. They were said to be innocent looking youths with cheerful faces, colorful clothes and a lust for life. This woman didn't fit that discription by far. Her face was no longer young. She had a scar on her left cheek and her eyes were oh so cold yet very alert, as if she expected enemies to jump out of the shadows at any moment.
"You are quite different from what I had expected," Malek said.
"And you are exactly what I had expected," Sabrina replied and continued with, "if I had been expecting you, that is."
Malek decided to come right to the point then and said, "I am in need of your services."
"Name the target and I will give you my price," she said.
Malek shook his head and said, "No no no, you misunderstand me, Sabrina. I need you to accompany me on a quest."
"I don't do quests, old bard."
"I will pay you five hundred thousand gold pieces," Malek said.
Sabrina raised her eyebrows and Malek knew he had her then. "Tell me about this quest," she said.
"We venture into the dungeon Destard and slay a dragon."
Sabrina frowned then and gave Malek a deadly stare while she said, "one million gold pieces."
Malek frowned and put on an offended face. "One million?"
He pretended to think it over for a while. Then he shrugged and said, "you have a deal. But we must leave immediately."
She had taken the bait and now he would sacrifice her remaining years in order to save the world. He silently vowed to himself to tell Sabrina about that before he left her with the oracle. One life to save all of them, it seemed a good bargain to him, yet somehow he felt he was betraying his morals. Either way, he couldn't give it much more thought as knew he couldn't waste any more time.
After Sabrina gathered some supplies from a chest hidden in the shadows in a corner of the building, Malek started chanting a song that would transport them outside of the city. From there it would take them a day to get to Destard.

As soon as Malek arrived in the tunnel to the oracle room, he knew something was different. Air was blowing through it, but this time it wasn't the hot air he had felt during his previous visit, this was icy cold air. He looked back to see Sabrina pull her robe tighter around herself.
"Let's head on, but with the utmost caution," Malek said.
They moved through the tunnel and as soon as they reached the end, Malek knew he was too late. The oracle was gone and in its place was a huge pile of rocks. He could even see the air through that rubble. The mountain seemed to have simply collapsed.
"Look around, see if you can find anything useful," he said to Sabrina.
"I'm here to kill a dragon, not to follow orders," she replied, while she took a seat on a rock to show she meant it.
Malek shrugged and started searching the area. It didn't take him long to reach an alcove and when he saw what was inside it, he gasped. Aznar was there, surrounded by some kind of a magical field. He foolishly touched it and was promptly thrown away five feet in a magical electrical outburst.
"Damn," he muttered, while wiping the dirt off his clothes.
Then back near the tunnel, he heard Sabrina shout, "Who goes there?"
Malek returned to her and said, "what's wrong?"
"We are not alone," Sabrina said.
Malek looked at the tunnel and saw two figures approaching, weapons drawn. He recognized the colors of their dress. "Good day to you, servants of Gaea," he said, while bowing his head slightly. He gestured for Sabrina to do the same, but she ignored him and kept her hands on her daggers.
"Good day to you too, sir. We didn't expect anyone to be in here," one of them said.
"I am Malek Goodheart and this nervous looking lady is Sabrina Rio," Malek said.
"THE Malek Goodheart, the world famous bard?"
"The one and only," Malek said while grinning.
"I am Lilo North, and this is my sister Lila," Lilo said.
"Well met, milady."
"What brings you here, sir bard?"
Sabrina still had her hands on her daggers and her face was still monitoring the newcomers with distrust.
"Ill tidings I'm afraid. Come and let me show you something. Sabrina, you can relax. These ladies are no threat to us."
Sabrina removed her hands from the dagger hilts, but she kept looking at the nature priestesses closely. Malek walked to the alcove with the ladies following him. "Do you see that man over there? That is Aznar."
"Aznar? Aznar from Aznars Runekeep?" Lila asked.
Malek couldn't help but smile as he said, "yes that Aznar. But he is in trouble and he needs help."
"What's wrong with him?" Lilo asked.
"He has been posessed by an ancient evil, but now there's something different," Malek said.
He looked closely at Aznars face and noticed that he didn't appear to be conscious, even though his eyes were wide open. The blue light he had seen before was also gone. "His body is suspended and shielded by powerful magic."
"Let me assess that magic with the help of Gaea," Lila said and she chanted a few words and aimed the forthcoming magic at Aznar, "Aperio Pium."
Lila was silent for a few moments with her eyes closed and when she opened them again, she seemed utterly terrified as she said, "this magic is too powerful for us. I have never seen anything like it. Not even our goddess can breach it! But my divination did reveal a barely visible line of energy going from him to somewhere south."
Malek nodded and said, "have you ever heard of the Dragonlord?"
Lila looked at Lilo and they both shook their heads. Malek glanced at Sabrina then and she said, "no. Can we leave now? We still have a dragon to kill, don't we?"
Malek had forgotten about that ruse and said, "Sabrina, there was no dragon to be killed. I told you that to get you here. But judging from that collapse, it seems that now we actually do have a dragon to kill after all."
Sabrina glared at Malek coldly and put her hand on a dagger hilt again, but it was obvious she was too intrigued by what was going on to actually draw it.
Lilo nodded then and said, "we have received reports of a giant dragon flying around here, the likes of which has never been seen before. We came to investigate."
"Your order must be warned about this, but I don't know if it's enough. We might need the help of all deities, their servants and their armies before the end of this," Malek said with a grim face.
"Cultists? Imperials? Are you kidding me?" Lila blurted. She seemed to be outraged. "You can't expect us to work together with them!"
"And yet if you wish to save our world, you might not have a choice in the matter."
Lilo calmed her sister with a touch and said, "What about Aznar?"
Malek thought about that question. "The only thing we can do is to wait and hope that his body will be released as soon as the spirit of the Dragonlord is fully transferred to the dragon host."
"Can you be quiet for a moment?" Sabrina suddenly asked. She moved back toward the tunnel entrance, daggers drawn, the others following her. She stopped near the entrance and casually said, "another visitor? Destard seems to be a popular place these days."
Out of the shadows a man appeared, wearing a bloodred robe and a skullcap. "Hello there, milady. Might I congratulate you on detecting my presence? It's not often I am revealed in such a manner," he said.
"I know you!" Lilo said.
The man looked at Lilo and smiled, obviously recognizing her as well. "Bless my fortune to be sent here on this day! You are Lilo, if memory serves me well. How have you been?"
Malek regarded Lilo and noticed that her face revealed mixed feelings upon seeing the man. "You have met this man before?"
Lilo nodded to Malek. "Yes I have, though it was under much less fortunate circumstances," she said and she glanced at Ziven when continuing, "was it not?"
The man chuckled then and said, "that depends on the point of view. I considered myself very fortunate for meeting you. Have I even introduced myself that day? You might have caught me at my worst time. Those days I tended to forget my manners a lot."
Malek noticed that Lilo was blushing then and Lila said, "sister, who is this man?"
Before she could answer, the man spoke and said, "forgive me, my name is Ziven. It is my honor to meet such a fine party of people," then he took a bow and removed his skullcap.
"Are you still 'protecting' travellers these days?" Lilo asked.
Ziven smiled and said, "oh no, I have moved considerably upward on the social ladder, milady."
"I'm glad to hear that, though I am unsure I believe you," Lilo said.
"You seem to have a habit of hurting my feelings, milady. But that's alright, I still have some of them left that are unhurt. So what is going on in here?" Ziven asked.
Malek didn't trust the man, but he didn't see any harm in letting him know the fate of the world. "An ancient and incredible powerful giant dragon is out to conquer the world and destroy all that we know."
Ziven seemed to be digesting that information for a bit and then he said, "well then, let's kill the dragon, shall we?"
"It's not that easy, Ziven. We don't even know where the dragon is right now," Lilo said.
Sabrina was busy cleaning her fingernails with a dagger then looked up to Malek and said, "even if we don't find the dragon, you still owe me the money, old man."
Malek shrugged and said, "the money will be no use to you if the world is in ashes."
"The world won't be in ashes," Ziven said.
They all looked at Ziven in surprise, then Malek said, "what do you know, Ziven?"
Ziven grinned and said, "oh nothing important, just where to find the dragon."