A dragonslayers tale

The world they rode through was warm, so much so that everybody had to strip off much of their clothes not to overheat and Phraan did notice, with some disbelief, that Tersus didn’t remove even his jacket. The man kept every single piece of clothing on and sweat was pouring off him. It couldn’t be healthy and Fastonar was staring at the alchemist with distaste. “I cannot fathom how he is alive?! Just look at him! He is so filthy I bet a dragon would think twice about devouring him.”

Phraan tried to smile, he felt how his face felt stiff and unnatural. “Yes, maybe we all should stop washing, it would ward off all sorts of beasts”

Fastonar scoffed and shook his head. “He could get ill, I remember one knight in a unit I served in, he never washed his feet and kept his boots on all the time. He got really sick and when they finally got his boots off he had gangrene in several toes. They had to amputate his left foot and almost all the toes on his right one.”

Phraan cringed and was glad he had been taught hygiene by his mother. Some people seemed to believe that a lair of good old-fashioned shit did protect you from all sorts of things but Tersus had taken it way too far. “I don’t think Tersus is sick though”

Fastonar pointed at his head. “Oh but he is, in the head that is”

They were riding through a densely forested area now, the trees were of a different type than before, conifers which were so huge they reminded Phraan of small mountains and they had a very odd colour. They weren’t as much green as blue. A deep dark indigo with just a hint of green in it and it was just breathtakingly beautiful and yet strange. The air was filled with a fragrance which was very soothing and fresh and some strange birds with four wings did sing from the branches. Each the size of a very large crane or stork and yet they were songbirds. They saw the wall up ahead still, and the distance was indeed greater than they had guessed it was. Phraan didn’t like the idea of having to spend the night there but as of yet darkness hadn’t fallen so he got the impression that time here was different than in their own world. Some huge centipede like creatures did scurry through the bushes, they looked like insects until you got closer to them and then he did see that they in fact were furry and not insects at all but they had at least eighty legs and small heads with several beady eyes and a long snout. This was a very bizarre world and Dhokay had smashed a couple of enormous mosquitoes with his hammer.

Zaray did look confident enough but Phraan did sense that she was nervous, why he didn’t really know but he felt it somehow and wondered where that connection came from. The wall did throw an eerie but lovely light over the surroundings and up ahead they could see the crescents of at least three moons, it was really strange and Phraan didn’t like it, it made him feel dizzy and disoriented. They were heading down a slope when they heard something screaming, and the ground started to shake a bit. Zaray shouted a warning. “Gather, quickly, something is coming!”

They drove their horses into a circle and Phraan felt his heart thunder, he had no idea of what they were about to face and neither did the others. The bushes there had very large leaves and now several bushes were ripped aside when something large burst forth. It was several huge animals, they did look a bit like a buffalo but their heads were more like that of a hippo and they had some sort of spines growing out of their backs and they were coloured in very bright nuances of red and blue. The animals were obviously terrified of something and ran for their lives and they didn’t even look at the riders as they ran uphill so fast it was quite unbelievable. Zaray did look shocked. “They did run from something?”

Dhokay nodded. “Yes, prepare!”

The ground didn’t shake but they heard the sound of wood being broken and a cloud of dirt and debris could be seen between the trees. The bushes did split again and Thiana did scream. It was a sort of snake, but it was so large it was twice the width of a horse and the head was just terrifying. It was probably able to bite over a horse’s body and the teeth were very long and shiny but it didn’t have the normal teeth of a snake. These did look more like sharks teeth and Shaluun couldn’t stop a shout. “A wyrm?!”

Zaray swore and raised her hand, her bracelet started to glow and yet again that bow did appear, the wyrm did raise its head and hiss and it had seen them. Now it was racing towards them and the huge eyes were filled with sheer malice. Zaray did shoot, the glowing blue arrow did burst through the beasts head as if it wasn’t even there and the wyrm collapsed and lay there, twitching. Dhokay did look very shocked. “Why use the bow now? You haven’t used it since that attack”

Zaray let it disappear again. “No, for the magic in it is just too visible, but here I don’t think it matters. And that thing doesn’t belong here!”

Phraan turned Drake. “What do you mean?”

Zaray stared at the creature with distaste. “It is like us, it has come to this dimension from the outside.”

Rhuk glared at the wyrm. “I have heard of wyrms, they are very dangerous. Has the dark mages brought it here perhaps? As a sort of guard dog?”

Zaray shook her head. “No, I don’t like this. Something is very wrong”

She petted her mule. “I can almost smell it, I think the brotherhood has made a blunder”

Phraan blinked and Ivran sort of grimaced “You are right, I can…there is something here, like a cold draft you cannot really locate.”

Zaray made the mule move again. “Yes, get going. I fear that wyrms aren’t the worst thing this place does harbour.”

She didn’t say anything more and they rode on. The area did have more animal life and they did see some very huge two legged birds which were flightless and they were obviously predators for they were chasing some smaller deer like animals across a clearing. They hadn’t ridden far before the stench of death did reach them and not Zaray did look very worried indeed. The huge dragon had followed them silently the entire time but now it let out a sort of howl and bared its teeth. “He knows something, halt”

The dragon turned towards them and the huge cat did go over to Phraan, the eyes were narrow and it did growl. “Something ahead, be aware”

The voice reached their heads and Phraan gaped. It was the dragon and it did look as if it was ready for a fight. The smell got stronger and it was sickening. The dragon let out another howling sound and it was answered. Another creature like him appeared between the trees, it was limping and it had some differences from their dragon. It had way brighter colours and something which could only be described as feathers did grow from its spine and formed a sort of fan along its back. It was rather beautiful and its head was more elegant than on the one following them. Phraan realized that this was a female and it was badly wounded. It had terrible gashes in its flanks and one of the front legs appeared to have been almost bitten off. One eye was blinded since something had almost crushed the head on that side and its lower jaw was hanging, also broken. Thiana and Taurin let out small shrieks of disgust and compassion and the female did approach them slowly. It was clearly suffering and the male did move forwards, he growled. There was some sort of communication going on and the male turned his head to them. “Attack, killed pack. Not far away”

Zaray swallowed visibly and the mule was shivering. “What attacked them?”

The female was panting, blood running from her broken maw and it was obviously dying. The male sneered. “Things made by death, not alive”

Phraan did for a second get an image thrown into his head, a whole herd of such dragons, and all torn more or less apart and behind them dark figures, wolf like but not alive.

“It is what the orc’s did talk about, something the brotherhood have conjured up”

Zaray shifted her weight. “Like the dreghil, just as terrible”

The male did nudge the female gently, the dragon did lie down and it moaned. “Please, end her”

The voice was sad and Phraan did for the first time in his life see that perhaps not all dragons were bad. If this was their original form that was in fact a good and noble beast. Zaray did bring the bow forth again, and she did fire an arrow. The female did not even make a sound, it just died and the male looked at them, the eyes were filled with rage. “Darkness brought them, must stop”

Zaray nodded slowly and her eyes were hard. “Yes, they must be stopped. From whence did they come?”

The male shook itself. “Forgotten magic, world link. Opened again”

Phraan tried to make sense of it, he shook his head. “I don’t understand?”

Ivran was panting, he had turned a sickly grey and he was trembling all over, they all stared at him with shock in their eyes. “But I do, oh Gods, this is bad.”

Zaray pushed her mule over to Ivran and pulled him over and embraced him like a mother cradles her child. “Explain, fast”

Ivran swallowed hard. “You remember what I have told you? That I never was able to make spells like the others? That all magic did elude me? Well, that didn’t mean that I didn’t learn alright, and this…this I do remember!”

He did look as if he was about to puke and they all looked worried. “It is about time, it doesn’t move at the same rate here as in our world and I bet that this is different in every single dimension.”

Nobody did understand, they all just stared at him. “Ah, yes?”

Ivran looked down. “Some mage has entered this dimension, and opened a gate between the dimensions. In our world it happened just a little while ago but in here it was days ago. The gate will allow things from other dimensions to enter this place, and they have.”

Zaray did tilt her head, she was frowning. “But...these wolf things, the dark mages have created them right? How can they come to this place then?”

Ivran sighed. “I bet that the area where the dark mages work is somehow shielded off from the city by a magical barrier. It is like a dimension in some ways, and the link has opened a gate also to that place”

Dhokay cringed. “Aw shit, more dreghil?”

Ivran nodded. “Yes, possibly. And whatever else they have created”

Zaray just bit her teeth together. “Marvellous, as if this place wasn’t bad enough as it was. We have to get rid of those undead wolves or whatever they are.”

Phraan stared at Ivran. “You said a mage had entered this place, is he still here?”

Ivran was trembling still. “Yes, I can feel it, it is not one, it is several”

Zaray was trying to hold him still. “You are trembling, what is wrong?”

Ivran made a grimace. “I…I…I can feel the heart stone, I don’t know how or why, but it is trying…trying to drag me inn”

Zaray swore. “Resist damn it. It will corrupt you.”

Phraan was staring at the young mage. “I cannot say that I have felt it yet and I guess that it means that it isn’t that strong here, or else it would have tried to ensnare Zaray and me too.”

Shaluun stared at the young mage with huge eyes. “The connection, there we have it. We can use this against the dark mages”

Zaray almost growled. “How? If it drags Ivran inn it will devour his magic, make it its own. The chaos worshipers have changed it, turned into their tool damn it.”

Shaluun had a nasty glimpse in his eyes. “It does hunger for more power? For more energy?”

She nodded with narrow eyes. “Yes, the dark mages have turned it into something of darkness. “

The elf grinned “Great, I have an idea!”

The last days had come with snow, and not the gently falling snow of a lovely winter day but a blizzard which was threatening to bury the entire city. Everybody had sought cover inside and Janok and his men had tried to make sure that everybody at least had some shelter but they feared that many would freeze to death. There wasn’t much to burn there on the plains, normally people used animal dung as fuel but now that was hard to find and the snow did hide everything useful too. When the blizzard did stop the weather became clear and the wind died down. The city was covered with white and Janok and the soldiers had a heck of a job clearing the roads and helping people. It was as he feared, many had died and now there was little food left. Some started to wonder if it perhaps was better to leave the city after all, the dragons didn’t like this cold now could they?

Janok was helping out shovelling snow off a roof when the call was heard, dragons on the horizon and Janok felt his heart sink. He ran to the wall and saw that it was a huge herd, flying ones as well as creatures with no wings and they were heading their way. He swallowed, this was it. They wouldn’t make it, it was impossible. He could just pray that Crassian and his men hadn’t been hampered by the storm, they could possibly have gotten so far south now they had avoided it. He shouted orders, the soldiers did run to the wall, the weapons were made ready but Janok knew that there was little they could do. People ran screaming in the streets, trying to seek shelter. He wished that there was something he could have done to help them, something at all.

The dragons were huge, way larger than before and many, they looked like a huge cloud from a distance and the sheer number was unbelievable. Janok did throw a cloak over his uniform and grasped his spear and sword. He was the commander of this camp and the protector of this city, he intended to die as a soldier should, fighting. The ground was shaking as the wingless beasts came closer and closer and they too were huge, and armoured. He did hope that the group was safe, wherever they were. The officers were shouting orders and the men did obey but it was out of desperation, none of them had any hope that they would make it. The winged dragons did slow down, and then they started to descend and Janok saw that their throats started to swell with fire. The archers did release their arrows, the arrowheads were made to be strong and sharp but they didn’t do much good.

The first of the running beasts hammered into the wall as the first burst of flames did rain down from above. The wall was not strong enough and it simply fell apart and crumbled and men were thrown around and trampled. Janok saw that fire danced all over the city now, and the dragons did just fly on, they didn’t even bother watching it burn. Screams and wails were heard, the roaring of fire filled the air and Janok watched how his soldiers fought bravely but to no prevail. He saw that a huge dragon had landed on the square and it was spewing fire at the building which served as the city council hall, the bricks did explode in the heat.

He held the spear and bared his teeth, the thing was busy and he aimed for its chest as he ran as fast as he could. Janok was a very experienced soldier, he had learned how to spear an animal and he was strong and desperate. He wanted to take at least one monster with him and the spearhead had been forged from the best steel there was. Between the chest and the wing joint was an area which was vulnerable and he took the last steps, almost flying. He felt little fear, more of a determined anger and the spear did hit home. It felt like trying to kill a dog with a toothpick but the metal did pierce the hide and he had hit between two ribs. The spear was long and the shaft narrow but strong, the weapon did slide in.

The dragon let out a terrible shriek and jerked, the wings did almost lift it off the ground again and Janok was thrown away but he saw that the dragon was severely wounded. Blood gushed from its maw and it fell down again with a bang, it was clawing at the ground and roaring and it saw Janok and opened its jaws. Janok smiled, he had done it, he had killed a dragon, who could possibly ask for more? He didn’t feel the fire which devoured him within the blink of an eye, all he felt was pride. He had done what he could, what was in his power to do. He could meet his ancestors with pride.

The four mages had been stunned by what they saw on the other side of the magical barrier, this was forbidden ground for them and that sent a thrill through them all. It felt exciting, those old dour curmudgeons would have suffered an apoplectic seizure had they known this. Oronor was breathing in the fresh air with a pleased expression upon his face, the place was vibrant and looked very inviting. The other three were making small gasps of sheer joy and the fact that they were very young did not escape him. They were acting like ordinary younglings and Oronor felt a bit more dignified than that. He threw his robe around him and lifted his head. “Come, if there are some enemies here they will be coming this way, we’d better go and meet them.”

The others nodded and kept staring at the strange vegetation and the wildlife they did see. The world they had entered was so different from their own and they had soon forgotten about their mission. There was so much to see, so much go explore and they had no brakes when it came to getting up close and personal with the things they saw. Two of the group did spot something very colourful in the distance. “Look, those colours are insane!”

Oronor turned his head. It was a bush and it had flowers on it, a sheer kaleidoscope of colours was spread among the green and he had hardly ever seen something so beautiful. He wasn’t one to give in to emotions, to be a good dark mage you have to be able to control yourself and showing feelings is never wise. It can and will be used against you and Oronor was aiming for the title as high mage one day in the future, to him guarding his thoughts was second nature. But this, it was wondrous and he saw nothing wrong in wandering over to the bush to investigate. The flowers were huge and so delicate and they did almost look as if they were sculpted from the finest porcelain with exquisite details. One of the others just stared. “So beautiful, I wonder if that bush can survive in our world? I want one!”

The others nodded, the youngest one tilted his head. “Maybe one can bring a twig along and see if it survives?”

He bent down and grasped a thin branch, it did look very healthy and strong and he used his pocket knife to cut it off, just underneath some leaves. Mages rarely carry weapons, they don’t need to. But a pocket knife is good to have to sharpen quills and arrange wicks and nobody went anywhere without one, it was simply a part of the dress code. The young mage held the twig up triumphantly and suddenly one of the branches twitched and the flowers did shake violently. A cloud of pollen was ejected into the air and the young one and the one standing next to him was for a second hard to see, completely covered. They coughed and wheezed and the other two were laughing, until the wheezing got serious and nasty.

The cloud did dissolve but the two were on the ground, grasping their throats, faces red and bodies twitching. Oronor was so shocked he didn’t know what to do, poisonous pollen, what was this? The other one did shout a healing spell but he wasn’t strong enough to heal such severe problems. The two managed to get two breaths of air before it got even worse and then they suddenly jerked violently and fell silent. Both were dead, and Oronor was staring at them with wide eyes. What had just happened? This place did look like paradise but apparently it wasn’t at all. He swore and grasped his remaining companion by the elbow. “Swiftly, you do know protective spells?”

The other one was very pale and shivering and he nodded hesitantly. He did weave some protective spells around himself and Oronor did the same, his were more powerful and efficient but he didn’t really care that much about his comrade, his own safety was more important. He panted and stared at the bodies, tried to think clearly. Alright, they were in clearly hostile terrain and there could be enemies heading their way right now, they needed to strengthen themselves, they were only two. Oronor did open himself to the power of the source, drew upon it and felt that he could connect with it even here. That was good, that meant that he was sure he wouldn’t run out of energy. He let the magic from the heart stone flow through him and he soaked his own soul with it, smiling as he did it. The other mage wasn’t strong enough to do this yet and he did stare at Oronor with some awe. Oronor did enjoy being admired and revered, that was why he had chosen the dark path in the first place, it was the only way he could excel and he was very sure that he one day would make it to grand mage.

Oronor didn’t know it, but he had done a mistake, now he was like a hose straight to the heart stone and its power did gain access to this world. The gate they had opened blazed with light for a few seconds and pierced both time and space and neither of them did notice this. Neither did they notice that their perception of time had changed a lot. Oronor nodded to his remaining companion. “We stay here, if someone does come they have to pass by us”

The other mage was nervous now, and his gaze revealed it too. His eyes were moving all the time, searching for danger and he was pale. “Do you really think that there is someone coming?”

Oronor shook his head. “No Dharien, I don’t think anyone is coming. It is just Siverel who is being overzealous, if Simaon really had someone out there working for him I doubt that this one person is able to bring a magician to us, no, it is bullshit. But we have to be certain, just so he cannot say that we have failed our duties”

Dharien nodded and sat down, his elegant dark robes were getting grass stains on them and the young mage did already smell of sweat. Oronor leaned up against a rock and started whispering some spells, just to practice them. He didn’t know that magic sometimes works a bit like some sorts of liquids, they will always try to reach a balance by flowing from an area of high density to one with low density and he was releasing more and more magic into the surroundings this way. The heart stone had sensed an area untouched by its power and now it tried to make up for it. The gate did allow creatures from the breeding area access to this dimension and it was as if nature sensed this dark contamination and tried to rid itself of it. The trees shook and the wind seemed to wail, something was very wrong, it had to be fought.

The two sat there for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet and the younger one did fall asleep, he was not used to pushing himself the way the older mages were and his mind wasn’t that disciplined yet. Oronor didn’t mind, he was fond of silence and just sat there trying to feel if there was some other mages in this realm. He ought to be able to pinpoint the direction to anyone wielding magic of any kind but he didn’t feel anything, this world was blocking him somehow. It was like trying to see something through a thick opaque sheet of glass and he kept trying and kept pushing but no.

He did feel as if he was onto something for a few seconds but then it did slip away and he got a strange feeling of being unwelcome there. Why he didn’t know though, the life force and natural magic of this world seemed very uncorrupted and it could be that this was what he reacted to. It was a diametric opposite of what he and his brethren did stand for. He was meditating while his companion did sleep, and nothing disturbed him. It felt good just sitting there, in the soft light, and the warm air. Not thinking about anything, not scheming, not really making any plans, and just being! He wasn’t used to it, it was a rare luxury and he enjoyed it to the fullest. Maybe he ought to make this dimension his home whence they had won? He could make up some excuse for not letting others join him in there, saying it was dangerous in some way. He stared at the forested hills and the feeling of peace was so new to him he had to really reflect upon it.

He was close to drifting off to sleep too when his companion did jerk and groan in his sleep, a grimace flew over the face and Oronor did chuckle, was Dharien having one of those dreams? He was young after all, and healthy too. Most mages does forget about such things rather fast, the dedication to the magic overpowers all such natural urges and Oronor hadn’t thought about women for at least a decade. Dharien did groan again, wriggling a bit, perhaps he had ants in his pants? Oronor hadn’t seen any ants there but they could be tiny and the grass was lush and long. Oronor did lift his gaze to stare at some very huge birds which seemed to have four wings? It was an odd world this and he would love to learn more of it. Then Dharian made a sort of howling sound and the body arched, shook violently. Oronor spun around, this was no erotic dream, was the other mage having nightmares. Dharian was opening his eyes, they were filled with pain and panic and his arms were flailing about, ghastly sounds came from him and Oronor was on his feet within the blink of an eye. He stared down at Dharian who gargled and blood burst from his mouth as his eyes lost their light and his soul fled. Oronor blinked, what the hell…

The body just lay there, then it moved again and Oronor let out a feminine shriek and backed away, something was tugging at the corpse and as Oronor stood there in shock he saw that something moved underneath the body. It seemed to have come out of the ground and it looked like a thick worm of some sorts and he saw that Dharian’s corpse did sort of shrink, it was as if everything inside of the body was being sucked out and Oronor got pale and felt sick when he realized that the worm or whatever it was in fact had entered Dharian’s body and were devouring it from the inside out. And it had entered it from…Oronor covered his mouth with his hand, in complete disgust and disbelief and he ran off, this world was a nightmare, was there anything which wasn’t dangerous? The spells hadn’t worked, and now he did see the flaws of their way of thinking. Magic protects against magic, it may not protect against non-magical attacks.

Shaluun had lead them through the woods for a while, his keen senses had been able to find the monsters pretty fast and they were indeed like dark and decaying very large wolves, a terrible sight. Ivran didn’t quite understand what Shaluun was planning on doing but he did trust the elf. The pack wasn’t large, just five beasts but five were bad enough and they had killed the entire pack of local dragons and then many other beings. The monsters would continue to spread death through this realm unless they were stopped. Ivran had felt something strange as they rode between the trees, the forest seemed angered and Thiana and Taurin did confirm that yes, this realm had felt the contamination of dark magic and it was preparing to strike back. The wolf like beasts did look as if they had been rotting for weeks and yet they moved but they were not alive, not really. They were extensions of the dark magic and existed only because of that. Now the pack was resting or rather trying to determine where to go next, they were drawn to living beings and the wildlife had fled the area, wisely enough. Shaluun was staring at them all, his face grim. “These monsters must be utterly destroyed before we can do anything more. Let us hope that there aren’t more beasts here.”

Zaray was nodding to Phraan who grasped his sword and let the armour appear again, he felt ready for a fight, and he needed to blow off some steam. The wolf like monsters did hear the hooves and gathered, eager for more slaughter but what they did encounter was something rather unforeseen. Two did fall with glowing arrows through them and three were suddenly coming face to face with an armoured warrior wielding a glowing blade. They tried to attack but were chopped into pieces and the battle was over almost before it was started. Phraan did shake the blood of the sword and Zaray did turn to Shaluun. “Now, explain this plan of yours, we are eager to hear of it”

Shaluun smiled “Yes, Ivran, what do you feel now? Are the dark mages still here somewhere?”

Ivran closed his eyes, the constant pull of that distant power was annoying but it wasn’t strong enough to really toss him out of balance emotionally just yet. He was searching for darkness within the bright life of this realm and he felt it again, but it had diminished a lot. He opened his eyes. “There is but one now, and he is alone. I think the others have died”

Dhokay made a sort of wry grin. “Well, the way they act I bet this world would prove to be rather hostile against them.”

Ivran did look a bit nervous, he was still feeling weak and confused and Shaluun laid a hand on his shoulder. “I once learned that the best way to conquer a besieged fortress is to attack it not from the front but from within.”

Ivran frowned. “And by that you mean?”

Shaluun sat down on the ground and the rest of the group did join him, Fastonar did look as if he was in severe doubt and Rhuk was frowning and did look a bit intimidating that way. “Those mages did open up a connection right? We can create some trouble for the enemy through that connection, send a little present back if you can call it that”

Fastonar did cross his arms. “Won’t that tell them that we are here and on our way?”

Shaluun sent the soul sworn a rather wry and wicked grin. “Not if it is a dark mage who makes a blunder now is it? “

Zaray snickered. “You are simply going to send something back the same way as these monsters came right?”

Shaluun nodded. “Feel the magic within this land, it is furious, and it want’s the dark chaotic force the mages brought gone.”

Thiana did look as if she was gradually becoming more enthusiastic. “You are right, it may help us.”

Shaluun laid both hands on Ivran’s shoulders, stared him in the eye. “There is one magic you haven’t tried yet, a trick. It is rather harmless and more of a child’s play really and not at all that hard but I doubt that a dark mage would know anything of it”

Phraan was removing the armor, he felt a bit stiff with it on and he preferred to go without for as long as possible. “You want to capture that dark mage”

Shaluun nodded. “Yes, and use him for all he is worth. We can perhaps drain the heart stone, and create some chaos of our own”

Taurin did look down. “It can be done if the dark mages indeed does draw power from the heart stone, this land will see it happen. I can feel it through the trees, I think…”

He stopped for a moment and his eyes got distant, then he smiled. “Yes, the wall wasn’t the only defence against the chaos forces, the area in front of it is also a part of the plan. They used mighty magic to create the hidden path, it is a trap for anyone who isn’t of the light”

Zaray smiled. “Good, so, how do we capture a dark mage? I bet he won’t go down without a fight now will he?”

Ivran made a dark grimace. His eyes were distant and cold. “He will try to fight, right away, so he has to be subdued immediately, we cannot hesitate and think that this man, whoever he is, is still human. If we do we’ll lose.”

Zaray took his hand. “Are you strong enough to use your magic again? To perform that little trick of Shaluun?”

Ivran swallowed hard and he blinked. “I will try!”

Dhokay winced. “Trying isn’t enough, we’ll have one go at this, and it has to be a success.”

Ivran looked down, he did look uncertain. “I know, but I feel…it is hard to explain, odd!”

Phraan looked at the young man, he didn’t look well and he was in fact very pale. “Are you ill? Is there something physically wrong with you?”

Ivran swallowed hard. “I don’t know, I feel torn, weakened. I am not sure if it is the heart stone or something else”

Zaray was staring at Ivran with a rather stern expression on her face. “I think I can help you, by linking our minds together. We have to get moving and get out of here, time goes by and here it runs at its own pace entirely”

She nodded at Shaluun. “We have to find this mage and then you can leave him to Phraan and me, I know what to do with him”

Shaluun tilted his head. “Are you sure?”

Zaray smiled and pointed at Tersus. “Yes, we have a weapon he won’t anticipate at all!”¨

The elf smiled and waved his hand at Thiana and Tersus. “Good, lead the way my friends, show us how well you do track”

Oronor had tried to find somewhere which felt safe but he couldn’t, he was getting more and more confused and only the great looming magical barrier did show him the direction. He was heading back towards it now but it seemed to be so far away, even though he was almost running. He wanted to return to the city and damn the mission, there weren’t anybody there anyhow, and how could the old jerks believe that someone could have managed to get past the dragons and the other monsters? He was panting as he walked up a rather steep hill at a brisk pace, the wall didn’t come any closer and he started to feel a slight sensation of panic. What was this really? Did the darn barrier evade him? He stopped and tried to focus, his mind did seek his brethren through the use of magic but there was nothing coming back and he snarled and walked on. Then he felt something new, a strange tingling sensation which to a mage speaks of magic, in big bold letters. It was near, and it wasn’t strong but it was some sort of magical source.

He hesitated, there had to be an explanation, were there more mages there, had someone been sent after him? Oh no, that would be a disaster, he would have to come up with some good lie to explain what had happened to the others. He took a deep breath and started to move towards it, not really sure of what to do. The power was frail, barely there, and of a very peculiar type too. He couldn’t identify it and he started to walk a little faster, he was getting curious. It could be something which belonged in this dimension and although he was very cautious now he didn’t want to lose the opportunity to perhaps discover something which would make up for the mistake of going there in the first place. He rounded a small group of trees and saw something in the grass ahead, it was a person, sitting down, and facing the wall and the magic seemed to come from him. It seemed to be a young man, clad in worn travelling clothes and Oronor stopped and frowned. Could it be a native? No, there were no signs of humans in this wretched world, he still remembered how his men had died and he cringed. But of course, this had to be what Siverel had warned them about, one of those which were heading for the city and Oronor felt a surge of rage.

This was the reason he had been sent there, this was the reason he was so miserable and why he had lost his comrades. He hissed and ran forth, the man didn’t seem to notice that he was coming and Oronor did shout a spell which should have made the man turn into a cloud of vapour there and then. Nothing happened and Oronor gaped, he suddenly realized that he had done a mistake and he tried to turn around to run. The man in the grass simply disappeared, as if he had never been there in the first place and Oronor had never heard of such magic. He felt a violent jerk and looked down, vines were twirling up along his calves and he shouted a spell to get rid of them but nothing happened. Instead his feet started to sink into the soil and he flailed his arms and tried yet another spell but to no prevail. What in the name of every unholy God was going on? There was as if a sort of dome had descended over him, shielding him from everything and he struggled desperately but the vines were wrapping themselves around his whole body. He gasped and cried out, one spell more powerful than the other but they had no effect. Then he saw them, two figures which were approaching him, a tall elven female and an even taller male dressed in odd looking armour.

Oronor recognized her, from old stories. The one who had tried to assassinate one of the high mages a very long time ago and disappeared from the dungeons, one who was prophesised to return, one who knew their secrets, one who would bring their doom. He hissed and the vines did pull him deeper down. The female did stare at him, her eyes were very cold. “Now, let us see what this will accomplish”

She took something from her pocket, two small gems and Oronor did see what they were, heart gems, and the type they used to transform the dragons. They were powerful and valuable and how had she come into possession of these? She bent down and smiled, the smile wasn’t pretty at all, in fact it was rather gruesome and he realized that this was an opponent just as cruel as they were, it was only that the goal was a different one. She reached for him and he tried to wriggle himself free, a steel hard hand grasped his jaw and before he knew it the gems were placed in his mouth and the wines did twist around his head and force him to close it. He realized that this was it, the end. He shouldn’t have done it, shouldn’t have insisted on leaving their leader behind. Desperation and fear did take over and he was trying to beg for his life, but he couldn’t. The power of the gems did burn through him and two wood elves did come forth. They were chanting and their eyes were very eerie. He tried to scream but he couldn’t, the vines did pull him even further down and now only his head was above the ground. The tall female gestured to the one wearing the armour. “Do it”

Oronor tried to call out to his brethren one last time but it was too late, he couldn’t. The elf raised his sword and the point did pierce Oronor’s neck and continued downwards into his chest. The mage felt a tear running down his cheek, his blood did gush from the wound and the wood elves were still chanting, slowly the magic of this very land did enter the body, and fought its way backwards, towards the source of his magic, the way a trout swims towards the pond where it was hatched. His last thought was one of disbelief, how could this have happened to him?

Zaray did stare at the peculiar sight, she smirked and cocked her head. “Good, Ivran, it is your turn”