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| The Balance of Chaos | |||||||||||
| Prologue... Deep within the dwarven territory on the other side of the Forbidden Isles, hundreds of dwarven warriors were in chanting out into the night. Huge fires burned across the mountains that were in the empire that belonged to the plainswalker known - as Chaos. |
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| Hundreds of dead orcs - goblins and other spies that had tried to filter in - littered the landscape where these fever pitched warriors danced. The mountain shook with each step that the dwarven priest took as he stepped up to the altar where the armor and sword of Chaos rested. | |||||||||||
| "The time - is at hand!" he called out. Every dwarf raised his weapon and screamed out into the night. Bright flames rose up from the altar and consumed the armor. When the flames died down - the armor was gone. | |||||||||||
| Then - one by one - all of the fires that were burning began to snuff out like a candle's gentle flame. The ground began to shake again. Every dwarf began to chant out the name of the being they worshiped as their god - the plainswalker Chaos. | |||||||||||
| As they chanted - the tremors worsened. This did not slow their efforts - it heightened them. The chanting grew louder - and faster. Red lines began to crack the altar. The priest stepped back. The altar exploded into a pillar of fire. All voices were silent when they say the crimson gauntlet that glowed from the heart of the flames. Chaos - their god - had returned! | |||||||||||
| Scroll One: Rebirth | |||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||
| In his Citadel within the mountainous region of the Forbidden Isles - the Demon Lord known as the Mountain King looked off to the distance to the dwarven territory. For the past five days they had been up to something but none of his spies could penetrate into that region. Worse - none of the spies - even the less expendable ones were returning from missions near to the war torn border. | |||||||||||
| "Something is going on," the Mountain King muttered as he stepped away from the window. "Something - seriously unpleasant," he added as a violent explosion rocked the mountains. A goblin scurried in and fell at the feet of its master. | |||||||||||
| "Snee - dwarves - everywhere - fighting - killing," the goblin gasped. The Mountain King studied the wounds on the now dead goblin. The markings showed that he was part of a warren that was in a cavern region near the border. | |||||||||||
| "These boys are very territorial. They've kept those stupid dwarves at bay for decades. How did they?" the demon lord pondered as his mind flashed back about five days ago. He had a feeling - a premonition that some power had changed. The balance was off. "They couldn't have," he muttered as he jumped up and vanished into the ether. | |||||||||||
| Seconds later - the clouds in the sky took on the form and shape of the Mountain King. The demon lord slowly looked around - hoping to see nothing - unfortunately - he would not be so lucky. | |||||||||||
| "The warrens - all of them - destroyed?" he muttered in disbelief. He looked outward using his link to the land to see everything that his territory touched. | |||||||||||
| He saw armies of dwarves marching in numbers they seemingly never had. Machines of war - paralleling the destructive might of the Brothers being moved from sight to sight - destroying every encampment, holding and base they encountered. | |||||||||||
| It was then that he sensed - that he himself was being watched. He spun around. In the distance - on the outer boarder - he saw a man - or something that wore the guise of a man. He wore the armor of the fallen mage Chaos. But the demon lord could tell just by the look in the fire mage's eye - that he was not the man he had fought so long ago. | |||||||||||
| "It has been too long," Chaos remarked. The Mountain King watched as flames danced across the mage's armor. "But - never - had I forgotten you," he continued - his voice clearly no longer human. | |||||||||||
| "This isn't possible! We killed you," the Mountain King retorted. Chaos laughed - his voice echoed over the mountains. | |||||||||||
| "You fool! Even a demon as mighty as you," Chaos began as he began to exponentially grow and grow until he dwarfed even the legendary Colossus of Sardia. "Can not - match power - with that of a god!" his voice thundered. | |||||||||||
| The Mountain King watched as mountains were crushed with each - slow lumbering step. | |||||||||||
| "You were bested once - now shall not be any different," he retorted. Chaos watched as red mana was drawn in from the mountains and surrounding mana sources. The plainswalker made no effort to even try to stop his foe. "Return to the ether from whence you came!" the demon lord screamed as a pillar of flames exploded towards the wizard. | |||||||||||
| "If that is your best!" Chaos began as an explosion unlike anything the Forbidden Isles had ever seen consumed Chaos and a large section of surrounding mountains. The Mountain King gasped and panted as the smoke and flames began to die down. When they did - a wave of panic washed over the normally confident demon lord. | |||||||||||
| Not only - did the blast not hurt Chaos - if anything it made him more powerful. Chaos breathed deeply in and then smiled at the Mountain King. The wizard smiled as he extended his hand. His legendary sword appeared. | |||||||||||
| "I was hoping you would provide more sport. Apparently I was mistaken," Chaos remarked. The Mountain King frantically looked around. All over his vast mountain empire - he could feel the dwarves razing his territories and holdings - severing his ties to his power. | |||||||||||
| "This is far from over godling! Forces - hear your master! Fall back!" the demon shouted as he glared at the mage that was slowly stalking his way towards where he was. | |||||||||||
| "Leaving so soon? But we have just barely begun to play. As I recall - you do like to play," Chaos taunted. | |||||||||||
| "When I play - I do so on my terms - and I always win," he retorted. | |||||||||||
| "Well - I don't think you'll be able to win this one," Chaos remarked. In the blink of an eye - the Mountain King shrunk down to the size of a man and all but raced over the remnants of his mountain domain. "You think this will help you? You think running will keep you safe? You fool! There is no place you can run to! There is only places to hide! And one by one - all of those places will be found!" Chaos echoed. | |||||||||||
| The mage looked around and watched as the dwarven armies continued inward. His armies - under his guidance - his - unquestioned rule - crushed without mercy anything that dared stand - or run. | |||||||||||
| Slowly the mammoth mage shrunk back down until he was the size of a mortal man. | |||||||||||
| He knelt down and placed his open palm to the ground and smiled as he could feel the power of the land - once again flowing into every fiber of his being. Only - it didn't feel like before - it felt better! It tasted sweeter than nectar as red mana from all of the surrounding territories began to flow like a mist into his being. | |||||||||||
| It was then that a large retreating mob of goblins and orcs raced over a ridge towards him. behind them - he could see his dwarves - leading the sheep to the slaughter. | |||||||||||
| Powerful magic swirled around him. before the retreating dimwitted creatures could even defend themselves - a raging inferno engulfed them all. | |||||||||||
| Soon - all of the dwarves that had been fighting to get to their master - their god - arrived. | |||||||||||
| "I look around - and see a foul stench!" the mage stated as he looked at the Mountain King's citadel. "The master of this place - lives in fear of my reprisal. This tells me he is not half as dumb as he is," he continued. The dwarves cheered. He raised his hands - all were silent. "He - is under the impression - that he has escaped. This - is not so. No - he is merely - playing a game with us. You see - we have taken - everything from him!" he shouted - spreading his hands outward - proudly displaying how they had stolen the demon lord's power base out from under him. "We have taken - his power!" he continued as red mana pulsed around him. and very - very soon - of yes - my loyal - we - will take his life," the wizard hissed as the thousands of dwarfs around him chanted his name. | |||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | |||||||||||