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| Scroll Four: Ruin | ||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||
| On the southern most part of the Forbidden Isle - Enchantress saw many things that she had never encountered within the valley. Everything was different - the plants - trees - even the birds and animals that she happened upon seemed alien. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "What an amazing place," she said to herself as she walked through the forest. | ||||||||||||||||||
| In the trees she saw birds of paradise nesting. One of which flew down and perched on her shoulder. With a wave of her hand - a small pile of seeds appeared in her hands. She smiled as the bird pecked away at the seeds. | ||||||||||||||||||
| As soon as it was done - it chirped happily and then flew back up to where the rest of the small flock was. She was beginning to question why her mother and Tydiss were so concerned about her leaving the valley - when - she detected a faint odor. It was something familiar. She flew up until she found herself just above the trees. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh my," she muttered as she saw smoke coming from a large section of razed forest. She flew over and landed amidst the charred remnants of a once healthy forest. "How could such a thing happen?" she asked herself. It was then that a hill moved. She jumped as she realized it was no hill - but the body of a dying dragon! | ||||||||||||||||||
| "You are one of the maidens from the island to the south," the dragon tiredly began. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I am - truth be told - this is my first time out of the valley," she began as she walked over and looked at how badly the dragon was wounded. "Who did this to you?" she asked seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Too long - I waited too long. Like others who saw the war coming - I did nothing," the panther faced dragon said tiredly. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "What are you talking about?" Enchantress asked. The dragon blinked as a trickle of blood dripped down its face. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Three days ago - if that - I heard the army come. I saw them raze and pillage the territories to the north. But I was - arrogant. I believed that they would not dare to try to invade me. I was too powerful - but they knew my weakness," Tithian remarked - forcing back the pain. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Armies? Razing?" she repeated. The dragon looked over at her and could see the aura of innocence that was cloaked around her. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I watched as they set their lines to the north of my great forest. All of the creatures - bears - wolves - wurms - even the elves rallied. They charged at the arrogant dwarves - left the forest," the dragon remembered. "I breathed in the power of my lands - and flew out to aid them. It was a trap," Tithian added. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "How so?" Enchantress asked. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "My power was - is - tied to the land. Somehow - they knew. As we fought the dwarves - forcing them back to their cold mountains. Machines - dozens - hundreds - the likes of which would shame the Brothers - savagely cut into the forest. I tried to break away to stop them - but - the fight - the damage to the forest weakened me," the dragon stated. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "The dwarves did this? Why?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Their - god - told them to. They seek a demon that is hiding. They will destroy the world and everything on it until he is found," Tithian strained. "I watched - as the machines - boxed us in - slaughtering all that were trapped between the dwarven forces and them," the dragon continued. "I tried to fight - but - it was all too much. The machines - restrained me. I felt my wings being ripped from my back - felt hundreds of dwarven blades cut deep into my flesh. Then - like a storm - they left - leaving nothing - and left me for dead," Tithian concluded. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Is - is there anything I can do?" Enchantress offered. The dragon seemed to smile as it closed its eyes. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Return to your sheltered valley. The world as it has been - is gone to us all. All that remains is the illusion - of the grandeur of what once was. The factions here are too petty - and the forces of Chaos - are to powerful for any one faction to ever hope to stop," Tithian replied. Enchantress sighed as she knelt before the fallen dragon and began to seemingly pray. Seconds later - an illusionary pyramid began to form before the dragon. "The - Fields of the Mana Barons - but the dwarves - destroyed," the dragon began as the legendary artifact began to pulse. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Enchantress opened her eyes and watched as the dragon focused all of its attention on the artifact. Around them - among the scorched ruins - fertile grass and small plants began to grow. The dragon growled as it forced itself up to its feet. Enchantress was afraid but remained where she was. | ||||||||||||||||||
| She watched as scales began to grow where dwarven blades had cleaved it away. She watched as powerful wings sprouted from the back of the dragon. She watched as all of the other wounds on the dragon healed. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "You - said that before - you did nothing. If such a chance were to come again - would such be the same?" Enchantress hesitantly asked. The now healthy dragon looked over at the girl that had seemingly performed a miracle. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "The artifact - the dwarves destroyed it - the powers of Chaos banished it. How did you - how could you have brought it back?" Tithian asked coldly. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't know. All I know is that - I don't think I could live in a world that is like what is around us," Enchantress began as they looked at the scorched earth and half decayed bodies. Just then the dragon reached down and grabbed her in its powerful claw. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "In my day - I heard tales - fallacies I swore - of mythical djinns so powerful - that they could make the impossible possible. Such creatures were sought out like prizes. Wars were fought for their capture - for their great power - could only be used - by others," Tithian said. Enchantress tried to free herself from the dragon's grip but couldn't. Then - slowly the dragon lowered her to the ground and released her. "If you are such a creature - do not make it known," the dragon warned. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I thought you were," she began. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Truth be told - I was thinking it. I have seen the wars fought in the name of finding such magical creatures - especially ones as innocent and naive as you. Brother against brother - friend against friend - husband against wife - kingdom against kingdom," the dragon remembered. "When word got out - that the last of the wish masters perished during that war - it was as though a peace had settled among the mortal world," it continued. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I just want to help," she pointed out. The dragon looked over at her and seemingly smiled. It laid down before her - so that the girl was at eye level. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I can see that - and in these - dark times - such a thing is rare," the dragon began as it looked around at the destruction - and smiled as the power of the reanimated artifact healed it. "But the sad truth here is - there is nothing you can do to help," it continued. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "What do you mean?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I mean - there is no one here - powerful enough to stop Chaos. So long as lives - the balance is disturbed. The strong will be weak - in his wake. The only thing that kept his dwarves at bay - was the demon known as the Mountain King - and he was forced into hiding - many years ago. This destruction - all of it - is the way of Chaos trying to find his prey. No land will be refuge to his fury - not even the land you have traveled from," the dragon warned. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "So we should give up?" Enchantress asked. The dragon smiled at her attitude. Not in years since the fall of the Mountain King had he seen such spirit in one so young. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I see in you a fire. It burns brightly. If you are sincere in wishing to help. I will tell you what needs to happen. The child must return. She must be kept safe until she grows - then - and only then - will there be any hope - in turning Chaos back," the dragon explained rationally. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't understand," Enchantress replied. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "The power of this land - is shifting slowly. But the power is still under the control of one. The Mountain King - is not at the apex of power - his twin - his mate - must be found to restore the balance," the dragon explained. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "This child you speak of - she is powerful enough to beat this Chaos person?" Enchantress asked. The dragon looked around as if doing some complex equation. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Hard to say now. Chaos has taken much - destroyed more. The longer she is away - the more powerful he will become - and the weaker she will be," the dragon began as it looked over at her. "But with your aid - I would say she would have a good chance," Tithian added. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Who is this child?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "A creature of many forms. Her greed and ambition made her both strong and weak. The one you need find - is Markys," he explained. Her eyes widened at the mention of the name. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Markys," she repeated. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "You know her?" the dragon asked. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "In a way - sort of," she admitted hesitantly. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "Then know - if she becomes aware at any time - of what you truly are - she will taint you. She will turn you down a path of darkness that - will scar your soul. But - if this land is to survive - it will be because of her. Without her - this land will fall into the complete thrall - of Chaos," the dragon stated. | ||||||||||||||||||
| * * * | ||||||||||||||||||
| At that moment - on the eastern most shore of one of the smaller islands - a boat landed. From it emerged an older looking wizard that looked around the island with greedy eyes. | ||||||||||||||||||
| "So this is the place of legends," he remarked. Behind him an all too familiar child stepped onto the shore of her home. She was Markys - and she was in for a rather unpleasant surprise. | ||||||||||||||||||
| To Be Continued... | ||||||||||||||||||