The Dracon

By Mkvenner

The dracon looks ancient. Barely thirty summers, his face shows an unnatural age, almost as if life has leeched away his youth. His weapon lies next to him, perched against his leg, always within arms reach. It is a magnificent weapon, glowing dimly, drawing you toward it. Oh, what you could do with such a weapon. You are trained in the arts of the rogue. Surely you could get away after making it yours; this dracon does not seem quick enough to catch you. You signal your group of equally experienced friends as you circle to his side. Measuring up this creature, you may have underestimated him.

Heavily armored and battle-scarred, he breathes deeply from the bloody malt he's been nursing for almost an hour. He must have brought it with him from the dracon city of Vir; the Lonely Dragon Inn does not sell the brand. It is almost a comedic irony that such a creature would drink in this place, but his eyes drain any humor from it. What could he have done in his life to look so beaten? You cannot keep your eyes off this warrior and your mind yearns to know why.

"You're staring, younglings," he simply states aloud, startling you from your reverie. Your companions stutter a response, and you step back as his eyes meet yours. You don't feel fear, far from it, just the need to move away.

"I . . . well, sorry. Just that . . ." you struggle with the words as his sight scans your group of six and the overcrowded bar. Has he just noticed these people? You dare not ask. He must have known. Right?

"Stop apologizing. I don't like when people apologize." His voice is deep and clear. "Now, you're not thinking about taking my friend here, are you?" He pats the mighty weapon and chuckles lightly, returning to his drink.

Your eyes widen at his words. How could he have known? You don a false sense of bravado and smirk, "And what if I am? Not like you could stop us all." Your friends nervously agree with broken voices.

Again, the dracon chuckles and sips from his bloody cup. "Do you really think so? Do you plan on attacking me, or just distracting me long enough to snatch my pretty little maul? You younglings have much to learn."

"Do not underestimate me, dracon," you spit vehemently, "I am one of the finest warriors and most artful thieves in Alyria. Do not mock me."

"Oh, I don't mock you or your friends. I'm sure you are skilled but I doubt you could even pick this weapon up." Sipping from his cup, he returns to his brooding, ignoring you once again. You nearly burst with rage.

"Whom do you think you are, you old cur!?" You shout, loud enough to silence the others in the bar. Your allies stare at you, eyes filled with fear. Quiet murmurs echo in the bar, and you even see money passing hands, bets on your life it seems.

"By the gods, what have I done?" you scream in your mind, but the warrior has barely moved. In fact, the only movement is the slight smile crossing his face. You don't know whether to be angry or terrified.

"You are bold, sir," he says to you, not a hint of anger in his voice. "Come here."

You obey his order, your feet sliding slowly across the wooden floors. He stands up for the first time, his head only coming up to your chest. His 4'11" height is unimpressive. He could have been only three feet tall, and you'd still be moving toward him in this bar filled with people, wondering how you were going to die. Reaching his arms out, he grabs your biceps in his claws and squeezes them, nodding slightly.

"You seem strong for a human. Have you trained as a barbarian?" he asks nicely. All you can do is nod, baffled by his demeanor. He's speaking to you as if you were old friends and that scares you nearly as much as your proximity to a mouth that breathes fire.

"Good," he speaks curtly, nodding at the weapon at your feet. "Take it."

The murmuring quiets as the room realizes what the dracon told you. You can't believe it yourself and don't move, paralyzed with uncertainty. "Wh . . . What?' you stutter.

"Pick it up, it's yours!" he exclaims aloud, smiling brightly. He sits down and sips on his drink again, waiting for you.

"Really? I can have this?" Your knees nearly buckle when he nods at you. Your friends are ecstatic behind him and motion for you to grab it. You stand up straight, pulling all your reserves of composure and smile. "It's a deal, dracon. Thank you for your kindness," you say loudly enough for the others to hear. You bend over and take the weapon in your hands. It's cool to the touch and seeing it so up close, you realize how beautiful it is. You pull . . . and it doesn't move. You laugh anxiously and try again. Still nothing. You can hear laughter from around the room, even from your companions, and you blush furiously. You wrap your arms around it tightly and heave your entire body upward, straining every muscle and bone in your body to make this magnificent weapon rise. Laughter erupts as your grip slips, causing you to crash into the table behind you. Sitting up abruptly, you eye the entire bar and scream, "It's a trick -- that Kwh weapon can not be lifted!"

You sense more than hear the deep chuckling of the dracon and it quiets the room once more. He is standing above you, that glorious weapon in one hand. One hand!

He is still smirking when he says quietly, "If it were a trick, then why would I use it."

He straightens up and fear grips your soul. "He is going to kill me!" your mind shrieks, "I should've left him alone!" You close your eyes waiting for the impact of that weapon . . . where is the pain? You open an eye and see his hand outstretched in front of you. You take it tentatively, and he pulls you up in one smooth motion, that smile still on his face.

"I'm so sorry, we didn't mean to cause . . ." He raises a hand to silence you, and you quickly finish.

"What did I say? Don't apologize to me." Lowering his maul and placing it again on the ground, the tension in the room breaks and people return to their business, still eyeing you and the dracon. He finishes his drink and waves the serving girl over. "Another one from my stock in the back, kind lady, and one of whatever he's been drinking," he points at you.

"Alright, Mkvenner, one bloody malt and a stout of ale," the serving girl answers. The dracon, Mkvenner it seems, stops her and looks at you with a quizzical look.

"A stout of ale? You've been drinking ale?" He laughs loudly and shakes his head. "Order whatever you'd like, but ale is a drink for children." His chuckling dies down, the girl waiting patiently for your order.

"Well, I'll have a glass of chardonnay then," you tell her hesitantly, looking over at Mkvenner. He nods and the girl smiles, walking off to fetch both drinks. You sit staring at him as he eyes your friends.

"You're staring again, laddie." He says quietly, not turning his head. "Why not invite your friends over; they sure do seem lonely." He smirks again as you nervously call your friends over to the table. They walk over, still cautious, and take seats around the table. The serving girl wanders back over with your and his drinks and asks if the others will order. "Give them what they want, I'll pay for it," he says jovially. Your friends murmur orders of ale and wine, and the girl again leaves to fetch them. An awkward silence falls around the table as you all wait for the drinks. When they arrive, Mkvenner pays the girl, and with a large tip and asks her to keep them coming.

"Now I suppose you're wondering why I asked you over here and bought you drinks?" he asks calmly. The only responses are nods, and he smiles as he continues. "You few seem interested in my weapon and I'd like to tell you how and where I got it. Would you care to know?" The heads of you and your friends nod more enthusiastically when you realize that you might have a chance to get one of those weapons yourselves. Patting the maul almost lovingly, he clears his throat and simply states . . .

"Have you ever heard of Kezathin and the mighty Avarosis, Avatar of the Queen of Unseelie Castle?" Stunned silence meets his words. Can it be? Can this be the mighty and famed Daglar Battlehammer?

He chuckles again, "From your reactions, I'll say you have. And yes, this is a Daglar Battlehammer, one of small number in Alyria. Now, listen closely, and perhaps you'll be able to have one of these mighty weapons . . ."

* * *

Panic stricken, I attempt to flee from the mighty warrior before me. He swings a mighty flail, Heaven's Wrath it is called, above his head and he stares at me with unmerciful eyes. By the gods, I'm going to die, I think to myself as the weapon plummets toward me.

Arcane words sound, and the smell of ozone fills the air. The warrior halts his swing suddenly as a calming spell takes effect. Laughter and applause fill the small arena, and my fellow clan members come to pull me to my feet. I breathe heavily as they tell me how well I did or pat me on the back, and I can't help but smile at their compliments. Walking up to me, the half-elf that nearly took my life shakes my hand with a smile on his face.

"You fought well, and you've learned a lot, but don't think you'll be beating me anytime soon," he says calmly. Spliffstar, the leader of our clan, nods his head toward me, and I nod back, not one to deny such respect. A chuckle escapes his lips as he walks away, checking his armor for the little damage I could have done.

Nearly jumping into my arms, Elynril, a drow and my soon to be wife, kisses me gently on the lips. Barely able to stand, I simply wrap my arms around her and smile.

"You did great, Ven; I was rooting for you the entire time," she whispers in my ear. She kisses me again and lets go, beaming a smile back at me. "Take care of yourself, you look a little beat up." She winks at me and goes to talk with the others.

Looking down at myself, I realize she's right; I do look pretty ratty. Calling upon the Powers, I heal myself with simple spells as I check over my equipment. Nothing serious but I notice my axe is dented and chipped.

"I'll forge that for you, hun," A woman's voice calls out from the other side of the arena. Angelina, a young fey, comes over and takes the axe from my hands and flashes me a smile.

"Thank you Angel, that'd be great," I return the smile and walk over to Yuriko, Angelina's fiancée, pulling out a piece of crystal prism. "Here's that astral reagent I owe you, Yuri. Don't want to be in anyone's debt."

"I told you not to worry about it, but thanks anyway." For a sidhe, Yuriko is surprisingly cheerful. "That was a nice fight, maybe soon we'll spar for a bit." Flashing an evil grin toward me, Yuriko walks away to relax near Angelina. Resting at the entrance of the arena, a massive ogre stands guard. Simply known as Kadd, he is truly a sight to behold . . . or to fear if he decides he does not like you. Tipping my helm toward him, I continue my stroll, trying to catch my breath.

"Nice try, Chipper! Maybe you'll get him next time." Walking toward me in full battle regalia, Talina gives me a gentle hug and smiles. A powerful soul and knowledgeable half-elf, she is quite a fighter. "But don't tell him that because he'll just try harder." I laugh as I drink deep from my blood decanter and beam a smile at Talina.

"Hopefully, someday I'll be able to last more then 10 minutes against him." I say softly just to make sure he can't hear. She giggles lightly and pats me on the head, pacing back across the arena toward the others.

I walk toward a tall but young minotaur practicing with his axe. Not noticing me until the last second, he swings his weapon in reaction. Dodging it by mere inches, I can feel the blade pass by. Gloin just laughs loudly as I give him a nasty look.

"You're lucky I just fought him or I'd teach you a lesson in axe work," I taunt at him. He smirks at me and spins the axe between his hands.

"Sure you would," Gloin states proudly, "we'll just have to see about that." Swinging his axe toward me, I have to block with my shield since Angelina still has my axe. As he buries his weapon into my shield, I breath a cone of fire at his feet, just enough to deter him from the fight. Scrabbling backward from the heat, he snarls ferociously in attack stance, but stands up with a smirk back on his face.

"Cheat," he simply says as I walk away, laughing loudly. Walking back to Angelina, she hands me my axe, as good as new. I balance it in my hands and smile at the gleam of its blade.

"Now be careful with that, it can only be fixed so many times, " she says, jokingly wagging her finger at me. Chuckling still, I thank her and walk toward the exit where I see Spliffstar and Kadd talking to each other. A strange weapon glows in Spliffstar's hands as he passes it to Kadd; it looks like a maul of sorts, but not like any I've ever seen. I overhear their conversation.

"I can't even use it, I'm not strong enough," Spliffstar says to the ogre.

"Alright, I'll be glad to have it . . . how much for it?" Kadd responds. I don't hear the haggling over the price, but money is exchanged, and Kadd walks out of the clan hall with the strange weapon.

"Eavesdropping isn't polite, Mkvenner . . ." Staring straight at me, Spliffstar has an eyebrow raised. I try and stammer out an apology but he simply raises his hand to silence me. "I'm guessing you're wondering what that was, huh?"

"You don't need to tell me, I was just curious what kind of weapon that was," I explain. "I mean if you can't use it then it must be a great thing to have."

"Trying to flatter me, Mkvenner?" He laughs after my explanation. That wasn't my intention but I wasn't going to say otherwise. After a pause, he starts again. "That, my friendly little dracon, was a Daglar Battlehammer . . . Ever heard of it?" he asks.

"No never, why, should I have?" I reply. If it were something important, it'd be good to know. He thinks for a second and shakes his head.

"It isn't exactly a well-known piece of equipment because of its limited use, but since you are a dracon and are trained in barbarian skills, you will find it well worth the trouble to get." His explanation intrigues me, but before he continues he walks deeper into the arena. A thoughtful look is on his face as he proceeds to speak, this time to everyone in the room.

"The Daglar Battlehammer was designed by Kezathin the mad tinker in his neo-fundamentalist phase. The Daglar BattleHammer is a weapon of weapons. It's heavy, it's unwieldy for just about everyone ever, and it's big enough to behead a whalebeast and three destroyers in one cleave. But it packs power, the power that can only be wielded with biceps the size of a gnome and a skeletal structure rigid enough to heave a skiff the breadth of Templeton, or so the rumors are told. I tell you all this because Kadd has just received one from me and I know that Mkvenner here," without pausing he motions toward me and I suddenly feel very alone, "will be able to use such a weapon. Now, it won't be for a while but I would like to attempt to retrieve another. Continue now as you have been, but keep in mind that it will be a major battle against the one who has these weapons: Avarosis, Avatar Prime of the Queen in Unseelie Castle. Thank you for your time, and good luck on your adventures for now."

Lowering his arms, and bowing to me and my fellow clan members, he exits the arena. The others look at each other, and then me, but resume their conversations. I'm simply baffled at the abruptness of our leader.

"What have I gotten myself into?" I ask myself quietly. I shake my head from side to side as I rejoin the others. It's something to worry about another day.

* * *

"Alright," Spliffstar shouts, "Everyone into the portal!" A sharp screech echoes in my ears as he walks calmly through the whirling tempest of energy. To the faerie plane . . . To Unseelie castle . . . To Avarosis . . .

Something to worry about another day . . . Well, that day is today.

We said our goodbyes to the ones left behind. I teased Gloin to keep practicing, hugged Angelina and gave her a smile, and I kissed Elynril and told her I loved her. We were heading out and we needed to be ready. Spliffstar, Talina, Yuriko, and I . . .

It's only been a few months since the arena and the revelation about the mighty Daglar Battlehammer. I prepared, I practiced, and I prayed. The only thing left to do is fight the powerful Avarosis.

Talina follows our leader, and then Yuriko walks through. I wave a final farewell and stride toward the portal. Reaching a hand in, the energy is warm and makes my skin crawl. With a final breath, I step through. For a split second, I hear the screeching of damned souls and the tearing of the universe before I pass onto the other side.

Before my eyes is the Faerie Plane: an alternate world where those of the faerie races originate. It is a strange place, and not one for beings from the physical plane. I slowly circle around, seeing wasteland for miles and miles, until I face southeast and see our destination for the first time. We are on the edge of a floating landmass and stretching out of the void in the distance I can see another floating landmass. It appears like an island in the sea of blackness with an enormous castle built upon it. Unseelie: a horrible looking castle in this demented ethereal world. A short distance away, we can see the beginning of a long bridge over the endless void, reaching to the castle island.

"Eyes forward, we have company," Yuriko quietly tells us, motioning toward a small pack of strange looking creatures. "I know these; they're called Yaswon. They are quite powerful but we should be fine."

I swallow hard, readying myself as I watch the Yaswon. These horrible creatures have their eyes attached to long, green stalks that protrude from a gnarled forehead. Their extremities -- long, flexible tentacles -- look as if they could easily subdue then crush any prey they choose.

While I've been staring at these monstrosities, Yuriko has simply walked forward, tightly wrapping his hands in his favored white cloth. I go to follow, but a hand closes on my shoulder; I look back to see Talina with a smile on her face.

"Let's watch, eh Chipper?" she tilts her head to the side in a questioning matter and I simply nod. Looking back toward Yuriko, I see Spliffstar beside him, his weapons still on his back. Turning my head to Talina, a puzzled look on my face, she quietly shushes me and points back to the Yaswon.

Yuriko and Spliffstar have split, one of them on each side of the pack of Yaswon. Yuriko stands at battle ready, arms forward, fists in a ball. Spliffstar's chosen weapon is a strange sight to see, but from experience, I know full well its power. Setting his violin on his shoulder, he plays a few notes to tune his instrument. With a nod and a smile, he seems content with its tone and looks over the pack to Yuriko.

"Most kills win?" Spliffstar asks with a raised eyebrow. I am baffled by their behavior and I can tell by the movements of the Yaswon, they are equally confused. I can hear chuckling from Yuriko's side, and a simple nod affirms their contest. Each bow to the opposite challenger, and with a clap of the hands and the strike of a note, they begin.

With a bellow, Yuriko dives head long into Yaswon, legs kicking out, breaking bones and toppling the creatures. Movements a blur, Yuriko demoralizes the group of creatures from the center of their pack. They barely have time to counterattack, Yuriko not letting up to allow it. I can't count how many are dead or unconscious but Yuriko continues the attack anyway.

Around the outside of the creatures, Spliffstar is circling, playing a superb sonata on his violin. He doesn't jumble a single note, even as some of the creatures break off Yuriko to attack. Spliffstar grins, his music reaching a crescendo, the violin glowing as power courses through. With a flourish of his arms, his song is ended, and a tremendous shockwave topples and crushes the bones of the Yaswon. Most tumble to the ground and lie still; I know they won't be standing again.

As quickly as it started, the fight with the Yaswon is over. Clapping lightly and walking over to congratulate the two, Talina giggles before saying, "Sorry, but the challenge was a draw . . . maybe another time." I lose myself in thought, trying to comprehend why that all happened but I shrug it off as a simple rivalry.

I look around and realize that I am the only one not moving. With weapons out, Spliffstar, Talina, and Yuriko walk steadily toward the bridge, cautiously eyeing the area.

"Come on, Mkvenner, don't chicken out on us now, " Yuriko calls after me. Spurred on by the slight, I pull out my axe of the Ironheart. It is a massive weapon and has served me well. I weigh it reassuringly in my hands as I move to a jog to catch up.

I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. This place doesn't seem right and I yearn to be back on the real land with which I'm familiar. Jumping at each strange sound and movement on the ground, I can hear the others are enjoying my discomfort.

"Don't worry," Talina says aloud, "I won't let anything hurt you." She winks at me, and even though it was a joke toward me, I calm down slightly knowing I have these three on whom to rely. I am so engrossed in my own thoughts that I do not realize that the others have stopped; I nearly bump into Spliffstar. Before I can ask, he signals quiet and to spread out. With practiced precision we part into a loose line, giving each of us room enough to fight but close enough to be able to watch each other carefully.

Then I hear it. A soft rustling on the edge of hearing, a disturbing moan from the long grass to our right. It doesn't seem natural; of course, this entire place doesn't seem natural. My heartbeat quickens, my breathing is shallow, I am ready for anything to happen. The moan sounds again . . . but this time it sounds more human. A familiar smell lingers in the air, and I calm down when I hear a belch.

"Oh, it can't be," I say aloud. The others stare at me like I am insane as I walk toward the tall grass and push it aside. Lying there with bottles of the best ale money can buy, is Morion, a fellow clan member, and a self-proclaimed drunk.

"It's Morion!" I exclaim to the others. Each of them makes different noises showing their disbelief and annoyance. Morion, a dwarf, simply stares at us with half closed eyelids and hiccups. A dwarf can drink an insane amount of alcohol and still be functional, so he must've been drinking for hours, if not days.

"Hey, guhhuyzzZzssZ whhhawt'reh youhhu daoIiiNng hERe," spills out of Morion's mouth. With the amount of empty liquor bottles around his body, I am not surprised he's this intoxicated. Though he may be a heavy drinker, we all know he is still a formidable warrior.

"Morion, we're going to fight Avarosis," Spliffstar explains slowly. "Would you like to join us?"

"Nnnot zzZzssZaOoo Louhd PlehAzzZzssZe," Morion mumbles at us, grabbing his head in pain. Shaking his head, wobbling to stand up, he tries to make himself presentable.

"Would you wake him up, Chipper?" Talina asks me. I look back at her and shrug my shoulders, not knowing what I can do to help. She motions with her hands outside her mouth in a spraying motion and then points at Morion. He's bending over, scrabbling through the bottles, and I finally realize what she's asking. I breathe in deeply, the muscles in my throat tensing, creating a mixture in my mouth. With a roar, a cone of frost explodes out of my mouth covering the bowed form of Morion. He yelps from the extreme cold and jumps away, my frost breath shattering nearly a dozen bottles on the ground. The others laugh out loud, and I soon join them, watching the shivering Morion cursing and swearing as he tries to warm his backside.

"That isn't funny, stop laughing!" He screams at us as he shakes the last bits of frost off, staring at me with a murderous gleam in his eye.

"Well, it worked didn't it?" Yuriko tells him between heaving from laughter. I've stopped laughing altogether, as I'm afraid the enraged dwarf is going to attack me. I'm preparing to leap away when he breaks out in deep laughter himself. He shakes his head and collects his gear.

"Aye, it did, but next time give me a little warning, will ya?" he looks at me with a jovial expression, and I can't help but laugh a little. He pats me on the arm and walks over to Spliffstar, nearly in tears from what happened. "I'd love to come along with you to fight this Avarosis of yours." He shakes Spliffstar's hand and walks toward the bridge, waiting for the rest of us to follow.

Composing ourselves again, we join Morion at the head of the bridge. The joy we felt merely seconds ago vanishes as we look out across the black void. The bridge looks well built, but below it is an expanse of nothingness. To fall would undoubtedly be a horrible thing, and none of us are relishing the walk across. I surprise myself when I speak.

"Well, might as well get it over with," I take the first step onto the bridge, and by the luck of the Powers it doesn't move at all. Walking out a bit further, I look over the side of the bridge and I am thankful I haven't eaten much of anything today. The others follow me, perhaps less tentative since I haven't fallen to my doom.

The bridge itself is quite beautiful. Completely golden, it is a wonderful piece of architecture that is truly a sight to behold. Spanning across the black void, shining unnaturally, a sense of loneliness falls upon us. Strange creatures float by over the void, and it's difficult to walk without staring at them. Shimmering and wavering as light blasts through hem, these creatures writhe with power, soaking up energy from even the glint of an eye. They are most difficult to fully see, like so many other creatures native to this amazing plane of existence, but their beauty is unsurpassed for those fleeting moments you can see it.

"Do you see those?" I ask no one in particular. "They are gorgeous. I've never seen anything like them." Stopping halfway across the bridge, I can't help but look at these creatures. The others slow but keep walking across, obviously not as interested in the bizarre floating figures.

Again, I can feel myself tense up as my senses pick up something…sinister. It's barely audible but it is there. My eyes widen when I see a very large and very fast moving group of the creatures swarm toward the bridge.

"Look out!" I scream at the top of my lungs, but the others react too late. The horde crashes into the bridge nearly toppling the others off. Reaching for my Ironheart, I bellow a war cry and dive into the maelstrom of these devil shades. Each swing of my mighty axe sends one reeling, and I pound further and further in. I can hear the screeching of other dying monsters, and that brings me the hope that everyone is all right.

I find Yuriko first, battling these creatures with mastered martial arts, each strike precise and each strike perfect. Between punches and kicks, high explosive mixtures pulverize more and more of the creatures. My axe buries into the skull of an attacker behind Yuriko, who nods a thanks and returns to fighting.

"Find the others!" Yuriko shouts at me, caving the skull of one creature with a booted foot while incinerating another with an herbal mixture. I double my attacks and soon find Spliffstar swinging his own Ironheart in a wild yet controlled way. Three fall in a single stroke, his stride never faltering as he splits a fourth in half. His mighty Titanskull Shield holds nearly a dozen more at bay, occasionally breaking bones when one gets close enough to be bashed by it.

"Is this all you can do!?" Spliffstar hollers at the creatures, laughing manically as another one plummets into the void, clearly already dead. I thank the Powers I never have to fight against him. He catches my eye, and an evil grin crosses his face. "I've got these weaklings, go and see how Morion and Talina are faring."

He lets up his attacks long enough for me to slip by without his axe cutting me down. The creatures seem to have lessened slightly between the fighters causing me only to kill a few on my way. The loud curses and name-calling that would cause even a fey to blush tell me that I've found Morion even before I can actually see him.

Using nunchaku of beating, a strange weapon for a dwarf, Morion has created a very large pile of corpses around his feet; the bodies at the edge are sliding off the bridge. His fighting style could almost be comical if it weren't for the amount of blood and gore surrounding and covering him. He is laughing as well -- but with more of a happy hour sense of humor -- as his nunchaku brains one after another. I charge in, slicing a creature through the midriff, the blood splattering Morion and I alike. With me entering the fray, the beasts break off for a second, and we get a few moments of rest.

"I was doing fine, Mkvenner, no need to help me," he stammers at me. I'm not entirely sure if he's completely sober but it doesn't seem to affect his fighting ability. He looks over my shoulder and nods, causing me to turn as well. Yuriko and Spliffstar have also been blessed with some respite in the fighting, and they are moving toward us. I turn back and realize what these monsters were doing.

About twenty yards down the bridge, they have converged together, attacking Talina as a whole. Morion notices the look on my face and turns to see; I hear him grumble beside me.

"Hmph, too afraid to fight me, that's what they are," he proudly states. Turning his entire body, he begins walking down the bridge. But a creature at his feet screeches and pounces on Morion, taking him over the edge with it.

"Grab him, Mkvenner!" Yuriko yells, and I barely have enough time to grab the neck of his armor before he falls into the void. The creature scrabbles at his armor and Morion continually wails on the creature. I'm losing my grip, but I audibly gasp in relief as the creature finally slips off the hanging dwarf. I let out I breath I didn't realize I was holding when I hear a frustrated scream from the end of the bridge.

Talina must be fighting nearly 30 of the creatures, and even though their wounds are grave, they continue to fight harder, pressing inward. I know that she doesn't have much time, so I shout for Spliffstar and Yuriko.

"I've got him," I yell at them, motioning for them to move faster. Spliffstar curses loudly as he pulls his bow from his back and slings an arrow. Yuriko breaks off at a run and stops to help me pull Morion back onto the bridge surface.

Loosing arrows nearly faster then the eye can see, Spliffstar is raining death on these ethereal demons. This helps, but not nearly as fast as necessary, and I feel a crawling sense of despair as I hear Talina scream.

No more then a second later, the screeching of the creatures drowns out all noise, and a backdraft of heat bristles my skin. I force my eyes to stare in the direction of Talina, and what I see can be described as nothing short of spectacular.

A wall of liquid-hot magma has exploded around the screaming form of Talina, burning at such an intense heat that I back away. The creatures mere feet from her never stood a chance. Skin and bones liquefy as the magma arcs toward the dark sky, leaving nothing in its path alive. The screeching death cries soon silence, the magma ring still bubbling at the feet of the Talina. Breathing hard, her vitriolic naginata held beside her, her eyes burn with an inner blaze. Each of us, even the powerful Spliffstar, feels some amount of fear in the presence of this raging goddess of the flame.

Waving her arm in front of her, the flames disperse quickly, and we walk up cautiously in case her powerful spell damaged the integrity of the bridge. After catching her breath, she brushes back her hair and smiles at us as if what happened was as simple as a walk in the park. I just gawk at her as we finish the trek across the bridge, stepping again on the semblance of land. I merely shake my head, certain that these people will never cease to amaze me.

Now on this island in the void, the size of the fortress before us especially apparent. The numerous sharp spires of this massive black castle battle the clouds in the sky. Craning our necks, we can't view the tops of each tower and soon stop bothering to try. We make a small camp to rest about one hundred yards away from the west gate of the castle. It's eerily quiet, and my skin crawls with the strange silence of this place.

"Alright," Spliffstar begins, pulling a map of Unseelie out, "We have a general idea where this Avarosis is."

Pointing at the west gate, he slides a finger along a simple path through the twisting corridors, ending at one of the many guards' barracks. After clearing his throat, he continues.

"Avarosis frequently wanders the halls of the dungeons; he seems to have a thing for discipline and the poor souls they've put in those cells." He looks up quickly, apparently hearing something, but soon dismisses it and gets back to the map. "We'll be passing through the west gate, which is only guarded by a few. We follow this path, killing quickly and efficiently, and no yelling obscenities, Morion, we have to be quiet."

Spliffstar eyes Morion seriously but he simply waves his hand and grunts a response, drinking deeply from a bottle of rum we aren't sure where he got. Spliffstar grumbles underneath his breath, as he returns to the map. Leaving Morion to enjoy his drink, Spliffstar further explains the path and the plan. We each nod an affirmative when he finishes, Morion again murmuring a response, now drinking a dark colored wine.

"Alright," Spliffstar says with a heavy sigh, "Let's get this over with." Each of us stands with weapons in hand and look at each other. Not a word is spoken but each of us knows what the others want to say.

The silence is broken as Morion belches once again. We look at him; he shrugs and murmurs an apology and begins walking toward the gate. The rest of us chuckle as we follow him toward the massive gate. I peer up to the sky, the alien sky I've come to loathe, but what is in my mind's eye is the sky in the natural realm. I pray to the Powers to see us out safely and to let me see that wonderful sky again.

* * *

When the dracon goes quiet and doesn't speak for some time, you lean back, your mind snapped from its reverie. The dim light of the bar shows that it's been quite some time since he began his story. Looking around, you notice that everyone has crowded around the table listening to the dracon. Only the serving girl is moving. Looking over at her, you can see she is bustling to serve the audience; the coin purse swinging from her hip is nearly overflowing. She has obviously taken advantage of the entertained and distracted customers.

Not a single person moves, afraid that his story is over before the final conflict is resolved. Since you were the one he wanted to tell the story to in the first place, you decide to speak up.

"Uh . . . Mkvenner, are you . . ."

"Do you know why I prayed to see the sky again?" His abruptness with the question made you and most of the bar jump in their seats.

"I'm not sure . . ." you start to reply but you know whatever answer you give will fall on deaf ears. He breathes in deeply, letting out the air slowly as he stares at the congealing blood in his glass.

"It may seem strange that I wanted to see the sky," he begins. "The main city of the dracons is Vir, in the underground. No one ever sees the sky down there. But I never knew that city. I knew the land above. The sun and the wind were much more soothing then the cold, hard rock of the planet." He sighs heavily, deep in thought. "I prayed to see the sky again because you feel free; it's a chance to be unhindered. You understand?"

You, along with the entire inn, stare at him with uncomprehending eyes. You fear that not being able to grasp such an ideal would cause him to stop, but that is quickly pushed away at the sound of his deep laughter.

"I'm sorry," he says to no one in particular, "just a few memories popping into my mind. M'lady, mind refreshing everyone's drink while I collect my thoughts?" The serving girl blinks a few times, readjusting her uniform, and begins taking orders.

You just stare at this dracon, simply in awe of his story. You hear people murmur about him lying or fluffing the events, but you can tell by the look in his eyes that he doesn't lie, he doesn't fluff. This actually happened, and you are taken aback by the idea. You normally would only hear such actions in stories or songs by the numerous tellers of the world, not by an over-aging dracon in a bar. Your eyes never leave him as the serving girl places only yours and his drinks down on the table.

"You seem to have a problem with staring," the dracon says, chuckling again. He is talking aloud again but it seems as if only you can hear him. You go to apologize but you remember the last time you tried. You take your glass of chardonnay and lean back into your chair, sipping it slowly. He chuckles again, the same chuckle as before, as always, and he too leans back in his chair.

"You're starting to learn, aren't you? No point in apologizing to me." He raises his glass and nearly shouts, "A toast! Would anyone care to suggest to what?"

"To Honor," says someone.

"To Friendship," murmurs another.

"To Gold and Power and Women," exclaims an obviously drunk halfling. The entire inn is in an uproar of laughter, and everyone goes to down his or her drink, but stop as another voice sounds out.

"To the Sky," you clearly call out and the dracon smiles.

"Now there's something worthy of a toast," he replies, and nods as he tips his bloody malt into his mouth. You follow suit, along with the rest of the bar. After a moment the dracon begins again.

"Now that I seem to have everyone's attention, shall I continue?"

* * *

We approach the west gate cautiously, keeping an eye out for any dangers from in or outside the immense walls. Spliffstar leads the way, his bow in one hand, a knocked arrow in the other. He signals us to wait behind a small mound of dirt as he slinks closer to get a shot. I hear a muffled curse, and I see him move quickly back toward us.

"There are four guards, I can probably kill them all, but I don't want to take any chances," he explains in a hushed voice. "Yuriko, come with me and bring that flash with you." Yuriko nods and follows Spliffstar closer to the main gates. Talina and I look at each other, then Morion, then back in the direction the other two just went.

A quiet sound, like a rug beater smacking into a blanket, echoes slightly. The distinct sound of arrows letting loose, and the thump of them driving into bodies, follows closely. A single gurgling voice can be heard; one of the guards must've lived through the volley and been dealt with by Yuriko. We hear the rustling of the grass again as the two come back to lead us inside.

"Ok, lets get moving," Spliffstar tells us, and we set off in a trot toward the now empty west gate of Unseelie Castle. The bodies of the guards lay off to the side, arrows protruding from most of them, one with a neck at a very unnatural angle. Ahead of us, the path steers down into a small tunnel, leading underground toward the innards of this dark castle.

Past the gates, the darkened passageways twist and turn toward the keep. There are no guards here, and I sigh with relief. This means there was no alarm raised from killing the guards at the gate. The tunnels and the ceilings, too high to reach, seem unstable. Touching a wall, it breaks apart in my hands, and my spine shivers as I imagine the area collapsing and trapping us all.

"Look at this little thing, " Morion exclaims nudging a duck like creature with his foot. "I bet he'd make a wonderful stew." Bending over to grab it, it quacks furiously, biting down on Morion's outstretched hand. The duck scampers away, running to get free of the cursing dwarf. Talina takes the duck in her hands and pets him, causing him to wiggle.

"Come here you dumb animal," Morion stomps over to Talina, reaching to grab. A not so soft slap to the face sends him stumbling back and Talina holds the duck closer.

"Don't you try and hurt him," Talina tells Morion, scratching the duck on the head. It quacks lovingly at her as she sets him down and shoos him away. The dock wobbles away toward the west gate, quacking occasionally. Morion continues to grumble, rubbing his face, and we start walking again.

We see the glow from torches as we move closer and hear the voices of the guards. They sound as if they are having a heated argument. I slow to a stop, expecting a repeat of the entrance gate, but Spliffstar doesn't break stride, bringing his axe of the Ironheart to bear once again. The guards notice the half-elf moments too late as he buries his axe into the shoulder of the first, slicing through down to the waist. The other scrambles to get his weapon in hand, but a few whispered words from Spliffstar drain the last vestiges of life from the guard. Stepping over the withered corpse, Spliffstar signals us to follow.

Looking down the dimly lit tunnel, the walls as dark as the void, the only light source is from a room at the end. This must be the first guards' barracks that I noticed on Spliffstar's map. We slide into an alcove adjacent to the hallway, keeping out of sight of any wandering guards.

"All right," Spliffstar starts, "what we're going to do is very simple." He begins telling us his plan, but for some odd reason I cannot focus on his words. I get a feeling that something is wrong, something is missing. It's an essence that I've become accustomed to, and it isn't there anymore. A smell . . . that is what's missing, the familiar smell of alcohol. I look around and I realize what is missing, and I nearly collapse.

"Uh, guys . . ." I stammer out slowly, "Where is Morion?" The others look at me and then scan the area; Morion is nowhere to be found.

"Why weren't you watching him?" Yuriko scolds me. I stare straight back at him and reply softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was his keeper." We glare icily at each other, neither one backing down.

"Enough!" Spliffstar curtly exclaims. "We need to find . . ." All of us go silent as the off-pitch lyrics of a dwarven ballad and the shattering of bottles echo through the hallway. There, down the hall merely yards away from the door to the guards' room, is Morion, drinking from more bottles no one else noticed he had.

"Caommme OooN Youh Diirty ffeyyssez," he shouts loudly, a few guards beginning to come out of the door. What appeared to be a few fey is possibly an entire shift of them, nearly two dozen of them barreling toward the drunken dwarf.

"Morion, you drunken fool," I grumble to myself, charging down the hall with Spliffstar, Talina and Yuriko at my heels. Hearing us behind him, he turns unsteadily around and gives us a wave. That simple move proves too much for the inebriated dwarf, and he keels over through a door to his side. The fey continue running, closing on the door more quickly then we are. From inside the room we hear Morion blurt something out.

"Whahhhht daOooehs THhHis BuhUTToN DOoo?" Immediately after hearing his rambling, we all hear a loud grinding noise from the other side of the wall. The guards freeze, eyes wide as the floor below them vanishes and they plummet to a painful death. We see Morion's head pop out from the doorway and look down. He chuckles lightly as the floor closes again seamlessly; the only proof of the trap's existence is what we just observed.

"Morion!" Spliffstar is bristling with anger as he drags the dwarf to his feet. Morion continues to chuckle until a backhand from Spliffstar silences him. "Go stand guard at the door. Stop anyone from coming in behind us, ok?"

Morion rubs his recently slapped face and stands near the door while we slip through into the guards' barracks. Unfinished meals sit on tables, and unmade sleeping cots are lined up along the walls, their owners now fallen into a trap mere meters behind us.

We quickly cross the room to the other passageway, this one slightly darker then the previous one. I can hear the echoes of whips snapping and the laughter from a cruel master, and I know we are reaching the end of our journey.

Walking into the next barracks room, we see whom we came to find; he is torturing, and seemingly enjoying, a poor soul of this dungeon. He's the beast we've come to confront, the one for whom we've killed and nearly died ourselves. Avarosis, Avatar Prime of the Queen, stands like a top-heavy ogre before us.

Avarosis has been pumped up through unknown means, his muscles bulging freakishly. His incisors are unnaturally long and sharp, as if those of a viper. His razor sharp claws tighten and ball on their own, cutting into his palms. Every aspect of his body has been weaponized, and he looks as bloodthirsty as any fey I have ever seen. He could probably tear through an albino rhino with his off hand, and that's not even counting his weapon of choice. There it was in his hand, the weapon we've come to retrieve: the Daglar Battlehammer.

Avarosis's eyes turn toward us as we enter the room, and he kicks the prisoner across the room without a thought. He turns toward us, an evil grin crossing his face, a face that I already loathe.

"So . . ." His voice is unnatural and it grinds in our ears. "Have you come for me, my little friends?" He chuckles to himself, his laughter even more irritating to our senses. Spliffstar walks forward and we spread out in front of this freak of nature.

"Don't be so full of yourself Avarosis," Spliffstar snaps back. "We want that weapon of yours. If you wish to live this day, maybe you should just give it to us." The smirk on Spliffstar's face vanishes as Avarosis laughs harder. I can see Spliffstar's hands clench and unclench on his weapon. The laughter is unbearable.

"Come on then, take it from me," Avarosis waves his arm. All of us charge to attack, and he tenses up with maul in hand. With a flourish of his arms and a smile on his face, I can see this was what he wanted us to do. Thrusting his arms toward us, a powerful spell erupts from his hand and smashes into us. Only Talina was quick enough to dodge the magic as Spliffstar, Yuriko and I are blown back across the room.

Before we hit the ground, I can feel more than hear dozens of feet running. Bursting through the doors of the room, guards begin to pour inside, cutting Talina off from the rest of us. I see her turn toward us, her vitriolic naginata in hand, before she continues her charge on Avarosis. Spliffstar yells after her, something that doesn't seem to reach her, as we see her engage Avarosis.

Each of us climbs to our feet to meet the guards head on. My axe of the Ironheart back in my hand, I swing wide and fell three of them before continuing my attack. Yuriko and Spliffstar are close to follow, and the guards fall in swathes, but there are still so many of them between Talina and us.

I watch her fight while parrying and slicing, and I have a glimmer of hope. Talina is battling masterfully, using that vitriolic naginata and her magic equally, inflicting a lot of force. The hits taken by Avarosis don't seem to affect him at all, though, as he continues laughing, taking slow and lazy swings at her.

Talina's face contorts in anger as she begins a spell; she sends a prismatic spray of light energy toward Avarosis. The intense brightness causes Avarosis to grunt in pain, and he blinks his eyes quickly. Avarosis screams in frustration, and as I feared, he begins attacking Talina with all his might.

The Daglar Battlehammer flies through the air at incredible speeds, again and again. She can barely dodge out of the way from so many swings, and all of us try harder to get through the numerous guards. Avarosis, swinging that maul violently, slowly backs Talina into a corner, and I already fear the worse. Soon, with little space to dodge and evade, she is forced to match strength with Avarosis. His weapon falls again and again, Talina just blocking with her shield or pushing off with her weapon. But it is too much for her as her vitriolic naginata flies from her hands and her shield shatters.

Unable to parry the barrage, the maul impacts solidly against the midriff of Talina, sending her soaring across the room, slamming into the opposite wall. She slides to the ground, no longer moving, and I fear the worse has come to pass. Avarosis is shaking the room with his laughter as he holds his battlehammer high in the air.

Yuriko is already moving toward Talina as I sidestep another sword. I hear a cry, well mixed between sorrow and anger, echo louder then the laughter of Avarosis. I turn to see Spliffstar, and for the first time in my life I truly feel terror. Bellowing with such force that the few guards around him back away in fear of such a man, Spliffstar has become something worth dreading. His eyes are beyond frightening. Never will I see such rage and such sadness at once, and I know I would have been thankful if I had never had to see this. He stares upon the laughing Avarosis, and by the Powers, I swear I hear his laughter waver.

Spliffstar turns to me, pointing at the unmoving Talina and the feverishly working Yuriko above her. "Help them!" He screams, charging straight for the monster.

I block an attack from another one of the remaining reinforcements with my shield then open him up across the waist. I step past him as he tries to keep his insides from spilling out, parrying another attack with the haft of my axe and crushing the attacker's skull with my shield. I stand in Spliffstar's approach, barely able to face him while he's in such a state.

"You can't fight him alone, he'll kill you!" I yell. My guilt is overbearing. "If I never asked about this cursed weapon, none of this would ever have happened!"

I try and continue but a gauntleted fist knocks me off my feet. There's blood in my mouth and I blink in surprise as I realize Spliffstar has hit me.

"You must try and save her!" He screams at me, and any anger I had diminishes as I see the pain contorting his face. Sliding his shield onto his back, he takes my Ironheart in his left hand. Standing above me, two mighty axes in his hands, I am unable to dispute him.

With a battle cry that can only be described as a maniacal rage, Spliffstar leaps forward, each Ironheart held high above his head. Avarosis raises the Daglar Battlehammer and the battle ensues.

Spliffstar swings both axes simultaneously into the upraised arms of Avarosis. Using his shield and maul, he halts the impetus of Spliffstar's attack, deflecting any impact as he forces Spliffstar off to the side. Clashing against one another, neither yields to the other; an epic struggle of willpower and strength ensues. I feel as if I'm watching a battle of disputing gods or a pair of kings fighting over what should be rightfully theirs.

But I remove my gaze from this vicious struggle between the powers of good and evil. I have been asked of something, and I am not one to refuse. I sprint toward Talina and Yuriko unheeded, as the few guards that remained have fled from the room.

As I close in on the two, it seems it is as I feared. Unmoving and frighteningly pale, Talina's breathing is quite shallow and haggard. Yuriko has prepared numerous different herbal mixtures and mumbles spell after spell in the hopes of healing the fallen warrior. I am dazed by what I witness: the fiery goddess who destroyed dozens of creatures at the bridge mere minutes ago lies before death's door in front of me.

"Mkvenner, help me," Yuriko says to me, his voice nearly pleading, "she doesn't have much time." Pulled from my shock, I kneel down next to the body . . . and I nearly collapse as I realize I have thought of Talina as just a body. Shaking my head, I begin my own litanies above her, willing the Powers into my control to save her soul from the clutches of the damned.

"Die, devil spawn!" Shouting insults at the one who felled Talina, I can hear Spliffstar and Avarosis continue to duel. Even though he is a great warrior, I am honestly surprised Spliffstar is still alive. Within my heart, I can feel the struggle between trying to save Talina and helping Spliffstar kill the one responsible.

But soon, it seems the Powers have decided to choose for me. From somewhere else in the castle, I can hear the slightly slurred battle cry of a dwarf, and I know now that what I hear is Morion charging into battle with the castle's entire guard. It seems the dwarven warrior is unable to stop them all from getting through as I hear the doors to this chamber being beaten on by many weapons. It won't hold for long.

Looking down at Yuriko, I see he has come to the same realization. Yuriko glances to me, then the door, then back down to Talina. The door buckles from the impacts, and I rush over, pushing against it with all of my strength. Digging my claws into the wooden frame, grinding my feet against the ground, I merely delay the inevitable. Groaning slightly from the pressure, I know that I won't be able to hold them all for long.

Seemingly coming to a decision, Yuriko stands up and unsheathes the still unused sword in this adventure, a blade called Axiom. Walking toward me quickly, the blade turning slightly within those wrapped hands, our eyes meet.

"I must stay here and try to keep Talina alive," Yuriko explains, the blade trembling slightly in his hands. "You must hold off the guards while I perform the spell. Do what you can, but you must keep them back."

Staring at each other, we both know that it must be done this way. It is a chance to lessen my guilt for what has happened, and it is truly the best chance for Talina to survive. I step back from the door, sighing with relief, but tense again as Yuriko extends Axiom toward me.

Taking the blade in my hands, I can feel its power flow through me. It is truly a magnificent weapon, and I have always yearned to wield it. A soothing, content aura, the blade's glow acts as the bloodless counterpart to the silver itself. The weapon personifies the violent side of Zen, the necessary corollary and foil to peace and harmony. It is the katana of a master, and the katana of one who is at so at peace with themselves that they are able to swing this swift blade. Even though my soul is in torment, this blade feels right in my hands, and I turn to face the ever failing door.

The walls creak from the impacts, again and again. Turning the blade in my hands and rolling my shoulders, I stand before the door, ready to fight whatever comes through. A blade comes through, and then another; soon the door is continually pierced with the spears and the swords of the guards.

I charge as a roar escapes my throat, throwing my body through the door to get my enemies. The force of my attack knocks numerous foes off their feet. I don't hesitate; letting forth a cone of fire, I incinerate them, turning their bodies into piles of ash. The other guards step back from the heat, a few too slow as their clothing bursts into flame.

The blade sings in my hand as I renew my attack on these weak fools. Slicing upward, I take the arm of one and nearly behead another. Gesturing my hands and nearly growling the words, I sweep my arm in a wide arc and the disturbed air catches on fire and blows outwards. The flames spin and arc, burning toward the guards, turning more then a few into burning crisps.

I now hear the familiar cursing of Morion, and I grin as I realize the guards are pinned between us. I raise the sword in my hands as I let loose another cone of fire, and I finish what I've been asked. Between the fire I'm discharging and the drunken beatings of the nunchaku from Morion, these last few guards don't stand a chance.

After the last guard dies, Morion and I clasp forearms before charging back into the barracks. What I see draws a gasp from my lungs. Across the room, Yuri alone is holding off dozens of warriors with only his hands and feet. I have never seen such speed from a living creature, and I stare in awe before I speed toward him.

"Mkvenner!" Morion shouts up at me as he hauls at my arm. I look down at him with a quizzical look. "Throw me!" He points to the group of warriors, and I nod my confirmation. Grabbing onto his breastplate's collar as on the bridge, I lift and turn my body, pulling the dwarf into a half circle. I groan as the full weight of the stout dwarf pulls on my shoulder, but our momentum begins to pick up. Completing a full turn, I howl as I release Morion toward the guards.

He flies true, and I can hear him bellow as he bowls over more then a handful of the guards. Morion throws his arms out, breaking the legs of guards as he rolls through them before slamming into the wall with a very audible thump. He's up in a heartbeat, and the guards split their attention toward their new threat.

"Yuriko!" I call out to him as I toss the blade called Axiom through the air. I can see Yuriko turn his head, the blade catching his eye. Thrusting his fist into the stomach of a guard, he leaps off the bent guard's back toward the blade. He extends his hand, taking the hilt in his hands and time seems to slow as he turns in the air like a master gymnast. Plummeting back toward the ground, he beheads the bent guard.

In his hands, Axiom is truly at peace with the world, and guard after guard fall before him. I continue my charge, and I cannot hold in a RAWR; as a white-hot rage flashes through me as I lash out at the guards with my claws. I rend and tear and slash as I lose control in the glory of battle. Blood covers my claws, my hands, my arms, my mouth as the guards fall beneath my savage attack.

When I see they're all dead, I begin to feel control over my own body. I'm breathing hard, blood and gore covering my entire self. A look crosses Morion's and Yuriko's faces, almost a look of fear, as they look at me. I look over toward Talina then back toward Yuriko, and I know that the guilt I feel is plain on my face.

"I've done as much as I can," Yuriko explains. "It's up to her now." Yuriko turns his head away, and I follow his gaze toward Talina. Her breathing seems to have improved, but she still looks awfully pale. I turn my gaze toward the one responsible, and I can feel the rage build within me.

My eyes grow wide as I realize that Spliffstar is still alive . . . and winning. Avarosis bleeds from numerous wounds, some very significant. His skin is nearly as pale as Talina's, blood pouring from his mouth between screams of agony. He barely parries one of the axes with his maul, and he is too slow to stop the other from digging into his side.

Between strikes, I can see Spliffstar's mouth working faster and faster as he heals himself. I know he is tiring, and his magical power is fading, the toll of the fight devastating him slowly. Yuriko, Morion and I rush toward the fight. Morion somehow gets ahead of us and leaps onto Avarosis' back. He finishes a spells and a dense black smoke rises from nowhere and swirls in front of Avarosis, blinding him.

Yuriko and I step behind Spliffstar, and almost in unison, we begin spells of our own. These are not targeted toward the violent fey but toward our leader. Healing and empowering the fighting half-elf, his vigor improved, his onslaught doubles in ferocity. His dual-wielded Ironhearts are a flurry of motion, biting deep into the arms and body of Avarosis.

Now able to concentrate fully on the attack, Spliffstar moves quickly to strike then moves back away around Avarosis. I can see Spliffstar's mouth move, his face strained from concentration, the smell of ozone filling the air. His arm rises slowly into the air, his voice growing louder and louder. I stare at him, my spells never faltering.

I can feel the temperature drop as a crackling whip composed of tiny ice shards forms in Spliffstar's hands. His spell reaching a culmination, he lashes out with the magical whip, striking Avarosis, causing him to shriek in pain. Avarosis turns in rage, facing Spliffstar.

Swinging the powerful maul, Avarosis attempts to decapitate Spliffstar in a single blow, but Spliffstar swiftly dodges between the fey's feet. He lashes at the trunk like calves, severing the muscles from the bones, causing his opponent to crumble to his knees. Spliffstar steps backward as Avarosis struggles to face him, crawling toward his fallen maul, the Daglar Battlehammer.

"You have lost Avarosis," Spliffstar condemns the struggling monstrosity of a fey. "Pray to any power you like but know now that this is the end." Avarosis simply stares at him, anger and failure burning in his eyes. Roaring again, trying to deny Mordred the pleasure of his soul, he attacks Spliffstar with renewed vigor.

With a shriek of pain, Avarosis' attacked is halted midair, smashing into the ground. Skewering him through the spine, a beautiful vitriolic naginata held tightly in her grip, Talina grits her teeth in anger. A smile cross her face, and the fire in her eyes holds no sense of mercy for the beast as Avarosis flinches from her gaze.

"When you try and kill somebody," Talina begins, the smile on her face never breaking, "Make sure they're dead." She twists the naginata causing him to groan. He snarls as he turns to attack her, raising his arm to strike her. Avarosis wants her dead, and he knows he will not fail again in ending her life. The muscles in his arm bunch, and all I can do is simply stare at his audacity.

Spliffstar and Talina do not even move, their grins just grow slightly larger as Avarosis realizes he can't move his arm. Growling, he turns his head to see Morion, his nunchaku of beating wrapped around the freakish arm of Avarosis, bracing himself against the ground. Morion belches into Avarosis' face and laughs, and I know that is a terrible thing to face. Avarosis gags and retches from the smell, struggling to release himself from Talina and Morion's hold.

I simply stare at the shaking Avarosis as he tries to release his arm to swing at the grinning Talina. Knowing his chance at Talina is impossible with Morion on his arm, he raises his other to swat Morion away.

Blood and sinew explode from his forearm as a beautiful blade passes through it and Avarosis screams again in pain. The blade called Axiom quivers as it pierces the ground, the vibrations stopping, the meat of Avarosis' arm covering it, pinning it to the floor.

Yuriko slowly walks over, wiping his hands across each other, his face mirroring Morion, Talina, and Spliffstar. He is smiling as the rest, the end of this ordeal imminent. I realize a similar smile is on my face.

I can see blood sliding down the blade and pooling at the bottom, and I am fairly convinced Avarosis is finally constrained. Yuriko walks over to a piece of fallen masonry and leans against it, arms crossed, breath even.

"You cowards, fight me like men" Avarosis frailly grumbles at us. Talina merely giggles as she turns the blade more, pulling another groan from him.

"Apparently," Spliffstar states, sighing with relief as he lowers his weapons, "He doesn't see the irony in his last statement." He smiles at Talina and she returns the smile. "Mkvenner, come here."

I join Spliffstar in front of Avarosis and an air of relief fills the room. Spliffstar walks over to the purpose of this damned adventure, the Daglar Battlehammer. Bending with a groan, he grabs the handle and attempts to raise it. When it doesn't budge, he lowers his head and laughs. Standing straight again, he looks over at me and nods. He steps around the barely struggling Avarosis standing behind him. Grabbing the head of the beast we came to kill, he raises Avarosis' eyes to meet mine.

I reach for the maul, the weapon I've desired since I saw it that day in the clan hall. Taking it in my right hand, I expect to struggle to raise such a weapon, but it rises from the ground easily in my strong grip. It feels good, it feels strong, it feels right.

Looking back into Avarosis' eyes, I can tell he has given into the fate that we have brought him. Yuriko, the smiling sidhe with knowledge of hand to hand fighting beyond my imagining. Morion, the drunken dwarf with the strange skill of the nunchaku in his weaponry. Talina, the half-elven warrior with a better mind then most mages of the world. Spliffstar, the devastatingly powerful half-elf, keen to teach as well as to conquer. We have beaten this monster.

I look to Spliffstar, his features are hardened from the turmoil but he manages to give me a smile. I return the smile and look down at the beaten fey. Raising the Daglar Battlehammer, I stare into Avarosis' eyes. I let fall my arm as I claim the maul as my own, and I watch the light fade from the fey's eyes as his end comes.

* * *

The Lonely Dragon Inn is silent as the dracon's story comes to an end. His eyes are closed, and you are not sure how long they have been shut. The dracon breathes deeply as the retelling of his story takes its toll on his mind and soul. No one speaks. No one can. You can see light begin to come through the windows. Is it dawn already? Your drink is empty even though you don't remember drinking it.

So many questions boil in your brain, but you hesitate to ask them. It'd feel wrong you think to yourself. Others find their voices. Questions and accusations start filling the air, and you feel almost angry at their actions. The dracon hasn't moved or opened his eyes, his breathing still heavy.

You simply sit back and stare at Mkvenner, the dracon who helped kill the mighty Avarosis, Avatar Prime of the Queen. All done to get the Daglar Battlehammer that sits next to him on the floor. Again, the temptation to make that weapon yours is nearly overwhelming, but good sense and knowledge of the impossibility sweep that thought from your mind. You lower your head to contemplate the story, joining in the dracon's hush.

The long silence of the dracon causes the other patrons to walk away, either to debate the story or to brood over it with a drink in hand. The serving girl starts her rounds again, but by the way she walks and the look in her eye, you can tell she can barely pay attention to her job. You know your sleep will be delayed because of the story, but you know that it won't bother you in the least.

The screeching of a chair across the ground causes you to look up. The dracon has stood up, the first time since he began his story. Walking over to the bar, bloody glass in hand, the eyes of the entire bar following him, he asks for a final refill. The bartender pours another bloody malt into his glass, and stops the dracon as he reaches for his pocket. "It's on the house," the bartender says to him, and you know now that the bartender had also listened to his story. The dracon chuckles, the same chuckle as before, the same chuckle as always, and finishes his drink. Heading for the exit, the Daglar Battlehammer in his hand, he bids farewell to the bar.

You want to stand and follow him, to ask him those questions. You want to know more, to hear more. But you cannot stand; you cannot leave your seat. A smile crosses your face as you reach for your refilled chardonnay. Recalling the story in your head, and knowing for a fact that the dracon was telling the truth, you swallow the rest of your drink.

Telling your friends goodbye, you leave the Lonely Dragon Inn and stare at the sunrise. It is a beautiful sight, and you chuckle as you realize that the sky is truly something worth toasting. Pulling your cloak tighter, you head out to your own adventures, perhaps toward a similar fight. Whatever it may be, you'll face it with friends, with honor, and with the sky in your mind.