Male 3: Space Wizard Centuauri Asterios 

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Male 5: Healer Wizard Eiridan Stormblessed

"Do you think whatever's in there is really necessary?" Jaeyria asked, eyeing the entrances to the caverns. There were twelve entrances on their side. Twelve out of the twenty-six Magi would be coming here. Doors blocked the entrances, and each had a unique symbol on it. At the center of the symbol, a round disc protruded."Vaxon said it was," Eiridan said, stepping closer to the door. "Hey... The doors are labeled.""They are?" Jaeyria walked over to them, eyeing the doors with confusion."Yeah... They have our names on them in Latin.""Latin?""You know, the Forbidden Tongue? It's Latin." He ran his fingers over the symbols on the door and then over the runes. "Look closer. He put our names in the Common Tongue as well. I'm guessing that the Latin was used to seal the doors so that only one tribute can go through. I bet the only door we can go through is the one with our name on it.""Well that's convenient." Jaeyria crossed her arms and stared at their doors. Hers was right beside Eiridan's, and she sighed. "We can't go in together, Eiri.""It doesn't look like it." Eiridan walked to his door and pressed his hand to the handprint in his disc."Eiri! Don't!" Jaeyria grabbed his arm, but it was too late.The door's runes and symbols began to glow brightly and then flashed out. Slowly, the stone door creaked open, rumbling over the stone floor as it did so. A blast of frigid air and a musty smell hit them. Tremors shook the ground as the two stood there, staring at the dark passage the door had opened onto."Great... Now what?" Jaeyria asked, holding his arm a little tighter.That's a very good question. One that I don't have the answer to... Eiridan swallowed hard, staring at the blackness that awaited him. "Well, you open your door, and we go find the items we supposedly need to survive."She tugged him towards her, staring into his purple eyes. "What if you don't come back?" she asked, her voice shaking. "What if we never see each other again?""We will," Eiridan promised, pulling her into his arms. With his arms around her waist, he smiled down at her. "I promise not to get killed."She looked down, placing her hands on his chest. "How can you promise that? It's not like you have control over it.""Fine... I don't have control over that. But I promise to do my best not to die." He tilted her chin up and kissed her softly. "I'll come back to you. And if I don't, you'll just have to come find me, won't you? Just like all the other times when you saved my hide."She laughed and kissed him back. "Yes. Just like all the other times I saved your sorry hide from a beating." She shook her head, pausing and then said, "Don't make me regret loving you, Eiridan.""Never," he agreed. "Now go on. Open your door."She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave him a tight hug. "I'm holding you to that promise. You're staying alive even if I have to make you."It was his turn to laugh. I wouldn't choose to die over you anyway... I just got you to fully open up. There's no way I'm giving that up now. "Fine, fine... But you won't have to make me."She nodded and pulled away, going to the door next to his.Once Eiridan was satisfied that she was safely through the door, he turned and went through his. Darkness enveloped him, and he swallowed hard, wishing he could see better. If only the space wasn't so small. He balled his hands into fists, letting his nails bite into his skin as he struggled to control his panic. It's fine. Just a tight space. Remember Jae's advice. Breathe in deep. Exhale slowly. A semblance of calm slid over him again as he repeated Jaeyria's breathing exercise. All of a sudden, a dim light began illuminating the passage as torches sputtered to life a few feet away.A dark shadow materialized in front of him, and he stopped, cocking his head to the side. For a moment, the person stayed shrouded in the shadows, but then Kyren's familiar form emerged.
"Kyren?" Eiridan frowned and stepped closer. "What are you doing here?""I'm here to warn you.""Warn me?" He crossed his arms, the frown deepening. "About what? I'm just here to get the item your father sent me to get."Kyren laughed and shook his head. "You really need to quit being so naïve. My father wouldn't just leave the item lying around in a cave without something or someone to guard it. Think about it... He didn't leave the other supplies lying around unguarded."He does have a good point, Eiridan thought. "That's fair... So what are you warning me about?""The guardian is a dragon. One of the original Elementals from the first dragon blood-lines.""So?""Your dragon is dangerous. More than the others because my father is angry with me for sparing so many Magi. He's punishing you too since I chose to help you. The dragon that lies beyond the second door into the mountain won't listen to anything you say. Your best bet is to fight it or tame it.""How would I tame it?" Eiridan asked. I wish Jae were here. She knows all about dragons. She'd know how.Kyren shrugged. "Dragons are a bit like dogs, but they're smarter. This one's an alpha. If you choose to fight, you'll have to be stronger or smarter. There is another choice though. You can submit. If you choose that path, it's possible that the dragon may spare you for your courage. That path requires a lot more guts than the other since there's a higher likelihood that you'll die."Eiridan leaned against the wall for a moment as sudden fatigue swept over him. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and tried to figure out what Kyren's advice would mean for him."You okay?"He shook his head, opening his eyes again. "I don't know. I just feel... Tired...""Oh. Get used to it. My father had a magical gas released. You have two hours to figure out how to get the item, or you'll die."Eiridan groaned. "Fighting the dragon wasn't hard enough? Is he trying to kill us all?" Pausing, he shook his head sharply, shaking off the fatigue. "What am I even saying? Of course he is.""You better get your head out of the clouds and get going. Otherwise you'll break your promise to Lightwood."Yeah... I don't want to break that... Eiridan pushed away from the wall, smiling wearily. "Thanks for the advice..."Kyren nodded sharply."And Kyren?""What?" "Thank you for letting us go and warning us in the cave."Kyren shrugged. "Yeah, whatever... Didn't do you much good, did it?""I'm still alive, right?" Eiridan smiled."Guess so," Kyren admitted with a half smile."I should get going," Eiridan mumbled, dizziness sweeping over him again."You should."Eiridan brushed past Kyren with a heavy sigh. I wish that I didn't have to do this. I wish this world were a kinder place: a place where Kyren could have his happy ending right along with everyone else. A place where Vaxon never became the jaded, destroyed person he is today. Can't give up hope on any of them though..."Eiridan?" Kyren called out softly."Yes?" He turned back, looking at Kyren in the flickering torchlight.Sadness glimmered in silver strands through Kyren's black aura. "Good luck." Darkness crept into the passage, swirling around Kyren and enveloping him. Moments later, it dissipated, and Eiridan stood alone in the dark hallway of stone.With another sigh, Eiridan turned and began walking.***The second door... Just like Kyren said. Eiridan pressed his palm to the cool stone and watched as the door's glyphs glowed then flashed out. A gust of cold air flowed out, ruffling his hair as the door swung inward with a groan. Mist and quiet darkness waited ahead.Nothing lit the cave, but Eiridan pressed on, listening to the hush of bats' wings high above and the gentle whisper of wind as it ghosted through the cavern. It flowed around him, tugging at his clothes playfully.A rumbling was heard, and the cavern suddenly lit with a soft yellow light as the walls began to pulsate with glowing inchworms. Eiridan stared in amazement, turning in a circle to get a full view of the place. His footsteps echoed throughout the grand cavern as he stepped back, gazing at the stalagmites above and then looking at the stalactites that rimmed the cave's walls. They dripped with water, and the drops splashed into puddles on the floor in a steady drip, drip rhythm.For a moment, all he wanted to do was lay down here and sleep, free from worries and harm. The idea was shattered when he noticed a glittering mass in the far corner of the cave. There, coiled around a pillar, a massive dragon slept. Its blue scales were illuminated by the yellow glow, and the light made them sparkle with an iridescent green. One of the dragon's scaly eyes opened, and its tongue flicked out."Magi"... The word hissed through his mind as the dragon exhaled and unfurled its body. Shaking itself off, it lashed its tail against the stone floor of the cavern.You can't negotiate or talk it out of attacking... Eiridan reminded himself. Submit or fight. He had no weapons. He was a healer, not a fighter. Anyway, he couldn't find it in him to harm the majestic being. It was too beautiful.As he stepped closer, he saw that it wore a chain around one leg. It had a definite limp as it came towards him, and when the dragon shifted, Eiridan could see its gold blood trickling down its scales. The chain had cut through the scales and into the creature's leg. Or perhaps the dragon had sought to free itself and injured its leg that way.Eiridan stared at it. "You're hurt..." he murmured. "Other Magi did this?"The dragon rumbled and shoved its snout into his face, letting out a massive roar. Eiridan stumbled back and fell, landing on his back. I can't fight. Besides, he's injured."Prepare to die, Magi..." the dragon snarled into his mind.Surprised, Eiridan realized that he could see the dragon's aura too. He'd never noticed a magical creature's aura before. Usually, they only manifested among other humans or similar races. But if he could see it in an elf or Mer, why not a dragon? This dragon's aura was pure golden fire. It flickered and spat. Laced with red, the dragon's aura snapped and crackled at him. Pain and anger laced it, and Eiridan felt only sorrow when he gazed up into the dragon's bright blue eyes.It stared down at him, and surprise mingled with the anger.Eiridan glanced down at its leg. If I'm going to die, I'll do so helping someone or something else. The dragon snarled when Eiridan began whispering to himself, but it didn't attack. It laid one giant claw on his chest and pressed down, waiting to see what he'd do. It probably thought he'd try to hurt it too. If Eiridan were in the dragon's place — captured, chained, and conquered — he would be angry and scared too."Convertet ad pacem. Inquam nihil mali passus est." Eiridan raised a hand slowly toward the dragon's snout. It snorted, eyeing him with malice. "Inquam nihil mali passus est!" he repeated.Be at peace. I mean no harm, he thought, willing the dragon to understand.It roared again, pushing harder on his chest.Eiridan coughed, feeling sick as both his energy and desire to stay alive were sapped. Jaeyria's pleading eyes came to mind, and he shook his head, shutting his own eyes as the dragon exerted more pressure on his ribs. Perhaps the dragon wouldn't listen to anything he said, but what about actions?"Ego, Eiridan Stormblessed, curabit te. Ossibus et carne impleatur mandabo sarcire. Factum est," Eiridan gasped out as the dragon pushed even harder. He felt something crack beneath the dragon's weight.The pressure eased suddenly as his spell took effect. The dragon let out a distressed hiss then went back to putting pressure on Eiridan's chest.Even though he knew it would do no good, he spoke to the dragon in the Ancient Tongue as he had at first. "Submitto." Two simple words in plain the Common Tongue. I submit.As he'd figured, it did nothing. However, at least he wouldn't die hurting others. Closing his eyes, he let go. The pressure built until he could hardly bear it. But he didn't protest or struggle. Even when it became so horrible that all he could do was whimper or scream, he still submitted to it. The dragon had to know that it was in control. It had to know that he wasn't a threat to it, and it needed to know that Eiridan didn't want to hurt it.Images flashed before his eyes as the drain on his energy and the dragon's abuse to his body threw him closer to the brink of oblivion. Most of them were of Jaeyria. Her laughing at something he'd said. A discrete smile on her lips when she thought he wasn't watching. Then there were whole scenes. Memories came of the way she was always saving him. It didn't matter what he got himself into; Jaeyria was always there. She always came to find him.And somehow, in the darkness of his pain and sorrow, she came to find him again. She touched his face as he pulled her into his arms and let him bury his face in her hair. Her strong arms went around his waist, and he suddenly felt fine. The pain was threatening to pull him from his dark haven, but Eiridan clung to her. She pulled back and reached up to run her fingers through his hair with a smile. "Go..." the dragon's voice invaded his mind, chasing off Jaeyria's figure. She flickered out and disappeared, leaving him alone in the dark retreat of his mind.The dragon stared at him for a long moment, saying nothing.Eiridan stayed quiet too. He couldn't tell if he was even conscious anymore. Pain rippled through him, and he gasped, clutching at his ribs. Red and yellow dots danced around in his vision, and the dragon blurred as tears filled his eyes. It hurt to breathe, and every breath he insisted on sucking in made his side burst into flames. He moaned as he fell to his knees before the looming dragon. "Interficiet mihi," he stammered, dropping a hand to the cold surface beneath them. Slay me then.The dragon roared, and flames engulfed him, stealing away his ability to breathe. The pain intensified until he screamed, unable to bear it in silence. Death seemed like a distant, unattainable relief as the flames seared him. Yet they didn't burn away his skin. They left no visible trace, and Eiridan knew, somehow, that this was all mental.It was the dragon's doing. It was playing with his mind, torturing him before delivering the final blow."Iustus consummabis summitatem," he rasped, his throat sandpaper as the flames tore through him. Just finish it, he repeated mentally. "Please," Eiridan coughed.The flames sputtered out to be replaced by utter darkness. Nothing moved. Nothing came to replace the flames. Utter silence weighed on him, suffocating him just as the flames had moments ago. He curled into a ball and closed his eyes, resisting the urge to whimper or cry. He would take what the dragon dished out, even if it meant death. Eiridan was certain that whatever this dragon had suffered wasn't half of what he was now enduring.Still nothing came or moved. The dragon didn't return to him, and he was left with only his pain as a constant companion in the dark. Huddling there, Eiridan tried to bring Jaeyria back to him. It didn't work. There was no solace.The silence was slowly driving him insane. He opened his eyes and tried to whisper words in the ancient tongue or even the common tongue, but when he did, nothing came out. The silence was stifling. Combined with the complete darkness, he wasn't sure how much longer he could bear it.Can I even keep my promise to her? I'm not sure I want to try. How long will I be captive to this dragon's whims? He thought, wishing he could call out to someone or at least have a companion.The black space he inhabited was empty. When he stretched out, all he felt was empty space. The dragon's doing again. Eiridan remembered one of Jaeyria's long-winded spiels about dragons. She loved the creatures.A sad smile slipped onto his lips as a cold tear dripped down his cheek. Pressing his face to the cold, polished surface he sat upon, he brought that conversation back to mind. At least he had something to occupy his time."They're amazing creatures, Eiri. Dragons' blood can heal almost any injury, you know. Just not their own... And they're smart. Even smarter than we are. Not only that, some of them can even get into your mind and speak to you or show you things. That might not always be a good thing... But it can help them survive longer, especially in this place where Vaxon's hunting all of them down and hurting or killing them. You know, we've got a lot in common with them... We're both being hunted to extinction," she whispered, staring at the stars twinkling above them.Eiridan smiled and nodded. "Pretty amazing, for sure."Salty tears dripped into his mouth as he struggled to keep breathing normally despite the soundless sobs. I know they hurt you... I know they did. But I'm not them. I only wanted to help you. Whatever you're called... Dragon... I don't know... Please... I'm not a threat to you. Let me go. Eiridan pleaded with the dragon mentally. He didn't have the energy to lift his head anymore, so he stayed there on the freezing, slick surface, shivering and alone. The dragon materialized in front of him, and settled in, folding its massive wings back and staring down at him as he waited.It didn't remove the silent barrier, and it didn't move towards him. Instead, it held him prisoner, its deep blue eyes regarding him with interest and confusion. Perhaps it was finally understanding what his words couldn't express. He wasn't going to hurt it. He was submitting, and it was up to the dragon to decide.Besides, by his count, it had probably been nearly an hour and a half. In another half-hour, the dragon's decision wouldn't matter. He'd be dead anyway. So he did the only thing he could do. He let go and gave the control to someone else. Relief washed over him as he finally let his weary eyes shut and drifted off into the black abyss of silence that the dragon had created.

Male 7: Metal Mage Mordzar Malthus

" I am coming for you, Mordzar." Mordzar was hiding behind a golden statue of a Pegasus on a street in Komesen. He watched as his sister Myra tried to seek him. He giggled, knowing how she would never find him. Maybe he was too good at hide and seek or Myra was lousy at it. However, this time he watched as his sister, her long brown hair flying in the wind, run around the Pegasus statue and find him."Found you!" she grinned as she began to tickle him on his stomach."Hey! Stop that!" he howled.One thing about Mordzar was that he was really ticklish, which Myra found amusing. Even though she was four years his senior, they both get along with each other unlike other siblings they knew of. "Mordzar! Myra!" their mother called. They both turned toward her sweet voice. One thing Mordzar loved about his mother was her voice which was as soothing as a stream. Standing in front of their home, Dawna Malthus had a gleam in her blue eyes. " Today, we are going to take you both on a family trip to Demarke!" she proudly announced. Both Mordzar and Myra exchanged glances. This meant a snow day! Mordzar was running toward his mother's arms- " Good morning, all you despicable pets of Mathas."Vaxon's voice had shook Mordzar out of his dream. He found himself back in Warwik's dark den, lying on the hard floor. He strained to hear what the tyrant was trying to say as he groggily got up." All of you will head to the twenty six different cave systems to the northwest. Inside each one rests a magical item you will need if you are to survive the next few days." Vaxon's voice said. Mordzar looked around warily for the source of the voice, but saw nothing. He heard Vaxon say something else and ended it with his signature cackle, but Mordzar never caught it. Mordzar was already pondering what Vaxon had said. Then, a chilling realization hit him. The northwest cave huh? Did he mean that area across the river that was impenetrable? Mordzar then got up and headed outside the den and looked northwest. In the pale light of the dawn, he saw that where there was previously shield waves, a complex system of grottos were visible! Zounds! He ran back to alert the others, but had noticed they were gone."Looking for your allies?"Mordzar turned around and saw Warwik ,still in his werewolf form, watching him with his glowing red eyes." They left about an hour ago." Warwik informed him. "If you wish to catch up to them, I suggest you start on your way."" Got it! I am indebted to you, Warwik." Mordzar nodded.The werewolf smiled as he walked with Mordzar toward the exit of his den. As the sun began to rise, Mordzar noticed the werewolf start to shift back into his human form. He gasped with incredulity as he saw the Bloodhunter's true from. Standing before him, was a muscular man slightly taller than himself. His glowing red eyes had turned to a dull brown and he had shaggy black hair with a beard with the same color. Unlike his wolf form, Warwik seemed benign in his human form as he flashed Mordzar an uneasy smile." Zounds! You like really different as a human." Mordzar whispered. "I take that as a compliment." Warwik laughed. " Before you go, you should take this"- he handed Mordzar his pack filled with rations-"you need your strength for the day ahead." Oh right! Mordzar had completely forgotten about his supplies. Smiling, he took his supplies from Warwik. Warwik then handed him something else. "I found this in front of the den last night, it's addressed to you." He handed Mordzar a note. Mordzar grabbed it and read through it. It was a note from Nassia Asherex telling him of an enhanced magical item waiting for him in the caves, but the catch was that he would have to kill one of his allies. Mordzar muttered and shook his head. Lose his friends or lose his rebellion? That would be a dilemma he would face later. As he turned to leave, Warwik stopped him yet again. "Before you go, I need to tell you something." The werewolf looked uneasy. Mordzar turned. "Yeah?" " You can call me uncle if you like." Warwik replied. "Got it."Mordzar nodded. "It is kind of ironic since your mother is my older sister." Warwik apprised. "Say what?!" Mordzar's mouth hung open. "I am actually your uncle, Mordzar." Warwik repeated."No..it can't.." Mordzar was starting to feel a lump in his throat. It can't be! Feeling overcome with emotion, Mordzar ran and leapt into his uncle's arms, embracing him in a hug. Wiping away his tears, he looked up at Warwik. " Why haven't I heard about you all this time?!"Mordzar exclaimed. "Moreover, why didn't you tell me who you were last night?" "It took a while for me to jog my memory last night. You know that werewolves lose their memory during the full moon." Warwik reminded him. "I see. How did you end up as a werewolf in here?" Mordzar asked his uncle. "It's a long story which I will tell you some other time in different circumstances."Warwik replied. " I am surprised that you are a mage of metal. Tell me how this came to be?" Mordzar explained about how his parents had sent him to Mathas until his demise, his time spent with Shurkan on the run from Vaxon's horde, which ended with his capture by Oakahs. "Oakahs, huh?" Warwik spat. " That despicable sorcerer is why I am here in the first place. Anyway, Mordzar I have kept you here for too long. Best of luck and I hope you find a way out of the arena alive." "Thanks uncle!" Mordzar waved and was on his way through the bloodstained tundra. An hour later, Mordzar stopped to rest on a rock near the river. He had forgotten how hungry he was until he had his fill of the military rations. These were commonly used by the military during missions. Naturally, they tasted repulsive, but since he was starving, he wolfed down as many of the rations possible. He then began to reflect on his situation. It was surreal that he had survived for so long, but it was beneficial. He had to survive the arena in order to free his family and take vengeance on the royals for the pain he was put through. He then remembered his dream which had been rudely interrupted by Vaxon's announcement. It reminded him of how much he longed to see his family again, especially his mother and sister. He had been apart from them for nearly a decade and it was having an unbearable effect on him now. He began to choke up again. Oh, how he longed to hug his mother again. He heard shouts and movement. He looked up and noticed how close he was to the caves. He saw various other magi congregate across the river and he decided to follow. He also noticed weird dark, green gaseous substance across the river.Mira Morder mortis. Reenergized, he materialized his double-bladed scythe and warily approached the river. He cut down a nearby tree with his scythe and used it as a bridge to cross the river. There was no telling what kind of dangerous creatures Vaxon could have lurking in the water. The morning seemed peaceful as birds chirped and the sun shone brightly, but Mordzar knew this was only a façade for the ugly scenes that have taken place here and will continue to happen until they all die. Upon arrival to the caves, Mordzar noticed Evian Damini ahead of him."Hey, what's happening?"Mordzar asked. Evian turned in surprise."Woah! Never sneak up on me like that!" "You almost gave me a heart attack!" "Sorry about that. I just-" Mordzar began, but Evian put a hand on his mouth. Mordzar wondered why, until he saw 2 magi come around the bend and head toward some of the caves. One he recognized as the air mage Aelia Zephyr. Boy, something about her gives me the creeps. Then, he froze in terror as he recognized Zentra. He and Evian hid behind a rock as the illusionist sage walked near their area and stop in front of 2 caves as if deciding which one to go. The sunlight illuminated her face as it scrunched up deep in thought. Mordzar then had a thought."Evian, watch my back. I am going to take care of this magi here and now." Mordzar whispered. "Are you crazy?" Evian gave him a look. "You could get us killed!" "No worries, she has her back to us. I can do it nice and quick." Mordzar assured him. "In case you haven't noticed, there are other magi coming around the corner, not to mention the air mage is on the other side." Evian indicated to his right. "The last thing we both need is a massive magi battle royale in this area where we are least likely to survive and will likely end up in a pool of blood." "Nonsense! I will be quick like those shadow warriors from the lands of Cathay."Mordzar grinned. "Well, we are not-Mordzar, what are you doing?!!" Mordzar had already leapt out and charged at Zentra, but what he did not realize was that Kyren was walking by and he ran smack into him! "Oof!" Mordzar and Kyren fell forward. Mordzar looked at him in surprise. D'arvit! Now I screwed up! Zentra turned and gasped when she saw the 2 magi getting up behind her. The, seeing who they were, her mouth formed a cruel smile. " Well, I did not see that coming." She laughed. "But what luck that dumb and dumber would be right in front of me."Mordzar and Kyren got up dusting themselves." Watch where you are going, Mordzar." Kyren sighed. "There is an item waiting for me in that cave and once I obtain it, I will find you all and then we can complete the dance.""My mistake." Mordzar held his scythe at the ready."No, we are going to settle this here and now."Zentra growled. As she began to bite her finger, Kyren pushed past and went into the cave without sparing a second, causing Zentra to fall back."There should be a surplus of these items after I killed those magi on the way here." Mordzar heard him mutter as he disappeared into the darkness." Hey, that was my cave!" she shouted. Glaring, she turned to Mordzar."Well, it looks like I will have to finish you off first."With that, she grabbed a throwing dagger and hurled it at Mordzar, who materialized a wall in front of him. As the dagger embedded itself in the wall, Mordzar and Evian surrounded Zentra. Before they could attack, Mordzar noticed something at the side of one of the caves. It was a magi who was lying down in a pool of blood. Mordzar's heart stopped when he recognized her."Eris!" he shouted as he ran over to her. Seven hells, please don't be dead! Panicking, Mordzar went over Eris and started to shake her."Mordzar, what are you doing?" Evian shouted. "What does it look like I am doing? Eris is hurt and we need to help her!" Mordzar replied in an exasperated tone. "What are to talking about? There is nothing there, but pebbles!" "Are you blind? Come and see for yourself!" Mordzar screamed. "You are the blind one! Tha- Mordzar!" Evian shouted. Mordzar felt his head being yanked back and a cold touch of a dagger at his throat. He was staring into Zentra's sparkling emerald eyes. It would have been a wondrous sight had he not known the malice behind them. " I knew you would fall for my illusion." Zentra laughed. "Now, it is time to finish." Damn, how could I have been so stupid? Mordzar started to despair and waited for the dagger to end his life. Suddenly, a figure ran around the corner and rammed into Zentra, causing her to let go of Mordzar. Startled, Mordzar looked up and saw the real Eris engaging Zentra. Letting out a howl of frustration, Zentra charged at Eris, but she ran into an invisible wall. "Ugh! Not again!" she howled. As she got up, Evian blasted her with a stream of water, knocking her over the edge of the hill. Mordzar got up and walked over to Eris. " Thanks for that! I owe you big time." Mordzar smiled. "Don't mention it. Now, we'll part from here and we can meet up after we get our items." " Ok." Mordzar affirmed. "Uh..Eris, hold up a minute." "Yeah?" Eris turned. "Oh, never mind, I forgot what I wanted to say." Mordzar quickly asserted. "Alright, see you around." She called as she entered the nearest cave. Mordzar watched her with his heart beating faster. What is this warm and fuzzy feeling that as so alien to him? He just shrugged it off and turned to face Evian. "Which one will you take?" his fellow mage asked him. Good question. Mordzar looked at the two nearest caves and saw one that had a shadowy-looking interior and one that had an icy blue interior. He decided to go with the blue cave since the design reminded him of Shurkan's cave back in Demarke. "Are we just going to get the items and go or will we have to fight a guardian?" Mordzar asked Evian. "I don't know, but it seems suspicious that we would have to walk into one of these caves and not run into any opposition." Evian answered, equally baffled. "Anyway, best of luck." "You too."With that, Mordzar headed into the icy cave while Evian strolled into the shadowy one. Mordzar felt a familiar chill of an ice cave as he entered. He looked around in awe as he noticed familiar blue stalagmites and stalactites as he continued to move forward. Now where would this item be held? Is there something guarding it?Soon, his question was answered as he came upon a massive, icy blue shape curled in a huge area of the cave and behind it was a treasure chest that held some shiny object Mordzar could barely make out to be a ring. As he took a step forward, he saw the shape rear its head and look at his head direction. Mordzar gasped in astonishment as he recognized the shape to be a Great Ice dragon. The creature spread its massive wings and growled at him. Mordzar was dumbfounded by its lengthy wingspan, it literally blocked the rest of the room from him. Is that..Shurkan?!"Who dares enter my cave?" the dragon growled. Mordzar perceived the voice of the beast as very feminine as compared to Shurkan's deep rumbling voice which reminded him of thunder. Mordzar stepped forward." I am Mordzar Malthus, mage of metal." Mordzar introduced himself. " I see that you are a Great Ice Dragon and I am acquainted with one of your kind. Have you heard of Shurkan?"The dragon narrowed her glowing sapphire eyes. " I am Savirha, daughter of Shurkan." She began. "And I know you Mordzar." "Really? Have we met?" Mordzar asked, confused. He had never recalled Shurkan having a daughter. "No, we haven't, but I heard a lot about you from Oakahs." Savirha pressed on. " Wait...how do you.." Mordzar started to ask, but then Savirha raised a giant claw and smacked Mordzar across the room. Mordzar slammed into the wall and fell on the ground winded. He looked up in dreadful shock as the Ice dragon made its way toward him. " You and my father are both traitors!" Savirha screeched. "I will finish you off, mortal. Once I am satisfied with your demise, I will go after Shurkan himself! I am one of the Chosen twenty-six handpicked by Vaxon himself, best remember that, worm!" Mordzar barely put up a metal wall in time as a blast of ice-fire slammed into it, blowing the wall apart and sending Mordzar flying back. He lay there, breathing hard and not being able to comprehend that Shurkan's daughter is hell-bent on killing him. He started to slowly pull himself up and looked around for his scythe which had left him when Savirha had knocked him across the room. He saw it between him and the raging dragon. He ran over to it and then saw Savirha's claws swipe at him. He barely slid under it and managed to grab it in time and turn to face the dragon." Savirha, just listen.." Mordzar tried to reason with the dragon, but she seemed to be going berserk and would not listen to him as she tried to nab him with its boulder-sized arms. Mordzar leapt back, breathing hard. He noticed that he was already bruised and bleeding all over and was worried that he may not have enough magical energy left to best Savirha and get to the item.Mira Morrer Migra, he thought and transfused his scythe to a sword."I am sorry Savirha, but you leave me no choice!"Mordzar charged at her and slashed at her right arm, but the metal sword broke in half on impact. The dragon let out a throaty laugh which reverberated across the cave. Cursing, Mordzar repaired his sword with another enchantment, feeling a little more energy drain form him. He better be wary of his levels lest he run out of energy and get killed by the dragon. He saw a dark shadow fall over him as Savirha closed in on him." DIE!" Savirha howled.She charged another ice-fire blast and let it fly. Mordzar barely ducked it in time as he felt an ice cold beam nick him. Letting out an angry screech, Savirha flapped her wings, creating a draft. Mordzar quickly pierced the ice with his sword to keep from being blasted out of the cave." Savirha, hear me out!" Mordzar shouted across the howling winds. " Why would you betray your father and side with Oakahs and Vaxon!?"The dragon answered him by letting out an ear-piercing shriek and charging into him. Mordzar was slammed against the wall, barely conscious. He touched his forehead and felt a red, sticky substance. He was bleeding intensely now. He felt himself being lifted by the dragon's paw and he saw Savirha open her mouth. Panic began to overtake him. No, I can't die now! I have to see my family again! After all, they are paying for my blunders! Then, Mordzar saw the image of his mother's warm smile which could melt all the ice in Demarke and his sister's mischievous grin. Next up, he saw Shurkan smiling a toothy smile at him. Finally, an image of Eris came to his mind. He would do anything to see them all again. This is for all of you!He thought. As Savirha's mouth started to close, he stabbed the roof of her mouth. The dragon let out an ear-piercing wail as it thrashed around in pain. He felt blue liquid land on him and recognized it as Ichor, dragon blood. He saw that he had a chance to kill Savirha and take the item, but he hesitated for a moment. As much as he wanted to, he could not bring himself to kill his best friend's daughter. He decided to come up with an alternate plan." Savirha, I am sorry to do this, but you left me no choice." Mordzar sadly stated. He closed his eyes and thought of an enchantment and soon the dragon was surrounded in a titanium cage. Mordzar felt drained as he made his way to the chest. He reflected on the day and had remembered some weird-looking gas surround the caves before he entered. He wondered what the purpose of it was, but he had felt a little weak, inhaling some of it. Then, he started to lose his consciousness and fell in front of the chest.

Male 8: Lightning Mage Kalix Leanour 

A single white object fluttered on the edges of Kalix's vision, like a snowflake in the middle of a forest, and he blinked slowly. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and reached for the object, which he now recognized as a piece of paper. It was similar to the one he'd gotten from Nassia before. Kalix unfolded it, his eyebrows drawing together as he skimmed the words.You didn't please me. I think you spend too much time with your sister. Ditch her... Father has cast a spell that depletes her magical energy quickly if you're around... Please me again and maybe I'll send you a gift.Nassia XOXOKalix's eyes narrowed with anger. Nassia. Again. Anger flared through him, pooling in his gut. You didn't please me. His handsome features twisted with contempt. He was nobody's plaything. Please me again and maybe I'll send you a gift. A gift. Like he was dog that she found cute, but not cute enough to care about. Unless she could give him and his sister their freedom, he wanted nothing more to do with Nassia and her damned notes. His eyes skimmed the curly letters again, rereading the part about his sister.Worry doused his anger, and he glanced over at Vala. She looked pale and tired, but Kalix couldn't tell if it was from her previous exertion or the spell Vaxon had cast on her. He had no doubts that she was cursed; Nassia was a spoiled brat all too used to getting her way, and Vaxon would have no qualms about cursing a Magi for his daughter. And it's all my fault. The sudden realization hit him like a punch to the gut; a wave of guilt rolled through him. I spent so long trying to protect her, and that's what gets her in trouble in the end. Guilt, tasting of sour lemons and steel coated his mouth, and he stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry," he said softly, the words so quiet they were almost inaudible. He turned away, hating himself for even entertaining the thought of abandoning his sister and hating Nassia for forcing him too. He could see his mother's reproaching look and his sister's look of betrayal in his mind's eye, and shame bubbled up in him. His hands curled into fists and the paper crumpled. He snorted in contempt. Then he shook his head. Please me, and maybe I'll send you a gift. He could use anything Nassia might send, even if that meant lying through his teeth and groveling. Especially if it meant he could Vala back. Smoothing the paper out carefully, he shoved it loosely in his pocket so that only the corner was safely secured. Tilting his head upwards, Kalix exhaled deeply and then walked away from his sister's sleeping form.He had almost forgotten what it was like to be alone, to not know where Vala was. It had been so long since they had been farther than a few feet away for an extended period of time that now, as he walked farther and farther from her, he felt like he was leaving part of himself behind. He silently cursed Nassia and her father. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the sound of Vaxon's voice filling the entire arena. He let out a disbelieving huff of laughter. Think of the devil.Vaxon's voice reverberated all around him, the air saturated with his voice. It made Kalix's skin crawl. "All of you will head to the twenty-six different cave systems to the northwest. Inside each one rests a magical item that you will need if you are to survive the next few days."Magical item? Kalix raised an eyebrow at the words. No doubt it was a trap of some sort, designed to bring Vaxon entertainment. His suspicions were confirmed by the king's next words."Rings, thirteen to the Mages. Energy pulsed, tugged Strengthened to increase.Stylus, five to the SagesWriting, runes drawn and castStrengthened and increased.Wands, seven to the wizardsChanted words, kept in handSpells and power, both increased.Careful, Magi, in drawing nearA Guardian watchesOne of the Ancients await."As soon as the last word had left his mouth, there was silence, and the air seemed lighter, without the weight of Vaxon's words. Unfortunately, the weight had shifted to Kalix. Vaxon's words were an irresistible hook, pulling him to certain danger. If there was a ring that could increase his strength, that was definitely something that would be useful. He might even be able to slip it to Vala later on if Nassia remained mad at him. He glanced upwards, where the shimmering dome containing him pulsed with energy. Then he squinted towards the sun, which was still rising. Using it as his compass, he turned northwest and slowly began trudging towards the caves.Time became meaningless as he walked. What could have been hours or mere minutes passed before he spotted the cave system Vaxon had spoken of. He looked towards the sky again, waving for Nassia's benefit. He tried for a smile, but he was certain it came out as a grimace; he hoped it looked like he was tired, not disgusted. I'm sure she loves this. Then he started towards the caves again, breaking into a light run. Up ahead he could see other Magi going into various caves. When he reached them, he hesitated, unsure of which one to go in. A 'Mages Here' sign would have been nice.At last he shook his head and chose a cave at random. As he headed towards it, a flash of familiar dark hair caught his attention, and he froze. Right before his eyes, Vala was standing in front of a cave, mere feet away. A fierce wave of guilt and worry crashed over him at the sight. The urge to run to her, to tell her why he'd decided to leave her alone surged through him. Nassia's words flashed to the forefront of his mind, stopping him. Father has cast a spell that depletes her magical energy quickly if you're around. He looked away and then headed towards a different cave, one as far away from Vala as possible.Upon entering, Kalix was immediately hit with the sensation of stepping into a cloud of heat, and the smell of rotted meat hit him full force. Sunlight lit up the cave mouth, but Kalix could see nothing out of the ordinary; the only hint of its inhabitant being the sudden change in temperature and smell. Apprehension swirled through him, and his next steps into the cave were slow.Nothing happened, and he relaxed a little, moving further into the cave. The farther in he went, the darker the cave became. Unease filled Kalix, and he imagined a single ball of lightning. Immediately, red hued sparks formed in his hands, coalescing into a sphere that emanated hissing sounds. The light it emitted was faint, but he could see ahead of him. The ability reassured him. As he walked, time seemed unmeasurable again, only noticed by the gradual decrease in his strength and the increasing heat.Then he heard it. A low, rumbling growl and the snick snick of chains. Fear spiked through him and his steps slowed, but he continued until he caught sight of a figure ahead. It was the dragon.It was huge, taking up over half of the cave's visible room. In the dull red glow of his lightning, the dragon's scales were a red tinged gold, shining like millions of metal coins in the heat of a blacksmith's forge. Its body was long and snake-like, coiling in on itself. Leathery wings extended from its sides, veins of blue and red decorating it. On either side of its wings, legs covered in overlapping scales protruded at awkward angles. Long black talons were clearly visible, all sharp as a knife. Thick manacles were wrapped around all four of its legs, the silver contrasting with its golden scales. A Lemeraire. Specifically, a golden Lemeraire.Kalix froze, and the lightning in his hand flickered violently. He remembered Vala telling him about them before. Golden Lemeraire were known for their sly ways and violent outbursts. He could already tell this creature was not going to be as friendly as the griffin. It couldn't hurt to try though.Kalix cleared his throat, more for his benefit than anything else. "Can you help me?"Before he could say anything more the dragon's head snapped towards him. Black, cat-like eyes drilled into his, and his breath caught in his throat. Then the dragon moved.Thick, sinewy legs unfolded as the dragon rose to its full height. Wings the size of a rooftops expanded, filling the cave. The heat, which had annoying before, now became almost unbearable. The Lemeraire beat its wings, sending a gust of air rushing towards Kalix, and he stumbled backwards several steps."That's a no then," he muttered. The dragon roared in response, the sound sending vibrations throughout the entire cave and making the stalactites hanging from the ceiling shake. Kalix's heart sped up, beating so fast it felt like a hummingbird's wings. What do I do now? He looked around frantically, raising the lightning sphere higher in an attempt to find something he could use to his advantage. Nothing. He looked back towards the dragon, whose eyes had narrowed into hard slits. A spray of green and black vapor erupted from its mouth, and Kalix ducked quickly to avoid it. The cloud landed on a spire of rock and he watched with horror as the rock slowly disintegrated. No ring is worth this. Kalix turned and ran down the tunnel, following the path lit up by his sphere of light.Clanking chains and nails scraping across rock followed him, and he put on an extra burst of speed. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his heart felt like it was participating in its own relay race. Red lightning filled the left side of his vision, the sparks giving off an eerie glow as he ran, like electric blood scattered across the walls. The world turned into a blur of clanking metal and scraping rocks and the sound of feet pounding on hard ground. A spray of acid erupted behind him as the dragon chased him, and random drops of acid hit his back, burning through his clothes and singeing his flesh.Without warning, the noise behind him came to an abrupt halt, and Kalix turned despite every bone in his body urging him to run. The Lemeraire was stuck. The chains binding it had been pulled taut, and even the strength of a dragon wasn't enough to break it. More acid spewed from its mouth, but Kalix dodged it easily, his mind attempting to adapt to the new circumstances. There had to be something he could do. His mind raced, trying to formulate a plan that could get him the ring. The chains are a weakness I could use against the Lemeraire. If he could find a way to use the chains to his advantage, he might be able to incapacitate it and grab the ring.He tested the chains' boundaries, stepping forward slowly. The Lemeraire jumped towards him, jaws opening wide and Kalix flinched, diving to the side. Sharp teeth just barely missed him, snapping closed with a loud clacking sound, and Kalix sucked in a breath. Maybe I can slip past it if I just-His thoughts were cut off as another jet of green liquid shot past him, and he rolled to the side. Again, the shackles attached to the dragon's legs caught his attention, their silver metal glinting in the red light. Metal. An idea came to him, and he exhaled in relief.He moved backwards again, this time moving far enough that he could still see the dragon but the dragon's acid couldn't harm him. Kalix tried to compose himself by breathing slowly, but his heart still beat erratically and his palms sweated profusely. He concentrated hard, envisioning the strongest, most powerful bolt of lightning he could. Reaching for his reserves of magical energy, Kalix thrust his hand into the air, a white-hot bolt of lightning crackling into existence in his hand. He threw it straight towards the Lemeraire's chains.As the lightning left his hand, Kalix felt his energy levels drop dramatically, and fatigue filled every inch of his body. Hazily, he wondered why he was so tired—he felt like he'd just run a mile while summoning lightning. He stumbled over to the wall, leaning against it for support. It was uncomfortably warm, and his cheek felt like it was being pressed too close to a fire, but he was too tired to care. His eyes slid to where the golden Lemeraire was.It lay in a golden heap on the ground, twitching as electricity still coursed through its body at random intervals. Its previously lustrous scales were now cracked and blackened in some places, and the area around where the shackles touched its skin was singed with scales littering the floor. The chains themselves were hot, filling the air with the smell of heated metal and burned flesh. The Lemeraire was dead. Conflicting emotions swirled through him. Part of him felt a pained sorrow for killing the Lemeraire. But another part of him was relieved that the dragon was dead; that meant one less obstacle for him and his sister. In the end, exhaustion won over both emotions.He stayed in place for a few minutes, closing his eyes and trying to gather some more strength before he moved again. After several minutes, he pulled himself up and edged past the Lemeraire warily. He was almost certain it was dead, but it never hurt to be cautious. He passed the creature with no resistance, and he let out a quick sigh of relief before hurrying down the tunnel. He still had a ring to find.

Male 9: Air Mage Morrow Endelen

No entry

Male 11: Gravity Mage Jaxon Steele 

"Is she dead?" the boy who is named Leo asks for about the hundredth time since I woke up. Even when he conjured us some food to eat, he managed to ask about her. His eyes rarely left her.

"Shut up, please." My eyes shut and I suck in a heavy breath. I shouldn't be so short with him. He's only worried about his friend. Truth is, so am I.

"I—I'm sorry." Leo's shoulders sink and he looks so defeated.

"Me too. I just don't know how to help her. But no, she isn't dead."

"Well, we need to do something. We need to find those caves."

I shoot him a look. The caves are the least of my worries at the moment. This girl needs our help. I could not care less if I get my stupid magical item.

Some sort of container appears beside me out of seemingly nowhere. Leovarettan looks at me with as much suspicion as I feel.

I stretch out my fingers and caress the cold metal that's glinting in the stairs. Something disturbs the smoothness of the container. Upon closer inspection, there seems to be some sort of note scribed into it.

Using the bright white of the moon, I tilt the object so that the light catches the grooves just right.

It reads, "I hated to see you fall. Use this to get better!"

I'm no fool. This came from the 'love' stricken princess...Did she somehow miss the part where Lydora healed me fully? I'm still unsure of how the little girl was able to do that.

I know what I have to do.

"Leo," I whisper. With any luck, Nassia won't be listening to this.

"Is she awake?" His body turns to face me quicker than I would've thought possible.

With a frown, I shake my head. He has no clue how much I wish she were.

"I just got some sort of medicine. I'm going to try and give it to her. Prop her up?"

Leo immediately lifts her head to his lap so her body is propped up. Her brown curls cover his lap like a blanket. For reasons I can't place, looking at her brings a some sort of deep sorrow mixed with happiness.

Carefully placing the cup to her lips, I slowly empty its contents into her mouth. Hopefully she'll swallow it instead of choke on it.

Just to cover myself, I whisper, "I'm sorry Nassia. I had no other choice."

It's certain that she'll be unhappy that I saved someone instead of myself. I'm sure it doesn't help that she's a girl that's the same age.

Leo runs a finger over her forehead when I stand. Instead of engaging in another tiresome conversation with the boy, I walk around the small cliff, occasionally kicking stones over the edge. I count the seconds it takes before I hear it hit a surface. The time always varies since we're on a sloped mountain.

I drape my legs over the edge, tempting my fate just in case once wasn't enough. A tired sigh escapes my lips. How did I get here? I should be with Darian.

"Darian," I call out into the twinkling sky, "if you're somehow watching this, you need to know how sorry I am." A tear slides down my cheek. I let it fall instead of wiping it away.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen." My voice dwindles from a shout to the sky to a mumble for myself. When I mumble and shut my eyes, it's easier to imagine that I'm really talking to her.

"I love you. We were supposed to be together in our new home. Not separated. Not with me turning into a murderer."

More tears.

"If I come home, I hope you'll still love and accept me."

I check behind me for Leo and see him sleeping beside Lydora. He's placed her head on one of his arms as a pillow.

Despite myself, a smile forms on my lips. He really likes her. I'm glad she has someone who cares about her.

Maybe I'm foolish, but I feel safe enough to take a short nap on this cliff. When Lydora wakes, she'll surely be smart enough to wake us.

Before laying down, the first signs of the sun peek through the curtain of darkness. Such a pretty sight for such an evil place.

...

A scream causes me to jump to my feet within seconds. My balance is incredibly off as is my vision. I spin around until I see Leo in the grasp of Kyren.

Without a thought, my eyes briefly drift to Lydora who is safely on the ground. Maybe he thinks she's dead. I only hope she won't come to before I take care of Kyren.

"Kyren," I shout, stumbling drowsily towards him. "A boy? You're going to kill a child? Seems low even for you."

I focus on keeping my confidence, or at least faking my confidence. It's almost funny to think about how I used to be compared to now. I never would've entertained the thought of possibly sacrificing myself for someone else. And then Darian came along and changed my world.

I take more steps to Kyren.

"Come any closer and he dies." His voice quivers almost unnoticeably and he clenches his jaw. He doesn't want to do it. He has to. I know this now.

"What is your endgame, Kyren? Do you have family who actually cares that you exist?" The words come harsher than I intend. He just needs to think this through...I need him to think.

"What's it matter?" he scoffs, "You have a knack for starting annoying conversations."

"Listen, he has your family right?"

He looks away from me and tightens his grip on Leo. Since starting my conversation with him, Leo has stopped his squirming and yelling. It's probably best that way.

"No answer means yes," I say, jumping to the conclusion that he won't give me. "Do you honestly think you're going to make it out of here alive?"

He still doesn't answer. His eyes graze over Lydora's unconscious body. A form of rage sets in my body. He isn't allowed to even think about harming her.

"Hey!" I shout to pull his attention away from the girl. "Would you answer me? Do you think Vaxon will let you live?"

He shakes his head. Why won't he speak? I just want to hear him admit it.

"Do you really think he'll let your family live after you die?"

Kyren gives me a look of pure hatred and starts kissing Leo. I'm momentarily appalled and confused until he pulls away with a black fog trailing from his lips. He releases Leo who collapses to the ground.

With a yell of anger, I push the gravity around him and knock him to his back. I lift my body off the ground and swiftly lunge towards him, straddling his body.

I use my energy to start crumbling the earth beneath him. It'll turn into a black hole of sorts if I focus my energy properly. Surprisingly, Kyren doesn't fight back.

The ground below us starts to weaken.

"He'll kill them," he cries.

I throw some heavy gravity around his neck. My energy drains, I can feel it. But I'll be okay. I have to be.

"My family...if I don't kill you...they'll die."

"I don't care!"

I push harder. He needs to die. He's a fool if he believes Vaxon will let him or his family live. The second he dies, so does his family.

Kyren summons some sort of smoke and knocks me off his body, causing me to land with a gasp of air. I jump from my back and land surprisingly graceful on my feet.

Kyren is nowhere to be found. Coward.

"Leo," I shout running to his limp form. I see his chest rise and fall with no particular pattern.

There are too many unconscious kids for my liking. These two shouldn't be hurt at all. They're so young and innocent.

A small groan comes from Lydora. She slowly sits up and I run to her. She couldn't have timed that any better. If she would have woken any sooner, Kyren likely would have her killed too.

"Where's Leo?" she mumbles when I reach her.

My eyes glance nervously behind me. She doesn't miss it and clumsily scrambles to his body.

"Lora, no."

She looks at me skeptically with her hand still resting on Leo's chest. "What did you just call me?"

"L—Lora," I stutter. "Why?"

"Only my family calls me Lora," she mumbles. Her attention returns to Leo.

I don't know why I called her Lora. It just felt right, like I had to. Why was it a big deal to her...? Maybe because it's a connection with home.

Lydora's skin begins glowing and my mouth all but falls open. No one else has glowing skin. Not that I know of anyway. I thought I was the only one.

She begins mumbling words that I'm assuming will heal him. He's not dead. Kyren doesn't have it in him to kill kids. Not yet, anyway...

It's surely only a matter of time before the threat of losing his family slowly drives him to his own self destruction and demise.

"Hey," Lydora whispers softly.

Leovarettan sits up and smiles at her. The look they exchange can be put in the simplest terms of young love. I don't know how, in these few short hours of knowing one another, they fell 'in love' but they did it. That's exactly how Darian looks at me. I know the look well.

Crouching beside Lydora, I ask Leo, "You okay?"

"Yeah. She's an amazing healer."

He could say that again. The poor girl should honestly be dead after healing me. Surely I had many broken bones. She should be too young to be able to perform magic so powerful.

"And how are you?" I direct my attention to the little miracle worker beside me.

"Surprisingly, I feel completely fine. My levels don't feel very drained. I'm just a bit woozy."

I nod in relief. She's been awake for less than five minutes and she already has healed again. She all but brought Leo back from the dead.

"You two look kind of alike," Leo randomly blurts out.

"Is your basis the fact that we have brown hair?" I ask with the roll of my dark eyes.

"No, not exactly anyway."

Ignoring him, I stand and stretch my limbs. It's still amazing to me that I'm not at all sore. Lydora really does work miracles.

"Your facial structure is kinda similar. Just a side note, I suppose," he ends shyly. I feel bad that I keep acting short with him. I truly don't mean to. It's this place...

I offer my hand to Lydora to help her stand and the familiar flash of images sets in my mind as before. It's my family trying to hide me and my sister who cries out. Tears fall from her...green eyes. Her hair is a mess. A brown curly mess...

I fall to my knees and weight seems to nearly crush me. Years and years of wondering. Years of beating myself up. It was all for this moment. Right here, right now.

Nothing makes sense, yet it's all falling together...

I look up at Lydora with her eyes filled with fear and confusion.

"Lydora," I say breathing heavily, "you're my sister."

"How do you know?" Her voice is smaller than normal, like she's afraid to accept it.

I shake my head. Truth is, there's no way for me to know for sure. It's more of a feeling. That's why I wanted to protect her from the first moment I met her. That's why she's always seemed important in one way or another.

When Kyren looked at her and I got mad, it was my protective instinct taking over. That's what these past few days have been. It all makes sense now.

She's my sister, the one I've been missing. The one I all but wrote off as dead.

She's right here.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. Several tears slip out of my eyes before she hugs me back.

"This feels...right," she says.

"I can't believe you're here." I cup her chin in my hands with the biggest grin on my face.

"Wait," Leo cuts in, "you're really related? I was just stating the coincidences. His blue eyes hold shock.

"I think we really are. I think that's why I got hazy visions when we touched." Lydora looks from Leo to me. "You saw them too, right?"

I nod my head.

"Not to break up the happy moment or anything, but I really think we should go to the caves."

"What's Leo talking about?"

"I'll explain once we get off this cliff," I tell her.

I tell Lydora and Leo to stand next to one another so I can lift them above the cliffs edge. Shaking out my limbs to loosen up, I begin enveloping them in a lighter gravity. Slowly they begin to float up.

Lydora whispers something to Leo about my skin glowing like hers. I smirk. We are quite alike. It's a wonder I didn't pick up on us being siblings sooner.

By the time their feet hit the ground above me, I feel more drained than I should. My energy levels are still okay, but I know I should have more left than I do. Something isn't right...

I use the pull of gravity to lift me up like rope and join Lydora and Leo. They're being held against a rock by the very griffin that I was communicating with.

I sigh. Here goes more energy that I need...

"Please, they're my friends." I send the words to the bird like before. He turns to look at me with eyes that seem strangely happy for such an intimidating creature. He leaves the two and struts to me.

His deep voice reaches my head. "I thought you were dead."

I nod my head to Lydora and make my way to her. "This little one saved me. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Possibly." He steps towards me and lowers so that are faces are across from each other.

"Jaxon, what are you doing?" Lydora shouts out with panic. This probably does look strange since the griffin and I are not speaking out loud.

I hold a finger up for her to stop talking and wait.

"Can you take us to the caves in the northwest corner?" My breathing is becoming erratic. Why am I losing energy so fast? I have a better resistance than this!

"I can take you as far as the river. After that, you're on your own."

"Thank you."

With a deafening screech, he flaps his massive wings several times. Two more griffin approach from above.

"Jaxon," Leo's tone is mildly warning. "What is happening?"

"They'll take us to the river. Get on one and let's go."

The sooner I can sit and rest, the better. I need to.

"Can Lora and I ride together? I don't like the idea of her being on one alone." Leo stares at the ground, clearly embarrassed to admit what he admitted. I wonder why...I think it's sweet.

"Can they hold the two if they're together?"

"I'll take them," the bird like creature states.

I nod in thanks and climb onto the one beside the one I communicate with. The feathers on its head start to taper off into fur around the base of the neck.

"Hey buddy," I mumble patting his head, knowing that he doesn't understand what I said. "Get on the big one," I tell the two young ones.

Once they're mounted, we take off into the lightening sky. The sun has almost fully risen.

The higher we go, the more the wind beats at my face. I grip the fur of my griffin to keep steady. A glance to the side tells me that Leo and Lydora are both okay.

This is incredible. Everything below me looks so small. I've been high up before when I was playing with my magic, but I've never lingered. The sight is just...wow.

Darian would really like it. She always enjoyed the sights of nature. This would certainly make her happy.

Oh how I hope she's okay. If anything has happened to her...

I won't be able to do a thing. If she's captured or hurt, I can't help. I'm stuck and here, and honestly, I'm no longer sure that I plan on leaving.

Lydora is so young. She has a family that took her in and loves her. The girl has so much life in her. Knowing she's my sister...I don't think I could live with myself if she didn't.

My heart feels like it's being ripped to shreds. It's a conflicting feeling. I have Lydora who I failed when we were younger. I didn't save her like a brother should.

And then there's Darian. I've taken her from everything. Her family. Her normal life. Her home. She's sacrificed so much for me and I love her.

I love them both. I can't simply let Lydora die, but Darian can't be alone. I can't do that to her, to either of them.

"Make them stop," Lydora yells.

"What? Why?" I shout over the rushing wind.

"Because Kyren is below us. I can tell he's hurt."

Before I have the chance to tell her no, Leo is already scolding her. He has every right to. Kyren tried to kill him.

"I don't care what he did. I think he's a good person deep down. Let me help him."

I look to Leo who has taken a new shade of white. I don't blame him for being frightened.

"It's up to you," I say.

He stares down between our two birds and watches Kyren who seems to barely be able to walk. His eyes find Lydora's pleading ones.

He groans with defeat. He can't tell her no, just like I can never tell Dar no.

"Do it."

"Can you drop us off here so we can help someone?" I direct the words to Lora's creature. I can see him eye me from the side.

"If we do, this is the end. Once we drop down we have to return home."

"I understand. We can walk from here."

As they begin their descent, he informs me that we aren't far from the caves. In fact, if I look ahead, I see the river.

It's good we aren't far. My energy hasn't replenished at all. It actually feels lower now than it was. That's physically impossible. That communication shouldn't have taken but a morsel of energy.

We land more than several feet away from Kyren. I thank the griffins before they briskly take off. I can't believe we're doing this.

"You guys stay back," Lydora says.

"No," Leo and I say in unison.

"Yes. There's no sense in you coming. I'm only healing him."

"I just discovered your my sister." I shake my head. "I'm not failing you twice."

"Just stay."

Without further debate, she runs off to meet Kyren. He falls to his knees just before she reaches him. I watch worriedly from my spot. I can't hear anything they say and it's making me nervous.

I wish I could help her somehow... I wish my energy would be able to go that far. Maybe then the gravity would be able to surround her like a shield.

Kyren stands and reaches for Lora with haste. I shout in anger. He can't touch her!

And he doesn't...how is she doing that? When Kyren reaches for her, his hand reaches a certain point and is thrown back like a force field is blocking him. Whatever she's doing, she needs to keep it up.

If only I could help her!

My legs quiver in weakness. Vaxon has to be draining us somehow.

"Lora, run" Leovarettan shouts.

She uses her little legs to sprint as fast as she can. We all begin running to the river and cross it in haste. Kyren doesn't seem to be following.

"How did you do that?" Lora asks through her short breaths. She looks just as exhausted as I feel. Leo isn't looking to be too far behind us in energy. His advantage is that he hasn't used energy for magic.

"Do what?" I ask.

"You put a wall of gravity in front of me. I could feel it. So could Kyren," she laughs at her small joke.

"I—I don't know."

I didn't know I did anything. I only hoped and wished that my magic would somehow reach her. Never has my magic been able to reach that far.

"I think...maybe we're stronger together. You know, since we're brother and sister. Maybe that's why I survived healing you."

It would make sense I suppose. There aren't really rules in magic. Pretty much anything goes and maybe that's our 'perk'.

We reach the caves and each of them have names on them. Convenient, Vaxon. I find mine almost instantly. Before entering, I pull Lydora into another tight embrace.

"I don't know what's going to happen in there, but no matter what, I want you to know how much I love you. There is rarely a day that passed where I didn't wonder where you might be and if you were okay. I love you."

Her small arms hold tight on my body. "I love you too, Jaxon."

I let her go and look at Leo sternly. "Promise me that if anything happens to me you'll watch over her. Protect her. Can you do that?"

He nods. "I'll do what I can for as long as I can."

"Okay. We'll meet here once we're out. Deal?"

The two of them agree and I see a tear streak Lydora's cheek. It breaks my heart to have to separate from her after I just got her back. There's so much at stake.

I enter into the damp cave. Puddles of water sit sporadically on the floor. I can hear droplets fall and hit the ground. This whole cave thing is just giving me the chills.

I don't walk far before I see a glimmering silver ring guarded by a yellow toned dragon. Its shiny scales have an incredibly rough look to them. It almost looks as if small barbs are poking out of the scales.

Trailing down the back of the neck are a rounded type spike. Going off what little knowledge I have of dragons, I think the rounded mane means it's a female.

Deep breath, I tell myself. My energy at this point is so low that I'm not sure how I'm going to do this. There's no going back. Whatever that rings does I'm sure Vaxon has made sure it's a necessity.

A quiet groan leaves me as I push myself off the ground to above the ring. My energy wavers. There isn't enough time...

Just as I'm about to grasp it, I fall flat on my chest. My body lies right in the middle of this massive dragon that's lying in a semi-circle. She looks at me and roars with a rage greater than what I'd like to encounter.

There's no energy left in my body. Well, there is because I'm still alive, but there's only enough to perform small magic. Useless.

Out of habit, I begin to apologize. Who knows, maybe the dragon will pick up on my apologetic manner and not my fear.

One can only hope...

"Sorry won't cut it peasant," she says with a very foreign accent.

My eyes widen. She...speaks. She understands me. Then that must mean she's a chief dragon. A leader of sorts. They're the only ones that can speak actual languages. It unfortunately means that she's strong.

I have no defense.

She opens her mouth to reveal her long, sharp teeth. She spits out bright yellow and blue vines. The second they touch me, my body jolts. It takes a lot out of me and I can smell the faint scent of singed hair.

She spits out lightening. That's her weapon. As if her massive claws and teeth weren't enough.

When I arise to my feet, she spreads her large, veiny wings and starts spitting out more electricity. My feet tangle on themselves as I try to escape out of the way and I fall to the ground. Thankfully she misses me.

How am I going to defeat her? There is no weapon in here to use. My body nearly screams in protest when I stand and charge at her back.

I have about one shot at this. I remember learning that their wings aren't overly sensitive. They don't have a lot of feeling in them.

This has to work.

I shimmy up her back, much to her protest.

"Get off me, useless human," she hisses in a tone that seems too perfect for a monstrous creature.

I wasn't wrong about her skin having barbs. Each time I lift my hands, a small bit of skin is left behind. It'll be a small price to pay if I survive this.

I grab one of her wings just as she turns to shot more lightening at me. Her wing shields me as planned and her body tremors. The electricity is coursing through.

I quickly scramble off her body and step back. I've seen electric through magic before. When the same energy reacts with itself, it destroys it.

She's slowly dying from the inside out. In her fits, she spits out the last of her lightening randomly. Despite my efforts of trying to dodge her, some of the bolts still manage to hit me. I land on my knees, body convulsing. If she doesn't die soon, I will.

She seizes for only a minute more before her own powers consume her body and she dies, exhaling sparks.

I laugh. She's dead. She killed herself! I did it.

My body refuses to stand after everything it's been through. Slowly, I crawl to the pedestal with the ring on it and use it to hoist my body up.

The ring shines at me with all of its magical beauty.

Male 12: Water Mage Evian Damini

The early morning sunlight leaked through the trees, spilling onto Evian's face and waking him. For a moment, it seemed he was back in the camp, waking up to another ordinary day of training. However, he then realized that he was not in his tent, but out in the open, and not in the all too familiar clearing of the camp, but laying on the damp ground next to the lake with the supply pack as a pillow.

The lake glistened as he sat up, blinking in the sunlight. His eyes fell upon the girl, who was peacefully asleep on the ground next to him. A trace of a smile appeared on her face, different from the ever-present frown she wore when she was awake. Once again, he thought of his mother. He pictured her lying in her bed at night, smiling at him and comforting him when he had been frightened by a dream or a noise.

Then the image changed, and instead he saw his mother, lying on that same bed, pain flashing across her face as she struggled to hold on to life. The smile that was almost always there was now gone, replaced with tears as she struggled to give birth. He saw the doctors and healers around her holding up a crying baby, and through crystalline tears he watched her whisper the last word she would ever speak: the name of his young sister.

Evian shook his head, clearing away the memory. Dwelling on the past would do him no good. He had to concentrate on the here and now, the arena. Turning away from the girl, he opened the leather supply bag and surveyed the contents. There was a coil of rope, some arrows, matches, and food, enough to keep his energy up.

Hearing a noise behind him, he turned around to see that the girl was awake. She blinked a few times, then stood up. Her movements were guarded, he noticed, as if she expected to be attacked from any side at any moment. He cleared his throat, and her head snapped in his direction. "Good morning," he said kindly.

Like before, she offered no answer, but walked toward the lake and began washing her face in the water. Evian watched her curiously. She was strange, no doubt. It seemed as if she thought the whole world was against her. At times, it can feel like that, Evian thought to himself, but no matter how dark a tunnel you seem to be going through, there's always light at the end. She just doesn't realize that.

She stood up from washing, and he tossed her a chunk of bread from the pack. She caught it with surprise, looking at him suspiciously.

"Eat up," he said. "We'll need to keep up our energy if we want to survive in this place."

Looking down at the bread suspiciously, she slowly took a small bite out of the edge and chewed it meticulously slowly.

"See?" Evian said. "It's not killing you."

She shot him a glare that made him want to hide in a hole, and he got her message clearly: Don't ever make a joke around me again.

Looking away, he took out another piece of bread for himself and bit into it. He knew he would need his strength for the upcoming day. Who knows what terror Vaxon has cooked up for us to battle?

As if on cue, the sky rumbled with a noise like thunder, but more unnatural. The king's voice suddenly rang out all around them, although Vaxon himself was nowhere to be seen. "All of you will head to the twenty-six different cave systems to the northwest. Inside each one rests a magical item that you will need if you are to survive the next few days."

As abruptly as it had started, the voice was gone. The clearing was quiet. Nothing moved. The girl's eyes were now a mixture of fear, confusion, and anger at Vaxon for putting them in this place. He suspected that his own eyes looked the same way. "We should get moving," he said. "We have a lot of ground to cover."

***

They ran.

The ground was hard beneath their feet. The sun beat down on them. Their magic energy was somehow draining, even though they didn't use any. However, they still ran. Other Magi passed them, but they didn't stop to fight. Everyone seemed to know that they needed to get to the caves, and fast.

As they ran, Evian tried not to think about how much his feet hurt. Instead, he thought about the girl. She looked so much like his mother... Was it possible that she was his sister, the one that he had never known? The one he had been silently searching for? He would think that if she was in the Magi camp with him the whole ten years they were in hiding, he would have noticed her before, but she seemed to blend in so well that he just hadn't comprehended the sight of her until that morning by the campfire. But how? How was it possible that out of all the places he searched, he missed her when she was right under his nose?

I guess I thought that since there were only thirty-four magi, the odds of her being one of them was so unlikely that I didn't even need to take my chances looking. That's probably still true. The resemblance to Mother is probably just coincidence, or I'm just imagining it.

And so Evian dismissed the thought, letting it float away into the hazy blue sky. The sun had risen higher in the sky, and he noticed that as time passed, his magic energy seemed to be fading away. He didn't know how, or if anyone else was feeling it, but he knew he had to get to the caves as fast as he could. He had a feeling that the item Vaxon spoke of would replenish his energy somehow.

In the distance, a thin line of blue appeared under the horizon. As they ran closer and closer, it became a mighty river, foaming and churning with massive rapids. The only way across it was a narrow bridge, which somehow seemed to be made entirely out of pure darkness. Vaxon's work, no doubt, Evian thought bitterly.

Cautiously, he placed his foot on the top of the dark bridge. It seemed solid, so he began to walk across, expecting for it to disappear any moment and send him spiraling into the rapids below. However, it didn't, and he was able to make it safely across. The girl followed with little hesitation.

Evian turned from the river and beheld what they were looking for, the caves. Some tunneled into the ground, while others went through the sides of bare gray mountains. The sky was dark with clouds. Nothing seemed to move.

The girl made a move towards one of the caves in the ground, not stopping to wait for him. "Wait!" he called after her.

She turned back towards him, hands on her hips.

"I-- I was just thinking that all this time, I never properly introduced myself, and if we... die in the caves, it would be nice if we knew each other's names. I'm Evian."

Her eyes narrowed, and she turned back around to the cave. "Stop!" he pleaded, but this time, she didn't heed. Without a word, she dropped into the cave, out of his sight.

Rubbing his forehead in aggravation, he began to walk over to one of the caves that tunneled into a mountain. The opening was large and ominous, and a pit formed in his stomach as he walked into the gaping hole. The cave continued as far as his eye could see, and its growing darkness was unsettling. Deep inside, Evian could see the faintest glimmer of light. The light didn't bring him hope, however, but fear, because it was not a comforting light. It was the wild flicker of fire, like the fire that had consumed the camp two days prior.

Still, he continued on into the consuming darkness, knowing that if he wanted to survive, he would need to claim the item that awaited inside. As he grew further and further from the entrance, the darkness consumed him, and he put a hand on the wall to guide him. There was no light but the faint glimmer of fire up ahead, fire that he knew marked his destination. As it grew closer, the dread he felt from looking at it grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly, he emerged into a cavern. It was lit with an eerie torchlight, the fire he had seen from afar. The flames cast strange shadows on the walls. Oil from the torches coated the floor. Stalactites dripped from the high ceiling. Gold coins were scattered across the floor.

In the middle of the room, curled up, was a large dragon. Evian had never seen a dragon before, but he now realized that they lived up to the legends about them. This one's scales were a brilliant reddish-gold that glinted in the torchlight and reflected off the coins on the ground. His giant eyes were closed, his monstrous wings were folded behind his back, and his breathing was heavy. Evian assumed he was asleep.

Slowly, he stepped forward to try to sneak around it, but he accidentally kicked a coin across the floor. Breathing in sharply, he hoped the dragon would take no notice, but his hopes were cast aside when the dragon's giant ruby eye slowly slid open. It was awake. Standing up slowly, it opened its jaws in what could have been an enormous, dragon-like yawn.

Suddenly, it spoke, and its voice filled the cavern. "WHAT MORTAL BEING DARES AWAKEN ME FROM MY SLUMBER?"

It's jaws never moved, though somehow it spoke. Evian didn't know if the words were only in his mind, or if others could hear them, but what he did know was that this dragon was a being of extraordinary magic. "Forgive me, fair dragon," he said, bowing low. "I only wish to gain what treasure I have been sent here for."

The dragon's eyes narrowed. "You seek the mage ring?"

Evian didn't know exactly what that meant, but it seemed right. "Yes, yes I do. I need it to survive."

"Then I am afraid you will not survive," the dragon said, smoke billowing out of his nostrils, "for I have been given the task of guarding the ring by King Vaxon himself, and I will not disobey his orders."

Evian's heart pounded. He knew that to get to the ring, he would either have to fight the dragon or somehow talk him out of guarding the ring. At the moment, the latter seemed more feasible, as his magic energy was waning. "Fair dragon," he said smoothly, "why do you follow the orders of King Vaxon? Surely you know all the horrible things he had done. Why not defy him?"

The dragon snorted. "I see what you are doing. You are trying to change my mind, make me turn against Vaxon, so that I will give you the item you wish for. Such tricks will not work with me. I am in no mood to negotiate with a mortal such as yourself. If you want the ring, the only way to retrieve it will be by defeating me."

Evian's heart sank, but he pulled out his sword. "So be it."

The dragon roared, spreading out his enormous wings and rising up on his haunches. The tips of his wings clipped the ceiling, sending down a shower of rocks. A great blast of fire was sent Evian's way, and he had to roll out of the way. Quickly, he summoned two spheres of water into his hands. His knees nearly buckled. Is my magic energy that far gone already? To save his energy, he dropped the spheres. This fight would have to be won by sword alone.

Another blast of fire was sent his way, and he narrowly dodged. The heat singed the tips of his hair. The dragon laughed, a sound that set Evian on edge, and breathed another stream of flame.

"Is this the best you can do?" Evian shouted after dodging again.

The dragon growled and spread his wings. Evian thought he was going to attempt to fly, which wouldn't work, as the ceiling was too low. Instead, however, he blew a line of fire onto the ground, catching some of the oil from the torches on fire. Using his wings, he fanned the flame toward Evian, making the fire fill the room. The heat was unbearable, and he knew that he would have to do something soon before he was burnt to a crisp.

The dragon laughed again, and Evian glimpsed a tiny glow, as if from a flame, inside his throat. Then a thought hit him. What would happen if that flame was extinguished?

He once again formed the two spheres of water in his hands and tried not to pass out from the exhaustion that followed. The dragon was still laughing, wings beating the flame closer and closer to where he stood. He knew he would only have one shot to get the sphere into the dragon's mouth. If he missed, he would die.

Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, he drew back his arm and threw.

Male 14: Warrior Sage Telex Silverblade

"I think we should be safe by now." Telex panted as he drew to a halt.

Lady Wood had woken them up before dawn, giving them supplies and sending them on their way. According to the tome that Nassia had sent, the elves had mutations and weren't exactly sane. The exception was Lady Wood, an old woman who was sent to keep the elves from tearing each other apart. She had sent them off before the other elves woke so they had a chance of escaping with their skins.

Kandi's arm was still bandaged, but it was healing nicely. Myla had read some of Nassia's book or "Burn it Book" as they called it. She had read it after they left and sometime after they battled a few more Arachnids and Sporkions. Morning had come as they ran from the marsh into an open field, where Vaxon's voice had suddenly boomed out into the wind.

After the warning, Telex had felt his energy rapidly slipping from him. It had stopped to a mild deterioration, but it made him feel weak. He hated feeling weak.

"We're not safe until we get to the caves Vaxon was talking about." Kandi replied.

"Can we at least sit for a moment and have a snack? We didn't eat anything." Telex sulked.

"How can you think about eating at a time like this?!" Kandi exclaimed. "Our energy is emptying out of us, we're going to die if we don't get to those caves!"

"Well if we do die, I'd rather not be hungry..."

"He's right, eating something small will help us." Myla exhaled.

"Alright, alright." Kandi plopped down, swinging her bag in front of her. Telex and Myla followed suit.

"Telex." Kandi stated in a ponderous tone as she bit into some dried fruit. "You threw a fireball at me in the battle yesterday."

Had it been yesterday? If it had, yesterday had seemed like a century.

"Yeah, and?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You're a warrior sage, not a fire mage. What's up? And don't you dare say that it's just 'a trick of the trade.'"

Telex flushed. "Oh, um, that, uh yeah."

Kandi still had an expectant look on her face.

"I'm not a fire mage, but I can create small little fire things." Telex muttered.

"How?"

"Someone gave the power to me, but it's not that strong. The most I can do is light a fire or throw fireballs the size of my palm."

"That's it?" Myla frowned.

"Hey, at least I have a secondary strength." Telex defended.

"Where did your healing powers come from?" Kandi asked.

Telex shrugged. "The same person."

"But who?" Kandi prodded.

"My brother. Can we change the subject?"

"Verden? Isn't he dead?"

Verden was dead. That was one of the top things on his worst-things-to-ever-happen list. His mother's death was horrible too, but having Verden die so soon after her was terrible. Especially when they had to run.

Run. He and Sigel always seemed to be running. From Vaxon, from their parent's deaths, from Mathas's deaths, from the past really.

But running didn't matter if Sigel was by his side, running with him and fighting with him. He hadn't really come close to his oldest brother until Verden's death. Until then, Sigel had been too busy with work and studies, and that left Verden to be kind to the youngest and irksome brother.

Verden had been very kind to him, and had treated him as an equal. Telex tried to think that Sigel hadn't tried to ignore him, he was just very busy all the time.

Tyvax Greenblade had always fussed over Sigel, since he was the oldest and the heir. Verden was close behind in the attention, for his magnificent powers and wisdom. It had been difficult for Telex to keep up. He tried everything his brothers did, but he could never surpass their abilities.

In books, it was usually the mother who took care of the underdog of the family. This wasn't the case though. Illia Greenblade had been of Elven blood, and her attitude was noble. She was kind, but she didn't stand up for Telex when his father scolded him for a lesson gone wrong. She simply gave him a pitying look, and usually found a book for him to read on the subject in question, so he could do better.

Telex realized later that this had probably been a good thing, otherwise, he would've become a 'mother's son.' A weakling.

The only thing he never came to terms with was pity. He hated feeling pitied, underestimated, overlooked and weak. This had been a tough mental battle to break through as a child. So many people had given him that look, his mother, Verden, teachers, friends, enemies. That was another reason why he loved Sigel so much. His older brother was never in the habit of pitying people, and he never underestimated their power or stupidity.

Once they were on the run, Sigel had asked Telex for his opinion, and guided him when he assumed wrongly. He had never treated Telex like he was stupid, only foolish, and Telex could understand that.

He remembered the day the war had started for them.

"Try the sigel rune." Verden suggested.

Telex laughed. "I can't believe there's actually a rune called sigel."

He wrote the letters in their form and lifted the glowing ring to a level with his face.

"Good. Now try to separate it into smaller runes." Verden nodded.

Telex tentatively reached out and swung his finger into the right corner of the rune, bringing it out into another circle.

"I think I've got it!" He grinned.

A horrific and almost sizzling scream ripped through the air. Verden jolted, his face a mask of confusion and fear. Telex sprang to his feet and headed for the scream. The two boys ran down hallways, finding themselves at the doors of their father's office. Verden pushed the door open and they ran in, only to halt abruptly.

Sigel was on his knees, his strong form was barely seen through a screen of brilliant and blinding white. It was bizarre, the lightning flashed, making purple-black marks where it illuminated, only to be replaced by more light.

This was no punishment. Their father was killing Sigel. Telex quickly drew three runes in the air and they spun over his body, morphing his skin into titanium. He ran at his father, ramming him to the ground and clouting his nose. Behind him, the screaming died into a soft moan and the burnt smell of sizzling flesh crowded Telex's senses as he punched his father. Why would he do this?

A shove sent Telex flying across the room he felt himself hit bodies as he tumbled. He coughed, blood dripping from his mouth as his skin converted to its normal form. Verden groaned in pain as he sat up from the ground, Telex had flown right into him and Sigel.

"Sorry." Telex gasped.

Sigel lay face-down and limp on the ground, smoke rising from his clothing. Telex gawked at his brother's now white hair. He rushed over to Sigel and turned him over, tears welling in his eyes. His brother's face was pale, far too pale. Telex lifted Sigel's eyelid, and saw that his brothers eyes were now grey, instead of their original orangey-red.

"Is, is he dead?" Telex choked as Verden bent over their brother.

"No. He's still alive, help me-" Verden cut himself off, and Telex found a hand shoving him back.

The world whirled in a mess of Verden, the wall, the floor, and a sudden brilliant light. Telex heard the sound of electricity crackling as he slammed against the wall.

He looked up to see Verden falling back, a huge spider of lightning sat on his chest as webs of light shot down his arms.

"No! Stop it! Stopit! Stopit!" Telex's words came out strange, a choking scream that sent saliva and blood spilling from his mouth.

The lightning crackled and fizzed until Verden lay limp, half-conscious.

Tyvax stood a few feet away, his eyes filled with furious madness, his hair wild, his nose dripping with blood. He stormed over to where Telex was bent over his brothers. He grabbed Telex and Verden by the collars and started to drag them away. Telex, now even more furious, tried to fight but his father was too strong, so he grabbed onto Sigel instead. Dragging him along as their father shoved them down the stairs and into the pantry, where he locked the door behind him.

"Stop! Why did you do this?! Why?!" Telex screamed at the door, pounding at it with weak fists.

His father never answered him.

The pantry was cool, and it had no windows, leaving them in complete darkness. Telex struggled around until he found a lamp and a flint and steel. It took him what seemed like hours to get the lamp lit, but he finally illuminated the room.

Sigel was sprawled on the ground at an odd angle, and Verden was pulled into a fetal position on the floor. His hands were clutched to his chest as his eyes fluttered.

Telex hung the lamp and checked Sigel's pulse, which was fine. Then he turned to Verden.

"Are you alright?" Telex asked.

Verden blinked his eyes and looked up at Telex. "Yeah, help me sit up."

Telex held up Verden's arms and his brother groaned as he leaned against a shelf, his hand clamped against his gut.

"Let me see." Telex commanded, peeling Verden's hand away from his wound.

It was horrific. Telex could barely tell the difference between Verden's skin and his shirt, it was all scorched.

"It's not that bad, we just need to get some potions and bandages." Telex smiled, and nodded to Verden.

His older brother gave him a sad look. "You always look at the bright side."

"I'm not looking at the bright side, I'm just right."

Verden held up his hand. "It's good to look at the bright side Telex. Don't ever forget that. But do remember that you can't believe unrealistic expectations."

Verden coughed and Telex felt panic clenching his gut. He left Verden, frantically searching the pantry for some kind of healing herbs or bandages. There wasn't anything to use. Telex rushed to the door and slammed his body against it. Then his fists.

"Hey! Somebody open this door! Please, I need help! Somebody help!" He yelled.

Verden coughed some more, his breath starting to sound jagged.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" Telex screamed, his throat raw.

"Telex." Verden wheezed.

Telex felt a lump form in his throat as he knelt next to Verden. "Yeah?"

"It's okay-"

Telex interrupted him. "Of course it's okay, everything's okay, we're going to get out of here. You're going to be okay." He choked and his vision blurred with tears. "Everything is going to get better, it always does."

Verden slowly shook his head. "Telex, please. You can't hold on anymore."

"No."

"Yes. Do it for me. When I leave you need to stick with Sigel, he'll need you as much as you'll need him."

Telex shook his head, a teardrop falling. "If, not when. Help is going to come, you're going to be fine. Remember when we were training and you fell through the ice back when? We thought you were going to die, but Mathas saved you. He saved you and father is going to come back and help us."

"He tried to kill us Telex. There are evil people in this world." Verden said weakly.

"Not father, it was an accident. He didn't mean to hurt you or Sigel."

Verden still had that sad look on his face. "Just promise, that if I do go, you will let me. Don't hold on Telex, onto me, or mother, or father. We'll all be gone. Sigel is the only one who will be left, so don't hang on to the dead. Promise."

Telex sobbed as he nodded, hot tears streaming in itchy drips. Sigel groaned and sat up, a hand to his head.

Now that he was sitting up and staring at his younger brothers with bewilderment, Telex felt a new pang. Sigel would never look the same again.

"Telex, what happened?" Sigel asked as he joined near Verden, but Telex was too distressed to speak.

He had barely heard anything after that. Sigel and Verden spoke to each other, then Verden gave them his powers.

"Look after each other will you?" Verden asked.

"You know us." Telex sighed.

"Can't you two ever get along?" Verden smiled sadly.

"We will for you." Telex placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"We'll get along Verden, don't worry about us." Sigel smiled.

That was probably the last genuine smile Sigel had ever given.

"Telex, we have to go."

"Telex?"

The voice was different, and Telex's head suddenly hurt very badly. He groaned and held his head. When he looked up, Myla and Kandi were next to him, not Verden and Sigel.

"Are you alright?" Kandi asked, her eyes wide.

Telex's body felt weak, his energy was very low. "Y-yeah." He managed.

"We were talking, but then you just went really pale and blank. You didn't hear us talking to you." Kandi replied.

Telex found that he didn't really care what Kandi was saying, he needed to get energy.

"We need to get to those caves." He said, pulling his backpack over his shoulder and starting to run again. Kandi and Myla caught up with him a few minutes later.

They didn't ask questions as they ran to a rampant river and over a bridge. Myla had to be talked into walking over the old, creaky bridge.

When they reached the other side, it was a lightly wooded area, leading to rocky paths.

"We need to split up, there's one cave for each of us." Kandi said.

"That sounds good, once we're done, we can try to meet somewhere here." Myla suggested.

Telex agreed with them, but he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Someone was walking from the direction of the bridges.

"Sigel!"

His brother turned to face him a surprise look on his face. Telex ran at him and wrapped his arms around him.

"I was worried that you got hurt!" Telex gasped. He felt Myla and Kandi beside him.

"We were just about to find the caves!" He smirked.

A woman who Telex hadn't seen before stepped up. "We were too."

"Who are you?" Kandi asked.

The woman smiled. "I'm Chiara Gonzolas. Sigel and I met in the vampire woods and we've been working together."

Telex laughed in shock. "Sigel working with someone?"

Chiara gave an inquisitive smile. "Yes, is that surprising?"

"It's shocking. Sigel isn't the type to team up with people." Kandi put in.

"Hey, that's not completely true." Telex defended, then he turned to the beautiful Chiara. "So what are you?"

"I'm a light mage." Chiara replied.

"Can you burn people with light?" Telex asked.

A swish, a gurgling sound, and thump had them all turning to Myla. She was lying on the ground, blood pooling around her neck, Sigel stood near her with a drawn dagger. Telex bent next to Myla and grabbed her hand, then turned to Sigel.

"Wh... why? Why would you do this?!" Telex demanded. He sprang to his feet and punched Sigel.

The blow hit Sigel, but he only said. "We need to get to the caves."

"Who cares about the caves?! You killed Myla!"

"I did it for you, so don't waste it and get to a bloody cave." Sigel replied.

"For me?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Telex choked on a sob.

Kandi gave a wailing scream, she shook Myla's shoulders. Telex whipped a knife out from a badly drawn rune and slammed it into his brother furiously. Screaming as he did.

This wasn't fair. Why did this have to happen?

He back away as Sigel fell, blood pooling on his clothes. No, this couldn't be happening. Sigel was all he had left.

Telex ran.

He heard Kandi shout after him, but he ignored her, running and running until he was far away from Sigel.

He leaned against a tree, gasping for air.

"You might want to stay away from your brother."

Telex whipped around to see Kyren sitting on a boulder.

"What do you want?!" Telex groaned.

Kyren shrugged. "To warn you."

He stayed on his rock as he continued. "You really hate my family, so I think it would be fair to tell you that Sigel may or may not have ties with my father."

Telex gave Kyren a disgusted look. "You're a liar."

Kyren raised an eyebrow. "And I'm warning you instead of killing you. Your brother has been favored by my parents, and there is a high chance that he will go along with them. If not for himself, then for you."

"This isn't fair." Telex growled.

"What isn't?" Kyren asked.

"Life."

Kyren gave him a cynical look. "Are you just now realizing that?"

"No, but sometimes I wish that unfair would be in my favor."

"Don't we all." Kyren scoffed. "I'm off to save my skin. The closer you stay to Sigel, the closer you get to my father, remember that Silverblade."

He took off without another word. Damn him. Damn all bamboozling good/bad guys.

Telex ran towards the nearest cave, thinking. It didn't matter now if he got close to Sigel or not, he had killed him. He killed his brother.

Telex remembered the note he'd received from Nassia. Then realized he had pleased her by killing his brother.

"DAMMIT!" He yelled as he jogged into one of the caves.

It was dark, but really warm, Telex began to sweat. He was getting uncomfortably deep into the cave when a scream came from farther down. A dragon's scream. Telex ran faster and found himself watching a dragon fighting a shadow sage. The woman's long blonde hair whipped around her face furiously as she fought a huge dragon.

It was a Coal Dragon. Telex widened his eyes in amazement and gleeful terror. Coal Dragons were ancient, their bodies were typically smoother than a regular dragon's, and more like a snakes. They had two huge plates on their sides that were invisible until they moved, similar, but smaller plates covered the front, tail, and legs of the dragon. When these plates opened, pure fire and heat blew from them. The dragon's pupils were not slit like a cats, but roundish like a coal, their iris colors going from crimson to yellow. They spoke a language that nobody knew how to speak, not even the most ancient books held their language. Only the most daring of men would ride one of these monsters, and most of them died.

The most incredible thing about these beasts were their wings. Huge wings that were always a sliver color, like metal, they were rounded wings. Runes filled the dragon's wings, each Coal Dragon was born with them.

Telex would've loved to gawk at the dragon for ages, but he spotted a stylus, floating in a blue light beneath a rock. It was about twenty feet from where the fighting was. The light was on a small ledge which dropped into a lagoon-like pool.

It is known everywhere that no one could ever drown a dragon. However, Coal Dragons absolutely refused to touch water unless it was for drinking. If Telex could sneak to the stylus, he could grab it and make off with it. If he was caught, he could dive into the water, and the Coal Dragon wouldn't come after him. The woman wouldn't survive fighting the beast.

The shadow sage blocked off flames with a dark shield and Telex moved. He gingerly made his way behind rocks and boulders, trying his hardest not to attract any attention. He reached the last boulder, the one before he would have to run into opened space to get the stylus.

He peeked over to see that the dragon's back was turned to him. Telex took a huge breath and made a run for it. He was about seven feet away from his goal when he looked back and saw the flame-colored eyes of the dragon narrowed at him. Half of the woman was in the dragon's jaws.

Dammit. This was not his day.

Telex ran harder as the dragon roared something that he couldn't understand. He grew closer and closer, heat was growing on his back and he knew that flames were inches away. Telex slid the rest of the way, trusting that he could grab the stylus on the way down. His hand was so close.

Grab it.

Get it.

Male 15: Plant Mage Sigel Silverblade

It was dark and windy, the threat of a storm hanging over the land. The creaky house was sturdy, despite its worn look.

"What have you come here for child?"

"I want to be the most powerful man in the world."

The old woman chuckled. "Why? What do you wish to accomplish?"

"I want to protect my brother." The tall boy swallowed. "I want to keep him safe."

Lightening flashed, and the fire flared in the hearth. The old hag sat in a rocking chair, her wrinkled hand sliding down the back of an orange cat. She seemed amused.

"You know boy, I shall give you something that will give you a choice."

"What?"

"I will give you the power of fear. Fear is the most powerful enemy to man besides love." She looked up at him, her eyes were black pits.

"I want it."

"Very well, however, I cannot do this without a price."

"Name it." The boy nodded, pushing his silver bangs behind his ear.

"I will name my price after I complete my spell." She smiled. "Will you still do it? Even if you don't know the price? It will be high."

"If I wasn't prepared to sell my very soul I wouldn't be standing before the likes of you."

"Stand there then." She reached for a thin stick.

Kȭlmä kōdõks jäädavalt

Õpiku peatükke ja sealt

Rääkinud inimene tēriņtš

Jõvā ūomõg Jõvvõ ūomõgt

Jõvvõ īedõ vȯndzist Ūdāigastõ

The woman chanted the words as she tossed blue dust into the hearth. The room grew lighter with blue flames, bright flashes of lightening illuminated the room.

A red and orange circle glowed from underneath the boy, black tendrils threaded through with red and orange curled up his body.

His mouth opened and words that were not his own fell out.

"I take the fear of men with my hands

Death will follow me through the lands"

The tendrils wrapped around his neck and weaved down his throat.

"For the sake of life I take the power

Weaving my soul into the reapers watchtower"

His eyes blackened, visions flashing through his mind.

"Taking none with hearts beating red

I take the power to raise the dead"

"Sigel!"

Sigel shot up and jerked back from a hand.

Chiara gave him a worried look. "Sorry I yelled, you're a heavy sleeper."

It was morning, he could feel the leaves soaking in the light of morning. How long had it been since his last watch?

"Sigel? Are you okay?"

"Yes, good morning." He replied.

He could only faintly see her outline. "We should go to the heart tree. There's only enough food in the supplies to last one person for a long period of time."

They gathered their supplies and began to walk, it wasn't very long before they were out of the woods. Chiara spoke sometimes and Sigel found that he enjoyed her company. She was friendly and lighthearted, but she wasn't flippant like Telex, and he felt that he could have an intelligent conversation with her.

"What are we going to do when we get to the heart tree?" Chiara asked.

"Find the supplies, then you can blind them while I get it." Sigel answered.

"Okay."

Sigel laughed inwardly. "Okay? Telex would have fussed at me about how my idea is horrible."

Chiara chuckled. "And what could he do? Try and convince you to do something that he thinks isn't horrible? Besides, I trust you."

"He would try to convince me that his idea was better. Even if it was worse." Sigel gave her a sideways glance. "As far as trust goes, you should take the advice I give Telex."

"What's that?"

Sigel pulled out his mental book of rules out of a mind drawer. "Trust everyone and everything."

"Everyone?!" Chiara asked skeptically.

"Yes. I trust the sun will rise in the morning, but I also trust that there may be an eclipse, or the clouds will cover it. I trust that you won't try to kill me, but I also trust that you may change your mind."

"Ah, thank you o wise one, my eyes have been opened." She grinned. "Yes, I also trust that you won't try to kill me."

"Shh!" Sigel pointed ahead.

The heart tree stood tall, a bag sat beneath it guarded by fairies, armed to the teeth with tiny weapons.

"Cover me." He whispered. Chiara nodded.

He sprang forward. "I need to get that bag, if you let me have it none of you will be harmed."

They answered by diving at him, weapons drawn. Light came from behind him and the fairies screeched in pain, covering their eyes from the sudden light. They jabbed at him, but weakly.

Sigel grabbed the bag, a wall of thorns blocking the fairies as he ran towards the diminishing light. He and Chiara ran side-by-side away from the heart tree.

"That wasn't so hard." Chiara smiled but then she froze.

The air felt heavy, it seemed to weigh down on their shoulders. Suddenly Vaxon's deep and cruel voice swirled around them in the wind.

"All of you will head to the twenty-six different cave systems to the northwest. Inside each one rests a magical item that you will need if you are to survive the next few days."

Another voice hissed out, dark and menacing.

"Rings, thirteen to Mages

Energy pulsed, tugged

Strengthened to increase

Stylus, five to the Sages

Writing, runes drawn and cast

Strengthened and increased

Wands, seven to the wizards

Chanted words, kept in hand

Spells and power, both increased.

Careful, Magi, in drawing near

A Guardian watches

One of the Ancients await."

The voices vanished and the air lightened, it kept lightening until Sigel's head swam. Chiara grabbed his forearm.

"My energy." She gasped, holding her free hand in a fist against her chest.

Sigel could feel it too. His energy was draining, slowly, as if it was seeping out of the pores of his skin. The air felt normal again, but his mouth was dry, and he could still feel his energy slowly draining.

"Water." Chiara choked.

They opened their packs and pulled out their flasks.

"Don't drink too much." Sigel remarked after taking a swig.

Chiara closed her flask and tucked it into her bag. "Hey, what's this?" She pulled out a black cloak with a small note pinned to it with her name written in an elegant hand.

"This cloak will make you invisible when you wear it. Good luck to you. Queen Vassti." Chiara read.

"It must activate when the clasps attach." Sigel took the cloak and swung it around Chiara's shoulders, snapping it in place. Sure enough, everything but Chiara's head disappeared.

It was strange to see her pretty face floating in the air. Pretty?

"Come, we have to get to the caves." Sigel snatched up his pack and felt something hard hit his head.

"It was that bird!" Chiara pointed to an Eegal scout.

Sigel saw that the animal had dropped a stone on his head, a note was tied to it with his name scrawled on it.

Your brother's energy is being depleted faster than anyone else's. If you wish for me to slow it down, then kill one of your friends. Prove your loyalty to me or you will perish with the rest of the Magi.

Vaxon

Sigel crumpled the note before Chiara saw it. "Come on, we'll die if we don't get out of here."

They ran northwest, keeping up a good pace. Their energy slipping from them with every minute. The ground became a large field. Chiara suddenly cried out as she tripped and fell. Sigel stopped to help her up, and frowned as he saw she had tripped over a body.

Chiara saw it too, then she gasped. "Niko! No, not Niko!"

Sigel knew they couldn't stay, their energy was depleting too fast. "Come Chiara, there's nothing to be done."

Chiara quickly spun around and they started running again.

A huge river appeared ahead of them, raging furiously. Swaying bridges hung over it. Sigel headed for the one that looked the strongest. He ran onto it and turned to see if Chiara was following, but she wasn't.

Chiara stood on the edge of the bridge staring at the swaying ropes. Her tan skin had gone pale, she looked as if she was going to be sick.

"Chiara, we have to go." Sigel called.

She nodded hesitantly and stepped onto the bridge, too slowly. She's afraid.

Sigel walked over to her. "It's not going to break, we're not going to fall."

"I'm not afraid of falling." Chiara said, but her voice was shaky.

Sigel extended his hand. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

She gave a small smile and took his hand. The wind shook the bridge, but Chiara didn't waver, she just squeezed his hand. Sigel didn't mind.

They moved quickly, Chiara let go of Sigel's hand and they walked with their hands on the railing to help them withstand the wind. It was stomach-knotting to feel the timeworn bridge swaying and creaking.

Sigel was feeling the relief of only being five feet from their destination when a huge cracking sound split the air. Chiara screamed and Sigel whipped around to see that bridge beneath her had collapsed. Her hands clutched at the bridge as the rest of her body hung in the air.

Sigel lunged and grabbed her hand, pulling her up. Chiara held her bag and his arm as he pulled them off the bridge.

"I almost fell." Chiara gasped as the stood on firm ground, looking at the broken space.

"Sorry, I should've made you go first." Sigel replied, turning to view their surroundings.

"No. I'm glad I'm the one who fell, I know I wouldn't have been able to pull you up."

The other side was lightly wooded, with stony mountains ahead. It had been at least an hour.

"We need to go to separate-"

"Sigel!"

It was Telex, running towards him, then wrapping his arms around him in a crazy embrace.

"I was worried that you got hurt!" Telex grinned as he pulled out of the squeeze.

Sigel found a faint smile playing at his lips, Telex was okay. Kandi and Myla were coming from behind, both smiling.

"We were just about to find the caves!" Telex smirked.

Sigel felt his lungs turn to liquid. Telex was really pale, he looked sick, and he seemed weak despite his cheery attitude.

Your brother's energy is being depleted faster than anyone else's... kill one of your friends... prove your loyalty.

Sigel swallowed. Telex was going to die if someone else didn't. The voices of the three women and Telex were drowned out by his thoughts.

He had worked with Kandi, did she count as a friend? He barely knew Chiara, and he couldn't kill her when she had saved his life. Myla, he barely knew her, but she was a friend of Telex. Friends are allies, Myla's an ally.

Sigel felt a dagger morph itself in his hand. Myla stood next to Chiara, smiling sweetly.

I'm sorry you had to go like this.

Sigel advanced and drove his blade into her neck, she would die faster. Myla's eyes widened with shock, but they went blank as she fell, blood pooling around her neck.

It took a second for the blow to hit the rest of the group. Kandi screamed and dove next to Myla. Chiara backed away her face scrunched in horror. Telex bent next to Myla and grabbed her hand. Then he looked up at Sigel.

His face was muddled in shock, confusion and anger. "Wh... why? Why would you do this?!" Telex said, his voice squeaked. He sprang to his feet and punched Sigel.

I'm sorry Telex. I did it for you.

Sigel took the blow. "We need to get to the caves."

"Who cares about the caves?! You killed Myla!"

"I did it for you, so don't waste it and get to a bloody cave." Sigel hissed.

"For me?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Telex choked on a sob. "What's wrong with you?" He repeated with questioning horror.

Kandi gave a wailing scream as she shook Myla's shoulders. Telex whipped a knife out from a badly drawn rune and slammed it into Sigel.

Sigel felt the sharp pain ripping into him as Telex yelled in fury. Just get to a cave you idiot. He thought as he fell to the ground.

It was a few minutes when Chiara's face appeared above his. "Are you alright?"

Sigel sat up. "I'm fine, Telex can have a horrible aim at times."

Blood seeped through his shoulder, Myla lay dead on the ground, and Kandi was nowhere to be seen.

"Why did you kill her?"

"I felt like it." Sigel rose. "Are you going to run now?"

"I know that's not the reason." Chiara said. "But I know you must have a good one. Get to a cave, I'll try to meet up with you later." She dashed away.

Meet up with me later? Is she crazy? She just saw me kill Myla.

He didn't have much time, so he ignored it. An Eegal was flying above him, and it gave a screech as he sent a vine to pull it down.

Sigel walked over to Myla and jerked her medallion off her neck, tying the blood-splattered pendent to the Eegal's leg.

"I hope you enjoyed that." He didn't say it with contempt, he just said it as he released the Eegal.

He headed for a cave, he had no idea what to expect. He was surprised to see a woman sitting under a tree in front of one, her arms wrapped around her knees.

"Please don't kill me. I just want to have my baby." She whispered.

Sigel knelt next to her. "Here, I'm not going to hurt you, eat this." He handed her a mauve-colored fruit.

The pale woman shakily took the fruit, she looked hungry. She stared at him for a moment before biting into the fruit. She smiled and leaned back as if asleep.

Sigel continued on. The fruit he had given her was poisonous. The juices lulled the mind into a peaceful state before instantly and painlessly killing the victim.

Vaxon would not have given her a quick death, and she needed it. There was no way the other Magi would've allowed her to live.

The cave, which Sigel eventually found was dark. Growing darker before getting lighter. The light came from slits in the caves ceiling, along with a strange blue light.

"You will be able to manipulate soulless beings from now on. Attend, boy, this is my contract."

Sigel turned to see an old hag, she sat on a boulder, talking to a fifteen-year-old youth.

"You know that necklace your mother always wore? An emerald called the Heart of the Forest?"

The boy nodded, silver hair loose.

"She was buried with it. Bring her up from her grave, and bring me the necklace. Until the jewel is in my hands you will feel as if your feet were bleeding out and you were walking on hot coals. Do you understand me boy?"
Sigel's younger version nodded, and the adult moved on. This was ridiculous, his mind was travelling back in time. Seconds which were quickly becoming minutes. Precious moments which Sigel could not be wasting.

"Sigel." His father walked towards him. "Have you done your lesson for today?"

"You're dead." Sigel shook his head in confusion.

"Answer me Sigel, did you finish your lesson?" His father walked toward him and right through him, disappearing.

My mind is playing tricks on me.

He flinched as he looked up to see his mother, a corpse with half her face missing, dirt matting her once white dress. Young Sigel was removing her emerald necklace as she seemed to stare at him.

That scene had haunted him for months.

It's not real.

He quickened his pace. What kind of place was this?

"You have a ssstrong mind. Mosssst would've gone mad by now." The voice was strange and hollow. A woman stepped out of the shadows. Her skin was scaled in some places.

Now Sigel was really surprised. "You're a spirit dragon."

Spirit dragons possessed a soul and shared its energy. They stayed within their host, giving wisdom and knowledge. The spirits took memories from a person's mind and created illusions of the past. This would drive some people insane. They were playful in a sick way, giving challenges that most could not overcome before devouring their soul as a treat. They were very loyal to their hosts, but that's as far as that went.

The dragons lived for three unanswered questions: Why do some people treasure life so much? Why do other creatures seek to destroy that life? And lastly, what is this life that these creatures treasure or destroy?

These dragons were rare, how Vaxon was able to obtain one was beyond his comprehension.

The woman laughed. "Yesss, I sssuppose I am."

"I need something from here."

"Yesss. We ssshould make a game of it." She smiled widely, pointing at a blue glow swirling above a rock, up the side of the cave.

"Ifff you can reach your goal, you win."

When Sigel focused on the glow, he saw that a ring was floating in the midst of the blue light. "So, what are the rules?"
"Ifff you can reach the ring, we'll ssseee. If you do not, we'll ssseee." She grinned, her eyes glowing red. Sigel stared as her face split through the middle and a blue mist erupted.

A huge dragon rose from the mist and the spilt body. Its scales were a brilliant blue, its underside a lighter blue, the edge of the wings were trimmed with a rich violet. The crest of the dragons head was blood-red, a strip of crimson ran down its muzzle and hung on the dragon's brows. The tail was scaled with blue and dark burgundy strips.

"Playtime dear, playtime. I'll start the countdown." The dragon hissed, its large brown eyes flashing mischievously, sharp teeth glistening.

Sigel studied the situation. He could crawl up the side of the wall and possibly reach it. If he could keep his balance.

"Ikš." The dragon started. One.

The chances of falling were high, but there was no other option.

"Kakš." Two.

Once he grabbed the ring, he would have to go with whatever occured next.

"Kuolm. Nēļa. Vīž. Īdõks. Kim. Sööklas!" Three. Four. Five. Nine. Ten. Go!

Sigel ran towards it. He had expected the dragon to cheat, but then again, there were no rules. Ghostlike figures clawed at him as he ran.

"You're not my son!"

Sigel pushed through his father's figure, though it was hard not to stop. Everything and everyone looked so real.

The wind whistled through his mother's ribcage where her dress had been eaten away.

It's not real.

Her face had been the worst because she had no eyes.

Not real.

Young Telex screamed as he held his stomach. He had been so sick once, that Sigel had been afraid his brother was going to die.

Telex is fine.

Verden smiled at him, but the smile faded as blood seeped out of his eyes.

"Can't you get along?"

The illusions got worse.

White blinded him, he stopped. Lightning flashed before him, reaching for him. He jumped away from it and it faded. His father would be there, glaring at him. That was the memory, but that's not what happened. It was Chiara.

"Why did you kill her?"

Her voice wasn't gentle anymore, it was disapproving. His father's voice. Vaxon's voice. Mathas's voice.

Sigel shook his head. This was ridiculous. He reached the wall and began to climb towards the ring. Voices echoing all around him in sharp haunting whispers.

"Countdown! Countdown! Reach it before the countdown endsss!" The dragon chortled.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ikš. One.

"I trust you won't kill me."

Kakš. Two.

"I know you have it in you."

Kuolm. Three.

"Kill one of your friends... prove your loyalty.

Nēļa. Four.

"Why would you do that?"

Vīž. Five.

"I will give you the power of fear."

Kūž. Six.

"Your brother's energy is being depleted faster than anyone elses.

Seis. Seven.

"Can you truly be as bad as my father?"

Kōdõks. Eight.

"Or yours?"

Īdõks. Nine.

Sigel found himself a few feet from the ring, he had one chance to grab it before ten, or grab at it and fall.

He lunged, and hoped that Telex would get his stylus before it was too late.

Male 16: Conjurer Wizard Leovarettan Maverson

  I guess you could say I'm an early riser; I have to be, travelers always are. But, I didn't wake up on my own this time, there was a flutter of paper. A small sound, that wouldn't normally have woke me, but my nerves were on edge from the night before, and I jerked awake.

My eyes went immediately to my fellow Magi. Lydora and Jaxon, whom I had shared a camp with, were still passed out. I studied them for just a moment, I liked both of them. They both had an air of distinct... kindness, about them. They reminded me of each other, and in my opinion, even looked similar, something about the jawline...

The previous night Lydora and I had found Jaxon nearly dead. She'd healed him with hardly a second thought. He was still alive, his breathing had stabilized moments after, even as 'Dora passed out. Neither of them had woken back up, so I'd set up camp near the fairies. I kept watch for as long as I could, but I couldn't stay awake the whole night. I had never been able to find Evian, but I hoped to do so soon.

I'd been right to identify the sound as paper. There was a letter on the ground next to me. It was white, with a single black word on the front. My name. I have to admit, I was hesitant at first to pick it up. Who knew what tricks Vaxon would throw next?

But, curiosity killed the Leo, I picked it up and carefully pulled it open ready to throw it away from me should it start to make noise or emit smoke. It didn't. Instead, it contained one carefully folded piece of paper, filled with black ink, formed into words written in a cramped hand.

Leo,

It's me,Soren. I know we haven't talked in a while- you've certainly kept your distance. But, I heard what happened with the Magi. Heck, everyone has. But, General Asherex has allowed me to write a letter to you. Apparently you're one of the frontrunners?

Are you alright? No, don't answer that. You're a fourteen year old kid being forced to fight to the death with your friends. I wouldn't be alright, and I'm twenty-four. Though, you might be. You've always been tougher than I give you credit for. You get that from your brother.

Think of him, when you're fighting. I know you probably don't remember much of him, and that's okay, but of what you do remember- hold onto it. Your brother was my best friend. You're the closest thing to a little brother I've ever had. He'd be proud of you, you know. Uthian would be so proud.

I guess that's all the advice I can give you. We both know I was never a Magi, and I'm hardly wise. Just, remember what you're fighting for. You can't give up.

Soren

I spent a moment staring at the letter, tears forming in my eyes. Soren had risked a lot for me over the years. Countless times he'd hid me, I'd never understood why. Out of duty to my brother, I'd supposed. Though, perhaps it was more, he'd always been kinder to me than my brothers other friends, and now Uthian was dead. He owed me nothing. His words opened up the sore on my heart. The one I'd had for a while now, refusing to heal. The one that indicated my ache for my family. He was the closest thing I had outside of this arena.

Then, Jaxon stirred. A small moan escaped his lips as he pulled himself into a sitting position. He looked rather alarmed at his surroundings. "You were hurt pretty bad. Lydora healed you." I said simply.

"What happened?"

I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. You were beat up when I found you." I realized I was still holding he letter and quickly stuffed it into my pocket. "You should probably stay here in case Lydora wakes up. I'll go find breakfast." I began to stand.

"No," he answered. "You stay here, I'll go find something."

I didn't argue. I just nodded. I was exhausted anyways, and I leaned against the tree, barely able to keep my eyes open. I managed to do it just until Jaxon left, and then I had to close them for just a moment. It was then, that I heard Lydora stir. I sat up quickly, watching her shift slightly. Then, her eyes opened, as she took a deep breath of air, forcing her self into a sitting position too quickly. She held her hands to her head for a moment, as if overcome by dizziness. Her face looked panicked, her eyes overwhelmed.

"Whoah, it's okay." I moved closer to her. "You're okay."

"My head hurts. That was an awful experience." She said, her head still in her hands, her features still expressing pain.

I wanted to hug her. She looked like she needed one. But, I reasoned, it'd be inappropriate; we weren't children anymore. "Yeah, I've overtaxed my magic a few times, too. I never passed out, though." I said instead, watching her intently. "Do you need some water?" I fumbled with the canteen at my belt. I'd filled with water the night before.

"Yes, please." She took it, pressing it to her lips. They were very pretty lips, in my opinion, but I quickly pushed the thought from my mind.

*******

Jaxon had found eggs. I'd conjured a metal pan and we'd both worked to light the fire. The three components came together to form a rather nice smell. We all took turns sipping water, no one talked much, and when the eggs were done, we divided them out evenly. I ate mine ravenously; I was starving.

As we ate, Vaxon' s voice suddenly echoed over the grounds. I can't say I was surprised. I hadn't expected him to give us a break. "Magi," It boomed. "Twenty six of you have survived the night. Congratulations. However, I've been very clear. Only one of you can live." He paused. "That means I still have twenty five of you to weed out."

I struggled to comprehend what he was saying. Eight Magi were already dead. I didn't even know which eight. But, that couldn't be right. Surely we were tougher than that? "Therefore, I'm raising the stakes. Each of you will have an item hidden in one of the caves in the northwest section. A gas has been released into the arena. It will slowly sap your magic until you are dead. The only way to avoid this, is to retrieve your item within two hours. Any slower, and you'll be too late." Then, he read a poem.

"Rings, thirteen to mages

Energy pulses, tugged

Strengthened to increase

Stylus, five to the Sages

Writing, runes drawn and cast

Strengthened and increased

Wands, seven to the Wizards

Chanted words, kept in hand

Spells and power both increased

Careful, Magi, in drawing near

A Guardian watches

One of the Ancients await."

TThen he fell silent again, and I knew he wasn't going to say anymore. Jaxon, Lydora and I were silent. The wheels turned in each of us separately. "I'm going," I told them after just a moment. There was time to waste, so I stood and ran off, not allowing them the time for a response.

****

I covered the distance easily, always careful to stick to the trees, keep as much cover as possible. As I ran, I kept turning over Vaxon' s words in my mind. One of the ancient whats?

I had to assume he was talking about some type of creature, but when racking my brain for a creature that I had heard described as ancient- nothing came to mind.

I came to the river, the last thing separating me from what I knew must be the place Vaxon had mentioned. I walked along it's banks for a minute, searching for a way across. I finally found a spot with rocks that looked like they would form a usable path. I tested it by hopping onto the first one, nearly falling off the slippery surface, but regaining my balance at the last second. I picked my way across slowly, breathing a sigh of relief when I landed safely on the other side. The sigh quickly turned into a gasp when a roar came up. That was when the words fell into place, and I knew what the Ancients were.

I had no choice but to run towards them. I darted through the trees, and came out in a clearing that contained a cave, but the cave wasn't all that was there.

Avaritia. I recognized the Dragon from the legends. She'd always been described in a rather distinct manner. Her scales were a deep purple color, but each individual one had a lining of pure gold, and she glittered when she moved, the light reflecting off of her scaled in the morning sun. She was thinner than the others giving her her a more elongated look, even if she wasn't any taller. Her body looked like a snake with wings, especially seeing as she had no legs, the only Dragon without them.

Then you saw her head, and realized that this was no snake. Hers wasn't flat, the shape almost resembled a hairless horse, her forked tongue flicking out every now and then, as her lips parted to reveal pointed teeth, and she spoke. "So, you're the conjurer wizard." Her voice wasn't human, but it's hard to say how. She didn't hiss, or growl, but there was a certain gravel to it, it was harsh, grating over my ears in a most unpleasant manner.

"I am." My voice shook against my will, as I stared into her eyes, large, filled with a black that was reminiscent of Kyren's darkness.

"I'm supposed to kill you." She shifted, slipping closer to me.

I quickly ran through all I knew of Avaritia. She was the first of her bloodline, which was one of the original twenty-six, and she was the oldest Dragon alive, the only one of the original twenty-six still living. She was the embodiment of greed. Even her name, Avaritia, meant greed in Tsarek. This meant that she was not very forgiving, that she was willing kill me for whatever Vaxon had promised her. I'd have to outsmart her.

"Why?"

The dark eyes narrowed. "Why, what?"

"Why are you supposed to kill me?" I held my shoulders tensely, determined keep them from shaking.

I could see her relax, as her voice took on a purr-like quality. "Oh, I've been promised the most wonderful things."

I waited for a moment, as if thinking this over. "What did you give up for them?"

She made a sound that might've been laughter. "That's the best part- I didn't give up anything. I just have to kill you."

"Ah, I see." I projected my voice, forced my body to relax, and arranged my face into a look of pity. "He took your freedom."

"He did no such thing!" She shouted, I couldn't keep from wincing as it pushed against my eardrums. "No one controls me, I am Avaritia."

I was shaking in my boots. "Then why are you going to kill me? Why are you bowing to his will?" My voice had risen now, growing louder. "Are you not greater than some man?"

"It was a deal. He is giving me something in return." She said, but her voice was quiet, and I could tell she was rattled. But, I had to push on. Avaritia wasn't Fastus, she embodied greed, not pride.

"I can offer you even more than Vaxon, in exchange for the wand. That's all I need." I tried to convey honesty with my eyes, even though there was none.

That really caught her attention. "What can you offer?"

"Anything!" I said a little too quickly. "Whatever Vaxon is giving you, I can double it!" Until I got out of there at least, then it'd disappear. "Here, look." I held out my hands and began to picture gold in my mind. "Treyt eek ejd rifery quetyis" Gold is born and treasure sworn. Heavy coins took shape in my hand, obviously gold despite the blue sheen that covered them. I snuck a glance at Avaritia, expecting to see the perpetual greed on her face heightened, but was shocked to see it now contained fury.

"Fool!" Her voice scratched. "What do you take me for? I was warned about you. Your gold won't stay. But, Vaxon's will, especially once you're dead!" A screech erupted from her, as she opened her mouth, revealing the teeth, and her monstrous throat. It widened, taking in a gulp of air once, twice, and then the fire came.

It raced up her throat, forming a ball, and I had a ringside seat. At the last moment, I dove to the side, hitting the ground hard, and narrowly escaping the jet of flames. I scrambled across ground, ignoring pain in my shoulder as I climbed to my feet. I turned to see her advancing on me, there seemed to be no way out, especially when I was backed into a tree. I didn't have time the think, I conjured and threw. "Quiotew." A knife appeared in my right hand. It wasn't pretty, but it was steel, sharp, and usable. My hand moved of its own accord, throwing with an accuracy I didn't know I possessed, or perhaps I didn't posses it, and all I had on that throw was luck.

Regardless, the blade sunk into her right eye, slicing through and going deep. Her blood began to spurt, a black, thick liquid. I felt sick to my stomach at the sight, and the roars of pain were almost unbearable to hear. I took advantage of her distraction and sprinted towards the cave. I almost made it, when a thick tail struck my back, knocking me to the ground. The wind was pushed out of me as I landed hard, and I struggled to regain it, the tail struck me again, while I was still down, and this time I heard a crack, as pain raced up my torso, crushing my lungs. The tail pulled back again, and this time I found the strength to move. I rolled the side as the tail crashed next to me, I pushed myself to my feet, even as my ribs screamed in pain, and looked up to see Avaritia glaring at me, malice glittering in her one good eye. She opened her mouth again, and I knew what that meant, I tried to run, but it hurt too badly, I couldn't cover enough ground to be safe, and the fire came down, heat blazed along my back, not catching my clothes on fire, but there was definitely a burn on the back of my neck. I cried out in pain, unable to contain it.

I kept running, narrowly dodging another burst of flame, and entering the cave. Her roar came again, but she had lost sight of me, and the eye wasn't doing her any favors. I pulled back, safe for now, but unsure as to how I would escape. Inside the cave was stone walls, the only item being the wand. I began to walk towards it, knowing if I grabbed it, it could help me fight my way back out.  

Male 17: Light Mage Aswake Coveni

  Asawake woke the next morning to the beautiful singing of one of the griffin mothers. She was singing "The Tale of Airiza the Brave", and without warning Asawake started to sing along. When he had been a young boy, Aliquin and Levini had sung the song many times to get him to sleep. Asawake sat there for a few minutes before he realized the mother was looking at him with wonder and surprise. Asawake got up from his spot, and walked over to where Endir was laying.

"Hey, Endir. There were small packs hidden in every one of these regions. Do you happen to know where the one for this region is?" Asawake asked finding Endir awake.

"Did it look like one of the packs on your back?"

"Yes." Asawake said excited. He knew that Endir had seen the pack at some point. Maybe this one had some more food or other useful items.

"Sorry, but one of the younglings got into it. Nothing survived." Endir said.

"Oh ok. That is cool." Asawake said. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. After he said this Vaxon's voice ringed out of thin air.

"All of you will head to the twenty-six different cave systems to the northwest! Inside each one rests a magical item you will need if you are to survive the next few days!" His voice was menacing, and he started to laugh after the last part. Asawake felt a sharp sting in the back of his neck, like someone was staring at him. He turned around, but all of the griffins and hippogriffs weren't paying attention to him. They were staring into the sky like a great evil was going to descend.

Asawake noticed a thick fog start to set in from the top of the arena. He could feel the energy being sapped from his body. The fog must be magical, and be draining the magic energy from the bodies of the magis. Asawake cast a light over his eyes, and saw the reserves of his magic energy. They were being slowly drained, and he had about two hours, give or take a few minutes. "I better not use my magic unless necessary. This stuff will be covering the entire arena, so I better hope this magical item can help me survive this." Asawake said canceling the magic sight.
After Vaxon's voice went away, all the griffins and hippogriffs were agitated. Asawake turned towards Endir.

"What has gotten everyone into this state? Also do you have a way to get to the place he was talking about fast?"

"The caves are a sacred place where only the unintelligent, daring, or brave souls will tread. But since there is something there that you will need, you have to go there. And yes I can get you a ride. Follow me." Endir got up and walked into the midst of the crowds. Asawake followed close behind him while being weary of the other griffins. Most of the hippogriffs had flown into the air by this time. "Endir, you know what is in the caves. Don't you?"

"Yes, it is a secret that is granted to only the leaders of each region. And I am the leader of Griffin Cliffs."

"So what is in there?" Asawake asked. He was hoping for a straight answer, but Endir just hurried his pace. Endir was trying to evade the question.

Asawake caught up to Endir, and saw him talking to a younger griffin. The other griffin looked mad about something, and the two were talking in hushed tones. Endir spotted Asawake first.

"Ah, Asawake. There you are. I would like to introduce my youngest son, Trino. He will take you as far as the river that divides the caves from the rest of the valley. Trino is the fastest flier we have, and so he will take you. Trino will drop you off, and then wait for you on this side of the river. He will only wait two hours though, so if it takes you longer you will have to trek your way back." Endir said looking at his son. It looked like Trino wasn't comfortable giving a human a ride, but his father must be making him.

"Well. I have one hour and forty minutes left so let's go." Asawake said climbing onto Trino.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two traveled in silence, and so Asawake decided to watch the ground beneath him. He could barely make out the ground because of the fog. He noticed the old castle as they flew past it. There were a few monsters down there eating the bodies of some dead magi. It was sickening, so Asawake looked in front of him. Asawake had a weird feeling like someone was following him, but when he looked back there wasn't anything there. He turned back around, and was greeted by a wonderful sight. This was the first time he saw the giant river and caves. The river current was so strong that most people wouldn't make it across that way. The caves were magnificently carved out, and Asawake wondered what lived in each one.

They neared the river, and Trino spoke for the first time. "Asawake, I can't go any closer with out breaking the law. I will drop you off here." Trino said starting to lose altitude. Trino was only a ten feet from the ground when Asawake told him to stop. "Why? You can't possibly think you are going to jump off of me."

"Hey, like I tell your brother all the time, where is the fun in being normal?" Asawake asked jumping off. While in the air, he pulled his body forward and did four flips in air before landing on the ground perfectly. "A perfect landing if I do say so myself."

Trino had already started to fly back to the spot that had been agreed on. If Asawake made it out in two hours, he had orders to come back to the cliffs. He didn't even look back and see Asawake land the jump, or how he got across the river.

"This river is too wide and rapid for me to swim across. At least not without me being drained and tired. So there must be another way across." Asawake said to himself. He had noticed Eriswen cross earlier, but she had used a shield to get across easily. There was no way he could do this without magic. "Think. Well there is this tree on this side of the river. And there is a grove of trees on the other side. If I could shoot an arrow across the river and hit one of those trees, I could get across."

Asawake took out two arrows, and concentrated for a moment. He tried to use the light to make a long rope between the two arrows. When he looked down, a rope made of light was bound between the arrows. He took one and jammed it into the tree behind him. With the other, he shoot at the tree on the other side. He watched as the arrow lodged itself into the trunk.

Asawake checked the rope, and saw it was tight. He unstrung his bow, and slipped the limbs of the bow over the rope. Holding on to both sides of the bow, he took a running start, and pulled up his feet. Asawake looked underneath him, and could see the river below him. The idea was actually working. The other side of the river was coming up, so Asawake got ready to jump off.

Right after dry land was below him, Asawake cancelled the rope. As the light dissipated, Asawake planted his feet on dry land. He slid for a few feet before the initial speed wore off.
Asawake dared to look at his energy levels, and was surprised to still have half of it left. "I better not use my magic anymore. I have gone twenty years without exhausting it, ten with Mathas and ten on the run." At that moment, there was a throbbing pain in the back of his skull.

The vision took him back to the war. His village was still there, perfectly fine. Asawake could see the villagers working, children running around, and dogs barking. He saw his neighbors, and finally saw his parents. Everyone was fine, and no one had been hurt. Then the soldiers appeared. The townspeople didn't know that the soldiers had come to do harm, and welcomed them in. Gave them food, and shelter. The soldiers came to Asawake's house, and started to look around. Searched every single house that was in that area. They marched into each house, throwing the residents into the street. After they found that the person or thing they were looking for wasn't here. This only made them mad. The soldiers started to slaughter everything living. Adults, children, pets, even the farm animals. All across the village, families were slaughtered in the streets. Asawake watched the few magi in the village put up a fight, but they died at the hands of the Asphans and Monk Sorcerers. He noticed his parents fighting back, and watched as his childhood friend Molren stab his parents from behind. The soldiers started to burn the village to the ground. Houses, carts, the fields, and even the people. Anything that had been part of the village had been burned. And then the soldiers left, leaving a scar on the earth.

"I don't have time for this! My energy goes down every second!" Asawake screamed. He was clutching his head, and yelling loudly. Finally the voices and screams in his head quieted down, and finally stopped.

"I have to keep moving. If I want to get whatever this item is, I need to run. Faster than ever before." Asawake said sprinting towards the nearest cave. Something about it drew him towards it. As he drew near, he saw some writing on the wall. He came close, and looked over the inscription.

Rings, thirteen to Mages
Energy pulsed, tugged
Strengthened to increase
Stylus, five to the Sages
Writing, runes drawn and cast
Strengthened and increased
Wands, seven to the Wizards
Chanted words, kept in hand
Spells and power, both increased.
Careful Magi in drawing near
A Guardian watches
One of the Ancients awaits.

"One of the Ancients. Anyone of the monster species had ancients. They were the first ones of their kind. Well I have to find out what this thing is, so I have to keep going." Asawake said speeding onward.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Asawake kept running for five minutes before he reached a large cavern. The walls, roof, and floor were made out of obsidian. It was an open room with nothing blocking the way. The roof was high enough that even a dragon could have stood up perfectly fine in here, and the room was large enough that a dragon could walk through here with no problem. Asawake looked back, and noticed that the way he had come through looked just the same.

Asawake looked around, but didn't see any treasure or guardian. It was pitch black in there, and he was afraid of using his magic. He felt something like a cold hand on the center of his back, but once again there was nothing behind him. Shrugging it off, he took a step into the cavern, and torches all along the walls light up. That is when he noticed the guardian in the center of the cavern.

It was a pure black dragon. The scales glistened from the lights of the torches. Spines ran down the dragons back, giving it an crude look. The tail was at least as thick as a tree trunk, and three times the length of Asawake's entire body. Asawake started to look at the size, but it was hard since the dragon was wrapped around something. The dragon looked like it was sleeping, so he decided to try to sneak by.

"I know you are there, Asawake. I knew you were here as soon as you entered the cave entrance. You might think yourself silent, but your species is louder than they think." the dragon said. The voice was feminine, and sounded sweet but sinister at the same time. She started to move until she was facing Asawake. "I am Verina. Do you know who I am?"

"The ancient moon dragon. You were lost many years before the war. Most people wondered if you had died." Asawake answered. Verina looked surprised that someone knew who she was.

"So you do know who I am. And I guess you have come for the treasure I protect." Verina stood up, and Asawake saw a podium that had been blocked by her body. Floating above the podium was a ring. Asawake could see Verina's entire height now, and she towered over anything he had seen before. She stood at least two times taller than a normal dragon. Her black scales went all along her body, and her talons were sharper than any sword. They were pitch black like the rest of her body. She opened her mouth, and the millions of sharp teeth shone in the eerie light. She unfurled her wings. They were both pitch black, but were not covered in scales, like some of the species of dragons. Her wings had talons on the end of each one. On top of her head there was a blood red symbol which looked like a moon. Verina let loose a horrific roar which resounded off of the walls. Asawake covered his ears, but the sound still came through.

Her voice had gone from sweet to a horrific snarl. "I will give you a challenge. You will have to fight three of my children. Luna," A drakkon walked out from behind Verina. It resembled her mother, with black scaly skin. But unlike the mother, these scales could be cut through. The drakkon held a black, curved sword in one hand, and a black and white shield which looked like a crescent moon. "Mond," Another drakkon came out. He also resembled his mother. This one was larger than the other, and looked a lot stronger. He held a giant, dual-bladed battle-ax. The blades looked like crescent moons. "And Phoebe." A third drakkon walked out, and this one was just like the two. This one held two curved swords, but as Asawake looked at her, she connected the handles together and started to chant. After moving her hands the handles were melded together, making a double bladed staff. She spun it around a few times, and seemed satisfied with the weapon.

"Defeat my children, without killing them, in whatever time you have left, and I will see if you receive the ring. I can feel your life force pulling away, and you have thirty five minutes left before you run out of energy."

The drakkon weapons started to burn with black fire as Verina said this. Verina wasn't even able to finish her statement before her children rushed towards Asawake. They were faster than almost any species on land, but their speed doesn't involve their attacks. They might be fast runners, but their swings were slower and easier to time for Asawake. Mond came forward first, and took a swing downwards. Asawake jumped away from the swing, and had pulled out his sword before he hit the ground. The battle-ax hit the ground, and left a large crack in the perfectly smooth floor. Fire spread across the ground when the battle-ax hit. Mond pulled the battle-ax out, and went for a sideways swing. This time Asawake ducked under the swing, and swung his own sword. The blade connected with skin, and left a cut on the drakkon's chest.

Mond backed away, and Phoebe moved forward. She didn't give Asawake time to get up, and had already sent multiple swipes his direction. The fire flew behind the blades as she swung. Asawake dodged the first, and was able to bring his sword to block the second. Phoebe spun the staff one time, and brought the blade across Asawake's back. He didn't have time to block or move out of the way. The fire burned into the new wound. Mond started to rush forward, right as Phoebe moved away.

Asawake was leaning against one of the walls, and saw Mond start to run his way. Two seconds before the swing connected with his neck, Asawake dropped to the ground. Mond's battle-ax collided with the wall, and the fire made it sink deep into it. Mond tried to pull it out, and didn't notice Asawake. Asawake jumped up, and brought his foot against Mond's face. The drakkon lost his footing, and stumbled away from his weapon. He couldn't see for a moment, and didn't see Asawake get ready for another kick. Asawake's foot landed in Mond's chest, and slammed him into the wall. The giant drakkon fell to the ground unconscious.

Standing over the drakkon, Asawake couldn't have known of the attack coming from above. At the last moment, he moved to the side and pulled his blade up. Luna's sword connected with Asawake's sword, and she landed where he had stood a second before. Asawake spun around, and using the force of his spin, blocked Phoebe's staff. The two sisters were teaming up on him for a moment. He started to move away from the wall, but they were always faster. Asawake was ducking, blocking, and running until they got to a more open area.

Luna took a swing at him, but Asawake blocked it easily. He swung at her, and she pulled up her shield. Phoebe stood out of the way allowing her sister the battle. Luna and Asawake fought like this for a few moments, each one exchanging attacks and blocking. After a moment, Asawake saw he was heading into the twenty minute range, and so kicked up the fighting. His swings were faster, wilder, and harder to block. Luna couldn't keep up, and the sword hit her multiple times. Eventually her shield lowered enough, and Asawake kicked at the gap. His foot connected with her stomach, and she crumbled to the ground.

Right after Luna fell, Asawake swung around in time to block the staff. With his energy almost entirely drained, Asawake was slower. But even if he died, he would at least know that he defeated three drakkons. Each time Phoebe swung the staff, Asawake blocked it with his sword. He had a stone wall defense, and was even able to attack her multiple times. Scars started to appear on her body as the fight went on. But Asawake was losing ground. Phoebe was pushing him towards one of the walls, and he started to lose his defense. Eventually he was up against the wall. Phoebe took a swing at him, but as before he ducked under the blade. Her blade sank into the wall, and Asawake dropped the guise. He put his sword in the sheath. He jumped up, and planted his feet against the wall. He used the rest of his strength to push off of the wall towards Phoebe. He flew the few feet through the air, and his weight combined with the speed of the push. Phoebe fell to the ground unconscious.

Asawake had only two minutes of energy left, and fell to one knee. "So you were able to defeat my children. I know who you really are. I know your real family, and I could tell you. Sekhan!" Verina said. Black mist started to flow from her skin, and surrounded Asawake. This was the last thing that he saw before he fell to the ground, and he blacked out.

"Death is close to this boy. He is important, and we need him alive. If only for little while longer. Prepare plan two, just in case of his death." A dark woman said from the shadows. A second figure ran back up the hallway towards the daylight.