CHAPTER 9
[VYN WAS NOW STANDING CLOSE TO THE ENTRANCE WHERE HE HAD LOST HIS COMRADE.]
VYN: SIGH, IF ONLY I HAD BEEN MORE WEARY OF THE DANGERS THIS FORT BEHOLDS.
GURIS - I'M SURE EVERYONE KNOWS IT WAS NOT YOUR INTENTION FOR THAT POOR MAN TO DIE.
VYN: YEAH, BUT THERE ISN’T EVEN A BODY TO TAKE HOME TO HIS FAMILY...
[VYN THEN PROCEEDED TO PLACE BOTH HIS HANDS ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF HIM BEFORE CHANTING.]
VYN: CONSUMING FLAME
FEMALE VOICE: CONSUMING FLAME IS NOW ON PASSIVE. HUNGER BARS WILL NOW DISAPPEAR.
HIS FLAMES SLOWLY ATE AWAY AT THE GROUND IN FRONT OF HIM BUT WERE NOT DAMAGING THE GRASS. [THIS MEANS THEY WERE ON THE TRAPS.]
GURIS - IT IS WORKING, BUT DO NOT MOVE TOO FAST, OR ELSE YOU WILL RISK SETTING THEM OFF BEFORE THEY ARE CONSUMED.
VYN, THANKS GURIS. I WILL GO AHEAD AND GET THE OTHERS TO MEET UP AND FOLLOW MY LEAD.
VYN (INTERNALLY): FARKAS, CAN YOU ASK THE ADVENTURERS IF THEY’D BE WILLING TO HELP US?
FARKAS (INTERNALLY) THEY SAID THAT THEY’D BE WILLING TO ASSIST, BUT ASKED THAT WHEN THIS IS OVER, YOU SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND DISCUSS REPAYMENT.
VYN (INTERNALLY) ALRIGHT, THANK YOU, SON. HEAD OVER TO WHERE WE WERE AMBUSHED EARLIER, BUT DON’T ENTER THE CLEARING WITHOUT ME.
FARKAS (INTERNALLY): OKAY, FATHER, WE WILL AWAIT YOUR INSTRUCTION ONCE WE ARRIVE.
[AN HOUR HAD PASSED BEFORE THE GROUP ARRIVED AT THE CLEARING.]
[VYN PROCEEDED TO GREET THEM, BEING CAREFUL TO ENSURE NONE OF THEM STEPPED TOO CLOSE TO WHERE THE TRAPS COULD BE.]
VYN: EVERYONE, PLEASE STAY CLOSE TO ME, BUT NO MATTER WHAT, AVOID TOUCHING MY FLAMES. I HAD TO ENABLE IT SO THAT THEY COULD BURN AWAY THE TRAPS.
[AIKIRIUS HAD AN EXCITED ATTITUDE.]
AIKIRIUS - HAHAHA, TO THINK YOU COULD SIMPLY DESTROY THE TRAPS JUST BY EMITTING YOUR PRESENCE.
VYN - HONESTLY, IT'S NOT THAT SPECIAL, BUT SINCE I AM GOING TO HAVE TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE WE MAKE IT TO THE FORT TRAP-FREE, I WILL NEED ASSISTANCE ON THE LOOKOUT AND GUARDING THE PARTY.
[THE DRAGONOID LOOKED AT VYN WITH A VERY CONFUSED EXPRESSION.]
RAVEN: IF YOU WANTED TO GET TO THE FORT, YOU COULD’VE ASKED ME FOR A RIDE.
[VYN LOOKED AT HER DUMBFOUNDED.]
VYN: A WHAT?
RAVEN - I AM A DRAGON, AFTER ALL, SO TAKING YOU ALL OVER THERE WOULD BE EASY FOR ME. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT I HAVE LET MY WINDS REST FOR A FEW WEEKS WHILE IN THE ADVENTURER'S CARE.
[VYN IS NOT PONDERING THE IDEA.]
AIKIRIUS: IF SHE DROPS US INSIDE THAT WOODEN WALL, I AM SURE WE COULD WORK ON TAKING OUT THE OWNERS RATHER QUICKLY.
[VYN LOOKED AT HER DUMBFOUNDED.]
VYN: A WHAT?
RAVEN - I AM A DRAGON, AFTER ALL, SO TAKING YOU ALL OVER THERE WOULD BE EASY FOR ME. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT I HAVE LET MY WINDS REST FOR A FEW WEEKS WHILE IN THE ADVENTURER'S CARE.
[VYN IS NOT PONDERING THE IDEA.]
AIKIRIUS: IF SHE DROPS US INSIDE THAT WOODEN WALL, I AM SURE WE COULD WORK ON TAKING OUT THE OWNERS RATHER QUICKLY.
HOPE: WHAT MY HUSBAND IS GETTING AT IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WATCHING OVER THE YOUNG PUPS.
[VYN GAVE THE PAIR A STARE.]
SHADOW: EASY THERE NOW, MY LORD. WE JUST FEEL IT WOULD BE RIGHT THAT WE DEFEND OUR DISTANT COUSINS OVER THERE.
[VYN IS NOW RELAXED.]
VYN: OKAY, THEN I WILL TRUST YOU WITH THEM, BUT IF ANYTHING HAPPENS WHATSOEVER, YOU CALL FOR ME AT ONCE, GOT IT?
[HOPE LIT UP, WAGGING HER TAIL.]
HOPE: YES, MY LORD.
RAVEN: EVERYONE HOPS ON.
RAVEN NOW TRANSFORMED INTO A MEDIUM-SIZED VIOLET DRAGON AND LOWERED HERSELF FOR THEM TO CLIMB ON.
[UPON REACHING THE SKY, THE CREW COULD SEE THE VAST AND BEAUTIFUL DUNGEON.]
ALISTAIR: PAPA, LOOK, THERE ARE SOME WEIRD THINGS AT THE FORT.
[AROUND THE FORT SAT MANY HUMANOID-LOOKING STATUES THAT WERE CRUMBLING AND BROKEN.]
VYN - I THINK MAYBE THEY ARE ANCIENT MONUMENTS TO MAKE HUMANS FEEL EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
OAKLEY: MY LORD, THOSE STATUES HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE THE DUNGEON WAS CREATED. WE DO FIND IT A BIT ODD THAT OUR MOTHER WOULD HAVE CREATED SUCH THINGS IN A WORLD SHE MADE FOR US.
GURIS: THE STATUES ARE SENTINELS CREATED BY THE GODDESS FOR THE MONSTERS. IT WOULD SEEM THAT, FOR SOME REASON, THEY HAVE BEEN DISABLED AS WELL AS ALTERED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL FORM.
VYN: WHEN WE FINISH OUR MISSION, I WILL TAKE YOU THREE TO LOOK AROUND AT THE STATUES, OK?
THE THREE PUPS: OKAY PAPA
VYN AND OAKLEY DROP THE "GIFTS" FOR THE SLAVERS.
THE KOBOLDS ALL DROPPED ALL THE HEADS FROM THE PREVIOUS AMBUSH A COUPLE OF NIGHTS BEFORE. EACH FALLS ON A DIFFERENT PART OF THE FORT.
[THE LARGER PARTY, NOW HAVING LANDED ON THE TOP OF THE FORT ITSELF, BEGAN TO DISMOUNT.]
VOICE IN THE DISTANCE: WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! READY YOURSELVES, MEN! THEY ARE ON THE TOWER!
THE PARTY NOTICED AN ODD-LOOKING SHAPE SITTING IDLE ON THE TOP OF THE TOWER. IT LOOKED LIKE A MASSIVE D20 DICE, BUT THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY TIME TO FOCUS ON IT, SO THEY PUSHED TOWARDS THE STAIRS.
[UPON REACHING THE STAIRS, THEY BEGAN TO FIGHT THEIR WAY DOWN, SLOWLY FIGHTING LARGE GROUPS OF SLAVERS ALL THE WAY DOWN.]
[WHILE VYN WAS IN AN ENLARGED FORM FIGHTING AT THE FRONT, A MASSIVE ICE SHARD WENT FLYING STRAIGHT FOR THE CENTER OF HIS BODY FROM A MAGE DOWN BELOW. AS THE SHOT WAS ABOUT TO PIERCE HIM, A WEIRD GLOWING WALL APPEARED IN FRONT OF HIM.
AIKIRIUS: ELEMENTAL SHIELD!
[VYN WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE LITTLE BEAR CASTING MAGIC.]
VYN: THANKS, AIKIRIUS; THAT MAGIC OF YOURS IS PRETTY SWEET.
OAKLEY: DON'T GET DISTRACTED, MY LORD; EVERY SLAVER HERE HAS THEIR HEARTS SET ON KILLING US.
[VYN SHOOK HIS HEAD AS HE GRABBED A PIECE OF HIMSELF AND THREW IT BACK AT THE MAGE BEFORE LEAVING NOTHING BUT ASHES IN THEIR PLACE.]
THEY MANAGED TO REACH THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE THREE-STORY DUNGEON BUT MET HEAVY RESISTANCE AS MULTIPLE FROZEN-LOOKING STATUES BEGAN TO ATTACK THEM.
AIKIRIUS: THEY ARE USING FROST GOLEMS TO FEND OFF YOUR FLAMES, MY LORD. YOU SHOULD SWAP PLACES WITH THE TWO BROTHERS.
RAVEN, I'VE GOT THIS!
SHADOW: OH SHIT
[THE BACK-IN-HUMAN FORM DRAGON BEGAN TO BREATHE FIRE, INCINERATING ALL OF THE GOLEMS IN A FLASH AS WELL AS EVERYTHING THAT WASN’T INSIDE OF THE SHIELD AIKIRIUS HAD PUT UP AROUND THE GROUP.]
[WHEN THE DRAGONOID'S BREATH FINALLY ENDED, THE BEAR ALSO REMOVED HIS SHIELD.]
[THE DRAGONOID LOOKED BACK IN EMBARRASSMENT.]
RAVEN: SORRY EVERYONE, I JUST WANTED TO PLAY A LITTLE WHILE WE WERE HERE.
[VYN IS THRILLED.]
VYN (INTERNALLY) DID YOU SEE THAT, GURIS? I WONDER IF HER FLAMES ARE STRONGER THAN MINE.
Guris: In history, the Dragons and Fyrekin were on equal footing on raw power alone. The truth is that if a Fyrekin ever consumed a dragon, they’d easily beat all the rest. The only Fyrekin to ever do this was the last Fyrekin of the older times, and the dragons had sacrificed themselves to try and ensure the Fyrekin's survival, but sadly, it was in vain.
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VYN: HEY PRINCESS, SOMETIME WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER, WOULD YOU MIND SPARRING WITH ME?
[THE EMBARRASSED PRINCESS BROKE INTO A HUGE SMILE UPON HEARING HIS WORDS.]
RAVEN: YES, OF COURSE, IT WOULD BE MY HONOR TO SPAR WITH YOU. MY PARENTS WOULD BE SO JEALOUS!
[OVERLOOKING THE LAST PART, THEY ALL CONTINUED TO FIGHT THEIR WAY DOWN UNTIL REACHING THE BOTTOM.]
THERE WERE SOME ENSLAVED KOBOLDS BEING USED AS A WALL TO BLOCK SOME MAGES DOWN BELOW. UPON SEEING THIS, VYN DECIDED TO RISK IT ALL TO SAVE THEM.
VYN: EVERYONE, PLEASE COVER ME!
[HAVING SHRUNK INTO HIS SMALLER SELF, HE DODGED THE WEAK CREATURE'S ATTACK TO GET CLOSE.]
ONCE HE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH, HE BEGAN BREAKING THEIR COLLARS WITH HIS FIERY HANDS. THEN HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO HIS HUMAN FORM, TOSSING THEM BEHIND HIM TOWARDS HIS PARTY.
VYN: THEY ARE FREE OF THEIR COLLARS; DON’T HURT THEM!
[AS VYN WAS SHOUTING THAT A SWORD HAD CUT HIS HUMANOID HEAD OFF BEFORE HE JUMPED BACKWARD,]
RAVEN: NO, LORD VYN, YOU CAN’T DIE HERE. WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO HAVE OUR SUPPER.
GAIA: DON’T WORRY, HIS HEAD IS JUST FOR SHOW. HE IS STILL JUST A WALKING, TALKING FIRE, AFTER ALL. HIS HEAD WILL REGROW ONCE HIS FLAME IS RESTORED.
RAVEN'S SMILE RETURNED.
RAVEN: THAT IS WICKED. I WISH MY HEAD COULD. WAIT A MINUTE, HE NEEDS FIRE.
[UPON HEARING THIS, AIKIRIUS RUSHED A SHIELD UP.]
AIKIRIUS: ELEMENTAL SHIELD!
[RAVEN THEN PROCEEDED TO INTENTIONALLY BREATHE FIRE ONTO THE HEADLESS CREATURE.]
FEMALE VOICE: DRACONIC FLAMES HAVE OVERLOADED ETERNAL FLAME DRACONIC BUFF ENABLED.
[ONCE THE FIRE AROUND VYN DISAPPEARED, ALL THAT REMAINED WAS A TINY GLOWING CORE.]