1

Lightning cracked through the darkness, striking the rider and his horse to the ground. They froze for a moment before they slowly crumbled into a smoking pile of armor. As soon as the eyes recovered from momentary blindness from the flash, a new lightning bolt struck the heads of the advancing knights. This time, the strike reached the densest part of the formation, mowing down a good dozen iron-clad soldiers. The lightning gradually spread to the griffins, then the crossbowmen. The army of knights was slowly growing scarce in number, but the armored soldiers simply gritted their teeth and kept stubbornly pushing forward, hoping to close their iron hands around the Dark Overlord’s throat.

The Dark Overlord was on a rampage. The sorcerer cast bolts of lightning at the squads of attacking knights as if he were chopping firewood, his manner precise and efficient. Single ranks were downed by chain lightning, while large groups of soldiers were showered with meteorites under the Overlord’s control. Under the deadly downpour, hundreds of voices had no chance to scream out in agony as the air was being filled with the smell of singed hair, scorched clothes, and burnt flesh. People were burned alive while running.

But there were hordes of knights that were pushing against the frontline of the Dark Army, if it could have been called as such. The creatures were standing in defense and dying, almost without any resistance. The Overlord was doing all their work. He was wreaking havoc and death hoping to weed out the enemy ranks before they managed to cut through the mass of numbed minotaurs whose eyes raged red in anger, or kill the half-asleep hydra whose six heads were sluggishly nipping at the knights.

Of the two Twilight Dragons in the army of the Overlord of Dark Elves of the Fourteenth Level, only one remained alive. He was standing still, doomed, as he watched heavy riders mount the Overlord’s minotaurs with spears. The latter were standing in a row to keep the attackers back in an attempt to win some extra time for the Sorcerer to cast a few more spells.

Although the Dragon could barely feel his numb body, his mind functioned perfectly. He was an excellent warrior who loved the heat of battle and he hated it when the Overlord drank the vile potion, the Hell Broth, which drained the strength from his warriors. The army would then become a human meat shield, only capable of standing in defense as the enemy slaughtered each soldier, squad after squad. Minotaurs were dying by the dozens, letting out mournful, bullish roars as steam blew from their swollen nostrils. Reckless berserkers who seemed to be always ready to fight were now not even able to lift their axes before falling backwards to look up at the night sky with their glazed eyes.

And in return… in return, the Overlord would receive the Strength of hundreds of fierce warriors, which imbued his staff until it began to tremble and vibrate from the overwhelming energy. Then the Dark Overlord could single-handedly destroy the entire army of the enemy, immolating and burning away thousands of lives, without the help of his own strength.

The Dragon loathed his Overlord for the powerlessness he had caused. Perhaps the Dragon hated him more than the knights who were living out the last few seconds of their lives at the bottom of craters.

But somewhere near them, there were Forest Elves fighting. The Dark Ones especially disliked them for a number of historical reasons, but at the moment, the Forest Elves were allies. More importantly, their Lord did not trade the valor of the skilled warriors for magic. His soldiers were dying fighting, and not standing in a daze like sheep to the slaughter.

2

It was becoming brighter in the East. The edge of the night sky had been colored crimson. Burgundy was replaced by a blood-red scarlet. The dawn was pouring across the sky, clearing the way for the long-awaited golden disc.

The Dragon realized that his Lord had been winning. The knights failed to reach the sorcerer. Even though the minotaurs were not really capable of fending them off with dignity, it was not easy to pass through them. He also realized that he himself had only a few seconds left to live. A heavy rider had swept the last minotaur out of his way and, picking up speed, charged towards the Dragon. They were only a dozen steps apart when a shadow flashed on the left and a roaring Elvish Green Dragon blocked the rider’s path. A smell he could identify anywhere reached the Dragon’s nose. It was the smell of a female. She had blended in among them, dug her claws into the burning ground, and turned her graceful head to the Dragon, ignoring the death flying around. Their eyes met for a moment and… The noise of battle suddenly subsided. Flames ceased their fiery dance. The rearing horse froze to the spot, and the gray ash under its hooves quieted down.

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The dragons looked at one another for a second that seemed like an eternity, and their eyes had enough time to tell everything. A moment later, they looked away. The motion around them resumed, and the relentless windmill of death spun with new strength. The attacking rider stabbed his pike into the female’s throat with all his might. A rattle came from inside her throat, her eyes clouded over, and the dragon’s vertical pupil widened, only to turn into an empty black hole.

The final lightning strike blasted the rider, knocking him to the ground. And then there was silence.

The Dragon looked up and saw that he was the only one left alive. The edge of the sun disc appeared over the horizon, and dragon scales began to sparkle with their aspen colors. The greenish scales of the dead female turned gold under the sun.

The Empire was starting a new day.

The Dragon took one final look at the motionless body of his savior. The splayed wings, the unnaturally twisted neck. There was no trace of a dragon’s elegance or power in this heap of lifeless flesh. Only cold and mud. Their acquaintance had lasted only a few seconds and in those moments she had become closer to him than anything else in the world. But she was no longer there.

The Dragon flapped his heavy wings, lifting off from the scorched earth and rose into the gray, dawn sky. The Dragon knew where to look for her.

3

It was a windy morning and the sky was blanketed in pale clouds. The Dragon was soaring higher towards them, knowing that the female was waiting for him there. The sun was already high above the horizon when he flew into the puffy clouds. It got increasingly colder, but the Dragon persisted, flying onwards. It seemed that there would be no end to the gray fog and the Dragon began to feel as if he were flapping his wings in vain, stuck in one place inside the impenetrable gloom…

But soon the veil was left below and a bright light blinded him. His head went dizzy from the endless blue surrounding him. Looking around, the Dragon spotted the Sky Castle nearby, above the clouds, and briefly admired the play of light and shadow on the weightless towers that were so much unlike the heavy constructions on Earth.

He suddenly felt a maddening desire to see the golden twinkle of green eyes again. The Dragon rushed towards his goal with renewed vigour.

4

Where is she? Why can’t I see her? he thought in despair, flying like a whirlwind through the maze of the Sky Castle.

He could feel her and hear her call, but he couldn’t find her. There was something relentless, like Death, preventing them from meeting. It was like a boundary, keeping them in their own dimensions. Yet they were both there. She was waiting for him in the wondrous Sky Castle and he was looking for her in a cold and empty cloud. A beautiful, but dead, cloud.

“Relentless like death,” he stated.

“Beautiful, but dead,” the echo replied.

“Death…”

“Dead…”

Suddenly, the mind of the Dragon cracked like an invisible amphora and Understanding poured forth from it like a life-giving elixir, filling every corner of his consciousness and bringing a welcome relief. The weight fell from his shoulders at once. Everything seemed so simple… His earthly flesh was too coarse to feel the vibrations of her soul, which was free from its physical shackles. The Sky Castle would remain an empty, cold cumulus cloud for him if he did not do the most important thing.

The Twilight Dragon of the Army of Dark Elves of the 14th Level deliberated no more. He made one last powerful flap, folded in his wings, and, piercing through the clouds like an arrow, streaked downwards towards the mountain spires of the Eagle’s Nest.

***

Date: 14 June 2011 10:30:40

From: JokerJunior

To: Game Administration

Subject: When selecting an army, the second Twilight Dragon is unavailable

Dear Administration,

I am writing to inform you about a bug in the game.

In my army, one of my two Twilight Dragons, which was previously available, disappeared. The last time both dragons were spotted in combat was this morning at 4:10. In all subsequent battles, only one dragon participated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

***

Date: 14 June 2011 12:35:22

From: Game Administration

To: JokerJunior

Subject: Re: When selecting an army, the second Twilight Dragon is unavailable

Dear Player,

Thank you for the information provided. We are working on this issue. The case you have described is not the only one. Another player had reported that the Green Dragon from the army of the Forest Elf faction had disappeared this morning.

As soon as we have more information, we will let you know.

Thank you for your understanding.