AN: Chapter 17 is where it all began, if anyone is curious. Will leave a link to the chapter, as there are many who are lazy. In any case, this is where things become more vague, as the Ageless with his army and captive humans are almost at the Necropolis. He wants to rush things along, for he has an appointment to keep, and people to meet.
http://royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=64269
As always folks, thank you for reading thus far. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to voice them.
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'Thus do we come full circle,' spoke the mind of the giant Ageless, as he opened his great arms wide in order to encompass his words around the small army below, 'It is here that I had become a dragon once more, laughing at the sight of those who dared to thwart my will upon their land. However, not everyone was fearful of my draconic body, as there was one within the shadows who-'
The being above their heads stopped his mental story in order to turn towards a pair of well worn and cracking earth golems in the shape of elven males. These had appeared before everyone without their knowing, and slipped through the rank and file in order to reach the right great foot of their Lord. Many, of course, sought to stop them in order to divine what their purpose was, but were halted by the mental whisper of, 'Peace.'
Of which led to the golems to hobble forward before one of the pair fell over and became dust. Whilst the other held up a blood caked sack with something round inside. This caused each of those within the army to visualise their god grinning greatly, as he flowed downwards and became an endarkened, furred Kitsune once more. The bag was handed over to him almost immediately, as the remaining golem's form cracked and crumbled from the motion. It was as though its life was ending, and desired to fulfill its purpose before Death came for it.
No. No angels or undead came for such a being, as it simply became dust once the Ageless took the sack and opened it gingerly. "Well, hello once more Reinianna. You appear to have lost your body on the way to meet my person. How long has it been, anyways?" His voice was full of amusement, as he hefted the head of a shocked, old elven female by its hair. "I'd say too long, wouldn't you agree?"
In so asking such a query, energy of crimson and shadows coursed down his arm and into the head whose hair he gripped. Such great energy caused it to flash and flare upon contact with the head, and many nearest his person shielded their eyes in order to avoid such brightness. Gratefully, such a thing only lasted for, but a few heartbeats. Of which led to the head of the female to become animate as it stared aghast at the sight of the humans upon the stone cart.
"Do you enjoy what you see, my dear Reina?" Chuckled the kitsune, as he slowly turned the animate head towards his own, "Know that I am so very disappointed in you. You used to be such a wonderful child, and look at you now. The leader of a band of human heroes sent to do what? Overthrow my person for some whim? Or is there something else going on I have not been made aware of in my absence?"
"You abandoned us," shrieked the head, as it bobbed around within his grasp, "You left us for so long. What else were we supposed to do?"
"Poor Reina, she believed I abandoned her," chuckles and laughter spread throughout the small army about his person, before being halted by an upraised hand, "You would have known I depart from our world of Terra if you had studied the history texts. They would have shown you, and everyone around you, that I have many other duties to fulfill. Which is why we have a Pantheon of gods with I and her at the head. If you had any real thought, and not some childish fallacies, you would have asked your peoples' deity where I was.
"Each of them know I leave the pantheon to govern those below in my absence for nearly a century before my return for a millennia. Of which the cycle for such a thing begins anew. Now? Now you've gone an instigated many travesties upon our world, one of which being the death of Gahn. He was one of my favourites, you know?"
"Gahn?" Asked the head, as its face slowly pinched inwards as it tried to think of the name. However, due to the lack of sustainable oxygen and blood flow, it was almost impossible for its mind to work properly.
"Yes. Gahn. My golem servant which resided within the great forest called Sai'uun. The same forest which held the trees called 'The Eyes of Gahn'. Surely you know of it?" He asked slowly, as his eyes grew dark and terrible at the memory of him howling with rage and anguish after desiring to find his golem servant once he returned to the world called Terra. Only to find the forest burnt to the ground, and his servant a pile of ruined earth. Yes. He did try to resurrect it, but could not due to it being an elemental and not beholden to the laws of such gods as he.
"My Gahn is dead, and will not be returning any time soon," his voice shook with great malice, as the skies above grew dark in response to such hatred and rage, "Do you know who had done such a thing, my dear Reina?" The head of the old, elven queen widened its eyes as it remembered the siege against the forest of Sai'uun.
"The Huntress desired him removed, though," it spoke slowly, and noted the Ageless nodding his head slowly.
"Yes. I know, and she has been removed, stripped of her status, and is no longer a problem." Once more, the eyes of the head widened, but in realisation to the words it heard, "No. This does not mean you will be forgiven for going against my person, as you all have in the past. For this do I decree," his voice became a deathly whisper as lightnings of dark energy flooded the shadowed sky above, "The Huntress and her followers are fair game to all who desire them."
"You can't do that," it shrieked as a peel of thunder boomed across the land.
"I have; I did; and thus it will remain. Know that going against I, a Lord of Chaos, has great consequences. Especially when he is the head of a pantheon of gods and goddesses." In so saying, the hand which gripped the hair of the elven head was lifted high so that an endarkened bolt of lightning could strike it. Of which caused the female's essence to shriek and wail with a voice unheard of by mortal ears. This would last for many heartbeats, but all would later believed it lasted for an eternity or more, before finally ending with a pile of ash at the foot of their god.
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"Come," he called out to the small army of monsters, who shivered and shook at the sight they just witnessed, "Come. We are nearly at our destination, and the story is not yet completed. So come, and let us resume with the telling of my time upon Azara."
*****
Now, where was I? Ah yes, the dragon bit, but first, a bit of information.
For you see, those within the portal leading to the draconic village were those not allowed to participate with the others within the city. Among those were much of the children, as Sia and those under her desired them to stay and be children. Another reason was they had already exhausted one "respawn", and would not be eligible for another until the following cycle. of which meant if they died, then there was no return without my intervention.
Which led to them remaining along with many of the adults who had died during the short battle against the mercenaries and adventurers. They were then given permission to relax, and enjoy themselves. For their brothers, sisters, friends, and family were fighting for their independence. Once they returned, they would not have the need to fear a passing slaver any longer, as I would make sure they were allowed to remain free soon afterwards.
Of course, many were skeptical, but the rest seemed elated as they had longed to be free from the yoke of others. However, in order for this to come to pass, more battles need to be fought, and the one for the city would be their last. As I and mine would strike out for the rest of the world soon after.
As for what was occurring within the castle in the heart of the city? I had become a dark scaled dragon with three pairs of shadow-like wings along my spine. My tail had spike ridges within a few centimetres of the centre, tracing down to the tip, where four large spikes, two on top, two on the bottom, were seen by those who stared upon them. Yes. I was much like those the humans call a "Western Dragon", as my head was in such a shape. However, instead of slitted pupils for eyes, they were naught, but orbs of sickly green. Much like that of my poisonous breath.
Ah, but for some strange reason, they seemed to be ready for such an occasion, as a multitude of conjurers and warriors wielding strange armaments appeared before my eyes as the king was ushered away. In response to this, I breathed out a gout of emerald flames towards the retreating backside of the lion beastman, only to find it blocked, albeit only just. For the barrier which was placed being him was weak against the acidic properties within my breath, and fell apart quite quickly.
Many of these individuals thought nothing of it, as they readied their contraptions quickly, then shot a few towards my body. Only to find a translucent barrier protecting it. This caused many to openly stare, whilst the rest demanded their focus to return and try again. Thus, they tried thrice more before I grew bored and called upon my chaotic energies. of which came and launched themselves in bolts of crimson, violet, and emerald energies. Each of these struck every last one of the individuals before my person, but only slew a small handful.
In essence, I slew perhaps only three or four. My reason for this? I desired to know how much energy each bolt would need in order to kill a beastman outright without going overboard as I always have. "Too little," I mumbled, summoning up a battered notebook from my Void Space in order to jot down a few notes before replacing it back inside.
If I had more time, perhaps I would have perfected this craft, but alas. Such things could not be done at the time.
In any case, I launched another series of bolts towards those staggering to their feet. Of which caused another, who had been hiding in the shadows to appear before my person. This one, another human female, held a large cleaver the size of her body in front of her person in order to shield those behind her from my magicks. "Retreat," she yelled at them, waving their person's away towards the door to her right. Of which caused my person to note and destroy it with several more bolts of energy.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance as this occurred, to which I simply chuckled at her frustration. "I will be your opponent, dragon," she howled, launching her body forward as she brought her cleaver high above her head in order to strike downwards.
"I think not," my voice boomed throughout the room, causing it to quake greatly. This occurred just as she shouted some sort of technique, but was surprised as I simply blocked it with a lesser clawed finger of my left foreclaw. Again, she clicked her tongue, then gasped as I swatted her body into the far wall. "Pathetic," I growled, unleashing a greater torrent of energy bolts upon those she tried to rescue.
This time, I held nothing back, and simply grinned as she shouted a, "NO," as they each perished under my onslaught. "You will pay for that," her voice was full of venom, as she charged at my person from the other side of the room, howling greatly as she swung her cleaver in a wild arc.
Once more, such a petty attack was blocked by a lesser clawed finger, but of the other foreclaw. "Oh, I think not, little human," these words caused her to falter and collapse upon her hind end.
"How do you know I am a human?" She asked, mouth agape as I simply chuckled down upon her form.
"I know many things, little human," my head flowed forwards until it was level with her body, then turned it until my right eye stared into her pair, "Especially your name. Luna." Upon these words, my eyes flared with a violet colour, of which caused the entirety of the world to grow as dark as the Abyss itself.