Going back to the Zenith tower after some work done by Maylor, Rain arrives to the main hall asking the guard not to be announced inside. Wanting to surprise her he enters himself, going to her working area he sees books open to pages spread all over tables she has been to. Smiling to himself at the sight reminding him of his own work areas when trying to find out something he continues on till he sees her deep in thought about some calculations.
“Your servants have become slack as of late” Rain blurts startling her jittering her concentration to nothing, screaming a high shriek Rain covers his ears and reacting she then covers her mouth for the sound scared herself.
“Oh Rain I’m so sorry about that I didn’t hear you come in” she said seeing him uncover his ears
“That’s ok I meant to surprise you” Rains said putting his finger in his ear attempting to stop the continuous ringing going on inside.
“I think I have found the next location but I want to run the work by you first” Eve said and hearing her explanation in terms he used for the most part, Rain grew a smile on his face watching her move from book to book as he had always done. Explaining what she had done in each book. Taking a seat to her last table Eve was going about the calculations to him looking up expecting to see him rewrite it down to do them himself, but she instead saw him in a mesmerizing stare right at her.
“Rain, aren’t you going to check my figures” She asks
“I am…I mean will…I will” Rain said grabbing some parchment and a quill pen but still smiling to himself.
“What are you smiling at” Eve asks coming over to his shoulder side as he sat down to write,
“Just how you have learnt so much in such a short time” Rain said jotting down the notes
“Well I am a quick study” she replies to him and being quiet for some time Rain finishes the calculations, turning to her Rain gets a full view of her cleavage as she leans over viewing his approach to solving them. Rain shakes his head quickly to disrupt the view and looks up hoping she did not see his wandering sight.
“Well looks like your figure are…well rounded and balanced” Rain says clearing his crooked throat from the embarrassing gesture he made.
“Well that’s good, now you see here and here where the two locations intersect” Eve continues and reaching her arm past his face pointing on the map Rain again glances to the skin on her chest.
“Yeah I see them” Rain says this time not turning away from her body.
“I think that if you cross the two points you will find…the point of entry” and finishing her explanation she looks to him staring at her chest, smiling a little she adds “You know they don’t talk right, that act is done further north of them” and shaking his head he stands up.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you” Rain said backing up
“If such an act from the males offended me I’d be wearing a monks robe, relax Rain it’s ok, it’s a compliment really… that you think I’m worthy of being look at in such a manner” she said
“And you most defiantly are, you are one of the most beautiful females in this field I have ever seen” and growing a blush to her face she grew a shy look and thanks him for the remark. Starting to put away the books that they were using she grabs her neck from a sharp pain running through it, dropping the book she was holding Rain hears the sound and comes to her aid.
“You ok Eve?” Rain questions
“Yeah I just have a pain in my neck, that’s all”
“Here sit down, do you know what it’s from” Rain asks
“This mortal body” she thinks but replays that she doesn’t know, “Well here let me try something”
“No it’s ok” she says but not letting her up Rain starts to massage her neck and feeling a relief of the pain, she forgets what she was thinking about before and relaxes going almost limp in the chair “Oh! That feels so good,” she says enjoying it and thinking how every time she had a small problem Rain has been there to help her understand. She looks to him and smiles a deep smile of appreciation and in turn, he smiles back. They share a deep moment of staring at each other before the time was interrupted by the announcement of a servant bringing to them Elanee.
“Well I’m sorry to break you two away from…such deep thoughts about our essence crisis but I have one of my own that might need your assistance” Elanee said with a broken voice of embarrassment and shocking deceit. Coming over to her Rain takes his hands off Eve’s neck and approaches Elanee
“So what’s going on” He asks
“First of all I’m sorry about intruding…I didn’t know about you two yet” said Elanee softly
“Us…oh you mean…oh no, no, no you misunderstood that she just had a sore neck, that’s all” said Rain trying to mend the situation
“Oh” said Elanee “Now I feel really embarrassed”
“You had a situation Elanee???” said Rain again
“There have been some reports that a dragon may be moving into the area west of here. Some farmers have had their homesteads destroyed and herds of cattle eaten, normally Captain Tristan would handle such a matter but he is preoccupied with a border dispute right now, that could grow to an ugly situation itself. I being the chief investigator have been asked by the king to check it out and…”
“And you want some back up” finished Rain
“Well I have Namor and his elite guards to aid the soldiers I have” she adds
“Umm yeah like I said you would like some actual backup” Rain replies and gets a smile from Elanee face “Sure I think we can help” said Rain
“We” Elanee answered
“Yeah Eve and I, she is more than capable of handling herself in a tight situation and not just a book worm” and asking for her help as well she agrees to assist happily, after hearing that a dragon might be involved. Knowing that it could take over her rightful territory she jumps at the chance to dispose of it.
“I will go to the Enclave with the new location that you found Eve, tell them about it and I’ll meet up with you girls at the city” agreeing with him the girls take off their way as Rain heads to the Enclave.
Lead by Cynn down the passage he had never took; Rain was brought into the chamber where Straud was combating the Logan replica.
“Brother, how are you” asked Cloud watching the skirmish alongside with Artanis and Dawn
“I have found the next essence” said Rain and seeing a blade fly against the wall; Straud again hits the ground, “How many times has he…”
“Thirty-two” said Artanis
“This hurts I could have taken him down in half the time” added Dawn “Uncle never seemed so weak to me before like he does now,” she says with the males staring at her cocky rude comment. “What!” she says looking at their gazes.
“Does he rest?” asked Rain shaking off his quick thought to her.
“Only for mere hours in between beatings” said Cloud “You said you have found the next essence brother”
“Yes” Rain replied going into detail where it is, they talk and watch the last fight Straud will go into for the day but again getting beaten Lord Straud limps from the battle arena holding his side joining them.
“Good progress Straud” said Lalandra “You are doing well, and there is a saying I have heard in the past, what doesn’t kill you, will make you stronger”
Laughing a little Straud rewards up “Let’s hope so or this has been for nothing, I overheard that you have found the next evil stone Rain” to which Rain nods,
“Then Cloud, take Artanis and Dawn with you to retrieve it; I need to stay and train and Cynn will go to Alisianna’s side to protect her in your absence”
“Shouldn’t we have more men uncle” Dawn asks
“With your new found strength you are more powerful than five elite troops Dawn as well as a gifted healer according to Maylor. With the amulets you carry you’ll be masked by anything attempting to find you, stealth will keep all of us safe for the time being” Straud says
“And you have our blades as well Dawn” adds Artanis smiling
“Trust me Artanis, as sweet as that sounded it’ll be me helping you two” she stated
“How is Alisianna, Cloud?” asks Rain changing the topic again
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“She’s ok, but gets unnerving by any little thing that doesn’t work perfectly through the day, she changes her moods so fast; it’s weird” Cloud explains
Rain’s tells them of the disturbance with the countryside dragon and had the ok to help aid where he and Eve could; he hugs his sister and brother for luck on their journey, as well as a nod to Artanis. Cynn takes the venturing group as far as she could without weakening herself too badly and gives them a recall stone to return, she leaves mere hours for them to travel on but across heavy rock will it take time.
Rain heads back to the city to meet with the party for the Dragon hunt and Cynn heads off to be with Alisianna.
Arriving back to the city in a flash of light, Rain greets the twelve soldiers with Elanee and Eve, adding five Drow guards of his own to the group.
“These men are compliments of Lord Straud to aid the task” said Rain “Where’s Namor, still putting on his war paint” Rain laughs,
“Getting his affairs in order for his absence” Elanee says to him
“Really, I was kidding about my remark, didn’t think it was true” Rain added
They wait for moments to go by and then see him arrive on horseback, “Ok are we ready to embark on our…my I don’t believe we have had the honor and pleasure of introducing one another” Namor says embedding his eyes on Eve.
“That pleasure you will never see from her I assure you; and as for your honor…well you can take that and shove it up you’re…”
“Alright you guys stop it” Elanee bolts out “We have a town in need that can’t wait for your pity little verbal war you have with each other, now just this once can you put aside your differences and be civil, please; for me” begs Elanee hopeful,
“Of course” said Namor
“Fine” snapped Rain
“Now Rain can you teleport us there?” Elanee asked
“No the party is too large, doing so would most likely kill me” Rain states
“Then by all means give it a try” Namor belts out
“You know I could however send you ten feet lower then where you stand now” Rain replies
“ENOUGH” Elanee barks and shakes her head with disgust “We will then go by horse but we need to go now!” and kicking her mare she gallops ahead of the rest getting away from the squabble of the two. They move following with Elanee keeping speed, traveling west to the town of Falcon.
Reaching their destination and having sore feet Cloud climbs the last rocky sculpted cliff face to reach where the others have already been waiting, Dawn being the vampire was first there followed closely behind was Artanis. Cloud arrives breathing heavy and looks to the others.
“Aren’t you guys tired?” he asks
“No not really but I’m used to this kind of climbing, done it all my life” spouted Artanis
“Well good for you” Cloud replied
“And I’m vampire which is turning out to be kind of neat with the powers I’m granted, I got over this gully of rocks as nimble as a fox” Dawn boasted
“Well good for you two, I have to say traveling at night is a lot harder than I thought; if it wasn’t for our night vision I’d still be back in the middle of that rock maze” Cloud huffed out
“But you’re my brother, that wouldn’t have stopped you” Dawn smiles to him
“Don’t be so happy and content with you newly founded powers Dawn, for all we know this could be a test of weakness of the mind and will, you need to bare these abilities as a curse not a blessing Dawn, use them as only when absolutely necessary you must or they will consume your soul” Cloud advised her
“You don’t need to preach to me Cloud, I know what I must do, OK! I can handle this on my own!” Dawn snapped and Cloud and Artanis looked to her with shock “Now come on let’s keep moving Rain said that the opening was just up here” she finished bolting off ahead.
“We have to watch her closely Artanis, we must keep her on the path she wished and has wanted” Cloud looks to him with the wind of her swift walking clouding her hearing
“I agree, and I will do all I can, even if it costs me my life” Artanis replies to him staring at her quick exit
“Well let’s hope it won’t come to that end” concludes Cloud as they move to catch up to her.
They all arrive at the entrance to a cave at the base of a large mountain and notice some words carved in the wall side.
“Only those pure of heart may enter the test of righteousness and truth” says Cloud
“Why every time we have these things to decode Rain is not here, this is staring to piss me off,” says Dawn getting frustrated and walking in to the opening Dawn is thrown back in the air a few feet landing hard on her side.
“Well for sure you’re not pure of heart right now, your dead!” said Artanis who then takes his turn in trying and has the same result happen to him. He scrapes himself from the floor and looks to the cave “What the… It’s like an invisible force that just tosses you away, and why me? I can see about Dawn but me?” Artanis repeats
“Bloodline” says Cloud “Your blood is tainted by death” he says to Dawn “And yours is tainted by demonical presence” he says to Artanis
“Well that’s not my fault, I was born this way” Artanis replies
“And I was bitten, I didn’t will this upon me” Dawn added
“Doesn’t matter blood is what it is, but I wonder if …” and taking a few steps into the cave Cloud smiles at he can only pass through, he turns around and wipes the smirk from his face “I guess I go the rest of the way alone”
“You can’t Cloud, not by yourself…lets us go get Lord Straud to assist you” Artanis said
“There is no time Artanis, just wait for me here, please; and take care of Dawn if I should…”
“You won’t Cloud” Dawn intersects “I need you…we all, need you” she says “Then go Cloud, and good luck” nods Artanis and nodding back Cloud turns to the darkness and walks in. He paces for only about fifty feet until he comes to a wall, looking at it, it seems to have no top, it just keeps going up, and seeing no other way to go he decides to climb it. His elven features allow him to keep his fine crafted armor strapped on unlike Tristan’s ascent and as he climbed, Cloud noticed some block grips were a golden color. They stuck out more accessible then the regular grey stones, but upon touching a golden stone was he welcomed by the feeling of extreme heat, the metal chain gloves he wore quickly grew hot and before Cloud had reached the next gripping stone his hand was starting to burn from the hot metal. Shouting out a cry of intense heated pain Cloud braced his footing to take off the glove and shake his hands to cool it.
“That’s why they’re placed there so conveniently, to sort out the easy way climbers from the ones who think that they need to work for all goals the hard way” Cloud told to himself taking a brief time out to mend his hands with a cloth covering under his gloves just in case an event should happen and starts up again.
Making his way up for what seems like hours, Cloud begins to feel fatigue wearing into his body, his limbs strain to their peak from holding up his body weight with added equipment for so long, and looking down with a bloodied up vision from having some razor rocks cut him occasionally, he sees a change in the ground. Then the base of the floor grows with stone spikes growing from the very ground and bricks that he has already gone past start to retract into the very wall. Seeing such an act he implores his hurtful tired body to quicken its pace as he ascends faster to the top, out climbing the bricks retracting in the wall. Cloud now notices a change in the stone grips above, some staying the same but the most convenient grey stones now change to match the other golden ones. “…great” Cloud states as he keeps his pace, focusing his eyes that are being caked in river running sweat he moves till at least he can now see an ending to the wall. Judging he is about twenty or so feet from it the rest of the grey stones now pulse back and forth from gold to grey touching one such stone starting as grey but changing while he has a grip on it. Cloud now feels an extreme cooling sensation as his gloves turns frosty bluish white freezing the cloth and his hand inside, bucking up the stinging cold hurt, he loses focus for a moment and grips a golden stone, and is struck by energy like being hit by a bolt of lightning as a surge of electricity runs through his body. The armor he wears helps nothing short of amplifying the effects, fighting the pain to raise his body higher Cloud then grips the next grey stone and catching his breath he looks beneath him to see only feet is now between him and the retracting rocks.
Judging being ten feet from the top Cloud sees the stones going to a golden color. Cloud looks quickly at the enduring pain he is about to feel and taking a deep breath he starts his final and maybe fatal moments. Gripping stone after stone enduring and reliving the pain of flame, cold and electrocution repeatedly, Cloud finally loses grip to the last stone on the walls embrace that held his feet. With all of his might Cloud pulls himself up and over the top rolling over the ledge, smoking frosted and surged with life, Cloud lays motionless to hear the final blocks close to the wall. Moving slow Cloud takes off his chain gloves to see scars from the elements that mark his skin deeply; and letting everything go dark Cloud passes out from the agonizing pain he suffered.
Reaching the outskirts of the Town of Falcon, Elanee, Eve, Namor and Rain along with men in their wake arrive to see the town untouched, they ride through the town on horseback and up to the town hall that has its front doors swung open with the town magistrate running out.
“Thank the good lords you have arrived” he shouted to them “We knew you would come and not leave us to her talons of terror”
“Who’s talons, what are you talking about” Namor commanded
“This is not your land Namor hold your bloody tongue of demands” snapped Rain
“The Blue Dragon, Calisto is her name” the man says to them
“Blue Dragon…CALISTO!” said Eve aloud and toning it down Eve turns to hide her face from the others “Why that reptilian bitch pig, if she is moving in on my lands I’ll…”
“You know her Eve?” Elanee asks her with a look
“Know her…only of her…my mind wondered while Rain was away and frustration settled in on the calculations, I found a passage in a book that described the beast in blue, and quite gruesome it was, if it is indeed her we face, we must tread carefully” Eve states to her
“Any helpful advice in the passage to fight or fend her off?” questioned Elanee
“They’re immune to energy and bare a breath weapon of Lightning for starters” Rain added
“That’s right” smiled Eve “And I think she has an intense craving for um…virgin males”
“Well that’s out” Elanee said abruptly and turned to the man “Did she say anything to you or relay a message of demands”
“Y-yes gold she wanted and her name to be spread about as the ruler of the land” the man said
“Hah, she wishes” Eve said aloud again and acted quickly to cover it up “I…mean only because we will stop her right?”
“Yes of course we will, now how much gold did she request” said Elanee not taking her eyes off Eve
“Almost all of it my lady, and wanted it to be left in the middle of town at the well” the man explains
Moreover, thinking for a moment Elanee says to the man to gather the amount requested and do as she asks, running off in compliance he does as he was instructed.
“We need a plan to take her down, any options?” Elanee says to the group
“From what I have read she will not come to town on her own or fight by herself, she tends to bring along for the ride a few giants…stone or cloud ones to assist in killing any resisting her rule or to help carry the tribute of gold” Eve says to them “The cowards’ bitch” she says silently to her own mind
“So we just need to lay an ambush for her, that’s all” Rain said
“It won’t be that easy Rain” Elanee says to him “Dragon’s from the little I do know of them, can smell fear yards away and if we have all our troops in an area she won’t even make an attempt to take the bait, due to the little fear she will smell”
“So we have some villagers out there and hide the actual soldiers” Eve suggested
“Where do we hide them?” Namor asked, and thinking for a moment Rain snaps his fingers “In plain sight!” he says excitedly
“What, how” Elanee asks
“One unique feature about the Templar guardians is the ability to polymorph items” Rain says and get a look of utter confusion from almost everyone continues “uhhh…changing regular items to something else and vice versa, but in this case we will change the soldiers to barrels, ladders and other items found around the area of the well”
“And when she comes in, we change them back into an instant ambush that even she won’t be ready for” finishes Eve
“Exactly, what I was thinking” Rain said to her,
“Well, I’m glad you two are in such a mind meld together” Elanee snickers “Well it sounds do able so let’s get started” she finishes and orders the men to disperse getting all townsfolk to the homestead cellars for safety. Eve comes up to Rain in the moving and shuffling and gives him a kiss on the cheek, “Nice idea” she says going to start the polymorph spell on some men, and turning away she gets a worried look “Good thing I have the ability naturally or this whole plan of Colossus’ would have blown up in our faces”