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“Why must I be the one to contact you for your mission report, Guardian Azezel?”
The voice emanating from the comm crystal held tones of suspicion and disappointment with seeping disgust that gave Azazel a quiver of fear. He was pondering over the Lu’Gre map again and feeling his patience thinning for any further information from Dirk on the whereabouts of that woman. He hadn’t reported back to him in a week now and he was just about to decide to hunt the man down and demand an update when the comm crystal started flashing and chirping for his attention. The question caused him to desperately think of a response. How much truth should he speak?
“My apologies, Chosen Valor Cha’Kodesh, we are still determining our losses and gains from the battle in Mount Fat Duck.” Will this work to add more time to his decision?
“Which is…?”
Azezel gulped back his nerves while using his hand to ruffle parchments around on the map table to stall his answer. “Ah, right, we’ve been able to convince the villagers that the Dragoon is dead and gone, thus convincing many of the trained guards to join our ranks from our successful raid.”
“Mm-hm, when shall we expect the treasures to be added to our vaults?”
Sh’kats! The curse rang in his thoughts as he couldn’t lie about the fact the treasure remained untouchable lest anyone wanted to be cursed. “Th-there’s too much treasure for any of it to be moved, Valor Cha’Kodesh.”
“Hm… ‘Tis true the Black Dragoon’s wealth is greater than the other six. Very well, ensure there are guards always posted outside the cavern to protect our wealth. What of our losses?”
Nothing but that Dragoon but I dare not say that if I wish to keep living! Azezel shuffled papers around again when an idea formed in his thoughts. In the last three Dragoon conquering there were massive losses amongst the squadrons due to the resistance to be tamed, surely… “We have yet to obtain a final number of losses, Valor Cha’Kodesh, but the Towne Fat Duck suffered massive structural damage from the fires.”
“…The Black Dragoon escaped his imprisonment and caused damage?”
“Yes, he flew through a vent in his cavern, spewing flames in his escape and filling the cavern with his black fires. This forced those of us who survived to rush back out and battle him atop the Mount. His flames went far and wide.”
“Fascinating, we hadn’t thought the imprisoning barriers were any bigger than their caverns. Seems we’ve much more to research on their habitats. Finish surveying the damages and send me a final report with your next plan of action. I expect you to return to the Capital with the Dragoon in your hand.”
“Ma’am.” Azezel reflexively saluted to the dismissal as the comm crystal’s light faded. He leaned on the table and stared down at the drawn town of Fat Duck, thoughts reeling on how to make his lie truth.
“Guardian Azezel, Captain Derk has returned.”
“Finally, send him in immediately.”
“Sir.”
Derk entered the tent a few minutes later to stand at attention opposite of him. “I’ve information on the whereabouts of the woman, Sir.”
Azezel nodded for him to continue.
“She has left Towne Fat Duck and is heading to Sa’Cardo Cove for a competition…” He saw the hesitation and raised a curious brow. “I have served you well for the past decade. May I make a request considering this fact?”
Azezel stared for a moment, recognizing his tones and deftly assuming what would be said next. “I agree that you have served me well and more than earned your title. I dare say, if you continue to remain in service then you may very well earn the Guardian title.”
“I… I would like to step down as Captain and remain here in Towne Fat Duck to continue recruiting squires to our ranks. The branch of the Warrior’s Guild has recently lost their leader to sickness, and I thought it advantageous to the Order for me to take that role and use it for recruitment.”
He didn’t respond immediately, instead chose to pace as his mind pondered on information to work towards choices for a solution. He stopped beside Derk, facing opposite of him with his expression turning emotionless.
“It seems we’ve been dealt a great loss, Captain Derk.”
“Sir?”
“We’ve lost many a good fighter to the Black Dragoon and he caused massive structural damage to the town. Recruiting to our ranks will be easy with vengeance ringing in the hearts of the townsfolk. It’s with a heavy heart-“
Derk’s eyes widened in realization as he listened to the Guardian rambling what would have otherwise been nonsense. “What has happened in my absence, Sir?” He didn’t want to know but his instincts were screaming at him to run, run now, if he wants to attain his dream of being at Tank’s side and live a life filled with joyous love.
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“That the Captain made a great sacrifice towards the greater mission of The Chosen Order.”
It only took one second, just one second, for Derk to be able to manage a flinch in reaction to Azezel’s sudden jerk in his direction. Shock took another second to hold Derk still as the sharp stinging pain in his side pierced through his nerves, lowering his amber eyes down to witness the dagger plunged into his body. “S-sir-wha-why?”
Azezel withdrew the dagger and plunged it again and again in different ways with Derk shifting and trying to escape. He only stopped when he slumped to the ground with hands gripping his wounds, his mind reeling to this sudden change in the Guardian.
“Ready the squadron! We’re to scorch and raze the village by orders of our Chosen Valor Cha’Kodesh!” Azezel looked down at the ex-Captain, content to leave the man there to bleed to death. He’ll just set fire to the tent to ensure the man couldn’t be found in the oncoming devastation.
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Miss Ellis, Tank and the patrons all stopped in their motions to look towards the front door of the tavern. They all heard what sounded like thunder and felt the quake of the ground but were unsure. It wasn’t raining, the air wasn’t even hinting at dry storms either, so why was there such a loud sound and quakes?
Then came the desperate screams with shadows running past the tinted windows. Tank tried to call for calm in the tavern as panic rushed through them all but it was too late, the patrons were scrambling to escape by any means necessary yet unsure which direction to go as they didn’t know what was happening.
Not until they were outside and saw the plumes of dark smoke rising on the other side of their town, the raging fires igniting the underbelly of the smoke and clearly edging nearer.
“IT’S THE DRAGOON!! THE DRAGOON HAS COME TO KILL US ALL!”
Tank grabbed hold of Miss Ellis and lifted the hefty woman in his arms while barking out into the air, “HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS! THE FIRE CAN’T REACH US THERE!”
“WHAT OF THE DRAGOON?!”
“WHY WOULD IT BURN ITS OWN HOME?!”
With that the herd of panicking townsfolk turned towards the mountains, away from the direction of the fires.
It felt off, something wasn’t right.
“As soon as we reach the mountain gates I am putting you down, Miss Ellis. I need to find Derk.” Tank huffed as he ran, gaze focused on where he was going and making sure to avoid the obstacles the stampede of villagers were creating in their panicked escape.
“Ta, Tank, ah kin guide tae git tae th' bens oan mah ain. Ye dae whit yer feelin' needs daein', ye muckle pure tough brute o' a jimmy.” Miss Ellis smiled in appreciation to the big man, despite the clear shaking of fear and panic. She had been through worse in her years and could handle the moment, deciding to worry over what next once she is safe again.
He had to grin ruefully to her words, finding odd comfort in the woman’s strength in face of devastation.
Once at the gates, he set her down and waited a breath of a moment to be sure she could run towards the mountain trail that was starting to overflow with townsfolk. Trusting the ol’ gal to her own fate, he spun around and ran towards to roaring flames.
As he recalled, the Order’s camp was just outside the town in that very direction. Derk had expressed a desire to remain in the town with him and live a happy, loving life together. A dream that he, too, desired to have with the elf.
Whatever happened, those roaring fires caused deep worry in his instincts that his beloved elf could be in danger. He knew of Derk’s status in the Order and had faith he could defend himself but it still didn’t feel right in his guts.
“DERK! WHERE ARE YOU?!” He now skirted around the blaze that swathed him in intense heat, holding his arm up to protect his face as he frantically searched for pink hair and vitiligo umber skin, those beautiful patches that made fascinating shapes for him to delight his loving gaze of the elf.
“YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?! RUN OR THE DRAGOON WILL EAT YOU TOO!”
Tank looked in the direction of the hollering voice to see an Order fighter waving her sword for him to run away.
“WHERE IS YOUR CAPTAIN?!”
“DOES IT MATTER?! RUN!”
Tank gritted his teeth in seething rage to such an uncaring response. Clenching his fists, he instead aimed to run past the fighter to weave his way to the forest gate, knowing his beloved had gone to the camp just that morn to request a step down to be with him.
Instead the fighter drew their blade out to swing at him, giving him only a split second to call his shield from his inventory crystal on his belt and knock the sword off it's trajectory for his chest. Now running on pure instinct and adrenaline, he lunged forward to shield bash the fighter to the ground.
Unable to think straight from the panic of searching for his beloved and now confronted with this unexpected fight, Tank called his sword to his hand as he strode towards the fallen fighter that is scrambling to get back up to fight. The moment the fighter stood on their feet and readied their blade to strike, he side stepped their jab and easily jabbed his sword through their middle then lower the blade further as he pulled it free of their form.
The fighter fell and he didn’t wait to ensure their death, his instincts turned to focus back on his search for his lover. Finding nothing but blazing destruction and hearing so many other fights and dying cries as the fires continued spreading.
Just as he found a hole in their stone walls that had saw to protecting the town for generations, he saw a tuft of pink hair. His heart sank but he still grabbed on that slender ray of hope, jumping through the hole to find Derk sprawled on the ground.
Kneeling down, he quickly assessed his love’s condition and found the elf covered in blood but still raggedly breathing. Without thought, he returned his weapons and called potions from his inventory crystal on his belt, gently drew him into his strong arms and began administering the potions past his lovely lips and down his slender throat.
“Come on, Derk, stay with me my love!” His voice a trembling whisper of desperation that soon gave way to relief as Derk gasped and grit his teeth to keep back the scream of pain.
The potions can heal any afflicted wounds of the living but it came at the price of great pain to the injured. Tank held him in his arms to offer physical comfort in hopes it eased that pain.
Just as quickly as the potions acted did it all stop and Derk was shivering, gasping, but alive in his arms. “Tank!” Amber eyes locked with his marine gaze and he could see so many emotions sweeping through the elf. “We-we n-need to escape! Azezel, he-he t-tried to k-kill me!!”
Rage gripped his heart again and squeezed Derk against his chest, growling out, “I’ll kill him for that!”
“No!” Derk squirmed and pushed hard for Tank to release him, grabbing his large hand to drag him to his feet with him. “I’ll explain later, but-“ Tank saw the armor he wore that morning had all been removed, leaving nothing but torn burnt tatters to adorn his beautiful form. The rage burned all the more. “WE NEED TO LEAVE! NOW!”
It was his desperation for them to survive that shook the desire to kill from Tank’s heart. With a nod, he gripped his hand and led them towards the mountain to be with the townsfolk that survived this odd attack on their town.