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Post by Kendra on Oct 7, 2010 13:44:57 GMT -6
Tome excerpt The Lady Rokhr Introduction to the new world
Kendra meets Talon and begins her adventure She is left behind by the caravan she was traveling with She stumbles upon a statue in the road She stumbles upon Talon when settling down for the night Talon leaves her behind in the morning
Kendra investigates information about the statue in town The jeweler steals the statue from her and has her locked in jail She runs into Talon again in the jail Kendra breaks out of the jail and steals the statue back Talon identifies the statue as his own They decide to travel together
Tome excerpt Origin of the Turba clan Kendra is identified as a Turba The mystery of the dragon artifacts is introduced
Talon searches for Thradris Asking about Thradris in a tavern landed Talon in jail A elderly potion-seller tells them of Melonzriel, who she believes to be Thradris’ son Talon and Kendra enter the woods to find them Someone in the potions stall sneaks away to tell others of the druid Information is passed along, reaching ears of the moon elves
Kendra and Talon are attacked The moon elves capture Talon and Kendra is separated from him She is picked up by a griffon straggler She is rescued by Melonzriel, who sees the griffon and hits it with a javelin
Flashback from Talon Talon finds his home destroyed He learns of the hunt for the druids He discovers that he is the last of his people Talon determines that he must continue the journey started by his father
Kendra finds Thradris Melonzriel cares for Kendra Thradris enters their “camp” and immediately leaves, disgusted with Melonzriel Kendra follows him After hearing of the sword and Talon, Thradris agrees to help her Talon is rescued from the moon elves Kendra and her drow companions are captured Kendra sneaks out and finds Talon She tries to lead him to the drow and escape, but they are discovered Surrounded by Leonelis and his archers, a strange elvin maiden stops them The technological army attacks the elves Thradris leads the group away to safety
Tome Excerpt The Elvin wars Thradris’ mystery is introduced
An exchange of information Thradris reveals the nature of the sword Talon shares his identity as the last druid A common enemy is identified in Zrethxiin The purpose of the technological army is brought to question
Captured again The army catches up with the group The drow escape Talon is brought into custody by Officer Longbourne Kendra tags along with Talon
Longbourne’s mystery Longbourne seemed interested in Kendra’s ring Kendra tries to follow him around, but he keeps disappearing Kendra gains her own tag along- a large black cat
Flashback from Thradris Raid on the surface elves He falls in love He betrays his friend- Zrethxiin Zrethxiin ends up with his sword
Talon meets a dragon The army brings Talon into a dragon’s cave, bound in chains Kendra spots Zrethxiin in the cave The cat attacks Zrethxiin and Longbourne frees Talon
Struggle in the woods Zrethxiin gives chase and attacks Talon Kendra interferes and Zrethxiin turns to her Kendra is saved by Melonzriel, again Zrethxiin takes Melonzriel captive
Thradris gives chase Longbourne helps Kendra and Talon follow, explaining the link between the ring and sword Zrethxiin threatens to kill Melonzriel in front of him Thradris offers himself up as a sacrifice Longbourne tries to stop him, explaining it will release Tyrignym
Tome excerpt The Great Dragon War
Tyrignym is free The cat transforms into a dragon and grabs everyone before flying away They land in a meadow the red dragon taking the form of a man and revealing himself as Pyro He explains what has happened and what must be done to trap Tyrignym This only raises more questions Longbourne reveals himself He explains the druidic rite meant to trap Tyrignym and how it went wrong
Tracking the sword The group uses Kendra’s ring to track the sword Longbourne works on teaching Talon the druid rite during their travels They have to make their way through mountains of goblins and orcs
Kendra meets a spirit bear While everyone is asleep the spirit of a bear visits Kendra He leads her to its dead body and Zrethxiin Kendra tries to steal the sword but Zrethxiin wakes up He notices her ring and tortures her for information Zrethxiin takes the ring
Into Zrethxiin’s mind Zrethxiin remembers killing Thradris’ wife He is driven by the need for revenge He is an equal partner with Tyrignym
Pyro discovers where Tyrignym is going Kendra tells them he was looking for a way to destroy the items Pyro knows the items can be unmade in the druid grove Longbourne explains he will need blood, and they should be careful
The druid grove Tyrignim tricks Melonzriel with a spell making him look like Thradris He flies off with him toward the druid grove The group gives chase Talon trails behind and Zrethxiin attacks him
Talon’s powers revealed Zrethxiin taunts Talon, believing him beaten Talon taps into the energy of the druid grove He gets the ring and sword back from Zrethxiin Zrethxiin is swallowed up by the plants
Tome excerpt History of the druids Nature of the druid grove and druid realm revealed
Talon transports everyone to the realm of the druids He sends Kendra and Melonzriel out to battle Tyrignym with Pyro He begins the spell to trap Tyrignym in the abyss Longbourne explains he must sacrifice himself for the spell to work
Tyrignym is defeated Talon and Longbourne are gone Melonzriel makes to wander off alone Kendra promises to keep him company Pyro takes cat form again The group walks off to find another adventure
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Post by Kendra on Oct 7, 2010 13:48:37 GMT -6
Talon is the son of the Druid Agrimar, who has left in search of Thradris, for information to complete a section of his historical tome. When his father did not return, and no news reached his ears of his whereabouts for several months, Talon began to worry, but could not leave his Druidic conclave without becoming an outcast. He did everything he could to sequester information on his father, but turned up nothing, and finally- after a year had passed, slipped away to search for the lost Agrimar.
Little did he know, an army had formed, intent on wiping out the druids. He’d left just in time. The young druid set out on his journey, unaware that his home was destroyed behind him. Talon learned much of the world, and had several encounters with those driven against his people. He turned up some clues about his father, but they led him only to an interesting little statuette of a silver dragon. He began to lose hope, and decided to return home in answer to a letter, only to find it had been a trap. His home was in flames, the forest in ruins. The letter had been nothing more than a ploy to draw him in, so that he too could be slaughtered.
It was at this time, Talon learned of his father’s death. He barely escaped the trap, and spent the next several years running and in hiding. Then, he began to hear whispers of a sword with a silver dragon carved into the hilt, wielded by a fierce and terrible drow. This sounded far too much like what his father had been after, and his curiosity was piqued. He decided to find out what his father had been looking for when he’d been killed. Perhaps, that would lead him to a way to avenge his murder.
When a chance attack on a road left him discovered by a young Turba, he thought he could leave her behind, but she bumped into him yet again in a jail cell of the next town. There, Kendra told him of her ring- a sapphire jewel containing within it the depiction of a silver dragon, much like the one of the statuette he had found and now carried with him. It had to be a sign. He allowed her to travel with him, as he sought information about the drow Thradris. His best information had led him to that city, but he still had no idea where to look from there.
Together, the pair learned of a young drow named Melonzriel, who often visited the town. The young drow was said to live in the woods with another, far older drow- a hermit who’s hut nobody knew the location. Talon felt certain this had to be Thradris.
When they entered the woods to search for Thradris, they were attacked. Kendra was separated from Talon and became lost, getting picked up by a stray griffon from the earlier attack. Kendra kicked and squirmed and tried to escape, but could not break free of the grip of its claws. Fate, it seemed, was on her side however, as the griffon plummeted out of the sky with a javelin through its wing. When it landed, she discovered her savior to be none other than that young drow Melonzriel. She followed him to his hut and found Thradris, immediately bombarding him with questions and insisting that they go find Talon. Thradris refused, and Kendra stormed off to pout.
Melonzriel joined her, sitting down to chat. They started talking about the sword Talon was looking for and found Thradris hovering behind them with interest. He asked Kendra to describe the sword, then to describe Talon, and without explaining why said he would help her find her lost companion.
Their search brought them to a clan of moon elves, who apparently knew Thradris. The moon elves had been the ones to attack Talon and Kendra, with the purpose of capturing Talon to turn him over to the growing technological armies. They were holding Talon hostage, waiting for the army to come retrieve him so that they could gain their reward. Thradris got in an argument with one of the elves, Leonelis which did not end well. They separated Thradris from Kendra and Melonzriel, leaving the young pair wondering what was going on.
Overnight, Kendra managed to sneak out of the room they were holding her in and find Talon. She told him that Thradris and Melonzriel were there, and that the moon elves were planning on turning him over to the army. She untied him and attempted to secretly lead him out of the moon elf encampment. An alarm sounded, and knowing they were discovered, Kendra and Talon rushed to find Thradris and get out of there. They were not quick enough, and found themselves surrounded by Leonelis and his men. Arrows were drawn and ready, when another elf in the distance suddenly called out for them to stop.
The elves all obeyed her order and she walked up to Kendra and Talon, circling them. She recognized Talon, commented that he had the bearing of his father the Agrimar and that there was far more darkness brewing than he understood. Even as she spoke, the army arrived and attacked the elvin encampment. Leonelis was shocked and outraged by the attack, as he had been promised no harm would come to his people, thanks to his help in retrieving the druid.
He and the elvin archers hurried away to fight the army, the forest going ablaze around them as Thradris came up beside the elvin lady and talked with her quietly. He then motioned for the others to follow them, and they slipped away amidst the battle, joining up with Melonzriel in the woods.
Once they’d found a place to settle down, Thradris and Talon spoke of the sword. Thradris explained that he’d had the sword, but no longer did. It had fallen into the hands of another drow, Zrethxiin, making him a very dangerous enemy. Thradris explained further that the sword was sentient, having a mind of its own and communicating with its wielder through a psychic link activated by touching the hilt. The sword craved blood, and Zrethxiin was a willing killer. They were a formidable pair. Thradris suspected that the sentient being within the sword was none other than Tyrignym, an ancient dragon that had been trapped in the abyss by a druidic rite. He suspected that Tyrignym was breaking free, believing this explained the destruction of the druids. Only the Agrimar had had access to the information they needed to stop Tyrignym.
Talon was at a loss. He explained that his father had died before he could pass on the knowledge of the Agrimar. By right of ascension, Talon was now the Druid Agrimar, but he had never been blessed with the Passage of Wisdom.
During their conversation, the army had caught up with them. Thradris attempted to lead the group through the woods away from the advancing force, but he could not move them fast enough to beat their smoke spouting vehicles. Kendra and Talon were quickly surrounded (Thradris and Melonzriel managing to escape into the shadows), and an officer addressing himself as Longbourne approached them, to take them into custody. As he took Kendra’s hand to tie them behind her back, he rubbed his fingers along her ring and looked at her with a wink. No one else noticed, and Kendra became immensely curious.
The two were led captive into the army camp, and Kendra kept observing Longbourne as best she could. Talon was put under maximum security, but the guards seemed unable to keep Kendra locked up, and they were content to let her wander around the camp. She had not been one of their targets for capture in the first place, and they’d rather be rid of her, but she wouldn’t leave because they held her friend prisoner.
During her wanderings of the camp, a stray cat befriended her and became her shadow. She attempted to follow Longbourne wherever he went, but found he always managed to disappear on her. The cat, though, never left her side. The army was traveling, and Kendra could not figure out where, though they left desolation in their wake. There were rumors of dragons in the mountains, and they seemed to be headed toward the mountains.
Finally, they seemed to reach their destination. The army brought Talon forward, chained and locked in the back of a barred carriage. Most of the army stayed back, as if they were afraid of going further. They were at the edge of a mountain, with a large cave opening halfway up its side. Tendrils of smoke curled out of the cave and a deep rumbling emanated from within. It looked to Kendra as if they were going to sacrifice Talon to a dragon, and she was determined that she had to find a way to stop them.
She followed the group heading up the mountain, which included the elusive Longbourne. Her cat shadow was wrapped around his shoulders, and he looked back at her with another wink which thoroughly intrigued and confused her. As they reached the inside of the cave, only Longbourne and two other guards traveled with Talon and Kendra. They indeed approached a massive green dragon, but Kendra noticed a small figure hidden in the shadows off to the side and moved curiously over to him as Longbourne addressed the dragon.
The conversation was lost to her as the guards brought Talon out, still in his chains, left him next to Longbourne and fled the cave. Whatever the conversation, the dragon turned to look at the shadowy figure just as she thought she’d gotten close enough to identify it. The dragon asked if Talon was “The One”.
The shadowy figure stepped forward, and Kendra could see that he was another drow, touching the hilt of the sword at his side and never removing his hand from it. His eyes seemed distant and his lips curled back in a snarl of rage as he identified Talon and confirmed him to be “The One”. As the drow moved closer and drew the sword, the cat on Longbourne’s shoulders arched its back with a hiss and leapt at his face.
Longbourne lunged for Talon, pushing him aside so fast it was a blur, and the next thing Kendra knew, Talon was out of his chains. Enraged, the drow tossed the cat aside and chased after Talon. The green dragon moved as if it was going to attack too, but Kendra didn’t see anything else except Longbourne blocking its path as she ran after the drow and Talon.
Longbourne and the dragon were left in the cave, as Talon, then Zrethxiin (for that’s who the drow was), Kendra, then the cat all dashed into the woods. There, Zrethxiin caught up with Talon and attacked him, the druid fighting back so strongly it was as if the woods came alive, vines, branches, and roots moving every which way as Talon shape-shifted into a large wolf. Despite Talon’s efforts, Zrethxiin was winning, until Kendra stepped in, attacking from behind. Startled, Zrethxiin turned to face her while Talon was down and was moving in for a killing blow when Melonzriel appeared from the woods. Zrethxiin’s gaze shot up to the young drow as he told her to move away from Kendra. Zrethxiin only smiled unsettlingly.
Zrethxiin challenged Melonzriel to a “fair” fight, which the young drow cautiously took him up on. As the two battled, Kendra rushed to Talon’s side to see how bad his wounds were and try to help him. Zrethxiin bested Melonzriel, but did not kill him. Instead, he held the sword to his throat and whispered something in his ear. Melonzriel’s eyes went wide, and he struggled against Zrethxiin’s hold but could not break free. Kendra ran up to try and help Melonzriel, but Zrethxiin kicked her in the head, and she blacked out. She woke up to the cat licking her face and found Talon resting by a camp fire, his wounds dressed, and Longbourne standing vigil. Kendra, of course, started asking him questions. He gave her dogged answers always looking out toward the woods, which only piqued her curiousity more. Then he turned to smile at her, and Thradris materialized from the woods.
He immediately asked where Melonzriel was, and Kendra explained what had happened. Cursing, Thradris moved to dash away, but Longbourne stopped him. Longbourne advised him not to rush into things, and that they would help him get Melonzriel back. Thradris did not want to wait, and he left.
When Talon woke, Kendra told him what had happened. Longbourne told Kendra that her ring was linked with the sword, and they could use it to track Zrethxiin. Talon and Kendra both tried to ask him how he knew this, but he would not answer. The group journeyed together in search of the drow. They found Zrethxiin before Thradris did, but only had enough time to scope out the situation before Thradris arrived. Kendra had been about to attempt a sneaky rescue, but Zrethxiin was prepared for Thradris.
He held the sword to Melonzriel’s throat again, threatening to kill the boy in front of Thradris. Thradris warned him against such action, saying he knew what would follow if he murdered Melonzriel in front of him, as he’d tried the same tactic before. He said, if Melonzriel died, Zrethxiin would die, but that didn’t need to happen. Thradris was willing to offer himself up willingly in place of Melonzriel.
Zrethxiin’s eyes lit up at the notion, but he seemed to go through an internal struggle as Longbourne suddenly jumped to his feet and revealed himself. He shouted for Thradris not to follow through with his sacrifice, and Zrethxiin’s gaze turned on the officer with a glare. His eyes shown with recognition and he smiled. He agreed to release Melonzriel, telling Thradris to drop his weapons and move toward him. Longbourne attempted to interfere, but Zrethxiin shouted that if he did so, he’d kill Melonzriel. Longbourne didn’t seem to care, and Thradris moved to fight him off.
This only seemed to entertain Zrethxiin even more, and he watched the fight as Kendra and Talon stood back, not knowing what to do. Longbourne seemed to have bested Thradris, and with him pinned said he must not sacrifice himself. Thradris replied that he must, that Melonzriel was his son, that Zrethxiin had already murdered his wife before his eyes and he would not let him take his son the same way. Longbourne shook his head sadly and said the only reason Zrethxiin did not kill him now was because Thradris had offered to be a willing sacrifice. This was exactly what Tyrignym needed to be released from the abyss. After he was released, there was no telling what would happen. Thradris insisted that if his sacrifice could save his son he would do it, and when Longbourne looked away sadly, he broke out of the hold. Longbourne did not try to stop him as he approached Zrethxiin again, weaponless. The drow tossed Melonzriel aside and stabbed the defenseless Thradris in one fluid motion, and when he did so the sword seemed to come alive.
Suddenly Kendra’s cat was gone, and in his place was an enormous red dragon. The dragon scooped Melonzriel, Longbourne, Kendra, and Talon up in his claws and flew off with them before they could witness the results of Thradris’ sacrifice. Kendra glanced back at the sword and Zrethxiin before they took off, the drow dropping it when the hilt seared his fingers.
They landed in a meadow surrounded by mountains and the dragon/cat took the form of a man, walking off with Longbourne to talk to him. Melonzriel was distraught. Kendra was in awe of her “kitty” and bombarding him with questions. And Talon was trying to figure out what was going on as he attempted to console Melonzriel. When everything settled down, the dragon/cat gathered the group together and identified himself as Pyro.
He told them that they needed to do everything in their power to stop Tyrignym before his already gathering armies brought destruction to the land as they had during the time of the Great Dragon Wars. He needed all of them. Talon was now the last known living druid and needed to enact the binding druid rite that would trap Tyrignym. Melonzriel would have to wield the sword that had slain his parents. Kendra had the ring. Talon had the statuette. All three artifacts were needed for the rite.
The group had many questions about how that was supposed to work, and Longbourne finally came forward. He told them that he was really Vexitraenylaesk, the silver dragon depicted in the artifacts and the same Vex who had battled Tyrignym during the Great Dragon Wars. Pyro was his oldest friend, Naerdineonis, whom he’d entrusted with the protection of the artifacts that had been tied in the rite of banishment. Kendra asked why he couldn’t just attack him now, and Vex explained that he was trapped in human form. The ancient rite performed by a circle of thirteen druids in order to trap Tyrignym had required him to offer himself up in sacrifice. The rite had never been completed properly, and so instead of banishing Tyrignym to the abyss, it instead trapped him in the sword and trapped Vex in human form.
In order for the rite to work, the wearer of the ring (Kendra) would have to climb on Tyrignym, the magical spells on the ring allowing her to create a connection between him and Vex. Vex could then draw power from Tyrignym and sequester it into the statuette in the possession of Talon. The wielder of the sword (Melonzriel) would have to stab Tyrignym in the heart, and with his blood still on the sword, shatter the statue. Talon would have to hold all the magical energies together and perform the spell that upon shattering the statue would banish Tyrignym to the abyss.
First though, the group had to find Zrethxiin and the sword. Somehow, they had to get it from him. Then they could find Tyrignym, and the great dragon was already aware of their plan, as it was the same rite they had performed so many years ago. It was very possible it would not even work without thirteen druids to form a circle.
They used Kendra’s ring once again to track the sword, but had a hard time keeping up with Zrethxiin, having to make their way through mountain passes overrun with orcs and goblins. Zrethxiin seemed to be gathering them in his wake, amassing the armies of Tyrignym. Longbourne/Vex seemed troubled about the direction of their travel, trying to figure out what Tyrignym was up to.
During one of their rest stops Longbourne was working on teaching Talon the ancient druidic rite, and Kendra dreamed of druids. A great bear seemed to her to materialize out of her dream and beckoned her to follow. The others were asleep, and she snuck out of their little encampment to follow the spirit being. The bear led her to its own dead body, and Kendra found the drow sleeping near it. Kendra glanced back, wondering if she should tell her companions, but thought this was the perfect opportunity for her to snatch the sword away with her sneaking skills.
As she made her attempt, however, Zrethxiin woke, instantly moving to slit her throat. As the blade cut skin, her ring flared brightly and a deep threatening voice growled for Zrethxiin to stop. Instead of killing her, he tortured her. All through the night, he asked her where she’d gotten the ring, how the ring worked, if it could be destroyed… She wasn’t sure what she told him, because the pain was too unbearable.
As morning dawned, the drow disappeared, taking the ring with him. He’d done so much, she was near death, and he’d left certain she would die. However, when her friends found her, Longbourne was able to perform some healing magic to bring her back from the brink. She was too weak to explain anything, and so Longbourne carried her on his back, giving her opportunity to recover as they continued looking for Zrethxiin. After a few days travel, Kendra managed to tell them that Tyrignym had said something about destroying the sword and the ring.
Pyro perked up and altered their course accordingly. He seemed to know where the pair would be heading. As they traveled and Kendra continued to recover, she told Talon of her dream. Talon seemed troubled that the bear had come to her and not him. He worried that he had been rejected as a druid and would not be able to perform his part in the rite. He had certainly felt useless throughout this journey, as it seemed his figurine of the dragon did nothing helpful, as Kendra’s ring had.
Talon asked where they were going, and the answer to his question did not brighten his spirits. They were headed for an ancient grove, origin of the conclave of druids and believed to be the spiritual resting place of all druids past. It was here that the artifacts were made and only here that they could be unmade. They arrived as a portion of the great technological army amassed along the forest edge, their smoking contraptions seeming geared on the destruction of the wood itself. Tyrignym had beaten them there. They moved toward the inner circle of the grove and a drow appeared before them. When he came out of the shadows it appeared to be not Zrethxiin, but Thradris. Melonzriel rushed forward so quickly, Vex missed as he tried to grab his collar and shout for him to stop. The young drow ran into Thradris’ arms, and Thradris grinned wickedly, transforming into an enormous black dragon, Tyrignym.
He snatched Melonzriel up and flew away, Pyro transforming and chasing after him. The others were left to follow on foot, and they dashed after the retreating beasts. Talon fell behind and Zrethxiin stood to block his path. They faced off, Zrethxiin taunting him for his weakness, his uselessness, his inability to connect with the druids. Talon started stumbling, faltering and it seemed he was about to be bested, when he reached out for a tree with a bloodied hand for support. It was suddenly as if his blind eyes had been opened. He felt a deeply rooted connection running all through the woods. He felt the pain of fire at its edge, the strength of branches and roots, the life force of the many animals within… and the vast gathering of power at the groves center.
When Zrethxiin moved in for a killing blow, he found his ankles trapped by growing vines. He tried to hack them away, but they kept growing upward, immobilizing him, and he started to panic. He pulled a crossbow from his cloak and sent a bolt toward Talon, which hit him in the stomach. The growth stopped and Zrethxiin was able to free one leg before Talon steadied himself and shape-shifted into a great wolf, clamping down on Zrethxiin’s hand and snatching away the sword. The druid dropped the sword to the ground, out of reach of Zrethxiin, and it seemed to be swallowed up by the forest.
Enraged, Zrethxiin ripped out a dagger and freed his other leg as Talon snapped at his ankle. The entire earth seemed to rumble, and as Zrethxiin stumbled back into a tree, the tree came alive, gripping him with its branches and pulling him up into its bows. There was a crunching sound and the ring tumbled down to the earth. Talon retrieved the sword and ring and felt along the connection of the earth to locate his friends. Then, it was as if he was swallowed from sight.
Tyrignym and Pyro battled in the sky and came crashing down in the center of the druid grove, Melonzriel landing in the branches of the trees not far from the dragons. He panicked, as it seemed the tree was alive, trying to snare him away, but he could not fight off the advancing branches.
Kendra and Vex saw the crash not far ahead of where they were, but when they tried to pick up the pace found their ankles getting swallowed by vines. Kendra tried to fight them off, but Vex smiled and told her to relax…
Kendra, Vex, and Melonzriel found themselves meeting in a strange place which appeared to be like the forest they’d just left, yet different. Strange, ghostly, animal beings gathered around them and passed through them. They could see Tyrignym and Pyro fighting, but the fight seemed distant and far away. Talon appeared before them and explained that he’d transported them to the realm of the druids, handing Melonzriel the sword, Kendra the ring, and drawing out his statuette. He sent Kendra and Melonzriel out to join Pyro against Tyrignym, and started the druidic rite.
As battle raged without the druid realm, Vex explained why the original rite had never been successfully completed. Just as Vex had to offer himself up, the druids of the circle had to be willing to die. Three of the thirteen had been unable to follow through. Talon looked sad, but he nodded in understanding. He felt closer to his father here than anywhere else, and as the last of the druids, death was not so horrid a prospect. The army met up with the battling dragons, the entire forest ablaze as Kendra managed to perch on Tyrignym’s shoulders and Pyro pinned him down so Melonzriel could deal the final blow to his heart. As he did, the great beast twisted and churned in agony and Talon seemed to appear before him. The druid held the statue in front of his heart and nodded for Melonzriel to thrust the sword through.
The young drow seemed shocked, but nodded in understanding, and with Tyrignym’s tail sweeping before him in a last effort to stop him, he thrust the sword through the statue into Talon’s heart. He was still knocked off his feet, but a final breath left the great dragon with a deep sigh, and his final throws settled to stillness. Pyro extracted himself from the tangled mass, and lifted the exhausted Kendra and Melonzriel away before the army and fire could overtake them.
Kendra woke once more to find the cat licking her face and pulled the creature close into a tight hug. “Kitty” batted her ankles and dashed away, showing her the retreating figure of Melonzriel. She hurried after him, asking where he was going. The young drow seemed depressed and disinterested in the world, missing his family. The father who’d sacrificed himself for him, and the mother he’d never known. Kendra explained that they wouldn’t want him to mope. He still had a great life ahead of him full of adventure, and he was going to be hard pressed to find an adventure to top the one he’d just had so he had to look hard. Melonzriel told her he felt lost and alone. She told him he wasn’t alone, that she would follow wherever he led, and the cat jumped up on to his shoulders as if in agreement. Melonzriel gave a half-hearted smile and scratched the cats chin, as Kendra skipped ahead into the light of the rising sun.
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