Korose's Story

Far away in the rolling green plains on the Eastern lands of Kirkalth on the far north edge of the Lonesome Sea, a dark and ominous wind was blowing in from the East... Which meant it was actually coming from the West, towards the center of the world.

He'd heard the call. Felt the change of the winds. But his Shadowfare magic told him the shift was a lie. A feint. The Darkness masking its movements and trying to shift the senses of the world of mortals to remain ignorant to its true intentions.

But that didn't matter now... He had work to do.

Glowing crimson eyes gazed through the night towards the north end of the city of Fausen. There, in the tallest tower of the largest estate in the land, was the master bedroom of one Grand Vizier Totomeo Haakun. A vile, wicked, corrupt man whose very existence made life miserable for the people of this city, and many other cities surrounding it across the land. His influence had shifted the balance of power in this land in favor of the aristocracy, siphoning it away from the King and Queen where it truly belonged. And this was an affront he would not, and could not stand for.

The glowing crimson orbs faded and blended with the darkness, the figure they belonged to becoming not but a whisper of the night.

In the estate of Totomeo Haakun, life was very different from outside his "sacred" walls.

Skipping briskly through his hallways, he laughed and pranced about like a child through a field of flowers. His night robe, a gleaming golden trim surrounding a beige/white core, flowed around his legs like whispy clouds.

"Oh hohohohoho! Such a marvelous, glorious night, is it not?" He asked aloud to nobody in particular.

Passing a maid, he smiled sweetly and caressed a lock of her hair. The gesture made her freeze in place and the color drained from her flesh as her body trembled at his touch.

"Come now, Otomi... Is it not a beautiful evening?"

"O-of course, sire. Beautiful indeed." She replied in a meek, quivering voice matching her body's shakes.

"Ah, my dear, sweet Otomi. You don't seem to believe the words you speak."

Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated as he came closer, breathing against the side of her face and whispering into her ear...

"Tonight, I shall bed you and prove to you that the night is truly beautiful. Just. Like. You." He said, kissing her cheek.

As he pranced away, Otomi fell to her knees, her hands covering her groin over her dress as tears leaked furiously from her wide, panicked eyes.

Continuing down the hall and up the stairs, he passed a butler.

"Oh ho! Franklin! Lovely night, isn't it?"

The butler bowed swiftly, a hand across his abdomen.

"That it is, sire. I'm happy to see you in such high spirits."

"Ah, of course! On a night like this where nothing can go wrong, what's not to be joyous about?"

"As you say, sire."

"Have you taken any maids yet, by chance?"

"N-no, sire. I haven't. I-... I feel I am not yet ready to do so."

Haakun skipped forward rapidly, closing the gap between them. His eyes glistened with the lamp light as one finger rested beneath Franklin's chin, lifting it slightly towards Haakun's face and lips.

"Now, now, Franklin. In this household, the ladies are never left to fend for themselves. You must become accustomed to taking them to your bed in the evening. Only then will they attain true happiness within our sacred walls. No?"

Franklin's temples dripped with sweat as he lost some of the color in his face.

""O-of course, sire. I-I sh-shall... Make a choice tonight. Yes."

"Excellent... How about Neharu?"

"B-b-but, sire! Lady Neharu is my lord's sister, is she not?"

Haakun's finger slid forward to Franklin's Adam's apple, his fingernail digging into flesh as his eyes gleamed dangerously with a smile that could only belong to a Demon from Hell.

"... No woman is ever left to fend for herself. Not even those in my family... Understood?"

"Y-... Yes, sire. I shall visit Lady Neharu... Promptly."

The smile became joyous once again.

"Excellent! Please, see to all of her needs and bring her the greatest joy and pleasure you can! If not, I shall knooooowwww!"

Skipping happily away, Franklin leaned against the wall in a cold sweat, adjusting his collar and tie to let him get some air flow through his formal attire.

Arriving in his bedroom, Haakun beheld four gorgeous women waiting for him. All were stark naked, on all fours on his bed, facing away from him while looking back over their shoulders. He could see everything, and his smile widened considerably as he flicked a lock of his long, luscious hair back over his shoulder and approached slowly.

"Sorry my darlings. I didn't mean to keep you waiting... Are you ready for me?"

His eyes trailed them over, observing faces and... Lips. Moistened and primed, he approached the blonde on the far left and observed how she gently rocked her hips back and forth for his viewing pleasure. And when ready, Haakun lay a single hand on the small of her back. The mere sensation of his hand against her flesh made her shudder and her blood run cold. Tears stung her tightly shut eyes as she felt it begin. Her nightmare. Gently rocking forward and back she gripped the sheets as the others watched in horror while trying to make it look like they were eagerly awaiting their turns.

"Now, now, my darlings. Be joyous this beautiful night! It-... Aaahh~... It shall all come to a glorious conclusion before our time is up!" He stated as he began to intensify his performance.

The sound of the bed groaning and creaking as it rocked back and forth filled the room. He moved from girl to girl, one after the other, back and forth to experience them all at his leisure. Each turned away to cry when it was their turn, and quickly dried their tears to look his way when he moved on.

If they looked at him with tears in their eyes... A gathering of skeletal remains of women of various races beneath the estate's dungeon in a pit awaited them.

Finally, he reached the culmination of his performance and held fast to the blonde on the left as he felt himself lose a few fractions of a pound. Pulling back he observed her calmly and with a sickening smile, licking his lips as he saw the fruits of his "labor" appear from her. She quivered intensely and dipped her head, the others breathing a sigh of relief that it was not them who experienced his finish.

"Thank you, my beautiful darlings. You may go now."

All four women got of the bed, bowed, and left the room slowly and silently. But in the halls a fair distance away from the room, the blonde broke down in uncontrollable tears scratching at her womanhood as if it would remove from her body what he had done. The others knelt down, tears dripping from their faces as they tried desperately to comfort her. But nothing could. With that monster's seed sewn, in time she may find an unhappy surprise growing within her as many women often did so long as they lived here.

Haakun laid down on his bed, exposed and still excited, as he breathed in a deep, fulfilling breath of fresh air mixed with the scent of women.

"Such a beautiful night where nothing could possibly go wrong." He whispered to himself.

Slowly, his excitement began to fade. And as it did he rose to his feet to douse the lamps. One. Two. Three. Two lamps left. He approached the fourth lamp and blew it out, and as he did he looked up at the glass window and saw a pair of gleaming crimson orbs staring back at him. He jumped back in horror for a second, but the orbs were gone in an instant. He looked outside at the sheer drop to the ground over one hundred feet below and shook his head.

"Surely a trick of the night... Yes."

He closed and locked the window, only to experience a small gust of wind behind him as the final lamp was extinguished on the other side of the room.

"What?!"

He spun around.

"I-... Is someone there?"

Silence.

"If this is some kind of joke!" He said, marching to the middle of the room.

The faintest glow of red light surrounded him. He looked left. Right. Behind him. And back to the front. But nothing. So where...

Slowly, he looked up and spied a mass of shadowy tendrils gathered in the ceiling. At their center was a solid orb of darkness, and from the center of the orb stared two glowing red eyes like none he'd ever seen before... But which he knew by reputation all too well.

"Y-y-... You!" He cried as he stumbled back.

The mass remained still, save the whipping shadowy tendrils, and the eyes widened with dilating pupils as he trembled in fear.

"It has to be you... The Red-Eyed Demon!"

The mass dropped from the ceiling and landed before him. As he tried to scoot back the tendrils wrapped around behind him entrapping him in its cold, slithering embrace. He was pushed towards the eyes, shaking and crying every inch of the way trying desperately to free himself from the darkness. But it was no use. He was finally pushed directly before the eyes, and his breath caught in his throat.

"... Perish." Came a deep, demonic, double-toned voice.

Haakun was suddenly overcome by shadows and his screams muffled before suddenly cutting off. When the darkness retreated, only an emaciated corpse was left in its wake and sent sprawling to the floor below. The shadows retreated out one of the nearby windows... And were gone.

The next morning, the corpse was discovered and reported to authorities. His body was cremated, and given a burial fit for a noble of the highest order. A blessing he didn't deserve, but one his fortune afforded him.

The one who stole his life, the Red-Eyed Demon, had completed his contract. And now, it was time to investigate what was going on in the center of the world... In Dragon's Cove.

The winds softly caressing the land whispered unto the ear of the world a foul and vile secret. The weight pushed down against each blade of grass, flattening them ever so slightly out of their natural alignment. And upon those blades of grass crashed a heavy, thundering boot of raven black leather. Sliding up to black pants, loosely fit to the frame of the wearer, to a belt with a silver buckle, and a hide leather jacket atop a black under tunic with a small 'V' cut collar. Finally to a pair of simmering crimson eyes aglow with the light of the Wicked.

"I feel you." He whispered.

His fists clenched, stretching the leather of his black gloves forcing a groan from them as his knuckles went white beneath them.

"Where are you?"

The very air practically crackled with an overflowing source of mana which was rapidly drawing closer. All the years of meditation and honing his skills had taught him to read the world's mana and sense its natural ebbs and flows like the waves of the ocean. And ahead, towards a city on the coast, was a horrible imbalance. And not only that, but now that he looked closer, there were the first signs of a massive fire bursting out on the Eas-No, the Wes-No, the entire city!

"What in the name of-"

Wasting no time, the Red-Eyed Demon disappeared into the darkness of his Shadowfare magic and raced towards the now rapidly burning city.

To describe the event as a nightmare was an understatement. Even for Korose who had seen and done horrible things throughout his long life as an assassin, this was something altogether different. A beast drawn straight from legends, a Dragon, was now on the rampage. Its ebon wings had to be at least one hundred feet from wingtip to wingtip, with a body of even greater length. The crest upon its head sported seven spiked scaly protrusions like fire around its crown. And those ominous, almost dead eyes cut through the very souls of all who made eye contact.

Not knowing what to do to stop the creature, Korose had little time before ducking for cover during a strafing run of its powerful flame breath. Barely avoiding the assault, he beheld his jacket, partially charred at the end, before looking back to the Dragon as it resumed its assault. Dashing through the alleyways, Korose noticed that storm clouds were gathering which was excellent. Soon, the world would be cast in shadows. His home. His world.

With a smile slowly spreading across his lips, he dove for a nearby bridge to hide beneath it and channel his mana as he prepared to engage the Dragon with his Shadowfare magic.

Within minutes, the skies were completely covered. Thunder roared and lightning flashed as rain began to bathe the land beneath. The charred, flaming city became an ocean of steam and ever changing air currents thanks to the Dragon's effect on the air around it as it flew. With its fire breath mixing and clashing against naturally cold storm currents, miniature tornadoes were formed in its wake with each attack run.

But at last, the sun was blocked completely. And from beneath the bridge erupted a tower of dark energy with a pair of gleaming red eyes at its core. The Dragon, being too large and far away to see the eyes, only saw the tower of darkness and charged at it. Deftly from within the core of the tower, Korose sunk beneath the Dragon letting it fly straight through. The darkness tugged at the Dragon's body throwing its flight pattern off slightly, but otherwise leaving it without a scratch.

Damn. I thought that would hurt it at least a little.

The Dragon circled back once more, attempting to chomp and tail swipe the Darkness into submission. But to no avail. At least, not immediately. But on its fourth run, it managed a lucky blow and knocked Korose out of his tower and hurtling towards the ground. But before becoming a red smear, he managed to activate his magic to save himself at the last second. However, doing so came at a cost. His left arm grazed the ground tearing away the jacket and tunic sleeves and shredding his flesh before he managed to right himself and escape certain death.

Coming to his feet, he looked at his now horrifically bleeding and skin-shed arm before seeing the Dragon about to attack once again. The beast was almost on top of him, but a dash to the side saw him observe, almost in slow motion, the massive teeth slamming into the Earth beside him kicking up dust and concrete and knocking him away from the force of the wind its wings created. To make matters worse, one of the miniature tornadoes had picked up debris from a crumbling building nearby and sent several shards of glass screaming through the air before impacting his body across his chest and waist. Four shards in all, each buried about two inches into his flesh.

Grunting and growling in pain, he kept his eyes on the Dragon as it circled around for another run. And so, carefully removing the glass from his body, he stood against the Dragon's assault.

The beast flew down, and he used the Darkness to blind it with a protective wall before shooting himself to the side as it passed. But the tip of its wing struck his stomach sending him flying through a nearby window into a general goods store and crashing through several shelves and stands of items and goods. Now buried beneath a heap of debris, he barely managed to lift one of them off his chest before gasping for breath with a small spurt of blood coming up with it. Looking down, a thin piece of wood protruded from his lower left stomach and a crimson liquid all too familiar to him dripped to the debris and floor below.

The roof of the building was torn free, and the Dragon gazed angrily inside at the tiny mortal who'd pestered it with a snarl. And in that moment, Korose's mind began to wander somewhere it never had before.

I never did believe in the Gods. But if you're real and listening... I'd rather not meet you just yet.

Suddenly, the world went quiet and time stood still. Korose looked left, then right. Everything was in a haze. Everything moving at a fraction of its normal speed. The Dragon's gaping maw bearing down on him, he could see down its throat and count each stain on its otherwise white teeth.

And suddenly, a voice.

Wayward son of the Earth and Trees. Vessel to the Wicked. Receive now my power, and let begone the Darkness before you!

Through the haze, a beam of light only he could see crashed down onto him. Flooding him with energy and vitality, Korose erupted from the debris in a massive whirlwind of dark magic which sent the Dragon sprawling onto its back and its head bouncing off the ground twice cracking two of its horns. The beast roared in rage and pain, looking up to see the towering maelstrom of black magic swirling before it as Korose's red eyes glowed furiously within.

The Dragon quickly wriggled onto its stomach and turned to face him, but this time things were different. The moment it lunged to bite into the darkness it was repelled and bio-electricity sparked between them searing its scales. This was followed by a massive spiked flare of darkness aimed at the creature. It broke upon contact with its body, but the impact force sent it to its side on the ground and skidding for several dozen feet. Another flare, another several dozen feet. And another. And another.

Finally, the maelstrom of darkness all came crashing down on the Dragon's body consuming it entirely as it shrieked in fear and agony. But at last, the Dragon broke free. Flying into the air, its body now sporting numerous missing patches of scales and dripping blood, flew off into the distance as the darkness came under control.

Korose touched down and crashed to his knees.

Sil'Eph Niir, the Dragon Goddess, calls to you from Dragon's Cove! Hurry my child! Time is of the essence!

"Yeah... I kind of figured that out, thanks."

Just then, a little girl no more than three years of age approached the wounded Korose as he fought to keep himself upright.

"Mister... Have you seen my mommy?" She asked.

She was holding tightly to a doll hand-stitched, likely by her mother, and her eyes glossy and out of focus. Looking up behind the girl, he noticed a pair of female legs protruding from beneath a crushed building, and the girl's footsteps leading away from them in the mud to where she stood now.

Reaching out to put a hand on her head, Korose offered his best smile.

"She's... Sleeping. But she'll... She'll be back." He said quietly.

Korose then collapsed, and the world faded to nothing.

(OOC: Skipping ahead to the date of arrival with Kumori's permission. If anyone objects, talk to him in the discord.)

Finally, the Dragon's Cove. The thing everyone had been searching for. It has been many days since they first left, but at last their long journey is over. But little did anyone know that it had only just begun.
As the hardy group of travelers arrived on land after so long, the first thing they would encounter would be a woman sitting on a large boulder, cleaning her sword. She wore black armor and had large, raven-like wings sprouting from her back. As the group approached, she looked up and smiled, sheathing her sword. She jumped off the boulder and landed softly on the ground, using her wings to slow her descent.
The woman pulled out a large piece of parchment. Written on it in dried ink was this message:
"Hello. My name is Aznyxphia. I have been waiting for all of you here on behest of the gods. As decreed by our Lord and Creator, I hereby announce myself as leader of this band of hardy adventurers. I cannot speak, so if one of you knows sign language it would be handy. In any case, you shall follow me to our grand destiny."
After they all got a good look, this Aznyxphia woman rolled up the parchment and then stood waiting for a response, smiling faintly.

The islands came into view on the horizon, and everyone's hearts were erratically beating in their chests. Elena's heart was in her throat while Pau'Ka rubbed her back and helped calm her with a softly hummed melody. Korose, meanwhile, was arriving as well on another boat just beside theirs.

As the boats touched down, they all disembarked and met for the first time as they all acknowledged they were there for the same reason: They heard the voice of the Gods.

"So you all heard the voice as well."

"Yes. Both of us."

"I see. Does she speak?"

"She does, but she knows very little of the modern tongue. She speaks in the ancient language of the High Elves."

"Understood."

As the trio walked forward, they beheld a woman with black wings who approached them and held up a parchment detailing that she was declaring herself the leader. Something about the Gods wanting it to be so. But given what they'd heard, they couldn't really dismiss the thought. They didn't know what she was told compared to themselves, so they agreed to go with it for the time being.

However, they were all noticing something rather... Ominous.

The Dragons who were present were all watching them like hawks. No blinking. No signs of even breathing. If they were, the breaths were so subtle and well controlled it didn't look like they were. They almost looked more like statues glaring down at them. But they weren't attacking which was... Interesting.

"Wonder why they're being so passive?"

"I sense concern in their hearts... They're scared."

"What did she say?"

"I don't know. She usually writes it down on parchment or signs."

Elena approached the black-winged woman and signed: Have they said anything to you?, motioning towards the Dragons.

Aranaea’s boat arrived to Dragon’s Cove, and the Fire Mage used her spell to jump off the ship and fly to the Beach and land, approaching the gathering group. Out of the corner of her left eye she saw another elf taking a rowboat off of another ship and arriving as with the rest of her gaze, spied several others. One of which was a dark haired elf that, to say in short, took her breath away by his appearance.

”He’s handsome, I’ll give him that.” Aranaea thought. She watched as the winged woman held out a parchment introducing herself. She raised an eyebrow at her apparent declaration. Whilst she may have also heard the voice of some of the Gods, it was apparent that somehow, she may have interpreted it with her own beliefs in mind.

That was when fate gave her the shock of her life.

”Leader? You? You take off and leave someone without a word of thanks for attempting to help you for some delusion? What kind of leader would be that rude to a person?” said the elf she saw before. Aranaea turned to face him.

”Don’t be rude to someone you just me-“ She shouted on Elvish before she stopped short. She stared at the Amulet around his neck and slowly reached for it.

”Paws off you crazy lady! That amulet’s the only thing I got left of my sister!” the elf declared, making her gasp even more so.

”I know. She gave it to you when you were seven years old. It was your birthday present from your big sister. A sister who was afraid she’d never see you again, Zaldir.” she said, switching back to common as she pulled back her hood, revealing her face, now showing that there were tears openly flowing. ”But I finally found you, after fifty long years I’ve found you.”

Zaldir’s eyes blinked once, twice before they widened. ”Aranaea? S-Sis? Is it really-agh!” he couldn’t say anything more, as the embracing hug surrounded and crushed him like a snake. Something they were both very afraid of. But soon, Zaldir returned the embrace.

”I have so many questions.” He said, voice cracking with emotion.

”All in good time, little brother. We have a much more pressing matter to tend to.” Aranaea replied, wiping her tears and looking up to eye the dragons currently watching them.

---

It had taken some convincing to have Vernon take her to Dragon’s Cove. After all, the crew had a close enough call in their first dragon encounter; not to mention their ship was in a state of disrepair thanks to that monster. Still, with enough pleading and the promise that they’d at least be able to moor and conduct repairs, Vernon relented. He didn’t exactly believe her nonsense about some ‘voices in her head calling for aid’ - after all, she was a bit of a ditz – but their personal lady luck had never lead them astray since her arrival. He’d have to trust that there was some reason she felt compelled to go there.

Docking near the beach as they dropped the anchor, Vernon looked with some trepidation at the number of other boats that had arrived. Dragon’s Cove wasn’t exactly a common trade route, so the fact that so many ships were here was an omen indeed. Assigning the crew to their repair tasks and promising to be quick, Vernon and Carmen dropped the rowboat and began to head for shore. Not that Vernon needed to do any rowing. Sliding gracefully off the back of the boat and holding onto the stern; there was a brief flash of pinkish red light before Carmen underwent her transformation. With her large tail, it was a simple matter for the mermaid to push the small ship to the beach, the girl changing back to her human form once she could get some traction in the sand.

After securing their ship into place, the duo slowly made their way over to the others – Vernon with folded arms and Carmen with hers eagerly in front of her. Seeing so many people, Vernon subconsciously felt the weight on his back, the bundle of weapons ready to be used at a moment’s notice in case things turned sour. Still, these individuals didn’t look particularly threatening, except perhaps that winged woman or the elf with the faint red eyes. No, the more pressing concern was the den of beasts behind the winged woman, the dragons eying them all with caution. If they decided to attack, things could get ugly, so Vernon, despite his nonchalant posture, remained ready. Not being particularly social, Vernon took place following just behind Carmen as the Mermaid hurried forward to introduce herself.

“Hey everybody! I’m Carmen and this is Vernon. I was having these weird dreams and things, but like, this proves I’m not crazy, right? Something’s going on here, yeah? Does anyone know what’s going on? Who’s in charge?” At those words, there was some ruffling as a parchment was flapped a couple of times in the wind. Looking over, Carmen made her way over to the somewhat intimidating looking woman holding the paper and took hold of it to have a read. The opportunity was short lived, as Vernon moved up and ruffled her hair, distracting the mermaid long enough for him to pilfer the parchment and give it a read.

Ignoring the already present squabbling between what appeared to be some reuniting siblings, Vernon gave his own ‘insightful’ comments to their supposed leader. “How do you even pronounce that? I almost suffocate just looking at it.” Grunting a bit as Carmen shoved him in the side with a look that said ‘don’t be rude’, Vernon sighed. “More importantly, I don’t believe or care about gods, lords or any of that crap. What I do care about is some young broad who can’t even give orders without a parchment trying to play Captain. You want me to follow you?” Vernon took a step back, cracking his knuckles. “Then make me submit.”

“Vernon! Stop being an ass! Geez!” Carmen huffed, tugging on Vernon’s arm and waving her hand in a calming gesture. “Ignore him. He’s uh… Special. Dropped on the head as a baby. Real Tragedy. We’re all coming to terms with it…” Trailing off mournfully, Carmen was clearly poking fun. Soon enough, Vernon shrugged free of Carmen, shaking his head and turning his back to the group. “Whatever. Once we find out what you’re here for and the ship is repaired, we’re setting sail.” Taking a few more steps away onto a rock, Vernon took some time to appraise the group, but all the while, his eyes continued to watch the dragons. Perhaps there would be some challenge here after all.

Still standing and grinning to herself happily, Carmen briefly glanced behind her to see a couple more newcomers. Seeing as the Elves were having a hugfest, and the other trio with the pink haired lass were already talking amongst themselves, maybe she’d go make friends with the latest arrivals? Skipping over towards the beach, Carmen went to make her intentions known. “Yo! I’m Carmen, what-“ Cutting herself off as the pretty lady ran off to… Return favour to the ocean. Not wanting to draw attention to her failed conversation starter, the mermaid kind of awkwardly stood between all the parties, only slowly making her way over once the woman returned.

“Take two! Yo ho ho, I’m Carmen. Do you guys hear voices in your head too?” Not paying attention to how bad that sounded out of context, Carmen continued, leaning in towards the female of the pair. “Also, you’re looking a bit pale. If the sea ails ya, I probably have some home remedies back on my ship. I’m like, second in command and the navigator, so I’m kind of a big deal.” Attempting to talk herself up, Carmen had her hands on her hips standing proudly. After all, she’d recently stopped a dragon attack. She was totally officially a big deal now. Hopefully they’d be impressed.

As Saewyn arrived at the cove she realized just how bad a bunch of fools she could've been trapped with. A hefty sigh left her lips, as did a well-needed sum of her mana, used toward the end of masking her presence to the others. A few steps forward and she already found herself evading one of the... people... on their way to the ocean. Oh good gracious. What HAVE I gotten myself into? , She asked herself as she studied the others. With a second of hesitation, Sae stopped and wondered if taking down her cloaking was a good idea, but it would have to be done if she was to truly decide if the fools around her were just that.

"You! All of you. Why are you here, if not for a summons." she said rather loudly, whilst moving from spot to spot hoping to remain hidden for the time being. Her cover now mostly blown by her own choosing, she stepped out from behind Dreux, dropping her use of mana to upkeep the illusion of being part of the surroundings.

Aznyxphia stood shocked as everybody started complaining to her. One angry fellow lashed out at her, saying she could not be leader with her traits. Two people were hugging, one was barfing, and pretty much everyone either ignored her or were angry with her for some reason.
Personally, Az did not understand all this. She had a decree from the Great Goddess; how could these people dare defy the orders of a god? Such blasphemy!
As the others squabbled, Aznyxphia wrote down yet another decree, and when she was done, she began stomping her foot to get everyone's attention. Once she did, she held up the scroll once again, the peppy smile gone from her face and replaced with a stern frown.
"To the young brown-haired woman, no, those are simply statues. No fell magic can cause any creature to be so stalwart and still. It is probably either an illusion, or perhaps an enchantment to create golems we must fight to gain entrance. A test from the gods, I assure you, to weigh our belief in their strife. I thank you for taking concern in your new leader's well-being, however. And I can hear what people say, so do not feel the need to sign at me. However, it would be useful if you could serve as my translator so I don't have to keep writing these big posters.
"You, merchant. I apologize for my sudden urgency to leave our matters behind, but the call of a goddess cannot be ignored. I was sent a calling by her, as all of you were, that we must save her from the vile sorcerer who calls himself The Evil King. All earthly matters are behind us now in the eyes of the gods, and I hope you may put our grievances behind you as I lead us on to divine glory. Also, I congratulate you on being reunited with your family member. May your platonic love for one another never falter.
"You there, one who calls himself Vernon." As he read this part, Az glowered at him with all of the holier-than-thouness she could muster. "How dare you blasphemy the gods who have sent you on this grand mission. If not for them, you would be a measly, unimportant sea urchin squalling around the world with no purpose in life. Fortunately, the Great Goddess, my queen and fearless leader, is ever-forgiving, and forgives this grand insult you have placed upon her daughter. I am not as forgiving. But, as the Goddess wills, I relent. But I will bear your harmful words in mind, and I promise you - there shall be retribution. I will lead all of you to victory, whether you like it or not. As the gods command."
After that, she rolled up the parchment and began walking off towards the entrance to the cove, not looking back to see if any of them were following her or not. At this point, even in spite of her goddess' decree, she had no interest in travelling with such dull, spiteful folk. They were the ones who you could make a mistake with once and would never let it up to you, always carrying that grudge. Especially that pirate lad, Vernon. She did not like him. Not at all.

Elena was rather perturbed by the exchanges. Such hostility. They were in a foreign land after all of them had heard the voice of a Goddess, so there was an element of understanding within her heart despite her wish to speak out. But it was Korose, the elf behind her with the glowing red eyes, who spoke first.

"We may as well follow her for now. Standing around bickering about who is or is not 'in charge' isn't going to help anything. If we all heard the voice of the Goddess Sil'Eph Niir, then it stands to reason that she's here somewhere and can clear everything up."

"I can't say I agree with you about the leadership role, but I agree we should find the Goddess if she's here."

Elena turned and nodded her agreement. It was time to move, not bicker.

However, before they could go much further than the edge of the beach, one of the dragon statues suddenly shifted. Its eyes darted downwards and, in an instant, it leaped from the hilltop it was perched on and landed before the woman with black wings.

The creature stood, at least, 20' tall at the shoulder alone not including its neck and head which made it look even bigger. With its massive forward swept horns and elongated claws, it was not a creature either Korose, Pau'Ka, or Elena dared wish to tangle with. Nevertheless they all stopped and remained very still as the creature growled and hissed at them. An obvious indication that they were not to proceed.

But a moment later a soft rumbling in the Earth caught their attention. The dragon seemed to hear something they didn't and turned its head around to look down the path Az had previously been walking. When its gaze returned to the newcomers, it seemed to carry a softness to it as the creature walked back up to its hilltop and laid down. The other dragons around it also laid down, a clear indication that they'd dropped their hostilities.

"Looks like they're letting us pass after all." Korose said.

Together the group walked on down the grass-bordered dirt path. As they walked, they passed by an expanse of grasslands framed by mountains which seemed to go on forever into the horizon. And yet, somehow, despite how far they walked they never seemed to tire nor feel the burn of fatigue. There was something about this place which seemed to preserve their stamina and vitality. And for Elena, it was obvious.

As a High Elf with the greatest sensitivity to mana, she could feel the weight of mana in the air as they walked pouring through her body. The sheer magnitude of it is what preserved them so. But what she didn't know was why the area was so thick with mana. Was it the dragons? Their magnificent existence possibly fueling the mana's pooling here? Was it the presence of the Goddess? Her massive energy and divine presence? Or was it just the nature of Dragon's Cove as a location?

Whatever the reason soon became irrelevant, as the group rounded the bend in the path and, from behind the edge of a mountain up ahead they beheld a massive red wall crossing the Cove. Partially submerged in water, this red wall looked, at first, like it was curved. But surely it was not, right? No. It was curved. This was no "wall." This was a tube of some kind, surely. But then... Why did it seem to have scales?

Pau'Ka felt something from the structure. A kind of... Sense of "home."

"Is that... A dragon?" She asked quietly.

Elena felt the mana emanating from it, even from this distance, and she was all but overwhelmed by it and became light headed and somewhat unsteady on her feet. Pau'Ka helped lend her shoulder so she could walk easier, but still Elena seemed to suffer from the sheer magnitude of mana pouring free from whatever that was.

As they drew closer, the tube appeared to, ever so slowly, stretch and relax. Like it was breathing.

And, at long, long last... They beheld Her.

Crossing a bridge and coming free of a line of trees, the head of a massive dragon the likes of which the group could not even imagine in their most lucid dreams emerged. Partially submerged in water, laying on Her side, was the massive body of the Dragon Goddess Sil'Eph Niir. Her long, serpentine form stretched from her head all the way to the far side of the Cove. And it became clear to them that her body nearly lay across the entire thing.

"She's... I can't even..." Pau'Ka whispered to herself.

"Is this the Goddess?"

Elena nodded.

"She's sleeping, but it's her. The Goddess Sil'Eph Niir. I can sense it." She said in High Elven.

A pair of mighty dragons lay to either side of her massive head which had to be the size of a small mountain. Her enormous form was miles long. At least two by the looks of it. The sheer scale of Her was... Staggering.

"Incredible." Korose said quietly.

The group approached as far as the two dragons would let them, and then stopped... Waiting.

And finally, the head of Sil'Eph Niir stirred and one of Her eyes partially slid open. Glowing with golden light, it pierced through them all at once before her head shifted slightly, putting Her more on Her stomach.

"You have come..."

Her mouth didn't move, but they all heard Her voice in their heads.

"You all have my eternal gratitude."

Korose, Elena, and Pau'Ka were all slack jawed as they watched the Goddess and heard Her voice. It nearly brought tears to Elena's eyes, and a sense of comfort and warmth to Pau'Ka like none she'd ever felt before.

The unlikely duo silently watched as the others bickered and talked, mainly arguing with the woman with the wings. But suddenly a voice spoke up, and out stepped a woman behind Dreux, who only almost jumped out of his skin when he saw her suddenly appear, clearly she was the voice that asked why they were all here. Despite her surprisingly tall stature, her voice and face looked much younger and softer than he would have expected. But something then happened that got their attention, a rumble that caused the dragons to move out of the way and let them continue with their meeting with who called them there in the first place.

Slowly they made their way down the path, and down the middle of grass-covered valleys and mountains. And eventually to the heart and center of Dragon Cove. In the center was something far too large to be real, or what they thought to be real. It was at least two miles long in length, red and golden colored what seemed to scales, and if they paid attention to it, seemed to be...breathing? Yes, it was breathing...Wait a minute. Neden and Dreux stopped in their places as they realized what they were actually looking at, it was...a Dragon. A massive dragon, one the size of a large mountain, and it slowly began to awaken, as it lifted its head. Three smaller dragons were now awake as well and looking at them, which caused Neden and Dreux to keep their hands close by their sides, next to their weapons in case they wished to turn against them or start strife, which they honestly did not want.

But as they continued to look on, the dragon looked at them with a surprisingly calm look and spoke, not with a physical voice, but the same voice they had all heard earlier, the one that called them here. Dreux' eyes opened when he made the connection, this was who called them, the very dragon goddess herself. She called them, and that meant, the one that Neden called upon at the ship the day the dragon attacked, this was who answered her cry for help. Dreux looked upon the dragon as she spoke and gave her a bow, in pure awestruck surprise and amazement, as he was now face to face with a Goddess.

Neden, on the other hand was silent as well, in awestruck and amazement as she looked at the dragon that was before them. She was something Neden had never seen before, and her eyes slowly began to swell up with tears. Not from sadness as someone else would think, but due to the fact that this meant she was right. All of her questionings, wondering if there really was anything out there other than just her and the village. That her constant asking would indeed be answered, and now, if not later would slowly begin to be answered. And something about this dragon felt, familiar to her, as if she somehow knew this beast that lay before her.

Neden slowly walked past Dreux as she felt the strength in her legs again and walked up to the front of the group and looked on at the dragon, her eyes slowly trailing over every part of this creature, everything she ever hoped and dreamed of was now before her very eyes, and she couldn't help but form a small smile on her face as she looked on as the dragon spoke, and gave a silent nod, smiling all the while.

The reunion of the Kestal siblings was brief, however as they agreed to follow the succubus for the time being to get to the answers they were indeed looking for. The moment the dragons moved however, it put the younger Kestal on the alert as he recalled the Dragon he scarred in the Port town. He feared one day he’d run into that beast again.

But so it was, the group began to make their way into the cove as Zaldir and Aranaea walked side by side, taking in the sights and sounds of the Cove. ”So, Uhm... is there anyone else from our family still living? Or am I getting my hopes up?” the young brown haired elf asked as he walked. He glanced briefly towards the more silent elf, and felt a small bit of himself feel at awe. She was elven but she seemed more radiant and beautiful then other elves. Could she be a High Elf? He wasn’t too sure.

”Father died fighting the greenskins. Mother is with Grandmother’s Clan. She’s been... unwell since fifty years ago. You may not remember Zaldir, or maybe you do, but the Scattering was too terrible, even for a simple Orc Raid.” Aranaea replied. She Said nothing more and the sharp spring in her step caused her brother to think that now probably wasn’t a truly good time to converse about what happened that day.

As the siblings walked on with the group they began to realize how mana rich the environment was, before noticing at last the various sections of a scaled serpentine body.

“Could it be...?” Zaldir said aloud as Aranaea was slowly looking astonished as now the group came into view of the massive dragon. Before either sibling could reply they heard the voice in their heads again, now realizing at last they were meeting the Dragon Goddess who summoned them here.

“Sil’Eph Niir.” Aranaea uttered with a look of shock and wonder to her eyes. Zaldir’s eyes became wide as tears began to well up in them. For a long time, he thought he’d never be assured the Gods cared. But today, with the reunion of his sister and now coming face to face with the Dragon Goddess. He had now come to a conclusion.

“They do care.” He whispered to himself in Elvish. He silently let the tears flow. A part of him now felt regretful of how cynical he had become in his life.

As Aznyxphia approached the statues, they immediately leapt down to confront her, making predatory hissing noises. I guess that young woman was right about them being statues, the knight thought to herself, drawing her azure steel longsword. Very well; a battle it shall be.
But she never got the chance to do any combat. The dragons cocked their heads, as if they could hear a sound she could not. Then, they stepped to the side, resting docilely. As the others walked past, the dragons did nothing but stare and blink slowly. Aznyxphia sheathed her sword rather hesitantly, fearing a trap, but as nothing happened, she willed herself to move back to the head of the group. She was their leader, after all, and leaders must appear strong (especially with such mutinous folk like Vernon among her group).
As they entered the fertile valley, everyone felt the rush of strong winds over their head, and anyone looking up would see Aznyxphia swoop by on her ebony wings, leading them onwards in the air - at least, in her mind. The air blowing by her usually felt good, but today it was... different. The air felt almost... heavier. Thicker. Sweeter. As if it were drugged. As she traveled farther, the sensation became greater. She did not like it. Not one bit. I knew this was a trap, she thought. If anything happens, I must protect my vassals - even if it means my death. Just in case the drugged air got too much for her, she touched back down to the ground and continued walking from there.
As she travelled forwards to almost certain doom, Aznyxphia uttered a prayer to the Gods of Light, the creators and protectors of the humanoids of the world - gods who, ironically, did not actually exist, though not to Az's knowledge, of course. Great Goddess of Light and all the lower gods of Light, here my prayer. I cannot remove thy cup from mine lips, so I shall uphold your duty to the best of my honor. Mark my words, this day the Evil King and his vile dragons shall fall, and the world shall be safe again. If I may die, I pray I shall be forever rewarded in the shining Halls of Valour. Amen.
Finally, the group reached the source of what they had been looking for. What first appeared to be a rounded red wall reared its ugly head and stared the intrepid adventurers down. Soon, everyone began to fall to their knees from the aura of unholiness the loathsome creature generated. At once, Aznyxphia knew this was the Evil King, the Plague Upon the Land, the King of the Dragons. The monster the Great Goddess had sent them to slay. Their doom, and their salvation.
Even as she realized this, the dragon spoke lies of power: words to coax her chosen warriors into betraying their goddess and join his side. One of her subjects, a young, pretty blonde-haired lass who had apparently lost all rational thought, began approaching the Evil King on weakened legs, tears streaking down her eyes.
With the sweep of a dark gauntlet, Aznyxphia pushed the girl back, out of harm's way. There was both fury and fear in her eyes, and everyone could tell what she meant: "GET BACK!!!"
Then, the Pariah Knight turned back to her sworn enemy, swiftly drawing her sword again and spreading out her wings to form a shadowy wall that would protect her chosen from the evil sorcery the dragon could work.
EVIL KING! Aznyxphia snarled mentally, using the two-way telepathic communique the fell monster had set up with them. BY THE ORDER OF THE GREAT GODDESS OF LIGHT, YOUR TYRANNY SHALL BE VANQUISHED. THIS DAY, YOUR PLAGUE UPON THE WORLD SHALL BE ENDED! THIS WORLD SHALL SURVIVE!!!

Pau'Ka shook her hand and smiled warmly for her.

"It's not a problem at all, Neden. Social anxieties born of isolation are common among all races. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

She let go of Neden's hand and gently placed her index finger against her chin.

"So what would you like to know? I'll answer as best I can."

---

Meanwhile, Korose had wandered closer to the Goddess as well to speak to her mentally.

You can hear my thoughts, correct?

Yes.

What's going on? Why are we here?

Sil'Eph Niir let her answer carry to the entire group so that all may hear, including Az as she flew away even if this was a bit of a recap of what she'd heard before.

The Evil King seeks to break the seal we placed on him long ago and escape to your world. His servants now siphon magical energies from around the globe in an effort to see this dark design fulfilled. If they succeed, he will grow stronger and likely attempt to overtake the Higher Plane just as he tried to do eons ago. You are all here because you hold ancient bloodlines blessed by the Gods. Once you awaken the power of your bloodline, you'll be strong enough to take the fight to his servants and prevent his escape from the Nether Realm. Seek out the Diviner on the tallest peak in the world in the frozen North, and he will help you awaken your long-dormant power.

And the dragons?

As their life force is siphoned to fuel the rebirth of my Son, Maglissos, under His wicked control, their forms become tainted and twisted into the beasts you fought previously. But they can be saved. If you combine your awakened powers, you can help sever the connection which siphons their life force and return them to normal. When they come back to themselves, they will aid you however they can. You have my word as their Mother and Goddess.

Korose nodded, looking back to the others and now speaking out loud.

"If anyone has any last questions for the Goddess, now's the time to ask. If not, we should leave at once for the frozen North. The sooner we awaken our bloodline's powers, the better. The Goddess may be on our side, but time most certainly isn't." He called out.

Elena took a few steps towards Sil'Eph Niir, clasping her hands and dropping to her knees as she bowed her head in respect.

Great Goddess Sil'Eph Niir. Will you not join us in this endeavor?

I sincerely wish I could, dear Child of the Forest. But until my body has recovered from both my battle with the Evil King and my labor of creating the Dragon Race eons ago, I am unable to fully awaken from this state. Even now, despite this mental communication, my physical body slumbers and is useless to you.

Elena opened her eyes and nodded quietly.

We will rescue your children, great Goddess. I promise. We'll save them all.

Elena suddenly received a mental vision of Sil'Eph Niir's beautiful human form smiling at her.

Thank you, dear Child of the Forest. You've no idea the joy it brings me to hear such kind words.

Elena bowed and turned around, ready to proceed with their mission to seek out the Diviner in the frozen North whenever the others were ready to join them.

Neden listened silently as Pau'Ka reassured her that there was nothing to be ashamed about, which caused a small smile to appear on her face. She tried to think of what to ask about first, but there were so many different questions. But some she knew Pau'Ka wouldn't know the answer to, such as who she was and who her family was, since even the very Goddess of who she is a great decendant of doesn't even know. She continued to think silently, her right hand resting on her chin as she was lost deep in thought, biting her bottom lip as she tried to concentrate on what to ask. But suddenly that same voice was heard in her head again, the voice of Sil'Eph Niir, and clearly it was everyone that heard it as they all looked at her and nodded when she was done speaking.

She understood the importance of time, especially knowing that Sil'Eph Niir would need time to heal, and she nodded. Turning back to Pau'Ka she motioned for her to stay for a moment, and ran back up to the mighty being that was laying still on the cove's floor. "I promise...We will help your children and you. For you and your children, fall and none...as well as for my clan's honor, and maybe finding out who I am. Thank you, Sil'Eph Niiir. We won't let you done. Just rest." she said softly, gently and nervously placing her hand against Sil'Eph Niir's red scales, feeling them under her palm for a moment as she gave a silent prayer of healing and safety towards the Goddess, and turned back around to rejoin with the group.

As she neared Pau'Ka she spoke as she motioned her to join as they were slowly heading back to the boats, "We can talk about this as we head back to the boats if you like. But like she said, time is important, and I don't want to waste more of her precious time. But trust me, I have...a lot of questions.." she said as she gave the woman a small smile and nod, as well as a bow and began walking towards the boats, not sure if Pau'Ka would follow her or not.

Aranaea paled at the message given. ”The North...? I don’t even have enough money for winter clothes!” She shouted in dismay as Zaldir looked at her with an incredulous look.

”I’ll see what I can scrounge up from my business coffers... I’m probably going to have to sell stuff in the next town the ships stop in before we head out.” He said to his sister in Elvish. He gave a small glance towards the High Elf woman and noted that indeed, she was pretty. He could almost see her as being a Noblewoman if he had the chance to.

In the meanwhile Aranaea began to walk with some of the others, until she paused right near a foot of the dark haired elf. She could feel it if only barely. He was radiating heat off him like no tomorrow! Was he a fellow Fire Mage? Only way to find out was to ask him! Moving to walk side by side with him, she decided it was best to get to know at least one of her new group members.

”Hello there. I’m Aranaea Kestal of the Elven Clan of Kestal. Might I have your name?” she asked, bowing her head with the secret intent of scanning the handsome elf’s features. He seemed intriguing, worthy of her attention on her part.

”Steady Naea, You need to play hard to get if there’s a chance.” She scolded herself. But she could tell that he had an air of mystery about him. She wanted to learn more of this Mystery.

Korose had been walking with Elena and Pau'Ka, sticking close to them since having disembarked the boats earlier. And when a certain blue-haired elven maiden walked over to him and introduced herself as Aranaea Kestal, he gave her a small bow and gave her a brief once over from head to toe before answering.

"Korose." He said simply.

She was beautiful. More so than many women he'd seen, regardless of race. Still, he had a job to focus on now. Admiring her would have to wait for a more appropriate time, providing such a time ever came along.

Korose. That was his name. She smiled softly as she nodded at his name.”It’s a pleasure. Are you perchance a Fire Mage? You seem to exert an amount of heat.” she asked, getting to the topic of her wishing to talk to him.

In the Meantime, Zaldir was walking behind his sister several paces behind her. He didn’t know what to make of it all, but he gave a silent prayer of thanks to the gods for the chance to finally understand that they were there and his small prayers were at least being heard. He gave a sideways glance towards the High Elf and gave a wave to her.

”Hello. I’m Zaldir, a Magic Blacksmith. May I ask what you are called?” Zaldir said in Elvish. He hoped he would be able to try and establish communication with her using his Elven tongue. If not, well no one could say he didn’t try. Though he was sure if Ardyn saw this and it failed, the horse would be laughing in his own way.

Korose momentarily paused, his lips parting ever so slightly before looking slightly away.

"I practice Shadowfare magic, actually." He said quietly. "The heat is... Due to something else. I apologize if it bothers you."

Meanwhile, Elena noticed the wave from Zaldir and gave a small wave in return to him. As he walked over and asked in Elvish what she was called, she hesitated. She understood Elvish, but she could not speak it. So communicating with him was going to be tricky.

Luckily, names were universal regardless of dialect.

"Elena." She said, pointing to herself.

"Cal'lik." She said, using her hand to motion like a mouth speaking and shook her head "no."

She could only hope he knew what she meant.

---

Having stepped up to the seasick lady (Though simultaneously keeping a ‘safe’ distance in case of projectile vomit), Carmen’s attention was diverted as the man named Dreux introduced himself. He was pretty formal, what with the whole ‘Miss’ Schtick. The only person who called her ‘Miss’ was her mother, and even then, that was ‘Little Miss’ and when she was in trouble. Regardless, he also introduced Neden, and the idea of ‘the call’ which was apparently the term for the voices in her head. Of course she knew that, but it was nice to know they knew what it was called too. Yup, she was clued in.

“Just Carmen will do, Droo~. We’re all friends and Callies, right?” Immediately trying to use her newly appropriated term to name the group, Carmen remained chipper that her introduction was going well. "H-hello, C-Carmen. As Dreux here said, we too heard the voice I suppose? A-as for the medicine....I-it would be appreciated. I'm not...not very fond of wanter, nor the sea." Neden spoke up, but clearly she was still under the weather, the poor thing so sick she was stuttering and her voice was changing in pitch. Still, Carmen couldn’t suppress her slight frown that Neden disliked to ocean of all things! She could understand not liking being seasick, but the sea was great! In fact, she’d just have to inform her how wonderful the ocean depths could be-

As Carmen was about to comment, Dreux stepped in once more, clarifying Neden’s upbringing and bringing some much needed context. Oohhhhhh. She didn’t know how to swim! That explained it! Gosh, how weird. Who didn’t know how to swim? She must have really been from the boonies if they didn’t have a lake or anything to dip in. Well, that wouldn’t do at all! Carmen would have to teach her at some point, if they all continued to hang out. But for now, medicine did seem to be the order of the day. Making a gesture where she clapped her flexed bicep, Carmen gave the two a wink and a grin. “You can count on me. I’ll get it right now. Aaaannnddd you two can pay me back with an undisclosed favour.” Smirking, Carmen went to run past them and quickly scoot back to the ship, but was suddenly startled by the appearance of another shouting and appearing out of thin air!

“Ack!” Flailing her arms about to maintain her balance and not collide with the unexpected figure, Carmen gave a faint sigh as she managed to catch her thumping heart. “Geez… Don’t do that! I thought you were a sea witch coming to drag me to the depths for my hubris…” Mumbling out the last part as she recalled a few childhood fairy tales, Carmen quickly stepped around the mystery figure, but decided to answer her question. “And we ARE here as part of a summons. We’re all Callies, though I don’t really know what we were called for…” Musing on this fact, Carmen was going to slip away when some loud but also not that loud stomping from the Succubus called for attention. Impressive she could do that on sand, and also that it did work in drawing everyone’s attention to her.

Being somewhat nearby, Vernon sighed as she aggressively flailed the paper around to try and get both his and everyone else’s attention. He didn’t really intend to read it, but seeing as they were all ‘playing nice’ for the moment, it wouldn’t hurt to accommodate the delusional demoness. How quaint. She was addressing him personally. In his peripheral, Vernon could feel the seething hatred in her eyes, which only served to widen his smirk as he read, stroking his chin. Well now, she certainly was a radical thinker. Vernon hated the overly religious and preachy types, and it seemed that she was one of those. An ignorant one too, especially if she thought those dragons were just for show. Definitely more warning flags that following her as a subordinate would be a foolish idea.

As she stormed off to try and lead the way, Vernon thought about commenting again, but felt a sharp elbow in his side, Carmen having returned up next to him while he’d been reading. Looking to her dryly, he got the message, and simply sighed again, folding his arms in front of himself once more. Probably for the best he didn’t comment. Those fanatical ones never did listen to logic or reason; and her inflated sense of pride in herself seemed to be rivalled only by her naivety. Maybe she’d learn her lesson before meeting an untimely end, but that overconfidence combined with a stupidity to rival Ruffles didn’t give her good odds.

The rest of the group seemed to be in agreement that now was the time to move, but as the dragon moved to cut off Aznyxphia, Vernon immediately tensed, shoving his collection of weapons into Carmen’s hands. “Be ready.” He stated, the mermaid giving a quick nod in response. Vernon was eager to test his mettle against another dragon, but with a horde like this, even he had to concede that it was a suicidal prospect. That said, it would be interesting to see how their ‘Oh so mighty Leader’ handled herself in combat. Extending his hand to claim his first weapon from Carmen, he was surprised to find nothing there, turning to look at the smiling face of his first mate. “It’ll be okay. Wait for it.” Carmen grinned playfully, and although Vernon didn’t know what she was expecting, he trusted her. Moments later, a rumbling filled the earth, and the dragons around them returned to their rest.

"Looks like they're letting us pass after all." The cloaked elven figure spoke, before moving up to lead with Aznyxphia. It seemed that something or someone was allowing them to continue. Reaching over to Carmen, Vernon returned his bundle of weapons to his back and began making his way forward. He hadn’t heard this voice or anything, but the situation had peeked his interest. Evil Kings, dragons, and now a being powerful enough to command them? He could feel his blood boiling. What would it be like to challenge something that powerful? Making his way down the tunnel with others, Vernon made a point of grabbing the back of Carmen’s hair to tug her away from the dragons she was thanking. Little idiot was going to get herself eaten if she wasn’t careful…

---

Emerging through the cave and travelling across the grasslands, when the group finally came across the goddess herself, Vernon was left in stunned silence, while Carmen faintly gasped as she looked upon the majesty of her enormous form. As the voice, louder than ever rang through Carmen’s mind, she could only faintly nod. Vernon however, clutched his head, hearing her words for the first time. It echoed through him, and faintly, he could feel his body trembling. Was it… Fear? He’d never felt afraid since that day… And yet… Clenching his fist, Vernon steadied himself. She was insurmountable to him, a presence beyond the scope of his world. He needed to become so much stronger. If this truly was the goddess Sil’Eph Niir… Then part of his life he had been living a lie. He was mortal. Human. There was no way he could challenge a being of this power… And yet… he would strive to.

As Aznyxphia continued to prove her inexperience and inadequacy as leader, Vernon watched her stagger and stop, as if frozen in time. Clearly, the goddess had stepped in to stop her assault somehow. It took some time, but then, she was off, flying out of the cove, faintly gesturing for them to follow, but he wasn’t sure how she expected most of them to notice that – They were all a bit focussed on the being in front of them. A leader’s job was to lead, certainly; but it seemed she hadn’t learned how to communicate with her crew and read the room. Watching as everyone in the room took turns to speak to the goddess, clearly receiving answers in their mind, Vernon wondered what he had to say, if anything. As the group heard her explanation, more thoughts crossed his mind, and when prompted by that shadowy elf fellow, he still felt unprepared. Thankfully, he was given more time to think as his first mate Carmen stepped up, and, possibly braver than anyone else in the group, placed a hand against the goddess’s form.

“Whoah… You’re real…” Carmen spoke, gently prodding the scales before shutting her eyes. “You’re… I read about you, but I never thought…” Carmen stumbled over her words a bit as she thought back to her studies at home, the family and life she’d left. Moving up closer and resting her head against the dragon, she began to whisper, hoping the dragon could hear in her mind, but that none of the others in the group would see her weakness. “I heard your call… So I came but… Why me? I’m…” Pausing before she said the words, Carmen didn’t like saying such things, but in front of a goddess, her usual bravado and forced confidence felt as frail as glass. “…I’m a failure. I ran from home… I help pirates raid and pillage to feel needed and important, I steal with them selfishly, and make excuses that it’s just the world we live in… But… When it comes down to it, there has to be so many more qualified than me! You’re a goddess, and you need heroes! Not some castaway mermaid who couldn’t learn more than the basics of divination magic… Surely someone like my Mother or siblings would have been a better choice to call here... I’m not the only one with the blood of the ancestors…”

Watching Carmen speak to the goddess, Vernon finally had his own thoughts come to mind, raising his arm and pointing a fist directly at the Goddess’s eye. “I didn’t hear your call, nor do I have an ancient bloodline. I don’t even care for your plight. All I seek is strength, and worthy opponents. If this Evil King is as powerful as you say, then I see no reason not to fight. You should feel fortunate our goals align.” Grinning, Vernon pulled his hand back in. “One day, I’ll surpass even the gods themselves. When that time comes, I’ll challenge even you, Sil’Eph Niir.” Pivoting on the spot, Vernon had stated what he intended, making his way to leave. Turning to look over his shoulder, he spoke to the others. “The Delmoray is the fastest ship on the sea, and you won’t find a better crew. The Silverstar Pirates we’ll see to it we reach our destination. I’ll see to it that we’re prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.” Striding away, Vernon would leave the group to their discussions with the dragon goddess. None of that concerned him.