From the ashes

“You said this couldn’t happen” chewing his lips painfully “I thought that A…At the very least we would be able to prevent this from happening” the words flowing out his throat like so many feathers. He looked to his companion looking at the scaled creature quizzically as if he was a frustratingly blank book. “Why must it end this way. why? Why is it  impossible for me to come with you?”

“Why” spoke his companion as they marched down the dark, broken, and deserted hallway. “Why? ...Because you will not survive the process. I am sorry I could not train you further but only you can take the next step in your studies child” he turned his softly scaled head to stair softly into his younger companions’ eyes and even his soul. “Had I not asked you to further your studies’? Have I not taught you that the true road to power is long and arduous but fulfilling? Had you continued your studies and not involved yourself with the Hume’s maybe then possibly you would have had the skills and power needed to journey with this ashen shell of a creature.” it turned its face away deciding to no longer see his companions despair the haunting look of one who has seen many horrors and many years yet beside all of this has decided to press on even though deep down they know.

    “So this truly is the end no backing out I guess.” The man’s eyes bore holes into the back of his companions head mercilessly “But…But I did train. I did practice, why wasn’t it enough?”

His companion turned on him and glared daggers into his eyes. And spoke in a hissing yet silken tone. “humph… why wasn’t it enough? You ask. For starters you decided that instead of following the path I had carefully shown you. You forsook my advice your training and decided to play hero and for 300 years and now this… This is the price you pay for not realizing how treacherous your race is and this is the price I pay for not realizing from the beginning how unredeemable you kind are.”

Faintly for a few minutes while both companions were locked staring at each other in silence they could hear distantly outside of the corridor and the castle the sounds of clashing steel and powerful magic’s being cast between forces. As one they turned and continued their calm strides deeper into the dank corridor. After a few moments of cold silence the hume spoke up from his internal ramblings.

“So how did my race become unredeemable?”

His companion cocked his head to the side as if to hear him better. “No. it’s not that simple if it was I would have wiped out you kind a few millennia ago it’s not only your race no it’s the world its self. The major races that control this realm are corrupt and are now allied and prepared to engage the very force which has kept this world alive. No I shall take my leave of this realm after I give what remaining wisdom I can to the remainder of our friends and give ïllýa our last goodbyes then I shall take my leave”

“So” replied his dejected companion in a dull voice “what are you going to reveal to me, Urgash, and wýnn. What is it that would help us to better protect and serve ïllýa before she leaves for the dark shores?”he pleaded though his gaze forcibly remaining blank while they reached their destination.

Before them stood a small iron door inlayed with green enchanted runes of a forgotten tongue the door would easily be misconceived as if it were old and weak but that is by design clearly so as to lure any would be adventurer into the magical trap that was promised by the glowing inscription upon the dull and rusted metallic surface.

The hume dragged his eyes back to his scaled companion with a deep calm to his movement” So this is our final meeting eh!” he muttered more to himself than his winged companion. “well let’s get this over and done with.”

“Indeed” grunted the creature, which raised its paw with sharp points on the ends of its three fingers and draws out several archaic glyphs mid-air and started chanting in a silent wordless tone causing the runes on the door to die out allowing the door to open with a grinding screech of metal upon stone. Again the dark creature focused upon its companion and relayed in calming tones as it passed through the threshold into a vast chamber lit by only 3 power crystals. ”Coming friend? I of course would understand your reluctance if you wish not to end our acquaintance so soon. Take your time you have at least a day before you’ll be needed outside here mike.”

“It’s not that” mike spoke softly as he slowly walked into the cheerfully bright room “it’s just that this’ll be our last official meeting. I wish it wasn’t but it is, now where are the other’s” he looked around at his surroundings searching the shadows and any other place that an unknown could have hid “I knew that while you were with me you had enough time to send at least a mental message to them they should have been here by now.” but before he could start to thoroughly investigate two more forms appeared from the door.

“AH but we have only just arrived! isn’t that right dear wýnn?” spoke the darker of the two new arrivals startling mike out of his futile searching.

The younger of the two looked up at her taller companion with skeptical eyes. “Correct!” she agreed “But still you didn’t have to wake the forgotten ones we already know your undead ŭrgash there is no need to rub your abilities in!” she glanced the creatures way “so what has our fearless leader cooked up for us this time? I am curious as to what you are going to tell us?”Her slight shifting of the shoulders giving off just a slight bit of nervousness.

Turning around slowly, speaking in the same soft voice the creature calmly glances over all three of his companions. “so this is all that remains of our group? Soon you too will return to the ashes from whence you came!” its eyes brightened a little. “But that is of no consequence! I kindly suggest that you take a seat I fear that what I have to tell you will be quite grave indeed.”

it watched the hume’s as they processed the incoming information while taking their seats, one already knowing what is going on but having yet to receive the full extent of the situation while the other two grimaced over what was about to come.

Of the group ŭrgash decided to speak up first, also rather than risk puncturing the cushions with his bones to just float in the air. “SO what are these…Fears that you speak of? And how do they apply to us?” he asked in the same tone devoid of life yet full of it?

Setting its baleful slits upon the necromancer with a piercing gaze that could cut through mountains it softly returned. “here’s what is happening then” shifting its wings for a little more balance it continued. “apparently as you can tell the forces outside are joined together in their crusade to eliminate the threat to their demon over lords that threat being us as all the forces of light have fallen including the angels but you already know that but in this realization there is also a price to their success one that is impossibly irrevocable. This place the last bastion of creation but not only that you are also the caretakers of the planets life force however hold no regrets it would be unkind to return the poor child to the suffering state we brought her away from, this however is not the main reason I asked you to come my reason for this is simply to let you know that I am preparing to depart from this world”

This elicited a gasp from the two living of the three warriors and caused the third to bow his head In understanding.

It continued on as if nothing happened “and to ask one final task of all three of you. This task I ask of you is that you protect ïllýa she is the only part of this world keeping it from being destroyed I ask this of you as your final task for me. What I mean to say is I will no longer be your master or leader when I leave, I am just a friend asking that you live what remains of your lives to the best of your abilities.”

Mike decided then to raise his voice in calm acceptance “I just wish you could have stayed longer but no sense crying over what could have Ben's instead I hopefully speak for all of us when I say thank you for being our leader and that we will carry out your orders to the best of our abilities.” but what should of came out as firm and accepting instead came out as brazen and rushed.

The creature noticed this and speaking levelly “I understand your worry, but you don’t need to I know you are having difficulty with accepting this but listen.” the features on its smooth scaly face relaxed into a soft smile It lifted its reptilian eyes then stretched its clawed hand in a calming gesture as if to assuage a raging beast, he positioned it in the middle of the group and summoned up a single sphere of light  which split into three separate balls of energy blue, yellow, and red and then spoke up in a soft whispery golden voice “I’m sorry I will not stay to see you to the end however I can and will will impart unto you one final gift these powers, I do not give these lightly however I trust all of you to use these gifts with great discernment” it nodded as if to its self. “for you ŭrgash “the deep” I increase your mana reserve thrice to allow for your more… powerful spells”

A hollow voice answered “my humble thanks master I wish you would stay but I understand that the time streams would not allow it I hope you will remember me in your next world beyond the void!” the necromancer bowed a humble thanks much to the surprise of his fellows who know how hard it is to convince the proud immortal to demean himself willingly.

To that the dark creature nodded its head in acknowledgement “for you young wýnn “The Sage” I give an increased perception and accuracy you are also now allowed to enter the meditation grotto and sanctuary but remember you enter at your own risk the training I have given you here is child’s play compared to the dangers you would face in there, but alas It would be necessary training for the new leader of our forces.” Almost as a second thought the master decided to pluck one of its scales and place it in the hands of the diminutive hume and then softly closed them in reverence.

Wýnn smiled up at the creature but couldn’t form the words in her mind to respond to the great gift that she had just received or her ire at the position she’d just been damned to she decided to settle on just lowering her eyes to the gem-like scale in her hands giving off a fresh magical rainbow like glow, closing her eyes she decided to relax in its heartwarming joyful aura with a sigh.

The final target now within its sight the creature spoke with strong finality to its tone. “mike “The Elder” it has been far too many years since you were last here and now on the brink of cataclysm you seek to make amends for your foolishness I however have known you for a long long time you were foolish to assume you could purify that which had already fallen but I commend you for at least trying.” The creature padded over and softly placed its claws softly mikes chin and lifted it so there eyes met. “I forgive you I wish though that you and I could stay and chat a little longer but we both know that cannot be. So as a final gift I bestow upon you the red-moon blade it is a powerful weapon that must be used wisely for it drains the life energy’s of your enemy’s and transfers them directly to the one who holds this weapon but as a price it also drains the users life force over time too, you will find its other uses throughout your remaining time here” then with a nod of finality the creature turned its head to carefully take in the image of all three students and then released mikes jaw, without pause it walked to the door on the opposite side of the room and turned to face its allies one more time. “It has been a pleasure knowing all of you ‘I would do more to help but that would be just another wasted effort so instead I’ll just say’ this … this is goodbye” suddenly without even a bat of an eye the creature spun around to face the smooth buttery yellow wooden door and pressed its hand against it and in a flash of sparkling light was gone leaving behind a small puff of ashen cloud.

The three warriors decided to follow their master’s wishes to the very end and with these final gifts they truly felt they could face almost anything put before them. With a final deep bow from all three figures towards the last location of their master they left the chamber for truly the final time.

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With a small gust of wind and a light rustle of leaves the creature materialized within a new spherical chamber with no visible exit in the center of the room was a warm pale white light chasing all of the shadows from the strange chamber even stranger was what was ensnared deep within the light. Deep within the light was contained a small hume curled into a ball looking as if she were sleeping comfortably without a worry in the world that is until the creature spoke up.

“ïllýa?”

Slowly the light surrounding the entity began to filter around the little girl who looked to be no older than 14 winters and yet as she slowly descended to the floor by the seeming will of the floating lights surrounding her she opened her eyes revealing a knowing mind one that has seen many things, more than most mortal minds could possibly see in their own life times. As the enfolding light released her to the ground she turned her face towards the unimposing figure ‘this creature is something of a mystery yet an enigma’ instead of wondering on those thoughts she decided to respond softly to her summons with a warm smile that could melt metal “it is good to see you again you silly drakonian, I was wondering when you’d return”

The drakonian responded in kind “It’s been long ïllýa too long. I wish I could have been here sooner or could stay here longer but for now I wish to pay my final respects we both know this world is dying” the reptile shifted nervously flicking its wings left and right “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you” it arched its head lower in sadness “but I do promise” lifting its head a little to make eye contact with the calm little girl. “at least have a few months left before the end.”

Ïllýa walked closer and lifted her hand to the creature’s face to wipe away a tear that was forming at the edge of the bright reptilian eyes “there, there we both know not everything goes as we plan or wish but know this thanks to you these have been the happiest years of my existence and I would not trade them for anything thank you… for .. everything.” Her smile became even brighter as she said this. “I also know it is time for you to leave I bid you farewell and hope you never forget me or our friends. But before you go there is something I wish to give you a… project I should say, something I’ve been working on since our minds were linked I’ve been wanting to tell you but you weren’t here till now.” She lowered her hand and placed a few seeds into the creatures delicate grasp.

The drakonian eyed the little orbs suspiciously “what are these?” it asked in a soft incredulous voice

The girl answered “They are essences of a few races you’ve known deeply in the past.” She giggled softly “one of them was quite cuddly if you didn’t count the claws and they moved in packs while the other were quick thinkers and builders but they never seemed to advance in technology beyond what they termed as needed. Anyway I wanted to give you a few life seeds to rebuild old races that I know you still mourn.” She stared at the creature with contempt eyes lit with mirth knowing that she had accomplished far more than the creature before her had hoped.

Hearing this the creature recoiled slightly then slowly smiled in glee “thank you its been a long time since I have seen those races sadly only a world soul can create them but thanks to you I finally have a chance at having my old allies back.” Then it noticed the slight glint of sadness in the girl’s eye “consider this as payback for me giving you freedom and joy. I can never thank you enough for the relief you have given me.” The creature softly but firmly allowed its tail to slide up to the girls cheek and softly caressed it with gentle intensity bringing a smile to her lips once more.

The girl stepped back “yes remembrance is all I can ask of you now again for my freedom you have my gratitude.” Slowly sunlit tears slid down past her temples as the golden white rays of light began their descent to raise her into their cocoon of protection and rest.

As she was rising the creature spoke in uneven tones “no matter where I end up as long as I have these seeds I’ll remember you Ïllýa. G-Goodbye!” slowly the creature turned around and walked to the darkest part of the room then proceeded with the ritual needed to transfer between dimensions it encased itself in a field of perpetual darkness as it slowly summoned the signs and sigils needed to focus upon the deeper workings of the magic eventually succeeding in summoning the portal after a few minutes the creature stepped through the void touched portal and into a place that was not yet was a place between dimensions where many a foolish traveler who tarried too long lost there minds and became another part of the void between the universes.

It placed the seeds of life within its jaws so as to both better protect them and to allow for better searching for a new universe to live in one that had fewer conflicts and hopefully allowed for some kind of anonymity. It found many but they were all similar to the one it just left so it continued searching watching the glassy mirror like ponds of reality of all these places eventually the creature found one that suited its needs and even better it was at the beginning stages of its life cycle. ‘hmm there seems to be another entity here malevolent no less I guess it couldn’t hurt to see if I could live here.’ so without further thought the creature touched the mirror and melted into the image without a second thought.

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Celestia was watching over her sleeping little charge the small dark blue filly had yet to wake up after her last night’s administrations but soon celestia will have to raise the sun again not that it upset her or anything but still the stupid creatures could at least be a little more grateful she even created the sun in the first place. “These creatures are insufferably ignorant not to mention rude.” She looked over at the sleeping form right next to her “at least I have you luna… I really don’t know how much longer I would have lasted had I not met you even if you still drive me to your own ‘snickers’ celestial body” then she smiled down at her still obliviously sleeping sibling ‘well as long as there’s still something to look forward too I’ll be right here little sister”

Just then she felt a small burst of magic form the sky ‘what could that be’ she wondered but then decided to think nothing of it and continued watching her little sister sleep.