Syrasza

Steven nodded at Lynden's orders. "Okay. Do you have a name, little one?" Steven asked the boy. The child didn't say a word. He only stood next to Steven. "That's fine, you don't have to say anything."

Albert and Cecil followed behind Lynden, they had their weapons drawn.

"Goblins, a dragon has attacked and our dead is still warm in the ground. Please turn and leave us." Lynden's words startled the goblins, and caused the alpha to step up and talk to the squire.

"Dragon? Pitty, we leave, nothing worth taking. You stay, you die. Dragon returns." The goblin turned around and spoke his native tongue to his companions. They all packed up whatever they found and left in a hurry.

The area was safe enough to look around now, but there would be nothing noteworthy. Albert would curse the world and slam his sword into the ground. "Why? Why isn't anyone else here!? Richard, Leo, all of them! Who knows where they are!? They could be dead!" He was on his knees now, pounding the ground with his balled fist. He was angry, sad, and somewhat hopeless. "I don't understand...why have the gods forsaken us?" A tear ran down the young man's cheek.

Before the group could leave camp, they would hear a terrifying scream, followed by the loud yelling of Richard. His words were inaudible, but they sounded like orders. Coming from the direction of the voices, smoke would be seen periodically rising from the tree tops. Should Lynden decide to rush towards the noise, his friends would follow loyally. Upon reaching the source of the noise, Lynden would see his first dragon ever. It was menacingly staring at a group of six squires. None were dead but four were wounded. Indeed only Richard and Leo stood protecting their injured allies from the beast. It would seem like Richard had the same idea Albert had upon discovering what had happened to the camp.

"Oi, mates! It's a young red dragon! Go for the back of 'is head!" Leo shouted as he noticed the group approaching. Leo was like a walking bestiary. Whatever he said about a beast was nine point nine times out of ten true. This was a chromatic dragon, innately evil, and this one was indeed out for chaos. It wasn't grown enough to speak to humans, though it was likely highly intelligent nonetheless. This dragon was about fifteen feet long and stood nine feet tall with its head as it's pinnacle.

Steven acted quickly and covered the child in the best protective magics he had. This was draining on the mage, but he still had his wits about him. Albert as shifting his footing, preparing to move around the beast to flank him, but the dragon snapped his gaze towards the group before Albert could initiate his plan. "Don't move!" Cecil was prepared to take a hit for the team but him Albert and Steven were all behind Lynden. Leo took this opportunity to help Richard drag his wounded friends away form the immediate area. before anyone could act, the dragon opened his mouth and a stream of flaming hot gas ignited and sailed through the air towards Lynden and his friends. It was a small enough size to fireball that a shield might block it, but the impact and explosion of the flames would injure at least one other.
 
The nine pirates were impaled and died instantly. With his shard defense, thirty more pirates met their deaths before the rest of them wised up, jumping off of the ship and swimming away for their dear lives. Controlling the shards would be very taxing on the young elven mage, but with the adrenaline of battle and the determination to protect his friends would allow him such magnificent feats.

"Ya! Take the ship boys!" About thirty of the commodore's men crossed freshly laid boarding planks and cheered as they took control of the boat. This was the scene all around Anzo. Pirate vessels were sinking or being boarded. The Commedore's guards knew what they were doing and they did it well. Comming from the commodore's ship, mages would be perfoming amazing feats, hurling meteors from the sky, summoning devilish sea creatures that devour ships, and even lifting a ship out of the waters then dropping it, causing the hull to shatter. There would be just one ship left after twenty five minutes of combat. It was the pirate captain's vessel. They were sailing as fast as they could, trying to escape.

 
As the night passed, Gilhom slept lightly, as he always did. He was always ready to defend himself and now he had another body to defend, a very talented body that cooks the best food Gilhom had ever tasted. Surely as the sun did rise, The night passed with not a disturbance. The next morning, Gilhom had already started packing up camp before Vaughn woke. It was a lovely day and that meant it was a good day to travel. The breeze was light, the smell of wild flowers was fresh upon that breeze, and the road to adventure was freshly built for these two companions.

"Mornin'!" Gilhom said as he stuffed his pack full of his belongings. "We're headin' north along the river. Eventually we'll reach a human town called Trodo. There we can resupply and rest properly for a night. I'd say it's about 'two nice days like' this away." The dwarf chuckled at his underwhelming sense of humor. As soon as his pack was snug and ready for transport, Gilhom would wait for Vaughn before he started walking onward. Gilhom didn't want to waste such a nice day.

"Tis' a lovely mornin'. I'm not sure 'bout ya, but I don't eat a heavy breakfast. I took the liberty of gatherin' some berries so here's yer share!" Gilhom gave Vaughn a handfull of berries, some Vaughn actually used to cook with last night. They were nothing new.

As time went on, the soothing sounds of the flowing river played a soft walking tune for the duo. Gilhom was enjoying the sunlight and whistling a dwarven tune.

"Help. Please...anyone there?"​ A diminutive voice could be heard coming from somewhere. Gilhom stopped.

"Was that ya making that noise?" He asked, addressing Vaughn. Gilhom stood very still and looked around with his new vision. Gilhom wouldn't see anything, but Vaughn would notice a small sparkle shining under the shade of a small leafy plant. It was a water sprite that had washed up onto the bank of the river. Vaughn had never seen one before, but he would know that sprites exist to maintain ecosystems. They are the ones who are believed to paint leaves different colors during season changes, sprinkle morning dew across green grass, cultivate crystals underground, and paint pictures with the clouds. No one could see these creatures without special abilities. They were discovered hundreds of years ago by a traveling elf chef who eventually devoted his life to studying them. Only a few people in the world have actually seen these magical beings. This creature had no legs, but had a elflike torso and a fish's tail as a lower body.
 
The ship was theirs Anzo didn't really really know the men cheering but he could tell they where his kind of people. Anzo cheered along with them, this had been a decisive victory. Eiso glided gracefully down to rest beside Anzo. "Do you want to go after them?" The weariness that the battle, and the need to fight or die had staved off, was starting to weigh on the small elf. "I think I've played my part for today. They have a good head start and we have a lot of clean up and regrouping to do. Besides, if I kill every pirate on the sea i'll be out of a job" he said with a wink. Eiso knew the real reason, he was afraid that as tired as he was that he would make a mistake and cost more of his friends lives. And fighting a pirate after sunset on their ship was a daring proposition at best of times. " Your right, you and I against all the pirates in the sea is hardly a fair fight. Best that we give them a break" Anzo smiled, what would he do without her. " well, lets report to Captain Wroth before I break out my dancing shoes." In a motion that felt as natural as breathing he lifted himself up onto Eiso's back. "Let's find our Captain." With three great beats of her wings they where spiraling above the armada. The after math of the day spread out before them,smoke wafting up carrying to stench of burnt wood and flesh. "I just hope he didn't do any thing stupid while we were gone."
 
Lynden turned abruptly and ran towards the scream. At first, his heart leapt. They weren't the only survivors, but as the dragon roared, his happiness left and was replaced by fear. Lumina was known for its skilled Dragon Riders, but squires taking on a dragon themselves was... suicidal. But Lynden dug his boots into the dirt and gripped his weapons with fury. How dare this dragon. How dare it intrude into his sanctuary, the only place he felt he belonged.

Everything was perfect two months ago. When did everything go so far downhill?

Leo and Richard were here, which Lynden took note and was thankful. Did it matter? They were dead anyways. Why did Lynden still have hope? He couldn't clear his head of the clutter and thoughts.

But something snapped. Lynden was tired, hungry, burned, bruised, cut, and broken. His limbs felt numb, his face was hot, and he was sure his feet were bleeding, yet, something stirred up inside of him. A fire you could say.

He dashed toward the dragon, his sword dragging along the ground, then caught ablaze in a fire only seen in the damned. The sword left a flaming scar in the earth. He charged with his shield raised. He would attempt to smash the fireball out of his way with his shield as he rushed. Something as small as that wouldn't stop him. He had to make sure this dragon paid. He ran up and would attempt a flurry of flaming slashes on it's eyes, namely it's eye region. His white hot blade shouldn't encounter much resistance.

He had about twenty seconds of the blade catching fire to make this dragon pay before he passed out.
 
Anzo would find Wroth aboard his vessel, talking and having a merry time with the Commodore. It seemed like the Commodore came out of the battle just fine and him and some of his men had made their way over to the Seadrake. Song and booze, that was the scene below Anzo as he soared above, preparing to land. All around, the commodore's fleet of men scavenged and salvaged everything they could. If they overtook a ship on great condition, they would keep it. Most of the ships were purposefully sunk, though.

"Ahoy, my boy! Come on down and have a chat with me!" The commodore yelled above as he noticed Anzo's descent. He would speak when Anzo landed. "I wan't you to come with me! Wroth said you're a damn fine mage and I saw it for myself just moments ago. I like your style!" The commodore was straight to the point.

Capt. Wroth simply smiled and nodded. He was proud of the mage and although he would be sad to see him leave, this would be a major step in the young bright elf's life. He patted Anzo on the back and said, "Speak up, the Commodore wants an answer!"

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Fire. Lynden's brothers hit the ground as a ball of heat hurled towards them. They braced for impact as Lynden charged forward, hoping to stop the ball from causing too much hram. Normally a fireball this size would bowl over anyone stupid enogh to stand in its way, nut Lynden had something special...As he held his shield up, the fire was put out in the instant it hit the shield. Now that the dragon's attack had failed, Lynden had an opening. The fire from the sword was nothing to trifle with if you were human, but this red dragon had no fear of fire. He welcomed Lynden's assault with an open mouth, attempting to gnaw at the young squire. The dragon's bite missed its mark, though, allowing Lynden a couple swipes at the beast's eyes.

Shick

One slash hit the dragon square in the left eye. the beast howled and reared it's head back. By this time, Steven had conjured a spire of ice, flinging it at the dragon's body. Lynden would pass out at the feet of the dragon, unsure of what was going to happen next, but he would see the spire of ice penetrate the dragon's rear hind leg, a solid hit before Lynden's eyes shut...

When Lynden woke up, it was bright outside and he was very hungry. He was in a nice soft bed and he didn't have any clothes on except for his underwear. There were no wounds on his body anywhere and his gear, including the sword and shield, was missing. There was an outfit on the night stand next to him and a meal of spiced apples and bread on the dresser at the end of the bed. It seemed like he was in someone's home. Should he listen, he would hear no sounds coming from around the house. He had never been here before, that much was certain.

Should Lynden peer out the window he would see the city not too far off in the distance. There were also other homes around this one, all single level, middle class homes. This was a small residential area outside of Lumina City, it was still considered a part of the city, though. The people here mostly worked as craftsmen or the like. The people outside were all crowded around a man standing on a medium sized box. He seemed to be talking to all of them and they were getting riled up over whatever he was saying.
 
"Sylvia!" Irie greeted happily. Sylvia had an amazing ability to be cheerful, and it was contagious. At least, it always seemed to be for Irie. For the past few hours she had been staring at a wall though her mind had been wondering everywhere. She had been trying to work through the next steps of her experiment, but it was frustrating. Even if she did work out what she wanted to do next, she didn't have any of the materials she would need, and so she had found it hard to concentrate. Sylvia was a welcome break.

"You know the master antidote I've been working on?" Irie had been working on this for at this for at least a month. There were so many sorts of poisons, and most of them had completely different antidotes, but other than a place like the hospital, it was completely unreasonable to have a whole set. A master antidote in every house would be just the thing! The major problem was that some of the antidotes were themselves poison if not in the presence of the poison it was trying to cure. "I figured out a way to make the antidotes dormant, but now I've got to figure out how to make the right one active in the presence of its poison. Remember last week when I made that mix that activated the spider bite antidote? Something like that, but I can't get anything else to work that way." Irie sighed. "I didn't want to use magic, but do you think it would work? Maybe if I imbued a stone and you could pick a stone? But then you'd need magic stones, and you'd have to know which one to pick."

Irie paused, "I've been going on again, haven't I? I just wish we could go out." She looked longingly at the window, willing the day to get better.
 
All of Lynden's fatigued fury ended with a slash in the monster's left eye. As his vision blurred and the world got darker, he saw an ice spire hit the dragon's leg. His friends would have to take over. He wasn't used to the sword drawing his energy, and he didn't have much energy to give. The dragon's hide was resistant to fire, and Lynden poured his heart into the fire. He fell into fell, out before he even hit the ground.

He then had a dream he would remember. He as transported to an eerie phantom replica of the hall of his brother's ceremony. All around were shadows and laughing silhouettes of men and women enjoying the party. Echoes of what once was music filled the air, but it sounded strained and hallow. Lynden was dancing with a woman, but the woman was featureless, and her skin was as black as the long ball gown that she wore. The only defining thing about her was a golden masquerade mask which the sides trailed off into butterfly wings. Lynden would have thought she was Glarriva if it wasn't for the darkness that made her up. Despite everything around him, and the phantom he danced with, Lynden wasn't scared. In fact, the dancing was so similar to what he had experienced, that it made him remember it all the more.

"Who are you, and where am I?" Lynden asked the figure as the spun. No response. Lynden kept dancing.

"Am I dreaming, or is this death?" Still no response. Instead the figure reached up and touched his cheek lightly, as if to see if he was real.
Who are you and where are you going? A collection of women's voices asked him. He thought he heard Glarriva's and his mother's in there, but he dared not think too much of it. Instead, he pondered her question. When he was prepared to talk back, the figure asked another question.

Are you living or are you dead? These philosophy questions were too deep for Lynden to answer immediately. He thought quietly, then shook his head defeated.

"I just don't know."

The joy of the struggle living is finding validation.

The music ended, and with it, the dance.


Lynden opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He lurched upwards, sitting up and checking his surroundings, and taking note of his nudity. He walked to the window and inspected the surroundings. Relief then set in. He hadn't died from the dragon. He looked to the clothes set out for him, and quickly put them on.

First thing was first, he would check the rest of the house for an owner or inhabitant.
 
Sylvia nodded and smiled. The wide eyed girl listened intently as her colleague spoke of antidotes and alchemical oddities. Sylvia didn't know much about alchemy, she was more of a broken bones type of doctor. She like to fix broken limbs. Then Irie did her usual thing, assuming that she had been rambling and that Sylvia didn't want to hear it. "No no, it's fine! I really do enjoy hearing about your experiments and research! You could write a book with all of that knowledge!" Sylvia looked out the window with her halfling friend. "We could go to the pub after work and have a bite and some drink, if you wanted to? I'd like to go out too!"

The cheerful elf stood up and walked over to the window and watched the rain fall. "I really do enjoy rainy days. thay always seem to..." Sylvia paused and placed her face very close to the window. "Heads up! We have a visitor coming! It doesn't look like he's hurt though...maybe he's sick? Oh, nevermind...he's a courier..." She said with a hint of sadness. "Is anyone expecting mail?" She asked aloud. No one replied.

Just a moment later, a slender brier elf man walked through the doors of the clinic with purpose. "Is there a miss Irievyre Travelstone present? I bring an urgent message." The man would look around at all of the brier elf doctors, practically skipping over Irie, until he stopped at Sylvia. The elf woman smiled and pointed down to her halfling friend, causing the man's gaze to drift downward and lay upon Irie with somewhat hesitation.

"Ah...ahem, my apologies. I didn't notice you there." The man walked over to Irie and handed her a sealed letter. It had a royal seal of Sundinit upon it and looked to be made of fine parchment. Should Irie open the letter, she would read:

Dear Apothecary and/or Alchemist,

Rejoice as you have been recognized by King Shavlon of Sundinit. He wishes for you to visit the town of Ancor, located on the continent of Tunalis amid the great grass planes. You shall receive orders on the thirtieth day of the current moon cycle. If you are not in the town square at noontime on this day, you shall not be considered a part of this quest. I cannot tell you what you will be doing, but I know that it is beneficial for you to come, especially if you wish to further your research. The reward will be a very generous research grant and laboratory in Sundinit. As you may know, Sundinit is sought after for it's alchemical components and rare bests, think of the possibilities. If you have further questions, I assure you that they will be answered in Ancor.

Thank you for considering,
M

This was it. A chance to escape. A chance to travel! The thirtieth day of the cycle was only three weeks away...Ancor was two weeks away, minimum...If Irie wanted to go, she would have to move quickly! She would also need a guide, someone to keep bandits and beasties away on the trip there.

"Well, Irie, what does it say!?" The curious elf smiled at her little friend.
 
The house seemed quite. Lynden would notice nothing odd about this place, everything was pretty ordinary. There also wouldn't be anyone in the house either. No matter where Lynden looked, the house was vacant. It would seem like the owner of this home used magics due to various implements strewn about in various corners. They also had a child, jusdging by the toys that littered one particular bedroom. After a little bit more searching, Lynden would find the hilt of his flame sword next to his shield. Beside the hilt sat a brown leather bag containing a few red translucent shards, presumably the blade of the sword, and a small black leather bag. In the black leather bag there was a fine sparkling powder that Lynden wouldn't have ever seen before. It was odarless and it's only abnormality was it's unnatural sparkle. Other than these items, Lynden would find nothing of importance in the house.
 
Lynden inspected the house, looking first for signs of life, then for paintings of family. He found his sword- broken and in pieces, and his shield. He was sure the sword wasn't broken when he used it on the dragon. He left them there and instead went to the kitchen. Lynden was hungry, far hungrier than he ever remembered being before. He would eat more than his share, and drink several glasses of water.

He felt bad eating someone's food, but he needed it badly. He decided mid-meal that he would send money to this estate once he returns home.

Home. He hadn't though of his homes until now. First he thought of his father's estate, then his mind turned to the destroyed barracks. Pain gripped his chest and made his breathe short. Would he ever see that place again? Was the dragon really killed or did it flee? Lynden held onto the hope that he would visit their graves after his knighting.

Wait, his knighting? Would he even be knighted? They hadn't completed tradition. The pain tightened his chest, but he tried his best to shake off the thoughts.

Once he was satisfied with his meal, he would return to his equipment, and inspected the bag. Inside he found the powder. For a moment, the wild notion came over him to taste it, but he quickly thought better and returned it to the bag. He lifted his hilt to inspect the damage. Someone in this estate uses magic... perhaps they would know the strange tools he was given by the elementals. Or better yet, how to fix his sword. He hadn't even named it before it had broken.

"Valia... It can only be Valia. And this... Lilia" He said, looking to both the sword and the shield. The sword was fiery, had to be handled with care, and draining, much like dealing with the wild elemental was. The shield, like the sister Lilia, complemented and enhanced her counterpart. And in the brief moment he met the elemental, he knew she could quell her sister's raging inferno of chaos, much like the shield abruptly stopped the dragon's flames. He placed the hilt in the bag, then equipped it and fastened the shield on to his back.

Outside, he noticed a crowd, and decided to pay them a visit.
 
"This is an outrage!" The man on the box yelled. "How can they defy the signs!?" The crowd yelled in agreement. "How long has this been in the works? Do we even know? Free the dragons so that we may live in peace!" The crowd all started chanting "free the dragons" over and over again. It seems that this crowd was a form of protest. Blocking the exits to the town were armed knights of Lumina. They were specifically the rebellion unit, charged with protecting the kingdom from rebellions.

As Lynden approached, Albert and Cecil would approach him with their arms in the air, celebrating his recovery.

"There he is! The doctor said they didn't know if you'd ever wake up again, we were so worried!"

"Glad to see you pulled through!"

Albert would immediately notice Lynden's concern. He took the opportunity to explain everything.

"Ah yes...I'm sure you are wondering what has transpired...well allow me to explain. I hope you remember fighting that young dragon, well it fled after Steven nailed it good with that ice spear. As it turns out, this little village has been dealing with that dragon for days now, and the Queen's council still have not decided what to do. They sent men here to keep the dragon at bay, but the dragon is smart, after the knights arrived, it stopped attacking this village. Instead, it attacked the barracks. Steven, Leo, and Richard went to tell the story to the council, while we waited here for you to heal. Oh, and that little boy, we have all been staying at his home. His mother is a doctor and a healer. She was saddened to see the boy return without his father, she knew it meant he had died." Albert paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Everyone of the squires turned up alive. some were severely wounded, most were okay. We talked to the people here and told them our story...it ended like this." Albert pointed towards the crowd. "The people here are desperate to lay blame. They are trying to say that the dragon attacked because it wanted to set it's brethren free...from our kingdom's dragon riders...they cannot understand that these dragons are willing ti stay and work with us, despite their evil heritage." He pointed to the knights who were on strict orders to not allow anyone out of the village. "Yeah, they aren't allowed to allow anyone in or out of the village. It seems that your healer and her son were outside of the village when these rules were put into place...and of course we are no exception to the rule...this has been going on for three days, Lynden. We have to get back to the City."

Albert put his hand on Lynden's shoulder and looked down at the pouch of shards. "I'm not sure what happened, but when you passed out, that was all we could salvage from your sword...where did you get such a weapon anyways!?" Albert questioned his friend.
 
Lynden listened carefully. He got distracted midway through due to the fact he wasn't wearing shoes, and an insect scurried past his foot. Despite that, he got the gist of it. When Albert questioned Lynden's equipment, he put up a hand and waved him off.

"If we're staying at the boy's house, then I'll explain the story to you and the mother together. She has a right to know what happened to her husband. The sword and shield tie into it, and its a long story." He said, rubbing his forehead. Not only was it a long story, but it was an extremely outlandish one as well. He silently hoped they would see the truth in his words.

"You said we're stuck here, but Steven, Leo, and Richard went to the castle. I take it they are the ones that reported this, and then they sent the knights? At least we have them on the inside. Why would we need to get back into the city? To flee or equip ourselves? Either way, I plan on staying here. If the dragon attacks, I want to be here to fight it." Lynden said, looking past Albert to the knights. "Maybe we could find a carrier bird around here to send to Steven so he can bring us armor. Maybe a non-broken sword for me." His words were more for himself than to Albert.

He looked over to the crowd gathering and scrunched his face. He was debating or not to say something to the crowd or let it die out. If he could calm the people, perhaps the knights would open the roads.
 
Irie grinned at Syliva. She didn't have a book written, but she did have a journal. It was a bit all over the place. Notes were taken without care as to whether or not the journal was upright or upside down. Still, it was her book and her work. Maybe someday when she actually had the right mixture pinneddown, she would write it down for posterity. She certainly hoped she would get to that day.

"We could go to the pub after work and have a bite and some drink, if you wanted to? I'd like to go out too!"

"Sounds grand," Irie replied, but with less of the excitement that Sylvia had. That wasn't exactly what she had in mind in terms of going out, but that was certainly better than nothing.

And then Sylvia had announced a visitor. For a second, Irie sat a little straighter, and she could hear the sounds of others closing their books. When the courier came in and announced her name, though, she stood. She would have thought the movement obvious enough, but apparently not. With the slightest frown, Irie snatched the letter a little more quickly than otherwise polite. "Not to worry," she said, but her tone was slightly bitter. As soon as she had her hand on the letter, though, her expression went lax. Just from the feel of the paper, Irie could tell this wasn't just normal business. Flipping it over, she saw the royal seal of Sundinit!

"Thank you," she said more sweetly than she had been acting before, and then she sat down again on the very edge of her seat and opened it.

And when she read it, well... Even if it was from Sundinit, she took offense to being called something other than a doctor. Sure, some of her interests might be better suited for an Apothecary or an Alchemist, but she didn't limit herself. And her purpose was to make sure the sick and wounded did not stay so. She was a doctor first and foremost. But even this was soon overlooked. In her hand she held an adventure, and the thought of it made her stomach churn. It was true she had been thinking about venturing out from here, but she hadn't thought something would just land in her lap, much less something from King Shavlon!

"Well, Irie, what does it say!?" Sylvia's voice broke her out of the letter.

"Yes, um," Irie wasn't sure how to put it in words. "This um 'M' says that King Shavlon of Sundinit recognizes me and wants me to go to Ancor. Sylvia, the plains!" Irie had not been beneath the open sky too often, and when she did, it was always a grand event. "It doesn't say what for, though," Irie continued, holding out the letter to Sylvia in case she was interested in reading it. Then, she lowered her voice and said, "And if I do go, it sounds like I might not be coming back for a long time." It was a strange thought. She knew these weren't her people -- halflings were not elves in any way -- but they had been her family. She had grown up with Sylvia and the other doctors. "And why would they want me, Sylvia? they have plenty of Alchemists in Sundinit."
 
Albert nodded at Lynden's statements. "Believe me, Lynd, I've tried to tell them multiple times that we could be of service, in fact, we want to be of service. But they will not allow us to help. They say 'You're not knights yet' or 'You only a kid'...bothersome knights, I hope we never turn out like that." Albert crossed his arms and scuffed his feet.

"Look! The Queen!"Cecil shouted above the crowd. Sure enough, Queen Glarriva sat atop a regal white steed surrounded by four of the Queen's Guard. Lynden knew the four men from his father's gatherings, Alfred, William, Paul, and Henry. "Seems the council decided to finally let our Queen in on something, eh?"

 The Queen was as beautiful as ever, but now she had a determined look of a leader on her face. Under that determination was a look of slight sadness and worry. She was thinking of Lynden, of course, and if he would have awoken by now. She rode past the knights guarding the town and dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "I did NOT order this! These are our people!" Could be heard as she dismissed the guards and made her way to the box where the rabble-rouser was standing.


"Might I have a word with my people?"She asked the man politely. The man, baffled that the Queen would actually come to this town, nodded with his mouth agape in awe.


"Thank you. People of Lumina!" The queen spoke in a loud commanding voice. "I assure you that everything is under control! My council acted upon their own accord and had this village placed under lockdown without my permission! I assure you that you all are safe and that the dragon has been banished from our lands. Our dragon riders are a key advantage on the field of battle, and should we lose them, dragons far more powerful than the one who attacked three days ago will be able to strike easily. It is because of these dragon riders that we can track, capture, banish, and kill other dragons in out kingdom with ease." Glarriva turned to see people's expressions. Most were simply honored that the Queen would make an appearance so far from the castle. Some were nodding in agreement.

"Please, I emplore you all, try to understand. From here on out, in the name of our goddess Jazel, I open all routes to and from this village so that friend and commerce alike may flow through the veins of Lumina once again and keep her living!" The crowd clapped and nodded as the queen looked through the crowd. Her gaze stopped on Lynden and she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes but not falling.


"You're all right..." She whispered and placed her hand on her heart as if to slow the rapid beating. She climbed back onto her horse and trotted to her knights. They would not allow her out of their sight, but they would allow her to roam freely. She said some things to her knights and pointed at Lynden. It was like a spell too hold of Paul and he immediately rushed over to Lynden.

"Lynden, M'lady wishes a word with you. If you would accompany us she promises not to take up too much of your time." Paul tilted his head and waved Lynden on, so he would know to walk ahead of the knight.

The crowd was very talkative. Many people were whispering about how the queen spoke truthfully and that when she stood upon the platform, all of their anger had subsided. Others spoke of how she didn't even have to say anything to convince them that the dragon riders would cause more good than harm, they were just got swept up in the commotion. Even the man who initiated the whole scenario had tears streaming down his cheeks for even he knew that the Queen only wanted what was best for her people and she would never do anything to harm them. This was very evident when she spoke. Her words were true and everybody could tell that she meant them.

Should Lynden go see Glarriva, they would step away from the crowd, blocked from anyone who might wish to speak with the Queen by the knights. Glarriva would dismount her horse and hug Lynden tightly for a moment then let him go. "How are you feeling? Steven told me all about what happened...Are you well enough to be outside?"
 
The commodore's flagship had pulled up to the seadrake and the crews were hard at work celebrating. Eiso had no problem navigating the dark skies toward the ships. "Is something wrong?" Anzo Blinked twice, surprised by Eiso's observation. "Don't tell me it's nothing, whats bothering you?" Anzo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had planned on telling Eiso about what had happened with the mage at some point, but being asked so abruptly had caught him off guard and he didn't know where to start. " I freed the crew on the sea drake and we rushed on deck" His throat tightened."A mage killed three of us before i could stop him. I... couldn't beat him, he washed every one from the deck." Eiso listened silently." He taunted me.. and it worked. I lost control." She waited patiently for him to explain." I drew all the moisture from his body. I could have stopped when he passed out but i didn't. I...I liked watching him die. It was like some how by killing him it would prove to myself that I wasn't weak or some one to be cast aside." Anzo ran a hand through his hair. " I'm not good at explaining it. look all i know is I killed him, not because I had to, but because I wanted to see him die for making me feel weak, and was willing to do anything to wipe that smirk off his face." He hung his head ruefully. "I think fighting pirates for so long is changing me. Killing didn't use to be this easy. Now i see A ship full of pirates as fodder for me to tear through." Anzo became silent. There was barely any moon tonight, and the sea was as dark as his mood. They were quiet for a time. "If it where not for you more men would be dead. good men. If you could kill without remorse, and could wield such power without questioning yourself, then I would worry for you. You feel ashamed because you killed a dangerous man who had killed three of your friends and probably scores of others? Even if you had spared him don't think Captain Wroth would have. He would have been too dangerous to let wake up." Eiso's voice softened. "You are a good elf. We stand up for those who can't protect themselves. And some times, we are vengeance against those who would rape and kill innocence. We haven't chosen an easy life, but it's a life that we share. And there is no one I'd rather share it with." the waves against the ships below and the revelry became louder. "Thank you" Anzo whispered.


A minute later as they made the final decent to the party that had broken out on the deck of the Seadrake they heard a shout."Ahoy, my boy! Come on down and have a chat with me!" Anzo smiled, shrugging away his self doubt . He was still unsure about himself, but Eiso had spoken the truth. She was his anchor in his turbulent life and he trusted her assessment. Eiso Landed beside The Commondore and Captain Wroth, Anzo floating down beside her."I wan't you to come with me! Wroth said you're a damn fine mage and I saw it for myself just moments ago. I like your style!" The commodore was straight to the point. " Anzo was taken aback. The Commodore was well know around the world as the finest traveling elf to ever go to sea. Being asked by the Commodore to join him was a great honor and the opportunity of a lifetime. But what of Captain Wroth? He had already lost so many men today, and Anzo had been through so much with him. This would only increase the burden on those still alive. Anzo looked to him. Capt. Wroth simply smiled and nodded. He was proud of the mage and although he would be sad to see him leave, this would be a major step in the young bright elf's life. He patted Anzo on the back and said, "Speak up, the Commodore wants an answer!" Anzo breathed deeply then replied,"I would be honored to serve you Commodore, but i am afraid that my life isn't my own." Anzo smiled." There is one above all other to whom I am beholden and it is she who I must ask." Turning to Eiso Anzo asked," So what do you think?" Eiso Eyed the Commodore for a bit before cooing " Yes, I think he will take good care of you." "There you have it then!" Anzo's smile flashed at the commodore," We would be honored to accept your offer."
 

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Sylvia frowned when Irie said that she might not return for a long time. She listened to her friend's questions and concerns. She knew that Irie wanted to leave this city. It was something Sylvia tried not to think about too often, but it seems that the time had come for Sylvia to finally speak on this subject...

"They probably wish you to attend because you are the best. Plain and simple. You haven't published books, but you dabble in everything medicine, from surgery to healing magics to alchemy! You have a great knowledge that, when used correctly, could very well create something that this world has never dreamed of. Something that could benefit every person on this planet! Irie, I look up to you...not literally but you know..." The elf chuckled. "You deserve more than this hospital. Your skills have outgrown us, you're destined for more than this..."

A tear ran down Sylvia's cheek as she essentially told her best friend that it was okay to leave this city.

"But if you do leave, you better come back and see us! I want to see you in person before I see your face in a text book!" The elf laughed, wiping away her tears...unyielding optimism. The other doctors in the clinic had been listening in. The chief surgeon, Kael, approached Irie and knelt down to level with her.

"Your friend is right, Irie. You're the best doctor we have here at the hospital, but you've gotten too good for us. Soon enough you will be making me look bad! We can't have that, so I can speak for all of us when I say, we will understand if you wish to leave. Of course we will miss you...but you've grown up here...we're kind of like your parents, I suppose, and all good parents know when to let their children go out on their own." The kind elf placed his hand on Irie's tiny shoulder. "You're going to do something amazing out there. I know it." He stood up with a smile on his face and walked back to desk, leaving Irie to respond to her friend. This could very well be one of the last times she saw her friend and this city. She might not set our for her adventure immediately, but the clock was against her. She had a time limit.
 
Lynden didn't take his eyes off the crowd as Albert spoke, and his words just made his face look more determined. He took a step towards the podium, but Cecil's yell broke his stride.

The Priestess Queen Glarriva along with four of royal guard. Instantly a breath of fresh air filled his lungs, acting as a second wind. But as soon as it entered, it vanished. As the queen appeared Lynden looked to her with sad eyes.

Her talk calmed the crowd enough to prevent a riot at the least. Appealing using the practicality of the dragon riders was a smart move. When her soft gaze fell on him, he held it for a moment, but her earnest expression cause him to look away.

Then one of the men Lynden knew from his Father came to them.


"Lynden, M'lady wishes a word with you. If you would accompany us she promises not to take up too much of your time."

He nodded to him, and turned to Albert, and discretely gave him a playfully goofy smile, then followed the knight back to the Queen. The knights acted as a wall to prevent the crowd from reaching the queen. He was prepared to bow, but the queen instead embraced him tightly. Lynden's body stiffened, but the he relaxed and embraced her back.

"How are you feeling? Steven told me all about what happened...Are you well enough to be outside?"

"Physically? I'm fine. A healer saw to me... Apparently... But..." Lynden looked away from her, back to the house that he woke in. "My mentors died... The people who essentially raised me are gone forever, and when confronted with their killer, I could do nothing... I overexerted myself, and because of it I could do nothing." He looked to his bare feet. "I suppose I'm just in mourning..."
 
"Wonderful! Anzo, my boy, you have a grand adventure ahead of you! Wroth, you have my gratitude for releasing such a promising young pupil!" The commodore was quite thrilled to have Anzo. He showed a lot of promise and had even more potential.

"Only the best for you, sir." Wroth said to his Commodore. He then looked towards Anzo. "I put in a good word for ya a while back, that's why the Commodore was coming to visit today...the day we found you ten years ago." Wroth slapped Anzo on the back, a gesture of thanks and happiness all in one. This was as close to crying as wroth would ever get. Anzo was very much like the son that Wroth never had. And as any good father, he wanted nothing but the best for Anzo.

"I enjoyed having you on board. Now go on, and don't screw this up!" Wroth could barely look at his mate as he sent him away towards a better future.

"Yes yes! You shall love it! We are first heading to a small town called Ancor! Some 'M' character has summoned me for my alchemy skills, but I don't believe I will be attending. You will! Haha! How's your alchemy, m'boy!?" The Commodore laughed aloud, not really sure about the mage's alchemy skill, but he knoew that the Mage could learn a lot while on board the Pangaian Paradise. They were about two weeks at sea and two weeks on foot away from the town.

The Commodore would lead Anzo across the gangplanks onto the large flagship. It was splendid. There were so many people, it was almost like a little city. "Welcome Aboard" could be heard coming from all around Anzo. This was his new family. They filled this vessel's two galleys, ten full bunk rooms, three studies, one laboratory, and one navigation room. The five masted ship was not only huge, it also had one of the best crews assembled on all of the five seas! Now Anzo was a part of that family, thanks to Wroth.

 
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