Note that this story does not / probably will not fit in with PS2 Drakan's story line and is pulled directly from the forums. ATOD is written by Drakan fans and is no way connected to Surreal software. This is the sequel to Drakan in story form for people who are not going to play the PS2 version as far as I'm concerned. The story is now finished so read it and enjoy!

Note that there is another tale called 'Drakan2 the fan fiction' - both these tales are set after the game ended and conflict with each other. Ill leave it up to you to decide which one you like best and what you would rather happen to our heroes after the game!

Authors;  CYA Wolf, Lord.stone, Metaldragon, W_knight, Sapphire night, Shadow of Light, Arokh's Twin, Aungy

A young boy and his grandfather sit by a fire; the night is dark and chilly, the cold air hangs clammy around them. Like the grip of an unseen hand.

The old man smokes a pipe and watches his grandson with wizened eyes. A calm smile upon his craggy face. He taps the fire with a stick and chuckles softly as the boy sees images within the flames.

"What is it you see my Grandson?"

"I see shapes within the fire, what does that mean?"

The old man smiles once more and nods remembering the images he saw many years earlier. "You see shapes, what shapes do you see?"

"I see, Dragons."

The old man once more chuckles and nods. "Dragons eh boy, Dragons?"

Slightly bemused by his grandfather's tone he looks at the old man and raises a questioning brow. "Dragons are what I see."

Again the old man nods once more and sighs, "I used to see Dragons once, a long time ago, when I was your age. I saw them in my dreams and in the odd vision or two; I never did understand what those images meant though." Another wind-like sigh. "They were the most magnificent of creatures. Most wondrous."

The boy sits and listens, wide eyed and full of wonder himself. His face lit by the slow flickering of the fire.

"What happened to the Dragon's Grandfather?"

"Some say they left the lands after the fall of Navaros. Some say they died at the very same time. No one really knows."

Lifting his chin to look at his grandfather the youngster nodded his assent. Just then a shadow passed across the moon and flickered across the ground. It looked to them both, like the form of a Dragon, some kind of large one, and upon the back of this creature. A woman sat, in dark armour, hair loose and flowing.

"Grandfather?"

"Just a shadow." Said the old man. "Just a shadow."

but the boy was not so sure. He wanted to look.

Of course, the grandfather would not let the boy out and sent him to his bed to sleep.

The boy could not close an eye, because he was sure he saw something pass.

In the middle of the night the boy got out of his bed, and sneaked past his grandfather to see what was outside.

It was freezing outside, and the boy did not see a thing. He walked out for a short distance and saw a shadow going over the ground.

When he looked up, the boy could not believe his eyes. He saw a real dragon flying above his head. And it seemed a young woman was riding the dragon.

Not thinking of what might happen, the boy ran in the direction the dragon went.

The boy ran following the dragon and its rider for what seemed like hours.

Soon, as the moon was setting, the boy watched as the dragon and its rider descended behind the mountain ahead.

The boy climbed the mountain and looked down into a valley that he was sure was not there before. Below him he could hear snippets of conversation carried up by the wind.

The boy climbed down further wanting to investigate the voices.

Hiding in some ferns, he peered out to see that the voices were coming from the dragon and its rider!

Straining to listen in on the conversation, the boy lost his footing and fell right in between the dragon and its rider!

The boy shivered with fear as the dragon turned and looked down on him.

The great Dragon looked down at the boy and a singular eyeridge rolled upwards. He craned his neck down slightly and blinked.

It was a blink that seemed to last forever to the boy.

The woman watched this child with some amusement and chuckled softly to herself. Eyes falling on the Dragon.

"Hello young one." She said with a slight smile.

"H---h---ello?" replied the scared youngster. Keeping a watchful eye on the Dragon.

The scared boy cowered down ever so slightly. Knowing he had been spotted the boy did not bother to conceal himself. He stood in plan view before the majestic beast. The beast looked him over. Yes this be the boy we have been in search of.

The dragon then utters a few indecipherable words... The boy’s eyes suddenly become heavy, as it occurs to him, the beast had said a phrase of magic.

The boy slowly growing wary, falls to the floor. The rider then speaks, "that was much to easy, are ye sure he is the one?"

The dragon cranes it's neck back, "of course he’s the chosen, I have yet to make a mistake all these years, what makes you think I would start now. Retrieve his lifeless body before he awakes."

The woman surveyed the fallen boy and quickly went towards him. Enfolding the child in her arms, gathering him gently.

The Dragon watched her with glittering obsidian eyes. Curving his mouth into a slight smile.

"Reminds you of Delon? does he?"

Rynn looked at Arokh and back to the boy, the Dragon was correct, he did remind her of Delon a little, perhaps that brought out her maternal instinct a little.

"We need to get going Rynn, the Wartoks will be coming for him soon, lead by Rathek. We need to fly now!" Arokh's tone was impatient and would brook no argument.

Rathek surveyed the scene before him, taking in the indentations in the snow, noting the dead, and watching the shadow of the great dragon fly across the moon. "They escaped us," he said in his deep voice, scowling at the retreating figures, "Lord Navaros will be most displeased at this turn of events, as will Queen Rakana." He turned to the Warthoks in his party, noting with disgust the stains on most of their uniforms from eating, and fighting. He himself was pristine, a very uncommon trait among his brethren, and actually had some intelligence. This was to his advantage, as no one ever expected that he knew anything other than how to hit things with a club, or an axe...

Rynn looked back over her shoulder, the memories of the yells of the Warthoks still reverberating in her mind. She had just picked up the sleeping boy and placed him on Arokh's back when the arrow whizzed past her head, barely missing her. She had immediately drawn the sword, Runeblade, and turned to face her foe, intent on protecting the child. The 5 orc's had reached her first, being smaller and faster, more able to get through the brush than the larger more clumsy warthoks. Rynn knew her only chance was to dispatch them quickly and escape on Arokh before the others arrived. Moving swiftly forward, she dodged the first strike, rolling towards her opponent and neatly slicing his arm off as she jumped out of her roll, turning and cutting off his head as she did. She turned to the closer 2, who stood staring dumbfounded at their fallen comrade. Taking quick advantage, the swordswoman moved in for the kill, neatly stabbing the first one, pulling her sword out and swiping the second one in half. She did a neat back flip and landed behind the 4th orc, not noticing the one sneaking up behind her as she dispatched the one in front of her until a burst of hot flame caused him to explode behind her. Startled, she turned to Arokh. "Just watching your back," said the dragon with a wry smile. "After all, it's technically mine as well." Smiling, Rynn jumped onto Arokh's back, holding the boy in front of her so that he wouldn't fall as Arokh shot of into the air, away from the curses of the warthoks left on the ground...

The boy felt himself struggling through the comforting darkness surrounding his mind. "Sleep, sleep, sleep..." it seemed to say, and for a while he was content to listen and dream. But no matter which way his thoughts turned, there was always a dragon.

A dragon! He fought harder against the sleep and gradually made out sensations beyond those in his mind. He was sitting on something smooth and warm, and there was something holding him fast around the waist. Wind was rushing past his face and whipping through his hair - he could hear it whistling through something nearby. The harder he listened, the more convinced he became that what he was hearing was wings.

Involuntarily, he gasped aloud and snapped his eyes open to stare in stark disbelief at the long, ruby-scaled neck of the dragon stretching out in front of him, and its great, crested head, backlit by the stars in the midnight sky.

"He's awake," a woman's voice said from just behind him.

"He's stronger that I expected," the dragon replied, and the boy could hear the deep voice rumbling through the winged creature's entire body.

"Don't be frightened," the woman said before the boy could so much as blink. "I'm Rynn. My winged friend here is called Arokh."

"A dragon!" the boy said, all fear lost in his sudden excitement. "A real dragon! My grandfather said that none lived here anymore because of Navaros!"

"Not many," Arokh corrected. He tilted his wings slightly.

"What is your name?" Rynn asked, for the boy had fallen silent at hearing the dragon speak.

"Auraki," the boy almost whispered.

"Was there any reason why you stumbled into us when you should be at your own home?"

"I...just wanted to see the dragon. I've been seeing them all day - even at home in grandfather's fire."

"Where do you live, Auraki?" Arokh asked suddenly. His neck craned around to fix the boy with a single, flaming eye.

Auraki shrank back slightly, huddling into Rynn. As fascinated as he was with dragons, he was just as obviously afraid of them, Rynn thought with amusement.

"Grandfather's house is down by the fork of the Sendii River," Auraki said at last. "In the Valley of Khel."

"Rathek!" Arokh snarled.

"That's where the wartoks were headed!" Rynn shouted. "Arokh, quickly! We must see if we can rescue Auraki's grandfather!"

"If the Dark Union hasn't reached him first," the dragon rumbled, and he swung eastward and sped through the night like a crimson arrow.

Smoke turned the sunrise in the east a sickly gold-grey haze. The fires that had incinerated the tiny village in the Valley of Khel had burned themselves out before dawn, but embers still glowed, and smoke still twisted and writhed in tall columns.

Rynn wiped a hand across her face leaving a black, sooty smudge on her forehead. With a bleak glance at Arokh, who stood nearby, she shook her head.

No one had survived. Man or woman. The children were missing. Auraki, stricken by the carnage, had only been able to nod when they found the body of his grandfather - impaled on a wartok spear.

"This is too familiar," Rynn said softly to the dragon. "Too much like home. I hoped never to see something like this again."

Arokh shifted his huge wings and glanced over where Auraki stood some distance away, near a grave he and Rynn had dug for the boy's grandfather. "He is the one the wartoks are looking for," the dragon rumbled softly. "You can't sense it, but there is great power in him. Elemental power rivalling - if not surpassing - the Guardian Magi."

"Like Rimril?" Rynn looked stunned. "But Auraki is just a boy!"

"And his power will grow. There is no stopping it."

"So what do we do? We can't let him fall into the hands of Rathek and the Dark Union, that's for sure."

"I don't know." Arokh sighed heavily and smoke wisped from his mouth. "Times past he'd be trained by the Magi, but there are none left, as you know."

Rynn pursed her lips. "Could you teach him?"

Arokh shrugged and lowered his head. "I do not know. I am a dragon. He is a human." He paused. "There used to be a test - much like the one you took to join the Order of the Flame, but I don't know where it is. Or even if it still exists."

"Even the vaguest idea?" Rynn asked, her heart sinking.

"It's in the lands occupied by the Dark Union," Auraki's voice said.

Both Rynn and Arokh turned, startled.

"How do you know that?" the dragon demanded.

The boy didn't shrink back like before. His face was dirty and tear-streaked, his eyes dull. "Grandfather... read the old legends to me," he said, faltering a little. "We both thought they were just bed-time stories..."

Rynn knelt beside the boy. "Auraki, where is the Magi test?"

"Grandfather used to have a map..."

Opening her pack, Rynn pulled out a large map and unfolded it. "We're here," she said, pointing. "The Valley of Khel. Can you read?"

Auraki nodded, then rubbed his eyes and looked closely at the map. "It's-"

"RYNN! STEP ASIDE!" Fire blasted from Arokh's jaws at his last word, and Rynn leaped forward, sheltering Auraki with her body. The map, inevitably, went flying and was burned to ash along with the two orcs that had been sneaking up. The noise that echoed through the valley was very...very...loud.

"I think we better get moving," Rynn said. "Auraki, will you please come with us?" The answer wouldn't change the outcome, but she preferred asking. She knew what rebellious little boys could be like.

"Where're we going?" he sniffed.

"To the Tower of the Guardian Magi," Arokh said, lowering one wing to help the two humans onto his back. "And to stop the ones who did this to your home."

Auraki only nodded, then Rynn had him up in front of her. "It's Northeast," he said in a subdued voice. "A long way Northeast."

"By foot, maybe," Arokh replied, leaping into the air. "But perhaps not by air!"

Auraki didn't answer.

Queen Rakana was displeased.

Displeased, however, was the politically correct way of describing it. 'Screaming fit of rage' was closer to the mark, though no one, not even the stupidest wartok, would be caught dead saying that in the hearing of the Queen of the Succubi.

Rakana sat on her high throne, red, bat-like wings folded around herself, and glared at Rathek through a thick tangle of silver-blonde hair. She should have known that this ugly oaf, no matter how intelligent Navaros had said he was, still had the brains of a wartok. Stupid, pathetic, UGLY...

"I suspect I know where they're going," Rathek said, small eyes watching the Queen for any danger signs. The Queen felt insecure, more so by the recent failure to capture this so-called powerful human child, and was likely to decree execution of anyone she felt was trying to take her throne. Even a wartok.

"Where?" Rakana demanded ungraciously. She raked back some hair with her claw-like hands.

"The Tower of the Death Magi," Rathek replied with a faint smile. "Formerly of the Guardian Magi, as you know, your Majesty." He bowed as she scowled at him. "It's exactly what we wanted, though with a different escort."

Rakana mulled this over, eyes narrowing. "The Test will still work to the devising of the Death Magi?"

"It will, unless someone changes it." Rathek grinned, exposing his tusks. "But who knows about it, except for the Dark Union? There are no legends save that the Tower was taken by Navaros. Only one Magi fled, and he's dead."

"Rimril, yes, I know." How could she not? She'd been the one to lead the attack on him. She'd also been the one to give that human-girl Rynn directions to the throne-room when Shilla, jealous of Rakana's victory (and survival) had banished her from the baths. No one knew that, though. Except for the girl, of course.

"Someone must send word to the Tower that the Death Magi must leave it at once," Rathek advised. "It may be suspicious to find their tower of magic infested with Lord Navaros' Magi."

Rakana shrugged and looked at her bodyguard - an Ebon Knight. "Give him the key."

The knight unfolded its massive, steel-clad arms, opened a huge, gauntletted hand and dropped a glittering key of grimstone on the floor before Rathek.

"That's the key to the Grimstone portals, Rathek," Rakana told him. "It will take you directly to the Tower. Do what you will."

Rathek bowed and swept up the key in the same motion. As he left, Rakana called out:

"Oh, Rathek..."

The wartok turned. "Yes, your Majesty?"

"How can you be so sure our little boy is headed for the Tower?"

"I heard them say so, your Majesty," he replied, grinning again. "They never saw me."

Rakana looked at him bulk, privately doubting it though having no way to prove otherwise, then shrugged again and proceeded to ignore him.

Her mood had suitably improved. If this boy became as good a Death Magi as Navaros thought he would, maybe she'd be gifted with immortality after all...

The flight to the Tower was longer than Arokh had anticipated. Three days passed before they reached the border of the Dark Union lands, and another two before a large, stump-like structure appeared on a barren hillside, battlements broken jagged and reaching for the moons like a claw.

The red dragon hovered for a minute as he and Rynn glanced around to check for foes, then he landed and the two humans slid off his back.

Auraki rubbed his eyes and yawned. Arokh may not have needed to sleep during the flight (he said he could go at least a week without getting tired), but sleeping on a dragon was hardly comfortable. Rynn hadn't been much better with her dragon armour.

"There's no one here," Rynn said. "I'll check inside." She knelt before Auraki. "I need you to stay here with Arokh, all right?"

The boy had gotten over his wariness of the ancient dragon, and only nodded as he yawned again. He wrapped the cloak Rynn had given him around his shoulders and sat down against Arokh's left foreclaw.

"We'll wait for you here," Arokh said. He crouched down, extended one wing over the boy to shield him from the light, and winked at Rynn.

Sentimental fool, Rynn thought with a smile. She drew Runeblade and jogged to the tower, using the excersise to stretch out her muscles after the long hours of inactivity.

The tower was a straight, tall, cylindrical building of dark stone and it seemed to have no windows. Unwholesome fungi were growing up one side, and the door was missing. Inside it was dark.

Rynn paused to light a torch, then snuck in, absently smushing a spider on a wall. There were a couple of doors in here and a staircase leading up in a spiral that hugged the tower wall. Rynn cracked open both doors and found rooms of scrolls and books. Odd, she thought. They should have rotted away long ago. Unless they're enchanted.

The only thing she found worth her attention was a lone wartok in the kitchen on the second floor. Drunk on the job, he staggered unsteadily to his feet as Rynn's torchlight alerted him, made a few awkward swings with his half-full tankard (sloshing Rynn with a unique blend of wartok ale) then keeled over as she ran him through.

On the highest level, there was a glowing portal - a vortex like the one in Rimril's tower, only dark green. She wondered if it was always kept open like this, then noticed a black pedestal with the imprint of a hand on it.

Shrugging, she put her own hand to the pedestal.

A strange, ghostly-sounding voice came from nowhere. "You have the power to become a Mage. Step into the portal to begin your test and training."

Rynn blinked. She could become a Mage? She wondered what Arokh would say to that! Did the world need a new Guardian Mage? She paused and thought for a minute, then decided to talk it over with Arokh. There might be rules about this sort of thing.

It took her a few minutes to get down all the stairs, but she was soon back outside in the somewhat fresher air. Auraki was asleep, so she told Arokh what she'd seen.

"There were Guradian Magi who were Bonded," Arokh noted. "If you were told you have the potential, I certainly won't stand in your way. The magic you learn would definitely be useful."

Rynn nodded. "That's what I thought. Though I'll never equal you," she added.

Arokh snorted. "The day you do is the day I retire."

Rynn sat down against the dragon's chest and sighed, laying Runeblade across her knees. "I guess we'll find out if I have what it takes tomorrow."

She closed her eyes.

"Good luck to both of you," Arokh rumbled. He blinked a few times in the weak mid-morning light, scratching absently at one of his flanks with a hindclaw. "I hope you won't mind if I go back to sleep."

"Tired?" Rynn grinned.

Arokh yawned at her, revealing his impressive array of teeth. "You didn't spend six days carrying two humans half-way across the world!" He sniffed. "If you two become Magi, you might actually be able to pull some of the weight around here."

Rynn laughed. "We'll wake you when we get back."

Arokh muttered something and tucked his head under a wing. "Try not to get yourself killed."

"You too," the woman replied in a wry tone. She motioned to Auraki and the two of them walked up to the tower. "Sleep well?" she asked him.

Auraki rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. I had strange dreams."

Small wonder. After all the poor child had been through... "Want to tell me about them?"

"I keep seeing dragons."

Rynn's brows shot up. "You mean Arokh?"

"No...yes...I don't know. I see him and lots of other dragons. Gold ones, green ones, black ones... ones that look like skeletons. Then there was one huge one with four heads. It...scared me."

Navaros? Rynn kept her expression calm so she wouldn't scare the boy. What did this mean? Atimar had always told Rynn that dreams were prophetic. What of this one? "Go on," she said levelly.

"There was talking," Auraki said. "I can't remember the words, though. You know how dreams are." He paused. "No, I remember one thing clearly. The four-headed dragon said to me, 'Which do you want?'" He crossed the threshold of the tower entrance and darkness covered him.

Rynn followed after and lit her torch, then led the way up the stairs. "Would you call it a nightmare?"

Suddenly, the boy smiled. "No. I was flying, Rynn. And there was the most beautiful girl with me - like an angel. Golden hair and amazing wings... Only the four-headed dragon was scarey. Maybe it was a nightmare and a dream."

Rynn shrugged, thinking it possible. She'd had nightmares about spiders often enough. Most of the time, these nightmares ended in some kind of wonderful fantasy about her dashing around and putting an end to the arachnid population with Runeblade and Arokh forever.

The two reached the top of the tower and stood in front of the pedestal. The greenish rift was still there, swirling in the floor.

"What do we do?" Auraki asked.

"We touch this pedestal then jump into that vortex. Do you want to go first, or will I?"

The boy looked excited at the prospect of being the first new Guardian Mage. "I'll go!" Then he seemed afraid. "Will you come with me?"

"I'll be right behind you," Rynn promised with a smile. "Let's go!"

Auraki grinned. It was the first happy expression Rynn had seen on the boy since his village had been slaughtered.

He stood before the pedestal, reached up and touched the imprint of the hand. When the ghostly voice proclaimed his worthiness to continue, he walked around to stand on the edge of the vortex, gave Rynn a brave smile, held his breath and jumped.

There was a faint hiss as he vanished beneath the black-green swirls.

Rynn repeated what Auraki had done, hoping that the voice wouldn't say she couldn't follow because someone was already in there. It didn't. She stepped to the edge of the rift, drew in a deep lungful of air and jumped after the boy...

As Rynn disappeared into the portal, a slight noise began in the room, as Death Magi emerged seemingly from nowhere. These magi were different than the ones typically seen. Like the others, they had no lower bodies, resembling floating half-mummies. The odd thing was that in each one was a heart, each one a different colour, pumping blood the same colour as the heart. In the group, there were 5 Death Magi total. Had Rynn and Arokh not been so tired, they would surely have sensed them. As they emerged, each drifted to a spot in the room, forming a five-pointed star directly in front of the green swirling portal. At each point was a magi with a heart that matched an element. A magi with a green heart for earth, one with a red heart for fire, blue for water, and purple for air. One magi stood out, because his was not any single colour. It was all four of the others, swirling together. As they took their places, they began to chant words in a foreign tongue, a language so old that even Arokh would not have known it, all save the one with the multi-coloured organ. As the chant continued, he began to glow, a foul ugly brown, the colour of dried decaying blood. As it appeared that the glow would envelop the room itself, the Mage flew into the portal, as the remaining four disappeared, dead, the portal closing as they faded....

It was almost exactly the same as the one Rynn had gone through to join the Order of the Flame.

First was a large body of Water, which the two had swum across with little difficulty. Rynn had been a little encumbered with Runeblade, but her armour was light enough. What caught her attention was that the water was so cold. Deathly cold. Almost freezing.

But when they got across, they found themselves back on the side they'd come from.

"Wh-what d-did we d-do wrong?" Auraki chattered, rubbing his arms.

"I guess we're n-not meant to swim across," Rynn said. "Maybe we're s-supposed to use magic." She stood up, dripping, and went to the water's edge. Telling everything she knew, all her logic, to shut up, she stepped onto the rippling surface.

And didn't sink.

She took another step.

Then Auraki was beside her.

"I get it now," he said. And practically skipped the rest of the way, grinning in excitement.

It was with relief that Rynn and Auraki entered the test of Fire. They even spent a few minutes just sitting in the heat until they dried out, before it started to grow so hot it was hard to bear.

Rynn had already decided that they weren't going to like this test, because it was obvious they were expected to walk through the fire itself to reach the passage beyond. And if you lost concentration here...

Auraki smiled, looked at the hesitant Rynn with gleaming eyes and asked, "Ready?" Then he walked straight into the fire and disappeared.

Rynn felt her throat close for a second. Just watching the boy walk into fire... "Auraki?" she shouted.

"Come on, Rynn! I think the next test is Earth!"

Well, the dragonrider thought rather morbidly. If I'm lucky, my armour will protect most of me...

She took a few steps back, blanked her mind of the belief that fire is meant to burn, scald, hurt, and generally disfigure, then ran forward and jumped through the crackling flames.

Then she was crouched on the other side, heart pounding.

Auraki was instantly trying to drag her to her feet. "Come one! Don't you want to be a Guardian Mage?"

Rynn wished she had his enthusiasm. And youth.

The two arrived at the next test, which was Earth. A deceptively smooth length of barren ground with another passage at the far end.

"This one is easy," Auraki said confidently. "Just don't think anything bad will happen, and it won't." So saying, he walked across with no trouble.

Rynn groaned inwardly as images of earthquakes sparked in her mind. She started across...and hear a splitting noise. The ground started to shake.

"Don't think!" Auraki shrieked.

She couldn't help it. She tripped and rolled forward. The ground in front of her cracked. "Time to do this the old fashioned way," she muttered, and sprang forward with a leap. Skidding left as the ground opened a pit in her path, she sprinted up a sheer rise that had suddenly appeared and jumped toward the passage, barely grabbing the threshold with her hands.

Auraki, wide-eyed with fear, bent down to try and help her up. "Are you ok?"

"As long as," Rynn gasped, "the ground doesn't decide to close."

When she said that, it did.

Auraki pulled desperately at her hands as the earth started to climb and fall back to its original smoothness. Sharp rocks began to close in on Rynn, and she found a foothold and flipped up into the passage, breathing hard.

"Air," she panted. "Second last test, I think. Let's go or I'll just give up here."

The test of Air was much like the test of Earth. One had to walk over nothing to reach the other side. Rynn looked over the edge once on the off chance she'd be able to see the bottom, and wished she hadn't. Very long, very sharp spikes.

"It's a wonder there were any Guardian Magi at all," she muttered to herself, and watched with something close to disgust as Auraki walked calmly to the next passage. "No wonder the Dark Union wants him so badly. He makes it look so damn easy." The thought suddenly made her smile. Delon had been so proud of doing things he was good at...

Rynn took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and walked forward. She kept the firm thought of 'ground' in her mind. Smooth, safe, solid.

"You made it!" Auraki said, touching her arm. "Last test!"

Rynn stifled a sigh of pure relief. She smiled at the boy, trying to be enthusiastic for his benefit. "I'll race you."

...and shadowing them through the tests was the skeletal apparition of a Death Mage, a sickening red-brown glow pulsing where its heart should have been.

Rynn didn't know why, but the second she set foot in the final test room she felt a great sense of unease. The room was cavernous, circular, and had only two things in it that looked remotely interesting.

One was a carving on the floor of a large triangle, smaller triangles overlapping each of its three points.

In the middle of the largest triangle was a rectangular box, almost like a coffin, made of gold-coloured wood. When Rynn and Auraki looked up, they could see the lid hovering high above.

"I have no idea what this test is," Rynn admitted. "I thought it would be like the one I went through when I got the rift crystal."

"I'll go first," Auraki said. "I think you have to lie down in that box."

The uneasy feeling intensified, and Rynn wondered if this was some kind of test on life and death. Maybe you had to die and someone bring yourself back to life. That couldn't be possible... otherwise Rimril would still be alive.

"Go ahead," she said. "But I have a bad feeling. If it looks like something's going to happen, I'm getting you out of there. Deal?"

Auraki nodded and jumped into the box, lying down in its polished interior.

The lid began its slow descent.

Rynn walked around the box, watching carefully and waiting to see what was on top of the lid. It might give her a clue... When it was almost low enough for her to stand on tip-toes to see, it suddenly gave a jerk and a strange ka-ching noise sounded.

Steel spikes suddenly jutted out from the underside of the lid!

Rynn drew Runeblade and was about to stick it between the lid and the box when something struck her from the side, stealing her breath and knocking her off-balance. Her sword glanced off the lid and it went down faster, now so low that Auraki would not be able to get out without seriously hurting himself.

She heard the boy gasp in fear...

A Death Mage coalesced before her eyes, glowing eyes boring into hers. Rynn was almost transfixed by the sight of the pulsating heart. Keeping her wits, she slashed out with Runeblade but the Mage vanished in a brown-grey whirl to appear directly above the spiked lid of the coffin.

"Rynn! Help!" Auraki shouted, terror in his voice.

Then the lid slammed down with a sickening crunch...

...and the Death Mage started to glow with an intense light.

Inside the coffin Auraki watched the lid lower, gasping when he saw the spikes emerge. He was terrified. As the lid continued to lower, he saw Rynn try to help him, and the Death Mage stop her. Auraki screamed for Rynn to help, but when he saw the Death Mage's heart, a strange calm came over him. The lid was very nearly closed, and as Auraki looked up at it, he simply bent all the spikes, so that none touched his body. His body began glowing slightly, and he looked around the inside of the coffin as much as he could, noting that the spikes were going to block his movement. He said one word, and they disintegrated. As he looked around the inside of the coffin, he began to grow angry. As his anger grew, so did the glow surrounding him. With one defiant shout, he blew the top of the lid off, with such force that it cracked straight down the middle when it hit the wall. Whirling, the Death Mage took in the sight of Auraki floating there, glowing, and actually managed to look astonished. Rynn was speechless for once. Quickly getting over it, she lunged at the Death Mage, wielding the great Runeblade in a death stroke. "NO!" shouted Auraki. Rynn froze, confused but willing to listen. "We have to know what they were up to," Auraki explained, "as well as what has happened to me."

Rynn nodded slowly, realising that something was different in the boy. Holding Runeblade steady and pointed right at the Death Mage's glowing heart, she said, "What has happened?"

The Death Mage looked at her contemptuously and said nothing.

The glow surrounding Auraki suddenly brightened, and the Death Mage flinched back, fear in its burning eyes. "Tell us!" the boy shouted, his voice taking on a strange note of authority.

"The test was changed," the wraith-like figure said finally. "It was changed eons ago, after the Guardian Magi were defeated. This test no longer trains Guardian Magi." It looked at Auraki and its skull face drew into a hideous grin. "It trains us."

Rynn suddenly felt sick.

"Will we be affected?" Auraki demanded.

The mage glanced at Rynn. "You will not," it said, sounding faintly disappointed. "Not even if you had completed the Test of Death. Runeblade is too powerful."

"What about me?" Auraki asked when it fell silent. "WHAT ABOUT ME?"

The Death Mage's ghostly chuckle echoed through the room. "When you die, your soul will belong to Lord of the Dark."

Auraki let out a snarl of denial and lunged forward, sparks of light jumping from his hands, but Rynn managed to throw out a hand to stop him.

"How do you reverse this?" she asked, pushing her sword closer to the mage so that its gleaming point just touched the heart.

"You can't!" the mage answered with a muted scream, half of pain and half of victory. "You can't..!"

Rynn shoved Runeblade forward, and the Death Mage vanished in a wispy swirl of smoke.

"What can we do?" Auraki whispered. "They're going to hunt me..."

"Let's get back to Arokh," Rynn said. "We can protect you, and it seems that your new-found powers are already formidable. We will find a cure for you, Auraki."

He was suddenly a little boy again; young and afraid. "What if we don't?"

"Then we'll find the Lord of the Dark, and kill him before he kills you."

Rynn had half-expected, half-feared that Arokh would be under attack when she and Auraki emerged from the Tower, just as he had been captured when she'd completed Rimril's test. As fortune had it, however, the great red dragon was rolled over on his back with the afternoon sun warming his scaled belly. As the two humans approached, he opened one eye lazily.

"Do you think I enjoy waiting around?" he grumbled.

"It's not my fault you're too fat to fit through the door," Rynn retaliated.

"Fat?!" Arokh's four legs flailed the air as he tried to roll over. When he succeeded, he glared at his bonded human.

"Something went wrong," she said before he could continue to argue. "This place no longer tests Guardian Magi, but Death Magi."

Arokh's head raised in startlement. He looked at both Rynn and Auraki, then asked, "You both look the same to me."

Auraki said in a soft voice, "I completed the Test." He held out one hand and it was suddenly wreathed with violet-blue flames. Just as suddenly, he aborted the spell and looked up into the dragon's eyes. "But I escaped what would have made me a Death Mage. Rynn was protected by her sword."

"Arokh," Rynn said, "if Auraki dies, he will become one of them."

The dragon frowned, a rumble coming up from deep in his throat. He knew the power the boy had, and if it fell into the hands of the Dark Union... "We cannot just hide him."

"I want to fight this Lord of the Dark," Auraki announced.

"That would be difficult," Arokh said carefully, "since he has no mortal form at the moment."

"I think the first thing we should do is find Rathek and get rid of his army," Rynn suggested. "He's the main threat at the moment. If we stop him, we save ourselves a lot of trouble."

"I agree," Arokh rumbled, then he and Rynn looked at Auraki.

The boy blinked, aware that the two were waiting for his agreement or refusal. Now he had come into his powers, whether the Guardian or Death variety, he was an ally. An asset against the Dark Union. "I agree, too," he said at last. "Where will we find this Rathek? Is his a wartok?"

"He is, and he was last at your village," Rynn replied. She rubbed her chin with a mailed fist. "An army travelling for a day could have gone how far..?"

As a green glow shimmered not far across the field and wartoks, orcs and succubi came streaming out, they knew the answer.

This far.

As the agents of the Dark Union came streaming out, Rynn assumed a fighting stance, drawing her sword Runeblade, while Arokh took off into the air to deal with the fliers. Auraki, still unsure of his powers in a way, moved out from behind Rynn, keeping his eyes on the enemy. As they closed in, Rynn leapt to the attack, slicing through orcs and Wartoks, taking down as many as she could. Auraki got his first glimpse of a succubi, and nearly fell down in his shock. His dream! Now he understood that his dream had been prophetic in a way, and that the beautiful winged lady he had seen had in truth been with the Dark Lord, and would now try to kill him. Above him, he saw Arokh roasting, freezing, and electrocuting the airborne succubi, as well as the various dragons that were attacking. Occasionally, when the immediate area around him was cleared, he would let loose with a huge ball of poison gas at the army on the ground, aiding Rynn and Auraki as much as he could while he took care of the air.

As Auraki prepared to really use his new magic, something caused a prickling sensation in the back of his eyes, and he swerved around. As he had suspected, more of the enemy was coming in from behind, thinking to take Rynn by surprise. Auraki shouted a warning to Rynn, and then began to battle the approaching mass. He saw that there were death mages with those that now approached, and wisely took care of them first. A spell came into his mind, and he raised his arms high, floating up a good 10 feet off the ground as he chanted. Suddenly, he let loose with a shout of "Formonus Vinete!" and great surges of power shot from his extended fingertips, seeking out each and every Death Magi, causing agonised screams of disbelief as they disappeared into nothing. Auraki next turned his attention to the other creatures approaching, which appeared to be mostly Wartoks. Summoning up his strength again, Auraki let lose with a terrible cry, filled with pain and sorrow as he unleashed his hurt at the death of his grandfather on the horde of Wartoks in the form of fire, hotter than anything man-made can be, burning the flesh from their bones in seconds, and leaving the field riddled with hundreds of skeletons. Auraki then turned to aid Rynn, who was doing her best with the aid of Runeblade, and was surrounded by dead enemies. Arokh had nearly wiped out the airborne foes, and was battling with one last Dracolich. Firing of a resounding burst of magma, Arokh then proceeded to help Rynn, flying over the company and roasting them. Auraki noticed that Arokh had been injured in various places, and floated up to land on the dragon's back, telling him to relax while he healed him. Arokh, once he got over his surprise, noticed that the pain in his side from one particularly nasty wound was gone, and craned his neck back to see...he was shocked that it was no longer there, not even bruised any longer.

Rynn, down on the ground, was growing tired, though Runeblade transferred vigour and power to her as she fought on, grateful for Arokh's assistance. When at last the army had been defeated, Rynn suddenly felt herself grabbed from behind, her nostrils assailed by the scent of singed leather as she was pulled back against a huge chest. Rathek had somehow managed to sneak up behind Rynn during the fight, and had now managed to secure her, forcing Runeblade from her hand. Arokh, sensing that his bonded was in danger, quickly descended towards her, taking in her situation, and landing in front of them. Rathek had an evil smile on his face, compounded in ugliness by his huge teeth.

"Too bad you landed, it would have been much simpler to have killed her while you were still in the air, turning you into a statue and plummeting both you and the boy down to your deaths. Oh well. I guess that simply means I'll have to break you myself after I slit her throat," said Rathek, pulling a knife from his belt and drawing it close to Rynn...

As the knife drew closer to her neck, Rynn began to glow, a light barely visible blue. Rathek took no notice, keeping his eyes on the dragon and the boy, certain of his victory...until he realised that he couldn't move his arm. In surprise, his grip on Rynn tightened, and he found himself hitting his own chest. Rynn had disappeared, and in her place was a wolf, a solid black coat tinged with deep blue, and Rynn's green eyes. As Rathek prepared to attack, he found that he could no longer move his legs either. Looking down, he saw why. He was sinking, and to top that off, he was being petrified as well. Panic began to show in his eyes as the earth reached his waist, and continued to move up. He began screaming obscenities, as the earth slowly moved up to his neck, barely touching his chin...and stopped. He was buried so that only his head remained above the ground.

"Consider this your fate. You will remain here, prey to whatever comes by, surrounded by the bodies and smells of the rotting corpses of your army. And this is how you will die, with only starvation, thirst, and madness your companions. Enjoy," said the wolf, as it slowly turned back into Rynn. "Let's go guys," she said to Auraki and Arokh, who was for the first time since Rynn had known him speechless...

"Wait!" Rathek howled, spittle flying from his tusks. "Please, I beg of you! Don't leave me here!"

"What?" Rynn demanded, rounding on him with such anger that it almost seemed uncontrolled. "After what you did to Auraki's village? And mine? That's right," she snarled as the wartok's eyes widened in shock. "I recognise you."

"I was following orders!" the creature protested hurriedly. "You should know that no one refuses Lord Navaros!"

Arokh, having momentarily overcome his surprise at Rynn's new powers, was regarding Rathek with the kind of expression one has before lighting a large fire. "Personally, I don't like his new legs." He grinned toothily at the stone stumps Rathek was attached to. "It's more fun to incinerate them when they're moving."

"Oh, I could probably arrange that for you," Rynn said with a chill smile.

"I'll tell you anything," Rathek pleaded. "I had high position on the Dark Lord's council."

The two humans and dragon exchanged long glances. They did need to know how to help Auraki...

"Talk," Rynn ordered. "What's happening with Auraki?"

Rathek took a deep breath, obviously convinced that he wasn't going to die if he told them all he knew. "Lord Navaros wants the boy to serve him as a Death Mage because of his power. It was luck for them that you came of your own volition." He paused to consider his next words, looking at the expressionless Auraki. "Did you go through with the Death test?"

"Most of it," was the dry reply.

"If you die, you will rise as a Death Magi," said Rathek, "but you will still have your free will. Remember that until you, all those who went through the Test wanted to be Death Magi."

"So what can change me back?" Auraki demanded. "Or make me a Guardian Mage?"

"I don't know," the wartok said, his beady eyes gleaming. "But I could find out. Navaros and Rakana trust me completely."

"Who is Rakana?" asked Rynn.

"New Queen of the succubi."

Rynn suddenly smiled. "What's that word you use for killing royalty?"

Arokh was also grinning. "You know, I never had the chance to thank the succubi for their...hospitality."

Auraki was suddenly nodding. "I'd like to meet the girl of my dreams. And express my appreciation for her warm welcome." He gestured at the body-littered field below them.

Rathek said, "I can get you in there." He paused. "The humans, that is. I can activate the grimstone portals to get us in, but the dragon won't fit."

"He'll fit," Rynn said. She looked at Auraki. "You think we can blow a hole big enough for Arokh through the side of a mountain?"

Auraki smiled. "Sounds like fun."

"Think you can trust it?" Arokh said with a smouldering look at Rathek.

"Of course not," Rynn answered. "That's why we're going to tell him that if he betrays us, I'll turn him into a dung beetle." She raised a brow at Rathek. "Clear?"

The wartok nodded. "I understand."

Meanwhile...

Rakana sat upon her throne, waiting for word of their victory to reach them, and planning strategy with Malesh, the High Priest of the Death Magi since Seermec's death bringing Navaros back from the Rift. "By now, the brat should be one of you," she said, "So why hasn't he come here yet? Is it possible that the Mages you sent have failed?" she commented in a syrupy sweet voice. Rakana did not like the Death Magi. Something about them grated on her nerves. As far as the Death Magi were concerned, they felt the same about Rakana. Queen Shilla had been no problem to them, easily manipulated simply by calling the fat cow beautiful, or some such compliment. Rakana was a different matter. She was actually intelligent. Malesh knew she hid something, and was determined to find it out, so as to have blackmail to make her do his bidding. "Highly impossible. I sent the most highly trained of us after him, they must have simply encountered problems when faced with the wench and her pet dragon. It is possible that she realised in time to save herself from the final test," replied Malesh. "What concerns me is that we have had no word from Rathek. The stupid idiot should have taken care of them by now! What is keeping him?" complained Malesh as he observed Rakana's figure, and the weight she had put on since becoming queen. The burden of the succubi queen was similar to that of a queen ant. She is the only one who can reproduce. The difference is that she is able to move around, and that being queen increased her powers 10 fold. Also, the ability to decide how often to give birth was also passed on, though all succubi knew that if a year passed with less than 6 new succubi born, the queen would wither and die. No one knew why, it simply was. As it was, the way to become queen was something many succubi could not bring themselves to do. The body of a dead succubi queen cannot be destroyed...it has it's own magic to preserve it until a new queen comes along, and devours it. In this way is the power of the queen passed down, and magnified, for each queen is more powerful than the last.

As Rakana and Malesh continued to bicker, far off and away, Rathek had led Rynn, Auraki, and Arokh to the new stronghold of the succubi...

The Grimstone Portals opened in a large, open area just outside a small passage leading into the depths of the mountains. Once the green glow around Rynn, Arokh, Auraki and Rathek dispersed, the first two dispatched the three orcs on guard while the boy-mage kept an eye on the turncoat wartok.

Rynn squinted up at the tallest mountain where it vanished in the clouds. "This place looks bigger than the last succubi nest."

"It is," Rathek muttered. "After you waltzed in to the last one and all but slaughtered everyone in it, the new Queen decided to... redecorate."

Arokh cleared his throat and Rathek jumped nervously. "Which peak is the throneroom?"

"The highest." He pointed a hairy, muscular arm at the peak Rynn had been looking at. "I don't know how thick it is..."

"No need to worry about that." Arokh fixed him with a darkly glowing eye. "But if it's the wrong one, you will." Crouching, he thrust himself into the air with a beat of his wings. "Let's see who reaches Rakana first!" he roared, and flames spurted from his mouth in a golden cloud.

Auraki concentrated, and chains appeared on his wrists and legs, then on Rynn's. "They'll break at the slightest resistance," he said, then glared at Rathek. "We're your prisoners. Escort us to the throneroom, as the Queen of the Succubi would wish."

"There's one problem with that," Rathek said, and glanced pointedly at the huge form of Runeblade sheathed across Rynn's back.

It suddenly vanished, and the illusion of an axe appeared in Rathek's right fist.

"Let's go," Auraki said.

"I don't know if I want to turn my back on a wartok," Rynn muttered as she and Auraki went forward with Rathek behind them.

"Don't worry," Auraki whispered back. "I'm using my magic. Let's just say I have eyes in the back of my head at the moment."

Rynn chuckled, then schooled her face to a sullen expression as two succubi challenged them.

"What a beautiful young man!" one exclaimed as she landed before them. One clawed hand reached out to lift Auraki's head, and the creature actually smiled at the revulsion she saw in his eyes. "Oh, we could have so much fun with this one, Shalsaya."

"I think he actually hates the sight of us, Kitule," the other agreed. Her pale eyes ran down Auraki's chest, then up to his face again. "I haven't had a good challenge in weeks."

"Leave him alone," Rynn said, soft menace in her voice.

"Is he yours?" the one called Kitule asked without much interest. "Don't worry. I promise he'll be very happy..." She laughed softly as Auraki jerked his head away.

"Claws off, demon-women," Rathek growled. "He belongs to the Queen."

The two succubi looked disappointed. "Can't you just let us have him for an hour, Rathek?" Shalsaya pleaded.

"You know that the Queen doesn't like to be kept waiting," was the harsh reply. "Get back to your posts. I can take care of these two."

"Two..?" They blinked at Rynn, as if noticing her for the first time. Then one of them laughed mockingly.

"So, it's the one who killed Shilla."

Rynn muttered under her breath, "She had it coming... the fat cow..."

"Rakana won't be so easy to deal with," Kitule announced. "Not that you're in any position to be a threat."

Rynn tried very hard not to laugh in her face.

"Let's go," Rathek said, and pushed the two humans forward. The two succubi stepped aside, and Rynn and Auraki were escorted deeper into the hive...

Auraki, never having been inside of a Succubi nest before, looked around with wide eyes, that shortly filled with disgust. Corpses hung at varying intervals along the walls, all male, victims of the Succubi's insatiable craving for the male lifeforce. As Auraki observed however, he noticed something that made his stomach lurch. The bodies he saw were not those of corpses: They were alive, barely. A few even had a flittering Succubi in front them, gaining her daily feeding. As Auraki, Rynn, and Rathek waited for the floating disk to descend and carry them up to the next level, a group of 3 Succubi flew in, carrying with them a struggling man. They flew to an empty space on the wall, and easily manoeuvred him so that he hung from the wall as the others did. As Auraki watched in a kind of disgusted thrall, one of the Succubi flew up to the man, so close she could have kissed him. She forced him to look into his eyes, and before Auraki's eyes, she took on a different form, looking into the mans heart and assuming the form of the woman of his dreams. The man looked at her, and the trance was complete. As he gave in, the Succubi leaned into kiss him, and the man closed his eyes in happiness. Suddenly, his eyes popped open in horror and he tried to scream, struggling for all he was worth. Auraki saw the Succubi draw back, her long tongue still inside of the man, as a glow passed along it from the man to her. His lifeforce. Auraki's eyes widened in horror, as the man aged before his eyes. Where he had previously appeared to be a man of around 25 years, now he looked to be around 60.

Rathek followed the boy’s eyes and took in the site that so disgusted him. "Now you know, boy, why we are all loath to cross the Lord of the Dark. To do so is to be turned over either to the Succubi for such as you have just seen, or to the Death Magi, for experiments that I hope you never have to witness," said Rathek, "The Death Magi do things that make you wish you had been given to the Succubi." So saying, the trio mounted the floating disk and ascended to the next level, getting off shortly and heading off along a dark corridor, presumably towards the throne room...

Rakana stood from her throne, eyes blazing in triumph as she saw the boy being pushed ahead by Rathek. He was young... and powerful. He'd last quite a while.

Then the female captive let out a blurt of surprise. "You!"

Rakana recoiled. "Rathek! What is she doing here, and in my presence after all the trouble she caused Shilla?" Her voice raised several octaves. "How dare you bring her here?!"

Rathek stared at her in utter astonishment. "I bring her here for any torture your august Majesty would wish upon her," he replied, bowing low.

Rakana narrowed her eyes at him, the nails of one claw drumming on the arm of her throne as she sat down again. Ignoring Rynn, she ordered, "Bring the boy closer."

Auraki stumbled forward, determinedly keeping his eyes away from the Queen in case she changed her form. "Such power," he heard her whisper.

The next thing he knew, a huge, armoured fist clamped around his midsection and lifted him up. He looked around wildly to see the Queen's guard - an Elite Ebon Knight two times taller than Arokh!

"My Queen," a hollow voice issued from the heavy helmet. "This one is dangerous."

Rakana's eyes widened in outrage and she shouted at Rathek, "What is the meaning of this?" Gesturing, she ordered the succubi to take Rathek and Rynn into custody.

And a thunderous booming noise started to shudder the very mountain itself.

Rynn, evading the grasping Succubi, easily broke the chains that bound her, as Auraki had said, they were nothing. Not bothering to draw the hidden Runeblade yet, Rynn sent a sudden highlevel burst of energy up to the ceiling, intensifying the shuddering of the mountain as a huge burst of magma shot through the hole, scattering Succubi in all directions, and killing quite a few as well. Arokh burst in through the hole Rynn had made, easily flying the huge cavernous space within the Succubi nest. Rakana shrieked, and made to retreat, but found herself stopped by a heavy hand grabbing her hair.

"You fool!!" she shrieked, "What do you think you are doing?" as Rathek twisted his hand even farther into her hair, causing as much pain as he could so that she would be too distracted to summon her powers and blast him. "Release the child now Rakana," he said, for the first time not addressing her as "Majesty" or "Your Highness." "Or I swear by Holy Kratzna that I shall kill you myself by slitting your throat," so saying he lifted the appearance of the axe in his hand to where it didn't quite touch her throat, but almost...

Rakana laughed shrilly, one claw scratching at the hand seizing her hair. "Let him go?" she answered, beautiful face drawing into a sneer. "He will indeed be free if you don't release me. My knight knows what to do with your beloved human-boy." She snarled as Rathek wrenched her head back even further. "Nothing will be able to save him if he dies," she whispered.

Rathek hesitated and looked up at the imposing form of the knight. It stood as still as a steel statue, Auraki struggling to free himself from its fist.

"Not many know why the Elite Ebons are so valuable." Rakana gave a throaty chuckle. "They are immune to magic. Only a couple were needed to destroy the Guardian Magi that first time."

The cavern fell utterly silent.

Rynn nodded to Rathek and the Succubi Queen was set free. She whirled to face him, a scornful smile on her face as a beat of her filmy red wings lifted her into the air. "Wise decision," she murmured. "Guards!" Some Crimson Knights came forward. "Escort Rathek and this woman, Rynn, to the dungeon." She descended a little to look Rynn in the eyes. "I'll have to decide which is the more interesting fate. Kill you and turn Arokh to stone, or kill Arokh and watch you become a Soul Shadow... forever regretting what you have done." She laughed softly.

Several succubi surrounded the unresisting Arokh as Rynn and Rathek were forced from the throneroom.

"Now what?" Rathek muttered. His axe had vanished when a knight had tried to take it.

Rynn didn't answer until they'd been pushed several corridors away. Then she dropped and rolled forward, coming to her feet and drawing the glittering Runeblade all at once. "Duck!" she shouted, and leaped forward with a skull-splitter aimed at one of the knights.

Rathek lunged for the ground and caught the legs of the knight Rynn had missed, then broke his neck with a powerful kick.

"Where would the succubi take a dragon?" Rynn asked Rathek. "Auraki is safe for now. Rakana can't use her magic on him so long as he's being held by that Elite knight, and she won't have him let go because she's afraid of his power."

"Rightly so," Rathek agreed. He unsheathed the flaming sword of one of the knights. "As soon as she realises you've escaped she'll try to have the dragon killed. There is a cavern below these ones, in the depths of the mountain. We should try there."

"Rathek," Rynn said, her voice suspicious. "Why are you helping us?"

The wartok gave her a grim smile. "Humans aren't the only race that Navaros has tried to subdue." He started down the stone passage, eyes alert for guards. "Nor are you and Auraki the only ones to have lost families to him."

Memories...

A peaceful day, a lovely blue-green sky, children laughing and playing while proud parents looked on, smiling as a young one helped another, or discovered a new insect, or some such other precious thing, that makes a child more dear to their parent every second. Rathek looked to his wife, the most beautiful woman of the village, his love and pride showing in his eyes as he glanced down to the new child, his first son, in her arms. Their twin daughters played with the other children, running over every so often to present him or their mother with a pretty stone, or a gift for their new brother. He and Marinna had come together 9 years ago, and were still as much in love as ever. As he looked upon his new-born child, and glanced at their daughters, he felt a sense of completeness, as if everything was finally wonderful, and right, and that the Tri-Council had been right not to align with the newly arisen Dark Union, which was again rearing it's ugly head. The Council had reasoned that the Dark Union's day was past, and that neutrality of any upcoming conflicts would be the wisest course...

A lone wolf howled in the night, startling Rathek awake. As he began to settle back down next to his sleeping wife, something alerted him, and he tensed. As he slipped from the bed to get his sword, a huge crash was heard. No longer worrying about stealth, he grabbed his sword and rushed outside. He was seized as he left the house, by a huge Ebon Knight, and held motionless, no matter how he struggled. As he looked around, he saw that all the males, the adult ones that is, were also being held. Their families were being barricaded within. And then Rathek saw the orc with a huge burning torch making it's way towards the line of houses. He started making his way down, lighting the thatched roof of each one on fire as he went. Rathek went berserk, knowing what was to happen, and realising that his village had been chosen to be used as an example. As he actually managed to free himself of the Knight holding him and tear off towards his house where he could hear Marinna and his daughters screaming, he reached for the door, screaming their names, just as everything went black...

Rynn looked at the wartok, for the first time, without hatred. Her look was quizzical, even compassionate. "What happened then?"

"You're fortunate to be alive," an undulating voice remarked with a vague note of amusement.

Rathek forced himself to look up. Despite his strength and heavy build, he felt like his body was one long bruise. Dully, he realised he was in a steel cage - barely large enough to fit him in. Beyond the bars was a Death Mage, its glowing green eyes watching him with interest.

"Rathek, yes?"

"How do you know that?" Rathek growled.

A ghostly laugh came from the Mage's skull-face. "You don't really want to know that. But I know all about you, Rathek Krarshna." It hovered a little lower so they were eye to eye. "You... can be trusted."

Rathek's mouth quirked into a bitter smile. "To do what?"

"To lead the orc and wartok army of Lord Navaros." The mage circled the small prison and, when it moved, Rathek saw that the cage was on a wagon tethered to a pair of large scavengers. Evidentially, he was going to be taken somewhere.

"Why should I?" Rathek asked. It was the logical question.

"Because if you don't," the mage said, coming around to the front again, "your village won't be the last that burns." It laughed again, softly, as Rathek's jaw clenched, thrusting both tusks out. "And I know you will listen and obey..." it added, staring at him in satisfaction. "...because you care."

Rathek closed his eyes, defeated, and let out a deep sigh. The next breath he took would be his last as a free creature.

"Tell me what you want me to do. I will do it."

Fateful Choices

"What to do with you..." The Queen of the Succubi fluttered up to the steel fist clenching the struggling Auraki. "So young... so full of power and so unaware of what power really is." She laughed, a low throaty sound, and lightly touched the side of the boy's face with one claw.

"What do you want?" Auraki demanded.

"You really are an innocent, aren't you?" Rakana drew away and drifted down to her throne, resting her chin in her hands, she pondered her situation. She dared not let the boy go for fear of his magic, but she couldn't feed off him any other way. Wait for him to sleep? Knock him unconscious?

No...

Rakana's pale eyes narrowed. That would inactivate his powers if he wasn't alert, and she wanted them. ALL of them.

Her gaze wandered down the hall where the dragon Arokh was bound in a Rune Cage. "As for you," she said with a smile. "You're going off to visit Lord Navaros as a substitute for the boy... I'm sure he'll understand."

"Majesty!" a ghostly voice shouted angrily, and the Death Mage Malesh drifted down from an alcove somewhere above the throneroom. "This is not right! The boy belongs to the Death Magi! To me! He took the test!"

"If you can kill him, he's yours." Rakana smiled pleasantly as the Elite Ebon Knight looked down at the Head Death Mage, his features hidden beneath the helm.

Malesh hissed. "Lord Navaros will have you punished for this!"

"Not if he has Arokh..." Rakana smiled again. "I'm sure he'll forgive you if you make our mighty dragon into a dracolich."

Malesh's eyes burned at the notion. A draconic Death Mage. A dragolich. "I would rather have both," he said at last, and five other Death Magi descended from the alcoves to support their leader. At that, several succubi guards leapt into the air and Crimson Knights drew their flaming swords.

Rakana waved them all down. "The boy is not leaving unless Navaros can give me something for him," she announced. "Until then, Arokh is a gift. Take him, Lord Malesh. The sooner he's a Dracolich, the sooner his little woman becomes a Soul Shadow."

Surprise...

Auraki gasped and opened his eyes, sitting bolt upright in his bed and throwing a soft blanket to the earthen floor.

Nearby, a log in the fireplace cracked and spat sparks across the hearth.

Auraki's heart beat slowed as he recognised the old man seated before the fire. His grandfather looked over at him. "Awake at last?" He smiled. "Someone has been waiting for you."

And from the shadows stepped a person he'd thought long dead.

"Mother?" Auraki gasped, eyes widening.

The woman smiled radiantly, pale eyes gleaming with happiness. She spread her arms wide and whispered, "My son..."

Unthinkingly, Auraki jumped up and threw himself into his arms, literally crying for joy that everything had been a dream. "I was so scared..." he began.

"Shhhh..." she enfolded him in her arms and held him in tight embrace. "It's all right. I'm here. I'll never let you go..."

Auraki sighed and closed his eyes, relaxing himself completely.

"Everything will be fine..."

The voice...

Auraki opened his eyes to see silver-blonde hair on the shoulder he was leaning against, red-wings enfolding him.

"Surprise..." Rakana whispered...

Rynn and Rathek paused, heads turning as a faint scream echoed through the stone galleries of the Succubi hive. It went on for about half a minute before dwindling away, fading... dying into silence.

"He lasted longer than most," Rathek remarked, continuing down the steep passage. "What's more, he was strong enough to scream."

"I never saw or heard anything like this last time," Rynn whispered, following him carefully.

"Count yourself lucky," the wartok grunted. He stopped and pointed out a lone Crimson Knight standing by a closed portcullis at the bottom of the passage. "Fight?"

Rynn nodded tersely, and the two of them charged forward without another word.

The knight saw them and threw a flaming spear at them, but Rathek stepped aside with suprising agility and Rynn ducked, rolling forward and thrusting upward with Runeblade.

It was basically over after that.

Rathek pulled the lever beside the door. "We must be quiet here," he said softly. "Echoes carry in the lower galleries. We'll be high up, and if your dragon is here we'll see him. If he isn't..."

"Are there any rivers?" Rynn asked, her voice low. "Last time, Arokh was transported out on a ship."

"There's no need for river travel with the grimstone portals." Rathek cracked his knuckles loudly and gripped his axe. "If he's not here, he's probably been taken straight to Navaros."

"We can follow."

Rathek squinted at her. "Perhaps. What if the Queen's bodyguard is there?"

Rynn didn't want to remember her first encounter with an Elite Ebon Knight. Of course, she hadn't had Runeblade then, but she didn't think it'd make much difference. All the Knight had to do was break her sword arm. The other, thankfully, had only managed to break her left.

She followed Rathek into the passage and before long they could hear dark chanting coming from up ahead. Rynn was strongly reminded of the ceremony she had seen the Death Magi doing to her brother, Delon, in order to make him a vessel for Navaros, and her heart went cold. Then they reached a gigantic stone cavern that seemed to go down forever. Barely in sight was a large platform, bridges leading to it from lower down the cavern.

On the platform was Arokh.

Around Arokh were four Death Magi, their skeletal forms circling the dragon slowly and light streaming from their hands.

"Arokh!" Rynn shouted.

Disbelief...

Arokh tried to look around to see who was calling him but chains prevented him from doing so. The death magi suddenly glowed a bright orangy colour and then went dim. Arokh groaned at this and then stopped struggling. One mage broke off from the group who continued taunting the mythical beast and stopped chanting. The mage flew up to the general direction of where Rynn and the now defected Wartok was hiding. They quickly crouched down and tried to hide behind the natural stone bridge ready to draw their weapons. The feeling of that place was an icy cold dampness, which encased the whole palace. Even the torches were cold. It wasn't so much as magic but the over powering evil in the air. The mage didn't even come close to the pair but merely flailed his hands in the air and very slowly a fleshy formation grew out from the bridge to the sides of the wall preventing the two to see down and the mages to see up. It wasn't what Rynn had expected. She was ready slash the undead creature halfway across the room at the slightest chance. Rathek knew that the mages wouldn't stop for them now. Not now that they had already completed half the conversion.
What Rynn saw in that brief moment before calling out to him was utterly horrible. Her pupils were now dilated at the thought of it alone... Arokh. His wings torn and held to the ground in place by large hooks made out of giant's tusks. His scales were peeling off. A rod which looked as if it was made out of Grimstone protruded out of his belly holding him to the giant triangular altar similar to the design on the floor of the tower. His eyes... Rynn had never seen them that way. Rathek knew exactly what was in them. Fear. Pure fear. It was a thing he had always tried to blank out of his mind whenever he razed a village. A thing he had grown used to for all these years. A sight he saw in the nightmares of his wife and children. This was new to him however. It was new to both of them. Never has a Dragon seemed so frightened that the normal orange glow was to become black. So black that you could see even into the heart of its bonded.
A tear rolled down Rynn's cheek. She was crying. A thing she rarely did. Only towards the death of Atimar, and the loss of her brother Delon. And now, Arokh. Rathek was about to say something then paused for a moment. She waited for Rynn to acknowledge that he was there.
Rynn thought, what happens to the rider when the soul of the bonded is totally and completely dominated by torture and pain? When all that is Arokh is removed. Will she too be converted, destroyed? She could feel Arokh’s lifeforce at its peak but somehow she could feel it was the lifeforce of evil. She could feel Arokh’s soul less and less. As if it were slowly disappearing.
She looked at him and stopped.
"We have to find our way to that room without being noticed, and quick." Rathek said calmly, "I'm... Sorry."

Transformations

Before Rathek could do anything more, there was a sudden upheaval. The ground shook and grit sifted down from the invisible roof. At the same time, a hideous roar reverberated through the entire cavern and a flash of dark fire billowed up from the hidden platform below.

"AROKH!" Rynn shouted in despair, feeling in her soul that something was changing. There was a sudden break, and she felt a sensation of indescribable loss. "He's gone!" she whispered to Rathek, disbelief in her voice. "Rathek... Arokh..."

The wartok grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back into the passage as a dark, winged form leaped up from the platform, flames streaming from his jaws and a shriek of hate filling the air. Fire-glowing eyes fixed on the dragon's former bonded, and a cruel smile curved his dagger-toothed maw.

"That's not Arokh any more," Rathek whispered, real fear in his husky voice. "It's Navaros's dragon..." He dragged the dazed Rynn down the tunnel and a blast of fire rocketed after them, its heat searing the backs of their necks as they ran.

"Rynn!" Rathek shouted when they reached the end of the passage. He shook her by the shoulders. "RYNN!"

Rynn stared at him. "I... I don't... know..."

"We have to find your young mage!" the wartok told her. "If he's as powerful as I've heard, he might be able to save Arokh for you."

There was a draconic laugh from through the tunnel. "If he's as powerful as you've heard," a voice that wasn't Arokh's rumbled in dark amusement.

Auraki sat slumped in the steel cage, wrists held by magic-inhibiting chains. Rakana was having him transported to another series of caves on the off-chance that his friends would escape and try to save him. His mouth formed a tiny smile of bitterness. He didn't know why she could be bothered. Why not suck him dry and be done with it?

His haunted eyes looked to one side at his own hand, twenty years older than his ten years. It wasn't his life-force the Succubi Queen wanted, but his magic. That, she had told him, would recharge. She could feed off him again and again...

There was a sudden gust of wind and a roar from above. Auraki looked up in startlement as orcs and succubi scattered fearfully before the draconic shape descending from above.

The young mage's face lit up, but the shout of Arokh's name died on his lips.

Something here was terribly wrong.

The dragon seized Auraki's cage in fore-and-hindclaw, lifting it up with powerful beats of his wings. The long, neck craned over so one fierce eye could peer in at him. "I am going to give you the supreme honour," the draconic Death Mage snarled softly, "of becoming what I am, and being my Bonded."

Heart pounding with a strange fear, Auraki looked back and saw the mountains were already far behind them.

As were his friends.

It was too much for Rynn to take in, her knees went weak and she slumped down against the wall. A tear rolled down one cheek. "Arokh is gone, there's no chance I can get him back now is there?" she asked.
Rathek replied "maybe, but keep your spirits high Rynn, I will see if I can get what's left of my army to help us"
Rynn looked up at him "I'll never forget that look on his face... those eyes, they were filled with pure hate, Arokh has never looked so evil."
She trailed off and Rathek bent down to comfort her. Just then, Queen Rakana appeared accompanied by two flame knights.
"Aha here are our two friends, I just thought I'd let you know that our dracolich has taken your boy mage far away from here so you can't interfere with anything. He is to be the bonded of what was once Arokh"
Rynn thought, once that is done, it will be impossible to reverse what has happened to Arokh, as his good soul will be completely consumed by evil. She jumped to her feet just as Rakana shouted, "knights, kill them!"

She looked up ands saw a blade of fire streaming down at her and she rolled away while she cut through one of the knights footplates. There was nothing inside but black.

A huge crash bellowed through the room as an axe was hammering the helmet of the next knight achieving nothing. Ironically a beast wielding a heavy axe was nothing compared to the power of Runeblade as if the sword and its wielder were one and the same.
Delivering power from the deepest reaches of its master's soul normally trapped by the burdens of the mind.

A searing hot blade ripped and burned the skin and fur of Rathek's hugely developed arm. The pain was immense and it repeated in the opposite direction harder, Deeper, the pain grew overpowering. The flaming sword flew in a curve just before a rusty metal axe swiped it out of the way. Rathek curled his arm and axe around that of the dark minion and ripped away the flaming sword. It fell to the floor and a gust of flame and fire saw it shatter on the cold damp floor.

The knight jumped back dodging the heavy swing from who was once a comrade.
The flames glistened upon the metal as if pieces of gold dust finely scattered among river. This wasn't water though, it was a sword.

Blades twisted, swords clashed, and Rakana was smart enough to stand well back. The fire in her eyes was pure. Her wings unfolded and a storm encased the room as she launched her self into the air with wings flapping like a bat. She leaned forward and shrieked orgasmically like a banshee letting out a ball of light more beautiful than the sun glowing like lightning. As it hit the ground it burst into rainbow of colours and meandering like a snake towards Rynn.

She was at the moment too concerned with ripping off the mask of the knight to notice the light swelling up behind her like a cobra.

"RYNN, LOOK..." SMASH, a metal fist struck Rathek across the face.

Watching Rynn Rakana gave out an evil provocative smile.

As another flamesword was about to stab his belly. Spitting out blood, Rathek jumped to his right and down came the brown and silver axe like a butcher and his knife chopping off the gauntlet which held the flaming sword. It clang as it hit the ground and the sword fell out of the now severed hand. Another chop from behind and the hollow armour fell from the torso and the red glow from the helmet dissipated like a gas and the armour turned to dust. Rathek looked at the remains vanish and looked at his wounds.

The figure of the flaming knight staggered backwards as Rynn sliced and pierced it's armour letting out all her feelings for Atimar, Delon, Auraki, and now Arokh surge into power more aggressive and violent than the waves during raging storm next to a cliff face by the sea.

She was beautiful but deadly when she fought. All Rathek could see now was dark silhouettes against a bright snakelike aura on the other side of the room. It seemed like a desert was between them as he ran to Rakana who was now directly above and behind Rynn. She was watching with pleasure as the knight struggled hopelessly against Rynn's all-powerful Runeblade.

He fell to the floor silent and a wind gusted. The armoured ghost fatigued and beaten, his suit shattered into a fine dust and one of the swords grew hotter and hotter melting itself. The Rakana's wings were beating and beating but Rynn was too consumed by watching the knight die to notice.

The gaseous soul dissipated among the dust the suit was now degrading into. One sword remained as the hot metal was cooled by the wind blowing across it nearly extinguishing it. Any normal fire would be dead by now. A fire without hate.

The aura started to cup around Rynn as she was just about to pick up the fiery blade.

"Oh yes, YES!" Rakana breathed as the light was swelling around Rynn and over her.

" Run Rynn! GET OUT OF THERE !!" Rathek was shouting and screaming at Rynn and she only started to notice Rathek trying as hard as he could to signal Rynn as if the volume was slowly being turned up.

A state of panic flooded her heart as she looked around seeing the aura now about to encase her in a bubble of dark magic. She tried to crouch under the slowly growing lip of magic and escape it but it burned her delicate flesh upon touching it. "Rathek, help me!!!" she cried.

Rathek drew his axe well back aiming at Rakana and threw. It cut the air like a tomahawk whistling and spinning as it flew. It ripped straight through her left wing and thudded as it hacked and lodged itself into the ceiling behind her. The bubble immediately vanished like the souls of the dark knights.

"Arhhhh!" she screamed. A different scream. One of agony. Suddenly she stumbled in the air feeling a pain surging along her wingtips. Slowly, she rose to the centre of the room and a fleshy hole opened up and she struggled through as Rynn was already shooting arrows at her in a fury not, aiming just, desperate to get her revenge.

"Stop it Rynn. She has a magic shroud around her now. Look Rynn, There's no point! We'll get our chance later. I Promise..." Rathek tried to tell her again and again. But Rynn wouldn't listen. She was having none of it.

The arrows screeched as they soared like a flock of eagles. None of them hit her but just stabbed into the walls of the leathery orifice. They closed round each other, like it was the inside of a creature, bleeding slightly.

Rynn let her head down in a sigh of disappointment, her heart aching. "I could have killed her you know..."

Rynn looked at Rathek who was bleeding heavily from his arm.
"Here drink this," she said as she threw him a health potion.
Rathek didn't say anything; he removed the cork and swallowed the bottle's contents whole. Slowly the wound began to heal.
"Now lets get out of here, I have an idea where Auraki was taken but it will take a few days on foot to get there" he remarked thoughtfully looking around the room.
Rynn squinted at him and exclaimed "a few days!, that’s far too long, there must be another way"
She thought for a moment then continued "of course! the grimstone portals, surely we can set one up to take us there!"
Rathek examined her closely. He could get some of the orcs to open a gateway, if they would take his side that is.
"Come on lets go before it’s too late!"

Meanwhile...

Auraki looked back up at the dragon "I will never bond with you, I would rather die"
The dragon laughed and said "that you will, you seem to forget that all I have to do is kill you and you will become a death mage. You would have no choice but to bond"
Auraki felt foolish for a moment, he thought to himself, what happened to Arokh's soul? is it gone for ever or is it trapped in his soul crystal? He wasn't sure, maybe he could overpower the evil and reinstate Arokh's soul. He asked, "Arokh where are you taking me?"
The dragon replied "Do NOT call me by that name, Arokh is dead, or at least he will be when all that remains of him is gone - his soul. You are to attend the ceremony tomorrow night. All we have to do is wait until my slaves bring me Arokh's soul crystal" he laughed for what seemed like ages.
"That was too easy, he seems to want to tell me everything, it proves that if I bond, Arokh will be gone for ever" Auraki thought to himself. He must not let the Dark Union kill him or else the forces of evil would be unstoppable....

Not too far away in a nearby range of mountains, the group of orcs and wartocks were just arriving outside Arokh’s cave. A draught of warm air came from the entrance bringing with it a strange musty smell. Peering in cautiously, the lead wartock waved to two orcs to go in and investigate. They grunted in agreement and ventured inside, but suddenly there was a loud clanging noise and two simultaneous screams then silence.

The wartock looked round at his small group "who wants to try next?"

Nobody volunteered at first then one of them stepped forward and strode up to the entrance.

"Be careful and let us know what you see" the wartock said sternly.

As the orc ventured into the cave, he came to a man made section consisting of a square stone tunnel. A series of blades were swinging out of slots in the walls at intervals. There was no gap in between to just run through, it was all to do with timing with jumping and ducking at the right moment. He shouted back to his companions who subsequently joined him.

"I’m going to try and get through" he said as he looked around at his 3 remaining companions. Nobody answered and the small orc sat there for a few moments until the time was right to make his move. He got up and ran through ducking to miss the highest blade, then jumping to avoid the lower blade. Unfortunately, he didn’t jump high enough and the blade cut off his legs with ease. He screamed with agony but it was short lived as on the second sweep, the blade cut off his head.

The two remaining orcs looked at each other with horror and turned to face their leader who stood there with his arms folded. "Now its your turn" he said with a smile.

The first orc was killed but the second managed to get through the blade trap and was presented with a deep pit which was impossible to jump across. Fortunately he had a rope with a grappling hook on one end. He threw it and it caught on a stone block at the other side. He tied the other end to a nearby stone column and began to make his way across. The weight of his body was too much however and the stone gave way sending the orc to his death.

The wartock thought to himself, there’s no way I’m going in there! Just then, a voice sounded, it was the dracolich contacting him by magic.

The dracolich sat infront of a grimstone screen. The wartock’s face filled it although the wartock couldn’t see who was talking to him.

"Have you succeeded in obtaining the crystal? Its been far too long what are you doing?" asked the dragon with an impatient tone in his voice.

"No I haven’t, Arokh’s lair is booby trapped and I have lost all of my men" answered the wartock fearfully.

"You fool, I needed that crystal to bond with Auraki, but come to think of it there is another way of bonding without the need for a crystal, forget it and come home"

"But master, what about Arokh’s soul? It must be destroyed" the wartock snarled feeling his trip was a waste of time and effort.

"You are absolutely right, but that isn’t important right now, I will see that Arokh’s soul is destroyed within time" came the reply.

The screen went dark and the dracolich turned to two guardian ebon knights and said "make sure you bring be that idiot wartock when he returns, I want to have the pleasure of killing him myself"

They nodded in agreement and left the cave.

"As for you" the dracolich turned to Auraki who was still imprisoned in his cage "You and I will meet Navaros later, or maybe I should kill you now?"

Auraki’s heartbeat began to rise. If he was killed now, resistance would be useless – all Navaros had to do was bond him with the former Arokh. Many thoughts went through his head, maybe he could use his magic? However he didn’t need to.

"not so fast!" Queen Rakana shouted "I want his magic first! ALL OF IT NOW!"

The dracolich looked at her with surprise and an evil smile crossed his face.

"You can’t have it, it belongs to me and Navaros"

Rakana looked despondent for a moment then strode up to Auraki’s cage with the key in her hand. The dracolich intervened and said" I wouldn’t do that if I was you"

Rakana ignored him and continued. A strong foreleg of the dragon pushed her violently out of the way knocking her to the ground. Before she could get up, the dracolich was standing over her. Fire began to swell inside his body and his mouth opened just as Rakana shouted "NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Her life force quickly left as the flames engulfed her until she was dead. Her body did not burn however as the succubi queens are indestructible.

"Consider that a favour" the dracolich said to Auraki. "I will let Navaros have the pleasure of killing you later, for now, you can rest easy"

Auraki did not rest easy however…..

Whilst Auraki waited in fear, Rynn and Rathek were making slow progress through the maze like rooms and passages of the succubi hive. The place seemed rather deserted, only a few succubi flittered around, the majority of them seem to have left. Rynn and Rathek quickly dealt with them though and all of them refused to talk when pressed. Lots of things went through Rynn’s mind; she wondered why she didn’t become a soul shadow instead of her mortal soul returning to her body. She mused on other things, things that were more important; such as how is she going to get Arokh back? She knew the soul crystal controlled the link between them and served as a place for the combined soul to live, so where is Arokh’s soul? She presumed that it is still in their soul crystal but the link between it and Arokh’s body has been broken.

"Do you think we will make it in time? She asked Rathek

"I hope so, if not your former dragon and Auraki would make a deadly adversary, almost impossible to defeat"

Rynn’s heart skipped a beat and she gulped "I wish you wouldn’t say that, it doesn’t inspire confidence, I’m sure Auraki can fend them off"

"Not if Navaros has anything to do with it, he will more than likely carry out the bond, the dark union knows a way to bond without a need for a crystal; although it doesn’t work on mortals. But seem as neither the former Arokh or Auraki have a mortal form, it can easily be done" He spoke with a slight sadness in his voice.

"NO, we will get there first!" she shouted running down the passage towards the grimstone portals.

Where the body of Rakana lay, a faint glow shimmered, to entice any Succubi who might come near. As the dracolich watched over Auraki, a troupe of Succubi fluttered in, gasping in surprise to see the body of Rakana lying on the floor. The dracolich swiveled around and looked at them, then simply turned back to Auraki and ignored them. Kalika strode forward and gazed down at the body of Rakana, then turned to her friends and said, "Bring the odd one." One of the Succubi immediately flew off, returning shortly carrying another Succubi, younger than the others. As they approached, Auraki noticed that the one being carried had ebony black hair, instead of the typical blond, and appeared to be around his age. "Aramina, come forward. You shall be our new queen," said the Succubi who was apparently in charge. Auraki watched, horrified, as the girl Succubi knelt over the body of Rakana and began to nibble at it, gradually pulling off large chunks as she got more into it. As she continued, a pink glow surrounded her, and she and the corpse floated to a height of about 15 feet off of the ground. By this time, even the dracolich had turned around to watch. Before the eyes of all watching, Aramina consumed the last bit of Rakana, going so far as to suck the marrow from the bones. As the last bit disappeared, there was an explosion of such bright pink light that everyone shielded their eyes. As it dimmed, Aramina glided down to the ground, and Auraki saw her eyes for the first time, as black as her hair, and seemingly warm, unlike those of Rakana, which had been pure blue ice.

The dracolich, no longer interested, turned back to observing Auraki. Aramina looked at each of the Succubi in turn, and then at Auraki. "Be ready, we are going to help you" said a voice in his head. Auraki, trying desperately not to panic, looked incredulously at Aramina, and insignificantly nodded. As he observed, he saw that the Succubi, while chattering incessantly about innanities, surrounded the dracolich, who continued to ignore them. As soon as the circle was complete, they let out a shriek and attacked him, restraining him and holding him down while Aramina flew straight to Auraki's cage and pulled the bars apart. She reached in and grabbed him, holding him with her legs while she flew off for the nearest grimstone portal as the other Succubi continued to distract and hold the dracolich, despite his roaring and struggling. Auraki and Aramina flew straight through the portal, and right into Rynn and Rathek...

Rynn was just about to enter the portal when Auraki fell straight into her, knocking her to the ground and trapping the runeblade underneath her. She looked up with surprise then spotted the succubi and rolled over making a grab for her sword.

"No" cried Auraki "she is on our side"

Rynn faltered for a moment and saw that the succubi was not attacking her.

"What?" she demanded.

"I used my magic, the succubi no longer serve Navaros; like the orcs and wartocks, this is their new queen, Aramina. She will help us get Arokh back and defeat Navaros and his undead army of death mages"

Rynn looked suspicious for a moment and glanced at Rathek who shrugged. She still wasn’t sure about this, maybe Auraki is on the dark union’s side and this is a big plan to kill her, but why would they go to all this trouble? Nah, she thought, she was been too suspicious. Anyway if Auraki were on their side he would look like a death mage. She did want Arokh back, he is the only one she really cares about now that Delon is dead even though he is a dragon. He was a true friend and companion and he would never let her down, so she wasn’t going to fail him now, not when he needed her the most.

"Tell me more" she demanded.

Auraki spoke up first "The former Arokh was held down and trapped by the succubi, but they can’t hold him for long. He is too big to fit through the portal but I fear that he will be coming for us soon so we need to gather up a small army of succubi and orcs to defeat him. Navaros won’t be around till darkness falls so that gives us the best part of the afternoon to make plans" he paused then looked at Queen Aramina "go and see what you can do, assemble an army and bring them here"

She obeyed and disappeared into the portal.

"As for you, Rathek, you can go to the nearby wartock camp and do the same, me and Rynn will wait here"

With that, Rathek adjusted the crystal that controlled the portal setting the destination for his home and stepped into it.

Auraki looked at Rynn and said "hungry?"

Rynn was hungry, she nodded and they left the gigantic cavern like portal room and made for the dining halls, but however they soon found that the succubi had a bad taste in food much to their disgust…

Much to Ponder...

"What about you?" Rynn asked Auraki when they had time to sit. She looked at the boy, now a man because of Rakana. Older than Rynn.

"I'm adapting," Auraki said with a shrug. "It might take a while. I'm taller, for one thing. And my voice... I hardly recognise it." He hesitated, then looked at Rynn. "I'm sorry about Arokh."

Rynn felt tears sting her eyes, then fought them back grimly. "He's not gone yet," she stated. "Even if he has become the vessel of Navaros' dragon."

"What was the dragon's name?" Auraki asked.

Rynn shook her head. "I don't remember. I heard it once, I think. Or read it. In any case, he's just a vessel. If Runeblade freed my brother from Navaros," she said, a small catch in her voice, "then it's worth trying it on Arokh.

"There will be a difficulty, though," she added. "He is much more dangerous than you may realise. I once learned that Navaros became one with his dragon. That's not just his dragon in Arokh's twisted body - it's also Navaros."

"Perhaps he doesn't just want to bond with me, then," Auraki mused, eyes narrowing.

"Blood and Fire..." Rynn whispered. "...and Magic."

The two looked at each other in silence for a long time. Then Auraki asked, "What do you think we should do? Do you really think you can fight this creature? A human against a dragon, even with Runeblade?"

Rynn nodded slowly. Her green eyes, lifeless since watching Arokh's soul torn from hers, suddenly rekindled with the tiny flame of hope. "Not just me." Her hand rested firmly on Auraki's shoulder.

Kaeros

Arokh's blackened and skeletal body twisted powerfully and three succubi were flung against stone walls, killing them instantly. With a roar of rage as Auraki was flown through the swirling Grimstone portal, he sent a deathly cloud of golden flame all around him until even the cage was nothing more than a molten puddle.

Eyes burning, a toothy smile appeared on the dragon's face as it watched the portal close. "You're on stolen time, Auraki," he grated. "Your life belongs to Navaros. We will take the world again. He and I, Kaeros. We will become one, though this time he will be the one to die."

Auraki's soul essence would mix with his, and Kaeros would be the greatest power ever to fly the skies and walk Drakan's earth.

All he needed to secure his plan was Arokh's Soul Crystal.

And to ensure his triumph, he would need Runeblade.

With a downsweep of tattered wings, Kaeros took to the skies. It had been so long since he'd flown, and Arokh had had a strong body. Laughing deep in his throat, he turned his flight for Arokh's lair. Now he didn't have to worry about Auraki, he would just fly in and take the Soul Crystal himself if his minions hadn't already captured it.

Either way, he was looking forward to killing them.

Oh yes, he thought to himself smiling darkly. It felt good to be undead.

Rynn could not stop thinking about Arokh, his once magnificent body, rotted away to its skeletal form as he went through the change, his mind and soul replaced by one of evil. All that remains of him now is his soul essence contained in a crystal many miles from where she sat. Just then, the portal suddenly opened and Rathek stepped through followed by 30 or so orcs and wartocks. Rynn heard the commotion and she and Auraki went to investigate She walked into the large cavern and was presented with Rathek’s army.

"I’m afraid this is all what’s left of my army, Rynn" he stated

"Never mind, it will be enough…" her reply was cut off when the portal opened again and Queen Aramina and 5 succubi entered.

"Rynn, I bring bad news, the dracolich has killed most of us, we are the only ones that remain around here and I’m afraid he has gone after Arokh’s soul crystal with the intention to destroy it" she said quickly not pausing for breath.

Rynn’s heart sank, they were never going to get to Arokh’s lair first even with the grimstone portals, as one needs to be at each destination. She looked at Auraki who looked back but he was smiling.

"I can take care of that" he exclaimed

"How?" Rynn asked

"I can’t bring the soul crystal here but I can make it appear invisible so the dracolich thinks it isn’t there"

"Do it" Rynn demanded

Auraki screwed up his face and thought very hard, whilst he was concentrating, the magic from his mind went through the very air itself weaving its way to Arokh’s lair, the route taken from Rynn’s mind. With a bolt of blue light, the soul crystal seemed to vanish just minutes before Kaeros appeared at the entrance. When he flew down to investigate further, he was angry to find the crystal ‘gone’. With a roar he took off and headed back to where Rynn, Auraki and their army were waiting.

They didn’t know this however and whilst they were discussing plans on how to defeat Navaros and his dragon, Kaeros was on his way to get the Runeblade and Auraki which would ultimately lead to his triumph. As long as he could kill Rynn, Arokh’s soul crystal wouldn’t be important yet, he would find it later and ensure its destruction.

With Death Under His Wings...

The dark shadow of a dragon in flight swept over roiling waves. In the west the blazing orb of the sun was sinking below the horizon, streaks of cloud that looked like tattered streamers of flame trailing in its wake.

As the light lessened, though, the dark shadow was joined by another. Then a third.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

The night sky was blotted out by the wings of all kinds of dragons, all heading in the same direction, all flying for the same destination.

All following one leader to a new war against the creatures that crawled upon the earth.

Kaeros watched the daylight fade from the sky and night begin, and laughed to himself as he led his flights of dragons toward Rynn and her companions.

Humans, succubi, wartoks, orcs... all were doomed.

Dragons would rule the world again.

As Kaeros flew forward with his army of dragons, alive and undead, Rynn and her company continued trying to make plans. "Rynn," said Auraki, "have you tried going into a trance yet? One to use the Sight, and see what is happening in other times and places?" Rynn looked at Auraki, startled by the very idea. "That hadn't even occurred to me," she admitted. "How do I do that?" Auraki smiled slightly, a new hope beginning to burn within him. "Get comfortable, close your eyes, and completely clear your mind. Think of what you want to see, in this case Kaeros. Let your mind fly to where he is, it will know where to take you." As Auraki talked, Rynn did as he said, letting herself relax, and simply drifting...

Rynn...bonded of the ancient Arokh, hero of men and dragons...why do you come here? said a voice in her head, which actually seemed right in her relaxed state of mind. Arokh has been taken over by the evil Kaeros. He plans to pervert the bonding ritual and join with Navaros again, and with a mortal boy who possesses great magic...will you help us? Rynn sent a huge stream of pictures to the beauty, showing her what her Sight had shown her, the army, the evil laughter, the silhouette... So, he plans once again to betray us, calling forth our dead, and corrupting our young ones. Very well Rynn, we will help you. But, be warned, some of your number will have to bond, in order to awaken our generals, those trained in the art of war from the days of the Order...are you willing to have them do this? Rynn didn't even have to think about it Yes...

A thunderous noise brought Rynn back to her senses, trembling and amazed at what had just transpired. She woke to find herself being carried by Auraki, and looking up to see the evil hatred of Kaeros shining out of her beloved Arokh's eyes as he and his army attacked them. "Through the portal!" shouted Rathek. "Hurry, or we are lost!!!" As they hurried through the portal, Rynn passed out again...

Rise of the Dragons

They had run again, as Kaeros had expected. He didn't want this to turn into a tedious game of cat-and-mouse, but neither would he divide his forces to cut off all possible retreats. He wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to lose by being hastey.

"The High Death Mage, Lord Kaeros," a blade dragon announced in a crow-like voice and a rustle of metallic feathers.

"Malesh," Kaeros growled with a smile. "You survived my awakening."

"Unlike my predecessor, I know the secrets of cheating death," Malesh said with a low bow. "How can I serve you?"

"Disable the Grimstone Portals."

"Ah." The skull-face drew into a grin. "They serve you better being active, my Lord. Repeated use of the portals, of exposure to concentrated grimstone, is not without its effects. Rathek should know this. All you have to do is give chase. If they keep using the portals, their wills will weaken. Not even a mage can prevent or undo this."

"Excellent. Are all the portals in the open?"

"They are."

Kaeros smiled. "Good. I want you to gather all those still in the succubi hive, Malesh. Knights, orcs, wartoks, succubi... all who still serve Navaros. They are now mine. Capture and scavengers we can use, and kill any resistance. Find the Elite Ebon Knight. He will be useful against the boy-mage." The dracolich looked around at the dragons resting on the mountains or circling overhead. "For now, we wait. Gather my people, Malesh. I will search out my prey."

He closed his eyes and began to use his magic.

They came out in the islands, near Rimril's ancient tower. The remains of Rimril, left untended due to Rynn's haste to save Arokh and Delon before, had long since become bleached by the harsh island sun. As they approached, Rathek saw an orangey yellow glow glide down towards them. Rynn finally revived, and looked to the glow, recognizing the shape of Rimril. She became instantly alert, leaping from Auraki's arms towards the apparition. "Rimril!" she cried, trying to throw her arms around him and falling straight through him. "Careful Rynn," said the still hooded mage, "I am but a soulshadow now, and have come here to talk with you about what is transpiring..."

The First of the Guardian Magi

"How can you be a Soul Shadow?" Rynn asked, picking herself up off the ground. "I thought that only happened to people bonded to dragons."

"Not so," Rimril's shade replied. "If the need arises, the Guardian Magi can return in this form as long as they have the power. I cannot do anything physical in this state, but I can talk and teach."

"You know about Arokh?" Rynn whispered.

"I do. He's the vessel of Kaeros now, dragon steed of Navaros." The cowled head turned toward Auraki. "And I also know about this one. Come closer."

Auraki complied. "Who are you?"

"This is the spirit of Rimril, the last of the Guardian Magi," Rynn explained. "He set me the test to join the Order of the Flame. I guess I no longer qualify now that I don't have a dragon," she added with a trace of bitterness.

"That can wait for now," Rimril told her. "Arokh is not lost, and the bond will return to you when he regains possession of his body. Do not try to bond with another dragon, though. There is no need." He looked again at Auraki. "Yes... you took the test in the tower that originally belonged to us and has been corrupted by the Death Magi. I can sense it in you. You know what will happen should you die?"

Mutely, Auraki nodded.

"Should it happen, you are truly lost. Your mind will wholly belong to the Dark Union and you will serve only them. It is not the same with the succubi, orcs and wartoks. The latter races were gradually pulled into service the first time, then forced the second. They were never evil. The succubi joined willingly. It seems both are coming around."

Rathek, Aramina and their followers all nodded silently.

"What can we do?" Rynn asked him. "Kaeros is leading a flight of hundreds of dragons after us. I've asked a dragon I saw in a vision for assistance and she agreed, but will it be enough?"

"Fire, Blood and Magic," Rimril said. "The three must join. Navaros was a war mage as well as a dragon rider, which was why he was so feared. I will train Auraki in everything I know, and you as well, Rynn, in everything you can learn."

"Then we just have to wait for your dragons to appear, Rynn," Rathek said. "They won't attack us, will they?" he added, meaning his kin.

"I... don't know." Rynn frowned. "I don't think they will. They'll know you're with us. But look, are there any wartok or orcish villages near here?"

"Yes." Rathek nodded eagerly. "I can call on them to help us."

Aramina said, "I'll organise my people as lookouts. We'll need to keep an eye out for any kind of dragon."

"And after I train a bit with Rimril, I'll go looking for other humans," Rynn said.

The wartoks, orcs and succubi moved out and Rimril gestured for Auraki and Rynn to follow him into the tower. "Now, Auraki," he said, "I cannot undo what has already been done. You will have to retake the test at the other tower - under the Guardian Mage specifications - for that problem to be fixed. Until then, however, nothing can prevent you from becoming the first of the Guardian Magi. Just as Rynn caused the Order of the Flame to be reborn, you will do the same for us."

Sundance

The golden Kang-Shi dragon slid down the wind, sunlight glinting with dazzling brightness against her polished scales before it sank below the horizon altogether. Rualan, 'Sundance' in the speech of humans, glided down to a broad ledge jutting out from a mountainside. She was starting down the tunnel almost before she'd finished folding her shimmering wings.

"I call the Council!" she shouted, her voice echoing down the stone passage.

"Rualan?" another draconic voice called back.

"Yes, it's me. Call the Council, Tol'varen! Kaeros has been awakened."

When Rualan reached the end of the passage where it opened high up in a cavernous hall, about twenty dragons had gathered there around the three Master Dragons, who rested on their haunches in the very middle of the cave. Rualan leaped from the opening, wings snapping out to catch her fall so that she glided toward the gathering and landed gracefully before the Elders.

"We already know that Kaeros, accursed mount of Navros, is awake, young one," the green Elder Brynth announced. She fixed Rualan with a wise, golden eye. "Do you have anything else to contribute?"

"I do, Elder Brynth," Rualan replied with a bow of her sinuous neck. "I was contacted by none other than Rynn, Bonded of Arokh!"

The Elders waited silently for the whispers of amazement to cease. These dragons had long ago decided to have no further dealings with any other race, but this was different. The Order of the Flams was a union of two races. Not a struggle for the supremacy of one.

"What did she say?" Elder Grafparr, a dark blue male asked.

"She asked us for help. Kaeros has amassed a flight of hundreds of dragons and seeks to destroy what remains of the Order of the Flame, as well as all of the younger races. They cannot fight this army alone, Elders!"

"Perhaps it is time that we opposed the plague of the Dark Union," the third Elder, Vasaur mused. He was a Kang-shi, a golden dragon, like Rualan. Frost-blue eyes regarded the growing assembly of dragons. Almost seventy. There were more at other caves, though.

Grafparr rumbled softly. "If we help them, it means some of us will have to Bond."

"Then we will bring our Dragonstones," Vasaur replied calmly. "I would rather be Bonded than see my kin made dracoliches in service of the Dark One." The great gold looked up again, nodding to himself as he counted everyone present. Seventy three dragons, all mature if not fully-grown. "What say you?" he roared to them.

The answering roar from every draconic throat shook the very mountain, and the stones trembled in the wake of their wings as each took flight and raised their heads to the skies...

The first clan of dragons was on its way.

Safiiri

As the first clan of dragons flew forth into the sky, Rualan was sent forth to carry the news of her contact with Rynn and her clans support to the other major clans of Dracos. She flew straight to the Safiiri clan, a clan ruled over by Agarath, a wise and very old blue dragon. Safiiri, meaning sapphire, was a clan of all blue dragons, known for their wisdom involving strategy and war.

As Rualan arrived, she dove straight down to an open clearing, landing and facing a cliff to her right, and bowing her head as she did so. Having visited before, she knew the polite way to greet Agarath. The great blue dragon, with eyes like onyx and scales that sparkled in the firelight, emerged from her cave, looking down on Rualan with a patient look on her face, similar to the way mothers look at a small child who has gotten into mischief.

"What news do you bring that warrants such a hasty arrival, young Rualan of clan Kang-Shi?" asked Agarath in a deep, melodic voice. "We are already aware that Kaeros has been awakened, and has inhabited the great Arokh's body. We know too that you have been in contact with his new bonded, Rynn. Steps have already been taken to help her, and to cast Kaeros back into the Rift of Pain from which he has emerged. Why do you come?"

Rualan had to take a moment to compose herself, having forgotten that little went on without Agarath knowing of it somehow. After composing her thoughts, she looked up at Agarath. "We, of clan Kang-Shi, have decided to fly to the aid of Rynn and the imperiled Arokh. We realize that this will mean that some of us will have to bond. I have come to ask if you will aid us as well," said Rualan, waiting with an anxious air about her.

"We shall," said Agarath. "We will bond as few as possible, but we will come to thine aid. Navaros has a very old grudge against us, as we helped in his destruction by giving the Order the special star metals used to construct the Runeblade. We know he will come after us and all dragonkind, so it is wiser by far to go on the offensive and defeat him before he gains more power. We shall meet you at the tower of Rimril in 2 days time." So saying, Agarath went back into her cave, effectively dismissing Rualan, who immediately took off in the direction of the other 2 clans...

Training

Rimril's ghost hovered before Rynn and Auraki, who sat cross-legged on the stone floor within the tower. Moonlight spilled through the huge double doors as the two apprentice Magi meditated, Rimril's voice softly instructing them.

"Mortal man is formed of the elements, but few have control over the elements themselves. By Earth our bones are formed... By Water our veins flow with blood... Air fills our lungs... Fire sparks our emotions. The fifth element of Ether is mastered by few, though all are affected by it. Ether is the wellspring of our magic, and it reigns over the powers of Life and Death.

"A Guardian Mage must always strive for the path of Life."

From there, the training began in earnest. Manipulation of the elements, despite the focus on them in the Mage Tower, was not the only area to concentrate on. This relieved Rynn for it turned out that her strength was not with all Elemental Magic, as it was for Auraki, but with only one facet. Earth. She had the power to change her physical form - to shapechange, as she'd experienced when she'd taken the shape of a wolf earlier in the journey.

So she concentrated on shifting between various animal forms while Auraki learned the magicks of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Life.

"In the Elemental Magicks, there are seperate powers," Rimril said. "Either a person is empowered with none, one or all. Rynn is a Wizard, for she has the strength of Earth - a useful tool for a warrior. Earth can be both sword and shield, helm and breastplate.

"Conjurers specialise in Fire, Sorcerers with Air and Magicians with Water.

"You, Auraki, are empowered with all that magic, and Life. You are a Battle Mage, like Navaros was."

Only two hours had passed since they began that one of the succubi guards raised the alarm. Two dragons had flown from the night and within sight of the Bellhammer Tower, and one had turned back upon seeing who was keeping residence there.

The other was flying towards them and preparing to attack...

Help...

As Rynn and Auraki rushed forth from the temple, followed by the shade of Rimril, they beheld a huge solid black dragon diving towards them, it's chest welling up as it prepared to burst forth an attack. Rynn gathered her magic and began to transform, seeing the form she wished to attain in her mind, her size growing as her magic went to work. Auraki meanwhile looked to those who were already being attacked, and were injured. He rushed forward to heal their allies, knowing that they would be needed.

As the black dragon readied another pass, a huge shriek of defiance shook the air as Rynn, who had just finished changing form, shot off into the air. She had chosen the shape of a griffin for this endeavor. Her powerful wings sprouting from a sleek tawny lion's body, and her beak snapping viciously as she flew up and under the attacking dragon. She was wise enough not to go head on, but to dive and come up under the beast near it's soft belly, driving forward with her sharp claws and beak, and avoiding the fiery breath the dragon spewed forth.

Auraki saw Rynn take off, and was amazed at the form she had managed. Having never seen a griffin before, he was a bit confused at her appearance, but as she appeared to be winning, he simply shrugged it off and continued seeing to the injured. Coming to Aramina, he saw that she had been robbed of a wing. Knitting his brows together in concentration with Rimril at his side giving advice and instruction, Auraki began the task of regenerating her wing. Slowly the bones began to stretch out, quickly followed by bare muscle, then overgrown with skin until there was no viewable difference in the new limb from the old one. As Auraki turned to the next, an injured Orc, he heard a shriek of terror from the sky. Turning swiftly, he saw the black dragon fall from the sky dead into the ocean. He had no time to rejoice however, as he saw hundreds of dragons approaching. "Strange," he thought, I see no black dragons or dracoliches among them

3 dracoliches appeared from the other direction as the new dragons arrived. To Auraki's amazement, the new dragons simply ignored the griffin-Rynn and flew straight towards the dracoliches. To his further surprise, the apparent leader, a huge bronze-gold dragon, let loose with a huge ball of magma towards them, apparently signaling the attack as all the others joined in...

Elsewhere...

Rualan flew on, for a night and a day, chilled by the night air and nearly blinded by the rising sun, still she flew on. She finally arrived at her destination, Rukonarth. Rukonarth was a clan of not just dragons, but of draco-mages, the clan from which Arokh had originally come. Rukonarth was formed when 2 other ancient clans joined as one, in times before even the Order existed. As Rualan arrived, she dove down to a rocky mound in the center of a lava pool, and simply waited, saying nothing. The draco-mages of clan Rukonarth were known to be very picky about the way they were treated, more because they were a bit paranoid ever since Kaeros, another of their clan, had turned evil and destroyed as many of them as possible in the Dark Wars...

Order of the Flame

Three dracoliches were no match for seventy-some-odd dragons. The Kang-shi clan (originally comprising only gold dragons, hence the name 'gold-scale', but having expanded since then) drove straight into the skeletal monsters without slowing - talons, teeth and tails ripping at tattered wings and boney limbs. Flashes of magical attacks erupted from the besieged dracoliches and a few flesh dragons were hurt, but none seriously. Strength through sheer numbers won out, and the undead beasts dropped from the sky to plunge into the ocean surrounding the Islands.

The Kang-shi clan came to rest on the ground surrounding the Tower and the mountains and cliffs.

"Rynn," their spokesman, a mighty golden male rumbled. "You contacted a member of my clan and asked for aid. Here we are."

Rynn stepped forward, a little intimidated by the dragon's size (much larger than Arokh) and told him everything that had happened since meeting Auraki. The dragons heard it all in silence and the gold dragon finally nodded.

"There are more clans of dragons coming to help," he said. "I am Vasaur of the Kan-shi clan. Our wings are at your service."

"We know some of us will have to bond," a green dragon spoke up. "Where are your candidates?"

"Aside from Auraki," Rynn began, "there's Rathek and the wartoks who-"

"Wartoks?" The exclamation of disbelief came from several dragons.

"The Order of the Flame was the union of the races of Dragon and Human!" one of them protested.

"As it was then, yes," Rimril's soulshadow said. The last Guardian Mage drifted toward the gathering, cowled head turned up to look at Vasaur. "But do not neglect what it should be just for the sake of what it was. Hail, Vasaur."

"It has been a while, Rimril," the dragon replied.

"Too long. Will you in truth aid us? The Order was not formed for the coming together of two races, but to end strife between these races." He gestured at the wartoks, orcs and succubi that had remained at the Tower. "They are willing."

From within the crowd of dragons, a deep violet one stepped forward and looked down at a trembling orc. Wondering, yet clearly terrified, the tiny creature reached up to touch the shimmering scales of the dragon. Then he touched his chest and said, "Urvan."

The dragon offered its soul crystal. "I am Michino, and am willing to bond with you."

"So it begins," Rimril said to Rynn and Vasaur. "Both the Order of the Flame and the Guardian Magi are returning to the world."

Gradually, some more dragons stepped forward; enough for all of the remaining wartock / orc party to have a bonded dragon. One by one the Orcs and Wartocks chose their dragon and Vasaur glanced at Auraki who was looking in the other direction. Vasaur growled slightly and shifted about to catch Auraki’s attention. Auraki turned to face the huge dragon who said "I would like you to be my bonded, if you accept"

Auraki fell silent for a moment then replied "I would be honoured to"

"Well lets make a start, it’s a couple of hours flight from here to our home, the bond must take place there" Vasaur suggested.

"Why?" asked a wartock.

"Ah ,there is a special stone artefact in each of our lairs, in which the soul crystal must be placed" the leader answered.

"So you all planned to bond anyway? The wartcok continued.

"No, no the soul crystal has other uses as well, such as healing, we are better protected if our souls are kept separate from the body, anyway it’s a tradition that we carried on from our ancestors, in the days of the order"

With that, the soon to be bonded mounted their dragons and flew off into the night. Rynn stayed behind with Rimril and the Succubi as they didn’t want to bond as they could already fly. Vasaur has commanded some of his clan to stay and protect Rynn and her companions. All they had to do was wait until morning which by that time the new order of the flame would meet them. Tomorrow would be an interesting day for Rynn, she would lead some of the dragons to the nearest cities to see if there are any humans that are worthy enough to become members of the order.

Interlude...

In the week that followed, the Order of the Flame was rekindled. As the various clans of dragons arrived at Rimril's tower, so did bands of orcs and wartoks sent by Rathek.

Rynn had kept herself occupied by seeking out any human villages beyond the Islands. There were very few, as the last uprising of the Dark Union three months ago had seen many townships swept off to work in the Grimstone mines, including Rynn's own. On top of that, Kaeros's dragons had burned much of what remained on their way through to the Succubi Hive. Rynn found twelve humans capable of helping, and only half that number were willing to help.

The Bonding ritual between dragons and their chosen wartok, orc or human went on for several days. In that time, nothing was seen of Kaeros or his minions...

...except by Rynn.

Bound by Blood, Bound by Flame

Rynn stirred up the campfire with the tip of Runeblade and stretched her legs. She was on her way back to Rimril's tower, but it was night and she needed rest no matter what form she shifted to. For most of her journey she'd chosen the shape of a wolf during the day or an owl at night.

Leaning back on her elbows, she looked up at the twin moons of Drakan with green eyes and tried not to think about her brother or Arokh. She couldn't help feeling like she'd failed them both.

Eyes widening, she sat up. She'd seen a shadow flicker over one of the moons. A glimmer of worry teased her mind, for the last week of travel had not pitted her against a foe of any kind and it was for that reason that her current camp site was virtually unprotected. There were no trees or rocks to run to for a long distance.

"Rynn..." a draconic voice rumbled, almost a whisper.

She shivered in spite of the blast of warmth that came from the unseen dragon's breath.

"Help me, Rynn..."

The voice was right behind her and the back of her neck felt hot.

"I need Runeblade. Runeblade will free me..."

Rynn whipped the sword out behind her and there was a scream of rage followed by a sharp pain across her forehead. She jumped across her small campfire and spun to face the dragon, heart pounding with fear.

"You want Runeblade?" she shouted as Kaeros glared at her, sharp teeth bared in a snarl and wings half-extended. "Come get it!"

"Not that easy, my puny little human," the dracolich grinned. "Remember the bond between you and your beloved Arokh? Kill me, and you're doomed to become a soulshadow."

Rynn shook her head. She had felt the bond fade when the Death Magi had turned Arokh into Kaeros. "I don't believe you."

Kaeros lifted one foreclaw and meaningfully touched the bleeding scratch Runeblade had sliced across his scaled brow. Rynn quickly imitated the motion. Her hand came away sticky with blood.

"So, needless to say that I won't try to kill you," he drawled. "Yet it puts me in a predicament."

Rynn listened, but didn't speak.

"You see, I want Runeblade. Just because killing me will make you a soulshadow is no guarantee that you'll do the noble heroine thing and still try to kill me." He smiled toothily. "The other thing is Auraki. I can't bond with him while Arokh is bonded to you." Kaeros raised his other foreclaw to reveal Arokh's soul crystal.

Rynn backed away a step. Was it possible to un-bond? "I won't do it," she said.

Kaeros suddenly laughed, and flames leaped from his jaws as he threw his head back. "I didn't expect you would," he said, still chuckling, and slowly backed away into the darkness. "But I don't need you to, so don't worry."

"Then why did you come-"

There was the sound of him beating his wings and taking off. "To gloat." Laughter came from above and Rynn glanced up to see a pair of glowing red eyes pass into the night. "Because tomorrow I'll be back and you'll be dead."

To battle...

"By Fire and by Blood I join with thee in the Order of the Flame!"

Lightning flashed white and gold, an otherworldly wind lifting both Auraki and Vasaur into the air above the crystal pedestal where the golden dragon's soul crystal shone. A few seconds later it was over.

"We should get back," Vasaur said, lowering one wing for Auraki to mount, but the man suddenly heard Rynn's voice.

"Wait," he said, and closed his eyes to concentrate. "Rynn? What is it?"

"Kaeros!" Her mind-voice sounded afraid. "He was here."

"Are you ok??"

"Not for long. He told me he's going to sever the bond between me and Arokh. If he does that, he can kill me without harming himself and take Runeblade."

"He told you that?" Vasaur's mental voice chimed in skeptically. "Why?"

"To gloat. And if his intention was to make me feel afraid, it's working. A lot. There's no way I can get anywhere safe by myself. I'm not powerful enough to assume a swifter shape."

"We can come," Auraki said.

"I think it could be a trap," Vasaur cautioned.

"He's right, Auraki. Kaeros would have known I'd send for help."

"We can take him!" Auraki insisted.

"You think he'll come alone?" There was a rather ominous silence. "Listen, I'm going to give Kaeros a good run and if he catches me, it's up to you to use Runeblade. I'm going to hide it for you."

"You'll be defenceless!"

An image of a burned village appeared in Auraki's mind. A little distance away, a beautiful chapel stood.

"My home village," Rynn said. "Runeblade is in the chapel. I have to go now, Auraki, if I want to keep ahead of Kaeros."

The sensation of her presence vanished.

"Rynn, wait!" Auraki shouted aloud. "Damn it, Vasaur, I can't just let her run and die!"

The great gold watched him carefully. "Then what?"

The mage climbed onto his back. "We get Runeblade, then go after Rynn."

The golden dragon leaped up through the circular hole in the top of his mountain, into the early morning air. Rainbow light touched the sky, reflected off the scales of dozens of other dragons who rose from their own caves, each newly bonded. Dragons of every colour, and on a vivid blue right next to him...

"Aramina!"

He almost didn't recognise the new Succubi Queen. The dawn light made her black hair appear gold, and Auraki realised that this was his dream.

Aramina smiled at him. She was the only succubi who had bonded. As had been said before, she was strange.

"We fly!" Vasaur shouted. "Rynn needs our help."

"I'll contact the other dragons to meet us," Auraki said as the dragons began flying. This he did, as well as notifying Rathek and Rimril on what was afoot.

"This could be the last fight," Aramina noted when Auraki's mind returned to his body.

"So long as we win," Auraki replied with a grin.

Catch me if you can

Rynn felt the bond break around noon. The feeling was so sudden and unexpected that her chosen wolf-form swerved in mid-stride and careened head first into a tree stump. Whimpering in pain, she staggered back and shook bits of bark from her dark coat. An odd weakness came over her with the knowledge that she was now entirely on her own.

Time to run? Not yet... Wait til he comes back...

She'd need all her strength and wits for when Kaeros came for her. Putting distance between them right now would delay the inevitable, but she'd be too wrung out to do anything when he eventually found her - which he would.

Rynn had got far enough away from her home for Auraki to get Runeblade. Now she rested by a small stand of stunted trees. Waiting.

It didn't take long.

She'd shifted back to human form and was sitting on the stump to watch the sun set when a lone dragon dropped from the sky behind her with a chilling, crow-like scream.

Rynn dove forward, choking, as toxic green clouds hissed around her.

It wasn't Kaeros, she realised with a sick feeling. A blade dragon.

The creature belched more poisonous fumes at her and she crouched in the cover of the scraggley trees, stomach clenching painfully. The dragon didn't see the trees as much of a shield, though, and dropped lower to tear at it with jagged teeth and razor-sharp wings. Leaves and bark flew like confetti. Rynn barely managed to change to her wolf form and dash from the grove.

"Catch me if you can!" she howled, and bounded across the field as fast as her four legs could carry her.

The blade dragon screamed once then was after her, but Rynn felt a strange absence of fear. She changed directions several times and the dragon, larger and slower to turn, was infuriated each time it had to correct its flight. It kept breathing out fumes, though, and Rynn failed to avoid a couple. After the second, she actually threw up and the blade dragon's foreclaw knocked her several feet away, almost breaking a rib.

Shifting back to human form, she ducked as the dragon's neck arched down and snapped its jaws at her and rolled forward, unlimbering her bow at the same time. The blade dragon ascended and started to turn around for a second dive when she let loose an explosive arrow. It missed and the dragon gave a croaking roar complete with another cloud of gas.

Rynn choked and threw herself flat as talons sliced the air above her. Rolling over, she loosed a second arrow that detonated against one of the dragon's legs. There was a scream and the creature swooped, landed and lumbered towards her with a snarl. Rynn fired again at its head but it merely moved aside on its long neck and breathed more gasses at her.

"Damn it," she coughed, vision swimming. She dropped her bow and drew Mournblade.

The dragon's maw curved in a hideous grin as it closed in and lashed out...

Rynn backed up, circling the dragon warily, on alert for more fumes. Mournbringer wailed in her hand, slightly distracting the dragon. Rynn's mind was racing, trying to think of a plan.

I can't defeat him on the ground, not like this. A couple of good poison shots and I'm done for...but if I can use the darkness to hide...

Rynn noticed a hole in the ground, small and barely noticeable. Keeping her eyes on the dragon, she saw it begin to draw it's breath in to attack. Giving a huge grin, Rynn shapeshifted...and to the dragon, she seemed to have disappeared.

It's strange being this small thought Rynn as she scurried towards the hole, making pretty much no noise. To outside appearances, a small, grey mouse was darting to safety in it's burrow. I think I'm safe for a little while...

Rynn could hear the dragon's wingbeats, she wondered if it would go away or wait for her to come out. Patience paid off however as slowly the wingbeats became softer and softer till they were heard no more.
She sat there for while, pondering on what to do next, wondering where she can go where its safe.
Rynn poked her nose out of the hole, the mouse's sensitive nose checking for enemies and finding nothing she crept out and changed back into a human.
Looking round she saw her backpack, slowly she crept up to it and pulled out a health potion. Rynn felt so much better after drinking it, the sweet tasting red liquid having a revitalising feel on her body, healing her wounds and improving her breathing.
She looked round once more and shapechanged into a wolf and ran off into the wilderness.
Meanwhile....

Chapel

Vasaur and the dragons landed around the Chapel near the burned remains of Rynn's home. The huge double doors were easily wide and high enough for a dragon to enter, but Auraki dismounted and entered alone.

He was only going to pick up a sword, after all.

The doors opened of themselves and Auraki entered, eyes wide at the beauty of the place. Sunlight fell through a stained glass window in the opposite wall, fragmenting into a dozen brilliant colours across the floor. The mage spared a moment to admire the place, then hurried forward to the alter where he expected to find Runeblade.

It wasn't there.

Then he heard the doors boom shut behind him.

"Hello, boy," a barely recognisable voice rasped.

Auraki spun around. "Kaeros! I thought-"

"That I was out chasing Arokh's bitch?" the dracoliche spat. His flaming eyes were burning with rage, and Auraki (aside from being pretty scared) wondered what had happened. Kaeros turned his long neck and made a gesture at the door, which was immediately surrounded by a chilling blue aura. "She is unimportant. And you... you bonded?" he shrieked in anger.

Auraki stumbled back, falling over the alter. "Runeblade," he breathed, seeing the weapon hidden behind it. Grabbing the sword, he jumped up and held it out. "Get back!"

Kaeros lifted his head and laughed. Flames shot from his mouth and scorched the ceiling, caught in the high wooden rafters. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?" he demanded, face a snarling rage once again. He held up his foreclaw and opened it to reveal the Rift Crystal.

Auraki gasped and his eyes automatically flicked to the hilt of Runeblade. Sure enough, the Rift Crystal was missing from its pommel.

A pounding came from the glowing door, and the yells of the dragons and their riders without could be heard. They were trying to break in.

"You won't get away," Auraki whispered, fear curling inside him.

"Neither will you, boy." Kaeros sneered at him. "Apart from the dragon's choice, there's only one other way to break a bond. Fortunately, it happens to coincide with what I ultimately had in store for you." He chuckled darkly, then parted his jaws and inhaled.

Auraki extended Runeblade and summoned his magic, a protective shield spreading around him just as a devastating blast of white-hot flames slammed him into it and threw him back against the wall. Gasping, barely conscious, but still holding the shield in place, the mage resisted the ongoing conflagration valiantly... but felt his strength weakening against the superior power of the dracolich.

A shattering sound preceded Vasaur's entrance through the massive window, and splinters of shimmering glass flew everywhere. With a battle roar, the great golden dragon threw himself into the flames and straight at Kaeros.

Outside the Chapel...

Kaeros's army of dragons suddenly appeared on the horizon, and on the opposite end of the sky could be seen the rapidly approaching dragons of the new Order of the Flame...

Whilst the two armies prepared for battle, the dragons of Vasaur's party managed to smash down the doors of the chapel. They poured into the chapel, surrounding Kaeros who was taken aback for a second or two at the imposing size of Vasaur who stood before him.
"get out of the way Auraki!" commanded Vasaur and taking advantage of that moment of surprise, he unleased his full fury into Kaeros's face....

With a roar of rage, Kaeros exhaled his own Fire to meet Vasaur's. The two streams, blinding white and blazing gold, met between the dragons and fanned out in a wide circle.

The wartoks, orcs and few dragons who had managed to get into the Chapel were forced to shield their eyes.

Aramina sped through the doors with a rush of crimson wings, siezed Auraki under the arms and carried him through the broken window behind him.

"No! What are you doing?" Auraki exclaimed, and wriggled his way free. He dropped to the ground and turned, intending to run back to the Chapel and help Vasuar.

"Don't do it!" the Succubi Queen warned. "I saw what Kaeros has. The Rift-"

A thunderous detonation threw both of them to the ground. The air was suddenly alive with a loud hissing sound, and Auraki rolled over to see what was going on.

Kaeros had opened a Rift.

The Chapel and all inside were gone, and a mad vortex of black, purple and silver whirled in its place. From the Rift issued a peal of insane laughter.

"Vasaur!" Auraki shouted, but his Bonded didn't reply. He'd been sucked into the Rift with Kaeros, two other dragons and a handful of riders. His fist white around the hilt of Runeblade, Auraki sprinted toward the Rift. "Find Rynn!" he shouted back to Aramina. "Quickly!"

"Auraki, what are you doing?" Aramina screamed, but the mage didn't reply. He ran straight up to the hissing vortex and dove in.

The battle between Kaeros's army and the new order still raged but the Order seemed to be winning. Aramina hoped to slip away quietly, nobody seemed to notice her. She needed to get to Rimril so he could contact Rynn to tell her what has happened.
She mounted her Dragon and flew off in the direction of Rimril's Tower. It wouldn't take her long. All she had to do then was pick up Rynn and take her to the rift...

Aramina arrived at the bay where Rimril's tower was. Something caught her eye however and she commanded her dragon to stop.
Peering, she saw three death mages circling Rimril's remains.
Something was very very wrong. She decided not to continue and turn around without being noticed. She would have to find Rynn herself but how?
The thought suddenly hit her; only dragons, mages and people blessed with magic could contact each other through the mind! She tapped her dragon on the neck and instructed him to contact Rynn....

Rynn sat with her knees under her chin, huddled up in a small cave, away from the biting wind. Hungry and tired and growing more and more distressed that nothing was working out she closed her eyes and began to daydream. Everything seemed hopeless, but then an unknown draconic voice suddenly contacted her.

"Do not be alarmed Rynn, I am Nashiva, bonded of Aramina, I need to meet you as soon as possible, stay where you are and let my mind find you"

Rynn perked up, slightly alarmed.

"Why what’s happened?" she asked

"There isn’t much time to explain but Kaeros has got to the runeblade before Auraki and he has opened a rift. Unfortunately Auraki, Vasaur and a few dragons have been sucked in. I and Aramina managed to escape however and have come to find you. That is not all either, we tried to find Rimril but it would seem that the Dark Union may have destroyed his soul shadow, but I’m not sure" The dragon replied.

"What, you have to be joking!?" Rynn exclaimed, her heart pounding in fear.

"No Rynn, I’m not, You are the only one that can help now"

Rynn could not believe what was happening "I must get to the rift and help Auraki" she said

Nashiva replied in disagreement "No, we must find Arokh’s Soul Crystal first if we want a chance of defeating Kaeros, we could use it to dispossess Arokh’s body of Kaeros’s soul. Without it, all would be lost"

"Any idea where it is?" Rynn asked.

"Aramina has an idea, but it may be a tough challenge to obtain it, Kaeros has probably taken it to the succubi hive where he intended to bond with Auraki"

"Then we must get it, whatever it takes, Auraki and Vasaur will be in grave danger and I doubt they will be able to hold off Kaeros for long, please hurry "

"We won’t be long, me and Aramina are only half an hours flight from your position, don’t worry Arokh’s Soul crystal will soon be in our hands"

Rynn’s mind returned to her body and she relaxed, but it was far from over yet. Even if she did manage to get Arokh back, she would have to bond again as Kaeros had broken the bond permanently since noon that day. Then there was still the threat of Navaros and his minions.

"Lets go Aramina" Nashiva commanded when his mind returned to his body. "We have a human to rescue"

In the Rift

The first thing Auraki saw when he plunged into the dark vortex was a burst of flames against the blackness. Then he hit something thin and yielding, like a stretched out sheet of leather. There was a tearing noise, followed quickly by a draconic roar of pain.

A clawed hand struck out as Auraki fell through the rent he'd torn in the dragon's wing, and he went flying.

The next thing he knew, something had caught him. It was a gentle grasp, but there was something decidedly uncomfortable about it. He reached out blindly to touch what had him, and it was abruptly lit up by another brilliant flash of fire.

Teeth.

Panic clenched his throat.

"It'th me," Vasaur's slightly slurred voice (due to Auraki obsturcting the dragon's tongue) said. "Hold on."

Auraki sensed movement as Vasaur craned his neck around and deposited him on his back, at the base of the neck. "I can't see."

"Use your magic, and hang on!" Vasaur lurched to one side and a sizzling bolt of lightning lanced past, almost brushing the tips of his wings. Auraki could hear another dragon unleashing a barrage of iceballs. "There is another dragon in here with us, and Kaeros. He's already felled a red dragon."

In the blackness, Kaeros's laughter could be heard.

Auraki concentrated and felt his eyes tingle. The dark was suddenly gone and he could see what was going on. A rust-coloured dragon with black wings flew on the other side of Kaeros, circling to the right. Vasaur was keeping pace on his side, so Kaeros was forced to deal with an opponent on opposite flanks.

On all sides and below was nothing but black, and above was the whirling vortex. Auraki shuddered to think what would have happened had he fallen and not been caught...

Arokh's corrupted head turned in Vasaur's diretion. "Give me the mage."

The other dragon took the chance and charged, three blasts of ice hissing toward his target. Kaeros beat his wings and lifted above the onslaught, laughing again, and Vasaur barely got out of the way before he was hit instead.

"Watch out, Berenax!" Vasuar shouted, and breathed a stream of fire up at Kaeros.

"We have to get the Rift Crystal off him," Auraki said. "Then I can use Runeblade." He ducked as another bolt of lightning flew overhead.

"Very well!" Vasaur said, and flew forward with a roar.

Kaeros snarled back, seeming only too happy to answer the challenge. He dove for the great gold dragon and lashed out with one foreclaw and wickedly sharp teeth...

Auraki saw an opening, and took his chance. Kaeros was so distracted with Vasaur, that it never occurred to him to worry about the mage. Auraki caught a glimpse of the rift crystal...and went for it. He leaped onto Kaeros' back, summoning forth a shield of fire as he did so, and ignoring the scream of rage and pain that came from Kaeros as he landed on the dracolich's side. Auraki swung lower, reaching for the Rift Crystal. Kaeros bellowed again, a sound of pure rage, and did a loop, thinking to dislodge his unwanted passenger. It worked, sending Auraki toppling, right past the Rift Crystal, which he snatched from Kaeros as he began to fall...

With a shriek of fury, Kaeros forced Vasaur back with a burst of Magma breath and dropped after the falling Auraki. He didn't notice the other dragon before it had latched onto his back and started tearing at his shoulders with gleaming claws.

Kaeros screamed in pain, even though no wounds showed. Only Runeblade could visibly wound him. Turning his head around, the dracolich lashed forward with his fangs and grabbed his attacker by the throat.

Then Vasaur's wings blocked the fight, and he flew under Auraki to catch him on his back. "Whatever you're going to do, do it quickly," Vasuar said, and started ascending to help the other dragon.

Swiftly, Auraki brought the Rift Crystal up to the hilt of Runeblade and there was a click as they connected. The weapon glittered with a cold fire and light sparked from the tip. "Let's get him!"

As he said this, there was a choked off scream from above. Auraki felt something wet and sticky hit his face, and he wiped it away.

Dragon blood.

It was them against Kaeros, now.

Elsewhere, outside this strange alternate dimension, in the world of Drakan, Rynn was suddenly disturbed by the sounds of wingbeats then silence. She stood upright and readied her sword waiting for her possible enemy outside the cave. Cautiously, she peered out to see a vivid blue dragon looking in her direction. On his back was Queen Aramina.

Her fear now gone, she rushed out to greet them.

"I am Nashiva, bonded of Aramina, I guess you are Rynn?" the dragon questioned, tilting his head on one side slightly.

"Yes, that is correct, I believe you can help me get Arokh’s soul crystal?" Rynn replied.

Aramina chipped in first "Yes Rynn, I have an idea where it is, I explained it all to my dragon on the way to find you, its probably in the succubus lair near the grimstone gate. We should go now if we want to win this battle"

Rynn thought for a second or two then frowned and suggested

"Probably you say? No, I have a better suggestion, lets look in Arokh’s cave first, its nearer and it’s a good place for Kaeros to dump it"

"Good idea, now lets go" Nashiva said impatiently.

Rynn climbed on to Nashiva’s back holding on to Aramina for support. She would fall if she didn’t have a good grip as a bond between a dragon and a human holds them together and Nashiva wasn’t her dragon.

It was about an hour’s flight to Arokh’s lair, as the threesome neared their destination, a horrifying sight awaited them. The ground below was littered with dragon corpses; the battle between Kaeros’s army and the new order was over. The dragons and dracolichs of Kaeros’s army that did manage to survive had fled and as for the new order, it seemed as if they were gone too. A few dead riders lay amongst the dragons and nearby the soul crystals that belonged to their bonded dragon lay in the dirt. The bodies had already dematerialised and reappeared in their lairs just leaving a crystal behind.

Nashiva suddenly made a shriek of despair and anger, recognising the body of his brother on the ground. His brother had not bonded and consequently could not be awakened again. If only he had bonded, Nashiva thought; at least he could have taken his soul crystal and awakened him again later.

Nashiva landed and turned his head to face his two riders.

"Get off" he commanded.

Aramina and Rynn looked at each other for a moment, and then Nashiva spoke again

"I said get off me, are you stupid or something? Just leave me alone for a while"

The two riders dismounted in silence and walked away to a nearby rock and sat down but were suddenly startled by the soul shadow of an orc.

"Urvan?" asked Rynn

"Yes its me" Urvan replied. "What has happened, am I dead?"

"Its quite complicated, Urvan" Rynn said, "if your dragon is killed, you become what you are now, a soul shadow, technically you are dead. You will remain in this state forever unless a mortal gets your dragon’s soul crystal from its lair and places it on your remains"

"What happens then?" Urvan asked

"Your soul then goes to where it belongs"

"What do you mean by that?" Urvan’s soul shadow asked.

"That is for you to work out, but fear not, we will see that your soul gets its rest once this battle is over" Rynn answered. She continued "one more thing before you go, what happened to everyone?"

"I lasted for most of the battle, Kaeros’s army was easily defeated, most were killed but a large number fled. As for the new order of the flame, a few remained but they have left too. A few riders and dragons got sucked into the rift; I don’t know what happened to them. A leader of the golden dragon clan said he would return later to collect the soul crystals of the order so the dead could be awakened but I haven’t seen him yet"

With that, the soul shadow faded. Aramina looked at Rynn and frowned. "I thought the soul crystal stays in the dragon’s lair," she asked.

"It does, but if the rider is killed, it dematerialises and a new one appears where the body died. This can be taken to the dragon’s lair to awaken it again. That was what Urvan meant. If the dragon is killed however, the crystal stays in the pedestal."

"Umm…" her voice was cut off by Nashiva’s booming voice.

"Are you two ready or what" he demanded.

"Huh, we were waiting for you!" Aramina exclaimed

"Don’t get smart with me, now lets get that crystal before its too late, it seems my kin thinks the battle is already over "

The two riders climbed on to Nashiva’s back and began their short journey over the battlefield to Arokh’s lair.

Nashiva hovered over the hole in the roof of Arokh’s lair and peered in looking for enemies. Finding none, he dove in and landed next to the pedestal.

"You’re in luck Rynn," he said with a smile.

Rynn dismounted and saw what Nashiva meant. Arokh’s soul crystal lay on the floor next to the pedestal. Surprised and joyous, she bent down and with trembling hands, picked it up and placed it in her backpack.

"Don’t be too overjoyed Rynn, it’s been a couple of hours since the rift was opened, and I fear that Kaeros has won."

Rynn and Nashiva could not believe what Aramina had just said. Rynn just glared at her but Nashiva was more informative.

"Aramina, this is very difficult to explain but time travels much slower in the rift worlds to what it does here. Of course if you are in the rift, time seems to pass at the normal rate; in other words, two hours has passed here but in the rift only a few minutes has passed."

"Eh??"

Nashiva sighed, " Also put bluntly, when we enter the rift we will more than likely fly straight into the fight, and with this crystal, we may be able to reinstate Arokh’s soul in his body with Auraki’s help"

"Lets go then" Rynn suggested.

The threesome flew out of the cave and flew straight at the swirling rift in front of them….

Rualan had reached the clan of Draco-mages, only to find that Agarath's messengers were not too far ahead of her, and preparations were in order.

"Hail Rualan of clan Kang-Shi!" roared a draconic voice as she glided down to land. The draco-mages lived unlike the other clans. They crafted the stone of the mountains with their magic to suit their fancy, living in places of such beauty as to make any king jealous. From the outside the caves looked ordinary and downright inconspicuous...but looks can be deceiving.

The watch-dragon who had greeted her led her through a long passage into a great cavern, so huge it could easily have accommodated 200 dragons. The sides of the wall gleamed black, and were lined with the history of the Arth-Kra (Blood Flame) clan. Luminous balls of light hovered at intervals throughout the huge cavern, lighting it up nearly as bright as day, and enhancing the shimmery effect of the walls. The medium-sized guide led her to a slab in the center of the room, and abrubtly disappeared.

"You have arrived in good time Rualan," said a deep voice, seemingly from nowhere. Rualan looked up, startled, searching for the source of the voice until the vision materialized before her, showing only the head and part of the neck of a male red dragon. Rualan managed to snatch her wits back together enough to respond, "How so Great Mage?"

"We are going to send you to aid the woman Rynn, as well as our ancient kin Arokh. "Take this," he said and nodded to Rualan's left. The same dragon who had brought her here appeared again, this time carrying something.

A soul crystal she thought in consternation. Do they mean to bond with one of the humans? Why do they need to send me? The dragon whom the crystal belongs to should go, so that the ritual bonding may take place

"No Rualan," said the image sternly, "we are not sending this crystal to bond. This is the soul crystal of Kaeros. We have kept it all these years, on the slim chance that he might one day awake and it would be needed. Even as we speak, Kaeros fights your Elder, Vasaur, and his bonded, Auraki, within the Rift itself. Rynn speeds toward them to help, and while they do have the full power of the Runeblade, they will need this to save Arokh. We will send you there. After that, 'tis up to you."

Rualan bowed her head in compliance, and followed the red dragon-guide to yet another cavern, this one of the same black stone, yet with a shimmering red sheen to it. Rualan supposed it must be magic, for she could not rathom how else it would glow red. In the center of the room was a large circle, surrounded by draco-mages of all sizes, many as large as Vasaur and Agarath. Her guide handed her the soul crystal, and gave her a nudge into the center, then disappeared again.

"I am Merokh," said one of the dragon's, and Rualan recognized the voice from the great cavern. "We are going to send you to the opening of the Rift now. Do not fight whatever you may feel. Relax your mind, and we will do the rest." Rualan nodded, and set about trying to do as instructed, closing her eyes as she did so.

The circle of dragons began chanting, so quickly that Rualan could make out none of the words. She felt a pressure on her hide, and simply forced her mind to relax, clutching the soul crystal of Kaeros in her claws. As the chanting grew even faster, the volume grew and Rualan heard a loud noise, similar to thunder and opened her eyes...only to be looking right into the swirling Rift.

Souls at War

Vasaur roared in pain, a section of his left wing blistering under Kaeros's fire. Auraki hacked an overhand stroke at the dracolich's head, and Kaeros reeled back with a snarl, his tail whipping across Vasaur's face as he retreated.

"We can't get close enough for you to use Runeblade," Vasuar panted to his rider. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." He backflapped his wings, rising slightly toward the Rift.

A gold blue dragon streaked through.

Kaeros let out a furious roar at the sight of the riders and flew to the attack, molten blasts of magma erupting from his maw.

Nashiva shouted painfully as one struck his chest, but still flew down and raked a talon at Kaeros's face. The dracolich fought back, and the two were quickly locked together with claws and tails, wings flailing against the other's, jaws snapping furiously.

Vasaur drew closer and looked for an opening to attack.

"It's Rynn!" Auraki said. "I have to get Runeblade back to her!"

"No," the golden dragon replied, still trying to catch his breath. "Look! She has something better."

"Rynn, go!" Nashiva roared, and the young woman leaped past Aramina and siezed Kaeros's neck, settling herself firmly on his back.

"GET OFF!" Kaeros snarled. His hindclaws tore at Nashiva's underbelly and the blue wrenched away with a shriek, blood running freely down his chest. Free, Kaeros's head turned to fix blazing eyes on his human tormentor. "Ready to die, groundling?"

Then the golden form of Rualan entered the rift. As if they'd practised it in advance, she yelled, "Rynn! Catch!" and hurled the soul crystal she held across the void. Rynn snatched it from the air with her free hand, both legs gripping Kaeros's neck tightly.

Then she looked up into the suddenly uncertain eyes of Kaeros... and smiled.

Then she touched the two dragonstones together, and a crystalline ringing sounded in the silence, pure light sparking between them...

A sharp shattering noise sounded, and one of the soul crystals exploded in Rynn's hand. A shower of glass fragments fell in a glistening rain down into the rift... gone.

Rynn held the remaining crystal with both hands and swallowed hard as the red dragon's head swivelled to regard her. "Arokh?"

He breathed deeply and smiled. "The one and only."

Rynn breathed a sigh of relief. Her throat was dry and she found that she couldn’t say anything for a moment.

Nashiva broke the silence first. "Let’s get out of here before the rift closes" he suggested.

Arokh turned to Rynn and said with a smile "hold on"

Rynn nodded and then the three dragons and their riders flew upwards into the swirling void above them, but suddenly the noise of the rift became softer and the swirling sides began to come together.

Vasaur shouted with a slight fear in his voice "Quickly it’s closing". His panic was short lived however as the exit suddenly loomed before him and with a sudden burst of hidden strength he made it through. Nashiva followed quickly behind just as the rift snapped shut behind him dispersing into nothing.

Nashiva and Vasaur landed and their two riders looked at each other.

"Where’s Rynn and Arokh?" Aramina questioned.

Auraki’s heart sank. They had been trapped in the rift forever. They couldn’t re open it without the rift crystal. "I – I don’t know, he stammered, they’re gone." He said with dismay.

Suddenly there was a thunderous roar and the rift suddenly appeared again depositing Arokh and Rynn onto the ground with a thump. It then closed again just leaving a blackened pit in the ground. Arokh got to his feet and looked down at Rynn who lay on the floor at his side. She rolled over and they looked at each other for a moment then a smile started to appear on her face and she began to laugh. Arokh grinned and joined in. Vaseur stood at the edge of the pit looking down at them.

"What’s so funny?" he asked. Then he suddenly realised; they were just relieved that it was over.

"Come on you two, haven’t you got some bonding to do?

Arokh looked at Rynn and stopped laughing.

"Yes he’s right Rynn, the bond has been broken and we need to bond again, that is if you want to"

"Oh you silly dragon, of course I do" she said as she ran up to his front and threw her arms around him, pulling herself into his chest. Tears of joy and relief stung her eyes and wiping them away she paused for a moment and backed away.

Arokh smiled to himself as Rynn looked up at him "let’s go" she said.

Vasaur greeted them at the top of the pit. "Do you remember anything whilst your body was occupied by Kaeros" he asked.

"No" came the reply. "But I do know about you and the new order of the flame. I also know of Kaeros’s army of dragons and that a large number remain, but however without a leader they will not be as a bigger threat."

"Unfortunately there isn’t many of the new order left, a few riders were killed when they were sucked into the rift and some others were killed in the battle against Kaeros’s army" Vasaur said sadly.

Arokh looked at him with a blunt expression on his face.

"That doesn’t matter, there are us three and your dragons can still help whether they have riders or not. Anyway what’s to stop people bonding with them in the future. And I said people, NOT orcs or wartocks! They will never be part of the order if I have anything to do with it." His voice began to rise "I am the one and only leader of the order and I always will be until my death, I WILL NOT have the wartock race as part of the order apart from the ones that already have bonded"

Vasaur was taken aback at Arokh’s arrogance. He fell silent for a moment and replied " As you wish Arokh" Vasaur knew it would come to this, he knew that Arokh would be their leader but he didn’t expect him to be so arrogant especially after he had just saved his life. He shrugged and turned to look at Auraki who shook his head and laughed.

Arokh flew up into the air and shouted down at his new companions "I will go back to my lair to bond with Rynn, I will meet you here"

With that, he flew away with Rynn clinging onto his neck.

"As for you Auraki, mend me and Nashiva would you" Vasaur said with a grin.

Auraki uttered a few words and suddenly the two dragon’s wounds were healed.

Rualan landed to greet them. She had fled from the rift after she had given Rynn Kaeros’s soul crystal and had been forgotten up until now.

"Rualan, I thought you were trapped in the rift" Auraki asked.

"No not me, I was careful" she replied.

Auraki didn’t answer and stared at the blackened pit in front of him.

All they had to do now was wait for Arokh’s return then they could go on to defeat the rest of Navaros’s minions and the death mage high priest, Malesh.

For as long the Order had existed, there had always been the Watcher pair. They stayed out and apart from the affairs of man and Dragon, keeping themselves to themselves. No-one knew the reason for their seclusion. But someday, the legend went, an Event would occur that would force them to act, and pull them off the blasted fence they had been sitting on for all these centuries.

Well. Not in those words.

The two stood side by side, watching the chapel where the battle had so recently raged.
Ourúhn tilted his great head and spoke.
"It is odd, methinks, how events run," the white dragon observed in a melodious voice. "E’en as this was the birth town of the Lady who is One, it may yet be her graveyard if she doth not proceed with discretion."
The dark-robed figure beside him remained silent, hands resting on the hilt of the greatsword in front of him. They stood for a while longer. Finally Ourúhn turned to his companion, curiosity burning in his orange eyes.
"Time, thinkest thou?" even as he finished speaking, the milky rift over the chapel closed finally.
Halgar nodded slowly. When he spoke, his voice had the same musical quality of his Bonded.
"Yes. It is Time."
And he mounted Ourúhn, and the Watchers of Drakan flew towards the space where the Rift had devoured the chapel.

Reuinion

Arokh landed in his lair and Rynn dismounted, his soul crystal held safely in one hand. She hesitated a minute when neither spoke, then said, "You... you do want to bond with me again... don't you? Because I won't if..."

"I freely agree to bond," Arokh said with a faint smile.

"You don't owe me anything," Rynn added awkwardly. "You don't have to bond."

"Rynn, I want to." He looked at her, his expression grave. "Or do you not want to?"

That made her smile. "I already said I do." She looked at the crystal. "Well, here goes..." Approaching the pedestal, she once again performed the Bonding ritual.

"By Fire and by Blood I join with thee, in the Order of the Flame!"

The Bond was healed. Rynn crossed over to Arokh and sat down at his side, her back to one of his forelegs. She was overcome by a sudden weariness, and she knew it was shared by Arokh. She could sense the shadows in Arokh's mind, too. He couldn't remember what Kaeros had done, but Arokh was afraid. Of what he could have done.

The red dragon sank to his belly in the loose sand of his cave floor and let out a long sigh.

"Why are you against the orcs and wartoks bonding?" Rynn asked softly.

"If you had been in my place when Shilla shipped me off to Navaros, you'd know," Arokh rumbled.

"What about Rathek?"

"The wartoks were never evil," Arokh admitted in his low voice. "But Navaros corrupted them. Gave them bloodlust against other races, including mine. Until I know those creatures have risen above that bloodlust, I will not trust them."

"Navaros was a human, and the Order trusted him," Rynn pointed out.

But Arokh was asleep.

Rynn didn't hesitate to follow.

And so their dream began. Rynn unconsciously joined her mind with Arokh's, transforming herself into a dragon in the dreamscape and soaring through the skies with him. Swerving, playfully batting at each other, playing chase, they managed to alleviate the stress that had built up since Kaeros took control.

While they relaxed in oblivion, Auraki and the others were discussing a matter they had not investigated in the rush to deal with Kaeros. "Tell us again what you saw Aramina," said Auraki to the Succubi Queen.

All eyes turned to her as she began to speak. "I arrived at the tower to enlist Rimril's aid in finding Rynn, so I could bring her to the Rift. But, when I got there, I saw 3 of the Death Magi circling Rimril's remains. I didn't know what to do, but I knew something was very wrong. We decided to find Rynn alone, and simply left. I was more concerned about destroying Kaeros, and I didn't investigate. I'm sorry," she added on, looking dejected as she concluded her tale.

"There's nothing to be sorry about Ara," said Auraki. "Do any of you know what they might have been doing? I'd rather not just jump into another trap," said Auraki with a wry grin to the group...

The Dragons are coming, Hooray Hooray!...

A huge group of dragon's, numbering in the mid-100's, approached the stronghold of the New Order, led by Agarath. The old blue was giving her clan a hard time keeping up with her as she sped on. As they grew within 1 day's flight, they were met by the Draco-Magi, led by Merokh.

"I see you have decided to join us," said Agarath.

"Yes," said Merokh. "We have already aided the permanent return of Kaeros to the pain which he thought he had escaped. Now we seek to rectify the dishonor he brought upon our clan, in the original days of the Dark Union and now."

"I see," said Agarath. "Another day's flight will see us at the stronghold of the New Order. We have already selected those among us who will bond, should the need arise. Will you of clan Arth-Kra bond?" she asked.

"Only with other's who possess magical abilities. You know our traditions Agarath, and we have not changed them. To bond with a member of our clan is to become one of us," he replied. "We will see if any qualify."

And so they flew onward...

The night became colder and Vasaur was beginning to wonder where Rynn and Arokh had got to. He sighed to break the momentary silence and said "I’d better see what’s happened to Rynn. Nashiva, would you join me?" he asked.

Nashiva looked up, "yes I know where Arokh’s lair is, I will show you" He turned to face Auraki, Aramina and Rualan. "You wait here, why don’t you light a fire to starve off this cold, we will bring some food back when we return"

"OK but don’t take long" Auraki replied.

As the two dragons flew away, Ourúhn and Halgar landed in front of the group. Startled, Auraki jumped to his feet.

"Don’t worry, young Auraki" Ouruhn said in a cold tone "we are not here to harm you, we are the watcher pair, you probably won’t know about us, but we are here to inform you that if you don’t proceed, you will suffer a terrible fate"

"What do you mean and how do you know my name?" asked Auraki.

"As I said we are the watcher pair, we keep ourselves hidden unless something happens that requires our presence. You are a mage and if you die, you will become one of the dark union’s masters, Kaeros is now dead and will not return but there is a much more powerful force. Navaros has managed to break free from the rift and is on his way here to reclaim you."

Auraki gulped and Ouruhn continued "I have come to inform you that there is a 152 strong team of dragons coming to aid you, they are led by Agarath, the elder of the clan. There is also a 40 strong team from the Arth-Kra clan, led by Merokh, but their main interest is to put right the dishonour Kaeros brought on their clan. They will lend aid wherever possible. Now your only task is to defeat the dark union, how is up to you"

Auraki suddenly remembered that there might be a cure for him "Can you help me find a cure so that I won’t become a member of the union upon my death?" he asked.

The white dragon replied "Yes there is a cure for you, but you will have to find it, Merokh of the Arth-Kra clan may be able to help you"

"Now we must go, we will be watching over you, good luck"

And with that, the white dragon and its rider disappeared into the night.

Auraki turned to Aramina "what do you make of that?" he asked.

Rualan butted in "we should wait till Agarath and Merokh arrive which will be around mid morning. For now we wait"

Nashiva and Vasaur promptly joined them. Arokh and Rynn were not with them.

"Well then, what’s happened?" Auraki asked cautiously.

"No need to worry, they’re asleep. Perhaps after eating we should do the same"

"Nashiva, Vasaur, I have something to tell you" Auraki said.

"Go on then I’m all ears" Nashiva said in a slightly sarcastic voice.

Auraki thought for a moment, he wasn’t too keen on Nashiva, he was arrogant and nasty – unlike Vasaur who’s attitude is somewhat more friendly. He then began to explain what the watcher pair had told him.

Vasaur listened to what Auraki had just said and replied "Perhaps we shouldn’t stay out in the open like this, we don’t know how long it will be before Navaros’s minions get here. I suggest that we go to Arokh’s lair and take refuge there. In the morning we will inform Arokh of recent events and see what he suggests we do next"

"I agree, I’m sure Arokh won’t mind us invading his private patch" Auraki said with a smile

"Huh, he won’t have to mind" Nashiva’s sarcastic voice said from behind him.

When they got to Arokh’s lair, Arokh didn’t even notice them for he was too tired. Aramina looked over at Rynn huddled up against Arokh for warmth and smiled.

After an hour only the snores of the dragons sleeping could be heard in the cave. Meanwhile, the two dragon clans and the other remaining members of the new order sped towards them.

A voice roared in anger.

"What do you mean he will not join us?! IT WAS YOUR TASK TO FORCE HIM TO ME!" screamed the rage-filled voice.

"It is not my fault master!" cried the voice of Malesh, head of the Death Magi. "He managed to use his magic before the test killed him. There is a chance that even if he dies now he will retain his own free will."

"And this is all the news you have for me?" said Navaros, the owner of the previously enraged voice, now grown deceptively soft. "Kaeros has been cast back down, and Arokh restored to the accursed Rynn. The boy, Auraki, that I instructed you to steal has been turned into a man and brought into his full abilities, not to mention that he has BONDED to a Kang-Shi dragon. The succubi, as well as the orcs and wartoks, are flocking to their side. My work is falling apart. AND THIS IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?" the last part grew in volume until even the ghostly Death Mage tried to cover his ears.

"Y-y-y-yes Master," he said in a hushed voice.

"Stop quivering Malesh, I am not going to kill you. We have lost too many Magi already. What we need now...is a plan," he said, as he settled back into his throne.

Navoros sat shrouded in darkness. He kept himself hidden, wearing dark gloves, and a billowing cloak with a hood that hid his form and features.

"It is lucky for you that I already have a spy in their midst. Someone they would never suspect, and that I can contact mentally at anytime. I will do so later, to find out where they are. Then we will plan our attack. Go," he said to Malesh. "Gather your kind and prepare."

Within the Rift...

Falling...why can't I stop falling? I don't even know how long I've been falling...I remember...a feeling...as if I had something slimy all over me...then a splitting headache...and Rynn...I remember Rynn...calling my name...trying to catch me...and now I fall...sometimes I think I will fall forever. Never landing, never seeing anything but this horrid darkness...and the shapes...oh god, the shapes. It is because of them that I am almost glad that I fall. They cannot come at me. But they terrify me so. Great creatures with rows upon rows of teeth...red-hued beings that are merely an eyeball...and the horrendous things I see them doing to each other. No nightmare I ever had was equal to such things. Why couldn't Rynn catch me? No, she would if she could have. I'm glad she doesn't have to fall too. I miss her so much...sometimes I almost think I can hear her in my head. But that's not possible. I wish it were...I would give anything to hear her voice again...to see her...anything...

Awakening...

The sound of Delon's voice crying her name jerked Rynn awake. She sat huddled beside Arokh's foreleg and beneath one wing, but not even the heat of the red dragon's body could chase away the chill in her heart.

She remembered flying Arokh down into the Rift after defeating Navaros' four-headed dragon, determined to find and rescue her brother... but it had not worked. The rift had warped and twisted on itself, spitting the two out into Drakan again.

And there had been no sign of Rynn's little brother.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and shivered, eyes looking at nothing but seeing Delon fall into the rift again... and again...

Then Arokh started awake with a sharp intake of breath. He glanced around, as if remembering where he was, then looked down at Rynn.

"Are you all right?" Rynn asked softly, for an expression of pain had come over his features at the sight of her.

"I... dreamed." Arokh shrugged his massive shoulders.

"So did I. About my brother."

Arokh sighed and closed his eyes. "And I of Heron. Aren't we a pair?" A trace of bitterness edged his voice. "You couldn't save your brother... I couldn't save my rider."

"But I can still save Delon," Rynn said.

"Perhaps."

They sat silently, both at a loss of what to do or say. Dawn's light filtered through the circular opening high above them, glittering against the crystal structure of the pedestal and Arokh's soul crystal... fragments of rainbow scattering across the rocks and sand.

"Perhaps..."

"And you most likely shall, one day."
Rynn sweared, and turned to find herself looking at the hooded face of Halgar. Her hand flew to her sword, and the Watcher’s face took on a rueful expression.
"I take it the boy didn’t tell you about us then?" he gave a sad chuckle. "Ah, but few ever do. Put away that big knife of yours, child. You won’t need to use it on us." She reluctantly moved her hand and he nodded encouragingly.
"I was about to move off again, but Ourúhn here-" he gestured at the massive white dragon-"Reminded me that our task was not yet done." Arokh looked at Halgar appraisingly, working something out in the depths of his mind. Then he spoke.
"Why do you remain hooded, Lord Watcher? Pray, reveal yourself unto us so we may know better your face."
Halgar chuckled again.
"I see that the old tongue has not completely disappeared from Drakan. So much the better." He sighed. "And now you have me neatly trapped, though how you know who we are, I suppose I shall never find out. Very well."
He drew back his hood, and Rynn gave a startled exclamation. "My word," said Arokh under his breath.

The truth was that Halgar looked almost identical to Delon. Older, certainly, with silvering hair and careworn face that spoke of many disappointments, but still-
"Uncanny, isn’t it? Ourúhn says it’s a Sign." He glared at the white dragon, who winked at them. "He never explains what of, though. I have a few suspicions on the depth of his knowledge in such matters myself, but-" he shrugged. Rynn was still staring at him, mouth slightly open. He gently pushed it shut and grinned at her.
"Don’t do that, child. It is not considered polite, and it doesn’t really do you any favours."
She glared at him.
"So," said Arokh "what now? You spoke of a task you had to complete?"
"Yes," said Halgar. "A rather large task." He turned to Rynn and bowed gracefully.
"Lady, from this day forth I pledge to serve you in any way I can. Must I lay down my life for you to these ends, then so it shall, yea, must be. From now onwards, the Watchers are no more. We are now the advisors and protectors of the Lady who is One and her Dragon Bonded."
"You and Arokh," explained Ourúhn.
And all Rynn and her dragon could do was stare.

The silence was broken by the sound of Vasaur getting to his feet. He and the others had been awake and listened to every bit of the conversation, which had just taken place.

"Glad to hear it, we could do with your knowledge and experience" his loud voice said echoing throughout the cave.

The white dragon turned and nodded and after a brief pause replied "We must make plans, I suggest us four dragons and our riders stick together as a team. We are the most experienced. The new members of the order can help us out whenever necessary, also we have help from others which have not bonded. Rynn, Arokh, you shall be our leaders"

"I agree" Rynn suggested "but we may have to split up in future to command individual groups, a bonded pair to each group would be the best. For now we stick together."

Arokh looked at the former watcher pair carefully "She’s right, we should not put all of our eggs in one basket so to speak"

The white dragon shifted about as if he was getting impatient. "Well whatever, the most important thing is that Navaros has broke free from the rift and is on his way to try and claim Auraki back, we need to get moving when our help arrives."

Auraki spoke up. "I’m not sure if I retain my free will if I die, I was told that I did but yet the watcher said I wouldn’t and I’d become one of the dark masters upon my death."

"Maybe he’s wrong, maybe not, I don’t really know, but there’s nothing to stop Navaros from capturing you and corrupting you" came the cold reply from Vasaur. "Anyway that won’t happen, I will make sure of it, after all your life is technically mine" he said with a friendly smile.

Auraki saw that Vasaur was only trying to boost his confidence, but there was always doubt in his mind that someday he might become one of Navaros’s slaves. He shuddered at the thought and opened his mouth to speak but Arokh butted in.

"Right then, all gather round, we need to discuss plans on what to do next"

The dragons and the riders settled down into a group on the cave floor and all eyes fell on Arokh and Rynn who sat by his side.

A dark pair of eyes with a maddened gleam watched over the group gathered in Arokh's lair. As Halgar removed his hood, the watcher quirked an eyebrow, as if unwilling to show his surprise, yet unable to help his small movement.

"Interesting...he is the spitting image of the boy I...temporarily inhabited," said Lord Navaros as he and Malesh observed through the Pool. "No matter," he said as he turned to Malesh. "Although, I thought I had instructed that the Watchers were to be TERMINATED!" he roared.

Malesh cowered from Navaros' tone and volume. The maddened look in his eyes made them shine brightly as he looked down on the terrified Mage.

"Yes Master, you did. Queen Shilla tried to get rid of them, and thought she had..." he stuttered.

He got no farther. Navaros, supremely infuriated, made a movement with his hand. Malesh was forced closer, so that he was eye to eye with him.

"I think it is time that you learned the price of failure Malesh," he said in a whisper-soft voice. Malesh tried to speak, to protest, but found he couldn't. Navaros dispelled him, ignoring the scream that lingered as he forced Malesh into the surrounding ethers. He had not killed him, just...displaced him for a time. It would take a day or so for him to recollect himself, and would be very painful, but would bring no lasting damage...other than memory.

Now, I must decide how to deal with this new "Order," he thought. I need that boy-mage killed. Mayhaps if I sent in a succubi, under the guise of betraying me...

Navaros continued to watch the group gathered in Arokh's lair, able to see anything they did. The only catch was that the Pool did not allow for sound, which was why his spy was so important.

As he continued watching however, he felt a peculiar twitch begin at the back of his neck. He raised his hand to scratch, as if it were a bug, and in that split second, it transformed from a simple itch to sharp stabs of pain.

Navaros began to howl in rage and pain as the vision in the Pool went blank, showing nothing but milky-white liquid as the Dark Lord clutched at his head and fell to his knees, screaming physically as well as mentally.

Back at the Lair...

As Rynn opened her mouth to suggest who should be paired with who, a wave of nausea hit her. Glancing at Auraki, she saw that he felt it too. Then she felt the mental blast.

Rage, pain...cold, maddened hatred... these were the emotions that swept over Rynn, Auraki, and the assembled dragons.

The dragons, having more experience, tried to shield the humans as best they could. As the mental scream subsided, they looked at each other in confusion.

"Be calm," said a new voice. "It is just Navaros going through the side effects of the spell we just hurled at him. It should prevent him from his spying, at least for now."

Everyone turned, Rynn managing to assume a weak fighting stance.

"Be calm child. If not for us, you would not have Arokh with you now. We are scarcely your enemies," stated Merokh. "I am Merokh, head of clan Arth-Kra. This," he said as he nodded to the huge blue dragon next to him, "is Agarath, leader of clan Safiiri. We have come to aid you, the Safiiri clan with their talents for strategy, and us with the gift we have of magic."

He turned to Arokh. "It is good to see you again Arokh. We had thought you would never reawaken," he said.

Inside the Rift...

RYNN!!!!!!!!...oh Goddess, Rynn is that you! I tried to reach you...I tried...I tried...it's not you. It never is, no matter how many times my mind plays tricks on me, I always fall for it. My hope refuses to die for some reason, though from the looks those horrible creatures have been giving me, I think I might hit something soon. They look as if they are joyful, as if they will somehow reach me...I'm so terrified. RYNN!!!!!!!!! I MISS YOU! HELP ME!!!!!!!!

Evil upset...

Navaros' eyes glowed red as the pain from the mental lashing began to subside.

How dare that impotent draconic upstart DARE to do such to ME! he raged within his own mind, where he knew he would be trapped for awhile. I will make very sure he pays for it...dearly...

Now what?

Rynn woke again from her exhausted sleep, screaming out loud for Delon. As Arokh tried to calm her, she noticed that Auraki, and even Aramina, had both awakened the same way.

"Merokh, is it possible that Delon is communicating with us? Through the Rift?" she asked the Draco-Mage as he walked over to investigate. "I could understand my dreaming of him, but Auraki and Aramina? It doesn't make sense," she said.

"Hmmmmm...it is possible, if he shares your magickal abilities," said Merokh. "We will investigate it once Navaros is dealt with. Until then, he is safe enough within the Rift," he said. As long as he doesn't land that is he thought in the darkest corners of his mind.

"As it is, I am more interested in what part you plan to play in this, former Watchers," he said as he turned to Halgar and Ouruhn. "What purpose have ye here?"

Halgar looked startled for a moment as this was the first time Merokh had spoke to him directly since they met the previous day. He looked directly at the dragon and spoke.

"Surely you know the legend of the watcher pair, in which we kept ourselves away from the rest of the world, but as the legend states a certain time will come where we need to reveal ourselves. That time is now"

Merokh's old eyes half closed and his face drew into a slight scowl. The watchers should know that he is one of the oldest and wisest dragons left in the world. He knew pretty much everything in Drakan's history, including the events that happened whilst Arokh slept in an ageless sleep. (If Arokh hadn't gone into eternal sleep, he would have died of old age by now. Merokh is a special breed of dragon - he could live twice as long if not more than a normal dragon) 

"I know the legend well, I was asking what purpose do you serve here?"

"Ah" Halgar replied "We became the watchers when the order was formed as you may know and we now feel that our services would be of some use to you, that is to help you rid the world of the Dark Union"

Arokh spoke up, he had a good question after all. "Well if that's the case, why didn't you show yourselves during the dark wars hundreds of years ago, we could have won the battle sooner and there could have been more of the order in existence today. Including Heron?" his last few words sounded bitter as the memories of Heron's death came back to him.

He noticed Rynn's reaction to his last two words and he knew what she was thinking. He quickly continued before Halgar could answer.

"I'm sorry Rynn, I didn't mean it like that, its just that Heron was a good friend and his death seems only a few weeks ago. I still care for you." He sighed and continued. "I guess something good has come out of his death though, I would have never met and bonded with you if it wasn't for him." He said this as he extended his foreleg pulling Rynn closer to him, half to show his feelings and half to comfort her.

"That's a good question, Arokh" Rualan answered. She turned to face Halgar and Ouruhn. "Why didn't you help the order when you were needed the most?"

There was a horrible silence as the others nodded in agreement until finally Ouruhn spoke.

Meanwhile....

And so he returns...

A resounding thud was heard within the darkness, as well as some small cracking noises which sounded suspiciously like bones snapping. This was quickly followed by a yell of pain, and the lighter sound of tears landing on something.

I hurt so much... thought the boy...then he looked around.

Oh no...the creatures... he thought as he struggled to his knees and looked around, searching out the eyes of the beasts (if they could even be called that) that were beginning to surround him. Terror shot through him, mingling with the pain, as he realized that he couldn't even back up, that they were literally everywhere...even above him.

The first came forwards, a horrid red color, almost gaseous looking, with a feral grin on it's face as it approached him, snapping it's teeth, which were in double rows and about 2 inches long each. Delon tried to run, but found he had nowhere to go.

As the creature closed in, Delon cowered down, convinced he was about to die...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed Delon, shooting straight up. He looked around and found himself laying in a bed. Was it a dream, he thought in bewilderment. He began to notice the bandages on his arms, and that he hurt in places he hadn't previously known existed.

It couldn't have been a dream...but if it wasn't... his train of thought was interrupted by the sight of a ghost coming in to his room.

"Whh-whhh-whhhat ar-arr-are you?" he stammered, pulling the covers up around him and pushing himself back as the thing approached him.

"You'll learn that soon enough," said Malesh with a malicious grin. "For now, I am taking you to meet your savior...and your new master," he said as 2 more Death-Magi floated in and grabbed his arms, dragging him forth.

As the two mages began to drag him away, he turned his head and shouted back

"Who is my master, is it Navaros? tell me!" he demanded.

Malesh joined them and said "maybe, maybe not, it's not of your concern. Oh and as for Arokh and his bitch, they will soon be no more so you can forget about being rescued; Navaros's army is on its way to terminate them and the rift crystal will belong to Navaros!"

Before Delon could speak again he became light headed and passed out....

Following the former watcher’s somewhat brief explanation of why they didn’t help out in the final battle (they were simply elsewhere in the world and in fact they did provide intelligence on the whereabouts of the Dark Union. It was them who told the leaders of the order about the rift crystal but Arokh never knew that.) The group decided that the best thing for them to do now was find a cure for Auraki before anything untoward happened. Merokh and his clan of draco mages would able to convert the tower where Auraki almost became a death mage to its proper specifications; that is to train the guardian magi. Once the tower is converted, it would pave the way to Auraki finding his cure and then they could finally go on to defeating Navaros and hopefully rescuing Delon in the process. Rynn, Arokh, Auraki, Vasaur and the watchers would lead the new order and its allies to what would hopefully be the beginning of the final conflict.

The night began to close in quickly as the three dragons and their bonded sat around a camp fire. The other dragons of the two clans and the new order were gathered nearby. It would be a long journey to the tower from their current location in the northern mountains of the central continent.

Rynn absently poked the fire with a stick sending sparks into the air, thinking about Delon. They had not been able to save him yet and she was beginning to give up hope but yet in the back of her mind she knew that she would rescue him someday.

"Do you think there’s a chance of saving Delon?" she asked Auraki.

"I really don’t know Rynn, like I said before, its going to be difficult and at the moment none of us have any idea how to reach him in the rift. As you know, if you try and enter the rift it folds back on itself and brings you back to Drakan. I guess Navaros is the only one who can reach him"

"Navaros!" Rynn’s shouted. Then she realised Auraki was probably right.

"I don’t suppose there’s any chance of capturing and making him find Delon is there?" she said quietly.

"HA! There’s as much chance as a snowball in hell of us doing that!" Arokh snorted.

Rynn felt slightly silly and decided not to continue the conversation further. She stared into the fire and ate her meat from the rabbit they had captured.

"Are you not hungry?" Auraki asked Vasaur as he filled his face with food.

"No, I can go without food for a few days, anyway I’m sure we will come across a few tasty orcs or wartocks soon" he answered with a grin

"Talking of wartocks, I wonder what happened to Rathek" he continued.

Rynn looked surprised for an instant, she had forgotten about him too. The last she saw of him was when he was instructed to seek out more of his race after they met Rimril. She decided to answer Vasaur’s question seem as nobody else knew.

"I don’t know, I last saw him when he went off to see if he could find help. I presume he was killed or captured by the Dark Union"

Vasaur sighed "Hmm, he was a valuable asset I suppose, no matter I’m confident that we will achieve our goal. Talking of which we should continue whilst we still have a head start, we want to get to the tower before our enemies do"

Shortly after, the party began to make their way towards the tower of the guardian magi unaware of what was in store for them.

Elsewhere…

Malesh walked into the large cavern followed by two other death mages carrying the struggling Delon. As they entered the main section they were met by Navaros who sat on a large throne at the end with two dragons sat on either side.

"Ah, Delon, glad that you could join us. I have great plans for you. Malesh, bring him forward!" he commanded.

As Malesh pushed Delon forward he tripped over a protruding stone from the cavern floor releasing his grip on Delon. The boy saw his chance of escape and quickly ran for the door and made it outside.

"You fool Malesh, can’t you do anything right!" Navaros shouted. "Go on get after him. No wait; ill get somebody reliable to do it Guards! Bring him to me"

Two flame knights nodded in agreement and ran after the fleeing Delon.

Navaros turned to Malesh. "As for you, I would kill you if you weren’t so useful, but however I may change my mind so don’t disappoint me again, understood?"

Malesh nodded.

"Now to set the plan in motion. I want to ambush the Order of the Flame at the tower of the guardian magi. I know we don’t have many of the wartocks and succubi on our side but I want you to gather up the Dragons and send them to the tower. I will wait here"

"But master, how do you know that they won’t come here?" asked Malesh.

"They wont. The stupid fools have got their entire army going to one place where we will destroy them. Most of all we must prevent the tower from being converted. Merokh is the head of the draco magi and we must stop him. Now, if for some reason he does convert the tower, its up to you Malesh, to prevent Auraki from taking the test." Navaros carefully explained his plan to the seemingly stupid death mage.

He continued as Malesh turned away "Oh and Malesh, if Auraki succeeds in taking the test and finds his cure, you are dead. Understand?"

The death mage agreed and the Dark Union’s plans were set in motion. Finally, Navaros would rule the world of Drakan once again.

Or so he thought…

Merokh pushed aside some of his clan and flew towards the front of the army of dragons where Vasaur and Arokh were taking the lead. As he did so he threw another spell at the Dark Union to momentarily stop them from spying.

"Auraki, there’s something I have been meaning to tell you about your cure"

Auraki glanced across at the Draco magi and looked slightly startled.

"What?" he asked cautiously.

Merokh replied "I didn’t want to mention this before because we don’t want the Dark Union knowing our plans, but don’t worry, I have stopped them from spying for the time being, I…"

Vasaur interrupted Merokh abruptly "Mention what?" he asked with an impatient tone in his voice.

"If you’d let me continue I will tell you. Basically there is something else you need to do to cure your bonded; A long time ago during the days of the order, the guardian magi had a secret keep hidden away from the world. Nobody knew about this apart from the Guardian magi, Rimril knew but he is dead, as you know. Now, in this keep is a vault where healing crystals were kept to replenish the magi’s health and powers, you need to collect four of these to help cure Auraki."

Arokh and Rynn were taking all of this in too and then Arokh spoke.

" I know of this keep as well, we must go there and obtain these crystals while the rest go on to the tower. I suggest that Rynn and I accompany Auraki and Vasaur. We should be unchallenged as the Dark Union’s forces think we are heading for the tower, anyway they don’t know it exists"

"Yes, Arokh, I will lead the others to the tower so I can convert it to its proper specifications. You must go now before the Dark Union realises what’s happened, we will try to hold them off for as long as possible." Merokh spoke quickly as he knew the spell was wearing off.

Arokh fell silent and broke away from the formation with Vasaur following close behind. The foursome would have a few hours flight to their destination, which only Arokh knew the way.

Meanwhile the rest of the new order and their allies continued the journey to the tower and to confront their enemies.

As the new order approached the tower everything seemed suspiciously quiet. Then suddenly a single death mage appeared from the tower’s doorway. It was Malesh.

Looking round, Malesh had one thing on his mind, something was terribly wrong. The boy mage and Rynn were nowhere to be seen, and he began to panic slightly as he remembered what Navaros had told him.

"I am going to have to try and get some information out of one of them," he thought to himself. But that wouldn’t be a problem, all he had to do was give the command and the Dark Union’s army of dragons would come by the hundred.

Laughing to himself, he retreated into the tower and gave that command….

Ouruhn looked around the sky sensing something was wrong, as he knew the death mage had said something, obviously a spell of some kind. As he turned his head around to face his rider a thunderous roar was heard and the sky was filled with dragons closing in on the unsuspecting order of the flame.

"It’s a trap" Ouruhn yelled and took off into the air just as a hot ball of magma hit the ground where he was standing. As he got the grasp of the situation, all he could see was a mad fury of dragons intermingled with streams of fire, ice, lightning and poison.

He must protect Merokh at all costs. But what Ouruhn didn’t notice was Nashiva creeping around the back of this madness and landing some distance away.

"What are you doing, Nashiva?" Aramina asked. "Why have you prevented me from controlling your actions?"

"Shut up, Aramina, you have no part in this" he answered in an incredibly nasty tone.

Surprised at Nashiva’s outburst she demanded more information. "Part of what?"

Nashiva sighed "I suppose I’ll have to tell you, I’m an agent of the dark union really. Why do you think Navaros knew what we were doing all the time?"

"But you can’t be" Aramina screamed "what about me, I joined the order of the flame!"

"So did Navaros remember, and he became the leader of the dark union within time. The same applies to us."

"It doesn’t apply to me, I will have no part in it" Aramina shouted angrily, dismounting Nashiva and walking round to face him unaware of Malesh standing close by.

The dragon looked down on her scornfully and replied "You don’t have much choice, you are coming with me like it or not"

Nashiva turned away to look at the death mage.

"Malesh, I presume?"

The mage nodded.

"Look Malesh, I know where the boy is and Rynn. I can lead you there if you wish, although I’m not exactly sure of where it is"

"No problem, we will find it, I will arrange my army now" Malesh answered.

"What about Merokh?" asked Nashiva

"Forget him for now, the boy is more important"

Slowly but surely what remained of Navaros’s army began to disperse.

"They’re running away like cowards!" Merokh shouted triumphantly.

"No, they aren’t, they are heading for the secret keep, I can sense it. One of us has defected to the Dark Union’s side" Ouruhn answered quietly.

"Who?" Merokh demanded.

"I don’t know, but we must go and stop them. I suggest we split up and you and some of the order stay here to convert the tower to its proper specifications. Once we have completed our task we will return here if all goes well"

"That is not good, I agree, go now and take as many as you need" Merokh paused. "Oh and Ouruhn, good luck"

The white dragon turned away and began to select who to take with him. Meanwhile, Merokh and some of the bonded wartocks set about converting the tower. Merokh just hoped that Auraki and Rynn would complete their quest and return unscathed.

Navaros sat on his makeshift throne and contacted Nashiva through his mind.

"I see you have completed your task," he said.

"Yes, some of the order have been killed but a large number still remain. I fear that they will follow us to the keep"

"Don’t worry about that, just make sure Auraki and Rynn are destroyed"

When Navaros’s mind returned to him he turned to face the captive Delon.

"As for you, I have had just about enough of you and for punishment you can go back into the rift for a little while" Navaros said as he nodded to his guards.

"NO!" screamed Delon as two ebon knights began to drag him away.

Navaros smiled to himself and crossed his hands in anticipation.

Rynn and Auraki continued deeper into the underground catacombs, populated with spiders and other undesirable bugs that had made the keep their home since the end of the order. The air seemed to get more and more stale the further the two humans went.

Rynn thought of their bonded dragons waiting in the cavern at the keep’s entrance. She wished Arokh was with her but he couldn’t fit through the narrow tunnels that interconnected the caves.

"Do you think Vasaur and Arokh will get into trouble?" she asked as she lit another torch on the wall illuminating the short stone corridor with a flickering orangey yellow glow.

"I doubt it, the Dark Union don’t know about this place, only Arokh, Merokh and the watcher pair know about it now so I think they’re safe" Auraki replied.

"Nashiva knows as well. He convinced the watchers to tell him and it seemed kind of suspicious to me if you know what I mean" Rynn noted.

"Sorry Rynn, I don’t… Ah, here, this looks like the place" Auraki stopped before a large wooden door at the end of the corridor that had no handles or a lock. He looked around for a lever but couldn’t find one.

"How on Drakan do we open that?" Rynn said exasperated.

"Guess it’s a kind of magic" Auraki said with a smile as he began to form the spell to open the vault.

With a loud creaking noise, the door began to lift then it jammed.

"Damn, ancient piece of junk, its stuck, Rynn you will have to go in while I hold it open" Auraki panted, exhausted from the effort.

Knowing she didn’t have much time before Auraki’s strength gave way, she dropped to the floor and rolled under the gap at the bottom of the door.

"Oh crap, it stinks in here and its dark, Auraki, what am I looking for?" she shouted back.

"I don’t know, crystal things I suppose, just hurry. I don’t know how long I can hold this." Auraki croaked, the weight of the old stone door taking its toll on his arms.

"There’s no torches in here, damn" Rynn mumbled to herself as she fumbled about, then suddenly her foot caught a wooden cask. Feeling round in the dark for the latch to open it she pushed the thing over by accident resulting in the contents of the cask being spilled on to the floor. The small room was lit by a dim blue glow and as Rynn bent over to investigate she found what she was looking for. The healing crystals.

"Found them!" she exclaimed gathering up six in her arms and making for the door. Once outside Auraki let the door go with a sigh of relief and examined what Rynn had got.

"I hope they are what Merokh was wanting, now lets get out of here" he suggested.

"Good idea"

Meanwhile, whilst Auraki and Rynn made their way back outside, Nashiva was leading the Dark Union to the keep.

"It’s around here somewhere" he shouted across to Malesh as he landed half a mile or so from the keep’s entrance.

"As for you, Aramina, get off, you aren’t much use to me" he said turning his head to face his rider.

Aramina was in tears. Distressed and panicked she didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t let Nashiva betray her friends. There was one way to stop Nashiva and that was to kill herself. Nashiva said he would break the bond later then he would kill her. But no, she wanted to get the upper hand. As Nashiva flew off to help the Dark Union find the keep she spotted a rusty old sword near a skeleton. She ran over and picked it up and without thinking plunged it into her chest.

Nashiva gave a scream of pain and fell to the floor dead. One of the Union’s dragons watched dumbfounded as the body dematerialised leaving just a crystal in the dirt. He shrugged and went to join Malesh.

"My lord, Nashiva is dead, Aramina killed herself"

Malesh smiled, "It doesn’t matter, we can continue without him. He has led us almost there"

And so the small army proceeded straight towards the cave containing the unsuspecting Arokh and Vasaur.

Ourúhn was flying just ahead Malesh’s gang. Halgar was looking constantly over his shoulder, scanning the skies. Finally he told Ourúhn that he could see a large dragon following them. The white nodded, but said nothing. A stiff wind had risen, and the two were making good time towards the Keep, the source of that call they had both felt. But the breeze that carried them was working on the other dragon, too. It was no closer, but they had not left it behind. And as Halgar turned again, he saw several more dots ranged around and behind it. They were grouped purposefully and becoming clearer and more solid by the minute.
"Ebon dragons," he said. "Well, there’s no hiding up here."
Ourúhn grunted. "We should be able to make it to the Keep before Malesh if we continue at this rate.
"And what then?"
"We do as we swore to. We defend the Lady who is one."
"With our lives?"
"If that becomes necessary."
They travelled on in silence for a good while. Halgar detected a subtle change in the background muttering of the Ebon Dragons.
"They’ve seen us," he said.
And it was like receiving a death-sentence.
They dipped down, flying low against the tops of the forest.

The Watchers landed, and ran on foot towards the cave entrance. Even as Halgar turned and readied his bow, the first blast of magic shot out of the air.
"I’ll take care of the Ebons!" Ourúhn shouted above the roaring of the mana. "You’ll have to deal with the ground troops."
Grimly, Halgar nodded. He ducked behind a boulder, and knocked an arrow.
From now on he’d have to communicate with Ourúhn the "other way."
Halgar, the Knights are summoning their spears.
The man nodded. This was going to be tricky. The first arrow bought down an Ebon who had just cast his spear. The lightning bolt missed his torso by a fraction of and inch.
"You missed me you demon half-breeds!" He laughed. The strange thing was that through the ages, Halgar had found that the only time he felt alive was when someone was trying to kill him.
Bonded mine, behind you!
Halgar barely dodged the flame knight’s sword, and wheeled away to one side, unbalanced. As he revealed himself, a goblin shot. He flung the Flame knight to the ground and dealt an arrow into the eyehole of his visor, and ducked slightly too late. The shard bit into his shoulder, and he cried out, ducking behind the boulder again. He knocked and loosed another score of arrows into the throng.
Another Ebon dropped from the sky courtesy of Ourúhn.
Halgar gasped as a searing pain shot through his side.
Ourúhn?
Sorry, Bonded mine. That last one was smarter than the rest.
As Halgar had turned his mind to speaking, two Ebon Knights had crept up unnoticed. Halgar turned and saw them. Cursed, and drew his greatsword, Tsan Rhilith. The battle was furious now. He turned from one knight to jab at the other, then ducked a goblin-arrow, or failed to. Soon one Ebon was dispatched, but at a dear cost; blood was streaming down Halgar’s forehead, and his left arm hung limp and useless by his side. The Ebon easily knocked Tsan Rhilith out of his hand and laughed hollowly as he ran Halgar through.
"Die, old man. Die with the knowledge you failed your sole purpose on this world."
Ourúhn flew down and was there by his side, mortally injured as his Bonded was. Halgar looked perfectly calmly up at the knight.
"No. I have not failed."
He turned to the keep, and cried out;
"RYNN! AURAKI! MALESH COMES! BEWARE!"
The call echoed around the lands for miles, and Ourúhn roared. The knight kicked Halgar in the ribs and he collapsed against Ourúhn, weeping very softly. And he rested his head against the dragon’s white scales, and together the very last Watchers of Drakan died. The Sun dipped at last below the horizon, as if it would never rise again.

Back inside the cave, Arokh and Vasaur heard the commotion outside and went to investigate. To their horror they found that they were outnumbered hundreds to one.

"Quick, retreat into the cave" shouted Arokh.

As Vasaur and Arokh retreated into the cave, Malesh commanded his army to follow them. Fortunatley help was at hand, the rest of the order was at a short distance behind the watchers arriving at more or less the same time as Malesh and his army. Seeing that their allies were in trouble they began to attack the Dark Union from behind.

Maslesh made his way to the front to confront Arokh. Waving his hand to signal his army to wait he turned to the two dragons stood side by side and looked Arokh right in the eye.
"Ah, the mighty Arokh, we meet once again"
Arokh looked puzzled for a split second then he recognised the death mage.
"Your're the one who possessed my body with Kaeros's soul!"
"Congratulations, Arokh, ten out of ten, now I have come for you again, but don't worry I am not here for your body, I'm here to ensure your death" Malesh replied with a grim smile.
Arokh stared down at him replied
"I don't think so" and he unleashed his full fury into Malesh, but it had no effect. Surprised Arokh backed away uneasily.
"See, your breath weapons are useless against me although I feel pain. Now it's your turn to see what it feels like to be burnt to death"
Malesh faded and reappeared a few meters away.
"You know what to do, get on with it" he said to his front line troops.
Arokh and Vasaur looked uneasily at each other but were startled suddenly by their bonded coming through the small tunnel to the left.
"Arokh!" shouted Rynn...

Arokh and Vasaur glanced across at their bonded and quickly looked back at the advancing knights and dragons; they didn’t want to miss a single thing given the current situation.

"Auraki DO something, you’re a mage aren’t you!?" shouted Vasaur through gritted teeth.

Arokh let loose with a powerful blast of flame engulfing the knights. It did damage but not enough; one of them managed to get through and come towards Rynn.

"Kill their bonded, especially the boy" yelled Malesh "Killing them would allow us to awaken their dragons and use them to our advantage" he continued.

"Oh no, you don’t" Rynn snarled and ran towards the knight drawing runeblade. As she advanced she hit the knight with a spinning attack slicing him in the side. He turned around partially stunned and made a swipe at Rynn who ducked to miss the flaming sword and at the same time lunged upwards with runeblade piercing the knights chest killing him.

Meanwhile Auraki cast a spell, similar to the one that killed all the orcs in one go when Ratheck’s army was encountered outside the tower the first time. Flashes of light streamed from Auraki’s hands seeking out every knight, heating their armour until it glowed red hot eventually killing them.

"Go Rynn" He shouted. "Go get Merokh’s help"

Rynn didn’t need to though. Merokh had known his companions were in trouble and he left the tower to come to their aid. Agarath was there too. She had led her clan to protect Rynn and Arokh following the watcher’s death.

Now, what remained of the order of the flame and the two dragon clans were locked in a deadly battle with the Dark Union outside the cave. The two humans and dragons finally managed to make it outside, chasing the fleeing Malesh.

"Lets get him!" Arokh roared as he took off into the air…

"Rynn, you will have to kill Malesh, he can only be killed by melee weapons. He is immune to magic" Auraki shouted down from Vasaur’s back as they hovered above. Rynn wasn’t listening but she knew what to do. She dismounted Arokh and chased after Malesh lunging forward with the runeblade in hope of hitting him. Suddenly Malesh disappeared into thin air.

"Where did he go? I didn’t kill him" Rynn said with a puzzled expression on her face.

"He fled, fled like a coward" Merokh answered.

"Arokh look out!" a female dragon voice cried out. Arokh swivelled round to face a dracolich swooping down on him and as he did so, he unleashed a barrage of magma into the undead creature sending it crashing to the ground. The owner of the female voice sounded again next to him and his head turned to see who it was.

"Rualan, its good to see you again, thanks for the warning"

"No problem" she replied "Now lets get the rest of the Dark Union’s army dealt with" she added, leaping into the air.

Arokh stared after her smiling to himself.

"Forget it Arokh, she’s too young for you" Rynn said with a laugh reading the expression on his face.

Arokh grunted and lowered his left side for Rynn to mount him.

Malesh appeared back at Navaros’s castle; an old partial ruin that once belonged to the Order of the flame some eight hundred years ago. It had been uninhabited until now.

"Malesh, I sense both success and failure in your task. I have been unable to see what’s happened due to that blasted draco mage, Merokh. You however can tell me everything, and, if I am displeased, you know what will happen" Navaros threatened.

"The good news is that the watcher pair have been terminated like you asked. But we have lost a few including Nashiva" Malesh answered confidently. He had completed one of the most important tasks anyway. Surely Navaros would be pleased.

Navaros’s eyes perked up. "Good, now that the watchers are out of the way it will make it easier for us. As for Nashiva" he shrugged. "Well he was a valuable asset and I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO MAKE SURE HE STAYS ALIVE!!" his voice suddenly got louder until it was a roar.

"But master, you never instructed me to do that, he was killed because of his incompetence" Malesh cowered slightly.

"Don’t argue with me, now is that boy mage and that dammed Arokh dead?"

Malesh found himself in a no win situation whatever he said would be wrong. He thought for a second and replied quietly "No"

"What was that Malesh, did you say NO!"

"Yes master I did, they are still alive, but our forces are…"

"ENOUGH" Navaros cut him off short. "I know we don’t have much of our allies left and I could really do with your help. But however you make too many mistakes and now you have made your final one due to YOURE incompetence."

Malesh knew what was coming; he began to ease back and begin the spell that would make him fade away and reappear elsewhere, however Navaros completed his spell first. A large thunderbolt streamed from his hands hitting Malesh in the chest making him glow with an erie blue light ,then it was over. Malesh dispersed into nothing… gone forever.

"If you want a job doing, you have got to do it yourself" Navaros grumbled to himself as he prepared for his visit to the battlefield outside the keep. He didn’t know where it was though, but he had thought of that too; all he had to do was go to the tower and use his presence spell. The keep is situated nearby. Dead easy.

Navaros made his way through the grimstone portal that would bring him within ten miles of the tower at a small succubi colony, already empty of its inhabitants. As he emerged he transformed himself into a dragon. Landing, he looked around at the blackened landscape where the battle had been recently fought. Soon all of this would be his again, all he had to do was destroy Merokh then he could have the pleasure of destroying Arokh. Revenge would be sweet.

He laughed to himself and began his presence spell.

The presence spell indicated to him that both his army and the new order were about 15 miles in a south – western direction, only a 20-minute flight away. It also indicated that there was almost equal amount of his allies and his enemies. "Good, this is going to be too easy" he thought to himself and leapt into the air

As Navaros made his way to the keep, the new order was having a hard time against both his dragons and ground troops, they had suffered heavy losses of the newly bonded and younger unbonded as both were unexperienced and had little training before commencing battle. They just weren’t ready for this. They had to rely mainly on the elders for front line support, and of course the draco magi and Auraki. Navaros’s dragons however, were somewhat more experienced due to most of them being not true dragonkin – i.e. they were genetically / magically spawned horrors created from the vile magic of the eastern lands. Their minds already corrupted with the Dark Union’s bloodlust. Of course Navaros had awakened the dead from his previous battles against the original order some 800 years ago, these being trained well in the art of war.

Arokh and Rynn were at the front, together with Vasaur and Auraki as the dark lord himself approached them.

Arokh spotted a huge dragon coming towards them, he ignored it at first then realised that it had more than one head when it came closer. Peering, he suddenly realised what it was. Navaros.

"Merokh!!" he shouted, "Navaros himself is here"

Merokh battled with one last dragon and came to his friend’s side looking where Arokh was pointing.

"That’s Navaros?, hmm, quick, gather the drago magi and Auraki. We are going to need every spell we can muster" he said to Arokh who quickly obeyed.

"Arokh?" Rynn asked patting his neck "what do we do now?"

"Like we did in the rift. That is to kill him" he answered.

As Navaros joined the battle it became much like the final battle of the order so many years ago, which Arokh remembered all to well. He wasn’t going to loose his bonded again; using the rune blade would be out of the question. Instead Navaros would be defeated by magic alone.

With a loud battle roar, Merokh and his draco magi flew at Navaros summoning every bit of power they had. The combined power of 50 something magi against one seemed like good odds but Navaros was strong. He resisted most spells of destruction, returning them in favour at the order, killing many. This madness raged for some time until eventually Auraki, now strengthened by the healing crystals found in the keep unleashed the most powerful force of destruction upon Navaros.

It was enough; with an anguished scream, the four headed dragon exploded in mid air showering the surrounding dragons with blood and gore. A faint ghost could be seen escaping from the body at the last moment. An evil laugh sounded in the air and the ghost vanished. All around them, the dracolichs fell to the ground dead no longer controlled by Navaros’s influence. The rest of the living dragons of the union began to disperse. A few of the order gave chase but eventually gave up when they knew they had won.

"Its over" Vasaur said half with relief, half with sadness.

"Its not over yet my friend, we did not kill Navaros and Delon is still trapped in the rift" Arokh replied.

"But I saw Navaros explode!" Vasaur pointed out.

"His body did, although not much of a threat unless it finds a new body, Navaros’s soul still exists. However, Navaros can only inhabit a body with the help of a mage or death mage"

"Delon!" Rynn said "He’s going to possess Delon again!" she raised her voice concerned of her brother’s safety.

"Rynn, your brother is safe for the moment as he is still in the rift. Navaros cannot enter it without a mortal form, but rest assured we will find a way of reaching Delon first" Merokh interrupted. "First we must cure Auraki"

"I wonder where the watcher pair are, I’m sure I heard Halgar warn us about Malesh" asked Rynn

"Rynn, I’m afraid they are dead along with Aramina and her bonded, Nashiva. They are just one of many of our losses" Merokh stated. He decided that at this time it would be inappropriate to mention Nashiva’s treachery.

Rynn looked aghast, she looked across at Auraki who was shocked to hear about Aramina. He really liked her, she was his dream woman but now that wouldn’t be.

An hour passed whilst the order accounted for the dead gathering up the soul crystals that would be used to reawaken the dead later. The humans and orcs that had become soul shadows were also accounted for so they could earn their rest later.

"Here’s where we split up" Auraki said grimly to the assembled group. " I want the bonded to split up into groups of six, each group to protect a certain area of the realm from the remnants of the Dark Union. Which part is up to you to decide amongst yourselves. The unbonded can return home for now unless you want to help the bonded. The unbonded can also be responsible for returning the soul crystals to their rightful places or to awaken your dead if you so wish. Rualan, I want you to select some of your clan to be responsible for making sure the soul shadows earn their rest. Now does everyone agree?"

There were nods of agreement from all members of the group. Auraki looked round at them all.

"Good, now I and Vasaur will aid Rynn in finding her brother, then destroy Navaros once and for all, it is my duty" he continued.

"I too will join you, Auraki, you will need my help" Merokh suggested.

Auraki smiled at Merokh and took one final look at the group. "You did well, I’m proud of all of you, now go"

"Come on Rynn, we have your brother to rescue" Auraki said as he stood up.

"And you have a test to complete" Rynn answered with a smile.

And so it was, the order of the flame was rekindled. With their enemies defeated they grew strong again backed by Auraki’s powers after he took the test of the tower and was cured. Navaros was destroyed permanently a few weeks after Auraki found his cure following a short battle between the remaining death magi and Merokh. Rynn still hasn’t found Delon, but someday Rynn knew she would hold him in her arms again, in times of peace and not of war.

The End