99th Dracopyre
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Chapter III: A Twist of Fate Two weeks passed; Maya had yet to be heard from, and her absence had gotten the Pactagonal Knights worried. Ash sent several messengers to Willowshire, none of them had returned, sharing the same fate as the missing Lore Master. Ash decided to call the aid of The Dragon Lords; maybe they could investigate the whereabouts of Maya. Luckily, Nortrom, the famed hero and savior of Lore, answered the call. When Nortrom was still a young adventurer, Maya aided him while he was in Oaklore. He had to repay her. Just at the peak of dawn, Nortrom along with four other Dragon Lords arrived at Oaklore. Ash personally greeted them at Oaklore’s doors. It has been a long time since Nortrom and Ash saw each other. Once the War of the Orbs ended, they went their separate ways and contact simply faded away. “Nortrom, I take that you received my message,” said Ash. “I, and my squad, will investigate Maya’s disappearance,” said Nortrom. “Maya was a very dear friend to me and it is more than just duty that leads me to find her whereabouts.” “Thank you, Nortrom,” Ash said gratefully. “Please, make haste. I fear that Maya is in danger.” Their conversation was quick, for the worrisome knight had no mood to ramble when one of his dearest friends was missing. Nortrom rode unto his dragon, Nexus, and flew into the skies. Ash returned to the safety of Oaklore's walls, looking back, and praying for Maya’s safety. It was late in the afternoon when the Dragon Lords arrived at Willowshire’s capital, which was also the Guardian’s base camp. From the skies, the damage to the base could clearly be seen. The Dragon Lords immediately landed near Guardian Fortuna’s tower. Everywhere they looked, there were bloodstains. The tents were practically soaked in them and even the buildings were smeared with blood, as if they were abstract paintings on the wall. An eerie silence was all that greeted the fives Dragon Lords. Nortrom signaled his men to scout the surrounding area; he hoped to find remnants of what happened to Willowshire. Its desolation was not normal. “Nortrom, the stench,” Nexus said distastefully. “I know Nexus, I know,” replied Nortrom. “The smell of decay fills the air…” Nortrom entered Fortuna’s tower. Darkness limited Nortrom’s sight, no torches were lit. Using Draconic-Magic; Nortrom created a small fireball in the palm of his hand, instantly lighting up the room. Nortrom climbed the winding staircase. Each floor he passed by were all destroyed, cluttered by an unknown force. Claw marks slashed across the walls, timber was scorched, and the putrid smell of decay still filled the air. Finally, Nortrom reached the 5th floor; it was the same as the other floors, but this was the only floor which had blood smeared on the walls and on a table that stood in the middle of the room. There were no clues to be found, only the same scene wherever you looked. As Nortrom looks out of the one window on the floor; he could see the vast land of Willowshire, it was decrepit and defiled, but it was home to many. Suddenly, the silence was broken. Broken by a familiar voice… “Hello, Nortrom…” Nortrom looked back to see Maya, the very person he was sent to find. She looked completely fine; there were no bloodstains on her clothes nor were there rips or holes, and her hair was neatly tied up. Strange, that was not how Nortrom imagined someone to look like, while the surroundings were not very suggestive to her appearance. “Maya, what happened here?” said Nortrom. “Just past the eastern wall, you will find your answer…” At once, Nortrom turned his back to look out the window. He saw nothing special near the eastern wall, only more blood and scorches. “There is nothing there, Maya,” said Nortrom, while desperately sharpening his eyes to see what Maya wanted him to see. “Oh it’s there, Nortrom… It’sssss theeeeeeeere…” The sound of a blade unsheathing echoed in Nortrom’s ear. Maya drew out a small dagger, hidden within her robes. Nortrom was able to dodge the first strike, as the dagger’s tip stabs the window’s wooden pane. Maya easily pulled the blade out and continued to slash her dagger towards Nortrom, maniacally laughing as she did it. Nortrom finally grabbed both of Maya’s wrists, restraining her before she could do any harm. “What are you doing, Maya!?!” exclaims Nortrom. “I’m heeeeeere to kill youuuu!!!” answers Maya. Suddenly, Maya opens her mouth, wider than usual. Her teeth were filed into razor sharp fangs and her breath reeked of rotting animal flesh. Nortrom knew that Maya was no longer the owner of the body in front of him; he had no choice but to fight back. Once Nortrom’s eyes were beyond the creature that he restrained, he could clearly see the window. He then released his grip on the fiend and yelled; “Dragon’s Breath!” Nortrom blasted the creature with a powerful breath of fire, shooting it out through the window. The creature’s flesh burned while it hurled to the ground, screaming in pain. Nortrom calmed himself and approached the window, looking down on his defeated foe, but all he saw were Guardians surrounding the burnt body of Maya. One of the Guardians pointed towards Nortrom; “Murderer!” he yelled.
< Message edited by 99th Dracopyre -- 8/15/2012 23:54:26 >
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