PART IX
The cave entrance was at least a hundred meters tall, and the beast that dwells within is always equal to its entrance. They all ventured slowly in, Barons Orc form, Turons Demon form, Flare’s fire form, and Evanders almost angelic form.
They were met by the smell of death and blood. Small rodents ran towards the entrance as if in an effort to escape. What lay beyond was a mystery to Remora, although the others didn’t seem too confident considering they had fought it before. A piece of parchment lay on the floor, obviously written by someone or the something that had brought it here. Remora picked it up and read it aloud:
[center]I smell your fear,
I touch your tears.
I give you death,
I take your breath.
I destroy your mind,
I make you blind.
I watch you die,
I hear you cry.
I torture you,
I control you,
I sense your weakness,
I make you helpless.
I burn with the sun,
For I’m the Shadow Dra-gon [/center]
This certainly didn’t encourage Remora, he drew his tetra blade, just incase he had the chance to strike this beast.
They walked further and further into the cave, and it seemed like an endless path. Until they came to a greater opening, which opened into a vast hall, rubble lay to the sides. Plenty of weapons were all around, obviously where great warriors had once died and left them.
Eyes peered out of the darkness, a deep scarlet color, and out of the darkness came the shadow Dragon.
None of them said any thing, it was as if the dragon was slowly judging, to see exactly how it should eat them. Obviously the dragon had never experienced defeat or it wouldn’t be alive now, and it seemed far from scared.
The dragon stretched across the cave, it was on all fours, with its tail raised above the ground. It was completely black, except for its scarlet eyes. It slowly opened its giant jaws to reveal a sword sharp set of teeth, and out of its mouth came the loudest roar possible. The cave shuddered and Remora put his hands over his ears in an effort to prevent deafness.
It spun 180 degrees in a spit second which caused its tail to whiplash across the cave, it struck Evander cleanly across his wing. His wing instantly snapped and Evander fell to the floor. Turon and Baron charged at the beast while Flare flew around it in an effort to surround it.
The battle had begun.
Evander gave out a cry as blood poured from his severed wing. He withdrew his wings, and took out his bow. He began to aim for its eyes, although in vain. The shadow Dragon began to swing at baron, and claw away. Baron was thrown to the ground while Turon’s giant Demon form began to launch arrows into the beast. The arrows simply disappeared into its thick armor of skin.
The dragon physically ran at Turon and sent him across the cave until he was crushed against the wall and fell into his human form. Baron swung his double axe and cut the beast across the stomach. It bled, but it had had far worse scars than that on its body. It grabbed baron in its Jaws, the dragon was about to stab baron through his chest with its mighty teeth, when out of the darkness flare muttered
“…..Talor Mentez”
The shadow dragon fell onto its side and Baron too fell onto the floor. The dragon got up quicker than Baron and launched itself at Flare instead. Flare stood petrified since there was nothing he could do, the dragon completely crushed flare into the wall. Remora heard a large crunch as Flare lay still on the floor.
Turon who was severely injured on the floor shouted
“Flare! ! ! …No!!!….ugh…your going down”
Turon staggered up and drew his bow, he pulled a golden arrow out of his quiver, and carefully placed it in the bow. He pulled back and prepared to finish the beast by blinding it. This light arrow would blind the dragon for at least a minute so that they could kill it instantly.
The shadow dragon roared once more, and grabbed Turon in it’s jaws. This time Flare was not there to put the beast down. The Dragon sunk two of its teeth directly through Turons torso. His arched back now relaxed in the Dragons jaws, Turon was gone.
Remora now realised, Flare was dead, and so was Turon.
He wished he had never even thought of getting the Scarlet blade, he just wanted to be back in the hills hunting wild animals with Joshus. He thought of them both travelling in the meadows together. Those memories all gone . Two of his newest friends were now dead, both with such strength. Flare had so much potential, possibly to equal Zodack’s power, yet his dead body was blood covered and crushed on the floor. Only a few yards away lay the mighty Turon. Evander was badly injured aswell, Remora would have to do his best.
Remora drew his tetra blade for the final time and stood alongside Baron, both of them together, as a team. Remora sliced from the side yet it only seemed to please the Shadow Dragon. Baron inserted his axe into the beasts side, and the dragon quickly turned with the axe still wedged in. Baron was now weaponless, and the Dragon knew it all too well. It struck baron across the leg and Baron fell with pace to the floor. He groaned as his orc form slowly disappeared…
Remora couldn’t take it anymore.
He was not going to watch his third friend die in the space of ten minutes. He thought to himself he would not take it any longer, a crystal tear slowly ran down his cheek but evaporated under the energy that began to shimmer from Remora.
“NO MORE! I’VE HAD….ENOUGH!”
Light flew from the sides of him and he raised his tetra blade, Remora slowly transformed. The whole cave shook under the power that was coming from him, his eyes turned turquoise and his whole body shook. His tetra blade turned completely clear, almost like a crystal texture. Remoras face turned into a shadow, along with his body. All that could be seen was a Crystal sword blurring in the shadow that consumed it. Remora was a Night Stalker. The highest form any fighter could reach, a mere myth, but right before Evander’s eyes he watched him turn into what would be, the most supreme being to walk the earth. He was now a solid black figure that darted across the cave. It was faster than anything Evander had seen, he simply flew as if he were permanently levitating. He began to orbit the shadow dragon, and the Shadow Dragon was having a job trying to keep up with the elite fighter.
Then out of the blur that was darting he came out , Remora jumped into the air and brought his blade through the back of the Dragon, then flew away from it and carried on orbiting the beast. It muttered a groan but remained helpless as Remora chose to strike the beast again. This time Remora inserted his sword through the beast’s neck. He withdrew and began to dart around the cave once more, The Shadow dragon was now wheezing heavily as the wounds began to take their toll.
Remora then appeared in front of the Dragon. He looked upwards so that he could meet his eyes with the mighty beast. He stared at it for at least a few seconds, then began to slash away with his blade . Evander simply couldn’t see the sword, only random blurs which seems to erupt with blood every time they moved.
Remora then retreated about five yards, mainly to inspect what he had inflicted. The entire stomach of the Dragon had split, a pile of innards gathered on the floor beneath. To Evanders horror, both of it’s eyes had been gauged out. The mighty beast fell to the floor, still suffering from the pain it felt. It groaned more and more, as it slowly died. Every pump of its heart meant another burst of blood through its open wounds. Within a few minutes it was completely dead.
Behind the body situated on a small raised platform, lay a sword. It was blood red, with a shadow Hilt. It was undoubtedly, the Scarlet Blade. Remora lifted it, and held it firmly. This was why he was here, to finish what he set out to do. Zodack was going to feel what it’s like to die a slow painful death. Remora got his Tetra blade and stuck into the Dragons back, as a sign of honour for what he had used all of his fighting life.
It was only then, as he held the scarlet blade he realised what had happened. He resumed his human form, and all of what had happened came rushing back to him. Remora cried out
“Flare, Turon!”
An answer came from by Baron..
“…ugh…that you Remora? Why…why am I still alive? How?”
“I don’t know Baron, I honestly don’t. Your leg looks bad Baron, you’re going to need a Druid fast.”
“hey come on, i’m a fighter no? I’ll be fine, you should be more worried about the others”
Remora slowly walked over to Turon.
Turon lay on the floor, two perfect holes coming out of his chest. He was dead, and Remora was definite, one of the greatest fighters Remora had seen. Now just another memory…
Remora then walked over to where Flare lay.
Flare was in his red robes; only his red robes were a much different shade of red now. Flare looked so peaceful, even though his ribs looked as if they had caved in.
“I’m…I’m so sorry Flare”
“Remora come on over here, we need to get Baron out of this cave and get him seen too. I have nothing else to live for now Remora, we shall face Zodack as soon as possible”
Evander wasn’t sure how to treat Remora, he could have taken that Shadow Dragon completely on his own, Evander had never seen such power, yet such control. This was the only fighter who was going to beat Zodack, Evander you knew it, and for the first time in his life, so did Remora.
The two of them lifted Baron and set off to the nearest village. The scarlet blade rested on Remora’s back…..
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Etruria
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