Saga of the Dragon: Rise

[Izvilvin]

Sasarai had days ago gotten over his fear of riding the dragon's back, had even fashioned himself a magical seat fused to his favorite spot. Here he sat delicately, a mile above Ettermire, as Glimmerfang the ancient beast soared with blistering speed.

On the wizard's face was a profound grin of triumph. He had just put the city into a frenzy using his summoning talents, sending a dozen or so demons into the production district. Though the dragon had made no move, his ominous presence atop the palace echoed the truth of the situation more than Sasarai's magically augmented voice ever could: the wizard held all the chips.

"Fallien is our last stop, beast," said Sasarai, his voice lost to the wind but still heard magically by Glimmerfang. "I will pay a visit to the dear Jya once more, and give her thanks for the time there that allowed me to summon you!"

Sasarai's laugh echoed in the sky above Ettermire, the sun blotted out by Glimmerfang's enormous girth. The dragon pivoted left and toward where Fallien lay, focused on their next destination. He, too, had long gotten over his fear of Sasarai falling from his back.

[Izvilvin]

Fallien appeared as a mass of beige in the deep blue, a river splitting the continent into two equal chunks of land. It came into view between split clouds, fluffy white that Sasarai could envision being parted simply by the dragon's approach. Nature itself could fear the beast, given its enormous strength and size.

The wizard salivated without realizing it. For months he had acted as the Jya's personal mage and aide, usurping Mazoo Lichten for the title after he made the bubbly little human look like a fool multiple times. All a ruse, as Mazoo had suspected, for Sasarai manipulated a complex series of events to bring himself, Izvilvin Kazizzrym, and two other guards by the name of Laix and Palmer to an undersand cave. There Sasarai obtained a rod that could melt adamantine and free Glimmerfang from his prison in the Nether.

An elaborate story, if nothing else.

Sasarai's desire to get down to Jya's Keep was insatiable. He would not soar safely above the range of arrows, no; he would personally visit with his old allies, to personally boast his new power. So great was his arrogance, Sasarai wasn't even concerned for his own safety.

"Land East of the river, beast. Do your best to look imposing," he said, the smile on his face wider than the waters.

As they closed in on Irrakam, still showing no signs of stopping, Sasarai began to make out the forms of the Fallien people, guards all and mostly women, bows at the ready. Just before coming into range, Glimmerfang swerved left and beyond the Keep's outer wall, landing on the sand at the shore of the River Attireyi.

Sasarai dismounted and took to the air, an aura of sky blue brightness covering his entire body. Smugly, he simply stepped over the Keep wall. Not at all intimidated was the wizard, for the aura not only allowed him flight, but protected him with an immensely powerful shield.

He thought to walk through the front gates, blasting them open along with anyone who dared slow him, but instead he flew straight up to the top floor of the bleached brick building, entering through a tall window. He could hear panicked voices down the hall, but walked through it as if he could not be seen - because he'd made himself invisible.

He stepped through the Jya's door as if it were not even there, seeing her at the far end of the chamber, a score of guards between himself and the Fallien leader. In one instant he became visible once more and sent a shockwave of bright green energy between them all, sending the guards flying like hapless dolls in a child's game. The Jya screamed and fell back against her bed, somehow keeping her dignity in the situation.

"Hello, dear leader!" Sasarai called, dipping into a low, exaggerated bow. The sleeve of his black robe slid against the clean marble of the floor before rising once more.

The Jya, though surprised, rose into a regal posture. Her gown fell back into place elegantly. "Hello, Sasarai," she said, seeming unsure of how to continue at first. Still, her voice carried composure of inhuman quantity. "Did you think that I would refuse you a talk, if that's what you wanted?" She looked about at her discarded guards. "There was no need to harm anyone."

Sasarai shrugged as if it didn't matter. "Anyway. I assume you know of my recent exploits thanks to the help of your followers, yes? You know, the ones who ran off to rescue you from the poison that I put you under? How naive a group they were."

He was fishing for a reaction, the Jya knew. She didn't give him one. Her face was stoic but kind, strong. Determinedly frustrating.

"I have always been a powerful wizard," he continued. "I've only shown you the bare minimum of my capabilities. That wasn't enough, though. With my new pet, the Golden Scourge Glimmerfang, I'm a God. Your God."

"The dragon will never let you control him. He is using you," she said with utter certainty.

Sasarai rolled his eyes. "The beast has given me his oath, the pact of his kin which binds his soul. To betray me would be to damn himself for eternity, a choice he would be foolish to make considering his utter dominance of Althanas by my side."

"It took the world's greatest spellcasters to seal him away the first time, a route that was considered only because the dragon could not be killed. His strength is made no greater by your existence." Jya sighed, seeing the futility in trying to reason with Sasarai's heart. Her empathy, almost magical, showed her the state of the wizard's soul. "No good can come from your conquest."

As expected, Sasarai didn't care. "You bow to me now. That is all. Thanks for all the help you personally gave me, I'll be sure to use the benefits well!"

Sasarai disappeared suddenly, his laughter reverberating through the walls of Jya's chamber even after he was gone. Groans rising from her cast-aside guards, the Jya stood with her mouth open, eyes distant as she considered the strange new world she was finding herself in.

[Izvilvin]

He could feel his face growing warmer, dangerously so, but Izvilvin pressed harder into the blade anyway, trying desperately to force back the heavy broadsword.

Finally he could take it no more, and the drow pulled back, falling backward so that the sword of the assassin sailed clearly overhead. Izvilvin tucked back into a backward roll, landing on his feet just in time to once again block the broadsword, pressing Mjolnir and Icicle into it as hard as he could. Again, Mjolnir drifted slowly toward his own face, the heat of it excruciating.

This time, he broke off and ducked, the assassin's blade taking some of his ivory hairs with it as it slashed overhead. Izvilvin tried to counter at the exposed stomach of his foe, but the assassin brought his sword back in a narrow arc, slapping Icicle away from his midsection. The drow once again found himself retreating, dodging quick strikes from the large blade.

The assassin was not the first to come for him, not the first to intercept Izvilvin's road, somehow knowing exactly where he could be found. He was, however, the first to press him so hard, to offer such a challenge. The drow was convinced that he had merely been a tool to help Step rid themselves of their least valued assets, and were now sending the real muscle.

A drow himself, the assassin glared at Izvilvin with blood-red eyes, peering out from a small slit in a black mask. How long had it been since Izvilvin abandoned his own facemask? Years, he knew, but it felt like such a short time ago for a creature of his age. The broadsword gleamed in Radasanth's sunlight, the drow's two hands holding the handle determinedly, a buckler just above his wrist.

"Usstan orn glitt'r dost zva da dolsst silltrin," the assassin hissed, promising to rip the bones from Izvilvin's dead flesh.

This time, Izvilvin charged, Mjolnir coming in high to draw the broadsword up. Icicle stabbed low, but the assassin dodged off to the side, pulling down his heavy blade as he did so in a cleave. Izvilvin strafed and sent Mjolnir up and over the broadsword, trying to decapitate the drow assassin - the strike was easily ducked.

The broadsword was backhanded, flicked with the drow's wrists to send it coming in almost in a curve. Izvilvin crossed his swords and parried with Icicle, then dragged his sword back to create a wall of mist as he broke off from the assassin, making ground between them.

Still the sword followed, screeching loudly against Izvilvin's armor as he retreated. He winced, the sound incredibly loud to his ears, and spun again to meet the coming charge of the assassin, who bore down toward him yet again.

[Alvakar]

Alvakar's jaw clenched tightly, the grip on his shield loosening as he fought off a powerful claw. The demon was larger than he by quite a margin, but he'd been holding his own. He had to, lest Rilya and Laziv be left to fend for themselves.

When defending one's family, it was not always surprising for the sheer determination to grand enhanced abilities. Alvakar felt that now, felt superhuman power in his limbs, as he desperately brought his shield to bear. He was looking for a time to strike, but the demon slashed madly with his claws, bloodred skin appearing in Alvakar's peripheral vision.

The entire city had been overrun, dozens of demons ran about with abandon, anxious to create havoc. They'd been in the Nether for generations, and only now got to recall their joy of torturing the humanoids of Althanas. It was a party for them, and all because of that cursed wizard with his massive beast.

Finally his arm tired, and Alvakar's shield limb was knocked aside, leaving him exposed. The demon slashed at his chest, tearing through his shirt and leaving a fine trail through his chainmail, tearing links and dragging him a few steps forward. The drow swung his morningstar in desperation, but it was knocked out of his grasp by an angry claw.

But before his end came, the demon staggered and roared, then again, falling back a pair of steps as it clutched at its upper body. Alvakar looked up to see two kunai there, protruding from the demon's flesh as black blood oozed from the wounds. He drew his short sword and pressed forward, driving the blade deep into its chest, drawing a struggled, gurgling scream. The demon fell down as Alvakar pulled his sword back, sheathing it and reclaiming his morningstar.

"Rilya," he reprimanded, moving to the doorway of his home where his wife stood, breathing hard. "What if I had fallen? Laziv would have been left to fend for himself."

She didn't reply right away, only grabbed Alvakar around his wide shoulders and pulled him in for a tight hug. "I feared for you," she whispered shakily.

He took her shoulders and pulled her back, but breaking the embrace hurt him. "I must go," he started, but she was already nodding. It was his responsibility, after all, as it had always been. "Go to the basement and hide there with Laziv. Keep our child safe and calm."

They were instructions that didn't need to be given, for Rilya was as composed and intelligent in these situations as any hardened general, but she appreciated hearing them. Alvakar's voice was like a soothing relaxant to her, for it was the same voice that had reassured her and protected her for forty years. Their bond was strong indeed. It was with this in mind that she turned and went back into their home, bolting the door shut as if it would protect them from a demon.

The drow composed himself, at a crossroads where he had to choose between his family and his city. The decision took very little time, however, so loyal was Alvakar Kalizva, and he was soon off.

[Alvakar]

The streets of Ettermire's residential district were chaotic. For as long as Alvakar had existed, the city was dark, but now it simply looked like another world. The buildings, typically constructed of dark brick and black wood, were bright with flames. Alight with fire, an assortment of demons rushed to and fro, enjoying their newfound freedom.

To their credit, the forces of defense for Ettermire had banded together temporarily, forgetting their strife for the greater purpose of protecting the city. This accomplished little, however, for each faction obeyed the orders of their own commanders. It was a mess, but Alvakar had no ideas of how to solve it. He merely looked for his own comrades, elves he knew he could count on.

He rushed down the main road, keeping close to the right side to try and avoid detection from any soaring demons. He heard a loud crash from somewhere to the west, but homes blocked the scene.

Suddenly, he felt an arm on his bicep and he was pulled into an alley. He brought his morningstar, in his free hand, forward, but saw who it was before he struck.

"Bieksa," he said. "How fares the city?"

His drow ally for three years, Bieksa was one of the four friends who had spent the night in a bar only five days prior. Now his black eyes wavered in fear, and he gripped his pike in a tight fist. "Not well," he choked. "So many of these creatures, and they fight fiercely. I cannot find Luongo or Pyatt, nor out commander. We're alone out here, Alvakar. Hide with me in safety!"

Alvakar shook his head. "We have family to protect. Imagine if the Kyorl had taken charge as you wished, then Laziv and your child would be out here fighting, likely long dead."

Bieksa hunched back, but Alvakar couldn't resist the biting statement. Bieksa had been speaking positively of the Kyorl as of late, and Alvakar was having a hard time dealing with the lack of support his ally had for the Old Alerarian army. "I cannot stay here while our city burns."

The drow warrior left the alley and stepped back into the road, where a seven-foot demon with black skin and large, dragonlike wings stood, raking his claws against a drow on the ground who had long stopped moving. Alvakar charged, and was comforted to hear the steps of Bieksa behind him.

[Izvilvin]

Izvilvin could hear the low chuckle of the assassin, whose face was inches from his own as the two locked together once more. Mjolnir and Icicle were pressed against the broadsword, but the assassin had a higher angle and was pressing hard. Mjolnir cracked and sent a coursing lightning bolt up the broadsword, but it was halted at the hilt.

He tried not to show the struggle on his face, but Izvilvin's muscles were pushed to their limit just holding the sword back. He had no room to pull back and jump aside, and lacked the strength to push the blade back enough to scramble away again. His feet were firmly planted, and were he to risk a kick, the resulting imbalance would knock him off his feet. He hissed and forced the broadsword back an inch, but it didn't budge any further than that.

"Your head will guarantee me a prize worthy of a king, traitor. I will mount your face on my trophy wall, and look upon it every day in satisfaction."

Izvilvin tried to use the threat as motivation, but no miraculous strength came to him. Mjolnir and Icicle gave up an inch or two, coming close to his face once more. The warrior had to pull his head back just to avoid the fierce lightning of his own blade.

"And in time I will forget I ever fought you, for I will do much more of significance for Step in generations to come. I will forget whose face that is on my wall, lined up next to my other victims. What a fool you were to abandon such a privileged existence!"

The assassin's words left him as a strange blue substance assaulted his face, surprising him enough to have him relent in his attack. Izvilvin's Icarus Ring had sprouted its wings, but only enough to distract and surprise the assassin. The broadsword's force was gone, and Izvilvin wasted not a moment in pulling Mjolnir back and driving it into the assassin's gut, clear through to the other side of his body.

Choking, the impaled drow's eyes shot open wide and his sword tumbled to the grass. Mjolnir sent a shockwave into his blood, but the assassin couldn't find the strength or oxygen to scream. Smoke poured from his nostrils as Izvilvin pulled the blade back, retreating two steps to allow the drow a moment to fall to his stomach and die.

The warrior wiped his blade on the dead drow's shirt, then sheathed both of his weapons. This was the fifth in a line of assassins that had come for him, nameless foes who fit the mold of lifeless killer. One thing was for sure: Corone was no longer safe for him, even this far in the wilderness. He checked the assassin's body, finding nothing of real interest to him.

He wondered how difficult it would be to catch a ship in Radasanth, what with his role in the Corone Civil War. Many thought him a hero, those who knew he existed, but many didn't know where his allegiance lay. Where would he go, anyway?

A disturbance in the air caught his attention, and Izvilvin drew his blades once more.

[Izvilvin]

A sudden crackle from Mjolnir heralded the arrival of an old friend, as a yellow portal opened up several feet from Izvilvin. A fierce wind surrounded it, the force of the magic so strong, and Mazoo Lichten stepped forth from the darkness, the portal shutting and halting all the sudden movement.

A few inches shorter and thinner than Izvilvin, Mazoo wore jumbo red 'parachute' pants and a tight red vest, a blue belt of fabric between the two. His face was cherubic, but the wizard was only half-gnome. The other half of his heritage was elven, which explained the long, pointed ears and his slim girth. He waved quickly and closed the gap between them with short, eager strides, but stopped forth, eying the drow's weapons.

Izvilvin sheathed them quickly, still catching his breath. "I hope the day finds you well, Mazoo. For what purpose do you seek me?" Mazoo wore a ring that allowed him to understand and speak all languages, the drow recalled.

Mazoo had always admired the drow's dislike of small talk, but the pair had never really gotten along. Mazoo was the Jya's personal herald and wizard before Izvilvin came along, but his duties were halved as the drow came to become a guard of the Keep. That had always created a bit of a rivalry between them, but Izvilvin's composure generally had him more liked in Irrakam, at least among those who didn't initially judge him.

The wizard's eyes drifted from Izvilvin to the body behind him, dead in the grass in this remote part of the forest. Mazoo pointed silently, but Izvilvin merely shrugged, not thinking it warranted an explanation.

"I bring news, dire news, from the Jya," Mazoo said, which had Izvilvin leaning in, his eyes growing worried. Mazoo lifted a hand as if to calm him, and the drow took some measure of comfort in it. "She is well, but Sasarai paid her a visit. He has spoken outlandish demands of the Jya, and promises suffering to the people of Fallien if we do not yield to him. Naturally, we cannot."

Izvilvin fumed, recalling well the wizard. Sasarai had killed his friends, Laix and Palmer, and would have killed him had it not been for Mazoo's sudden appearance - an event he'd never really thanked the wizard for, he suddenly remembered. The ruse had been an elaborate one, resulting in Izvilvin and his friends accompanying the wizard to an underground cavern, where Laix was sacrificed at an altar.

He remembered the fight well, remembered Sasarai's awesome and fearsome power. The drow was stronger now, and in no small way. He had no doubt that if it came down to such, he could and would kill the wizard.

"But," Mazoo began, his tone taking on a dire and worried pitch. "He has used the Rod of Sunbarin to free the God Dragon, Glimmerfang. That beast alone once took the highest wizards of Althanas to imprison; wizards that have long since passed on. What's worse is that Sasarai really and truly appears to control the creature. We... Have no defense against such a dragon."

"Then let us come up with an offense," Izvilvin suggested, passion ignited at the thought of meeting the wizard once more. "To tear them apart and kill the mage, or to have the dragon switch its allegiance."

Mazoo was shaking his head midway through Izvilvin's sentence. "To kill the wizard would leave Glimmerfang without boundaries, would let the dragon do as he wished to this world. Sasarai wishes to control Althanas, not destroy it. They are bound together by the dragon's blood oath, and it will not betray its master now."

The drow exhaled a deep and contemplative breath. "Then why have you sought me out?"

"The Jya wishes to speak with you again, to have you by her side in this strange era. For some reason, you set her at ease. Mazoo cleared his throat, in no small part because he couldn't understand the Jya's thoughts. "And perhaps so you may again discuss your time by Sasarai's side, and consider the extent of his power."

Izvilvin nodded. He needed to leave Corone as it was, and Fallien was the land where he felt most safe and comfortable. It would be good to visit once more, regardless of the circumstances. He didn't understand the gravity of the situation - not yet - for unlike a greater part of the Althanas population, Izvilvin had not yet set his gaze upon that dragon, whose scales gleamed golden in the sky as it drowned out the light.

Mazoo opened another portal and bade Izvilvin enter. Without looking back at the fallen corpse behind him, the drow stepped anxiously through. The wizard followed closely, leaving the forest in silence, and peace, once more.

[Alvakar]

A fangy, ravenous grin split the demon's dark face. In comparison to Alvakar, who was dark even among the drow, the dragon-humanoid beast was black as charcoal. Its eyes were crimson red, jutting out from its featureless face.

Alvakar met the demon head-on, barreling it backward with his shield. He pulled back immediately, in time to block the slash from one of the creature's long limbs. He spun and counterattacked, bringing his morningstar across to deliver a crushing blow to its arm - a blow that should have been crushing, anyhow, but all it did was knock the beast's arm aside.

With unnatural speed and ferocity, the creature's other hand came in, raking across Alvakar's shoulder, through his chainmail and into flesh. He winced, sucked in a pained breath and retreated, just in time for Bieksa to appear by his side.

"Its claws are razor sharp. Attack with care," the drow warned, and Bieksa nodded his approval of the idea.

The demon screamed and flapped its wings, marching in on the pair of drow. It brought its great maw forward, parted its long fangs, and sent an acidic smoke forward. Bieksa and Alvakar split off into opposite rolls, each approaching a flank of the suddenly-retreating monster.

They fell into an old soldier routine here, as Alvakar swung his great morningstar forward, smashing the creature's right side with the spiked ball. He brought his shield up in time to block the sudden counterattack, and Bieksa took this chance to stab forward, driving the tip of his pike deep into the demon's hard skin at its side.

It generally worked well against such monsters, as the two soldiers would take turns drawing the attention of it long enough for the other to attack, but this demon was at least mindful enough to flap its wings and take to the air. Black blood spilling from its new wound, mighty wings carried the beast onto a nearby rooftop, where its powerful feet crushed the edge of the roof.

Alvakar and Bieksa gathered together once more, the heavier Alvakar favoring his injured shoulder, which only hurt more as he'd swung his weapon. "What God gave birth to such creatures?" he wondered aloud.

Letting loose another high-pitched scream, the demon leaped from its perch and spread its wings wide, gliding down toward the two drow. They parted once more as it passed, but did not land, swerving back upward and beginning to turn.

"Go for the wings!" Alvakar cried from one knee, his morningstar resting against the ground for a single valued moment.

Bieksa nodded again, seeing the sense of it. Ground the creature, and they could take it down much easier. Still, a part of him wished he'd stayed in hiding.

As the demon came in again, it swerved for Alvakar, the target that was already injured. The warrior tried to make himself as small as possible, crouching low and holding his shield before him. Both of the creature's claws scraped hard against it, powerfully enough to drag Alvakar from his knees and throw him backward against the ground. To his relief, the sound of the demon's scream told him that Bieksa had done as instructed.

He rose as quickly as possible, watching the demon thrash about near Bieksa. Something was wrong, however - from its wing dangled the form of Bieksa's pike, lodged deep in the flesh and stuck there.

Alvakar ran as fast as he could, roaring as he neared the back of the demon. With all the might he could muster, the drow spun his morningstar in the air and drove it downward into the back of the monster. A telltale crack resounded in the air, halting the creature's movement. He wound up once more and delivered another blow, a few inches higher. With a pathetic cry, the demon fell listlessly onto its side.

"Bieksa!" he cried, jumping over the fallen demon.

Fortunately his drow ally appeared unharmed, though exhausted, as he sat on the ground near the side of the road. "A more vile beast I've never seen," Bieksa spat, eyes locked on the fallen demon and the pool of black blood growing beneath it.

Alvakar would have smiled if he had it in him. As it was, Ettermire was still under siege by the Nether creatures. The Aleraran elves had the upper hand, however, and would ultimately win the day.

As if resounding that fact, the horn of King Edari'axa and his army blasted down the main road, and looking down it, Alvakar could see the cavalry in all their splendid glory.

[Alvakar]

"The city is calm again," Alvakar declared with a sigh. He had been home for a few minutes, but it was almost the first thing he had said since arriving.

He set in a shallow bath of hot water, Rilya behind him with a disinfected needle and thread, doing her part to thwart an infection. She set atop a short stool, naked as he was, and with a permanent focused expression on her youthful face.

"I cannot fathom the power that summoned such creatures," he continued, "or the sheer size of that dragon if it hadn't been so high in the sky. What kind of force is demanding we bow?"

Rilya listened in silence, threading another few careful strands through Alvakar's shoulder. The wound was shallow, but had begun to infect very quickly. Likely, the demon's flesh carried some kind of infernal poison neither drow could understand.

"It makes the struggle between armies here seem so petty," he suggested, and that had Rilya stopping her work and sitting straight up. Alvakar never questioned that the Old Aleranian Army was the 'right' army in Alerar, never was willing to lay his aggression toward the Kyorl to rest.

He turned his neck to face her, "not that I would suggest the conflicting interests are foolish, just that some of our people have their priorities in unusual places."

"Bieksa was unharmed, yes?" she asked, trying to head off another discussion to similar to so many they'd had before. "And his wife and child?"

Alvakar nodded and turned away, leaving a slight smile on Rilya's face. "What of this sorceror and his dragon? The world has faced greater perils, and will overcome this one as it has the others. We can do little about such things."

The warrior sighed. "You don't understand. You did not see it."

"Even if I had, what would worrying about it accomplish? Your duty is to protect Ettermire, and you did so today. The rest of the world can worry about dragons and wizards, but your place is here, with I and our child." she said, and patted the newly-sewn wound, bringing a wince from Alvakar.

Still he shook his head. She didn't see it.

[Izvilvin]

Jya's Keep had never felt so refreshing to Izvilvin as he stepped before it, the portal closing behind him. He spent a good moment looking up at it, the white stone and ivy hanging elegantly from the windows. After some time he looked about, finding Mazoo nowhere nearby.

But the city caught his attention then, just beyond the large, golden gates that separated two edges of the high wall. He could see far into the road, among the population. They appeared shaken, tentative, always looking about before stepping into the open. Izvilvin began to wonder how accurate Mazoo's description of the dragon's influence had been.

Striding into the Keep, Izvilvin was overcome by memories. He had spent years here before leaving for Corone several months ago. He remembered the early mornings as he returning from patrolling the area, using his superior eyesight to scan the dunes. He remembered breakfast in the basement, where the cook had treated him well even when he'd first arrived as a spy. He remembered times speaking with his friends, who were now dead.

His feet brushed against the red carpet as he walked, the marble floor around him shining brightly. It seemed as peaceful a day as ever, so unlike the siege of the harpies and sun people. How many had fallen to Icicle during those days?

He climbed the stairs that led up to the second floor, ivory handrails with flowers drooping down the side. The flowers were new, he realized as he reached the top. He passed his old door, Sasarai's old door, and Mazoo's current room, and found himself in front of the Jya's chamber. He knocked, and she called to him by name.

Entering, Izvilvin saw the Jya sitting calmly, serenely on her bed, like a flower growing out of the sand. By her side was Mazoo standing a few inches away. Izvilvin figured the wizard thought he'd appreciate seeing the are again. That or he just wanted to show off.

She smiled. "It's nice to see you again," she said in perfect drow.

He smiled back, finding solidarity and strength in that soft, fluid voice. "And you as well. These months have been long and difficult without your reassuring care."

"Did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish?"

Izvilvin shook his head, but held his frustration inside. "Step exists in no particular place at any one time. It seems impossible to do any damage to their core, but many of their assassins have fallen to my blades."

My blades, are they?, thought Mazoo, recalling that Icicle belonged to Laix before the man's untimely death. The Jya picked up on his frustration and put a reassuring hand on Mazoo's shoulder.

"You can accomplish little alone, I fear," she replied. "Similar to Irrakam and our struggles with Sasarai."

Izvilvin could hear the shake in her voice, a waver that he had never once heard before, even during the siege of Irrakam. "You must explain to me the danger that this dragon presents."

There was silence, then, for a few moments, before Mazoo let out a sigh and began to speak. "Glimmerfang cast a shadow over the entire island as he descended. Other than his brief appearance, all we have is ancient lore."

"What does the ancient lore say?" Izvilvin asked without hesitation.

"That his golden scales are as strong as steel, his tail can destroy castles, and his breath can melt the most durable metals. He is described to be immortal, impossible to kill by any methods known to man, elf or dwarf. He is said to have destroyed entire armies in battle, sustaining no mortal damage."

Izvilvin considered it. Lore was not always accurate, he realized, but if Glimmerfang's existence was enough to worry the Jya, it was nothing to take lightly. "Then what do we do?"

"We communicate with the other leaders of Althanas," the Jya responded. "And see just what we can attempt. I've heard that Ettermire suffered Sasarai's wrath, so I will speak with King Edari'axa before the others. In the meantime, why not pay a visit to your old chambers and get some rest? I heard you had a bit of a struggle before Mazoo came to you."

Izvilvin looked to Mazoo, who smirked. "By your leave," he said with a bow, and went to do as was suggested.

[Izvilvin]

It was the furthest Sasarai had been from Glimmerfang since the summoning took place, only days prior. The dragon, though immortal, craved rest, and so it had gone East of the wizard's location in Fallien's Nirrakal to seek it in the mountains. Sasarai, meanwhile, busied himself with the discarded shards in the sand, a strange vision in his head of his own personal palace within the mountains, decorated by glass.

Before him whisked the wind, violent and powerful, yet totally under his control. Within the tempest whisked a thousand shards of glass, reflecting light from the hot Fallien sun. Sasarai was using his magic to pick up as much as he could, all the while imagining what he wanted his home, his kingdom, to look like. Here in the horrid land of Nirrakal, any and all would-be usurpers of his throne would be hard-pressed to make their way to him; those who did, would deal with Glimmerfang.

Indeed the wizard could not think of a scenario where his dominance over Althanas could be reversed. Surely if an entire army marched against him, the desert would claim half. Glimmerfang the dragon could claim the other. The leftovers would fall to Sasarai's magic, the weakest of which could decimate sturdy buildings. This logic even ignored the Glasswalkers, whom Sasarai was confident he could gain the fanatical devotion of. Claiming to be an emissary of Suravani, he could gain their allegiance. Knowing as much as he did about the desert continent and its people, the wizard knew he had his bases covered.

It was the first time since summoning the dragon that Sasarai had a chance to wind down and take it all in. He had been in the center of a whirlwind, the beginnings of a new world order, the depth of which was only beginning to settle. As long as he kept up the pressure, the wizard was king of the world, quite literally. All that was left was to make the rest of Althanas acknowledge him as such - and he was already halfway there.

"What kind of leader will I be?" he wondered aloud, for though he had such aspirations for a long time, he'd never really considered what he'd do in the situation. "Wrathful, benevolent, caring? Imagine if I could end all strife in this world with my imposing position, here. Would that be for my benefit, I wonder?"

His let his words carry out into the whirlwind before him, for as fleeting as the wind itself was, these thoughts were shallow. Sasarai would do what came naturally to him as a leader, whether he really thought it was right or not. Instinct was such a difficult thing to overcome, and he truly had not the will to fight it.

The thought had him considering the dragon. Glimmerfang's history was written in blood and gold, for he was a hording dragon like so many others. Gold, gems, weapons and armor, fine furs, even property, had been devoted to him in those ancient times, and those who did not relinquish such worship were punished with molten death. The thought amused Sasarai. Perhaps he would rule in precisely the same way, if only for the novelty of it all.

"So many options," he dreamed. "And so much time."

[Karuka]

You wanted comments, so here we go.

Continuity: 6

I get a good sense of the future, since Sasarai has his plans and Izvilvin plans to go kick his butt, and I kind of had a good sense of the past, since everything was mentioned, but it felt all dim and distant. I'd have still given you an eight, but I don't really know why Alvakar was in this quest at all, save to provide some alternate perspective on ZOMG, the world is turning upside down!

Pacing: 5

This felt like a prologue, not a quest. Like something you'd see flashes of at the beginning of the next installment, like "last time on Saga of the Dragon..." and then have most of the integral action in there. I didn't feel much climax or conclusion, just rising action, save from Alvakar. That said, it was a fairly good prologue.

Setting: 7

You had a very good sense of t he setting around you, from the city of Ettermire that Alvakar was defending to the dunes of Fallien. I especially liked Izvilvin's view as he returned to Irrakam, that was well done.

The only thing that I really didn't like was that when Izzy was fighting the assassin at the beginning, I got the picture that he was fighting in an alley somewhere, and later on you said that he was in the wilderness. There was no sense of that at all in posts 3 and 6, so that kind of threw me for a loop.

Persona: 8

Alvakar really shone through here, and it was mostly in the subtleties, likethe way he narrowed his eyes at Bieska, and the way he interacted with his wife. Even though he didn't do much in this quest, he came through really clearly.

Izvilvin was Izvilvin, although there wasn't much time for character development, and Sasarai was your typical 2-D villain with a dragon that wants to take over the world.

Action: 8.5

This was actually the strongest part of your thread, I felt. I always got a very clear picture of what was going on at any given moment, and it all seemed fairly realistic in terms of the thread, save for when Izzy's Icarus Ring went off. According to his profile, it activates when Izzy pumps his fist into the air. He had his fists full of sword, so I dunno if it shorted out or something...but I did appreciate that he was slowly losing against another assassin. When characters get to such high levels, the tendency is to play them as invincible or nearly invincible.

Dialogue: 5

There wasn't really anything terribly special here. Everything said was functional within the context of the thread, except for the assassin's monologues. Just, really? Who monologues in the middle of a fight? sure, K.O. or kill the guy, and then have your monologue, but during? That's asking to get your ass handed to you.

Mechanics: 7

Some awkward wording
The dragon pivoted left and toward where Fallien lay, (post 1), for example, would have been better as "toward Fallien." Other than that problem, and some typos that I mentioned to you, when Rilya says "I and our child," it should be "me and our child." I realize that in Drow, it's "usstan" and "usstan," but that's not how it is in English. I didn't take off for that, since it was dialogue.

Technique: 5

I didn't really notice much here. Maybe some hyperbole on the part of the Jya, but without knowing how big the dragon really is... Everything was really straightforward.

Clarity: 9.5

You had Sasarai describe Mazoo as human, and then later had Izzy describe him as half gnome, half Elven. Make up your mind! Other than that, I knew what was going on the whole time, without any problem.

Wild Card: 7

Like I said before, this really feels a lot like a prologue, so I'm looking forward to the meat and grist of the story.

Total: 68! Congratulations!

Spoils:

Izvilvin gets 1985 EXP and 145 GP
Alvakar gets 420 EXP and 80 GP

EXP/GP added! Izvilvin levels up!