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They emerged from the reeking swamp two days later, just before nightfall, much to everyone's great relief. To their surprise, the undead did not return in the night after their battle with the Gruelt Cultists. The companions still stopped every evening before dusk and set up camp, but the dead never returned. The fog that had so eerily hovered over the lifeless swamp had also slowly dissipated, revealing the true ugliness of their surroundings.
“We must have broken the curse that the cultists placed upon the land.” Dar had theorized as they spent their second night barricaded in the rotted-out trunk of a huge dead oak tree. “It appears that the curse was lifted with their deaths.” His eyes narrowed shrewdly. “It’s my guess that the curse was tied together with the strange ritual that we witnessed. Unless I'm mistaken, they were attempting to renew the curse that infected this land. Now that the cultists are all dead, there is no one to renew the curse. This land will now gradually return to normal, and life will once again return and flourish here.”
They finally rode out onto dry land that was dotted with trees and shrubs, and they soon began to see signs of wildlife once more. The sun was just beginning to set when they noticed a tall spiky-leafed tree growing next to the trail. Huge brightly-colored fruit hung from its thick branches emitting an intoxicating fragrance that made their mouths water and their stomachs growl.
“Fresh fruit!” Kariah cried happily, slipping nimbly from her pony's back and rushing towards the towering tree eagerly.
“Kariah!” Dar bellowed in a commanding voice. “Stop where you are, and do not move!”
The young elf maiden stopped in her tracks, and turned to stare at him with a surprised look. “I just wanted to get some....”
“That is a Blood Needle tree!” The boy told her quickly. “The leaves are like tiny little knives that will bury themselves deep into your skin and drain you of your blood if you even approach it too closely!”
Kariah let out a frightened squeal, then quickly scrambled away.
Dar stared at the plant in revulsion. “The tree lures its victims with its pleasant aroma and its enticing fruit. Look there,” He pointed at a number of bones that lay scattered at the base of the plant. “Those are the remains of its previous victims.”
Kariah's face went pale, then she quickly scampered atop Storm's back and clasped her arms tightly around Damion’s waist.
The tiny Alena slid from his saddle, his face a thundercloud of anger and disgust. He slowly walked towards the tree, his body trembling with fury.
“Dar!” Sly called uneasily. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to make sure that this disgusting thing doesn't claim any more victims.” He withdrew a handful of white powder from a pouch on his belt and tossed it around the tree's roots. He quickly scrambled back as the powder burst into flames, quickly consuming the entire tree, which began to thrash about spasmodically. A high-pitched screech pierced the air as it started to wither in the intense flames, then finally died away as the flames reduced it to ash.
Dar watched with a furious expression until the entire tree had been consumed, then he walked back to his pony and remounted. “It will claim no more victims.” He said with satisfaction. He looked at Damion. “Let’s put a few miles between ourselves and this place before we set up camp.”
After continuing for a couple more miles, they set up camp near a swift flowing stream, then led the horses over to drink their fill.
Kariah lightly padded over to Damion's side as he carefully checked Storm's hooves for any injuries. She leaned in close to say something, then suddenly stopped sniffing the air. She quickly drew back and covered her nose. “Wow! Damion, I think it’s time that you took a good bath! You are starting to smell like Storm!”
Storm turned and glared at her, then casually flicked her on her backside with his mud-caked tail.
Damion chuckled. “You asked for that, you know.” He raised one arm and sniffed, then he flinched. “Although, I think you may be right.” Storm snorted once more, and he chuckled. “I bet we could all use a good bath.”
He stripped off his armor, though he kept the Dragon Sword strapped to his side, then he led the huge warhorse deeper into the stream and carefully began to scrub all the mud out of its smoky gray fur. Once the great stallion was free of the foul-smelling muck, he submerged himself in the icy cold water and made a fair attempt at scrubbing himself clean. He emerged from the water shivering uncontrollably and turning a slight shade of blue. He quickly went to the large campfire they had built to warm himself, and stood close in an effort to dry faster.
He frowned when he hardly even seemed to feel the heat from the flames, even as moved so close he was nearly standing amongst the burning embers. He slowly backed away, his mind racing. After a moment's hesitation, he plunged his hand into the flames and braced himself for the pain, but to his great surprise, he felt nothing more than a pleasant warmness envelope his arm.
“By the gods! What are you doing?” Garth and Gretta came stumping into view, their faces freshly scrubbed and their eyes wide with shock. “Have you lost your wits entirely?”
Damion ignored him, and continued to pass his arm back and forth through the flames in amazement. After another moment, he pulled his arm back and stared at it in confusion. It was completely unharmed!
“How did you do that?” The dwarf asked, stumping forward and gazing at his arm. “Your flesh should be charred to a crisp!”
Damion shrugged, then looked down at the glittering sword that hung at his side. “It must have been the Dragon Sword. It must have protected me from the flames.”
“Don’t be so sure about that.” Dar's boyish voice came from the shadows. He stepped from the darkness, his eyes unreadable. “Remember, you have the blood of dragons flowing in you veins, Dragonkin.”
“Stop calling me that!” Damion snapped in annoyance.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Garth asked in confusion.
“Dragons are not affected by fire.” Dar explained. “Since Damion shares the same blood, he may also be immune to fire.”
Damion's face darkened, but he silently unbuckled the Dragon Sword and let it fall to the ground. “I’m going to be very angry if I get burned!” He warned the boy in a grim tone.
Dar swallowed hard. “M-Maybe you should do it really fast.”
Damion fixed him with a steady look, then slowly extended his hand towards the flames. Once again, he only felt a pleasant warmness envelope his arm. He withdrew his hand from the flames and strapped the Dragon Sword to his side.
“See? I told yo...”
“Don’t say it.” The huge warrior growled in a dangerous voice.
The boy fell silent, though he had a triumphant smile playing about his mouth.
Once everyone was clean and gathered around the fire, the topic of food immediately emerged. “We desperately need to replenish our supplies.” Sly grumbled, his stomach growling loudly. “Our packs are practically empty.”
Damion cursed, then slowly rose to his feet. “C’mon Snowfeather.” He grunted in a tired voice. “Let’s go get some dinner.” He slipped into the form of a panther, and headed off into the night with the huge snow owl silently ghosting overhead. They soon returned with several large hares, which Dar quickly skinned and set on spits over the fire.
“Those things are huge!” Kariah exclaimed, staring that the hares in disbelief.
Dar snorted. “You should see one full-grown. They stand nearly four-feet-tall, and are the fastest creatures you have ever seen!”
Snowfeather squawked indignantly, causing Damion to laugh. “They’re not quite fast enough! Snowfeather took two of those creatures down in less than five minutes.”
“All that really matters is that there is a ready supply of fresh meat available.” Sly grumbled hungrily.
“Just wait until we have reached the forest.” Dar piped confidently. “It abounds with wildlife! Since it is widely believed that
the forest is cursed, it remains a land untouched. Thousands of different creatures call the forest their home, including myself.”
“How much farther is it until we reach the forest?” The scruffy little man asked, testing the sizzling meat with the tip of his dagger.
“About a week. It is open terrain most of the way, so we should make good time.”
“And then how far to the dragon's lair?”
Dar shrugged. “It may take several weeks. The creatures of the forest will know of our presence almost immediately, and will probably confront us. I shouldn't have any problems getting us through, but it still might slow our progress.”
“What kind creatures will we encounter?” Damion asked curiously.
Dar laughed. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Everyone slept until late the following morning, and rose still feeling stiff and sore from their trials in the swamp. They set off around midafternoon at a casual walk, not wishing to push the horses hard after such an ordeal. The countryside was gentle, with a soft fertile soil that completely muffled the pounding off the horse’s hooves. Large herds of deer dotted the area, feeding on the thick grass that grew around the area in abundance. They watched the companions with curious eyes as they passed, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger. The beautiful, almost serene setting, and the crisp, fresh air, lent an almost unreal quality to their journey. Emerging from the dead and decaying swamp to find themselves in such a peaceful and serene place that was bursting with life, it was almost like stepping into another world.
They slowly pushed on through the tall grass, allowing the horses to move at their own pace. Damion and Kariah rode together atop Storm in the lead, quietly listening to Dar describe the forest as he rode beside them perched lightly atop his sturdy little Deolan pony. Sly was dozing in his saddle, occasionally waking up long enough to look around before dropping his head down and falling back to sleep. Snowfeather perched atop Damion’s shoulder, resting with his head tucked beneath one wing.
The sun was setting and Damion was considering stopping for the evening, when a momentary glimpse of sunlight reflecting off steel caught Damion's attention. He reacted instantly, slamming Storm into Dar’s much smaller pony, knocking them to the side. In the same instant, the blur of a crossbow bolt flashed through the air where Dar had just sat a second before.
“Ambush!” Damion bellowed at the others as he drew the Dragon Sword. He grabbed Kariah with one arm and gently placed her into the tall grass. “Stay down!” He looked up and stared intently at the area from where the bolt was fired. Even at that distance, Damion could plainly see that the creatures that were moving towards them were dragonspawn. There was no mistaking the enormous reptilian creatures. "Dragonspawn!" He cursed viciously. “Dar! Stay with the women! Garth! Sly! Let's go!” He spurred Storm ahead, rage beginning to inflame his senses.
He counted over a dozen of the scaly creatures rushing towards them, a variety of crude weapons in their clawed hands. Storm didn't even pause in his charge as he crashed into the group of dragonspawn, riding several down with crushing hooves while Damion began to lay about with the Dragon Sword. Five of the dragonspawn fell with almost no resistance, while the others hesitated in their attack, taken aback by his ferocity.
Garth took quick advantage of their hesitation, and withdrew a small hand ax that he produced from his belt. He sent it whistling through the air where it buried itself deep into the forehead of one of the scaled creatures. It fell to the ground twitching convulsively.
Storm crashed through another dragonspawn, then Damion wheeled him around and charged back into the fray. He skillfully deflected a wild swipe from a rusty sword, then sliced one of the scaly creatures across the belly, spilling its entrails. He impaled a second through the heart, then tore the Dragon Sword free, and casually removed the head of the first while it desperately tried to put its intestines back where they belonged. He chanced a look over at Sly who was fighting with two of the injured dragonspawn that Storm had ridden down. With a thrust that was quicker than the eye could follow, the little man drove the point of his sword into the throat of one of the creatures, then he suddenly dove forward, rolled, and sprang back up to his feet, ripping upward with his dagger. The second dragonspawn stiffened as the dagger sliced it open from its groin to its chest, then it fell limply to the ground.
One dragonspawn somehow managed to break loose of the others, and rushed at Kariah and Gretta snarling in insane blood lust, apparently thinking of an easy kill. Dar calmly stepped forward and tossed a handful of his white powder full into the creature’s face. The creature suddenly stopped, hesitating in surprise, then slowly continued forward undeterred.
“I don't think it worked!” Kariah cried in desperation.
“Just wait!” The childlike sprite murmured calmly.
The dragonspawn suddenly sneezed, and the powder burst into flames, engulfing the creature in white hot flames. It shrieked in agony, then fell rolling to the ground, desperately trying to put out the searing fire, but it only grew more intense, and after a few moments, its thrashing stopped.
Kariah waved the noxious-smelling smoke away from her face, and stared at the smoldering creature with disgust. “What is that stuff?”
Dar smiled mysteriously. “It’s just a little of this and a little of that.”
They watched Damion as he quickly dispatched two more of the scaly creatures with ease, then turned to watch Garth crush another's skull with a vast overhand blow of his battle-axe.
Sly ran his sword through the throat of the last remaining dragonspawn, then stood back and watched with a savage kind of satisfaction as it kicked at the ground feebly. After the creature’s thrashing stopped, he turned and glared at Damion. “I really hate those things!” He snarled angrily, spitting on the carcass.
“Damion!” Kariah exclaimed, staring at the Dragon Sword, which had begun to glow with a dim pulsating light. “The Dragon Sword! It’s glowing!”
Damion stared at the glowing sword in confusion. “What’s wrong with it?” He watched as the pulsating glow continued to grow brighter, seeming to be almost alive with energy.
A huge form suddenly blocked out the setting sun, casting a great shadow over the companions. They fell back in surprise as a sleek crimson form suddenly soared down from the sky.
The dragon was enormous, with powerful leathery wings that raised great clouds of dust with each thrust. The creature's massive head gleamed in the fading sunlight, revealing massive jaws that were filled with sharp serrated teeth. Two great spiraling horns protruded from its head behind each of its cunning eyes. The dragon's sleek body bulged with muscles that rippled with every movement, and its armor-like scales flashed a bloody red in the waning sunlight.
Straddling the huge beast's back, clutching the glowing Dragon Gem in one hand, was the scar-faced man Kaviel. The Dragon Gem was glowing brightly, pulsating in the exact manner of the Dragon Sword, clearly in response to the sword’s presence.
“Everyone get clear!” Dar screamed to the others, who instantly scrambled for cover.
Damion locked eyes with the man that murdered his father, and he saw Kaviel’s mouth widen in sudden recognition. The man suddenly snarled as he spotted the glowing Dragon Sword clenched tightly in Damion’s hand, and screamed something unintelligible to the dragon, which instantly fell into a dive, its eyes locked on the glowing sword.
The Dragon Sword suddenly flashed alive with an intense blinding light that burst forth brilliantly. The dragon suddenly roared in pain and pulled out of its dive, temporarily blinded from the intense flash.
Damion had just managed to shield his eyes as the sword flashed its blinding light, driving the dragon back. He watched as the enormous beast circled for a moment overhead readying itself for another attack, and clearly heard Kaviel bellow another order to the scarlet beast, but it suddenly reared, screaming defiantly. The scar-faced man thrust the Dragon Gem at the defiant beast and screamed once more. The dr
agon roared in hatred and outrage, then fell into another dive, belching flames at Damion, who felt his entire body engulfed in the blast. To his great relief, the flames did not burn, but merely tickled his exposed skin. He heard Kariah's scream through the roar of the flames, and a laugh of triumph from Kaviel, both obviously believing that he had perished in the intense dragon fire.
With some effort, he drew in his magic and sent a bolt of pure energy streaking up through the fire, striking the scarlet dragon full in the face. The bolt exploded, hurling the beast backward through the air, momentarily stunning it.
Kaviel somehow managed to keep his seat on the dragon’s shoulders, but appeared shaken. He stared at Damion with disbelieving eyes, clearly taken aback by the large warrior's miraculous survival.
Damion rose to his full height, his dwarven armor glowing red from the flames, and pointed at the scar-faced human with the tip of the pulsating Dragon Sword, his eyes flaring red with fury.
Kaviel screamed something at the dragon, which roared again in defiance, then tucked its wings and fell from the sky. Damion was once again engulfed in flames as he felt the dragon crash to the ground between him and the others, separating him from his friends. The ground shook violently with its tremendous impact, nearly knocking him from his feet, and he staggered, momentarily off-balance.
The dragon roared once more, then quickly snatched up Kariah and roughly tossed her up to Kaviel's awaiting hands. The young elf maiden screamed in terror, desperately trying to free herself from the scar-faced man's grip, but he hit her hard across her face and she suddenly fell limp.
“Tempest!” Dar screamed, running forward and waving at the scarlet beast desperately. “No!”
The dragon's eyes suddenly went wide with shock and recognition as it spotted the tiny Alena frantically waving his arms in an effort to get its attention. Kaviel suddenly bellowed again, and the dragon was forced to turn away with a snarl. It belched another wall of flames at Damion, then launched itself into the air with a powerful thrust of its huge wings.
“No!” Damion screamed, emerging from the flames, his face pale with fear.
The huge scarlet dragon soared away and quickly disappeared from sight.
Damion howled a bestial howl of fury, then launched himself atop Storm's back, clearly intending to follow.
“Damion!” Sly ran up and grabbed Storm’s bridal. “Stop! It’s too late! You'll never catch them!”
Damion scowled. “We can still catch them! Come on! We have to hurry!”
The scruffy little man shook his head. “They are long gone. There's no way that we can catch up.”
“We can't just sit here!” The huge warrior objected angrily. “We have to help her!”
“And we will.” Sly assured him. “As long as she is alive, he can use her to try and force you to give him the Dragon Sword.”
Damion swore viciously, then jumped down from Storm's back. He couldn't believe what had just happened. In an instant, Kariah was gone, and even with all his magic, he had been powerless to stop it from happening. He had never felt so helpless in his entire life, and the frustration was enough to nearly drive him mad. In a rage, he blasted a huge boulder to dust, leaving a large smoking crater in its place. He reduced an old oak tree into kindling, then whirled in search of something else to destroy, but Sly fearlessly stepped up to block him.
“That’s enough!” The scruffy little man bellowed. “How is raging about, destroying everything you see, going to help Kariah?”
Damion glared down at him angrily, then turned away. He slumped to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
After several long, tense minutes, Sly timidly laid a consoling hand on Damion's shoulder. “She will be fine, my friend.” He reassured him in a knowing voice. “Once we reach the dragon's lair, we'll save her, and put an end to all of this mess.”
Damion slowly struggled to his feet, shaking away Sly’s hand from his shoulder, and began gathering the horses together. “Let’s get ready to ride.” He growled in a fearsome voice.
Dar ran up then, his tiny face pale. “Damion! I know the dragon that Kaviel rode upon!” His words only seemed to inflame the young sorcerer even more, but he continued anyway. “Listen to me!” He demanded. “Tempest was unable to control her own actions! You have to believe me that she would never do something like this unless she was forced! It is not her fault! You have to believe me!”
Damion turned on the childlike sprite with fire blazing in his eyes. “You want me to trust you?” He snarled dangerously. “That dragon has destroyed my home, killed countless innocents, and now it has snatched Kariah!” He grasped the boy by the front of his tunic with one huge hand and lifted him until they were eye to eye. “You’re trying to tell me that the dragon is your friend, and to trust you? Are you insane?” He gave the tiny Alena an angry shake.
Dar held on tightly to Damion's forearm, his legs kicking feebly in the empty air. “Kariah is still alive!” He choked. “Tempest will keep her alive!”
“That dragon has killed several thousand people already!” Damion shook the Alena again. “What makes you believe that it won't kill her too?”
Dar's face had taken a faintly greenish cast. “I’ll tell you as soon as you put me down. Otherwise, I'm going to vomit all over you.”
Damion snarled, then released his grip, dropping the sprite hard to the ground.
Dar took several moments to compose himself, then rose to his feet and brushed himself off. “Kariah was still alive when they flew off. My guess is that Kaviel snatched her as a bartering tool. Once he realized that you have the Dragon Sword, and could easily destroy him, he grabbed Kariah to use her against you!”
“We’ve already worked that out for ourselves.” Sly grunted.
“Tempest had no control over what happened! As long as Kaviel has the Dragon Gem, she has no control over her own actions!”
Damion leapt atop Storm's broad back, then fixed him with an angry glare. “Then I'll just have to take the Dragon Gem from him.”