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Part 6: Lord Vashir
The half elf was free but I was back in my cell along with the man vomiting earlier, it turns out he was just faking to be dead. In my solitude I reflect on my life and wish I never poked that tooth, that’s when everything went to hell. My moping is cut short as the door opens and guards lift me up and bound my wrists with a rope. They lead me down the hall towards a towering silver dragonborn which they hand the rope to. The silver beast looked at me eye to eye and said in a deep guttural voice “Don’t give me any trouble or your lunch knife ears”, and she turned on her talons and marched forward out of the arena pooling me with her.
She walked me down the streets as we walked. I noticed that the clothes that people dawned became more and more prastien. To my surprise we walked up a long set of stairs into a prastien house, I’ve only seen runes that looked like anything like this. Muls walk around in simple garb tending to tasks around the house. The dragonborn suddenly stopped and slowly bowed. I look around and see a human woman with beautiful clothes, she must be the chief of the house. She strides towards me, looks me up and down and says “This day forward, your 15 beast, you will bow on command and only speak only spoken to understand?” There is a pause and I say “Ok whatever”. She frounse “I have to straighten you out a lot before I give you”. Gift? Am I just an item to this woman, the dragon born picks up on my aggression and I put back on my calm face. “As your lady, Lady Meshah, your gift order tells me what this is, as a mull brings over the tooth on a civil platter, it rests on a white fabric as it was glass which I find humerus as it has been used to kill countless people. She points to the tooth “what is this?” I respond “a tooth” with a smile. She snaps her finger and the silver beast bashes me over the head and I fall to the granite floor. The women looked forward and didn’t even look down at me but waited expectantly all the same and I said “My chief told me it’s the tooth of an ancient green dragon… my lady”. The woman smiled and looked at the tooth “great, this will make a great gift as well” she looked up to the silver beast “beat him into shape. I want him ready in 4 days” and she walked off.
The next four days I was beaten into shape, literally. I learned to keep my tail tucked under threat of it being chopped off. I learned the proper jesters and to revert my gaze from the lords and ladys. These for days were the worst days of my life, not because the physical pain but the demoralization of it all. When the four days were over ready or not I was to be gifted, to whom I don’t know.
I waited in the dining hall alongside Lady Meshah fanning her gently as she ate fruit. As I fanned her I wonder how hard you have to hit someone with a fan to kill them. Then two men entered the room. A man in fine clothing and a terrifying visage. He looked like he was left in the sun for a week and the beast of the sands had their way with him. His companion was a young bald man but there I can tell from here was a warrior as he scanned the room as he walked in along with his master. The boy pulled out his seet and the disfigured man sat at the table. Everyone in the room avoided eye contact with him including the women but my eyes were glued to his scars. The woman spoke “Vash I decided to celebrate your first week visiting our house with gifts” she gestured toward me “this is 15 a tamed savage is from the sandy waists, and bears the power to cure wounds, he will be of help to your recovery” . I slowly walk over to the other side of the table and I can feel his gaze as if he can see into my very Mind. I did not look upon this vash but he continued eating. The woman continued “second is a family boon, a tooth of an ancient green dragon tooth given to my ancestors by a green dragon as a blessing, now I want you to have it”. I am filled with rage but I let it slip away, now is not the time to act. Vashir did not move but his servant took my tooth and walked off.
The dinner was terribly boring as small talk was made. The bold man returned limping, probably stubbed his toe. Vashir stopped eating and stood up, “my thanks for the gifts my lady, i’ll be returning to my chambers”, they both nodded as they left the table and I followed behind them. I followed them into the chambers as I planned to follow them intel commanded otherwise.
When I enter the room I see something I didn’t expect, the tooth lies in a circle of ash as if something as casted on it and the caster left all the components with it. The doors close behind me and the boy now takes a defensive demeanor, an aggressive one. Lord Vashir looked into my eyes “tell me why you have something like that with you” he pointed to the tooth. The bald man spoke up “I sall it, it’s connected…to her”. Vasher spoke in a commanding voice “tell us everything then we’ll decide your fate, and I will know if you’re lying”…
Part 1: The Chosen Few
We ran through the waving dunes as if gliding much like the grinds of sand glide over the sandy seas much to the dismay of our chasers. A band of kobolds along with their dragon born masters hunting there favorite meal threw the sands with his past victims ears worn as trophies around their neck, necklaces of elven ears. We ran for miles with ease but never too fast or never with gesto in fear our asalenets would lose interest, slowly we let them gane space between us until we saw the mark. A flag liand in the sand made from the leather of a desert beast, we then burst in full speed leaving our asalenets behind confused and exhausted from the chase. It doesn’t take long for them to realize what has happened as the hunting party hop from behind the dunes making short work of the kobolds and dragon born. The leader of our hunting party is son of the chief, Ember Family Eater, a title that the dragon born will learn has been earned as he tears off the necklaces of our brothers ears and spares him and hogties him to be dragged back to the tribe.
Our tribe the Thunder Runners is one of the largest within the sands, when we run through the sands all can hear our thunder and know fear. In times of rest we break up our strongest into hunting parties to replenish the tribe. This hunt was not my first but it was my first with ember as my leader. Ember has earned his title of Family eater as he hunts and intraps dragon kin and THRI-KREEN to eat. He also has the habbet of tying their leaders who often wear elven ears of trofieces to eat their comrades in front of them. This act scares even the tribe itself but money has lost family to other races’ taste for our flesh and maney enjoy torturing our prisoners before killing and eating them too. I don’t enjoy this, their screams often hunt me, you don’t need to know their language to hear their pain. This night was the worst night I have seen as Ember Family Eater decided to cut off the limbs of the dragon and eat him as he lives. The screams of the dragon born was stomach piercing but was cut short by a blast of arcane energy arked across camp. An imposing figure of an elf aprosched Ember, the chief Zephyr Weyog’s chosen. Without speaking Ember followed the chief into his tent. The tribe was left in silence, this was an often occurrence in these times of sand,scales and blood.
Part 2: Weyog’s bite
I was named at the same time the tips of my finger were tattooed the colors of heads of tiamat. Naga the Still, a name given to me when we were set upon by a bullet. In the presence of the great beast I froze in fear, for an elf not to run is to die which would have been my fate if Zephyr Weyog’s Chosen didn’t bring the creature down with a point of his finger. It was this event in life that cursed me with the title the Still. I live up to my name as I watch the dragon bleed out and die from a loss of limbs. The tribe don’t hesitate to harvest the dragon kin, their scales are useful for weapons grips and tips of arrows. As the meat is passed around a decline and eaten last night rastions, this earns me some stares but my smile and some banter is all that’s needed to get people off my back. My favorite time of day is when I tell a story and entertain my brothers and sisters of the tribe. They find humor as I retail as we run through the desert leading these bastards through the sands away from their larger party. After smiles and laughs were shared we drifted into a rest under the pale moon.
I stirred awake by someone kicking me in the rib, stir in pain and stand ready to beat the scoundrel who assaulted me in my sleep but standing eye to eye with me was Zephyr. Zephyr shared the same hite of 7’4 but he always seemed taller. He wore many different skins of different beasts and monsters over his body except his right arm which is wrapped in a green serpent that stretches from his middle finger, which we traditionally tattoo green, and wraps around his arm. He shares the same sharp features as his son with blue eyes and blond hair, uneek traits among elves. He turns and walks back to his tent, a pause intel he stops and he looks back at me. Flustered I rush forward and follow him into his tent. As I entered the tent I was not prepared for what I sall. Corpse of fellow elves all at the entrance, as if they ran for the exit and died mid run falling dead on the animal skins with green foam leaking from their mouths, eyes and eyers. I stood still in shock, true to my name. The chief walked to the other side of his tent and stared at me as if he did not notice the corpse and he pulled out a tooth bigger than any dagger I have seen. The tooth leaked green ooze of the same color that leaked from the corpses. Not skipping a beat he spoke “ When it’s time for Weyog to choose her next champion, this tooth of an ancient green dragon refills with its poison.” He then jesters to the corpses “these are those who suffer Weyog’s byte and bare her gifts..and fall” . His feet lift off the ground and flotes ominously over me and points the tooth towards me “If you wish to feel her byte and bare her power, pierce the flesh of the finger that bears her name” I paused and looked to the exit and could see a morning fire where hunters gather, the heroes of the tribe cooked there hunts, if I ever wanted to be like them I needed this and I took in the morning sun hoping it won’t be my last and I turn back the chief. I extend my middle finger and with great hesitation stab it into the tooth.
The pain was unbearable, as if fire was in my vanes my body pulses with pain like a heartbeat and my vision turns black as I am unable to stand and I fall helplessly. I wheeze as venum leeks from my mouth as my lungs fill with toxins. Fear, shock and pain is all I feel as I hear a low growl that morphs into a loud chuckle. Two sets of green eyes and visions of jaws and claws fill my vision. The terror of this image made me terrified and even in this immense pain gave my body the ability to run in fear, but true to my name I stood still in fear. Overwhelmed with the pain of my rotting body and assaulted by a viage the threatened to devour my very existence there was only one thing my body and mind could do. I stared into the endless terror of teath, claws and venom as a visage of a five headed beast formed and laughed at it. There were growls and roars filled and the void was filled with my laughes of insanity. My burst of laughter cut short as the green head, Weyog, opened her jaw and blasted my essence with a green breath that melted away my vision. And to my surprise, I opened my eyes. I was still in immense pain as I started to cough at the green foam and clear the ooze that was leaking from my eyes and ears.I felt relief as my lungs were able to breath and I slowly stood up. Zephyr sits down in front of me and makes me sit down as well. He stares into my eyes this and holds out the tooth, “This is now yours Naga Weyog’s Chosen”. I held the tooth as my body shivered even though the pain had faded and the sun heats warmed the sands. It was at this point I heard someone enter the tent, I did not need to look for Ember. Zephyr stands immediately and confronts his son.
Ember eyes hover around the corpses and then meet with mine for a solid second before his eyes flash with anger and beed over to Zephyr.
Ember Shouted “Why didn’t you choose me, I’m the strongest and fastest elf in this world and in generations. One look from tiamat and surely I would have been chosen!”
“Hubris” Zephyr stated without a hint of aggression
“What? You know I’m next in line to be chief and you threaten my right to rule by choosing some foot licker to get Tiamats power!” Ember yells now getting in his father’s face
As Embers yells louder I can hear the tribe gathering around the chieftains tent outside.
“Ignorance” Zephyr proclaimed staring his son directly in the eyes
“But if you just give me the chance” Ember yelled, shoving his finger into his zephyr chest rapidly and spitting in the face as he said every word.
Zephyr’s face stiffened and a breeze picked up in the tent which bellowed with every word he spoke “There is only one that Weyog will choose, if I have performed the right on you then Naga would have been chosen and you my only son would just be another corpse on the ground” Ember has backed away from his father with his eyes filled with tears of rage. His eyes dart to me and the tooth and in a blink rips the tooth from my hand and I am surprised how weak my grip is as ember runs out of the tent. Me and Zephyr make eye contact before he runs after Ember. The words "SON NO!” below from outside as her people scream. I try to stand but I fall, I now notice my build has dwindled to my bones, all my physical strength is gone. I crawl on all fours just enough to see Ember has walked into the flame with the tooth. Ember screams out “Tiamat takes me and so I can get revenge on the Thri‐kreen that ate my mother limb by limb in front of my own eyes. I WILL MAKE THERE RACE SCREAM AS I KILL THEM ALL” and with that Ember falls out of the fire burnt to a crisp. Zephyr silent and tears in his eyes leans down and lays his hand over his son’s corpse as there is silence.
It started with one twitch of the finger, then his fist clenched and ember let out a blood curdling scream as ember started to rip off his burnt flesh. Zephyr backed off as he watched his son tare off his skin revealing fresh unwounded skin. Ember stood with the remaining burnt flesh hanging off him like loin cloth and he rose the dragon tooth into the air to reveal his mark, a red serpent that extends from his thumb and wraps around his arm. On the top of his lungs he yelled “ I AM CHOSEN!” and the entire Thunder Runner tribe screamed with him.
Part 3: The Purple one
It’s been several runs since that night me and Ember were chosen and I can’t tell if that was a blessing or curse. Ember and Zephyr have completely stopped communicating and now Ember has free range over the tribe as if he was chief himself. As for myself I have managed to relearn to walk, it seems my meeting with Weyog has left my body permanently disfigured and I have lost all my strength but my reflexes and lucky my quick footedness remain. Ember on the other hand has gotten stronger, it is strange to see an elf be as buff as a mul. Additionally both of us have grown tials, mine is a small skinny green tial which I can barely move. Ember on the other hand has a tial a half dragon would be jealous of. In the past weeks we both got a handle on our magic. I can spew blasts of poison and light and conjure a hand which is great when I feel like lazing around. My greater magic is something I can only do once a day which I can eather imbue fear into an enemy of my choosing which has come in handy or I can rejuvenate someone (usually my own) wounds. I also seem to have a wellspring of healing magic, a gift to allies as well. This is the only thing I can do that Ember can’t. Magically wise Ember has gotten me beat by a rock slide with great fire magic and the ability to somen a crimson sword at will.
The greatest thing to come out of these events is that I don’t go on hunts any more, my healing capabilities get more use healing hunters when they return from hunts. Today was different as all the hunting parties arrived together with had to be a whole tribe of Thri‐kreen. I never have seen so many before. Leading the hunters back to the tribe was Ember Family Eater, well that’s not his title any more, he went against tradition and chose his own title and is now Ember World Eater. To my dismay he made his way to me, I guess it’s my fault for standing at the edge of camp. He greeted me with a smile and said “ isn’t it a sight, soon we cleanse the sands of these filth”
I force a smile on my face and say “ Why did you bring all these creatures here when you could of killed them”
With a chuckle he replied “There children and their weak will serve as rations but their rest will repent for their races wickedness and help us build our empire!”
I smile disappears “wait what… that’s not the elven way”
Ember with a stern face and spoke to me as I would discipline a child “ The elven way has failed the elves Naga. Elves have only realized the fraction of our potential and when I build our people an empire, a home, we can finally realize our potential. THEN WE CAN TAKE VENGEANCE ON ALL THE FILTH
THAT LIVE IN THESE SANDS!”
My fake smile faded as I spoke “Ember even that’s true, is it worth it if we become as disgusting as the Thri‐kreen”
Ember cuts me off “We are the true heirs of the world Naga, soon we will see”
I didn’t fully understand why but I felt angry buy this response and this showed in how I said
“ Look Ember we all want to see Thri‐kreen wiped out, we all want people to stop eating us. But what’s the point if we act just like Thri‐kreen! You don’t need to know their language to hear the cries of anguish Ember, just end their suffering!”
Ember to my surprise, smiled and said “ Your trial from Weyog must have left your mind confused, hopefully your mind will clear. And thanks to the time I was held by the Thri‐kreen I do understand them and you know what they are saying naga…”
I do not respond but Ember continues “ There praying to their god BUT THERE GOD IS WITH US!” as he yells this there is a giant expulsion of sand reping from the ground is a giant purple worm, the biggest I have ever seen. Its carapace was more of a dark charcoal black with a hint of purple and scares covered its carapace all over.
The tribe has survived encounters with purple worms and there are two reactions to a purple worm, everyone runs in separate directions and only a fraction of the tribe gets devoured. The second reaction is what hunters are trained to do because of the fact that our hunting parties are made out of few individuals. Hunters are trained to stay completely still which all the hunters do as the Thri‐kreen run away but the dark worm docent chase them, instead it wheezes and turns to a group of elf hunters and dives down into the sand taking them into the sandy depths with them. The hunter party takes the hint and starts to run and I hear horns blare as the rest of the tribe is alarmed.
Ember stands there in shock “what is that” he says as he gasps.
I look at him and say “I think its there god, we need to get out of here now Ember”
Ember Runs Towards the worm screaming “OUR GOD IS GREATER”. As he runs towards the worm there is a blast of wind as Zephyr runs past me and toward his son. As Zephyr grabs Ember both of them are devaword by the great worm. I drop to my knees, both of our strongest killed in one fell swoop! Then there’s a flash green of as Zephyr appears in front of me holding ember both of them covered in ooz. Zephyr pushes Ember onto me who is unconscious but still alive. Zephyr turns back to the worm and says “Get Ember out of here I’ll take care of the worm” then his feet lift off the ground and he sends a blast of arcane towards the worm diverting its attention.
As Ember is pushed into my arms I forget how weak I am now and I fall on my back. Unable to lift Embers body up even though I try to do it pathically, I remember I can heal people now. I use my one cure wounds spell which flashes with green energy and Ember stirs back into conceness.
Ember stood up immediately even though he was still dazed and stutterd “di-did I get em” I look up at him “No you were just vored by a purple mega worm bro we need get the fuck out of here”
We both are now standing and take a quick glance over to the battle between the worm and Zephyr. Zephyr is using eldritch blasts into the sand to mimic foot steps to attempt to tempt the creature away. The creature is only parsley fooled as it keeps wheezing, which I think is smelling us, and it keeps moving towards pausing to attack Zephyrs distractions. I yell out “we need to run now!” even though I know it’s too late to run. It’s then that arcane rune shape over the worm and twirl in a serpent tien fashion. As they coil the flesh of the beast start to turn into a hue of gray, I have only seen Zephyr perform this spell a couple of times. The creature turned away in a fast manner which I thought was a maneuver to flee but instead was a last ditch effort to kill us as it wiped its tail armed with a stinger as long as a man was fliged right at us. Time slows as 9 pages of back story flashes before my eyes when there is a familiar light flashes before my eyes as Zephyr appears before us and pushes us back and onto the sand. The Stinger pierces into him as the creature’s momentum completely halts as it transforms into stone completely. Zephyr falls into the sand with a thump somehow still alive but purple ooze leaks out of his wound.
Part 4: Left Behind
I stand over Zephyr tending to his wound, which i manage to seal with my magic, look up to Ember and say “ help me carry him back to the tribe Ember we need him” to Ember World Eater who has turned his back on us and says “Leave him he is a relic of the past, we must move forward” as he walks away. I look at him with anger and say “You talk about how how the elven way has failed us and we need to change well here’s our chance, as a tribe we can nurse him back to health” There is silence “It’s the beliefs my father harbers is what will hold us back Naga… if you ever find your way back to us I will gladly welcome you fellow elf” Ember remarks as he bursts into an elven sprint back towards the tribe.
As the silhouette of Ember disappears the patrafide worm is too large and heavy to stay stable in the position it froze in and tumbles and breaks into three separate pieces. I lean Zephyr onto one that used to be the worm’s head and sit next to him. We sit in silence as we watch the sunset intel Zephyr reaches into his bag and pools out his pocket this tooth. I look at in surprise and say “when did you get that from Ember ’’, Zephyr replies with a chuckle “ I have my way, it belongs with Weyog’s chosen''.As he finishes his sentence he coughs purple ooze onto the sand. Zephyr then sighs and says “you should have joined the tribe and you know”. I wait a few seconds before responding “ The tribe I know does not exist without your chief, especially not with Ember World Eater in control”. Zephyr laughs before being cut short by shearing pain. I sit in the sands and let sleep take us. In the morning, only I woke up, I expected this but hoped for better.
By mid day I have buried Zephyr in the sands, the petrified worm can mark his grave. I hide in the shadow of the worm as I count my rations and other resources I found on Zephyrs body. Honestly at this point I would try to find the tribe but their tracks have been blown away and I’m no tracker. I wait till night before I run through the desert letting the heat my body be naturally cooled by frozen air of the night air. I can run 3 miles like this every day before needing to find a place to rest. I repeat this process for days running and hiding from the dangers of the desert. I do have hopes as I start to run low on water that I might accidentally run into the thunder runners but I know that isn’t a possibility.
On the seventh night I am completely out of water and I sit upon a stone looking at the starry sky. As I accept defeat I notest a light in the distance, a campfire. I slowly approach the camp, it’s small and there’s only one person who seems to be fighting to stay awake. He seems to be a lesser elf creature, a human. I continue towards the camp crawling on my stomach to try to be as stealthy as possible. If I could just grab some water skins and run I could easily outrun them. I slowly am able to get close to one of the tents making sure I’m not in line of sight of the human but this is when a woman I didn’t see behind jumps me and easily overpowers my withered body. The man who was keeping watch walks over with an obsidian sword. The woman holds her hand up and says “No his head isn’t worth anything without the stone mask, he’s worth more alive and we’re one days travel from the city”. The man looks down at me and lowers his axe and goes down on one knee. He grabs and twists my ear and says “here that knife ears it’s your lucky day”
Part 5: The City
It’s been 2 days since I was captured and sold, now I’m in a dirty shell with five others, 4 of which are humans with a half-elf which I have never seen before. They took all but my leather armor away from me including the tooth. I have heard stories about this place, the arena, and not good ones. This is the place that sends men of all races to tear each other apart for entertainment. I imagined I was going to perish in the sands not like this. The half elf waddles up to me, he is a muscular man with many scars and has a surprisingly calm demeanor for the situation he’s in. The half elf speaks “hey there buddy you’re late to the party and we don’t have much time before we head out so I make this quick” then he waits for me to respond, which I do so with a head bob. He continues “ this is my ninth and final round in this arena until I earn my freedom alright, I know how to survive so in the ring you listen to me get it” he stares at me waiting for me to respond and I say with a fake smile “sure thing…friend”.
The half elf was right, we didn’t have much time as armed guards opened the door and gathered us in a small room right outside the stage, I can tell by looking through the seams of the door. This room is filled with weapons of obsidion and bone of many defrents shapes and sizes of murder. I set my sights on a sizable spear made of a solid bone sharpened like a toothpick. I take the spear into my hands and my arms shake just trying to hold it. My strength has been forever taken by the ritual. I reflect on my past days of a proud warrior as I sadly put the spear down and instead reach for a simple bone dagger. I look around the room and the humans are dead silent except one who is vomiting in the corner of the room. The half is standing in the middle of the room with a sword and shield and wearing some sort of bug armor? The half starts to stretch his arm over his head and sias “Alright boys I got a wife waiting for me so lets slotter the poor bastard standing in our way!” and he lifts his weapons in the air and silence fills the room as everyone stares at him. I break silence as my fist half way in the air and say “yeah”.
In that moment the door lifts and the unforgiving sun shines onto us promising all of its unforgiveness. The half elf was the first to leave, saying “give them a show boys” and he ran out with his sword and shield held high. Me and the humans follow him with the demeanor of lost children. I look around to the crowd of humans that fill the chairs that scream absurdities down upon us. A man floating in the air similar to how Zypher did, wearing colorful ridiculous clothes, pointed to the other door and shouted in an unnaturally loud voice “LADIES AND GENTLE and slaves, WELCOME THE UP AND COMING CHAMPION
BLUE LIGHTNING!!!”. The doors lift on the opposite side of the stadium as a man in decorative armor walks into the stadium with no weapons, arms raised proudly. He spins in place as the audience screams his name “BLUE LIGHTNING” over and over. Then I notice that this human has a tattoo similar to mine but with a blue serpent and he is just as skinny and lanky as me. He points at us with his left hand and raises his right as there is a flash of lightning that strikes his hand leaving a giant blue spear with a horn like tip, it’s more of a sword with a long handle then it was a spear.
It was a massacre, only me and the half are standing. I’m only alive because I ran away faster then everyone. The half elf is dueling Blue Lightning and losing badly and it doesn’t take long for the half elf to fall to his knees. The crowd roared as he prepared to end the half elf but I the face of the half breed reminds me of… Zephyr and I remember that the elven ways have betrayed me. I send a blast of energy towards Blue lightning which misses. He turns toward me and smiles as if to say “your next” but to his surprise I laugh at him. His smile fades as he turns back to a healed half elf that lodges a sword into his skull. The half with tears in his eyes raised his hands in the air and the crowd roared.