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Thank you to the ONE PERSON who told me what they wanted for the final installment. You got your wish. To everyone else, you should try using your imaginations sometimes. Hope you enjoy!

• Faora

The twin armies swarmed out onto the battlefield with cries of rage. Blades swept forth, slicing with deadly precision towards their marks.

Arrows hurtled through the air, striking those same targets with impunity. Before the onslaught, many fell, some dead, some wounded, some trampled by their stampeding brethren.

He swept into battle, a great sword in his hands, the huge blade biting into its foes like the teeth of a viper. Before him, all fell.

They'd encountered the enemy force in he middle of the day by sheer chance, and at Tyral's command, they has swept forth into battle. The copper dragon roared and sliced his blade, decapitating the twisted remains of what had once been a wolf.

A servant of Kieral is not alive, he reasoned as he struck down another, They had their lives taken far before this point.

It did little to console him.

The enemy had been greatly outnumbered, but they had fought anyway. Tyral was sure that the chaos master would be aware of their approach now. He turned to see Carlee, her staff extended. A brilliant plume of fire burst forth from the head of the elegant weapon. Several of the chaos master's soldiers fell before the flames. Those that didn't took solace in the charring of flesh, and pressed onwards harder.

He moved over towards her, his blade cutting a path through the enemy drones as if they were toys in the rage of a hurt child.

The warrior dragon pressed his back against hers, his blade fending off blows aimed for his charge.

She loosed another blast of fire. "Thanks!" was all she could say before what used to be an equine leapt towards her, a dagger clutched in his hand.

She whipped the staff up, knocking the weapon away as he closed, breaking his wrist at the same time. Before she could give him the chance to move on her again she extended a hand. The equine was blasted away by her touch, thrown with bone crunching force. She turned and resumed her pyrokinesis.

Tyral looked over the fields of war, watching as his soldiers destroyed the remaining enemies. One final blast of fire, and Carlee had vanquished the rest.

He turned to her. "A fine skill."

The white feline shrugged. "It's a learned skill, but a useful one indeed."

He nodded. Early in their journey she had revealed herself to be a mage. He hadn't believed her, and had found his scales charred quickly.

Tyral looked around, and spied a petite blue dragoness hefting a short sword. "Druanna. How did we fare?"

"Better than I had expected," she replied, her voice deeper and tougher than any could have expected from one her size. She looked over at Carlee. "Your skills saved a great many lives today. Hopefully they will do so again."

The feline nodded. "I hope so too." She frowned. "We had better keep moving. The forces of the chaos master are concentrated here. Staying in the open will get us all killed."

They moved again, once more led by Carlee. She didn't know how, nor did she know why, but there was a powerful force guiding her, just as there was one guiding Tyral. He knew where they needed to go, he watched over them and cared for them.

Torun pointed Carlee in the right direction, and watched over them still.

It was mid afternoon when they found the Temple.

Tyral watched it from the treeline, noting the number of guards he could see scattered in plain sight, and considering the number that could still be hidden within.

Carlee and Druanna slid up either side of him. "Incredible..." the dragoness muttered quietly, gazing upon the temple.

"It's no myth after all, Tyral," Carle sighed, "And Kieral will be inside. We have to stop him, and soon."

The copper dragon nods. "I know. We'll wait until sunset. Gives everyone a chance to rest a little." He frowned. "Tell them all to stay alert. If someone comes in here while we're preparing, we move right in. All right?"

The two females nodded and rushed off. Tyral stayed put, watching the temple and it's guards.

Closely.

They were lucky in that no guards stumbled upon them as they rested. It was a small comfort to Tyral, who wanted them to be well rested for what lay ahead.

Carlee had offered to sit with him for the most part. The two spoke quietly, discussing various points of combat and how to improve technique. By sunset, Carlee felt confident she could lift a sword if need be, and Tyral understood her grasp of magic better.

The force was ordered to circle the entire temple and wait for his signal. It took a half hour to get everyone in position, but no one gave away their position.

He turned to Druanna, standing behind him, and nodded.

She raised a small bow, offering Tyral the tip of the prepared arrow. He took it, presenting it to Carlee, who set it alight with a gentle flame. The arrow was quickly replaced, and Druanna raised the bow to the sky. The arrow flared out, lighting up the twilight, a star rising into the sky.

A cry echoed around the Temple as their force charged out of the tree line, closing in on the walls. The enemies on the outside had no chance to react to them at all.

Those that had time to draw weapons were swiftly dismembered and beheaded, left behind to fall as their life drained away.

Using the same entrance as the forces of Kieral had used earlier, Tyral, Carlee and Druanna led the charge within the walls.

The dragoness was the first one inside, as per her request. She had decided to move in first, to better Tyral and Carlee's chances of success.

And she did. The brave dragoness charged through the gap just ahead of Tyral, and promptly found an arrow lodged in her brain.

She fell back, her body providing move cover for Carlee as she moved inside, her staff sweeping forward and belching flames. The archers fell back before the flames, charred beyond recognition.

Tyral crouched down to help the dragoness up, but it was far too late. Druanna was dead. He lay her down and charged alongside Carlee.

Pain for the loss he had just seen thundered through his veins. His great blade swept through the enemy ranks with ease, his strength fuelled by fury and agony.

Carlee followed him in, cleaning up those troops that came against them. Fire lanced out when it was safe enough to use, daggers were wielded when it wasn't.

The surprise attack was successful. Quickly they had overwhelmed the ones guarding the Temple. Carlee followed Tyral to the doors of the Temple.

They paused. "Will there be any inside?" she asked.

"No," he replied darkly, "Just him. Come, Carlee. He must be destroyed."

The dragon moved forward again, kicking in the crystalline doors and moving into the Temple of Force itself.

He sat there calmly, waiting serenely. Tyral held his blade steady before him. "Kieral. Your crimes against creation come to an end here."

The brown robed figure stood without touching the ground. He levitated into the air, his legs still crossed. Slowly his legs uncurled and he lowered himself again, touching the ground.

"You challenge me?" he asks, his voice cold, lifeless, dark.

Without warning, he flicked a hand out. A ball of flame leapt forth, striking Tyral in the chest. The warrior went flying, his body hurled into a wall. He slumped down, and lay still.

Carlee turned to face Kieral, her staff raised. He watched her, his eyes glowing brightly. "How long can you stay here?" he asked, "Even now, those outside are about to feel my wrath. How long can you stay and fight, while outside they live and die for you? What makes you better than me?"

"You bastard!" she cried. She levelled her staff at him, and the tip glowed with fierce white light. The light flared forward, a bright beam of destruction tearing towards Kieral.

He raised a single clawed hand, and the energy moved into it. It became a ball of force, and he crushed it down, using it to replenish himself. "That was foolish."

She cried out again, wordlessly this time, and threw herself bodily against Kieral. Her staff flicked around, impacting squarely against the blade he'd called into existence a moment before. Kieral pressed against her, knocking her staff away from hi as he spun around. His blade lifted up, preparing to slice through her body.

She spun as well, her staff lowering to parry the blow perfectly. She rotated the staff, smashing the dragon in the chin with it as she pushed his weapons away.

He backed away a moment, before raising a hand. A bright fireball appeared in his grasp, and Carlee watched it as it flared towards her.

She raised her staff to the fireball, and with all her spirit willed the energy to become hers.

The fireball slowed and stopped, trapped within the tip of her staff. She spun it around completely, hurling the fireball back at Kieral.

It impacted the surprised dragon, throwing him solidly back against the wall. He slumped for a moment, before standing again. His eyes flared brighter, a crimson glow threatening to consume the entire world.

He roared and charged her, blade sweeping down from above. Carlee caught the blow on her staff, and kicked out at Kieral. The dragon nimbly dodged, using his tail to sweep her legs out from beneath her.

Carlee lost her balance, her ankle twisting badly, dumping her on the floor harder. Her staff clattered away.

Kieral stood over the feline, the sword pointed down at Carlee's neck. "I'm going to enjoy this."

NO!

Kieral jabbed the blade forward. Before it could slice into Carlee's throat though, Tyral slashed upwards, his great sword shunting aside the deadly blow.

He stood shakily, but his grip on the hilt of the blade was firm. His eyes glowed with a brilliant white.

"I told you it wasn't over."

Kieral snarled. "Brother, when will you learn? You are weaker than me! Give in! Release the whelp you've possessed!"

Tyral, Torun, held the great sword steady in both hands, ready to defend if attacked. "So you can kill him, Kieral? Never."

Carlee slowly slid further away. She watched the battle of words going on, not entirely understanding what was happening.

"Death is the master of life, Torun. Pain is the master of life. How can you still doubt this? All life ends, brother."

"There can be no death without life, Kieral." The two began to slowly circle each other. "Do you think I cannot understand pain? Look upon your face, brother! Remember mine as it was! Charred and destroyed and tainted!"

Kieral grinned evilly. "I see you found a new face to cripple!"

The dark dragon leapt forward, his blade slamming into the great sword. They clashed powerfully, sparks leaping from both weapons as they slid across each other. The two ground together, locked totally, bound to each other as the two fighter pressed each as hard as they could.

"My face is like your own. Just as evil as yours, Kieral."

"You did not believe that when you were mine!"

The blades slipped apart, both weapons narrowly missing their targets. Kieral stepped back, and another blade appeared in his hands.

The copper dragon laughed. "You took my mind, Kieral, but I regained it. I defeated you, I defeated death with life, pain with light!"

His head rose. "That is why I can appear without my scars! I understand my sins, and the gods have forgiven me! You will not understand, and you will not repent!"

He charged forward, his blade clanging against those of Kieral. They ground together again, locked in a battle of strength, a battle of wills.

He looked down into those glowing eyes of madness, and smiled. "And because of it, Kieral, you are now dead."

The red dragon jerked suddenly. The twin blades dropped from his hands, and he numbly turned around.

Carlee was there, sitting in the center of the Temple. Blinding light shimmered around her, illuminating the Temple, and the night outside. Her eyes were closed, she sat silently.

The glow around her strengthened and pulsed, emerging from an awakened sleep, powers used for the good of many.

She herself glowed with repressed light as she channelled the forces of the Temple, the enhanced energy within her bursting forth, brighter than day. A swirling vortex of energy was issued forth from her body, blasting out in a shockwave that filled the temple instantly.

Kieral screamed in agony, his body being torn apart cell by cell by the energy. Hid form broke down and shattered, his life ended.

Outside the Temple of Force, the dark fighters froze. They began to shudder uncontrollably. Blood tricked from some of their noses, some limbs jerked uncontrollably.

They burst suddenly into flame. The energy consumed them completely, devouring them as their master was.

Within the Temple, Carlee opened her eyes. A visible white aura surrounded the copper dragon, and as she watched it moved aside, becoming the form of a white dragon. His face was horribly scarred, mutilated much as Kieral's had been. Even as she watched, the scars flashed white and were gone.

Tyral stumbled for a moment, now once more in control of his body. He looked around for a moment, and spied the white dragon. "Torun..."

Carlee looked shocked as she stood. "You know him?"

"We've met," he replied slowly, not facing the feline just yet. "What's going on? What happened?"

Torun smiled. "You completed your mission." He turned to face Carlee. "As did you. The Temple is free of Kieral's influence, and the chaos master and his minions are no more."

"I don't understand..." Tyral trailed off.

Torun merely laughed. "I expect you don't. Do not fear, perhaps all of the answers will come in time. Perhaps not, but console yourself with the knowledge that you have purged a great evil from the lands."

His eyes fell upon Carlee. "Your destiny extends far beyond here. This was but a small chapter in the book of your life. Remember that."

He turned to face Tyral. "I told you before, your life and hers are closely interwoven. Know that even if you part ways now, the fates will draw you together again."

He sighed. "I would like to spend more time here, but I am required elsewhere." He smiles at the both of them, and vanishes in a bright flash of light.

For a moment, Tyral and Carlee just stood there, watching where Torun had been. Slowly they turned to face each other.

Carlee snapped out of it first. "Come on, dragon," she said slowly.

"Let's go home."

Left holes in the story? Duh. Deliberate, I swear! I'm thinking about writing a prequel trilogy and a sequal trilogy. Like Star Wars, but done right. Now come on, just because you aren't all members of the forum doesn't mean you can't post a "hey, that was great!" or even a, "dude, quit writing. You suck!" And if you don't like the forum, try my email box, [email protected] Subject as Darkness Trilogy, or I'll trash it. Now type! Go forth! Reply!