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Chapter 6

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* The Alloy Furnace *

* *

I essentially quit my job as a messenger. It's not like anyone was looking for me, and no one could find me unless they could get in and out of Nox'Hyem, so it wasn't a big deal.

It's been about a week now, and the only things that have really happened is everyone's cultures starting to merge. Scientific, arcane, and religious beliefs and knowledge were splerging to form a new culture and way of life. Everyone adopted each other's dances, and musical art forms. Varying lifestyles were all coming together like the metals for an alloy in a furnace.

It was fascinating watching the cultures merge and melt together. How dynamic lifestyles, and simple rules of life and reason are all different and changed. They're heavily influenced by religion, which influences the government, and in turn influences the progression of scientific and arcane discovery. How people interact is influenced by their lifestyles, which are influenced by the technology and their daily lives.

Take the Alecian Harbor for example, home of the Leapards. Their lives revolve around bridges, docks, and boats. Children grow up on docks, and don't dare to ventue off of them until they're old enough to go to places of learning called universities! They learn about a specific subject, and trained in it's arts and rules. They don't have any currency beyond a rough trading system, and even that's barely used. They believe that they can achieve anything simply by working together, and they don't even have crime or prisons! They live in this amazing world full of inspiration and wonder, free from the darkness of sin and hatred!

The Dragonoids believe that all life is sacred, and have massive, beautiful gardens in their cliffs and homes! They eat meat, but harvest only from euthenasia and when the dragons themselves claim that something's okay to kill. And they live as one with the dragons, because they can speak to the dragons! Sometimes dragons claim a Dragonoid as their own, and the two would die if only to save the other, falling in love with eachother, and even attempting to reproduce in extreme cases. The Dragonoids don't live with the dragons, there is no hierchy to the relationship between the two groups because they're simply one big group of draconic people! The relationships born between the two are rooted so deep that no one could possibly seperate the two allies, and that's a simple fact.

But east of the Dragonoids, on the great Akvertlian Savanna, the Lions live natural lives! Lacking knowledge of the arcane and the scientific, their lives revolve around who brings home dinner. And what a dinner it is, for they don't hunt wild boars or monstrous Taurs, but they hunt the Nuatk'Lun, grand birds of fire and inferno, similar to dragons, but immortal by nature. The only way to kill the beasts is to sever off their four heads, which is nearly impossible since you'd have to be riding the damn creature to do so! They not only eat the creatures, but they worship and live in and by them. The Nautk'Lun have massive pelts of thick and heavy fur, on thick leather that's nearly impervious to damage, so they make armor and tarps from it. They worship the skulls as the teeth of great gods, angry and evil.

South of the tribal Lions, in the Ithlvkl Desert, thrive the Snakes, Vipers and Cobras as one. Interbred into a single species, they worship what little rain they get, unaware of how common it is elsewhere. In the desert sands lay a metal, unique and rare. It glows a scarlet red, and is something they treat as valuable as iron or steel. They work the metal into beautiful weaponry and tools that neither dull nor rust, and use it to rage war on the others who live in their hellish desert.

Between us and the Alecian Harbor is a small valley known as Lifthraien, home of the Otters and Ferrets. The two races lived in perfect harmony, not questioning differences but working together to form an unbreakable bond. Believing in the strength of Anthrans, they don't worship gods. They believe the world lies between two plains of reality, one of magic, and the other of matter. They claim to have successfully created gateways between the realms, and no one knows if they're lying or not.

The Sharks, Dolphins, and Orcas all come from the distant islands of Garrnackle, far beyond the shores of the Alecian Harbor. They claim that they're the descendants of incredibly intelligent creatures, who send capsules of relics and artifacts to them from even farther out at sea. They're islands are void of animals, but coral reefs and warm waters supply them with more food than they need. To them, the ocean is everything, and across it they sailed to the lands of rock, the land mass upon which, all else was discovered.

Together, we merge as one culture. Eventually, we started realizing that Crogar wasn't going to change his mind, so we thought of an idea. A stand, against the kingdom. A mark of power, and strength. Zander, had an idea.

Although no one liked Zander's plan, we all agreed to go with it, simply because it was the best thing to do. Nrasky had his son go back to Vut'ragc, to send for help. An Otter and Riley went back to Lifthraien for the same reason. About a week later, they returned, and we were officially ready, to stand up against the tyrant, Crogar, and damn him to hell.

We constructed caravans, and loaded them up. Neyclos and some of the other magicians designed spells and worked enchantments into tools and weaponry. Metal shackles were forged and ready to use. By nightfall, we had only to travel to Vu'Eltrys, the city of the docks.

Chapter 7

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* Battle Vu'Eltrys *

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We arrived at the great city by noon. This was the only place that had a prison, and was the only place that had an executioner's display. No other town had something like this, and no other town was safer from attack. The crowds started gathering as we hauled the great cages and boxes out of the caravans, covered in woolen fabrics. Within an hour, we were ready to make a scene.

I walked to the edge of the stage, and took a second to scan the thirty or forty people here. They wanted to watch an execution, and they may vary well get one, but not now. The guards in the back were looking very confused and distrustful, but allowed what we doing due to each one having been bribed with money.

"People of Vu'Eltrys! Today, we are going to show you your future, that is, if you encourage us. We're trying to make a movement in this fine land of ours, a movement that could change the world forever." I walked back to one of the cages, and dramatically pulled the cover off, revealing Nrasky, shaking at the cage, bound in shackles, screaming through a cloth, and almost completely naked. Everyone gasped at the unusual sight.

"Feast your eyes upon the Dragonoid! New creatures have been found and enslaved! Your future could be one of leisure, lacking work and effort. Simply order this vile filth around, and you'll get your wish!"

Someone called out from the crowd, "Let it go! It doesn't like that!" Everyone turned and looked at the young fusky, barely in her twenties. Someone else turned back and shouted, "Yeah, she's right! He deserves to be free!" Within in a minute, people were working against us. They didn't want slaves, and the guards were even working their way through the crowds, and then Neyclos spoke.

"You fools! You dare defy the will of your King?! The great, Lord Crogar himself told us to do this! He wants them in shackles, and he wants them enslaved, tortured, and murdered! He cares not for their lives, and neither should you!"

One of the guards got up on stage and shoved him down, "Then Crogar's no king of mine." The crowd started cheering, celebrating what could've been the death of my father. I stopped the guard and went on with our act.

"Wait! Don't kill him! There's something you need to understand first. That we're only doing what we're told. If you go through with this, if you love your king, and if you praise his divine insight, then that will be the end of it." I walked by the row of cages, uncovering them one after the other, revealing the other creatures. Banging on their cages, crying, and screaming, some even had two or three, trying to push apart in the cramped cage. Bound to the iron and steel bars, and trying to scream for help, people were starting to riot against us. Someone picked up a stone and threw it at me, smacking hard into my shoulder, bruising it. Others started throwing crap at us, too, and Neyclos threw the guard off of him, then silenced everyone with a blazing bolt of fire sent to the skies.

"Silence! Do you not want to watch this day after day? Watch as kind, caring, loving people are enslaved, beaten, tortured, and hurt simply because we're better than them? Would you rather see this?!" With a snap of his fingers, the bonds broke and the steel warped, freeing each and every anthran who'd been caged. "Would you rather they be free to roam the land, making friends and fighting side by side against greater evils?"

A single person shouted against him, "It'd be better than falling under the dark will of Crogar!"

"And I agree!" [Neyclos]

Everyone was confused until Nrasky spoke, "Your damnable king nearly killed us. We were building an outpost on the edge of the forest, and your king ordered an assassination. Your king wanted our death, and all we wanted was an ally against monsters and evils more powerful than you can imagine. Your king wanted this, and one good man stood out and said no." Wait, what? That isn't part of the- Nrasky grasped my shoulder, holding me in place.

"This is Cairn! Cairn saw good in us, and he didn't care that we were different. Cairn... Who would you rather be lead by? A monstrous tyrant who hides the truth from you, who- when given the chance- enslaves entire peoples, slaughtering a one of a kind culture in the process? Would you really want to be lead by that? Or would you follow blindly into battle, knowing that the most kind hearted Canine that has ever lived, is guiding you. Dividing right from wrong, and reinforcing this premiss into our minds! It's your choice, but choose wisely."

I turned to Nrasky and quieted my voice as others began to cheer, and riot against the few people and guards who felt like Crogar was a better ruler. "Nrasky, what are you doing?"

"We told you, we've decided who we want to lead us."

"But I thought it was going to be you."

"No. Chances are, I'm going home after this. I'm just here to establish an alliance, not to kill a king. That's your business, not mine."

"But... Whatever." I turned back to the crowd that was now chanting my name. Apparently I'd become a king, and the town was my castle.

Over the course of two days, the town shut itself in. Minor trade routes formed between the cities, were all clogged up due to Vu'Eltrys shutting down. People would try to get in, but the gates were barred shut, and the walls were too smooth to climb. The docks weren't accessible any where else, so there was no way in. With our time, we taught people of the world beyond Laothnea's boarders.

We began rewriting the rules of social conduct, and found most people hated the way our society worked. Nearly a quarter of the two hundred people in town were gay or bi, and almost everyone else was either related to or knew someone who was gay or bi. To add to it, the majority of people were hiding the unnatural colors within. People stopped wearing make up and we found that almost half of everyone in town had unnatural colors, and no one cared but a small group of about twenty people who had holed up in a church to pray for forgiveness from god. We tore down their doors and destroyed the locks, and claimed that religion is free and everyone has the right to believe what they want.

Obviously, this won over the minds of more people. At first, only about fourty people in town actually advocated our cause, and the rest just didn't really care. However, the more we made sense of the world, the more people started attending the seminars to learn about the outside world, and to meet with the other races. By the end of the first week, everyone in town wanted to kill Crogar.

Now, no one actually dared to try something like that, mostly because no one was dumb enough to leave. Crogar had apparently begun building an army of mobile guards, and sent twelve to break into the wall. We thought we had it covered, until they actually did.

With the sound of thunder and a flash of lightning, the wooden gate blasted open, spewing fire and burnt pieces of wood everywhere. The guards grabbed their weapons and ran to the front gates, but were matched by creatures they'd never seen before. The sounds of mutilated screams and cries of terror began to fill the air, and they weren't coming from just the gate, but all around.

Confused and dazed, me and Zander were trying to figure out what was going on, until he stopped dead. I turned around and yelled at him.

"You idiot, what are you doing?! We need to-"

"Stop. I know this sound." He turned around and made some weird sound from deep within his throat. In less than half a second, a monster unlike any other leapt over a broken down wall. It stood on four legs, and had the upper half of a man where there horse's head and neck should've gone. The fur coat on it resembled that of a Leapard, but a vibrant sky blue base color with pitch black spots and stripes. The thing wore armor that matched that of it's rider, a strong Canine, hiding behind a thick suit of steel, and holding a weapon, steaming and hissing.

"I knew it. Cairn, get back-" Zander was cut short by the sound of a low growling. The Taur was comepletely blinded by it's armor, but somehow knew where he was. The guard spoke in a voice unlike any other. It was too deep for any guard I'd ever heard, and something about it sounded strange, and... wrong. It sounded like steel scraping on steel, and there was too much breath in the voice.

"You pathetic weaklings. You think you're doing something good. But you're only killing yourselves. You pathetic imbeciles. You only want to help, but you'll never live to see the light again." The Taur reared up on it's back two legs, about to charge, and Zander rushed at it, spiking his thick, broad blade through it's armor, but the armor merely dented and his sword bounced off it. He quickly straffed to his left to get out of it's way as it landed hard on the ground.

The rider gestured at Zander, and the Taur chased after him. I quickly ran to go get Nrasky, but couldn't find him, and tried climbing up a watch tower to see what all was going on. The town was on the edge of ruin. People were scrambling around, trying to find shelter from the demonic creatures, birthed from hell. The Taurs and their riders were unstoppable, and nearly impossible to kill. Then I heard the sound of cracking wood.

I turned around to see another Taur finishing it's climb up the side of the watchtower, and I quickly drew my sword. It was a simple short sword, and I had almost no practice, so chances were I was going to die. The Taur pulled out a sword of it's own, and the guard on it's back wielded a long bow bedazzled with rubies and emeralds. Probably enchanted.

I began to take a step back, but something rolled under my foot, and I slipped off the edge of the watchtower. Wow. Honorable- With a hard thud I fell twenty feet and landed on a Taur who'd lost it's rider, which managed to break my fall. As I landed on it, everything slowed.

A part of me could see what the Taur saw, feel what it felt, smell, taste, and hear what it smelled, tasted, and heard. For a fleeting moment I believed I was the Taur and it stopped moving as I meant it to. Then my vision changed, and I heard the sound of hissing in my head. I could hear it's thoughts as it heard mine. It stopped in it's tracks and went inside a building, throwing me off and onto the floor. It stood over me, glaring down at me.

Although I couldn't understand it's language, I understood the meaning in it's thoughts and reason. You... How dare you try to alienate me as they did!

What...

You heard me! I didn't want this. I didn't choose to be enslaved, and they did so anyways. I only wanted to fight for my brothers and sisters, and they took them out of it. I'm not protecting anyone, just hurting innocent people, and now you intend to use me the same way.

I found myself speaking as I thought, not entirely aware of how I could hear it speak when it's mouth wasn't moving. "What are you talking about? I fell on you!"

Fell... You... The demon's eyes widened and gazed upward as if deep in thought. It looked back down at me, I'll give you one chance. One chance to save at least one person, and if you save someone before killing someone, I'll be yours forever. You demons and angels all look the same to me, so prove to me that you're an angel, and not a demon.

I was suddenly picked up and thrown on the back of the great monster. It smashed through a wall and I found the city was ruined even more. Dead bodies of the innocent decorated the streets. My mind raced with thoughts of the fisherman and farmers, just trying to make sense of the scary new world they'd enterred.

I understand... You're innocent.

"Huh?"

You're not trying to hurt the others, you're just trying to help yourselves. You just want safety from this nightmare. I can help. Hand me my bow.

I looked around and found a bow on his side. I handed it to him, and he pulled an arrow from a quiver on the other side and launched an arrow through the head of another rider, who was chasing Zander. Zander spun around and saw that I was riding a Taur. He got a confused look on his head, and just barely dodged the swing of the Taur behind him.

The Taur I was riding ran forward and smashed the other one. It shook it's head and starred at the one I was riding for a minute. Then something clicked, and it joined us, trying to kill the other riders. I decided they had it covered and jumped off, to land at Zander's side.

"What... What were you doing?!" [Zander]

"I don't know, I fell on it and it decided to help us. Apparently it can persuade others to do the same or something."

"But... It's like it knew where you were, as if you were one with it."

"Yeah... I don't know. It spoke in another language, but I understood the meaning, so..."

"It's telepathic... No way... That's amazing! We can team up with the Taurs-"

"Woah, I thought you said they were-"

"I don't care! If there's a way we can team up with them, tell them about these people who enslave them... They'll fight for us. We can mount them."

A window next to Zander flew open, Nrasky urged us to join him on the inside. We bolted through it and found ourselves in a group of nearly half the town herding down a tunnel.

"The miners broke into the surface about two miles from here, we're going to use it as an escape route." [Duskle]

"Come on, we need to go." [Nrasky]

"No, not without the Taurs." [Me]

"Cairn, I know it's a good idea, but we don't have time." [Zander]

"I don't care, that thing's still... mentally linked to me! I can feel every tiny little scratch it gets! At the very least, we should save it!"

"What are you talking about?" [Duskle]

"You're bound to a Taur like a dragon..." [Nrasky]

"Huh?" [Me]

"Come on, let's go get that Taur of yours." He bolted out the door, and me and Duskle followed after him. We wandered around, telling people to go to the mines if they weren't already heading there. As we rounded a corner, another Taur and it's rider was standing right in front of us.

"You pathetic-"

"Yeah yeah, we've heard it before!" Nrasky half threw himself at the Taur, holding a massive cleaver in each hand. He kicked up off the chest of the Taur, and flapped his wings to ascend even higher, then dropped on the bulky head of the Taur. He slashed his cleavers and beheaded the rider, launching the head at me and Duskle. The helmet slipped off the head as it landed, and the head was nothing more than a skull and half rotten flesh.

Nrasky kicked the body off and jumped off the Taur in the other direction. The Taur was lost and confused for a moment, until it caught sight of the one I'd seen before. I spun around and saw it standing triumphantly over a rider, with nine more behind it. I ran to it, and he lifted me up onto his back.

Welcome back, Angel of Glory.

"Angel of glory? I could get used to that title."

"Cairn, we can hear what you're saying." [Duskle]

"You know you just need to think, right? You're mentally connected, bound as one." [Nrasky]

"Oh."

Where to?

"Uhh..." To the mines. I thought about where it was, and he lead the other Taurs there, with Nrasky and Duskle following. We entered the mines, and descended into darkness.