Dark Age Legends

[Dude Man]

Duilin lifted with hands cutting off his lightning stream and zoomed to the side totally avoiding Jayce's dark lightning.

"Oh am I getting the prince-ling upset?" Duilin taunted again. The half demon's hands began to glow an orange-red as flames surrounded them, he then clapped his hands together and spread them apart, increasing the amount of flame and rounding it into a large orb. He held the ball of flame as he continued to expand it...

---

Lagart continued to fight off the Lizard Men using the Talonscar Mace. Him being a B-Class lizard, he was able to best the lower C-Class warriors. Rink was hovering above and around Lagart giving the occasional support, by shooting a few fireballs at them.

---

"Allright boys." Xarn growled as he arrived a few twenty yards outside the battle. "Once Thogus gets here, we charge in." He looked at the angry draken price. "And try not get hit, by any of Jayce's attacks by accident..."

[Drannic_Lord01]

Ven's wind attack did just the trick. Jacobie was knocked forwards, face planted on the ground. A second later he got up and looked around. "What in the... Unnghh, my head... What happened?"

"No time to explain, Jacobie!" Ben yelled, "We have to defeat these shades... huh?" Jackie and Jelka were already half way finished with them. Ben raced into the air to find Dulin and Jayce. He found Dulin on the ground, charging some sort of fire ball. He flew next to him and started to charge a ball of white flames.

"Let's combine the attack! I'll shoot when you're ready, just give the word!" He charged faster and faster until he was about leveled with Dulin's orange-red fire ball.

The beam Drannica shot had missed. He started to decend down to the ground, loosing his form and energy. Thet beam really took it out of him. Drannica's sould had left Justin, and his soul reunited with his body. A few moments later and he shrunk down to his regular size, face first into the ground.

-----------------------------------------------

"Heh... what a great battle! Such entertainment! But I'm getting hungry... I haven't fed for years... ah! A nice meal awaits here!" Valimore raced forwards with his thunderous vampiric speed. Dawn glistned in the air, but it wasn't enough to hurt Valimore, as he was immune to sunlight. He grabbed hold of a knight and tore out his throat, drinking the blood from him.

"Very well..." Dori though, "If nobody will stop him, then I'll have to!" She sped forwards, her assassin's claw stretched outwards infront of her. "This is for the Republic! Eat Metal!" Dori slashed at the air around Valimore, creating great waves of metal energy. Valimore, too busy feeding, was hit twice in the back.

-----------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll try not to let him do this to me again. What's your plan of attack, sir? My katanas are ready for anything!" Jacobie stood infront of Ven, readily guarding him with his katanas drawn out.

[Dude Man]

//It's Duilin not Dulin.\

Duilin nodded towards the newcomer, who appeared to have a similar magic technique as he did. He continued charging his fireball, he knew this wouldn't kill Jayce, or even scare him off, but it would get him riled up. Duilin shot lightning into his fire orb making it a more golden colour. The orb was a ball of flame with sparks of lightning shooting around it.

"Not yet...just a little more..."

--- ---

The Green Dragon soared only ten yards above the ground towards the ruins of Bandervil. The dark taint the demonic evil was still fresh among the place.

"Where do you want to land? On top of that hill?" Wilham said.

Marshall grinned "Yeah, that might be fun."

The dragon landed on the hill, this was where Haraldur and Abodahon both died. The place was still charred and burned the entire location has been highly neglected, due to the infamous history that was here. Many people say it's haunted aswell, by the ghosts the dead followers of Melkoth and Abodahon, though their reign was short lived, they are still marked as two of the most powerful people in history, as their reign was much larger in ancient times and the fact they nearly had global control in less than a day.

The group hopped off the dragon. "So, where do you think this temple would be?" Marshall asked.

"We marked it a bit more south, but it could be around here for all I know." Wilham answered.

"This place got totally hammered a year ago." Firstman said. "I'll be damned if a temple that's over a thousand years old would have survived."

"The temples were all buried underground, mind you." Wilham stated. "It very could be have been part of the empire's structure."

"Well, maybe the Crimson Empire kept the tablets. Where would they take them?" Firstman asked.

"Let's not jump to conclusions so fast." Marshall pointed to Firstman. "We should try and find the place first."  

--- ---

"So what we do now?" Rufo asked, walking along with Ophelia.

"We find Duilin." Ophelia replied.

"Where is he?"

"I'm not sure yet."

The two arrived on a balcony, with a wide view of the darkened landscape of Gaian.

"But you said, you already know." Rufokanno groaned.

"What I ment, is that I can find out..." Ophelia closed her eyes, for some reason she felt a strong connection with that man, something about him. Duilin made her start to think deeply about her past, the past she so egarly tried to forget, but the sudden appearance of this one man made her remember. That Black Mage that mysteriously appeared after her home was destroyed. He took her away...

"He went to Tjed." Ophelia said opening her eyes.

"How you know?" Rufo asked, rather confused.

"Let's go."

[Drannic_Lord01]

"Right! I'll keep charging! Just give the word." Ben started to copy Duilin's technique by putting a white lightning into his fire ball, making it even brighter and stronger.

Meanwhile, Jacobie stood near Ven, killing any lizard-men that came near him. He slashed off their heads and kicked them at other lizard-men coming near to back them off. "What's the plan, sir?"

[Coriko]

Druid smiled knowing that with his shadow warriors this was going to be way too easy. He lifted off the ground and rose up till he was level with Drannica. He raised his hand and a small burst of shadow energy came out of his palm and exploded. Druid smiled at his opponent. The Shadow warriors were behind Druid ready for the fight.

"Alright, so you’re 'god-like'? You just look like another self proclaimed lunatic with delusions of grandeur. I am going to slaughter you in such an agonizing way the hell I send you to will seem like heaven after what I have put you through!”

With that Druid fired a large blast of shadow energy at Drannica.
---
Coriko listened to Marshall and Firstman. He scanned the area trying to find remnants of the temples sticking out of the rubble. He didn’t want to have to go to the Crimson Empire.

“Hey,” Coriko yelled pointing towards a hole in the ground. “Look there are stairs leading down. Maybe we could start there? It is leading underground.”

[Dude Man]

"I doubt it, Coriko." Firstman said. "Those are likely remains of a dungeon left over from the fortress."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt would it?" Marshall said.

"I guess not." Firstman shrugged.

The group went down the stairway into the dark underground building.

"It's pretty dark down here." Wilham said.

"Coriko, light some of your arrows. Maybe we can use them as torches for the time being." Marshall suggested.

//I'll wait for Xorlak to post, before I update Duilin again.\

[Xorlak]

Jayce flipped his sword once, smirking at Duilin and Ben.  He'd take the both of them out at once...

KA-BLAM!!

A violent explosion slammed into the burly Draken and he was sent tumbling, though he was quick to regain his balance some twenty feet away from his previous position.  He clenched his fist and slashed the air.

"What the--?! Who dares strike ME?!"

His eyes darted around, finally catching a huge object floating above...

Jayce's eyes narrowed and he snarled.  Suddenly the object was bathed in a crimson light as hundreds of torches upon it were ignited...

It then began to rain fire...  Explosions ripped through the lizards as they stormed the caves.  Great fireballs stormed down, pummeling the scaly forces as they confusedly ran around in circles.  More were directed towards Jayce, who began to nimbly jump around and dodge the blasts that tore deep chunks out of the ground...

Through the smoke, the mammoth object above began to take shape...  It was a floating island, the underside like a great upside down pyramid.  And upon that island stood a mighty fortress, with hundreds of cannons, all pointed downwards, blasting everything to oblivion...

----

"Glad to have you back."  Ven nodded to Jacobie.  Suddenly, bursts of fire began to explode all around, and he was forced to take cover behind a large set of rocks.  He looked up at the thing in the air, eyes wide...

"I know that floating fortress... it is... it is the flying capital of the Crimson Empire..."

----

Standing upon the very highest tower of the Crimson Palace, Draven threw his head back in laughter.  Though he was very high up, it was loud enough so the menacing echo could be heard across the battlefield.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA!!!!"

He flipped his cape and it caught in the wind.  The sun was rising to his left.  He pointed a gloved finger down at Jayce, who was just a tiny black speck far far below.

"What's the matter?  Didn't invite me?  Tch!  Rude."

The ground under Jayce disintegrated and he was engulfed in blackness.  A vein throbbed on his forehead as he clenched his teeth.  He was off into the air in a second, souring upwards at the floating fortress, a long tail of blackness trailing behind him.

"DRAVEN!! I will chew on your bones, human!!"

Draven folded his arms and smirked.

"Bite me."

Immediately the cannons opened up.  The sky around Jayce was ripped open and hundreds upon hundreds of blasts tore through the air, painting it a bright crimson with the brilliant flashes.  Jayce brought his mammoth scimitar above his head and began madly slashing, deflecting fireballs this way and that, sending them smashing into the ground with huge explosions.  His advance was greatly slowed, but he still inched his way upward, despite the intense rain of fire...

Draven threw his head back and laughed again.

[Dude Man]

"My god..." Duilin whispered as he saw the floating island. "...Draven."

"Okay, after this attack, you're going to have to fight Jayce yourself. I'm going to confront the man on that floating island, Draven. Maybe I won't need to fight him."

Yet I'd like to...

"Okay, buddy...ready and...NOW!" Duilin then released the giant fire-lightning ball and it flew towards Jayce. However, he kind of had his mind set on Draven. Normally Zeros' would handle this sort of thing, but he's been rather inactive, perhaps he's testing Duilin. But why?

[Coriko]

Coriko pulled out a couple of his thicker and longer arrows from his quiver.

"These arrows are meant to be on fire." Coriko pointed to the lenghtened tip. "These should burn for a long time so until we find real torches, these will do nicely."

Coriko caused the tips to light up and handed one to each person.

"Alright, let's continue on."

[Drannic_Lord01]

"HYAAAH!!!" Ben flew his white ball of flame right beside Duilin's. they swirled after Jayce in the sky, distracted by Draven. "I hope that puts a dent in him. If not, then I hop this will!" Ben flew into the air and rushed towards Jayce.

"Angels from above give me your blessing! Bestow upon me equal power!" Ben's form began to change. He grew larger and larger until he was the same size as Jayce. Forming a white energy blade, he dashed towards Jayce with it pointed forwards.

-----------------------------------------------

"How dare you! It's rude to attack someone whilst their back is turned! Taste this!!!" Valimore threw his hands forward and shot a red beam at Dori, hitting her in the forehead and knocking her unconscious.

"Hmph... there's nothing I'd like better than to rip off your head, Miss Nymphadora, but I have more pressing matters to attend to. I'll see to your death in due time though, so please my dear, just be patient..." Valimore jumped into the air with great force and grabbed onto the floating island, jumping again in the air.

"Good day, Lord Draven. I would just like to ask you to save someone for me. I'll greatly assist you if you would honor my request... or is it immortality you seek?" Valimore bore his vampire fangs to Draven. "It's a simple little process, really. Quick and painless. What say you, crimson lord?"

-----------------------------------------------

"What is that island up there? I've... never seen anything like this before... What should we do? Wait a moment. That's... DRAVEN!!!" Jacobie placed his hands on the ground and lifted the earth surrounding him and Ven.

"Should I take us up to the island? What's your say?"

-----------------------------------------------

[Zeros']

((Sorry. My internets been crapping out.))

Zeros' and Allen arrived at inner Tjed, away from the battle that was currently happening. He dropped Allen off at a doctor, wo had gladly accepted the old alchemist into his care.

((Allen's now inactive until further notice.))

Zeros' frowned. He had to find out where the battle was. He knew there was a battle nearby, he could sense and 'feel' it. He sighed and shook his head, heading the direction he sensed Jayce's aura.

[Xorlak]

Draven leapt off the tower and flew down to the edge of the floating island, where he landed near the shady newcomer outside the walls of the thick wall surrounding the Crimson Palace.  The entire outside of the structure was marred and burnt, as if it had been through an oven...  He held out a gloved hand as if stopping the figure's advance.

"Put your fangs away, Vampire, I am familiar with your kind's tricks and have no desire to submit myself to such degradation.  So long as the one you speak of isn't of the Dark Empire, our paths won't cross.  However, if you're seeking employment, I am looking for a few good men..."

He folded his arms and smiled maniacally at the last part...

----

Jayce was too busy dodging the cannon blasts to notice the twin balls of energy headed his way...

The sky flashed a tremendous white as he was struck in the back, the shockwave from the blast ripping apart a grove of trees underneath.  He spiraled downwards and crashed head first into a pile of rocks, digging down several feet and becoming buried in the mess.

There was silence for a moment...

"ARRRRGHHH!!!!"

The pile of boulders exploded, shards of rocks flying in all directions.  Jayce flew upwards from the crater some ten feet, his long black hair a disheveled mess.  He slashed his sword once and clenched his left fist, spotting a larger Ben headed his way.

"You!"

Blackness engulfed the mighty blade.  With two hands he took it above his head and slashed diagonally, meeting Ben's white blade with a thunderous clap.  Another shockwave burst forth, carving more scars into the land as tendrils of black and white from the two weapons violently clashed...

----

Ven regarded the island above, then looked back at the lizard.

"No, Draven is on our side."

Ven stumbled as an explosion from a stray cannon blast tore a hole in the ground nearby, spraying the two with sand.

"... At least, I think..."

Ven did not like relying on the so-called Crimson Emperor one bit.  However, he had to admit he was relieved to see his arrival...  He just hoped the madman didn't destroy Tjed in his rage as well...

The silver knight then stood up, peering over the rock at another explosion in the distance.

"There!"  He pointed to a vile black warrior battling another with a sword of light in the sky.  "The one in black, that's their leader...  If we can take him down, we might have a chance... C'mon!"

Ven leapt from the rock and began to jog down the shallow mountainside.  The huge man in black armor radiated pure evil.  It was one of those fearsome High Generals, he knew it...  Of course, he knew he didn't have a chance on his own, but maybe if they all worked together... just maybe...

[Drannic_Lord01]

"Hmm... I accept your offer! The one I wish not to be harmed is named Jacobie. He's a lizard, easily recognizable by his crimson armor and dorsal-spined fin. Well then, waht can I do for you, my lord?" Valimore grinned viciously, bearing his fangs,  having even more menacing look than did Draven.

Meanwhile, Jacobie rushed behind Ven and Justin, regaining his power, followed as well. They came up behind Ven and jumped forwards, dragging their blades togrther in an awkwardly unison sort of way. Jacobie and Justin looked at each other and nodded, then looked forwards at the dark figure. They crossed their blades to form an 'X' and slashed downwards at the High-commander.

[Dude Man]

Duilin swooped up and floated in the air only a few meters away from Draven. "Well, if it isn't my good buddy Draven. How's rebuilding the Crimson Empire going?" Duilin greeted with a sneer. "I hope you're not here to suck up to Retan and attack Tjed, because you especially won't gain anything from trying that."

Duilin looked around, and spotted the vampire nearby. "New friend of yours?"

---

Lagart dashed towards the Vile Black Knight, as Rink flew along, delivering a series of small fireballs to distract him...

--- ---

The underground bunker, was pretty much just empty space, save for a few pitch black metal bars which isolated a quarter of the room. Behind the bars were dead bodies which had most of their guts and flesh rotted away, it looked like the dead bodies were there for over a year. (z0mg it's Abodahon's Dungeon from Chapter 9!)

"Man, it stinks down here." Firstman groaned, plugging his nose.

"Yeah. I think I also smell a small bit of anti-mana gas, not enough to fully disable magic however, this place must have had vents for the stuff." Marshall said pinching his nose with his pointer finger and thumb. "I assume this was a dungeon that was supposed to hold mages, like the one in Kandarin."

"You think this could be the temple?" Firstman asked.

"Could be." Wilham replied "Perhaps this dungeon was built upon the temple. But that means that the tablets might not be here. I'd actually feel safer if we could find them."

"Well, I don't see them around." Firstman said, walking around the room. "Man, it smells. Can we make this quick?"

Marshall observed the room a bit more. "Perhaps they were stored away, somewhere."

[Xorlak]

"Well now, what do we have here?  It's fly-boy junior!  I'd explain my plan to exterminate the Dark Empire from the face of the planet once and for all, but it'd likely go over your head."

Draven folded his arms, waving to tips of his right fingers upwards.

"Best to stay out of the way.  Wouldn't want to get hurt now, would we?"

Draven turned his glint towards the vampire, then pointed down below.

"Come, Vamps, we've a dragon to slay..."

With that, a crimson glow engulfed the man and he leapt straight off the floating island, a trail of red tailing him as he glided down towards the battle below...

----

"Arghh!!!"

With a mad flurry of slashes, Jayce blocked all the blades sent his way along with a few fireballs.

Ven was right up behind him with a bright glowing sword.

"HYAAAAAHHH!!!--oof!"

The dark Draken's elbow connected with the knight's chest, and Ven was sent flying backwards, back into the ground.

"What is this?  Lizard Men dare stand against me?" Jayce indignantly growled as he regarded both Lagart and Jacobie among his adversaries.  There were a total of five on him now, and though he had yet to break a sweat, he had little room to strike back as he was busy deflecting all the attacks...