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I ran forward. Without my sight I stumbled and tripped over every loose stone. I hit the steps before the alter with such force that fell into the arms of Flash. No longer was he just a good friend, now, he was my brother. Maybe not by birth, but definitely by right. We are the last of Retriever Royalty, and nothing would take that from us. We were now bonded in a way few others are ever joined, by birth, by love, by strength, by honor. I do not know how long we sat there on the floor just holding each other, crying tears of brotherhood for all the lost time. For years we had just been friends when we should have been brothers. Finally we stood up and with tears of joy in my voice I presented to those with me, my brother. Then I turned to Flash and asked him how it felt to wield his father's sword. *swish, swoosh* Flash spoke as he tested the blade, "It flies well through the air. Well balanced as a blade should be. It was flawlessly shape, not a warp or blemish on its body. So smooth that my fingers slide off of it almost before they touch it, and sharp as well, looks as though it could cut through anything. But you asked me not of any of those things, you asked how it felt. I cannot describe the feeling, but as you are my brother asking me this, I shall try. In my scabbard it feels sad, as though my father's pain of being separated from me for so long haunts it still despite my presence. In my hand, my father's spirit fills the blade with joy. It shall not allow itself to leave my grasp, and it will never let me down in combat. Regardless of its position, I can feel my father inside of it, loving me and ready to protect me at moments notice. I...have never felt anything like it until now." We left the Castle Norin that day arm-in-arm. Two brothers at last united, and ready to complete our mission. As we walked through the rusty gate, I turned and looked on last time at the Castle Norin. It looked sad and alone. I promised it that one day I would return and restore it to its former glory. And with that our band set off to Kerano, to retrieve the Chalice of Power. A few days later we had reached Woorof, and told Whoric all that had happened. He gave us fresh mounts and supplies. When he learned of Flash's past, he clasped Flash's shoulders and said that he always knew there was something special about him. When we rode out of Woorof, we had two more doggs than when we had arrived. Whoric himself had joined our band, and with him came General Murdac. These two old-timers were still in good shape and were glad additions to our band. Whoric was, with my Sire, and my Dame, part of the Invincible Four. That brave group of doggish warriors who had stopped the advance of Darno and his minions in an epic battle that ended just prior to my birth. The fourth member of the Four, was a tired Cleric named Carile, one of the last Catts in our land. In fact, once he dies, there will not be any more. The Catts of Catlin have been both our greatest rivals, and our strongest allies over the years. In the beginnings they were the first threats we had to our cities. But when the great beasts came from over seas, they fought with us side-by-side. And then there was Darno. He was an evil warlord like none that ever was or will be again. He subverted most of the Catts, and used them to fight us. Carile united the few Catt villages that Darno had thought too small to worry about. When his resistance joined with the Doggainian armies, Darno was fought back. The tides of war turned, and soon Darno saw nothing but defeat at every glance. After months of hard fighting, our armies reached Darno's Keep in the heart of Catlin atop the great Kerano mountain. The Invincible Four still do not speak of what occurred when they squared off against Darno. The end result of their battle, however, is apparent to this day. Where once the peak of a proud mountain stood, lays instead a volcano. Deep inside that volcano is the Chalice of Power. Whoric said we would need to know the truth of the battle atop the mountain before we entered it, but that Carile should be the one to tell it. Carile, who still lived in a small hut at the base of Mt. Kerano. We probably would have rode the next week in utter silence, thinking about that battle and how it could affect our mission had we not had Sylvia with us. She could only stand for a few hours of our heavy mood. Like a true bard, she soon started to sing. She sung of our travel to Norin, and of what we found there. She sung as well of the Beast war and Nawlan's heroic deeds. We were all so absorbed in here singing that none of us recalled eating or sleeping or even that time had passed at all. She only stopped her singing when we reached the mountain range and we needed our full concentration in order to keep our steeds from slipping off the narrow paths. More than once in our journey through the mountains, Scottie had to use magic to "catch" some of our band, especially me. A blind dogg on a horse on a narrow path in the mountains is a rather bad combination. Luckily we managed to complete the trek in one day so we did not have to risk spending the night in mountains. Instead, we spent the night camped outside Carile's hut, while he told his story... "Most people who look at me, see an old man. A delicate little Cleric who cures the sick and is rather eccentric. That may be true, but it was not always. In your father's time I was Mage of the highest order. I could summon up fierce Elementals with awesome powers. I could teleport myself across the whole of Doggainia. I even had the power to summon Fire from the heavens. Now that was a sight, let me tell you. *chuckles* But no more can I do these things, oh sure I can summon up the occasional bit of bread and water, but what skill is there in that? *humphf* No, my time as a Mage as long since gone. I was at my best in the time of Darno and his little war. It was not easy killing my one countrycatts, but it had to be done to save our land. When I joined up with your parents and Whoric, we managed to turn the tide of the war, but we knew that we had to deal with Darno himself if we were ever to end this war. And one day we met him atop this mountain. He came out alone and challenged the four of us to combat. To the winner went the Fate of Doggainia. Naturally we accepted, we had no choice really, to say no would be to concede that we could not stop him, besides, this might have been our only chance to end this once and for all. Darno was a deadly Wizard and a master of the black arts. He used every trick he could through at us. I was able to shield our group from his attacks with a wall of magic fire. Your father could only stand beside me and watch as his greatness was in his ability to rally armies, not compete in a duel of magic. Your mother wanted desperately to do more than just enhance my powers, but to do anything more would be to strain herself too far and risk losing the pup inside her. Whoric was equally helpless. Luckily, I was nearly Darno's equal, and with your mother's enhancing, I could match him spell for spell. Neither of us could make any headway against the other. Finally, Whoric could not wait any longer. He summoned the magic of the Onyx of Strength. Then he quietly snuck up on Darno and attacked him from behind. The earth thundered when Darno was knocked to the ground with such force. Seeing my chance I lanced out with all my fiery magic. Whoric barely rolled off of Darno in time to avoid my flames. Some how, Darno survived inside my flames. He could not summon up his own magic to counter me, but neither could I incinerate him. I almost gave up right there, but for your father. He screamed at me to keep flaming. He told your mother to give him a magic containment field. She complied and soon a green glow surrounded him. Then your father went to Whoric and asked for the Onyx. Upon receiving it he approached Darno. Darno saw what was happening and realized before any of us what your father intended to do. Fear rose in his eyes, and he screamed while trying desperately to escape my magic and summon his own. Your father reached out and touched Darno through my flames, and transferred the containment field to Darno. The only reason your father did not drop dead right then was that he was using the Onyx's strength internally to fight off the pain of my magic. Then your father screamed "NOW!" and knew what he needed me to do. I used ever scrap of magic that was in me to turn the entire mountain top into a blazing inferno. The containment field around Darno prevented him from escaping during the brief pause of my magic while I summoned up my power. Every Catt and Dogg on the mountain was destroyed. Your mother and I were saved my magic wall of fire. Whoric and your father survived because the magic of the Onyx was still flowing in them and kept them alive until the magic flames subsided. When we regained consciousness, we saw what we had done. Kerano Mountain was now a volcano and everyone of my countrycatts and the members of the Doggainian army who had come with us were dead. We had defeated Darno, but at what price? Until now, no one outside of us four has ever heard what really happened. Many thought it was Darno's last spell, but in reality it was ours." "Now you probably wonder what this has to do with your current task. A lot actually. My magic had some side-effects. I never had tested it at that level before and I could not fully control it. Thus, inside Kerano there are many areas where magic will not work the way it should or even where it can be useless all together. Whoric was right in believing that you needed to know this information. I know were the Chalice is. I put it there long ago to prevent others like Darno from exploiting it. For it was the Chalice's power that made Darno unkillable by physical means, and thus why only magic could be used against him. Carla will take good care of the Chalice, and it is good that she does for I will soon be too old to protect it. Tomorrow I will draw you a map and you and your four friends will enter Kerano through hidden cave in its base. Until then...sleep. You shall need all of your strength to retrieve the Chalice." And so we slept. Take care fellow Champions, Ace Dogg of Doggainia |
