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As I was saying when last I left, all heck had just broken loose..... I stared into Sylvia's eyes in absolute horror. "NO!!!!!" My mind hollered. I could not believe what I was seeing. The child of Carla the Fair, the one whom I now loved, was..."NO!!!" screamed my mind...The thought was just to horrible to think and my mind would not allow it. But yet I knew that it was true. She was...I just could not bring myself to say it. Oh what had I just done. I had sealed the fate of my dear land of Doggainia, yet I could not help myself. I loved her yet although she was...Unable to contain the hundreds of whirlwinding emotions in my mind I let out a scream that could be felt all the way back to Fannox. My comrades: Butch, Flash, and Scottie first looked at me with confusion and concern, but then they followed my gaze into her [I could call her Sylvia no more, even in my mind] face. Then they saw the truth as well. The color drained from their faces as they, like me, realized that we were in the presence of the Evil One...The Silver Lady. As the prophecy and curse of the Giver had demanded, so now was it carried out. The Silver Lady was reawakened to herself now that she had experienced the kiss of true love. Somehow I managed to recover myself before any of the others with me did. I recalled that the Chalice of Power was still in my hands. This meant that I would be impervious to physical harm or enchantments, though from magical attacks. As I stared into the mouth of the Chalice I felt magic growing inside me. This was odd as I had never before had ever even had the slightest touch with magic. Oh sure, I had used magic items, like the Onyx, from time-to-time, but never had I had any REAL magic of my very own. Yet now, this Chalice seemed to be awakening in me some kind of power that I never knew I had in me. Confused, I looked to my mentor. Scottie had the Crystal of the Soul in his hands and appeared to be chanting something in Catlin...Of course, I thought, Scottie was trying to make me the Giver. But how could that work? That would fall under the realm of enchantment, which the Chalice was supposed to keep its bearer free of. The power in me continued to grow, and I continued to try and understand how Scottie was doing this despite the Chalice's power. Then memories started to flow through me. Memories of things I never did, and would never do. Memories of something far greater than any Dogg should ever be allowed to know. I stared down into the Chalice again and I saw the face of the Summoner smiling up at me. He had inserted himself into the Chalice, and was able to give himself and his powers to me. The Summoner had used the power of the Chalice to magnify his own powers, so instead of becoming just another Summoner, I was instead becoming the Giver. Scottie was not doing anything, the Summoner just needed the Crystal to be in use to further enhance the powers that he was transferring to me. Soon it was done, and I was now the Giver. In my possession was the Chalice of power, something that had never been used by the previous Giver. With it, I knew from my memories that were not mine, I could destroy the Silver Lady alone, with out the need to create Druids or use other Magi. I turned my attention back to the Silver Lady. Her eyes were upturned as she was still enjoying the rush that the return of her powers was giving her. She was utterly unaware of what was going on around her. I could destroy her now, before she could finish reinstating her magics inside of herself. If I waited, she might escape, for although I would always be stronger so long as the Chalice was mine, she could still evade me destroy the land piece by piece in front of my eyes. I raised my right paw. I called upon all the magic in my being and focused it into my pads. I knew I had to destroy her, for she represented everything that was Evil in the World and she would rape my land and make slaves of my Doggs if did not. Yet, despite knowing all of this, I could not do it. The power was in my paw. It wanted to be let free to do its work. But I could not let it go. Sylvia may no longer have existed, having be replaced by this wretched monster, but I still could not destroy it. Sylvia was my love. The Silver Lady would have her memories inside of her somewhere, so if I killed the Silver Lady, Sylvia would be dead as well. I managed to convince myself that Sylvia had never existed, that she was just a side-effect of the Giver's curse. However, I could not convince myself that Sylvia was of no consequence despite her nonexistence. My eyes were still locked on the Silver Lady's and I saw her blink them as she finished absorbing her magic. She looked at me and her eyes widened as she realized that I had the power to kill her now and forever. I could tell that she wanted to flee, but I held her in place with my eyes. So strong was the moment that she could not break eye contact with me and disappear. Then, I lowered my paw and allowed my magic to unfocus. I could not do it. Evil though she may be, I still loved Sylvia...No, that wasn't right, I realized. I could not love something that did not exist, it was not possible. No, I loved the Silver Lady. The shock of this new truth hit me like an unexpected punch to my gut and knocked the wind out of me. Some how I kept my eyes on the Silver Lady. Only now, rather than transmitting the power I had inside of me, that sent to her love. She was understandably confused. I was about to destroy her, my greatest enemy and strongest threat to my land, but then I did not. And instead of hating her, my eyes were telling her that I loved her. She hesitated, not knowing what to do, or how to react. Keeping my eyes liked on the Silver Lady's, I raised on paw and with it communicated to Flash. He walked up to Silver Lady, his body visibly shaking, something I had never thought possible. Then he drew the Platinum Sword from its scabbard. The Silver Lady saw this and at once I could read from her eyes that she thought I was trying to confuse her with my eyes while ordering Flash to kill her. She still could not force her eyes away from mine. Then she was confused once more when Flash, rather than taking one slash through air and removing her head, presented her the Sword's hilt and pressed it into her paws. She clasped it the confusion in her eyes heightened. Then I carefully bent over and set the Chalice of Power upon the ground and offered her my neck to cut, finally breaking eye contact with her. I heard the Platinum Blade slice through the air towards my neck. Then it stopped. The blade rested upon my neck. I looked up into the face of the Silver Lady, and she was crying. She could not kill me either. I stood as she let the Sword fall to the ground, and took her in my arms. The facts that I was the Giver and she was the Silver Lady meant nothing. The old Giver had been the sworn enemy of the Silver Lady, for that Lady was Evil. But this new Giver would be the ally of the Silver Lady, for this Lady had been a mortal, and thus learned of the power of love, which was always Good. What happened in the days immediately following I know not. Somehow we returned to Fannox to present the Chalice of Power to Carla the Fair and she then put it somewhere for safe keeping. Then, she and Whooric married Sylvia, the Silver Lady, to Ace, the Giver. It was thus, that the first ever union between a Dogg and a Foxx (for like Carla herself, Sylvia was not a Dogg but a Foxx) was made. We returned not to my dead city of Rover, but to Norin, which we named New Rover as a symbol for the rebirth of the breeds that had been killed by the Summoner's Fury. As the new Giver, I was given the title of Breed Leader of All Doggs, and many Doggs of many breeds came to New Rover to help restore the ancient city to its former glory. My Lady and I took up residence in the Castle Norin (its name we did not change as Castles do not like having their names changed). When we first entered its old but still stout walls and announced that we were returning for good. The Castle Norin lit up. It's tarnished walls turned a glistening Platinum. Soon it was sparkling again, and all that was in it was shining Platinum. Scottie went to Yapap to rebuild that city of magic and someday it would again be the center of magic for our land. Whooric had never fathered a child and named Butch as his successor as Breed Leader of the Wolfhounds to much rejoicing by his breed members. As for Flash, he received the title of Breed Leader of the Retrievers and Labs (there were still a few around and there numbers would grow with time) as by his birthright. He set up his court in the old worship hall where he had found his father's Sword and together we erected a new temple for the displaced worshippers to use. It was would be a fine time to be a Dogg... And thus ends my tail at last. There is no more. Ace Dogg of Doggainia |
