As the millennium approached in the year nineteen hundred and ninety nine.
I began to realize subtle changes in the earths force. So my wife and I started to prepare. For what? We did not know, but little did we know that we would soon find out. And that our daughter would play such a key role in what would come to be known as the Ring Of Fire. Our daughter was born in Autumn breeze of November nineteen hundred and ninety nine. She begot her mothers beauty and, immediately comprised her father’s strong will and devotion to all things of the earth. And now as our daughter Reya matured foul deeds transpired underfoot.
A rogue force of evil descended upon our beloved Gai. The creatures name was Dragones and he is an ancient red dragon. Who was exiled along with the rest of his kind eons before man ever roamed mother earth. Now he and his kinsmen have returned to reclaim what they believe to be their’s, and to enslave humanity while destroying that which expelled them, Gai!
Now, Gai was no fool, she had known of Dragones’ plans. So, no doubt she secretly contrived one of her own. You see she had been watching several of us humans for quite awhile. Some of us with unique ancestry and others of strong will and good character. That is when she called upon me Raith Davenport and that is also when I had the opportunity to meet the earths seven greatest warriors, mages, sages, and mystics. And then all at once Gai looked back at me and the winds started to howl with anger, the rain came, thunder and lighting filled the skies.
I awoke the next day I had no clue as to what had happened. I lay there upon a pillowy bed of grass next to a beautiful brook. When shortly there after Gai approached me, now mind you even though I speak of her as an old school buddy now, before this day I had never met her or any other god for that matter. Never the less when she began to speak time, my heart, and the earth stood still. Her beauty was matched by none other. She said, “Long ago when magic was alive on earth mankind could not handle the power of being quite that close to the cosmos. So I severed humanities bond to the mystic power. But, now the time has come to allow you and the others your birthrights. So that you may lead the others into warfare with the evil dragon king Dragones. Your ancestry Raith had dark power it was very intense I am risking everything just bringing back such magic. This is also why it must be you who is to lead you are the only one who may have the strength to contain the dark power”. Then I asked, “What is this dark power”? She replied, “It is every horror movie you every watched as a child, and every nightmare you ever had. Be careful my mighty warrior Draven”. And on that day the warrior Draven was born.
I decided to call the group the Eighth Power. I was the leader Draven, then there is Specter. He was given the ability to speak with the dead and to employ their assistance when the time should prove necessary. His necromantic abilities are astonishing. Luna, is the beauty in the group she is able to control the tides and waves of the ocean all water creatures are her friends even the sharks. She also is capable of breathing water and drawing water straight from the moisture in the air. Zephyr, controls the winds of fate. He is capable of flight
and will blow your house down in one mighty gust.
Rock, is physically very strong and can control the shifts in earths tectonic plates. He can form canyons and mountains in a matter of seconds. And he can at his command form an impregnable titanium exoskeleton. Tempest, his powers are matched only by my own and Gai’s are the only to supercede ours. He has total command over the forces of the storm. He can summon typhoons at a whim. And can strike you as though you had been hit with the mighty force of a hurricane. Pyro, controls the awesome power of the eternal flame. It can truly be said he has a fire that burns deep within. He is capable of thrusting balls of fire the size of houses at his enemy. Morph, is a shape changing entity. Who has the ability to become any creature that he knows of. He is also capable to do anything that creature can do as long as he understands how the creature is able to perform the task.
Now the time has come the Eighth Power is trained and ready. And the first wave of attacks from Dragones is on it’s way! This may truly be earths darkest day. I now turn and look down at my wife and growing child and say one last prayer for Gai to look after them until my return. Once again Gai appeared and spoke!“Well my warriors looks like you need some transportation. Draven you will ride the nightmare, a ebony winged steed with eyes a blaze. Rock a titanium steed that breathes razor sharp titanium shards. Specter will have the last remaining skeletal steed that once belonged to one of the four horsemen. Luna you will ride an ivory winged steed the one and only Pegasus”. Alright, warriors mount up we’ll meet them amongst the stars of the astral plane and keep the battle as far away from earth as possible. Ride!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, as the Eighth Power journeys into their first conflict. The whole of earth stands in awe as they watch Gai’s mightiest warriors mount their fierce steeds and then dematerialize before their very eyes. And for the first time in any of their natural lives they were on the astral plane and endless sea of stars and planets, it was the most breathtaking sight any of us had ever seen. Then all of the sudden a shriek coming from what seemed to be all directions? And from distances that were not fathomable? It was the war cry of a thousand dragons stampeding our direction. Well, no rest for the wicked divide and conquer. And be mindful their magic is strong. With a wave of my hand the group enlarged to be twice the size of our sun. That should even the playing field.
The dragons charged from every flank sending in the young. These were the dragons with less experience with magic but were physically a formidable foe. Meanwhile, the elder dragons were their own battalion. As they now began to chant wondrous magical words. Rock, Morph, and Luna immediately sprung to action against the brigade of charging youth. Rock ragged through their front line of defense almost as if it wasn’t even there. Morph, became an awesome battleship with Luna in the pilot seat. She then began to lay down firepower of the likes these primitive creatures had never seen. And now with the first onslaught dealt with. Tempest conjured a meteor shower to distract the elders while, Specter, Zephyr, Pyro and myself cast a bit of our own mystic arts. Specter was bringing to life the fallen dragons from the first wave and turning them against the elders.
Then suddenly the first of the elder dragons spell was cast. The elder dragon had summoned the hand of fate it took hold of Zephyr and was dragging to meet his fate. In the midst of all that was happening Pyro was first to hear Zephyr’s screams. Pyro then blazed upon the hand burning at an intensity that was so strong he almost destroyed Zephyr himself, and had to withdraw. That is when I made good use of one of my ancestor’s gift and used my catalytic powers to drain the very energy from the hand and then, focused the amplified power on the elder dragons. The shock wave of force stunned the battalion. And Zephyr, Pyro, Specter, and Tempest then made short work of them. As the group finished off the army there was only one thing left to deal with, Dragones general Kabal.
He and I stood alone on the battle field. “So you are Gai’s special little pet now! You impudent mortal. She has trained you well but you are no match for my superior experience and mystic ability. I have existed eons before you and will continue do so long after I’ve vanquished you. But, don’t worry to much after we have taken over earth I will be sure to spare your wife and child. They would make excellent slaves!” said Kabal. Then in enraged, I simply replied “Kabal you know not who I am. I’ll share a small secret with you though I have endured since time began I am the oldest creature you will ever meet.”
Without thinking I struck Kabal knocking him into a planet. He then shook it off and was amazed at the power of blow and attacked, he ripped my flesh with his razor sharp talons as he began to chant. Foreseeing his plan I then conjured a black whole and set my body a blaze till it burned at a temperature that he could not with stand. And the whole began to draw him and all the other dragon corpses in, along with the group. I screamed mount up and ride! Before it takes us all. Everyone of us riding as hard as we could barely pulling away. But Kabal did not have the strength left to fight it and was pulled in. Now, that the whole had what it come for it closed and the rest of us were able to break free.
Meanwhile, Dragones had been watching the battle. He and the rest of his generals were completely amazed at the power of the group. They realized that it would be nearly impossible to beat us merely with brut strength or numbers. They began to develop a very intricate plan to defeat me, conquer the Eighth Power and earth.
Now, back on earth I rush quickly home to see my wife and daughter Reya. When to my surprise Reya had grown to be about ten years old. I didn’t realize that time would slow down for us once we were on the astral plane. On top of that a few dragons made it through Dragones sent forth ten generals to earth while we dealt with the main army. My wife went on to tell me with earth left unguarded the dragons took over most major cities and that the only reason she had been able to avoid capture is because of our cabin in the woods. This is where she and Reya had been hiding out between raids on the towns, and dragon sympathizers.
While I spent a little time with Reya the others picked off the generals one at a time. But, not a year or so later Gai called once again. Dragones had obviously put his plan into effect. Once I reached Gai’s fortress the others were already there. Gai seemed very troubled. She said “That another attack was almost here and that this time there was no way to keep the battle off earth. Dragones himself was leading the rest of his army”. Then all of the sudden a loud thunderous crash. Well they didn’t waste anytime. Warriors mount up! We will meet them over the sea away from the populated areas. Ride!!!!
0n our home turf we will show these fools what the Eighth Power is made of. Rock raised a barren continent from beneath the sea. As Luna rose an oceanic wall encompassing the shores from all sides. Now there is only one way in and one way out. And once again we hear the very same shriek we had heard on the astral plane. The dragons swarmed around us. And I stood face to face with Dragones himself.
All out war erupted around Dragones and myself. I swept back to the top of a mountain and Dragones charged and as he did so. I felt something from within change, my skin grew pail, the sun eclipsed, my hands became claw like, fangs developed, and my eyes became blood red. Everyone of my senses became more acute by ten fold as did my physical strength and my mind now fully understood the power of my ancestors I am Vampire! The oldest living creature, the most well endowed mystic ever to walk the earth. I then raged towards the stunned Dragones with an unquenchable bloodlust. I bit and clawed at him summoned magic faster than he could even comprehend.
Dragones was going down. When all of the sudden a lighting bolt hit me in my back dazing me. The entire battle came to a screeching halt. As the Eighth Power and the dragon army looked on at Tempest’s betrayal. At that moment Dragones did not waste his opportunity he pounced as did Tempest. The generals also withdrew from the main battle and aided Tempest and Dragones while the Eighth Power was busy with the rest of the army and elders and they were powerless to help me. Dragones, Tempest, and the generals began to cast an ancient spell only spoke of in myth until this day. It was the chant that banished vampires from earth in the beginning. With what felt to be my dying breath I called out my last order to my friends “ Withdraw and await my sign”!
Now I am standing in the midst of a circlet bastille of sable flame. Each attempt to withdraw constricts the bastille even firmer. The heat grows stronger with each expiring day. In the twilight you can see the radiating plain, as the fire continues to rage. How long would you ask me to endure this agonizing torture. My soul has been overpowered and bound never again to see the mortal realm.
