Chapter II
"The Forging"
The Draconians stepped along the shadowy path of the now known Shadow Wood. The once accursed land now relieved of its ancient curse was left defenseless against the evil of the world. With the banishing of the gods so did banish the undead guardians and the woods were fallen hill, becoming a traveler’s path and a hunter’s playing ground. But these Draconians weren’t looking for a mere hunt or pass; they were in search for a wondrous creature-- fables used to call her the Forestmaster, a dire silver white unicorn. The only one of its kind, her horn known to hold mystic energies, the Draconians were out for the hunt.
Behind them, tied to a plank, was a Silvanisti--his skin was ashen and he was mortally wounded. He was kept alive after being ambushed with his companions through the trails of the Eyes Peek Mountain, and the Draconians kept him at bay to fulfill their own purposes.
Tales told amongst the druids of Abnasia stated that only a virgin of pure breed could take call upon the Unicorn. The Draconians, being creatures of sin and corruption, were bound and taking heed to the old tales dragged the elf, supporting him only enough to keep him alive, trailing through the darken paths in search of their hunt. Finally with the turn of midday, they reached a clearing, known also as Shadow Glade.
They settled upon it the sun blazing in full force and one of the Draconians departed toward the silver watered pond to gather water and quench his thirst. He leaned upon the waters, his reflection deeming in the bright waters, and reached a hand into the water to taking a gulp. Suddenly the settling Draconians were met with a horrifying shriek and they turned their attention swiftly toward the waters. The Draconian’s hand was bubbling into flesh sizzling in the water, the Draconians took a launch toward their comrade and with horror backed away as they saw the water sizzling through his throat, dissolving bone and flesh. The screaming Draconian tumbled back, his stone form falling into the shiny waters, soon evaporating into a mystic cloud.
The Draconians still recovering from the first loss were fast met with another fall as they heard a terror-filled scream from beyond the woods. Another Draconian, apparently leaning against the tree was suddenly covered with spiders. He tried in vain to struggle off the eight-legged creatures that helplessly devoured the Draconian, withdrawing into the bark leaving a disturbing stone figure behind.
The Third Draconian gave a leap in attempt to help his friend, but his eyes widened with surprise as from between the woods emerged a Unicorn, her silver white skin shining in the glistering sun. She gave charge at the Draconian, spearing him with her horn, sending him toppling to the ground stone cold.
“The Unicorn!” One draconian commander gave heed eyeing the magnificent creature, and leaped foreword, hissing, his crooked sword shining, but his thrust was met short as he fumbled foreword.
Fierce roots leaped from within the ground grasping his powerful, legs sending him face first to the ground. The draconian released a cry as his spine crashed against the bark, and with a crack his resistance ended and he was dragged under the soil, his flesh feeding the worms.
The two remaining Draconians stood back, hesitating, overwhelmed by the odds, but drew crooked bows taking aim. The earth shook then, and beyond the Draconians, as in launching from their nightmares was a green dragon, leaping from the sky so immense his massive body could stand compared to the great red herself.
He landed in the clearing blocking the fire range, and with a swift motion he swung his tail in a low arc, the Draconian’s head giving way rolling in the grass.
“By the Dark Queen herself, you are Cyan Bloo--” But the Draconian’s words were snapped short as the dragon dove his powered claw through the reptile, crushing him into a tree, then clenching his lifeless form in his paw.
The Dragon gave a curled smile and fisted the body crushing it to dust, and with a swift blow of air released the ashes to mid air feeding the bugs.
“Well, it seems someone shall be feasting tonight,” The dragon smiled, and with a shudder, feeling the Forest Master’s stare, he gave a turn.
*******
“You realize that we can’t keep on like this, princess,” the huge green dragon, his scales shining in the moon light, stretched across the clearing, his claws playing with a deer he was feasting upon.
The Forest Master eyed the great green with disgust and gave a tiny frown eyeing him tossing the bones away and reaching for another snack.
“Oh don’t you stare at me that way princess, why you yourself said ‘We do not grieve for those who fulfill their purpose,’ and this deer of yours, has fulfilled mine quite as well,” the Dragon grinned, tossing the rested bones to the ground, giving the wolves a taste of the goods.
The Forest master, a magnificent creature, stood upon the glade nodding at the Dragon grimly, her silver white skin as pure as the moon light itself, her face was ever youthful but the lines of worry and exhaustion were clearly taking mark upon her face. She was controller of the forest, a guardian and protégé to the shadowy woods, but her strength was dwindling.
The invasions came greater every day, the hunters better, more skilled, and greedier. She eyed the green dragon known as Cyan Bloodbane and took focus at his words.
“This hiding and scolding can not continue, Princess, for now only Draconians and bands of humans and goblins have stepped upon this glade, but eventually the Dragons will come to know of that lovely horn of yours, and the Mages will not cave in, so we must think of a solution.” The dragon now settled upon the clearing with a stretch, nearly rampaged half of his surroundings, and then continued as the forest master gave him a stare.
“My only bound to this forest was my former master, the great mage Raistlin Majere, but he has been gone, disappeared into the Abyss for around 50 years now. I missed the Dragon Purge and slipped out of the Chaos Wars. Dragons now control this land, and new challengers are put up to my superiority. You must understand princess, I can not stay here, and this is not my place.” The Unicorn nodded grimly, eyeing the scaled beast, and turned staring at the bright moon.
“You are right Cyan, you served me well beyond your duty, and nothing binds you to these grounds, you have no bounds to this land.”
“Oh but you are all wrong princess, for my duty still bounds me, I must grant you protection, and an idea passes in mind.”
“I hope you do not plan on asking me to join you because you know that my answer is clear for I-”
“NO, I don’t want you tagging along, princess,” the green dragon snapped, irritated by the interruption, and returned to his mentions.
“I shall leave you a guardian, someone of strength and worth to shield this forest.” The Unicorn lifted her head, curiosity sparking her exhaustion, driving her head tilting, listening intently to Cyan’s hissing words.
“It seems as if those reptilian cowards have brought a gift with them today, something that might be of value to us.”
“The Silvanisti?” “Yes!” the dragon hissed irritated, again interrupted.
“The centaur hosts are attending to him, he is mortally wounded, polluted by mind and his death is assured, my servants just stand by to ease his pain, I doubt if he could be of any use for any of us.” The Unicorn stared up and calmly balanced her words still eyeing the Dragon who shifted uneasily.
“No he may not be of use for us, unless we give the right gifts, use what is within our own essence to support his veins and carry his flesh,” the dragon smiled seeing the Unicorn reacting with a startled look, apparently surprised by the idea.
“You realize what you ask of me Cyan, you ask me to take essence within the mortal, which will leave him living on this plane. But it shall devour his soul, rumpling him from within with no recollection or knowledge of the past, his family, and memories. What makes you think I will undertake such a ritual, Dragon?”
“True enough Princess, but as you said… ‘We do not grieve for those filling their purpose,’ and this lad, unless you plan on grieving for him, could be given the chance to serve a greater purpose, greater than himself me or you, so in my eyes princess, you don’t have much choice in the matter.” The dragon finished his remarks eyeing the unicorn, his eyes teasing, and her head fumbled in thought.
“You have learned well Cyan, you have pinned me with my own words.”
“Oh no princess, you have!” Cyan settled his wings down smiling.
“Very well, it shall be done. I shall summon the Centaurs!”
“It has been done as we speak,” the dragon remarked and with a dive up he swirled into the air in flight as the unicorn followed him, wandering through the woods.
******
In the middle of the clearing also known as Shadow Glade, upon a centered altar in the middle of the silver water pond, an altar stood, two centaurs standing above it, the elf struggling pinned down his chest aching.
His face was ashen, his bones launching within the skin, his face hurt and his eyes were swollen and he heard the voices, the voices of torment and darkness and then, suddenly, there was light.
The Forest master, her form glowing, approached the elf, saw his tormented eyes, and turned her glance. She wondered at the old tales of Cyan tormenting Lorac the Silvanisti king, and again wondered at the dragon’s motives but turned her attention elsewhere.
The dragon flew settling at the edge of the pond, and turned his glance to a white centaur, his horse skin silver white, and his body massive, wearing an ancient holy helmet.
“Begin the ceremony,” Cyan hissed impatient and the Centaur settled upon the young Silvanisti, his arm resting on his sweaty forehead.
The Centaur pulled out a long branch sharp and still as any steel, cut the tunic shirt off and then drove a streak through the Elf’s right chest drawing a deep cut, the blood flowing. The blood streamed fast and clean and the struggling elf soon became limp his breath hard and uneven.
Cyan watched the elf struggle, his life draining away from his veins and with a fast reach and pull with his claw, tore a scale off his massive body. The dragon released a cry as the scale fell to the ground tilting, it was a large as a man’s tower shield, but with the right incantation whispered by the great green the scale turned down in size shrinking to the size of a Kender’s hand.
The scale was placed heavily upon the wounded elf’s chest, and he tried to release a cry as the acidic edges came in touch with the flowing wound, as the centaur priests kept their chanting. Combined with the chanting of the centaurs, Cyan added his own craft whispering the arcane words and then the solid scale, as if evaporating, sank into the flesh as the two centaurs forced to keep the fainted Silvanisti pinned from the pain.
The forest master eyed the youth struggling, his face deathly pale, and her head lowered. But she felt the staring eyes of the huge dragon and stepped foreword to grant her gift. The unicorn stepped slowly, the waters upon her hooves, and leaning upon the Silvanisti she lowered her horn upon the mortal wound and whispered a prayer, closing her eyes.
She sank into memories: the fall of Istar, the rebirth of the Draconians, her lover stag, the betrayal of king Peris, the demise and sad eyes of the knight Sturm Brightblade, her trials during the Chaos wars, all those memories flowed through her as she finished her prayer and a yellow aura circled the wound, closing about. Then a tear shed from her eyes, a single drop immense and signifying and it dropped upon the wound washing away the fresh blood, leaving nothing but a scar, and the Silvanisti’s breath came easier and his struggled face soon relaxed.
The moon light shifted in a moment and the focus of light was drawn to the altar, the characters within it shining in heavenly light and then the light was gone as quick as it came, yet releasing and relaxing to the troubled souls within it.
“It has been done!” the white centaur, finishing his chanting, drew a clean cloth to wipe off the stained blood. Cyan nodded his head; apparently the ruin spell exhausted him as he now shared the bond with the elf. He retired back into the shadows eyeing the elf for a long last time, the Forest master following him letting the centaurs attain the young Silvanisti.
“So you will just be leaving now?” the unicorn gave a whisper standing under the dragon.
“Today was an important night, princess, and as my former master would say I have repaid all my debts. You are now left with a powerful guardian; he will carry my strength and, in a way, will also carry yours.” The dragon released a weak smile eyeing the unicorn’s trouble gaze.
“Do not grieve for me princess, for my place is not here. I have served my duty, now I must follow a greater cause, a destiny, a purpose, and we do not grieve for those who fulfill their purpose, as you once so many times told me, Forest master.” The unicorn smiled hearing the words and nodded her head agreeing.
“Yes Cyan, you are right, you have served me loyally and I am ever grateful. I give you my blessing and I promise I shall take care of our descendant.” She gave a smile then and eyed the dragon’s glistering eyes that watched her with wonder and admiration. He flapped his huge wings, spreading a wind wave through the woods, and rose to the air and with a call of farewell departed into the night, the Forest master eyeing him as she returned to her new worries.
******
The unicorn stepped from within the shadows into the moonlight, and as her form made contact with the light, from within the darkness emerged an inspiring sight as if from within a dream. She was in the form of a young woman, her hair as silver as the pale moon, her skin light and cheeks rosy, a flower stricken through her hair as she stepped gracefully upon the laying elf. Her feet touched the silver waters, she was the forest master. The centaurs eyed her with a bow, as she stepped upon the altar and sat sideways across the laying Silvanisti.
His face was still strained and pale but at least his breathing came easier and the spasms of blood stopped. The Forest master laid a slight hand upon the youngster’s forehead raising a prayer to herself, and the strained face soon came easier and the eyes came to rest.
The Silvanisti opened them slightly and seeing the dazzling being upon him he released a cry trying to struggle up.
“Hush now child, rest, for tonight you are safe, rest my child.” The woman petted the hair striking it back whispering the calm words and soon enough the Silvanisti set back his head, rested.
“Mother!” the Silvanisti gave a whisper and the forest master, releasing a sad smile, gave stroke his hair once more and whispered him a lullaby, soon enough the elf setting smiling into a dreamless night.
*******
On far horizon away from the clearing, on top of Eyes Peak mountain stood Cyan Bloodbane, his eyes glistering, hearing every word, and feeling the sun shining upon him.
He smiled hearing his new scion words and felt his breathing aching in his scales; he gazed upon the forest and then upon the rising horizon and smiled.
“We do not grieve upon those who fulfill their purpose,” the dragon whispered to himself the familiar phrase and gave flight his huge wings thrusting him upwards launching him to mid air.
He gave one last glance back, and with a turn flew into the new horizon into a new rising sun and a new future.
Chapter II wraps to a close, drop me your thoughts in the Silvermoon Guest Book, and hope you enjoyed to continue on to Chapter III, Kender Trail. In the continuing adventures of the companions of the Silvermoon. ENJOY!!!
Back to the Index Page:
