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Trial of the Earth Dragon
Topic Started: Feb 19 2007, 05:20 PM (200 Views)
Holocollector
Christmas is Coming
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Beast masters: The Earth Dragon Trial


****Forest of Illusions*****


The clouds moved across the sky as if ancient giants that kind of make you ponder. What would happen today, where was he heading? What waited for him? Would big things happen? Maybe they would the town was never far off. And the skirmishes with the elite forces was commonplace. The Beast Master did not live with people though his company consisted of the unique inhabitants of the Forest of Illusions. No forest to his knowledge had more unique animals.

He played a melody, touching the flute in his hands quickly. And out of the flute poured an old sound. “It’s a good sound,” he said. “One of the many sounds of the forests.” But deep in thought he had in mind to visit the town that rejected him often. For no Beast Master was accepted there.

The wind right now was dead in the forest, and four black hoofs appeared of a stallion. Out came a neigh. And then the wind gathered up, rushing like a wind gale. Light on its feet, a dark shape emerged from the forest trees, nearly invisible. It had been called by the flute. “The shadows are me my friends?” He looked at the black shadow stallion for it gave an aura of darkness in the shadows.

The black horse looked at the Wolfis and got near him. The stallion eyed his golden eyes, looking at him as if he were looking at some strange demonic human animal.

The tune he had played for the black horse had worked to get it’s attention, “You liked the melody right at a low pitch,” he said. He put his beast master flute away after playing the last bit of the silent song, he got onto the horse and rode off.

He was planning to go to the town called by many Windy Place. That meant leaving the forests called the forest of Illusions. Taking the shadow stallion he went off. He rode it silently and stealthily into town.

****** Windy Town *****

It was misty he was on his horse. The drizzle descended dropping off gutters off the roofs making a splashing sound. The beast master had fun making some of the trees grow along the way with his plant forest ability. He had a special talent inborn from living in the forests of making trees grow at unusually fast rates. This plant forest ability was one only beast masters had as the rain made a huge green outgrowth with the beast master’s skill. Some of the trees grew to a very huge size, others were just barely high. This ability helped him keep the forest taming with trees at times.

The heavy trek was shorter than usual as the forest track ended. He got off his horse. He had arrived at the docks of the town and the trees of his forest were long gone. The cool breeze tossed and turned the waves splashing. The sea shone of a calm blue radiance.

There were many ships. He had stopped the shadow stallion near a galley with the unfurling mast blowing in the wind. The largest ship was huge, about the size of a somewhat huge jutting water rock.

The wind had blown the ships very strongly to the left. The ships moved across the ocean tossed by the wind. The masts unfurled blew through the motion of the wind gale. The wind was blowing like nothing at the docks. The sun was high on the horizon, it was turning crimson making shadows of everything within sights making the sea glimmer.

“Wait here for me,” he said. The stallion neighed silently, and eyed him nosily. “So that’s how it is, you want me to be back here no later than tonight. That I can do.”

The black shadow stallion stayed. The main purpose Wolfis was here was just a visitation on his part to find what the town offered. This part of town he never visited often but it was the kindest to beast masters. But age made him old enough to know he could not ignore a place that humans proclaimed as their own home such as he did the forests.
***********The Earth Dragon Trail*******************

Changing his mind. He walked into the dark alley. His mind drifted in and out at the why he was here. He had many thoughts in his head. But as if destiny grabbed a hold of him, In the shadows of the dock port a lady grabbed hold of Wolfis by the hand. A clothed cloth covered her face. She held in her hands a lustrous green gem that had been in her hands for quite some time. Her hands had a warm touch like the touch of a warm mug.

Two eyes looked at him. The way she looked at him was like she had seen him before but she eyed him in pitch black darkness that’s only aura of light was the green gem. “I want you to go to and complete the Trial of the Earth Dragon. You have been chosen to find the Earth Dragon to complete the trial of many a soul.”

The female figure was hiding her identity, her low voice reminded him of everything hidden by the darkness of the alley

“The Earth Dragon? I’ve heard of it but I don’t know what you mean? ”I don’t know you but I’ll do the trial. When you held my hand I felt a connection to the forests my home. But hearing of the earth dragon legend is the same as talking to a drunk talking about the Trial of the Earth Dragon, a legend only patriarchs and monarchs know of and talk of in low tones.”

“Make of it what you will. But drunks can still speak truths. But it is true that I’m no one. Just remember that you must complete the trial of the Earth Dragon. I am thinking deeply, this is what you should do for forests call for it. The forests animals share a kinship with the dragon.”

She could have been drunk for all he knew, he didn’t know if she spoke the truth. He knew of the earth dragon legend. He was a beast master: “I’ll agree to help you. The earth dragon legend speaks of good things of those that find him.”

“In windy town remember this name, Master of the Wind. He lives in the sky towering above the city. There you will find him. Among the far stretches of the sky. The legend says that he is a master conqueror, behemoth of nations and carrier of the cursed name that kills all men alike. And that he walks on earth like a spirit lightweight, through the air for his power is the wind.

The pitch-black darkness gave away for she had disappeared but she had left him a green gem. This gem was one that only could be found in the forests of illusions.


*****Thief’s home**************

Thinking again, he remembered those days he was in this town. And he knew of a far off place in town, that stretched hanging in the celestial sky. Since no one would go there since it hanged in the air he or no one could go that place. The town denizens wondered what was there all these years. If they were asked they were told that it was ashen temple of the gods. Since no one really knew what was there. To them all there was there was a huge white building that stood up in the sky floating without any cause. To them this god in the temple had a name, but they did not know his name. He was nameless. He was a god without people.

As a beast master he knew many animals of the forest sometimes could not be tamed. The very strongest (15-30 men strong) but these were highly prized. The lord of this land had some such beasts in his possession. The lord of this land had not been seen for many years but this place was his domain.

The people in this rich land were strong, money was power. Picking a fight if you were a poor person from another town meant death in a duel. They had money, they had people, but the beast master had his earthen power at hand. Now helping the forests with his power had no price for it was his home.

Where did she go, that unknown woman. I want to see her again. She needs to give me answers. I don’t have many answers, she wants me to find it on my own. And right now I am dumfounded on what to do.”

He stayed thinking a while. The wind howled reminding him where he was. Hoping to eavesdrop he thought it would be a good idea to go high up. He took of his wooden shoes and climbed onto the wall to the roof with a good jump. The air blew and hit him headstrong like a god when he climbed up. He needed to know more about the earth dragon and he would do it by whatever means.

The day looked good as he could see the horizon’s sun setting but far off. He put his ears onto the rooftop. He could hear every sound of the house down to the drops of water. It was as if he was directly inside the home as he could hear everything even the voices.

“The pain, the pain.” It took some time to register, the voice was raspy inside the thief’s home. “That red skinned with yellow eyes attacked me.”

“The red-skinned beast master when I hit him with the flame hatchet the flame went off. Seems as if the wind blew it off.” The angry voice continued.

“Then he broke my arm,” he said sulkily. “I broke to my knees, asked him not to take me.”

And then I’ll never forget that golden look in his eyes, the beast master heard him say. “This only a hunting game, Nero the thief.”
.
***************************************

Angrily Wolfis made his way back to the shadow stallion that was at the main docks surrounded by the elite forces of this land like a pack of wolves. Traveling in the shadows, invisible on the shadow stallion donning his black cloak thoughts raced through his head while he traveled under shadows.

Crossing into the calm river that was so familiar to him, he had the rage that he was so use to when they rejected him, ignored him. But then he had the same clothed woman speak to him. “You will find the Earth Dragon to the top north. Please remember not to be too angry. You will make one too many missteps in this journey.”

“Tell me why I must make this journey.” But he had a strange feeling he had to go there.

“Just do as I say,” she whispered by the river. “Go to the north where the sun shines eternally in the wasteland. Make the thieves regret they had seen a beast master unlike this town. The town is now your enemy because what was done to Nero the thief. The wind master is behind this.”

He remembered thinking, these thieves had all sorts of weapons in the north. And whatever happened back there was more than strange. The thieves would hate him more than ever, their whole guild.

People were afraid of even messing with bandits. Messing with these thieves meant death. And that the thieves now his enemy used special magic to counter even sorcerers. They lived in Death Valley and they lived off after ransacking and extorting royal messengers, killing anyone with a modicum amount of gold. If a head had a price they’d take it.

He touched the clothed woman’s hand. It was cold this time as now dusk was looming. “I will travel tomorrow to the north, I know that Death Valley is there and that the thieves are there. Now if I can find the Earth Dragon that is another matter. But I will serve the forests in this journey to find him.”

***********Death Valley************

Leaving his home, the forests. The Beast master arrived at Death Valley. He looked at the dry desert sands and saw a desert snake far off. The snake slithered on the smooth sands, it had fur on its scales. There was a huge skeletal carrion on the floor. The rib cage of the now deceased giant stood on the floor. Some cannon shells layed on the yellow desert floor.

There were two mercenaries hidden behind a boulder talking amongst themselves, apparently they were happy enough since they were very well stoked in supplies. And Wolfis stood looking gazing at the sky. There was a small flock of crows looming over the carcass.

The mercenaries spotted the beast master from behind a huge boulder. Covertly they looked at him secretly standing guard of their stocked supplies. “I can see a red-skinned man with yellow eyes. He’s not from anyone town we know of. But I’ve never seen anyone look even remotely like him. What is that man?””

“Does there seem to be difficulty in what your seeing. He is just a beast master. Nothing happens here, just thieves, sorcerers. And we can usually deal with them. Remember the giant days ago? What’s a nobody like this going to do to the thieves.”

The crows circled, they were vigilant this time starting sending messages to the beast master. It was almost as if they had been looking at the mercenaries intently for a good while now. The flute he used to call the crows. They listened to his every command. Slowly, he had walked toward them, to where they hid.

Going to the boulder where they hid he told them:
“Tell me where the dragon lives in this valley. I want to find him.” And with just one word he got a reaction. Because they never planned on hearing a voice. Much less this one, the one they thought that didn’t spot them gave them a golden look.

“I have a feeling you probably don’t know anything. The thieves killed the giant not a dragon. Seems he entered their hideout and tried to steal their gold. You know how giants are they want gold, food, and like to give orders,” the red-haired mercenaries said. But the beast master was not convinced he had detected a scent.

He went on his way hoping the dragon would be there in some caves in the desert. That dragon would hopefully be there probably somewhere in these caves. And he would spot thieves soon enough. But his journey went on.

Traveling deep into the Death Valley he reached a stone tablet. It stood at the front entrance of the caves where he had hoped to find the dragon. But instead something else happened.

To his surprise the stone tomb read itself. It talked off when he touched the etched hand writing on the stone. The hot desert sand storms had never covered it for he could hear it speak.


“Master of the Wind, knows his targets well. For he is a master crafter. Whomever betrays him will never again receive his mercy. Signed Master of the Wind, with acknowledgement of the thieves.”

************* The Thief riddle **************

He lighted a torch and started walking through the passageway. The walls lighted with small fumes in the underground abode. A cave-rat came out of nowhere. The beast master played his flute. And started talking to him. “Hello my friend, tell me is this the thief’s entrance? You look for food here?” The rat of course told from what he could get was that there was that there was an intricate labyrinth of passageways. There was food around the thieves place, he knew that much. But the rat could not tell him where one thing was not even cheese.“What good are you for then? And on top of a labyrinth there are roses grown here mysteriously in the caves.”

“Ok then go away?” The rat looked at him oddly. “No problem I have what I need.” He knew the rat perfectly well, reading the signals he gave him.

So there are a countless caves he said to himself. No problem he said to himself. This is a labyrinth. The thieves don’t want me to get to their hideout. He kept walking there were dozens of roses in the caves. But I must find the Dragon, something tells me.

The sweet presence of roses stood ominous and eerie. It reminded him of something he learned of magic at play, he could not smell them in the slightest sense.

In the insides of the caves there were some words drawn on the walls. “Before you stands five doors, some of them have traps, one leads to the way to within our hiding place. Figure out the riddle and you will solve the trap. Only when you dream enough will the answer be of truth, and remember the answer to this riddle and tale. For it is the only way to find your way. For how sweet roses smell.”

The rat was long gone and he had scratched his head. He didn’t want to leave it to chance to open one of the five doors. But then it hit him when he couldn’t smell a well maintained garden of roses. This spell was an illusion since in dreams you very rarely smell and he could not smell the roses. He took out the green forest gem he had from the lady to see through the artifice of the spell. He revealed the right door by putting his eye through the transparent gem. The right way seen through glass was the middle door.

Having opened the door the spell was broken. What layed further were the doors that probably lead to a gruesome death. But then he heard a ghastly scream from within the thief hideout.

The words on the wall now said “well done for solving a thief riddle.”

Voices started talking through the now gaping door: “Master of the Wind, he says since we left the intruder in that is he going to kill us all! He doesn’t want to tell us who he is but that he is that man from Windy Town. The one that attacked Nero at the town and broke his arm.” And when the beast master heard that he remembered hearing about what the clothed woman told him.

The words he heard he listened intently was of a nervous voice. “Don’t you all remember the day Master of the Wind used his power and cunningness to destroy four nations much bigger than his. When he went to war and destroyed them all.” And the thieves i-ll stricken knew that a mere intruder was death itself, and that their promise with the wind master was broken. They had betrayed the wind master’s pledge of trust that had been etched in stone.

The thieves could ascertain that he used his powers to elevate the city of windy town to the sky, and they could not combat his country for days on end. He destroyed four nations, laid in waste. RuvenDayle, SulkenPoint, Overstall, Galla. That’s all the thieves needed to know that was fear.

“His power is too much even for us, you have to get used to it now. I think he even made fun of us, that tomb pledge at the entrance has been standing there for three years.” Said, one of the bandits.

Then there was more silence yet again. But the Beast Master looked at all this. He probably knew that the lady that she talked to was right. That the person called the Wind Master was probably behind this in his way to find the Earth Dragon. The one that set him up, and the town that hated him. The one who killed his being. He was still a Beast Master, and his home had always been the forests. But he wanted justice in the thief caves.

************One of Many Trials*************

The stalagmites gave of a cool feeling. He took some water that was in a puddle and could see himself in the puddle. Even though it cooled him Wolfis felt rage seeing his red-skinned reflection of who the thieves thought nearly killed Nero the thief. He knew all along that being in this valley meant finding them. Their whole guild hated him.

Wolfis Guild remembered everything again of what happened in windy point. When the guards surrounded him like wolves.

He didn’t care much for the thieves but he wanted to get to Master of the Wind. The one that played games with people’s lives with stone pledges.

The misty scent of the caves and the walls stood kind of ominous because of the uproar, the thieves were all gathered each and everyone he could think of.

There were dozens of bandits, the cave had Mace, Cane, Horns, and Red and then some more. They were bandits. He didn’t even know a single name.

And that’s when Wolfis spoke to the thieves, “Tell me where the windmaster is. The Beast Master knows who almost killed Nero it was Master of the Wind.” But they got extremely nervous, they had a feeling someone picked the right door out of many. And that the stalagmites were starting drip more than usual as if they were senile. This person was Wolfis Guild.

“It’s him,” a voice said. They could see a red-skinned man a very complex complexion that had a demonic appearance. Probably the one that supposedly broke Nero the theif’s arm. The person they knew that was the red-skinned man. And then they knew that he was the beast master that had gotten through the entrance.

Then Wolfis spoke: “He took advantage of you, he manipulated you. He manipulated me too. I want more than any thief would want to avenge that wind-master. I know everything he did. The stone tablet in front of the cave entrance tells everything I need to know. He’s a crafty tyrant. I’ll kill him for you. Don’t make me prove my power.”

The thieves dropped their weapons that they had in their hands for just one moment. If this person had as much power as he said, they would leave it to him.

“Take me to him,” said Wolfis.

And the words came again into the beast-master’s mind, the reason they ignored him. The Reason the thieves hated him were in those words in that pledge:


“Master of the Wind, knows his targets well. For he is a master crafter. Whomever betrays him will never again receive his mercy. Signed Master of the Wind.”


********* A Windy Cave************

“Why should we follow you, you’re the one that broke Nero’s arm?” Said Mace one of the thieves.

“Take him said another thief.” And that was all they needed to know. They were in desperation, some of the sand from outside flew in from Death Valley from the wind.

“The wind is blowing in the caves,” said one of the thieves. Apparently now having counted on that the wind master was coming. The one behind the stone pledge “He is nearly here. That only means one more thing. And they probably knew what was next. The wind master was coming to destroy them and to fight off the beast master.

“Doesn’t matter what you do. Said a high voice.” It was much windier than usual, and caves were usually windless except for the occasionally specs of sand that blew in. They knew this was the man they called Master. The thieves keeled over and begged for forgiveness but there was only silence followed by a voice.

“Know that now that you know that you broke your promise and your pledge that now have I have to kill all of you. Said a very high voice. The voice made the cave tremble.”

The thieves’ trap door traps blew all apart. All five of them from before. Fear got the better of the theieves..

The thieves ran away, they went into one of the many caves further down that revealed further doors. Doors upon more thief trap doors leading to more caves and thief riddles. Probably leading to some way out of the thieve hideout. To who knows where, the beast master didn’t know. But again there were five doors.

First a very small spec appeared. It was his shadow. The one that lived high up and no one knew about was here.

The person that came looked like any other person but he wasn’t. He wasn’t that old, yes he was. But the look in his eyes could tell you maybe that he was a very temperamental person, irksome. His eyes were bluish like the sky. Nothing further than Wolfis Guild imagined, this was the wind master.

“Saving yourself, and saving them. You obviously don’t know my strength he said. But then again no knows you that well right beast master?” he said. And now you want to save the thieves that broke a promise. Beast Master, my time has been well spent. I wasted my time with these thieves. And now I am here to ask for a favor and a pledge.”

“I know you framed me on purpose? High Master of Windy Point? I know that it took many hours to get here but that you are nothing but old fairy tale, no one knew what you were either. You just have as much craftiness as the thieves.”

“I want the relics or any clues to what I am looking for. I know that you hold an enchanted golden flute, and I wanted to know if you could tame the Earth Dragon. And I think you know where he is. Studying these caves stock full of thief relics has led me to conclude he is somewhere in this valley. But the question is where? Apparently my fear didn’t get to the thieves enough and I know that now that I am here, people can vanish. Join me now, the reason the messages on the walls revealed themselves to you was your test for your joining of my forces. The thieves were never a part of my force they are weak.”

“I am living on borrowed time right? I went searching for the Dragon. But I don’t know where he is,” Wolfis said. “I tried very hard. I visited the the Death Valley desert, I got chased in town by your conspiracy. I had to solve the thief riddle. And now you want answers? The thieves here steal relics for riches not for the Earth Dragon. I came here to find him or traces of him.”

“The relics have told me the Earth Dragon lives in this valley! There are many other choices like living, and bringing out the strongest of people on my side like you. You’ve been ignored for too long. Will you help me Wolfis Guild in this pursuit?”

”No I cannot. I can’t forgive someone that torments those that serve him.” The yellow-eyed red skinned man looked at him. They may have ignored him too many times. And now he was going to show the wind-master who he may be or who he was now. For the wind master was also hiding his identity. “My town will return and they will treat me like in my old days. I will not be shunned by someone that wants the power of the skies and the earth.”

************ Outside of the Caves*****************
“Today you will trapped in your own high tower that is the caves, and you’ll never come back to your high place.”

And the duel happened, the cave was very cool and some water pulled out of its orifices like small waterfalls. The beast-master touched the floor, the weeds in the cave starting to grow rapidly along with the water. The wind-master looked at the beast- master. The weeds were taking a hold of him, lightning fast. He had this ability all his life. But the old wind master looked at him and used his wind by opening his splayed hand.

The wind rushed through like a crushing wind gale. This power of his was more than enough probably to hit its target. This spell he thought could kill the beast master. The beast master grabbed hold of himself by a fist full of newly grown weeds.

He sent the beast-master flying. The beast master felt pain He took advantage of his own skills. The beast-master held on unto one of the many vines that came from the weed outgrowth. This one was very large. It extended in many directions, like a huge outgrowth that had grown for many years that had grown in just that moment. It was his plant forest ability of the forests.

He desperately held onto the weeds with the wind gale blowing. The wind kept blowing as did all the outgrowth. His hands started to bleed from holding on. They got red like him, and he knew then that if he let go he might die. The situation doesn’t look that good but I think I can outlast him a bit more, he thought. It is probably still daylight outside.

He tried every sound possible on the flute and when he thought no animal was going to show up in the dripping windy cave. A cave-rat came and he lightly nipped at the windmaster. And the wind-master fell, and so did the beast master. The beast master stronger was now up. And where would he go this time?

Wolfis Guild started walking towards to one of the many wooden doors. And he picked the first thief door he saw. One that was sealed ignoring the next thief riddle, and that when he went there was a hole and he fell fast down to earthen land. Where he had fallen was an area of many hills going high up inside the mountain area. But of course he did not know where the thieves were but the wind master was more than tied up and probably dead. The thieves would take care of him from here. He had done what he could, he had saved the thieves. He did not feel ignored anymore. But did he really know what or where he was going among these hills.


************* The end of the Earth Dragon Trail *********************

He went up the hills. The light of day was there. The dragon was there up there or so he felt his presence. He climbed up the mountains. Up he went. Wanting to end this. Up hill after hill. That dragon was the cause for all his problems. He barely survived the wind-master, and now this.

A voice spoke high up. “The thieves will talk about what you did, you saved them from the wind-master. Now the mercenaries will think better of you now that they saw you go on your way. They’ll be impressed that someone survived the desert. Now the town you helped protect will take you back. They won’t go after you and kill you or imprison you. And that is all you need to know.

And the beast woman won’t tell you anything else.

After a while, Wolfis Guild stood thinking for many days. And just then he knew that going to the forest and town was now possible. The forest, town, and docks were the same as they were after he had been gone. They could not ignore him or any beast master anymore.
Note: My english writing skills need work so don´t even think of asking me to change it entirely or relearn my english (the impossible). I don´t like the signature, I willl eventually add a picture.
 
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