* * * Orthus * * *

  Orthus didn’t like hard landings, he didn’t like getting teleported against his will, and he especially did not like falling through the void between spaces, however briefly so. The crystal in the key had fractured, and without the gates to guide it, whatever had happened around it had set the exit location. In this case, it was almost two miles above a city, towards which they were now all hurling, falling uncontrollably.

  He spotted the other dragon, a young wyvern, transform mid-air and catch the ranger. He saw Kody falling too, unconscious. He scooped him up, but let their attacker plummet. Fragments of the forest, trees and bushes, large chunks of earth, and a significant portion of the river came falling after them, about to wreck the city below. They both dodged out of the way of the scattering debris, and flew in wide arcs to avoid getting hit. The city below looked devastated by the time the had landed.

  The set their respective humans down in the town square. In the middle of the square stood a large statue of a dragon, made of pure basalt and what looked to be obsidian. It was in a triumphant pose, wings spread wide and tall, standing on four legs above an egg made of the same materials as the rest of the statue. It looked somewhat familiar to Orthus, but he had more important things to concentrate on.

  They both reverted to their humanoid forms. A young, vern girl stood in front of him now, her expression a mix of worry and excitement.

  “Is the ranger alright?” he asked her.

  “Yes, he’ll sleep it off.” she answered, “Kody?”

  “He will be fine. He heals fast.”

  “So… you’re Orthus?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I’m Zeenie” she was too excited about meeting him to spot the guards closing in on them.

  “Nice to meet you, Zeenie.” he then nodded at the approaching guards.

  “Halt!” one shouted at the two of them. They both raised their arms in surrender. Swords and spears were pointed at them. A tall, thin man approached them, the weapons parting around him.

  "The last dragon we've seen in this area destroyed a lot. How are we to know you aren't here for the same?"

  Orthus thought for a moment. The area seemed very familiar to him, but he couldn't place it just yet. A strange feeling in the back of his head made it hard to think.

  "Lead them away!" the man said, and gestured for the guards. They grabbed Zeenie by the arms, and as she struggled, Orthus tried to intervene, only to find his own strength faltering. He too was grabbed on either side by two guards, and was dragged away, barely able to resist. Something was draining his power, and fast. Before they had dragged him into what looked like a prison cell, he was already struggling to stay awake. He passed out just as they dragged him across the cell threshold.

  * * * William * * *

  William woke with a splitting headache. He was cold. His head rested against something cold and hard. Stone. Below him, more stone.

  He opened his eyes, and wondered if he’d gone blind. He was in a cell, but the darkness of it felt unnatural. There was some light filtering in through cracks in the ceiling, but it all seemed… muted. His body strained in a dull ache against each and every movement. He felt itchy and dehydrated. He didn’t notice he’d also been deafened until his hearing started returning with a strong case of tinnitus.

  “...so you throw it forward and give it a little spin.” Kody was explaining something, but to whom?

  “I usually just chuck it and hope for the best.” Was that their attacker’s voice?

  “Yeah, that works sometimes, but you’ve got to actually aim.”

  “Hmm, makes sense.” the other man reacted after a short pause.

  “You’ll know you’ve hit the mark if you hear that small squelch as it stabs into them.”

  “Or the crack of their skull.”

  “Yeah, that too. If you hit a bone and it cracks-”

  “Hey, what’s wrong with you two?” William called out, “And why are you… chatting?”

  “Well, at first we did try to kill eachother.” Kody explained nonchalantly.

  “But I am old and your friend has no knives.” the other man added.

  “And so, we just… started talking.”

  “About what noise people make when you stab them?” William asked them in disbelief.

  “...Eventually.”

  “Freaks.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “How are you, William?” Kody asked.

  “Itchy, dizzy.”

  “Yeah, I feel the same. Ezon?”

  “It isn't that bad, but yes.”

  “I feel half-blind.” William added

  “I think I know what this is.” Ezon said. A small noise came from their cell, but William couldn’t see there.

  “Oh dear.” Kody sighed.

  “It’s not that bad.” Ezon said, “I mean, it did hurt a lot when I got it, but this feels… milder.”

  “What are you talking about?” William yelled in exasperation.

  “An infectious fungus.” Ezon explained, “My arm. It’s been infected for… a while. It lets me absorb magic. I think it’s doing the same to all of us now.”

  “That would explain why I couldn’t planewalk out of here.” Kody said, “If our magic is being drained, I don’t know how we’re going to get out.”

  William’s head was spinning. His vision went even darker. He fell back and hit his head. The pain scared him, way too intense for what he was used to. He was panicking. He bolted back up, grabbed the bars of his cell, and started yelling.

  “Hey! Let us out! You've got a ranger Patron in custody!” he screamed into the void, hoping someone would react. “Zeenie! Where are you?”

  A small noise came from the other side of his cell. No, from the neighboring cell.

  “Will?” Zeenie asked. Her voice felt weak and hoarse.

  “Zeenie! You’re in here too?” a deep grumble came from the same cell.

  “Yes. Orthus is also here. Something made us pass out when we landed. Why are you yelling?”

  “I… sorry, I got scared.”

  “Orthus!” Kody called out carefully.

  “He’s still sleeping.” Zeenie said.

  “Did you two catch us all?”

  “Yes- well… no.” Zeenie paused for a second, “We let Ezon fall.”

  “That explains my back.” Ezon said.

  “Wait, you’re here? How are you alive?” Zeenie sounded dumbfounded and angry.

  “He’s though.” Kody said, “Seems we woke up before the rest of you. We've had some time to discuss it.”

  Before any of them could continue, the cell block door screeched open, and a thin, tall figure stepped into view.

  “You’re all awake, good.” he said in a quick, jittery voice. “We have much to discuss.”

  “You better let us go or watch yourself!” Kody yelled.

  “Kody, no.” Zeenie objected. “You didn’t see what… our accident did to the city.”

  “Thirty seven buildings demolished, forty damaged, six flooded, twenty with minor roof damage, and ten families with random debris landing in their homes.”

  “Oh.” Kody sighed. “We’re... sorry?”

  “I am well sure you are.” the man said, “But the damage has been done. You owe the city and the kingdom reparations.”

  “What if we don’t comply?” Ezon asked

  “Simple.” the man replied, “You will be kept in these cells, and the fungal infection you’ve all probably been already feeling will keep you from using magic ever again.”

  William took a deep breath. He never suspected before, but now was sure. He did have some magic, and most of it went into enhancing his vision. What he was seeing right then, was what the others saw all the time. He felt guilty for not having recognized this sooner. Still, he didn’t feel he could continue for long this way. If only he had his bag...

  “And if we do?” he asked with the most diplomatic voice he could muster.

  “Our elders have decided that since you are not going to be of direct use in repairing the damages you’ve caused, your debt can be paid by eliminating another danger.” he paused briefly, and retrieved a note from his pocket. “A large beast has been threatening our citizens, killing one roughly every two weeks. We do not know what the beast is, but we know it is large, aggressive, and hunts at night. Rebuilding will be easier without having to keep up the guard at all times.”

  “So if we kill this… beast for you, you’ll let us go?”

  “You will be let go either way, as we cannot assure your return, but if you do return, you'll be provided with the antidote.” He paused, sighed, then continued. "Normally, that would be the baseline, but we need some assurance."

  * * * Kody * * *

  As they were led out of the prison block, Kody approached the man. He was their handler for the time, but beyond that, he seemed to be more important to the city. He was just as thin and tall as he looked the first time he saw him. A strange scent hit his nose, just as the man turned around.

  "I would prefer not to be approached from behind." he said, "What can I help with?"

  "Our… accident." Kody said, "It was caused by a malfunctioning gate hub key. Did you happen to recover it? Do you have it?"

  The handler sized Kody up, then nodded. "Yes, we have it. It is damaged, and there is no crystal in it."

  "That's what I was afraid of." Kody sighed. "I need to go find a replacement crystal for it."

  "You won't be given the antidote before your return." the man said.

  "I know, I just… I want to go alone, separately from the others, find a crystal, and return with it so we can leave for good."

  "Not alone." Ezon interrupted, walking up to them. "I want to go with him. I need a crystal like that too."

  "Our rebuilding efforts may benefit from a few crystals as well." the handler said, "Fine. You two can go off together. I will arrange it with the elders."

  "Thank you." Kody said, and took a suspicious glance at Ezon. The handler went ahead, and they slowed down so the others could catch up.

  "What did you two talk with him about?" William asked Kody, glancing nervously at Ezon.

  "We are going on another errand." Kody said.

  "Kody, are… are you sure you want to go with him?" he nodded at their not-so-long-ago attacker.

  "I won't hurt him, ranger." Ezon said. "I need his help, and by now I know better than to attack any of you." He reached a hand out at William, who, after a brief pause, took it and shook.

  "I'm William."

  "Ezon."

  They were led to an armory, and saw all of their equipment neatly cleaned and sorted, hanging from the walls and resting on shelves. They retrieved it and were soon back in full gear.

  The handler returned, and handed Kody a small, star shaped object. The key. Kody took it, and thanked him. He and Ezon then locked eyes for a moment, silently preparing for the upcoming journey.

  "Here," the handler handed out small packages to everyone, "Your rations. Not much, but it can keep you going for a few days. After that, you'll have to hunt for food."

  "Thanks." William took his package, and studied the handler's face. "You're awfully hospitable for someone whose city just got demolished by the people you're talking to."

  "You don't know our history, patron." the handler said. "We've fought long and bloody to be independent of Erigian control. It was thanks to another that we succeeded." He paused and gestured at the dragon statue in the main square. "That was enough hostility for several lifetimes. This is the bare minimum our culture and laws permit. I wish you a safe and successful hunt." Kody sensed a bit of hurt in the handler's voice, but didn't see the understanding on William's face. He carefully maneuvered towards the two of them, and gently elbowed the ranger in the back.

  "Thank you for… your hospitality." he said.

  "We will do our best to make it up to you." William added.

  Within the hour they were all ready, and eager to leave. Even half-demolished, the city looked pleasant and welcoming, which only served to heighten their sense of guilt. They were led to the southern city limits, where the road forked. Zeenie, Orthus, and William headed east in the fork, leaving Kody and Ezon to go west, and hopefully return before them to fix the hub key.