What a find! That dungeon is bound to have rare loot- unique artefacts that the clan needs to get their hands on. I raced back to the lair in the Fortress of Ends, intent on getting back to Shiyuan - the clan tactician- as soon as possible. He’ll not only be the most capable dragon of organising a team that suits the requirements; he’ll also the most excited to hear about the discovery.
It didn’t take long to find him in the lair- he loves to hang around the mess hall, of all places. When I mentioned treasure, every dragon’s ears perked up, but he showed me to his Planning Lair. In the solar, he listened to everything I had to say with tired eyes, but I think there was a gleam of a smile hidden beneath his mask. When I finished explaining, we left the solar to assemble the team.
The first member was the scout. But when I asked, he laughed at me! “Malvina, not only are you the scout that knows where the cave is, you are our best scout! You know how to blend into the shadows through pure skill- you have no need for magic. I would have you lead this team to the dungeon.” We exited the lair into an icy clearing, where a lone Skydancer performed aerobatic tricks without a care. “Now I know you spend much of your time away from the clan,” Shiyuan said, “so I will introduce you to your right-hand dragon…”
The Skydancer must have sensed our approach. He landed next to Shiyuan with a graceful wingbeat, sun shining on his beautiful feathers and fur. “This is Kleitos,” Shiyuan continued. “He is one of our most skilled battle medics. He usually works with his partner; however your group is limited in numbers. He’ll make an excellent addition, but his great asset is the respect he commands from his years of service. You’ll need him for the last two members.”
“What’s the mission?” Kleitos’ voice was as smooth as his fur, and almost hypnotising. It took a moment to realise he had addressed me.
“Rare artefacts in a dungeon, protected by a Guardian that wants me to bring a group back to her for inspection.” I enjoy my job at the worst of times, when all I have to do is scout an area for the foragers or the hunters, but when you find a cave protected by a mysterious Guardian, it’s hard not to sound a little excited. Kleitos snorted with a smile.
“Sounds like fun.” He turned to Shiyuan before asking “but you’re going to make me control those two?”
“Those three.” Shiyuan turned back to the lair and bid us to follow. I hurried along behind him while Kleitos fell behind. I swear I heard him mutter something beneath his breath, though I have no idea what it could have been; it didn’t sound nice.
We wound our way down to the vaults. I’d never been this far before, so it was a bit colder than I was prepared for. We passed all kinds of frozen creatures and artefacts along the way- I’d never seen them before, but I knew I would be adding my own collection to them very soon. We reached a door covered in sigils and strange markings. It was designed to keep thieves and the unworthy out- and keep the imprisoned in, should it come to that. With a low hum and a wave of his paw, Shiyuan unlocked the door and dispersed the magic bound to it.
“Keep close,” he said quietly. “None are permitted where we’re going, save for a very, very select few.” I swallowed my apprehension as we followed tunnel after tunnel, twisting under the ice, and making our way into a dimly lit corridor. Suddenly something caught my eye, and I would have screamed if the noise hadn’t caught in my throat.
It looked like Shiyuan, but only in shape. It was a writhing mass of black threads, and its body made a disconcerting slithering sound that echoed throughout the tunnel. It stared at the tactician for a moment, before the threads dispersed and disappeared into the walls. “That was a short introduction,” he chuckled, turning back to my horror-stricken face. “That is a magical construct of sorts; near invulnerable, and replaceable besides. It can take more damage than any living dragon. I pray he is not required, but our Guardian wanted to see a dragon who can withstand damage, so Jiongu will be your representative.”
I finally managed to say something, though in hindsight it was not the smartest thing to say: “what in Sornieth was that?!
”
“Mine.” A booming voice took me by surprise, and the space left by the… thing, was replaced by a Guardian I knew all too well.
Kakuzu was a mercenary that the clan often called upon for more unsavoury jobs. Rumour has it that he was immortal, but I think he’s just deadly enough that no one has come close to killing him. Rumour also had it that he was amassing some kind of power beyond imagination. If he was responsible for the thread creature, those rumours might be right.
“Now, in regular circumstances, I would send these two alone.” Shiyuan spoke softly, but his voice reverberated off the icy walls, making him easy to hear. “Yet since your group is not as limited as it could be, they will join your party. It’s not common for them to work with others, I will warn you.”
“So the Spiral is in charge?” Kakazu queried.
“This is a mission sanctioned to us by Kathura herself,” Kleitos replied with a snarl, “with Shiyuan as our commander and Malvina as the leader. But it’s me that you’ll be answering to, bounty hunter.”
“Ha!” A new voice cut through the echoes like a knife, ringing on the ice and in my ears. “That’s almost as funny as the kid being in charge!”
A black-and-blood coloured Mirror slithered in from the shadows behind Kakazu. It could only be his partner, Hidan- another rumoured immortal, but far less stable than his comrade. Dragons claimed to have seen him take a hit that would have killed a dragon three times his size, and all he did was complain about how annoying it felt. Other stories circulated about how vicious he was when he took down his enemies, and how he employed strange magic and curses to turn his foe’s attacks against them…
“So what are we doing this time, Tundra?” Kakazu’s voice boomed, even as he muttered the question.
“Artefact retrieval, with a twist,” Shiyuan answered. “Follow Malvina and Kleitos’ directions and instructions, grab the prizes, bring them back.”
Kakuzu seemed to ponder the order as if it was an option, but it was Hidan that spoke. “Double the rate, I don’t like taking orders.”
“Done.” Shiyuan looked between the four of us with a proud smile, or so I assumed. Meanwhile, Kleitos and I glowered at Hidan and Kakuzu, who seemed to smirk back at us. “With your combined skills, I have the utmost faith you’ll have a safe and successful journey. Best rest up tonight; who knows what awaits you.”
I did what I could to stay positive, but it was hard knowing who would be joining me in the morning. Still, we did fit the Guardian’s requirements, so we were bound to pass. And Shiyuan was right: if my teammates had even half the skill that he believed they had, there was no way the mission could go wrong.
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[img]Tzande would be their shield with his strength and ferocity;[/img]
