Malvenath

Malvenath Dustcloud
Fortune Teller?

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"Well, well, if it isn't another guardian come to our land on the search" A deep, rumbling voice whispered from behind Lodestar. The young guardian spun around to find himself staring at the nose of an imperial. He could've sworn the dragon hadn't been there before, appearing suddenly as if out of a dust cloud.

"Who are you!?" Lodestar growled, not taking kindly to being snuck up on.

"A fortune teller" the imperial circled the guardian silently, the corner of his lips turned up in a smile. "My name is Malvenath and..." he sniffed the air, his whiskers inspecting the static. "You appear to be in need of some assistance. What if, I told you that you weren't the first guardian I've encountered in this predicament, that I've made it my calling to help lost souls such as yourself?"

Lodestar didn't drop his guard. "You say you can help me?"

Malvenath Dustcloud raised his head proudly.
"What would you give, little guardian, to know the truth of yourself?
What if I told you, I could reveal your charge? You could be done with this desert, this hardship; you could go home. I wonder what price you'd be willing to pay..."

Curiously, Lodestar inquired further, still not trusting the strange imperial. "What is your price?"

Malvenath circled around a few times before settling down. "Bring me... a metal pole."

"A metal pole?" Lodestar was perplexed.

"Yes, there's a scrapyard less than a day's flight to the north, find one in good condition and bring it back here." Malvenath yawned, closing his eyes slowly, preparing for the wait.



Lodestar returned to the Imperial with a metal pole, carefully chosen from the scrapyard. Indeed, it was as pristine as scrap could be. Malvenath shook the dust off his shoulders, nodding sternly to the guardian. "Good. Good. Now do exactly as I say. Stand 1km to the north, 1km to the west, so that I may see you at a perfect angle."

His curiosity growing, Lodestar followed the imperial's directions. "I've done as you've asked, now what do I do?"

"Just wait there..." Malvenath turned his nose to the sky, sniffing the air, flicking his whiskers. Clouds were gathered above them, the air filled with a familiar buzz.




A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, making contact with the exact pole... that Lodestar was holding. The guardian's vision went dark.

Lodestar woke up several days later, his body covered in dust, his mouth full of sand, whimpering and feeling dejected. Malvenath was nowhere to be seen, but his voice echoed in air. "Go home, little guardian, you don't belong here."

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