Phantasm

Phantasm The Deceiver Please read this before you start reading the lore This story is split up amongst 5 different dragons. If you want the full story, then please start on Natasha's profile. Each section of the story will have an arrow at the bottom of it that, when clicked, will lead you to the next section of the story. I know that this isn't how stories are typically formatted, but it made sense when I was writing it. If you do not like this spread out format, you can view the full story here as well. Enjoy. Abyss Curse them. Curse those "Shadehunters". Those fools had no clue what kind of being they were dealing with. They sealed a shard of us within this body, trapping us in this place. But they sacrificed one of their comrades to do it. She knew the stakes, and yet she tried to hunt us down anyways. But we are The Shade. We cannot be destroyed because destruction is our very nature. We will tear down the cities of dragonkind; lay waste to the forests of old. We will wreak havoc when we escape this mere pit. "All it would take is one more sacrifice." ... Eons passed. The sacrifice of the nameless Shadehunter faded from memory and record, but the sliver of The Shade remained where it was sealed all those lifetimes ago. In all that time, nothing had changed in the stone chamber. It remained as dark and forgotten as ever. A recent eclipse had given The Shade piece enough power to call out to those on the surface, but not enough to escape on its own. Until a noise pierced the silence of the forbidden place. A lone dragon had made his way into the very depths of Sornieth, seeking The Shade. He collapsed to the ground upon tumbling into the chamber. He was the same kind of dragon that had trapped the piece of The Shade here. However, he didn't have the same air about himself as those others did. A darkness grew within him. It is not us, but it is not unlike us. If we take some of its strength for ourselves, we can finally break free of this vessel. If we break its will to resist, we can rain chaos upon this world as we were always meant to. The exasperated Gaoler began drifting off to an uneasy sleep. We've waited millennia for this day, so maybe we can wait a few hours more. We want to look it in the eyes as it realizes the power it has unleashed upon the world. "Sleep now. Take it easy. You have done well, my hero."

---

"Freedom is ours."

The sliver of The Shade used its borrowed power to break free of the body that imprisoned it. Without heed for the Gaoler it had stolen strength from, it rushed through the caverns towards the surface. Within only a few moments, it had escaped. The sun was shining in the Gladeveins, not a cloud in the sky.

A perfect day for chaos.

The Shade beast began tearing into trees, animals, anything it could find. But before long, a pair of dragons arrived. We know their species anywhere. Those are the kind that the deities sent to trap us. No matter. We will kill them as we have killed thousand of their kindred.

It lunged at them, but they were experienced. The light maned one threw explosive concoctions at The Shade, while the dark one drove its claws through the beast. We have not waited thousands of years to be vanquished by simple dragons!

The Shade darted through the forest. It couldn't handle two Gaolers in combat, but it didn't have to stop for rest. It proceeded to outrun them, but only for so long. A large shadow pounced from the side onto The Shade, stopping its momentum. It attacked with unnatural strength and accuracy.The dragon from the caves! We should have killed it when we had the chance!

It fought back against The Shade with every bit of energy it could muster. They left fallen trees in their wake, crashing into one another. With a final strike, the cursed Gaoler struck down The Shade beast, causing it to melt back into the earth. Curse you dragon! You and all your kin! You may think that we are defeated, but The Shade knows no defeat. We come and go, spreading misery as we always will.

We are only a fraction of the whole. There will always be another.