Embers in the Dust

Mr. Muffins followed the rest of the party out of the arcane mansion that Dean Rikgos had created for them. As they exited, the sunlight rose lightly over the East horizon and shone on the building. With each minute they watched as the building slowly faded, as if disintegrating into a glitter-filled sky. If it weren’t for their predicament, it would be a beautiful sight, but as it was early and he was only able to drink one cup of coffee before leaving, he felt a disdain toward the entire situation.

It’s important to Leaf, and I get that, but damn… Why all the smoke and mirrors and secret tests? Don’t they see what he’s… what we’ve done in the past two and a half months?

Already waiting outside, the four dragons and three deans stood near the platform. They walked over, with Leaf stepping up onto the platform and taking a deep breath. Dean Onisa, already overly chipper, smiled wide to Leaf and the party, then spoke.

“Hi! Hello. Good morning. Today is the day of your second test, Leaf. I’m sure you’re ready to get it started, so I’ll just skip to my favorite part! By tonight, at sundown, you have to answer just one question. Just one!”

“Okay. What is your question?” Leaf asked her.

“Yes! Let’s get right to it. We would like you to show us how you, as the next Archmage, will change the world for the better.”

Before Leaf could ask more questions, which Mr. Muffins realized quickly would not be an option, the deans levitated toward their dragons, landing at the base of their necks, and took off into the sky. Their wings sent several gusts of wind that caused them to take a step back from the force of air. Leaf turned to the party.

“Umm… What?”

It was a long morning, the party brainstorming what exactly the deans and dragons were asking for, then having to design something to answer that question. By the afternoon, with consideration of their last few months, they decided to speak of the Hounds of War. With illusion magic, he wanted to speak about what they knew, what they’ve done, and what they plan from there. While most of the work would be done by Leaf, with oversight from Mr. Muffins on the magical applications, and practice with Myla and Rhokhishi, he asked that Lyla join him in the conversation.

“Me?” She asked him.

“Yes. You’ve known me the longest, dealing with Sir Ulric that first night. You also were the one to own the Book of Io, which led to everything we’ve learned before leaving Moonbright. I’d like your help, if that’s okay?”

“Of course, Leaf. Just tell me what you need.”

An hour later, the deans and dragons returned with food. The party sat together, eating and working. As the rest of the party was leaning over their poorly drawn design, using the mud and a stick to draw out their plans from there, Mr. Muffins could overhear the conversation happening in the distance between Dalia and Rikgos.

“...It’s definitely something that’s never happened before.” Rikgos stated.

“This Drow Disease makes no sense, though. How did it affect Kirdoth, when only elves were being infected?”

“I don’t know. I wish I could look into this, though. Cerrin has been distraught for weeks, and I’ve not been able to even talk to him, for risk of getting sick.”

“Has Darion or Onisa recommended anything, in case… Kirdoth… Ya know?”

“Not yet. I’m sure we’ll have to bring the defenses around the islands higher, to stop scavengers who try to take their bodies.”

“Wait,” Onisa stopped for a moment, then spoke again. “You don’t think Cerrin will die as well?”

“When a drake dies, and is bonded to their rider, there are consequences. It would make sense to believe that Cerrin, being bonded to an ancient dragon, would suffer more.”

“Poor Cerrin…”

Onisa stepped into the conversation.

“I know things don’t look well for them, but we must not stop our focus right now. Place your face until this is over, for their sakes.”

The two nodded, then tried to take Onisa’s lead in smiling wide. After a few minutes, Mr. Muffins heard them laughing and talking casually, as if they didn’t just have a very morbid conversation. Keeping it in mind for a future conversation with the party, he went back to work. By the evening, Leaf felt confident in their plan. As the sun started to set, the dragons returned and they, along with the Deans, walked over to the platform, where Leaf stood waiting. Onisa spoke first.

“It’s time, Leaf! Let’s see how you answered the question.”

“Yes. I uh…”

Leaf turned back to the party, then locked eyes with Mr. Muffins, who gave him a small nod. They both took a deep breath, then Leaf turned back and started.

“I’d like to talk to you about something you probably already know, but in more detail.”

As he spoke, he channeled his magic into his staff, causing a minor illusion to appear between them. The first image was of the carnival tent.

“When Master Elysium’s Arcana Emporium arrived at Moonbright, I was able to meet the troupe through odd circumstances. I, along with Lyla, were attacked by a man named Sir Ulric. We found that he was part of a group called The Dark Order, which is a sect inside Zarin’s Eternal Pillars. He was also involved in the death of one of the troupe’s members a year prior. While the fight was intense, we quickly defeated him, assuming him dead.

We were wrong, though, as we quickly found out. A week later, Sir Ulric was alive, and attacked the ringleader of the carnival. We fought him again, and after another death, we caught an investigative lead involving Shades, dark creatures of a title-stripped Fae King, named Dubh Catha. In this investigation, we lost Archmage Orin, among others, and eventually found the entire town under the control of one of the troupe’s members, Ramona Moontremble. She, a secret hag, raised her sisters from the grave, and planned on sacrificing them again to raise Dubh Catha and bring him to Midgard. We quickly dispatched her as well.”

Mr. Muffins recalled the fight at the carnival. The fight was bloody and intense, and resulted in the death of Nix, their friend.

“Before leaving, Lyla,” Leaf said as he gestured to her. “Showed us an arcane book, with hidden messages inside from a man named Alyk Tennison, with the moniker of The Curator and Hades, King of the Underworld. In it, we learned about the Hounds of War, generals of Asmodeus. Dubh Catha was the first on that list.”

“The Book of Io,” Lyla added. “Was found inside my old monastery. I had managed to grab it before we were attacked by members of Zarin’s Dark Order, and had been traveling with it for a couple years. It contained more than just information about the Hounds of War, though. It also had information about the beginning of time, a fight between dragons, who chose the opposite sides of war between the giants and the Aesir.”

“From there, we traveled North on a side quest, while also investigating an illegal ring of basilisk smugglers between Moonbright and Aramore. There, we met Cecile and Godfrey Valdimar. Before making it to the small village, we met with the Hag Countess, where we learned that Ramona and her sisters were daughters of the famous hag. She asked us to retrieve her adopted daughter, Trista, while dealing with Cecile’s connection to Kadra the Enchanting and Zidingris the Great Icewing, other Hounds of War. Another fight took place, and in the end, Cecile, Godfrey, and Zidingris were killed.”

Mr. Muffins listened, his mind wandering to the events that transpired. They fought basilisks, met Medusa, Godfrey’s stepmother, freed her and Trista, and then Ana died for a small time. It wasn’t until later that they would learn that Ana wasn’t fully revived, and that, along with the lack of trust they carried for her, led her to leave the group.

“It was during this series of quests that we met an elven woman named Helena, and the Allfather himself, Odin. Odin was interested in Helena’s plans, and became acquainted with Myla, helping her with her psychic abilities. Helena managed to implant something in my mind, where she was able to see and talk to me whenever she chose.

We were saved by Mr. Tennison, who took us to Avernus and allowed us to stay there for a few days. Then, he gave us passage to Berkton, where I started here at the Academy again to receive my Mastery Training and Testing.”

As he spoke, he let the illusion change over time, allowing it to show the person he spoke of from memory. Mr. Muffins listened, impressed that he could not only recall the information, but put it in such an organized manner.

“Our next plan, once finished here, is to travel through the River Styx, where Rhokhishi and we are searching for the weapon held in Zariel’s tomb, Zarin the Just’s sister. With it, we are told that it will be powerful enough to use against Zarin and defeat him.

We have interacted with these Hounds, and we have done a great deal of defeating their plans as time moves on. My plan, as Archmage, is to finish this quest, eradicating the Hounds of War, stopping Asmodeus from rising to power, and saving Midgard.”

Leaf stopped, waiting for a response. Mr. Muffins looked over to the deans and dragons, who all seemed to be speaking telepathically about something. Dalia looked to the party, then to Leaf.

“Why hasn’t this been brought to our attention?”

“It has. I spoke to Cerrin about this when we first arrived. H-Had he not mentioned it over the past five or six weeks that we’ve been here?”

“He’s said nothing of it.” Rikgos answered.

“What about the eladrin? The Guild of the Ravenglades member that was possessed and died?”

“We assumed that it was something entirely different, and had not made connections toward anything else.” Onisa stated.

Mr. Muffins stepped up.

“What’s the likelihood, that with Kirdoth and the Drow Disease, that Cerrin, a dean of a necrotic dragon, could possess a person, and leave withering aspects to their body?”

“That is an excellent question.” Onisa replied, looking back at the others.

“There is also the conversation needed about these Hounds of War. Do any of you know of this?” Dalia asked the dragons behind her.

When the Hounds were first defeated, Eduzan answered. There was a reawakening of one of them. In the year four hundred, in the Zelas Empire of Nothon, a guild defeated her. It was said that she split into five aspects, which would explain why there are eight Hounds in your description.

Darion Walker has been receiving intelligence that assumes this… Moontremble was one of seven who hoped to become the new Hounds. By raising Dubh Catha, they planned on killing him and taking his power for her own.

Mr. Muffins felt the telepathic connection between the party open as Eduzan finished speaking.

Helena. She’s probably involved. Lyla stated.

But there are eight Hounds. Who would be the eighth? Leaf questioned.

She asked you to join her, Leaf. You would have been the eighth. Mr. Muffins answered.

“We dealt with her,” Leaf told them aloud. “As well as Zidingris.”

There are six others, who are on their way to a tomb for the Hound, currently. Sothasem added.

“We are going to the River Styx after this, so that I can find Zariel and be given the weapon to destroy Zarin. This will help stop them.” Rhokhishi interrupted.

It’s a strange coincidence, that you’ll be going to the same place that they are. Tagitar said.

“Avernus?” Leaf pushed.

“With Dubh Catha defeated, and The Hag Countess out of the situation, that only leaves Zarin and the last Hound of War.” Dalia explained. “If Zarin is truly working with the others, he plans on taking them to its tomb, where Zariel lays under. There, the other five can gain the power of a Hound, changing the title to them.”

“You keep saying one, but there are four more, right? Unless there’s something we’re missing here.” Mr. Muffins asked.

Rikgos counted them on his finger as he spoke.

“Vamne, Kadra, Nozi, Rilix, and Zidingris…”

Onisa stepped to Rikgos’ left.

“They are aspects of the true dragon. They are one, under many names, as the one strikes fear into most throughout history.”

Dalia walked to Rikgos’ right.

“Tiamat, the Mother of Chromatic Dragons.”