1445 ATC
Two adventurers stood at the twin gates of the abandoned silver mine's main chamber, one a tall knight wearing only simple chain mail, covered by a split white and red tabard, a crest of a bell crossed by two swords stitched into the front of it, along with a bucket like helmet that obscured his entire head. The other a short woman with a long, cat like tail and ears atop her head to match, long red hair, and wearing simple robes armed with a repeating crossbow, a wand sheathed on her belt.
As the worm infested, twin headed dragon moved about to do its business, the land around the mines shook little causing Aithne to stay on edge often eyeing the door to the hallway leading to the mine's main chamber which was barred. Outside the sun shone through the leaves illuminating the greens of the woods and casting an almost holy golden hue to the air. A giant wolf-like beast with grey fur and patches of skin missing lay dead and full of crossbow ammunition beside a few other creatures the two put down trying to get into the overrun silver mine. The flies buzzed around in mass and fly off as crows descended from the skies, signaling death in their wake.
''Ready to kill this corrupted roarboom, Sir Knight?''
''Yes. I can't wait for everyone to hear our heroic tale back in Cold Springs, and then allllll of Grigwald and beyond! Sna ha ha!''
The worm corrupted creature scratched at the ground and tapestries on the other side in the hallway and the knight and the flame mage could hear the shredding noises, along with the sound of metal being knocked over. They could hear the roars and growls of the ungodly, corrupted creature. Certainly not a thing to be messed with. To any sane person, but these two were adventurers. And the knight, Nicholas of Grigwald who always hid behind a helmet and always went in with a jovial attitude was either brave for agreeing to fight this monster, or very stupid.
''Hmmmm… There's a set of stairs that lead up. Come on Aithne, we need to get the high ground and hopefully we can get the drop on the.. Roarboom.''
The knight climbed the stone stairs. There were ways around this. His crossbow perhaps? He listened to the large beast scratch at the ground and tapestries, all of the shredding noises as he finally reached the roof and peered down over the observation balcony.
''Hmmmmm...''
It stood about six feet on its fours, hunched over and beneath its dense plated and deep green scales were nothing but pure muscles. Its eyes were like coin slots into a dead white nothing and this creature was so statue like. The draconic body had rotted and useless wings. It had two stubby horns on top of its heads and when it became aware of the two it turned to look at them. In both of it's twin head, where it's tongue should be was only a writhing, black, worm-like monstrosity with a single red eye each. Air is sucked in from outside through the hole in the ceiling as the dragon inhales. Its large chest gets bigger with the expansion of its lungs and with a blowing noise a thin linear jet of black wind is sent upwards towards them. It only seemed to be testing them so far.
This beam of wind tried to home in on Nicholas and Aithne from its angle. The gale cut like a blade expanding as it passes through the hole in the roof. The knight was able evade with no injury but the hole in the roof was made bigger by the cursed blade winds whos impressions leave black fire burning around the edges of where it touched down. The worm dragon then laid down resting its head atop its clawed hands to relax thinking the two were scared away from it's hoard.
''Oh my gods!'' He had pulled a handful of black firebombs and saw the beam of wind, falling back and jumping back out of the way, dropping a few of the bombs in the meantime. The cursed beam attack cut away at the mine's rooftop, almost cutting into his boots ad he sat up and watched the stone fall down into the mine's main room. He breathed heavily and stood up, leaning over the edge again and letting out a sigh. ''I'm smarter than this.'' This was it. Fear. He could not let fear overcome him, no. Nicholas had to confront this dark being, conquer it. And all the precious metals in the mine would be his and Aithne's. And he'd be able to bring it all home to his family, share it with the poor.
When the firebombs detonated the explosion was loud and the shockwave considerable. Aithne drew a sharp gasping breath now and looks to the door. The twin headed monster went flying a few feet back, knocking over a giant pile of silver, with a good deal of chard and broken scales going everywhere. Its smoking skin which was now mostly exposed but in very good health. It was now officially pissed off and started charging for the big iron doors to the treasure chamber. Aithne grabbed her Pryldahnian repeating crossbow and runs a free hand through her red hair and aimed down from the second floor balcony.
"Oh fuck... Here we go.''
He heard the drake ram against the barred doors rummaged around in his satchel for more bombs. Four left. Maybe he had more? He let out a sigh and climbed the railing, drawing his simple steel sword and holding his badge shield close.
''Time to be a hero! I am Nicholas of Grigwald and PREPARE TO FEEL MY WRATH VILE WORM DRAGON! EEEYAAAAAA!''
The knight leapt from the balcony, striking his sword down and slashing into it's back, before failing to catch it's grip and falling to the stone floor with a harsh smack.
Angered, the twin headed worm dragon shot forward, bursting through the iron doors, the flame mage used her magic to superheat the heads of the bolts, firing them slowly. She had a few good hits in the worm dragon's body fixed in there fair but these fuckers were more than strong enough to shrug it off. The neko fire mage on the other and didn't have such options. ''Gah!'' She leapt to the side, running up the stairs to reload.
Nicholas slashed at the worm dragon's tail, making sure to stay behind it while he attacked, he darted behind pillar, behind pillar, and behind another pillar trying to avoid it's twin headed gaze. He peered out from behind one of them, then pressed his back against it, panting heavily beneath his helmet and trying to figure out how to play this. He reached into his satchel and grabbed a single bomb. He would go for the neck, it would be best to sever them and then cut up the demon worm creatures puppeting the corpse. ''Hiya!'' He wound up his throwing arm, and threw the bomb as far and hard as he could.
It punched right through its ribcage from the side, right below the necks. Its heads went to the sides with a loud roar that broke nearby scaffoldings. It was pretty mad and flails its heads to knock over some tables and its tail smacked a pillar.
With a rage filled snarl it made a one eighty, Throwing Aithne with its tail high into the air and then a dark accursed vortex of razor winds pull her in. ''Augggggghhhh…!'' Dropping the crossbow she flung her hands out and bursts of flame shot from the palms of her hands. Slowly she rose as the funnel constricts making the winds move faster.
''Hiya!'' Charging with his badge shield in front of him, the knight charged, bracing as hard as he could, drawing the gaze from one of it's twin heads. The dead mouth of the twin headed dragon opened up and from it shot a long, black parasitic worm that snaked at the man, who promptly smacked it away with his badge shield and slashed down with his sword, severing the infernal worm.
As she drifted in the wind stream like a ragdoll it looked rather peaceful but as the mini storm picked up her ears could hear the slicing of wind like blades into flesh and bone she was thrashed. The stream had drawn a multiple bisections, one across her belly, another diagonally across her chest.
She screamed and cried as flames began to burn away it's weakened scales and burning exposed flesh, before the knight took out one of the heads and she finally landed on the ground, her head bashing against a nearby rock, the force enough to leave her dazed as she tried to lift herself up enough to stand, her nose leaking and dripping blood as she grasped at her stomach. She let out a short gasp and went still, the light leaving her eyes.
The worm dragon reared its last head back an takes air in, letting it all out at close range like a shotgun blast, sending the knight flying back into a cart full of silver ore, blasting his badge shield in half, some of the stream punching right through his chainmail, directly into his chest. The worm dragon, while victorious in battle was heavily wounded and only wanted to protect it's makeshift nest, falling forward, exhausted, and hungry, looking to the wounded fire mage before it. The still intact head loomed over Aithne, it's mouth opened and in place of the tongue a slithering back worm that came closer and closer...
It stopped suddenly as the neko's corpse moved, flames came out of her very being, parts of her body glowing bright orange as she rose again, though she looked like she were being pulled up by a string, behind her flames manifested from deep within her body and created two massive wings and a jagged flame crown above her head.
Seeing it distracted, Nicholas gripped his simple steel sword with both hands and rose to his feet with all the strength he could muster, and began to swing it throughout the air while he rushed forward. He twirled and swirled the blade elegantly before simply planting his back foot, and thrusting forward. The point went through it's body, causing it to emit a shrill, monstrous scream. In response Aithne threw out her hands again, burning the image of a sword onto a nearby boulder and then ripping it free. It floated in the air before flying straight between the worm dragon's twin heads, slicing it in half down the center.
''Ah! Hyah!'' Nicholas used all his strength and rushed forward again, gripping his sword with both hands and hacking away at it's exposed flesh until he severed the neck and head completely. The neko fire mage summoned great pillars of flame and burnt all of the small, demonic black worms that spilt from it's body until the infernal worms were finally purged from the world.
''Hoo… Hoo...'' The knight dropped his sword and stumbled back against an anvil, his head falling back as he held his hands to his bleeding chest. "Argghhh..." The eyeholes in his helmet being pitch black despite the lighting, and seemed to be always dark even in the bright sunlight. His limbs went limp as more blood poured from his chest, his vision going dark.
''I... We slayed the beast... And now... It slayed us too...'' He rambled with his dying breath as the neko mage, wreathed and crowned in an ancient flame approached him. ''I'm not... It's a glorious way to die... In battle... I've only seen death once and... And.'' Nicholas choked.
''In... In my youth we were all friends on the back of a high speed wagon ride... And there was this girl I was sweet with... Bailey... Bailey Wallace. She had long golden hair and eyes like the color of the summer sky... Cute upturned nose... And she... She fell from the wagon... Her head was bashed in and she died only minutes later... Such a terrible accident and I remember every moment of it and I wish we were more careful... It was... I wonder... I wonder if I'm going to see her soon.''
A muffled sob from within the faceless knight's helmet.
''She was too young to die...''
Aithne knelt in front of the man, her giant, flaming wings rising higher behind her. Nicholas becoming extremely tired, he knew he was just a few seconds away from death as his mind entered a bright, twisting tunnel.
''This isn't it ov... The dream, that queen with the cat ears in hiding, the bells that called me to adventure...''
''Come, embrace me, Sir Nicholas. Take up my curse... Be reborn as the new Phoenix King.'' The neko said approaching him, embracing the dying knight.
"I grow tired of death and rebirth over and over again... Now it is your turn... Take up my curse, and use this power to return Kundaland to the world of Laguna... The visions will guide you. And soon, all will be one again..."
Aithne wrapped her burning wings around Nicholas' body, caressing his helmeted head as flame consumed them and the entire mine.