Forums → Art, Music, and Writing → Dragonlance(Minus the symbols hopefully)

......I hate those flippin symbols.
I guess they don't go away.
Here's the guide though.
The symbols either mean this: ' or this: "
Hopefully that clears that up
...I really hate those symbols....
Anyone have a hatchet that can attack symbols? Moat lost mine down a dragon's throat >

*sigh*

Ok, just a tip: Write your stories in Word/Note pad, It shamwow's the weird symbols.

Speaking of which, Moat still owes me 25 AP for that hatchet...

Copy and paste it into notepad and try it agian. See if that works.

I know this is a dead thread, but I'm hoping this will get rid of the symbols *crosses fingers*
Oh, and Dragonlance and all its properties belong to Wizards of the Coast publishing, all the authors of Dragonlance, and all associates and affiliates.
Now that that's done....

Sequel To Dragonlance: The New Adventures, Dragon Sword

By Jonathan(aka Moat)

Chapter 1



Davyn tossed and turned in his sleep. Underneath his eyelids, he saw the events of the last months. It was clear and lucid. At first, he saw himself and Maddoc, planning and plotting carefully to return the evil, extremely powerful (and long dead) sorceress Asvoria back to life by implanting her consciousness into their victim; a young farm girl named Nearra, and then bringing it out into domination of Nearra and control of her body by putting the poor girl through traumatic experience after traumatic experience until Asvoria automatically took over to save them, rather like an involuntary reaction, similar to if you put your hand on a burning stove, to immediately take it off. Maddoc would also remove her memories, ( btw(by the way), this is a summary of book one: Temple of the Dragonslayer) so that she would accept Davynâs âhelpâ (it would help her be disorientated and more frightened).It would be uncontrollable. Maddoc planned to ask Asvoria for her magical secrets, since he had brought her back to life. Davyn went to âsaveâ Nearra( and lead her into countless false traps planted by Maddoc) . He intended to follow the plan. But then, everything had gone wrong. The warrior Catriona, the kender Sindri, the minotaur Jax, the copper dragon Raedon, and the half-blood elf Elidor had come along. And then- Davyn had become to sincerely like Nearra and the others. They went to the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars, hoping the clerics there could help recover her memory. There, Nearra had used the arrow of Elethia had slain the dragon Slean (a servant of Maddocâs) and saved the lives of her friends. However, Nearraâs memories were not re-obtained. Jax and Raedon had stayed at the temple, and the other companions had journeyed to the city of Arngrim, where a powerful magical cult, the Scarlet Brethren, resided.( book two: the Dying Kingdom) However, the nobles of Arngrim and the Scarlet Brethren were undead(even if they looked human most times, they were undead) ; theyâd been defeated by Asvoria and then cursed to undead immortality several hundred years ago. Prince Alric Arngrim, sick of his half-life, and who had become friends with the companions, defied his parents and fought them, giving the adventurers time to escape. Some sort of magical cyclone his mother had called up had killed him, his parents, and the Scarlet Brethren. Next the party went to the city of Potterâs Mill, where they thought that the blind seer there could help them.( book three; The Dragon Well) There, they had killed the Beast, which at the moment of its death was revealed as Davynâs long-lost father who had been transformed by Maddoc into what he was now. Only Davyn and Elidor knew; Sindri, Cat, and Nearra had been in the fortress of the rogue king, whoâd captured them, then they escaped, but only after Nearra had fallen into the Dragon Well (a well of dragon blood that had magic on it that would either curse and bless anyone who touches it, or do nothing to them. That was how the seer got her powers; she fell in too. She was blinded, but had the gift of foresight. Ironic.)Next, they went to Maddocâs keep, where they thought that a scroll there could return Nearraâs memories.( book four: Return of the Sorceress. A bit of a giveaway, donât you agree?) There, the friends discovered Davynâs secret; he had been raised by Maddoc, and had helped his plan to take over Nearra. However, they forgave him, although Cat never quite trusted him again. Maddoc and his minions attacked them there. But, despite their best efforts, the Emergence ( what Maddoc called the time when Asvoria was to take over Nearra) occurred there, even though a badly wounded and poisoned Raedon had arrived to help at the last minute, then left again. They then went to Navarre, ( book five: Dragon Sword) where they hoped to obtain the Aegis, Asvoriaâs sword, and destroy it before she could get it. If she had both the Aegis and the Daystar (her super-powerful protection medallion) she would be unstoppable, just like she was centuries ago. Maddoc joined them on the quest, and taught Sindri some real magic. However, the adventurers lost the battle. They were wounded, and Ophion( Asvoriaâs shapeshifter) killed Elidor. Davyn remembered that part particularly clearly. He saw it; the companions, Asvoria, Maddoc, and Ophion were in the treasure-filled cavern. Elidor sliced at Ophion, but the shapeshifter changed, and the knife went right through him. Then he stabbed Elidor. Cat, fighting Asvoria, could do nothing. Neither could the badly wounded Sindri or Maddoc. But⦠Sindri used his newfound magic to destroy the Aegis and shatter it. Then, with a sudden burst of will power, Nearra regained temporary control of herself. She stopped the blade about to kill Catriona, and allowed the friends to escape. During the battle, Sindri had stolen the Daystar, but Davyn had taken it from him for safekeeping. They had abandoned Maddoc in Navarre. Then in his dreams, Davyn saw things he had no knowledge of: he saw when Catriona, still a squire, was with her aunt, a knight, and bandits ambushed them. When her aunt told her to run, she ran! Then her aunt was killed. The knights had banned her from the order. She was banned because she had abandoned a fellow knight in battle, in which said knight was killed. She was branded (okay, not literally) a coward and dishonorable. But she still had her armor from squirehood. Then he saw Elidor, an outcast in his Silvanesti home. They shunned him because he was half-blood; his mother was Silvanesti and his father was Kagonesti, two very different clans of elves. So he ran away. Then Sindri. He saw Sindri was rejected because he claimed to be a wizard, which no one believed: After all, who had heard of a kinder wizard? It would be the equivalent of someone saying that they were really from Jupiter today. Somehow, Davyn knew that what he was seeing was true: it had really happened. Then, he saw the future: all the companions were dead, and Asvoria had found a way to banish Nearra without harming herself, which she had done. Then, Davyn woke with a start.
Chapter 2


The next night, surrounded by dense pine woodlands, the companions sat around the campfire, which was melting the thin layer of white snow around it.
âCat,â Davyn said as he fed the crackling fire another log âStop fidgeting, would you? Youâre worse than Sindri, ever since we left Navarre.â
âHey!â protested the small figure in traveling clothes. He adjusted the purple cape around his shoulders and added⦠âIâve been good.â
â Thatâs what I mean, Sindri. We finally get you to sit still for a moment, then all of a sudden Cat wonât stop squirming. Itâs like itâs contagious.â Davyn said. Sindri grinned. â Iâve been sick before, and I had to stay in bed all day. It was horrible!â Davyn suppressed a groan. Sindriâs chatter floodgates had been opened. Catriona, likewise sensing the inevitable talking, stood and said
â Iâll go get some more firewood,â and left, her heavy chainmail armor clanking as she left camp.
â- and then my uncle Balan Winewhisker said to knock me upside the head to cure me, and my parents said absolutely not! And then they got into a big fight and my uncle did end up whacking me on the head and I was cured. But I knew that being hit released my magic, so then I cured myself.â Davyn winced. That sounded far too much like the Emergence for comfort. Poor, poor Nearra, possessed by Asvoria. The pine on nearby trees rustled, and Catriona returned, carrying an armload of logs. âHi, Cat,â the kinder said cheerfully âI was just telling Davyn how I jound out I can use magic.â With a noncommittal grunt, Cat set the heavy logs down in a pile. âI sure wish Raedon was here. He could always tell a good joke. But you two are even more solemn than Jax was, and thatâs saying something!â complained Sindri.
â Maddoc must be even worse, eh? Abandoned in Navarre, all alone.â Cat said. Sindri shuddered. â I donât think we should have left him there,â Sindri said. â And we certainly shouldnât have left Elidorâs body.â Cat shook her head. â It wouldâve been too heavy to haul all the way to Kagonesti. There was no time.â
â But there was time to rifle throught his belongings.â Spat Davyn. Cat stiffened.
â You know we needed to know where he lived in order to return his belongings to his family,â Cat snarled.
â And maybe take a few things too,â Davyn taunted. Cat froze. Davyn had insulted her honor, and her respect for Elidor. She may have been expelled from the knights, but honor was still just as important to her. She decided to strike back- hard
â Well, if it wasnât for you, then Elidor would still be alive.â Cat shot back. Sindri sat and stared at both of them. They were stiking at raw nerves, aggravated by the long hours of battle, travel, and little sleep, and all for nothing. The Emergence had occurred and Asvoria now controlled Nearra. â And Nearra wouldnât be a prisoner in her own mind, either. Itâs all because you collaborated with Maddoc and deceived us. We trusted you, Nearra trusted you, Elidor trusted you, and you betrayed us.â( note from da author: YOWCH! THATâS GOTTA HURT!) Cat was almost shouting now.
â Oh, sure,â Davyn said â Iâm deceitful. Iâm mean. Iâm rotten to the core. But at least Iâm brave enough to face who I am. Youâre a coward. You think you know what honor is, ordering us this way and that like a knight in her castle. You deceive even yourself. Elidor forgave me. Nearra forgave me. You were too scared to admit what you are, Cat- a complete failure. You failed your aunt. You failed Elidor. You failed Nearra. You tried to protect them, and theyâre dead or as good as. You gave them your word, and your cowardice caused you to break it. What kind of honor condones that?â Davyn stopped, knowing he had struck a death-blow. ( Notha note from da author: OMG! QUADRUPLE-ULTRA-EXTRA YOOOWWWCH!) Cat moved not a muscle. She knew that some of what Davyn said was true: after all, she had failed them. All the guilt, shame, sorrow, was funneling into her fury. And that fury was directed at Davyn right now. With all her strength Cat swung her fist at Davyn. The nimble ranger dodged the blow, and drew his fist back to retaliate.
â Enough!â shouted Sindri, who had finally recovered from his initial shock.( Note from da author: Well, itâs ABOUT TIME!)Using his telekinesis ring( which gives the wearer the power of telekinesis: the ability to move objects from a distance) ,Sindri forced back Davyn and Catâs fists and pushed them to opposite sides of the clearing( note from the author: Ummm⦠more description? I donât get it. Oooooooh now I get it. You donât know what telekinesis is? Or donât know how come Sindri gets a headache? Got it. Oh and plus, he didnât push their FISTS to opposite sides of the clearing he pushed THEM. Just spotted that, and wanted to clear it up.) . Sindriâs head felt ready to split ( because he used his telekinesis ring, which gives the user headaches depending on how often they use it, for how long, how heavy the object(s) they move are(is) and how far they move it. It was known to make Davyn (its previous owner) black out when he used it too much.) Sindriâs head felt ready to split, but it was worth it. Davyn and Cat were still glaring and scowling, but they had calmed down and werenât fighting anymore and had calmed down. Cautiously (careful not to overdo it) Sindri fake-yawned. â I donât know about you, but Iâm pooped!â he said, and without further ado, rolled into the shelter and laid on his bedroll. Soon, he was fast asleep.



Chapter 3

The next morning, Sindri awoke to find that Davyn was gone. He turned to wake Cat, only to find that she wasnât in the tent either. Worried, Sindri exited the shelter. Cat was packing camp.
â Whereâs Davyn?â Sindri asked Cat. Cat handed him a note.
â Apparently, he saw fit to leave,â Cat said. Sindri read the note. It said:
â Companions, we have had our differences. But I now realize I have held this group back. I lied, and caused Elidorâs death and Nearraâs imprisonment. I admit it now. Iâm sorry, and I donât want to restrict this part any longer. I left some provisions in the second knapsack. I travel to the Temple of the Holy Orders of the Stars, where I will be welcomed by Jax, Raedon, Feandan, Nysse, Gunna, Pedar, and anyone else who has come there since last we were there. I trust you to return Elidorâs effects to his kin. I shall not continue on this vain venture. If we keep confronting Asvoria and Ophion, then we will soon join Elidor as spirits in the Gray. I have seen it. Nearra would want us to save ourselves, Iâm certain.
May luck shine on you both, and may we meet again,

Davynâ

Sindri just stood there for a moment. Then, he said â I want to go to Palanthas.â
â Palanthas? But we must go to Kagonesti.â Cat said
â I know,â answered Sindri â But if I pass the Test of High Sorcery, then I can teleport both of us to Kagonesti. Itâs much faster.â Catâs patience utterly dissolved, she wasnât the most patient person in Ansalon in the first place, and she was in a bad mood (understandably) right now.
â Sindri, you canât cast spells. Davyn just let you find his telekinesis ring.â She said. Sindri whirled around
â Gee, Cat, with an attitude like that, why would Davyn ever want to leave?â He said sarcastically(and very uncharacteristically). Cat sighed.
â Sindri, Iâm not trying to be mean. But we canât waste our time.â
â Waste?â Sindri did something he never did: he got angry. âRight! I canât be a wizard! Ever since I was a lad, people have been saying I canât be a wizard. They laughed at my dreams and crushed my hope( authorâs note: awwww poor Sindri) . Well, Iâm done with it! I donât care what people think! If they donât think I can do it, then Iâll do it alone! You wait and see- one day Iâll be Sindri Suncatcher, the greatest kender wizard ever!â And with that, Sindri stormed off.
âWait!â exclaimed Cat. But Sindri didnât look back.
Chapter 4


As Davyn walked slowly southeast, he sadly reflected on the failed quest. He also raged quietly at Maddoc, who had deceived him into thinking he was Davynâs father, after transforming his real father into the Beast, whom Davyn killed before he knew the truth. Soon the Temple came into view. Smiling, Davyn walked over to the tall, burly minotaur in the courtyard.
â Jax!â called Davyn
â Davyn,â said Jax, and dipped his head. â What a nice surprise. Where are the others?â Though Jax now wore a holy symbol of Paladine on his neck, he was clad in thick steel-plate armor and his double-edged ax hung from his belt.
â Our paths have separated.â Davyn said, and explained what had happened, from the friendsâ adventures at Arngrim, then Potterâs Mill (minus the part about his father) with the seer and the Dragon Well, and the Bandit King, then Cairngorn Keep, the Emergence, the Daystar, the Aegis, Maddoc, Asvoria, Ophion, Elidorâs death, and the groupâs divisions.
â Thatâs too bad to hearâ¦â said Jax rather gruffly, which Davyn knew was his way of hiding how sad he felt. â Well, it seems you have had many adventures without me,â said Jax. â I wish I was there to help. Come in; Raedon arrived weeks ago with very serious poisoned injuries on his wing. The clerics are treating him now and heâs expected to make a full recovery.â Jax ushered Davyn into the temple.
â Out of curiosity, what foul beast did this to Raedon?â asked Jax
â Iâm not sure. Asvoria said something about her pet spiders from the Cataclysm, creatures that could cause instantaneous death with a single bite,â answered Davyn. â Luckily for Raedon, the spidersâ poison had supposedly been greatly reduced in lethality over the ages.â
â Ah,â said Jax âIâve read about those. They were called Gray Spiders, not for their dun color, but for where their bites sent you (authorâs note: Um, dur, into the Gray or into death.).â Davyn stopped and stared at Jax. â Since when have you been scholarly?â asked Davyn
â About a few months after you left for Arngrim. Itâs the peace of this place. Itâs like a spell that works on the gruffest, toughest barbarian in Ansalon. But I can still fight.â Answered Jax. Davyn nodded.
â Here we are,â said Jax, opening a door in the long hallway. Nysse was bent over Raedon who was on a gigantic round marble table, studying his left wing, the one heâd been bitten on. Davyn was pleased to see that it was much less ragged and swollen than before. Raedon smiled when he saw them.
â Hello,â the dragon said pleasantly, stretching his bad wing and scratching it with a front claw. Nysse let out an exasperated sigh.
â I told you not to move or scratch your wing,â she said
â But it itches,â said Raedon âAnd itâs sore.â
â And it will continue to be so until you allow me to heal it properly,â Nysse said. Raedon presented Nysse his wing again.
â What brings you, little one? You should be saving Nearra.â Nearra was the only one that Raedon called by name. The others, he referred to as â little oneâ or similar. Davyn repeated his tale to Raedon
â Sometimes, I completely fail to understand human behavior,â confessed Raedon. â You were said due to Elidorâs passing, and I suppose thatâs reasonable. But then you get into a fistfight with another of your friends about it? Iâm certain neither Elidor nor Nearra would want that. And then you separate? Leaving them alone, and destroying all chance of returning to save Nearra? That certainly isnât reasonable. You should try to make amends.â
â But how? I took a week to travel here- they couldâve gone anywhere!â replied Davyn
â Letâs think about it, shall we? The way I see it, there are few possible directions of travel your friends could take. First, they could go to Kagonesti to find Elidorâs kin, which would take them southwest, second, they can return to Navarre to try and save Nearra, which would take them north, or third, they can part ways and seek their fortunes elsewhere, like you. Knowing your friends best, where do you think theyâll have gone?â Raedon inquired.
â Theyâll probably be going to Kagonesti, seeing how theyâve not arrived here.â Davyn said.
â Then I leave for Kagonesti,â said Jax. â While youâre still my friend, Davyn, I donât approve of you abandoning your friends. Iâll go to help them.â Raedon and Davyn turned and stared at Jax in surprise.
â But, Jax-â Davyn began
â But nothing. Catriona and Sindri may need my help, and I canât ignore my friends. Iâm going to Kagonesti. Iâm sorry, Davyn.â And with that, Jax left.


Chapter 5

Cat carefully picked her way care down the steep, rocky pass down the tip of the canyon. She was going to Kagonesti, not only to return Elidorâs belongings to his family, but to find new companions. There was no way in Krynn that she could best both Asvoria and Ophion by herself, even though the Aegis had been destroyed. Cat misplaced a foot, and the delicate slate underfoot shattered, sending Cat sliding several feet down the hill before a strong ledge stopped her fall. Cat gingerly picked herself up, examining her newly acquired cuts and bruises, which were still minor. Careful to test the earth underfoot before placing weight on it, Cat continued on her way until the sun dipped under the horizon. Cat set up camp, carefully stacking stones to makes. The tedious activity took only minutes, as Cat was accustomed and well practiced at doing this. Then she unfurled her bed roll and slept.
Cat awoke to the sound of her stone barriers being broken. In an instant, Catâs sword was in her hand. She jumped up to see about seven figures pouring through the gap. They must know someone was there, but didnât actually see Cat. Cat slid closer and closer. Then she charged. One of the bandits yelled a warning and pointed at Cat, but too late. Cat descended on them, slashing and hacking. Luckily, the element of surprise saved her. Then, a bandit who hadnât entered the camp began intoning and opening bags of spell components. Cat recognized the movements, thanks to Maddocâs magic lessons heâd given Sindri. She dove down, narrowly missing two blades, as the wizard completed his spell. A huge ball of fire, like the one Maddoc had shown Sindri to use to chase off the shades in Navarre, came roaring out from his palms, passing just above Cat and scorching her a little. The bandits nearby werenât so lucky. The fireball passed through the camp and rammed right into the steep incline, causing land to tumble down towards the magician and Cat. Cat ran to the left, hoping to sidestep the rockslide. The wizard ran down, apparently hoping to outrun it. Down rolled the earth, fast approaching.


Chapter 6





North, Sindri told himself. Just go north, and youâll find Palanthas. Ignore Cat thoughts. Ignore Davyn thoughts. âHey!â Sindri exclaimed. âLook at that!â A huge boulder in the shape of a giant golden potato was sticking up. Sindri jumped onto the rock, crying happily. He jumped from crack to crack, from ledge to ledge on the boulder. Hours crept by. Sindri started walking again, then frowned. â Where was I going?â He asked himself. No answer. â Well, thatâs rude, but it doesnât matter. Iâll just go, and see where I end up. This will be fun!â And he kept walking.

Chapter 7


Cat groaned and shook clods of dirt and pebbles off her armor. Standing, Cat gasped in dismay. The path sheâd been following was obliterated. There was no way Cat could get through there now. There were only two other options. She could continue south, and go straight through th treacherous Vingaard Mountains in the dead of winter, or she could go north, then west, then south again, passing Navarre on the way. The first route was months shorter than the second, and Cat didnât have months to spare. If Nearra wasnât rescued soon enough, then her spirit would crumble and Asvoria would have total and irrevocable control. Cat couldnât allow that to happen. So she walked south, toward the freezing gales and blizzards of winter in the Vingaard Mountains.



Chapter 8



Davyn blinked away the snowflakes on his eyelashes as he nocked an arrow from his quiver and sighted it on his prey; a wounded deer that couldnât run and had been left behind. Davyn released the string and the arrow flew through the air with a hiss, and killed the deer. There was a loud THUMP! And the ground shook. Snow collecting on bare branches promptly slid off. There was another thump, this one stronger. Davynâs knees buckled, and birds in nearby trees flew off, cawing wildly. Abandoning the deer, Davyn nocked an arrow and aimed his bow in the general direction of the sound while he walked rapidly backwards, toward the temple. THUMP! Faster, if he could just reach the courtyard⦠THUMP! Davyn knew he alone couldnât best whatever it was. He turned around and ran as fast as he could, meanwhile slinging his bow back into his quiver. THUMP! Davyn ran faster⦠faster⦠THUMP! Davynâs breath came out in misty clouds, the snow crunched underfoot⦠THUMP! Faster⦠YES! There was the courtyard. Davyn yelled at the cleric at the gate, who ran inside, bellowing a warning. Davyn vaulted the gate as clerics stampeded out. Holy symbols were fumbled for, blessings murmured, and Raedon exited, his barbed tail swinging dangerously behind him. Suddenly, Davyn couldnât move. His breathing quickened and sweat beaded his forehead despite the cold. An inexplicable sense of dread filled him like a balloon. Davyn knew the sensation. Heâd felt it before, when heâd fought Slean. Dragonfear. Just as he reached the conclusion, a huge blue dragon crashed through the trees, and unleashed a bolt of lightning at Raedon.

Chapter 9




Sindri bounced along the cold deciduous forest. The kender saw a low tree branch and jumped on it, swinging around a few times before letting go with a whoop. Sindri cared not a fig that the trees let in to light. Sindri could see just fine in the dark. The fact that most people would find the forest foreboding, gloomy, and disturbing failed to perturb the kender also. Kender are immune to fear, save perhaps the knee-knocking terror produced by death knights and dragons (or lack thereof the ability to knock knees, or move at all). Sindriâs delicate nose detected a rank, pungent scent emanating from a clearing, but ignored it, walking right into the clearing. He was knocked out as soon as he entered.

Namelkion puffed. The gold dragon shouldâve known his spell of Befuddlement would work on good aligned beings as well as evil. And now that fool of a kender(okay well, granted he was under a temporary spell of Befuddlement) had traipsed right into the Deep, a part of the forest even Namelkion avoided. The dragon morphed from the form of a gold boulder into his natural form. Resignedly, Namelkion followed the kenderâs tiny tracks and his scent to try and save him from the creatures of the Deep.


Chapter 10


Cat trudged slowly through the thigh-deep (and Cat is pretty tall, about six foot two) snow, teeth chattering, fighting the powerful gales that chilled her wet form to the bone. The snow and hail pouring down aggravated the situation, the snows chill biting down hard and the soft-ball sized hail forming bruises the size of Catâs fist. Luckily, she was already completely numb with the cold, so she felt nothing. Cat tried to motivate herself, but finally the elements won and Catriona fell face down (authorâs note: sheâd better hope the snowâs not yellow, hee hee. Btw look at following pic sideways and youâll see a face: =c P)

Sindri found himself upside-down, moving, and suspended in midair. âWow!â exclaimed Sindri â Iâve finally learned how to levitate myself while unconscious!â Then Sindri noticed the rope on his wrists and ankles, and the log those ropes were attached to. Sindri saw a lizard-man on either side of him, carrying the log. He was underground in a dirt tunnel slanting downhill, as far as he could tell hanging upside down. â Hello, lizard man!â said Sindri. â Iâm Sindri Suncatcher. Whatâs your name?â There was no answer, so Sindri decided that the lizard-man couldnât hear him. âHELLO!â said Sindri, making his voice especially loud; he didnât want to make the lizard-man strain to hear him. âIâM SINDRI SUNCATCER! WHATâS YOUR NAME?â The lizard man didnât answer, so Sindri started guessing. âTOMMYTHEUS? MARCUSSONI? COYANA? ZACHARONI? MADISONT? DAVIDASON? RIVERRAN? JUSTICEA? JUSTINAN? SAVANNAHAH? MATTIN? ESMERELDANION? ROSALIONAN? LILYAN? JEFFERSONIAN? BRYTONIC? SAMMYUEL? KARISSATINA? JOSEYANA? LINDSAYODA? TRACYA? WAYDEON?â Just as Sindri was running out of guesses, the lizard-man turned and growled at him, then said guttural and unrecognizable. â OH I GET IT! YOUR NAMEâS SINDRI!â And Sindri chatted away cacophonously.


Chapter 11


Davyn stood paralyzed before the mighty blue dragon. Raedon had been saved by the protective wards placed around him by the clerics and was now flapping his wings towards his adversary.
âHello!â boomed the dragon âI am Tuthmaelos, servant of Asvoria! I seek the Daystar! Give it to me now, and no violence will ensue! I want naught but peace⦠and the Daystar!â Davyn gripped the medallion hidden under his cloak. Asvoria couldnât be allowed to obtain the Daystar.
âPeace?â roared Raedon âYou just attacked me!â Tuthmaelos laughed and sent another bolt of lightning at Raedon, who corkscrewed downward, dodging the lightning and shooting a jet of acid at Tuthmaelos before swerving sharply upwards. Tuthmaelos roared in pain as the acid corroded his scales and burned him. Davyn finally mustered the courage to run into the temple. (authorâs note: hahaha getting up the courage to run away⦠hahaha!) He ran like all the demons of the Abyss were at his heels. He reached the stone mosaic and gripped the stone depicting Elethia the Dragonslayerâs arrow. It remained stone. Davyn shouted and punched the mosaic, ending up with bruised knuckles. He could hear Raedon roaring outside. Heâd failed them. He pressed his forehead against the stone sadly, and the arrow morphed into wood under his fingers and he pulled it away. Davyn discarded his regular arrow and nocked the blessed one. Once in the courtyard, Davyn loosed the arrow, which struck Tuthmaelos squarely between the dragonâs eyes.
Tuthmaelosâ death roar was heard from miles away, much louder than Sleanâs.

Chapter 12



Cat blinked as she awoke, shivering, in a dark, rough cave made of stone. A bright fire glowed in front of her. Her helmet, pack, sword, and scabbard were laid neatly in front of her. I should be dead, thought Cat. But I am alive. Someone must have saved me. Cat heard something drop quietly to the floor, and the sound echoed throughout the cave. She tried to grab her sword, but her fingers were weak and frozen with the cold. Then, a strong, ironclad hand gripped her shoulder and a voice echoed from behind her. âHello,â it said, âWelcome to my current abode.â (Authorâs note: yup I know sooooo many cliffhangers. Donât you just hate me?)

Namelkion quickened his pace as his nose detected troglodytesâ stench. He saw the cave entrance and rushed in, hoping he would be there in time to save the kender. The tunnel in the back of the cave scraped against Namelkionâs scales and he entered it. Then, he saw the kender being carried away. Namelkion hit the two troglodytes escorting him with a sweep of his tail, knocking them both unconscious. Then he caught the kender between his teeth carefully and carried him toward the cave again.
âHey!â shouted Sindri as the gold dragon began to fly. âIâve never been carried by a dragon before!â
âNow you have,â responded Namelkion, sounding muffled, as he was talking through Sindri (literally).â Where are you going, little one? Iâll get you there. This forest is no place for humanoids.â
âPalanthas,â said Sindri â Iâm going to be a wizard!â
âCertainly,â said the gold dragon, and flapped north.
âHey!â said Sindri âYou⦠believed me! Nobody else does!â
âOf course, little one. I believe in so-called miracles. During the Cataclysm, everybody simply knew that the gods would never return. Yet, here they are. During the Dragon Wars, everybody knew that they would never defeat the dragons. Yet the dragonlances were invented, and the humans won the war. Iâd say that our next miracle should be the first-ever kender wizard, donât you think? You simply need to be determined.â
âYes!â exclaimed Sindri âAnd⦠donât you think that everybody is wrong a lot?â The dragon laughed, a deep, booming laugh almost like a roar.
âYes, little one. I believe so.â And he continued flying.

Cat tried to wrest herself free, but it did no good. The hand had an iron grip, and she was already weakened anyway. So she started flailing and kicking.
â Well, well,â said the voice âAnd here I was, thinking Solamnic squires are well-versed in etiquette and hospitality to their host.â
Cat froze. How could the person know that she had once been a squire? She had told very, very few people.
â Itâs not that difficult, really. There are Solamnic squirehood runes etched all over your helmet and scabbard.â Catâs eyes got huge. How could the person know what she was thinking?
âIt was Paladineâs gift to me for restoring the knighthood to its former glory.â
âDo you mind not reading my mind, then?â said Cat, her teeth chattering âAnd let me go.â
â I will try not to read your mind, but sometimes I canât control it.â The hand released her. Cat turned around. A tall man wearing a thick bear fur tunic stood there. He was clean-shaven and his hair was short and dark brown. A jagged scar stretched from his temple to the center of his jaw. But Cat saw none of this. Where the pupils in his eyes should have been, two blinding pinpoints of white light resided. When she turned around, they temporarily blinded her, and she quickly turned back around.
â I found you buried in the snow. Youâre very lucky to be alive, and youâll be even luckier if you didnât get frostbite or pneumonia. We should stay to make sure youâve recovered, but thereâs no time. We have to go, right now.â The man took off his tunic and handed it to Cat. It was rather heavy. He was wearing shiny full plate armor. A hand-and-a-half sword was sheathed at his left side.
â If weâre going in the snow, you need that a lot more than I do.â Cat could detect a slight chatter.
â Why are you helping me?â Cat asked. The rescuer shrugged.
â You need help.â He said
âThank you.â
â I suppose you were right about my manners. My name is Catriona Goodlund. â
â My regular name is Daeroth Dragonlight, but my formal name is High Clerist Daeroth Pretonic uth Palanthas. â Cat jerked in surprise. High clerist? That meant that Daeroth had completed knighthood twice, and become champion of the Order of the Sword. Definitely not one to be trifled with, but she had to leave. She had things to do. But leave, or stay?
â Excuse me, but I believe your best course of action would be to stay for now. At the moment, a temple full of very irritated red robes is chasing me. And on that note, I think I should take first shift trying to cut a hole in this cave. The back is a long ways away, and the roof is pretty thin. So weâll try to escape that way. â He walked away and drew his sword with a rasp as it left the scabbard. â But of course, if you feel ready to leave, be my guest.â He added âThe doorâs over there.â He pointed to an opening on a ledge far below Cat, which was huge. Cat picked up her things, and climbed down to the gap. She stuck her head out, and almost immediately, a fireball whizzed by it. She quickly put her head back in. â Okay,â she said âIâll stay.â
â No time, â Daeroth answered. âWeâll just have to fight them.â
â We shouldnât,â said Cat âWe should run,â
âWe donât have a choice. I canât get through the roof.
â No. We wonât be able to make it. I canât help.â Daeroth turned toward her, his eyes closed for her sake. His head was cocked at an angle- he looked confused.
â You⦠have serious self-esteem issues, Ms. Goodlund.â Daeroth said.
â I failed my friends and they left me.â She answered.
â Well, thatâs no reason to be suicidal. Example of suicidal: Going in the Vingaard Mountains in winter with only chainmail.â
â Right, but I have something important to do. I have one last chance to save my friend( Nearra.)â
â How?â
â Iâll capture Asvoria, and banish her from my friendâs body.â
â You can?â
â I donât know how, but I have to try.â
â Itâll do your friends no good if you get yourself killed.â
â It might. Iâm jinxed; a failure.â
â Right. So thereâs your problem. You should give it a real try, then maybe you wonât fail. If theyâre true friends, theyâll forgive you. You have to try, because you can do it. Help your friends, help yourself.â
â Iâll try.â
â Thank you.â

Chapter 13




Davyn twitched impatiently as Feandan leaned over Raedon, who had been hurt badly in the fight against Tuthmaelos. Then, Raedonâs form flickered. Davyn started in shock. Then the copper dragon disappeared, leaving behind some kind of vortex. Davyn dove in without hesitation. Then it closed.

Jax was running, running to the shipyard. Heâd been delayed, so now he might miss Cat and Sindriâs boat, but it was worth it. The feel of the thiefâs dishonorable neck snapping between his hands flashed back. Then, Jax felt himself deteriorating as he ran, then he disappeared into a vortex.

Cat grabbed her sword, ready to fight. Then she dissipated and vanished. Daeroth jumped into the portal she left behind/

Sindri and Namelkion were flying to Palanthas, when an army of red dragons attacked them. Namelkion summoned aid, and Sindri saw to his surprise and joy Cat and Davyn and Jax and Raedon, along with a few other people he didnât know appear. Then Namelkion set him on Raedon, and he started spinning and flipping, diving and clawing and climbing. Fire and chlorine gas spurted from his mouth. Soon many of the dragons retreated to Navarre. The companions opted to follow. There, they knew, Asvoria was waiting. And so was Nearra.


Chapter 14
Davyn, Daeroth, Cat, Sindri, and Jax went into the caverns of Navarre, fortress of Asvoria. Davyn had since learned to spot traps, so he did what had once been Elidorâs job; steering the party away from traps. Asvoria had added several since last the companions had been there. Davyn led them into a large room with an altar at the front, and a wicked-looking knife next to it. There were two forks on the west side of the room.â Here,â he said, â There are two forks. The right one has traps. The left one has none.â
â And I can smell air coming from the left one!â added Sindri.
â So, the left one is an exit?â asked Jax
â It might be,â said Davyn.
â Then we take the right one.â Said Cat.
â Iâm not sure. I think we should split up. Jax and myself take the left one. Cat, Sindri, and Daeroth take the right one.â Said Davyn. The companions split up, taking their respective paths.

The right path bowed gently downwards. It led to a large chamber, which looked suspiciously like a crypt, with coffins placed neatly around the room. A thick layer of dust was stirred up as Cat, Sindri, and Daeroth entered.
â It looks like a dead end,â said Cat. âThereâs nothing here.â
âWrong,â said another voice. The companions whirled around. The room temperature dropped several degrees. The comrades were frozen in place by fear, except for Daeroth, who swore and added something unintelligible about death knights. There was a person( or at least it had the erm, basic architecture of a person.) there, wearing black armor and a tattered cape that both like they had been in a bad fire. A heavy great sword was in his hands. But under the helmet the comrades could clearly see a skeletal face with no eyes. Instead, he had a pinpoint of red light in the dark, empty sockets (note from author: ooooooh scary.)
â Youâll go no farther.â It said.
Davyn and Jax traveled the left path. There were several forks in it, but they stuck together. It was a bad idea to leave one person on their own. (sorta like Backgammon: safety minimum of 2.). Soon, before they realized it, they were lost.
â Where are we?â asked Jax
â Iâm not sure,â responded Davyn nervously. âWeâll just have to go back where we came fromâ(authorâs note: yup the common story âweâll just go back where we came from and get even MORE lost, as if that were possibleâ) Jax smiled.
â Not necessary. Minotaurs have built-in radar for underground mazes. Youâve heard the story of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, I trust?â (The Greek myth? Theseus?) Davyn nodded.
â Well, itâs partially true. Come on, I can lead us where we need to go.â And Jax sniffed, then clopped through the maze. Davyn followed him through the twisting labyrinth until they reached a door. It was locked. Davyn successfully picked the lock, opened the door, and stepped in.
â Hello,â said Asvoria, who was in the room with Ophion, on a golden, gilded throne. â Welcome.â And then the door slammed shut behind them, and began to glow. Davyn knew he couldnât open it now. And that was their only exit.


Chapter 15

Cat knew she had to get Daeroth and Sindri into safety. Neither of them could fight a foe like this. Granted, neither could she, but she would hold it off until they escaped. Daeroth seemed to be fumbling with the collar of his armor, which was useless. Even Sindri was frozen, and he was a kender. With a burst of willpower, Cat then broke the spell of fear, and did the fastest thing she could do to get Sindri into safety. She threw him with all her might back the way theyâd come. Then she picked up Daeroth and tossed him too. He was a lot heavier than Sindri, but she managed, and he rolled down the massive room (which was tilted downwards). Then, she stepped up to block the first blow of the death knight. Her right arm went numb at the first blow. By the Abyss, heâs strong! She thought, and hoped that Sindri and Daeroth could get away fast enough. The death knight immediately went on the offense, seeing her recoil at the first strike. Its sword seemed to have a mind of its own, swirling and attacking as fast as Cat could see. She was cut several times, luckily minor. But each time, the cut seemed to suck out a bit of her soul, and the blade was incredibly cold. She realized that the death knight didnât seem to notice how much damage it was doing. Which meant that it couldnât remember much about human life. And therefore, it might not remember the rules of force and gravity. She came up with a brilliant plan. She dropped into a ball, and rolled down the slanting floor. It worked. The death knight was clearly confused. She rolled faster and faster, then to the corner of the large room, where she used her feet to springboard her into the air, which would land her directly behind the monster. She could kill it, then go find her friends again. But the death knight was casting a spell. The next thing Cat knew, she was frozen in a solid block of ice. (Authorâs note: if she hasnât caught pneumonia and frostbite yet, she sure has now.)
Daeroth had finally located his holy symbol. Now he could banish the death knight, as it was an undead. But then, Cat tossed him down the room. He swore. âWait!â he shouted, â Now Iâve found my holy symbol, I can banish it!â But she didnât hear him. He rolled and skated on his side, down to the bottom of the room. Except that when he bowled into the wall, he tore a hole through it with his heavy steel armor. There was another room there; another crypt. There, the floor was incredibly weak (Authorâs note: that death knight sure didnât care about passing building safety inspection, I guess) and a hole opened underneath him. He barely grabbed the edge and pulled himself up.
There. Now he had to get up there in time to save Cat. He was pretty sure Sindri was safe, but either way, Cat needed his help the most right now.


Cat couldnât move. Cold froze her, and she wouldâve shivered if she could move. Then she saw Daeroth, running towards the death knight. She wanted to shout
â What are you doing? Get away!â but of course she couldnât. Then she saw Daeroth present something to the death knight. It began to scream, and disintegrate. Cat was amazed. Then, with a wave of his hand and a few words, Daeroth melted the ice wall Cat was frozen in. She fell to the floor, shivering, and her teeth chattering. She stood shakily, and slowly followed Daeroth as he walked briskly towards the exit tunnel to find Sindri.
â You seem to get yourself frozen everywhere you go.â Daeroth said, as he approached Sindri.
â I d-didnât kn-know you c-c-could do that.â Cat said.
â Now you do. Every paladin and cleric can dispel the undead and cast limited spells, but itâs extremely different than arcane magic.â
â Wh-whatâs the d-difference? It-tâs all m-magic.â
â Arcane magic and divine magic. Divine magic is where you channel divine power, like a conductor of electricity. Regular people can do it too, but itâs much harder for the gods, like the difference between electricity going through wet metal and rubber. Arcane magic can only be used by spellcasters, and they open a rift to the arcane universe, and pull something out, depending on what words they speak and what components they use.â
Then Daeroth reached Sindri, who was dusting himself off. âWhat was that?â he asked.
â A death knight.â Daeroth told him, and then started walking back to the crypt. Then, seeing Cat and Sindriâs looks of puzzlement, he added â A paladin gone wrong. Itâs what the gods do to you if you do something extremely evil under a vow of eternal good.â They re-entered the crypt. Nothing was left where the death knight had been, but a scrap of parchment. âWhatâs this?â said Cat, and picked it up. It read âR-L-L-R-L-R-L-RRâ
â What does that mean?â asked Sindri.
âDirections, I think,â said Cat. â Right, left, left, right, left, right, left, right, right.â
â I donât think there is any more here. Letâs go rejoin Davyn and Jax. I think they may need these directions.â Said Daeroth, then left.



Chapter 16



Davyn scowled at Ophion and Asvoria as he and Jax were tied up with rope, their hands behind their backs. Their weapons; Davynâs bow and hunting knife and Jaxâs ax (authorâs note: ooooh rhyme yippee) were on the other side of the room, but the sides of the walls were adorned with swords, axes, spears, lances, and bows. Asvoria looked around. âWhere are the others?â she asked âThe warrior and the kender.â Davyn smiled slightly. At least they had gotten away.
â Ah. They must have separated; I knew that the nightmare I sent you earlier would make you drive them away in fear. I even planted tidbits of truth in it to make you think that all of it was true. So, we have only the two of you to deal with.â Asvoria raised her arm to cast a killing spell, when the door burst open. Daeroth, Cat, and Sindri ran in. Davyn immediately began rubbing his ropes against the nearest jagged corner. It began to wear away. Jax simply brought his arms to his face by bringing them under his bull legs. He then bit then once with his teeth, and they fell away. He bit at Davynâs too. Davyn immediately ran and grabbed his bow and knife, and Jax picked up his ax. They both attacked Ophion, the shapeshifter. He grabbed a sword from Asvoriaâs display, and dueled both of them at once. Every time they managed to cut him, he morphed, and the weapon went through him. Sindri was casting a spell, pointing at Ophion. Cat and Daeroth were both fighting Asvoria at once. Suddenly, there was a WHOOSH! And when Jax sliced at Ophion, the shapeshifter could not change. That was what Sindri had been doing. Then, Davyn stabbed him. Ophionâs eyes grew wide, then he turned gray and keeled over. Then, Daeroth completed whatever heâd been mumbling, and Asvoria stopped like a statue. Then, Sindri banished Asvoria from Nearraâs body, and there was a WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! And standing in Asvoriaâs place was Nearra, with her memories recovered.


THE END (finally)