A Red Stain on a Black Rose

"Soon, my minions will bring me new slaves. Foolish beings; serving me without question."

Lehti sat on a throne in a small room. His tower was small, but it served his needs. The building had been constructed fairly quickly and without much notice, as far as he knew. The wizard sat there petting an atrocious creature. It had the body and size of a wolf, but the head and tail of a rat.

The wizard opened his book and began to read. He scratched the bald scalp of the beast at his side. It growled in rage but did not dare fight back. The collar around its neck was tight, and small serrated edges, lining the collar's inside, nicked the miserable creature.

"Soon, my pet. Soon I will have the power to immolate all of Aeon. from the ashes I will rise as king. There will be no more undead. All that will be left will be the pieces of an abandoned world. Let the adventurers come. Let them die in front of me. They'll only fuel the spell."

Time ticked by. The day grew late. Two aniver, a canine and a feline, entered, pulling a beaten and torn man into the chamber.

"What say you, human. Last chance. The wall, or the cells?"

The human pulled his battered head up and stared at the wizard. There was nothing inside the human. No hope or intellect. No answer.

"Damn. Tell the men below to keep them at least intelligible from now on. Alright. Off to the cells with this one. Hurry."

The two anivers rushed the man to a pit in the floor in another room. The hole was a shaft that dropped two stories into the dungeon. However, there were no prisoners in the cells. Only bodies. They were incinerated and refined like ore. Lehti had discovered the marvelous enchantments and spells humanoid ingredients could produce.

He tested spell after spell. He was coming closer. The pyre he created north of his keep left the Lang Pho Jungle destroyed. A small price for a new and cleaner world, at least, that's what Lehti thought. Locked away, in a walled fortress, Lehti the Wizard of Lang Pho stocked and prepared his greatest spell to come. A ritual to rid the undead of Aeon. He'd burn the whole world down. From the scolding remains, his empire would rise. Nothing would prevent this. Nothing...

****

Outside the giant wall, in the villages of Chu Lai and Tuy Hoa, messengers were being summoned and told to sail all over Aeon. The wizard must be stopped. Already, many of the villagers were being enslaved; forced to fortify the wall. If they refused, the wizard's minions would let loose those rat-dog monstrosities. The aniver tribes were growing desperate.

Rizzen Vrinn smacked his pointed ear hard.

"OW!" he yelped. The mosquito had gotten away and all Rizzen had gotten for it in return was a smack from his own hand right upside his own head.

"I hate this place," he complained.

The elf, hiked up his red robes as he stepped off of the raft into the salt water near the shore. He paid the ferryman the three flasks of fresh water he had agreed to and made his way to the shore.

Upon reaching the sand he pulled out a map.

"Hmmm? Says Chu lai is this way," he muttered. he then turned the map upside down, looked up at the stars, shrugged and headed for the village.

"Long way to go just for some stupid scrolls," he complained thinking of his master in the Kell Va Renn Forest.

Granite was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, luckliy it was a short fall. He picked himself up and brushed off his bright green robes, "I'll tear the snot outta you!" the dwarf growled.

The elf on the griffon snarled, "I brought you here outsider, be happy I was this close to the dirt." With that the snide being flew away, spitting at the dwarf in disgust.

"Sharp eared bastard!" he yelled as the elf flew away. He grumbled to himself, then proceeded toward the village of Chu Lai, or whatever it was called.

He didn't understand why he needed to get the damn seeds, seems like an Aniver could have done it better, but he did as he was told and made way for Chu Lai...

The elf wizard just began to enter the village of Chu Lai. The dwarf druid had just flown in. Both entered the same city at different ends. The dark Aeon sky made it difficult for them to distinguish the different huts apart.

Both heard noises following them. Both were prepared to defend themselves. They heard whispering, but that was soon drowned out from the voice they heard. A voice everyone heard.

Genesis wrote:

"I raise this arcane shell of divine might to the stars. For it is in the stars where those who created us eons ago fled. And to them I beseech to grant me the power to set this world anew. To bring back the light that the darkness fed upon. To bring life to the dead for it is they who rot and fester in the ground to fertilize the trees and grass. I beseech them to grant me all of their power. So that I may remake this world in an image they had originally intended. Where none die forever. Where even the dead live. Where the creatures and denizens of this world shall be immortal. Oh how the gods would weep to see their beloved peoples slaughtered like cattle. Oh how they would weep with joy to see ALL OF THEM returned to unlife! I beseech them to grant me the power through this...THE TRIAD...I beseech them to grant me the power to take their place and rule over this dead world. I BESEECH THEM TO GRANT ME AS IT'S RULER! AS THE KING OF THE UNDEAD!!!!"

Then, there was light. Rizzen and Granite eyes were unprepared for the sun to appear. Both were temporarily blinded. They heard chanting coming once again, then darkness again. The darkness that comes with sleep.

They were taken, placed in an underground shelter. They were in the same dusty room, tied to the chair they sat in feet apart. No one else was in with them, they were all alone, both still asleep.

********

Several miles away, in the Tower of Lang Pho, the wizard Lehti was asleep at his throne. He didn't worry about assassins. Somehow, any assassin coming in found their heads to swell and fill with fluid till they popped. Assassins yielded magnificent ingredients.

So, the wizard sat at his throne, the dog-rat companion by his side. Nothing was allowed to disturb him. He would not allow it. Anything that awoke him was immolated. However, one thing he could not immolate that did wake him, was the sun.

Light filled the open aired tower and burned the rat-dog. The dark being was never intended to be exposed to natural light. It roared and screamed as its body shriveled and burned into a useless corpse. The noise and light (and smell of burning rat-dog) sent the wizard over his throne. It all tumbled over with him in it.

"WHAT THE- light? Real light!"

The wizard ran outside. Guards and workers all stared up at the light none of them had seen in so many years.

For a brief minute, Lehti was gone. A man from a distant past looked at the sky with hope. Had... had his powers returned? Was he a druid once again?

The wizard knew for fact there were no true druids any more. For he was a druid. And his powers were gone. Any liar claiming to be a druid was sacrificed to the tower, adding to his spell. However, there were special rooms for the supposed "druids".

However, this time, as the elf looked at the starless sky, save the giant fiery star that lit all of Aeon.

"I knew they would return. Somehow, I've brought them back!"

Immediately, Lehti began to cast. His druid powers would return in a blaze of glory!

Minutes ticked by. Nothing. The druids were still gone from Aeon. Lehti would have to continue to wait. He was furious. A guard seemed about to speak, possibly sympathetic to the elf; maybe kissing up. Lehti didn't care. The guard was immolated as Lehti walked back to his throne.

A new guard instantly replaced the dead one. Others rushed to right the overturned throne and remove the beast's remains.

The wizard sat down and stared at the ground.

"I shall have my powers again... If I have to burn the whole damn world."

Rizzen opened his eyes slowly. He found himself in a dark room tied up.

"Brom would love this," he said softly, smiling.

A dwarf was in the room tied up as well.

"Hey....wake up... Hey.....wake up!

Hey HEY!

HELLO!



Rizzen leaned so hard yelling he fellover in the chair smashing it.

"Ow."

It was with that the dwarf finally started to stir some.

Erron wrote:

Trust me, I know that hurt, and I carry that grief every day. And I also carry something I didn't want you to have to carry. The guilt of having to kill my wife a second time. So you can thank me later. You may wish me dead right now, but you know what I'm saying is true. So I need you right now. This entire planet needs you. And you may see no use for this planet without her in your life, but you need to remember that you are the ONLY ONE who can protect your family now. You are all that Aldion has left. Without you he will always be alone forever. So you need to take that hate you have for me...and use it to hunt down these vermin.

"So true, Erron. The little mage is indeed important to this world. However, even you couldn't have foreseen this, could you?"

Lehti sat at a table placed before his throne; a ball of crystal placed upon. The wizard gazed at the past, seeing tragedy and hope. Emotions that were useless to Lehti. He'd gotten his hopes up when he saw the light moments before. A trait he'd have to exorcise from his mind. With a wave of his hand and a word, the table moved from in front of the throne and swirled around gracefully behind it.

Lehti stood and went to the center of his throne room. It was wide, and he had space to cast. He chanted more and more. He would teleport someone to him. Someone that might be a problem to the Immolation.

Popurum wrote:

Suddenly it was too much and the riverfolk started to scream in a high pitched, tortured cry. His squeals did not stop even as the riverfolk began to burst into flame, right there. Nothing around him was so flammable. As the flames grew and the screaming continued until the riverfolk lost his breath still crying in silent pain.

As the flames consumed him, the riverfolk's body vanished. Missing from the ship. The ship had no scorch marks, and the fire was gone. Everything in that spot was gone. Popurum was gone.

A screaming, tortured riverfolk appeared surrounded in flames. The blaze faded away and the pain subsided, but Popurum still ached and could not breath. He was unharmed, but where was he?

"Are you awake.... hello? Oh come on! Wake up!" Rizzen shouted at the dwarf who had passed back out.

"WAKE UP! HEY! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! GAH!!!!!! STUPID DWARF! SOMEONE KIDNAPPED US AND YOU'RE SLEEPING! HELLO!? YOU MOTHER'S WHISKERS ARE AS FAKE AS HER BOOB JOB! HELLO!?
WAKE UP!!!!"

"What the hell is goin' on here!?" the dwarf shouted, throwing his head back, "accidently" smashing it into the elves nose. He looked around, he was tied up with an elf (nature help me!) and they were lying on the ground.

"What happened, ye bloody moron?" he asked, trying to sit up. "Where are we? Who are ye? And where hell is ma gun!?" he said, berating the elf with questions.

He looked over his shoulder at the elf, "And ideas, sharp ears?"

"Not really. I was hoping you'd have an idea, Short-Round," Rizzen replied.

Rizzen then saw an opportunity. When he had fallen a large sharp sliver of wood had busted off of the chair. Rizzen twisted and turned and reached and tugged and grunted and heaved and everything else imaginable. Finally his fingers grasped the shard and he went to work on the ropes binding his wrists.

After about twenty minutes he freed his wrists and quickly untied his feet and stood up staring at the dwarf who was still bound.

He stared for a moment....

"No....not my type. Too scruffy," he said and began to untie the dwarf.

Once both were free they realized they were in a locked cell.

"Well I got us untied. What's your bright idea to get us out of this cell now?" he asked.

Before the dwarf could respond, the "locked" door opened and the head of a young aniver girl. She looked at the dwarf and elf with curiosity and fear.

"Are you two the ones that want to help us?" she asked coming all the way inside and closed the door behind her. She then began to whisper. "I'm not supposed to bother you, don't tell on me, okay?"

The child was an avian aniver, looking much like a small jungle song bird. She walked up to the two, not very intimidated now.

"Well? How ya gonna get that wizard, misters?"

A male voice appeared outside the room.

"Vicenta? Oh no..."

The door opened again, obviously not so much locked, as just closed.

A adult male aniver, much like the little girl, came in.

"Oh you're awake. Sorry about binding you like that. We were afraid you might hurt yourselves if you woke up while we weren't around."

Granite looked up at the tall aniver, "Aye, thats a good plan there, ye tie us up so we don't hurt ourselves, and the elf be bleedin' out the nose!" He said with a wink to the cocky captive.

"First of all, help with what lass? I don' even know what ye are are talking about? What wizard?" he said confused. "I'm just here collecting seeds," he said.

"And to ye, sir," he said to the adult, "Where's my gun!??!"

The little girl cowered behind her father. The scary dwarf was calling for his weapon and yelling. She almost cried, but was too scared. She eventually ran out of the room leaving her father alone with the elf and dwarf. The adult aniver looked at his daughter worried. He wanted to go with her, but he knew these men needed an answer.

"Well, you see, we didn't want to talk to you up above, you know? With him watching us and all. So we needed to get you down here quickly... We know it was a little drastic knocking you out and bringing you down here, that's why we put you in here and put the weapons away, so you wouldn't get angry and start shooting and hurt yourselves. You see? It was for your own good. We just want you to help us and we needed you to be calm and so we were going to explain to you while you were tied, but I guess that didn't work much, did it? We'll be sure to tie our allies up much tighter from now on!"

The songbird sang, a lot. Whether Granite and Rizzin listened or not the bird-man was interrupted as panther aniver came in carrying a box with the weapons and gear from the two captives (including Granite's gun).

"Silence, Lee. Vicenta told us they were up," said the feline to the songbird, as the panther presenting the two with their equipment.

"As you may or may not have heard from that, we are in desperate need. You see, about a year ago, a wizard by the name of Lehti arrived and lived peacefully with us here in Chu Lai. He was a friendly fellow, though he stayed to himself. That year though, the horde zombies attacked and devastated Chu Lai. Lehti helped fight back the zombies from our village.

"After the attack, he headed north, looking for a temple some say. We don't know what happened in that temple, but whatever it was, he came out real evil. He took that temple as his own and hired workers to carve it out and start building a wall.

"Cept when it came time to pay us, he sent his minions to our village and robbed us of our people. They became slaves, forced to work on that wall, or something inside the temple. Our numbers are growing dim, and we are desperate for anyone to assist us in stopping him. If you can destroy him, we will give you whatever supplies in our village that's left or that you can carry.

"If you will not help us, please, tell others. We need help..."

The panther had pinned his ears back, mournful of what has happened to their people's family, friends, and home.

Rizzen eyed the panther aniver, allowing his eyes to stall for a moment at certain areas.

He felt his cheeks redden a bit and then he realized what a bastard he was.

The entire reason he came to this island was to find scrolls to help Brom.

How he missed him so. The feeling of his skin. The warmth of his breath. How soft his lips were.

Rizzen missed Brom and truly felt like a piece of dirt for looking at the panther aniver with such lust.

"Yes...yes I'll help. But I need help as well. I am in need of some scrolls. I am told they can help cure maladies," Rizzen said trying to look anywhere but at the panther aniver.

Lehti appeared back at his temple. The visit with Talkren didn't go as he liked. He stood outside his tower and looked for an area with many slaves (and a few guards).

He then started to pull his arms apart, the land parallel with his hands did the same. It cracked and split opened, creating a dark and massive pit. The bottom could not be seen. And as the men and women fell into the fissure, screaming, they struggled to save their lives for one more day. One more day to try and regain freedom. The screams fell down into the fissure until their screaming was replaced with the noise of smacking and popping. The sound of bones and bodies being crushed. At least 20 men and women, slaves and guards lost their lives during Lehti's moment of rage.

He calmly walked back to his throne and sat down. He buried his bruised and battered face into his bloodied and bruised hands. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep...

*** ***

In a grove of trees, a woman was in labor. She was alone, with only the trees and the curious animals watching her, fearing she was a predator.

The woman struggled on her own, giving birth to a little boy. Sadly, before she could even see her son's face, her eyes closed for good.

The fey of the forest were watching and guarded the child. They raised him, bringing him up as a young druid. The child was sweet, friendly and always wanting to help everyone and everything. Leif was one of the truest druids the fey had ever seen...

** **

Leif was raised by the animals and trees. He was taught by the fairies and dryads. His entire life was devoted to him. The boy wasn't the most intelligent, and had never seen any humans or elves.

Still, the child was happy. He lived among his natural family. The trees and animals were all he needed, or wanted.

He even witnessed the birth of a young panther. The little cub and the little elf became the greatest of friends and companions. Leif and Ilta-palo would stay together till their deaths, they would dream...

** **

Outside the walls of Peregren, a young druid and his panther companion walked along the walls, exploring the line between city and nature. He saw a few trees up ahead. The sun was hot on their skin and fur, so it was a good time for rest.

Inside the trees, the panther, Ilta-palo, growled. Something he felt was irritating him. The elf druid had not yet picked up the feeling. Instead, he noticed a woman, sitting against a tree. She was bleeding badly, and required healing. The druid focused his prayer, and healed the woman of her wounds...

"Thanks, my name is Kyria." The woman sprints away from the trees carrying the druid behind her.

"Leif..." he says running, trying to keep up with her.

She carried him to a group fighting some monsters in the dark sewers. An elf named Aldion was dead. There was a darkling, riverfolk, several humans, and a minotaur appeared. Something happened, and they were all teleported. Ilta-palo was missing. Yet, somehow, Leif was pulled into this journey. The elf and panther were separated for the rest of their lives...

** **

Fighting. That's all there was. Fighting for survival. In the arena, forced to battle, Leif sat with his "friends" and they prepared for the fighting. He conjured water. They all shared.

During a fight, Leif had broken his leg. He'd walk with a bone cane for many years. They continued to fight, continued to survive. Then, the human, Erron, had found a way to teleport them...

** **

Leif sat on a log. He was defeated, and tired. Some of the group had climbed a mountain. Something to do with Erron and the plague. The Loremaster appeared. Leif was given a book.

Leif was then sitting with Kyria. He was trying to win her trust. She fought off his charisma, but he was breaking through to her. Then, they were split apart...

** **

Sarsethok, that damn wizard was holding Leif. He forced Leif to use that book for some King. The King of the Undead? Leif worked, but continued to hope. He dreamed of freedom. A tiny being free from cells. Something powerful. Something with abilities and spells, for Leif has found that his druid powers no longer existed...

** **

Cholley found himself in an inn, burning and being raided by zombies. These people he's never met were fleeing. As he was being dropped into the stomach of a zombie, he teleported.

He was on a ship, sailing away. There was a female captain. He was her lucky charm. There was the rabia. There was a ship crashing and Erron throwing Cholley at a zombie, and cards, and evil love spells with Kyria, and Aldion the elf was alive...

** **

Sabal and the Harbinger were in Dead Town. Cholley was with Kyria and Turk'en. There was an horde of undead. Something about a cage?

So many people, so many deaths, so many fights. There was giant, Kyria was wounded. A warrior was fighting the giant by himself. Cholley knew who he really was...

** **

Leif appeared, and with a ring of healing, cured Kyria of all her wounds, once again. They managed to fight back the giant. They were at a tavern.

Kyria left Leif. A woman, the daughter of Kyria appeared. She held the son of Kyria. The two were the children of Kyria and Turken. Erron appeared and choked Leif.

They found a portal and Sabal. There was a war. Erron fought Sabal and the Goddess of Vengence. Souls were interchanged.

There was a funeral. Someone Leif didn't know. Hellcat inherited the Sky Palace. Leif became a crew member.

** **

Leif left the Sky Palace and went on his own. He attempted the arena, but it was cancelled. He traveled to Nju Shenghuo to escape the world, becoming Lehti. A wizard threatened to reveal his true identity.

Lehti traveled to a temple for a relic for the wizard. There was a girl, Kristyn. He loved her. She loved him. They traveled through the temple together. They found the treasure! They were leaving. The temple, it was a trap! The wizard fought them and killed Kristyn...

*** ***

Lehti awoke, breathing hard and sweating. He had slept for hours. He had been dreaming. However, his dreams were his memories. Lehti got up and went down below the temple. The wizard went down, into his tower to visit the riverfolk.

Seven stories below, the wizard appeared in an underground room. Hundreds of spheres of energy were scattered around the massive room. The only light came from the massive fireball raging in the middle of the room. It was four stories tall and just as wide.

Many of the spheres were empty. Many carried a host. Mage after mage, the spheres held the poor individuals hostage. An aura traveled from each host mage and towards the fireball. The aura created an emulsion around the blaze.

“Soon, riverfolk,” Lehti said to Popurum, “the Immolation will be ready.”

Rizzen Vrinn wrote:

Rizzen eyed the panther aniver, allowing his eyes to stall for a moment at certain areas.

He felt his cheeks redden a bit and then he realized what a bastard he was.

The entire reason he came to this island was to find scrolls to help Brom.

How he missed him so. The feeling of his skin. The warmth of his breath. How soft his lips were.

Rizzen missed Brom and truly felt like a piece of dirt for looking at the panther aniver with such lust.

"Yes...yes I'll help. But I need help as well. I am in need of some scrolls. I am told they can help cure maladies," Rizzen said trying to look anywhere but at the panther aniver.

The panther aniver had to hold back a grin, not wanting to embarrass the elf. He kept his mind focused on the situation at hand. He was glad, though, to hear that the elf was willing to help.

"Most likely, your scrolls are down here. We keep most of our supplies below ground any more," said the panther as he led them all out of the tinier room, through an underground bunker.

"Lee, go find our friend's scrolls while I brief them."

The songbird aniver ran off looking for the scrolls, and probably his daughter, wanting to comfort her after being scared by the nasty dwarf. The panther looked at the dwarf and elf and extended his furry hand.

"I am Lanist. My partner was taken by that damned wizard into the tower. He was a wizard, as well. It seems Lehti needs wizards or anyone with arcane abilities. You're lucky he hasn't captured you yet, elf."

"Anyway, as well as kidnapping all the wizards, Lehti takes slaves and forces them to help build his wall. When they can't help him any longer, we're told he sacrifices them. We don't know what he kills them for."

Lanist grew saddened.

"One thing we've been able to confirm, is that the mages inside, whatever happens to them, causes them to burn out. He steals all their powers, and when they're gone, they... change. They become hollow versions of themselves."

Lanist led Granite and Rizzen to a room. There was a locked prison cell. Inside there was a silhouette of a feline aniver. It wasn't against any light, and the cell wasn't dim. The body was gone. Only an arcane shell of the former wizard was left.

"This was my partner, Elan. He was captured by Lehti early. This is what happens to the mages when they "burn out". They become his own zombies, so to speak. They listen to only him, they only move because of him. They're his minions, used to capture slaves and other wizards."

"So, this is what Nju Shenghuo is facing now. This isn't just our problem, though. Lehti is capturing wizards all over Aeon, and we believe whatever he's doing, that it's something that will scar the whole planet. Why he's not been discovered yet is a mystery."

Lee returns with a handful of scrolls. He looked at the elf.

"These scrolls?"

A scout had come back, and was talking to another aniver. The two spoke audibly about Lehti capturing some more wizards.

"So far he's found three more wizards. A riverfolk he seems very proud to have captured: no name, someone by the name of Shadru Mallak, and an elf named Brom."

The sound of sails and air swooshing was heared as a pirate was shouting cuss words about how his crew should have never drunk the rum.

The pirate dropped in and looked at the bunch. "Let make this qucik aye," said the pirate making sure they were all on the same page.

"I was sent to find a Dwarve and a Elf would that be ye?" said the pirate

The pirate then looked at the panther, the bird and his daughter. "I would advise ye to come as well, this place doesnt look safe." said the pirate hopeing they would come aswell

"me ship wont hold up much longer in here, by the way me names Red," said the pirate trying to hurry them up.

The pirate was too true. His ship wouldn't stay there long at all. For Lehti's scouts had seen it. As well as the pirate going underground. A fiery blaze exploded behind the pirate. The wizard and several hollow wizards emerged from the flames.

"Well, well. I see you anivers have been quite busy. Its a shame. All this effort being put into this..."

Lehti looked around the small, desperate bunker.

"...shack? You could have put the effort into my construction. Rather selfish isn't it? You working down here in your cozy, comfortable basement while your loved ones are forced to work for me?"

*tsk, tsk, tsk*

Lehti had recently developed a habit of "tsking". He found it both irritated and motivated his enemies the way he liked. Obviously it worked as Lee and Lanist sprung at the wizard, ready to fight with bare hands.

The other two aniver, discussing the captured wizards were tackled by the hollow wizards, being beaten to death helplessly. Lehti forced up a hand, his face snarling. He shot a ball of fire, exploding and engulfing Lee. The avian aniver died instantly. Lanist was pushed by the explosion into a wall, knocking him out.

The flames on Lee's corpse continued to burn until Lehti literally grabbed it, and held it. The fire seemed to act like a snake, slithering around the wizard's grasp.

The dwarf, elf, and pirate were all struck down by more hallow wizards. Held down, but were not getting attacked. The wizard moved over each of the men.

"I think I like you. I would like to think you good fellows have the good sense to join me. There's so much I could teach you, young mage," Lehti said to Rizzen.

Lehti looked at the dwarf, then the pirate.

"I'm certain you'd make sturdy guards... when broken down to my liking."

Lehti grinned.

"I'll be taking your airship, Captain Pirate. If you want it, you can come visit me. I'll wait for you all. Waiting for you to be recruited."

The wizard then noticed a sign on the wall. A hieroglyph of a black rose.

"'The Black Rose'? Is that your little club, panther? Seems to be a blood stain on your art symbol," said Lehti smearing the red stain onto the black petal.

Lehti then released the confined hollow wizard from the prison cell. Lehti walked through the flames, carrying the serpent fire, and followed by the hollow wizards.

The dwarf druid, elf wizard, and aniver pirate were released and left alone and unharmed. They were given an invitation. Around them, the burned corpse of an aniver, his daugher sobbing over the corpse; two dead aniver beaten by those hollow wizards, now gone; and Lanist, unconscious but other wise alive. Red, the pirate, could hear as his ship was flown off towards Lehti's tower; flying without him.

Red walked slowly to Lehti's throne room as the guards eyed him carefully. His red scales shimmerd and his reptilian tale drug behind him (BTW RED IS A REPTIALIAN AINVER NOT A DRAKNOI!!)he slowly approched the throne

"Ye have me ship," said the lizard, his thick pirate and thick lizard accent traling his words as he spoke.

"I'd like her back." he spoke hopeing to agree on something with the all so powerfull wizard

Red thought back about the poor little aniver girl who was the unfortunite victum of horriable things, Red didn't know what was right and wrong any more,began questiong himself. Should he help his fellow kin, or should he side with the wizard to gain his ship back? His iner morals were confused on what was right or wrong.

Lehti stared at the aniver with confusion. The aniver was looking and staring at areas where no one stood. Lehti's left eye brow raised.

"You come to my tower to retrieve your ship, but without the courage to stare me in the eyes? I require only the strong to fight beside me. You'd best sort out your fears... and your hallucinations. If you want your ship back, you'll have to pledge your loyalty to me and fight for me. Otherwise, the ship, and your blood, is mine."

"Are you an ally, lizard? Or are you going to be thrown into the pit?" Lehti nodded towards a giant hole in the floor in a room, adjacent to the throne room.

"Speak wisely, pirate."

Red looked at the ground and his eyes met Lehti's. Red's face turned to the lizard and pirate with in him as he drew his sword held it high and stared at Lehti.

"Aye!" Red yelled, "My ship will guide in ye directions, my sword will strike those in ye path and i shall serve ye with all me can." said the pirate his thick Lizard and pirate accent slurring his words.

"But aye only ask of one thing, ye give me a crew and ye make me ship water able as well, only this and i shall serve ye, aye will plunder and kill all those that stand in ye way,"

The lizard grinned as he walked out the door of the tower and slit a guards throat with his dagger and layed the guard aginst the door breaking the sword off in the lock. Red then reached up to a airship manned by a anvier Lizard such as he. The ship bore red sails unlike anything ever seen before and Red snarled with delight as he took control of the ship he yealed out so Lehti could hear.

"Aye ment what i said but ye must prove to me that its all in me favor, aye shall return with in a day with crew and supplies," said Red as he shouted to his fellow kin and his makeshift crew.

Lehti calmly walked out behind the pirate. His eyes wafted over the corpse of one of his guards. While Lehti had no qualms about killing his men, he did not take kindly to other arrogant fools taking it upon themselves to waste lives owned by Lehti.

The wizard calmly stood there as two guards tossed the dead guards body down the pit. Lehti waved goodbye to the pirate as he sailed off for supplies.

As the ship sailed up and over the wall Lehti's slaves continued to build, for they did not dare to look up from their labor, the wizard pointed at it with his bony index finger. He kept one eye staring down his finger at the aircraft. He clicked his tongue and then made the sound effect of a gun.

Red's ship burst into flames. He struggled to keep it steady, but his "crew" (really Lehti's crew, "borrowed" by Red) was thrown off the edges, plummeting to the ground. Red, holding on to the wheel, went down with the ship. It crashed loudly in the jungle, several miles away from Chu Lai.

Red felt okay. There was a gash in his head, bleeding, and his whole body ached, but he could move. Unfortunately, the crash had caught the attention of the undead roaming the jungle. It wouldn't be long before Red, all alone, would have an army of undead on him. He'd have to move quickly.

Meanwhile, Lehti, seeing the ship explode, grinned.

"Asshole thought he could kill one of my guards?"

Lehti walked towards his throne. He spotted the two guards that had removed the dead one's body. Lehti continued to grin as he stared at them. For they were shyly smiling at him.

"I'm glad you're enthusiastic for helping with my cause."

The wizard then pointed his arm at the two. The guards burst into flames. The flames flew to Lehti's grasp. The two men's bodies fell down the very pit they stood next to.

Lehti stood there for a moment and looked at the two fire serpents in his grasp.

"Very glad indeed," he said cheerfully.

Red stood up slowly "AHHHH! aye danm worthless crew," Red pulled a peace of wood from his skull and flicked it aside.

He looked as he heared a noise and turned to find a sprinter behind him. Red was tackled by the Sprinter and he shoved the barrel of his oversized insanly large pirate pistol in its mouth. "S'om bicth aye walk the plank!" he said as he pulled the trigger compleatly exploding the entire head.

Red then walked to a small camp of what seemed to be the black rose clan. Red said he was a memmber and went to the supplie tent. He then walked down to the river and saw a small boat big enough for maybe 2 he sighed and lowerd the supplies into it as he whistled as he rowed back to the tower as people who really needed this stuff shouted at him.

"Ahhhhh," said Red with a sigh of relief "It's good to be a pirate again," as a couple of Lehti's guards helped him unload the stuff.

Red turned as he saw a prisonar yeal and began running to the boat yealling about how he was free and would save everyone. Red stuck out his silver cutless and pluged it into the prisonars skin causing excruciating amount of pain but no damage once so ever he could go back to working at this very second if Lehti so wished. Red walked back into Lehti's throne room with the prisanor being dragged behind him

"Aye my king, I have returned and brought supplies as well, caught this one trying to run," Red's body coverd with lizard blood and claw marks and prickers riddled his body the undead beat him up but he would recover.

Lehti looks at Red with annoyance.

"You return to me, still? You must be some sort of fool."

Lehti walks up to the prisoner. He then looks at his new slave: Red. The wizard doesn't smile however.

"You've captured one of my spies? Congratulations. Perhaps next time you can do me a service that HELPS! Damn, fool."

Lehti sent the spy back to the Black Rose camp and sat down at his throne. Seeing that Red continued to stand there, he motions a hand towards the exit.

"Leave me now, fool. I have other work to attend to. Go deal with some other slaves, or... something. So long as it doesn't bother me. And do NOT harm any of my workers or guards again. Now, leave."

Red didnt't hesitate he left and began his trek to Chu Li, Red eventually made it there and did the best he could to show peace.

Behind him he drug crates of supplies in which he stole (small crates) "Aye, apolgise for what ev done, ev come only to help you." Red said

"Aye, would do a nice airship but it wont help much without a crew," said Red trying to help the best he could.

"Ye little aniver girl, ye should help her she to close to the tower," Red said getting ready to ask his question

"Aye whish to speak to a panther of ye's, Lantiest aye believe his name is"

Rizzen sat in the room and held the scrolls Lanist gave to him.

"He has Brom...these...these scrolls were meant to save him. Brom is dying, and that bastard has him," Rizzen said to the aniver.

"From what I understand, this crazed wizard is taking other wizards to use as his own tools for some crazy scheme. But I-I don't understand...Brom has brain cancer. He's dying. He won't be of much use...and Lehti could have taken me, but he didn't.

I don't understand why he would take Brom, who's dying, and not me.....," Rizzen said as he began to cry.

He sat silent for a moment and then looked to Lanist.

"I'll do whatever you need me to, to stop this madman. But we have to find Brom," Rizzen finished.