Unwitting Discovery (Navarog and Ashendale)

[Quetzal]

Since the battle of Uru'baen, Farria had slipped away to wander freely. She knew not where to go, walking aimlessly until something might appear to give her more purpose. She was fed up with the scholars of the Varden examining her like a curious object. From them all she had been given was a name for her condition and any others that might be like her; warg. They had tried pressuring her into speaking, into using magic, into changing into that uncontrollable beast form, and she had had enough. There was no chance she was sticking around long enough for them to succeed. Who knew what horrible things she would do if she spoke or used magic? The scholars didn't know what they were getting themselves into. So she had slipped away, grateful at least that her condition meant an innate ability to go about unseen if she wished. Not invisible, but hidden. She had brought food and water with her, along with some money, and since then had been wandering, climbing something tall to see where the nearest village or river was if she got hungry or thirsty. It was no life for a seven-year-old, but she didn't care.

By the end of the first week she had no clue where she was. Even the names of the more prominent towns meant little as she had never learned much of the layout of Alagaesia. Du Weldenvarden was a big forest in the north, the Spine was the big mountain range running near the west coast, there was a desert to the east, and a few rivers about. That was more or less it. She was happy not knowing where she was. Sheratan was with her to keep her safe, though presently she was off hunting, and no one could find her.

"Oi, kid! What're you doing out here alone?" No one except the owner of the gruff voice behind her, that was. She jumped and whirled around, bright forest green eyes wide with fear and alarm. Three men stood there. They were average height, but to her they looked huge, towering over her. They were muscular and dirty as she was, clearly living out here. They were all missing teeth, and had a number of scars, their clothes ragged. Each held a knife. "Not gonna answer me? How rude. Come on, tell us what you've got for us," he grinned a terrible smile. One of his cronies was eyeing her bag greedily, but he had other ideas. A young girl of low birth, from out here, who clearly would not be missed by anyone. Probably everyone she knew had befallen some accident, or thought she was dead in the wilds. They were bound to be simple peasants anyway - he had no idea that until recently she had been in the care of the likes of Eragon and other prominent Varden members. He thought she made the perfect candidate for a servant. He could clean her up and sell her for a high price to a noble, or might even give her to an outlaw gang as a gift in return for membership.

"Not much of a talker, are you? That's all right, we can see what you have for ourselves," one of the other men said as they pressed closer to her. Farria walked backwards until she found herself pushed up against a tree. She stared with eyes wild with fear as they grew nearer still. The leader pulled his hand back ready to slam it against her to pin her to the tree when she screamed. The sound was piercing. As she screamed, she felt her terror well up and try to force its way out, there was no controlling it. Her eyes flashed gold and the men flew backwards, landing unconscious on the ground. A shock wave of magic had been spat out by her without her even knowing she was doing it. Staring at the men for a moment, she turned and fled away from what she had done. Sheratan arrived then, too late to help her, but glad to see her safe. The snow leopard bounded behind her in case any of the men got up and tried following them.

"I can't believe I did that, that was magic, wasn't it?" Farria said in dismay through their mental connection. "Yes, but it kept you safe. It wasn't bad." Sheratan replied firmly. "What if it happens again when it's a friend near me, though? I can't control any of this stuff!" Farria was on the verge of tears. She had powerful magic but no ability to control it, and now it seemed even avoiding speaking and never using it wasn't enough. "Look, there's a cave up here. We can shelter there and be hidden, I can hardly pick out the entrance," Sheratan pointed it out. Farria would never have noticed it had the cat not smelled the different air from it. They dashed towards it and went down. Inside it was unpleasant, but looked as if people visited regularly. There were even chairs and a number of books.

Farria picked a book and opened it. It was handwritten, but she did not know how to read. Had she the ability, she would have seen it documented the progress of a monster imprisoned here. Unaware of that fact, she explored deeper. Soon she came to a series of locked doors which swung open at her touch. More magic, though she told herself it wasn't hers. Finally she came to a great wall of thick iron bars, around which she felt the presence of a lot of strong wards. Within she saw a figure. Her breath caught. There was no use hiding, the figure couldn't get enough visitors to ignore her. Sheratan growled. She reached out tentatively with her mind, repulsed by something dark about the figure's mind, trying to question it on who it was.

[Aelodil]

Pain, torment, and grief. These three feelings had become all too familiar to Navarog in his imprisonment. He was grateful that Camarat had imprisoned him. At least in here he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. It had been about a year that he had been imprisoned. A year of torment, a year of pain, a year of grief. He owed all this to the spirits within him as he fought to control them. Lately he realized how close he had finally gotten to controlling them. The process was anything but simple or pleasant, though. His thoughts flashed back to when he had first arrived. When he had arrived he barely had any conscious. At first he had been imprisoned in the simple jails that Farria and Sheratan had passed. After some time it became apparent they lacked the power to imprison him. Camarat had been forced to stay in his old lair with him for the first four months. Even with all the precaution, Navarog had often gone crazy and caused trouble. Had it not been for that, many of the locals would have remained in the area. They had settled a village here long ago, when Camarat had been here as a normal Dragon Spirit. He gave them his blessing, and they used to bring him food as offerings. Now there remained nothing but bandits.

It had been those first four months that had seemed like heaven in comparison to the rest of it all. Camarat had helped Navarog fight the spirits when he felt Navarog in pain. Thanks to this, Camarat was able to contain Navarog in those simpler jails without too much trouble. It all had happened in a blur to Navarog - in and out of consciousness as he fought the spirits. Listening to Camarat, he had no longer fought them off, but rather fought to control them. After Camarat left, however, and been forced to put him in the more elaborate, larger jail, he felt true hell.

He thought of the beginning of it all, after Camarat had left. Not a day had passed without Camarat than the spirits started acting up. Navarog fought to control them, to harness their power. Of the five Shades within him, one had seemed to be the most sympathetic to him and he had been able to control it within the four months. The rest, however, had different things to say in the matter. He remembered the feeling of his body thrashing around, falling off the bed Camarat had prepared for him. Among the luxuries Camarat had prepared for him, including chairs, books, a shower, a kitchen, and a bed. They had first been in great condition. After all his time imprisoned, however, Navarog had written more books. All of them stemmed from his feelings as he wrestled with the Shades. Rather than written in ink, he wrote them with magic, searing the memories into each page.

Sleeping had no longer become a necessity that was fulfilled every night to satisfy the weary body, but rather a luxury. He could hear the Shades every time he woke up. "Who are you, truly, Navarog? Why do you deserve to live? You should have died with your friends long ago. We preserved your life. We gave you power. You felt the freedom. Come, release us, let us imprison this pain and guilt you feel." the silky voices had said to him. It was like a snake whispering dreams of wealth. Navarog longed to accept their invitation. Letting go of the pain and torment he felt. It was his sole dream, to no longer feel this pain. However, if he had learned one thing from his age it was to stop being selfish. If he released them, he knew they would break free of this jail and hunt down everyone he loved.

The tenth month especially had been difficult. He had tamed all but one Shade by then. However, that one Shade seemed to be more powerful than all of the four before him. He listened to what the spirits in him had to say as they explained, "We had once been five powerful kings. We had been Riders. The Five Kings they called us. He is the First and Silver King. I am the Second and Gold King." one at a time they introduced themselves. The Third and Red King, the Fourth and Blue King, and the Fifth and Green King. As the number became larger, the strength lessened.

In return, he had asked the Gold King, "But can't the four of you fight him all together?" confused. Quality came before quantity, of course, but if the quantity was in the ratio of 4:1 and the quality 1:2 then couldn't they take him?

He was rewarded by an exasperated sigh as the Red King told him, "We only wish. The Silver King can fight off two people of equal strength to the Gold King. The Gold King can fight off two people of equal strength to myself, and so on. So as you could imagine, we wouldn't stand a chance against him." Navarog had grit his teeth as the Silver King began his daily dose of torment.

Finally, after those last two painful months, here he was, on top of all Five Kings. They named him the Sixth and Uncolored King, as he could now call on the power of any of the Color Kings. Despite this, he could still feel the evil reek around him. The Shades had stayed around in all of their consciousnesses, though he had complete control of them. After all his time imprisoned, he had become a Wizard, more forced into than chosen. Due to the fact that if he had turned into a dragon in his jail, he most probably would have completely lost it, he had decided to forsake his gift. He didn't regret it, though he felt a feeling of longing for his old gift. However, unlike Camarat who had had 100 years for his body to age into that of what looked like an old man, Navarog still contained his youth in his body. Plus, thanks to the Silver King, the Immortal King, his body would never age.

He snapped back to the present as he felt someone enter the cave. He was confused. Why would anyone enter? He reached out with his mind to see what was going on. He saw what looked like a little girl and a leopard with her. The girl opened the book, but didn't proceed to leave. She must not understand the Ancient Language, then, reasoned Navarog. If she knew to read that book, she would not have looked back in this caves' direction. Instead, the girl proceeded to move deeper into the cave. As she came along his jail, he looked up at her from his seat. After taming the first King, he had begin to lose the corruption in him. His bald head had been replaced. He had long black hair. His red eyes glistened as they caught some sun.

"Why are you here, child? This is no place for even the strongest, let alone a child and her pet leopard." he said to Farria, his voice finally back to normal. He had a powerful voice, though gentle to Farria. He felt Sheratan's mind and he allowed her in. He didn't bother with words, but rather let her skim through his entire memory span.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Brenton]

The days had passed and turned into months while the once proud noble, Ashendale, had been gathering intelligence. Some time ago his ally had been taken and now he would rescue the dragon spirit. So he rode to where there had once been a village and stopped to look around.

The last he knew Navarog had been in the smaller jail but that was months ago. Word was that Camarat moved him and now Ashendale had to find the prison. Slowly the man climbed down and swept his black cloak around his shoulders. With a muttered chant, Ashendale allowed the Nether to repossess his body. Now he was the Nether Shade again.

Ashendale ran until he came to an entrance that looked semi promising. He stepped through and immediately saw Navarog speaking to a young girl and her snow leopard. This was a great way to discover how far he had fallen so Ashendale hid and watched.

[Aelodil]

Navarog felt a very dark and evil presence. After finally controlling all the Five Kings and their Shades he could feel dark presences so much easier. He already had quite a knack at noticing them as a Wizard, for both Wizards and Dragon Spirits had a connection to nature. Wizards less so, ergo he might not have noticed it, but with the Kings under his control, and after experiencing the evil and darkness of a Shade, he knew the feeling to it. He didn't make a notion of noticing the presence, though. Currently, he was the one in the safest position, whereas the girl was in the most dangerous. However, the presence wouldn't be there for the girl, he reasoned. An evil presence of this magnitude.. he recognized it. Ashendale.

When Navarog had been known as Nelfarion with the Kings and their Shades controlling him, he would've been evenly matched by Ashendale. As he was now, however, with his power added to the Kings and their Shades and his own, he was confident he could take the man in a fight. He wasn't confident, however, that the girl wouldn't be caught in the crossfire. Matter of fact, he was pretty sure that anything within an easy 20 km square would be in the crossfire. He lowered his head. What a pickle of a situation to be.

He stood, a dangerous and dark aura emitting from him. He walked to the bars and grabbed them. He knew the wards on them. No one could open it from the inside, only the outside. Being so, he was currently in the situation of the most dangerous beast cage of unbreakable metal. He looked straight at the leopard, favoring it over the girl. The leopard he was sure could be communicated and reasoned with, as it had originally sent its thoughts out to him. "Release me." he told the leopard. His voice was gentle enough not to frighten the leopard or girl. It had a silky texture to it, like a fox.

He continued, "I cannot break out of this jail on my own. Rather, I cannot break it from inside. Camarat is quite informed in his magic to make such a ward." this time to the girl. His red eyes glistened in the sunlight. He felt his aura stretch in the room he was in - literally. His aura took the form of a fox as it glared outside the jail with those envious red eyes. It radiated envy, power, lust for power, pride, wrath, torment, and grief. Filling the entire jail, it posed quite an intimidating figure along with Navarog himself. He wore a simple black shirt along with khaki trousers. In his hand was the sword Camarat had left him. It was by no means a fancy piece of art. Rather, in appearance it was the exact same as any other normal sword. However, it had a durability to it that far surpassed any normal sword. If it came down to it, he would fight with this sword, his mind, and his energy.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Aelodil]

Bump Quetzal

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

((Sorry, I did know it was my turn, I've got 8 threads going atm and I can only reply to 3-4 each day))

Farria had a strong urge to step back from the man, retreat into the shadows and hide from him, but she forced herself to stay where she was and face him. He couldn't hurt her from in there. She was safe. Even so she felt her hands shaking. She hated them for that. Always she was so cowardly. Now was the time to be brave. To prove she was capable of more than whimpering in the corner when danger struck. There wasn't a choice now, anyway, she was on her own but for Sheratan. The snow leopard hissed when she felt Navarog's mind, fur bristling. There was so much darkness and evil there. She was about to suggest they leave when Navarog shared his memories of fighting off and controlling the vile things she detected. She stopped growling, but her tail still flicked from side to side rapidly in discomfort at being so close to such horrible beings. Wargs were connected to nature too, but neither of them felt the presence of Ashendale. They focussed entirely on Navarog, neglecting to stay aware of their surroundings. Sheratan though she smelled something, but put it down to some general jail smell.

Navarog's request took them aback. Farria shook her head. No, there was no way she was going to break a scary stranger out of jail. Sheratan didn't seem so adamant as her, however. "You can't be actually considering freeing him," she said to her in astonishment.

"He showed me his memories. He was possessed but now he's in control."

"And what if he stops being in control? Or what if he lied, made those memories up? If Camarat himself imprisoned him here, there must be a good reason. He would have released him himself if it was safe to do so."

"Hm. I suppose we shouldn't blindly trust people either. But it'd be bad to leave him if it truly is time to free him," Sheratan replied, deciding not to rule out freeing him completely but also not to do so just yet. The fox aura made Farria shiver. She stared into its red eyes, matching those of Navarog himself, feeling the emotions it gave off with her mind more sensitive to things like this. None of those feelings were positive. They all served to strengthen her impression that this man had bad intentions and was a force to be reckoned with. Just the fact he could create such an apparition without even looking like he was trying was testament to those thoughts. "Why should we free you?" Sheratan asked Navarog. "You're a stranger, and powerful. Even if you have mastered those dark spirits, we don't know we can trust you. Camarat would have freed you himself if the time was right, surely. I don't feel safe letting you out of there," she said sceptically. If Navarog offered a good enough explanation, she would help him, but if not, behind bars he would stay.

[Brenton]

Ashendale was sitting in the corner when suddenly he saw the change in Nelfarion...no, Navarog's eyes. The old ally was seething and could obviously sense his presence in the room with them. Without thinking, Ashendale stepped forward and raised his hand. A bolt of pure black fire shot out and surrounded both Farria and Sheraton with heat as well as flames. Finally he looked back at his old friend and spoke to him. Come now, Nelfarion. You can't possibly be gone enough to let Navarog think he can destroy me? Come back to me my friend. Ashendale twitched his fingers and the flames rose even higher and tightened around the prisoners he had taken.

[Aelodil]

Navarog felt a little annoyed at being treated like an evil being. Sure, he had evil beings under his control, but they were under his control. But then again, last time he had seen society he had scorched quite a bit of Alagaesia. He didn't know of wargs. Naturally, with him being stuck in a jail for the past year, he wasn't exactly being updated on the world status. He stared at the girl. So she could speak despite the situation. He nodded, satisfied. A strong girl indeed. She would grow up to be a fine woman - assuming Ashendale doesn't harm her, he thought.

With a look akin to pain, Navarog flinched barely at how vehement the girl was against him. Bowing his head, he realized that after all he had done, he couldn't expect to be treated as a normal Wizard ever again. Whether he liked it or not, he heard their mental conversation. It hurt. It hurt to be disregarded the way he was being disregarded here. He looked Sheratan in the eye at her question. At least she was being cautious, though not as vehement against the idea as the girl. He took a breath and was about to respond when he noticed Ashendale step forward and encase the girl and her leopard in fire.

"Well, I guess that may be chief of the reasons why you should've let me out." he said to the leopard, dry humor thick in his voice. He didn't let his worry for them show. Turning to look at Ashendale, he smiled at him a grim smile. "Hello, Ashendale. I'm sorry to say you won't be seeing Nelfarion anymore. You're stuck with me." he told Ashendale. The smile playing at his lips was cold to the core and showed no emotion at all for the man in front of him.

"Navarog, what are you thinking? This is no situation to goad Ashendale in. We cannot leave this jail and he's on the other side of it with the girl and her leopard." said the First and Silver King to Navarog. Navarog waved it off. He was sure the Red Kind had gotten his notion.

He heard a laugh in his mind followed by a voice as the Third and Red King began to speak, "He's hoping Ashendale will try to blast him through the bars. If he does that, the jail won't hold and Navarog can proceed to do whatever it is he wants." Navarog felt their thoughts on it. Mostly they agreed it was the best thing to do in this situation, but it was sketchy. He agreed.

Navarog and his malevolent aura glared out of his jail. Looking Ashendale in the eye, he asked, "What is it that you want, Ashendale? Before you answer that, allow me to explain: I am Navarog. Nelfarion, the collective of Shades that you once knew is no longer in me. The Shades are, sure, but they're under my control. So in other words, no matter what anyone does, Nelfarion won't be back ever again. So continue; what is it you want?" his voice filled with anger. Anger that Ashendale would even go so far as to threaten the lives of a child. His fox aura flickered with him, turning its glare to Ashendale, those angry red eyes looking as if they were piercing him.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Another stranger stepped out of the shadows and made Farria and Sheratan jump. Before they could take any form of action, they found themselves surrounded by dark flames. Farria bit her cheeks to stop herself screaming. She twisted around to confirm they were indeed trapped on all sides, then was forced to watch wide-eyed. Sheratan yowled when the fire sprung up. She hated it. Farria felt something stirring in her thanks to the extreme shock, fear, confusion, and determination not to be a liability and victim for once, something she was sure had to be magic. Even if she knew how to contain it she wasn't sure she wanted to faced with a man she was fairly sure must be evil. Ashendale, the prisoner called him, and he called the prisoner Nelfarion. Or Navarog. The energy inside her made her feel funny and light-headed as it cooled the area they were trapped in enough to stop the flames being so uncomfortable.

Having had no back story here, the two had no idea what was going on. Both men looked equally evil and scary. They drew up three conclusions. Either Ashendale was good, and had once been friends with Nelfarion before darkness had taken over him until he went by the name of Navarog when being imprisoned. Ashendale could be begging Nelfarion to return to his former self, holding Farria and Sheratan to stop them releasing him to keep them safe. Or Nelfarion could have been locked away for his evil deeds, tried to righten himself by changing his name to Navarog and leaving that behind, and Ashendale could be trying to lure him back to darkness. The third option was they were both evil and Ashendale was here to set him free, other things being a show to try making Farria and Sheratan release him.

What Navarog said suggested he was good and the Shades called Nelfarion were what made him evil, but were under control now. Ashendale might be evil then. Navarog might still not be safe though. The Shades might still come back. Or this might be even more of a show to stop them trying to stop them. They kept quiet, not wanting to do something wrong or let their minds have any contact with evil in case they got an opening and ripped into them.

[Brenton]

Ashendale simply raised a hand and held it palm outward toward the fox aura with a contemptuous sneer on his face. This was no physical threat to him but it would do well to show he wasn't afraid of the malevolent glare being directed toward him with malicious intent. So the Nether Shade flicked his wrist and pure chains of energy shot toward the fox aura intending to ensnare it and keep it immobilized for the most part. Finally he looked at the girl and her leopard, a small glimmer of remorse in his heart flashing across his eyes. Slowly he lowered the flames enough to keep the heat was killing them but not enough to let them escape.

I wish not to harm you, child, for you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you have met Navarog and still aren't roasted then it is safe to say he is truly not Nelfarion anymore. Forgive me youthful one and predator cat, for I must deal with my personal agenda before I can release you. As Ashendale spoke he turned back to Navarog to see if anything had changed.

I came here seeking an old ally and friend who shared many memories with me. Unfortunately I see that Nelfarion is no more so forgive me Navarog but you are useless to me. With that he muttered a harsh syllable in a twisted language. A searing bolt of electricity shot from his hand and toward the bars of the cell. Soon an explosion rocked the land and a plume of smoke rose from the area to reveal a gaping hole in the cell door.

---

In the village, the inhabitants were going about their day when they heard the earth shattering explosion and saw the plume of smoke from the cave. With a shrill scream, a woman ran for her house crying to alert Camarat or Arathale of the situation. Out of the mayhem stepped a broad shouldered and heavily muscled man who carried weapons but had the air of someone who could fight without them. This was Arathale, dragon spirit and friend of the Wizard Camarat. He had been wandering toward the last known residence of his dear friend when he had heard the shouts for help and saw the smoke from the cave. That was where Nelfarion was imprisoned. Without thinking he ran toward the entrance prepared to defend the townsfolk below.

((Figured it might be a good idea to put safety measures in place in advance.))

[Aelodil]

Navarog stared at the children with worry in his eyes. His apparitions gaze didn't flicker. Rather it stayed focused on Ashendale. Though he may have emerged from darkness, the darkness remained lingering around him. He didn't quite care about it all however. Even if the world shrugged him aside. If the world was scared and shunned him, he would help everyone. No matter how much they may hate him and his darkness, he'd continue to help them. Seeing the fire surrounding them raise, he felt his hate emit into the apparition around him. Never before had he feel so much hatred for one person.

Feeling himself calm down after Ashendale lowered the flames so that the child wouldn't be harmed, Navarog let out an unnoticeable sigh of relief. At least the man wouldn't harm the child and her leopard. His ploy seemed to work off. "You better not regret choosing the hard way out." warned the Silver King.

"There's no choice here, First King. If we don't punch our way through this force then who will? I doubt anyone other than us could curb or master this amount of raw power. Just make sure you don't let your guard down." said the Red King. Navarog found he preferred the Red King the most - he was a lot like him.

His apparition retreated into the depths of Navarog - it had carried his negative emotions out. Feeling them flow back into him, he glared at Ashendale with renewed hate. His eyes glinted with the sunlight just before Ashendale spoke. Hearing those words, he smirked.

"Be careful here, you don't want to slip up. Half-assed determinations won't get us anywhere at this point. If anything it'll speed our way to the afterlife. Concentrate on what we have to deal with currently - oh, by the way, try to hold back even a little. Wouldn't be too nice if the nearby village were to be leveled to the ground thanks to us going free." the Fourth King spoke to Navarog who shrugged it off. Fighting against Ashendale would mean not holding back at all. If anyone else gets caught in it, he'll just heal them. The last thing seen in the cell before Ashendale filled the place with smoke was Navarog's glaring red eyes glisten with the sunlight.

Waving an arm lazily, Navarog deflected the bolt of electricity up into the ceiling. With smoke covering the entire cave, he stood up. Noticing the gaping hole, he walked towards it slowly and intentionally. Reaching deep within him, he asked, "Everyone ready for this? By far this'll be the hardest battle to deal with."

Hearing a "tch" he listened to the Second King speak, "What do you take us for Navarog? We can deal with this man. Just know that we can't guarantee that the people nearby being safe." Navarog smiled, expecting that answer.

For once, he heard the Fifth and Green King talk, "We can easily deal with this, don't worry. Just focus on it and stop thinking about the people in the vicinity. If they haven't evacuated already then that's their fault."

Finally, he stepped out of his cell and concentrated his energy. An aura of mixed colors surrounded him, emitting a shock wave of energy that dissipated the smoke and lowered the flame considerably for a short time. Looking at Ashendale in the eye, he noticed a stranger at the mouth of the cave. Quickly, he reached his mind out to the man and said, "I'm not sure what brings you here, but you radiate quite a bit of power. Mind lending me a hand here?" quickly relaying all that had happened to the man.

"Sorry to disappoint, but while I'm useless to you I'm not useless to the people of Alagaesia. I may be shunned, and hated, but I don't care. If it means saving them then I'll deal with you." he told Ashendale, his voice strong and icy cold. With the sword in its sheath in his right hand, he walked towards the man. At a range of ten meters, he launched a bolt of energy shaped like a small orb at Ashendale. The orb sped quickly, being launched with extreme force. Though it seemed small, it packed an insanely strong punch behind it. Without waiting to see what it accomplished, he unsheathed his sword and rushed forward. Casting a quick spell to dramatically increase his physical prowess as he rushed forward. In one fluid motion, he swung his blade in a quick arc aimed at Ashendale's hip towards his shoulders.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Farria and Sheratan were now in no doubt that the two men were not secretly working together, and were pretty sure Ashendale was the bad guy. Hearing they would not be harmed was little relief. They didn't trust Ashendale enough. Seeing someone like that seemed out of character when he was otherwise bent on destruction. He looked like his aim was to harm an awful lot of people who were in a very wrong place at a very bad time. Farria felt the flames cool a little, and closed her eyes as Ashendale began drawing more magic around himself. I'm not scared, I'm not scared, I'm not scared, she told herself. Everything is going to be OK as long as I stay calm. If I freak out, I won't think properly and I'll make a mistake.

So she forced herself to be brave. She didn't open her eyes just yet, because the lightning striking the bars made a terrible racket which made her keep them shut on instinct to protect herself from any bright light. "Why did he do that? Ashendale asked us to free him, if we could have done it it can't have taken all that show. The key must be nearby. Would have saved him a lot of effort," she said to Sheratan. Pointlessly spoken given she had firmly retreated from the minds of the other two. It was a comfort to comment and criticise, it made her less scared to find flaws in the threat.

Navarog emerged as she opened her eyes, and the fire trapping them lowered for a moment. They weren't about to miss any chance they got. They jumped over the diminished fire immediately, standing frozen and indecisive watching the action. From Navarog came a great feeling of hatred, dark and vile and evil like Ashendale. He was not all good. She was surprised he had been able to resist those Shades he had been talking about. From what she heard they were good at possessing people. With Ashendale here encouraging them to take over and turn to evil, she thought they must be putting up a struggle with Navarog. She didn't realise they were helping him. She started towards Navarog. "Woah there, we have to stay out of it. It's not cowardly, it's being smart enough not to do something that could only kill us both," Sheratan's stern voice made her stop in her tracks and move towards the dungeon wall. "We might even get caught in the crossfire, or trapped again. Best try sneaking out." Sneaking was their best skill after all. Farria pressed herself closer to the wall, melting into the shadows and moving with them as did the snow leopard. It would be hard to notice them without knowing where they were. A black fog formed around the edges of the dungeon to further hide them, and around Ashendale to make it harder for him to see. "Sorry about the fog. I didn't mean that to happen, it just did. I can't control it," Farria said sheepishly to Sheratan. She had no idea how she made it but was feeling tired just as people said they did after using magic.

[Brenton]

Arathale glanced at the situation briefly as he ran into the room and then hand his hand outstretched toward Navarog while his other hand moved the sword toward Ashendale. Both of them would be confined here before he ever fell and gave them time to escape. After all this was the infamous Ashendale and Nelfarion that everyone feared for so long. Both of you will calmly cease and desist or I will slay you where you stand. Camarat locked you up for a reason and Ashendale wasn't invited. Now I will take command until he returns. For I am Arathale, dragon spirit and ally of Camarat.

Ashendale had lost visibility as the fog thickened but he was able to jump back and block sphere of energy just fine. That took him out of range of the sword strike but it didn't solve the issue of the new comer.

[Aelodil]

Navarog didn't react visibly to how Ashendale blocked his magic attack and dodge his blade. What he did react to was Arathale. Stopping, he glared at Arathale with malevolent hatred in his eyes and asked, "Are you actually serious, Arathale?" he paused and put his sword down, sheathing it. He spat on the hard ground beneath him. He was glad Farria and Sheratan had escaped, but Arathale's reaction made him snap. Slowly, he stopped and turned to Arathale with slow and deliberate movements, barely contained anger through his entire being after how Arathale treated him.

"Do you have any idea.. how much I suffered to control the beasts that ravaged your world? Do you have a clue how much suffering I had to go through to wrong my past mistakes? Yet here you are, calling me a menace. Well you know what? I'd love to see you try to deal with Ashendale on your own. I'm leaving this hellhole one way or another. I don't care if you're Camarat's friend, and I'll tell you why." he got up close and personal, bringing himself within an inch of Arathale's face before whispering, "Because he's my childhood friend, and I know him. I know he wouldn't have done what you're doing. He'd assess the situation and deal with the real threat rather than the one trying to help. So try to stop me leaving. Help me, I swear on every deity known to this world I will leave over your prone body or not." with that, he turned to the cave entrance and began walking out.

"Don't let emotions cloud your thoughts. Didn't you just say even if the society hate you, you'll still protect them? Then prove it. Do it here." the Third King told Navarog whose temperament flared at hearing it.

"You know what? You can bite me. They can bite me. Everyone can bite me. I'll tell you: I. Don't. Care. You know the hell I went through to become who I am again. If all they base their thoughts on are past experiences then so be it. I won't bother with this kind of a society. Perhaps I'll just stay with Camarat and help him out as his goon." came the annoyed response from Navarog.

Hearing a mental sigh followed by a voice as the First and Immortal King said, "I understand, Navarog. Besides, it's no longer your problem. Arathale made it his own problem when he said that."

Navarog cast a quick spell without any words on Farria and Sheratan to protect them from any of the conflict before walking right past Arathale, his sword in hand in it's sheath. He felt an aura of energy around him. The vibe was clear: Don't stop me. Without giving a second look behind at the cave, he jumped down and left Arathale to deal with Ashendale. He made it his problem the moment he said that.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Farria and Sheratan were happy to take position as unseen observers to the whole situation. In the fog Farria considered slipping towards Ashendale to help in the conflict, but Sheratan immediately sensed her intentions and scolded "Don't you dare get involved in the fight," in a tone that let the child know she was not to be argued with. As much as Farria wanted to be brave, she realised that now was not the time. There was bravery, and then there was getting yourself killed. She quite liked being alive, frustrating though the cards she'd been dealt could be.

The fighting was getting worse and they stuck to the walls to avoid being hit in the crossfire. A few missed shots struck the wall nearby, but they did not speed up out of care not to stumble. The fog was clouding their vision as much as anyone else's. It would spell trouble to trip over something and fall over in this situation. Being held hostage again was not on the agenda. Farria made to leave but paused out of sight to hear and watch Navarog speaking to Arathale. She knew Arathale was a good guy, that one was easy since she'd heard of him before. However, it still seemed to her he was being too hasty, going in with magic blazing ready to beat up all the baddies. It looked like he didn't know Navarog wasn't a baddie any more, but he was understandably reluctant to believe that. He was a 'when in doubt, kill everything' kind of guy and that was never going to have a happy ending.

Slipping forward, she poised ready to try help Navarog escape. Sensing a ward as he slipped past gave her more courage. Once he had passed her, and so was nearing the exit, she stepped out to block the way. Sheratan saw it was too late to stop her and stood at her side, growling, fur bristling. The girl held her arms wide to block as much space as possible, looking up at Arathale in defiance if he tried to follow Navarog. She didn't know if magic would work for her or not, and was certainly not strong enough to hinder him without it, but hoped it would be enough to make his pause long enough for Navarog to run out into the daylight.

[Brenton]

Arathale, having known both Nelfarion and Navarog for a short while, was taken back by his heated response towards the situation. A true friend of Camarat would look at this and know that no matter how unjust their own treatment they should help to keep innocents safe. You may have known him as a child but what did you do since then? Get corrupted by Shades and become Nelfarion, befriend a Nether Shade known as Ashendale, destroyed much of Du Weldenvarden in your rage, ravaged the land of Alagaesia, attempted to kill the elf king, and committed more heinous crimes. So you curbed the blood lust, jolly good for you. Yet while you did all of that I fought to protect people who hated our race and fought against evils like you. Navarog, leave this cave and I will personally make certain it is the last thing you ever do.

With that Arathale spun and cut off Ashendale's head while driving his fist through the man's heart. As the Nether Shade died, the dragon spirit turned and with one motion, jumped over the girl and leopard. They were misguided but still innocent bystanders. With a disgusted growl, Arathale walked out and shot a glare at Navarog. Stop walking! Your ally is dead and I am not afraid to put you down as well. Although I would prefer you explain the situation instead.

[Aelodil]

It was with extreme pleasure that Navarog witnessed Ashendale die. He felt no remorse for the twisted man. If he had tried to fight the spirits then perhaps he would have. However, considering he embraced it and got even darker, Navarog didn't give a flying thought to it. However, when he heard Ashendale his anger went from close to snapping to even closer. Did Arathale really think he chose to get possessed by Shades? Did he think he wanted to do what he did? Turning quickly, he glared Arathale in the eye. His fingers twitched with barely controlled hate and rage. The air around him began to crackle with energy and small rocks and bits of earth began to float around him. The Immortal King noticed his rage and tried to pacify him saying, "Calm yourself, Navarog. The man means well. He simply misunderstood it. Just tell him your story."

Navarog bat away the thought. No. He wouldn't leave it at that. Someone needed to tell Arathale to respect his elders, especially given the situation Navarog had been in. The only thing that kept him from snapping was seeing Farria and Sheratan trying to protect him. Seeing that, he gave a small smile at them and reached out his mind. He told them, "Thank you both for trying to protect me. I'm afraid our friend here might need a bit of common sense hammered into his stubborn skull before he listens, though."

Turning back to stare Arathale in the eye he said, "Oh really? You're trying to tell me you're innocent now? I protected the child and her leopard when I gave them that ward. The rest of the people wouldn't be endangered so long as I left. That meant that all there was left to protect in the area would be you. You are beyond innocent. A man who takes lives should only do so after he is prepared for his own life to be taken. You've taken lives. Perhaps for a just cause, perhaps not. But the fact that you took lives remains. Ergo, you are not quite innocent. Nor am I. However, that does not give you the right to say what you did. Do you have any idea what it feels like to be tortured? To spend a year trying to fight back the jailer and his stupid Shades? Have you ever felt such searing pain throughout your body and mind you felt like you were in lava while simultaneously being slammed into a rock by a giant? Do you know the pain I've been through to fight that? Do you know the pain I've been through to fight back the evil and guilt? DO YOU?" he shouted, his voice icy cold.

"Oh and by the way. Hint for you since Camarat is not here now: respect your elders." he told the man before turning to walk away. He was done with Arathale. Turning away, he kept himself sharp, ready for Arathale to try to attack him. If the man was foolish enough to do so he would fight back.

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem

[Quetzal]

Just like that, Ashendale was dead. Under all that fancy magic the two had thrown at each other, it had taken all of a second for Arathale to kill him once he got close. That was too easy. Arathale didn't even have a scratch to show of it.

She felt small and weak to be jumped over, no real obstacle, but was more encouraged when Navarog showed some appreciation. Unless this was all a double bluff, he was a good guy. She smiled back at him. His speech made her feel for him, and grow a little frustrated with Arathale for being so close minded he wouldn't think at all about the situation. If he did hed realise Navarog was all right. She didn't speak aloud, but mental communication was all right because there was no risk of accidental magic. "Navarog's good now, you need to think before you do something as serious as hurting him!" she tried to say to Arathale's mind should he let her.

[Brenton]

Arathale snapped his eyes to Farria as she communicated with him mentally. A mental connection is far more dangerous to yourself than a verbal conversation to others, Farria. If I were as evil as you appear to assume I am for trying to stop a monster then I would have taken over your body just now. Please retreat and stay clear of this.

The dragon spirit focused back on Navarog and where a large bipedal man had been, a glittering dragon the size of most mountains now towered. This was a battle for true peace and if it came to it, Arathale wanted to be prepared to win. Prove you are as you say, Navarog. Nelfarion was an abomination whom I cannot let loose but if you change and look like you did before the spirits then you are free. Yet be warned for if you cause harm after that to even one person who cannot defend themselves then it will be my job to stop you again. So, clear your name and be that which you say you fought to become. Change into a dragon!

[Aelodil]

Navarog couldn't comprehend how adamantly stupid one could be. Rage fueled him and all he wanted was to attack Arathale. But all that would do was prove that he was a monster. He was no monster. Whether this lunatic wanted to believe him or not, he didn't care. What he did care was being called a monster. Using magic, he summoned his own wings which were made purely of energy, radiating the colors of the Kings he had absorbed and tamed. The wings were each as long and wide as his body length and he began to soar until he was face to face with Arathale.

Placing an enchanted hand on Arathale's snout he used his inhuman strength to tilt his head to look up in his eyes. "I am no monster. Do what you will, say what you say, but do NOT call me a monster. Not after all I've been through." he said, knowing very well that it would probably provoke Arathale to attack him. He didn't care. In fact, he almost preferred it.

"Calm down, Navarog. Be at peace with this man. There is no reason to fight. I understand how upset you must be given the circumstances but calm yourself. If you fight here and now, hundreds of people will be caught in the crossfire. The landscape will be radically changed." the Fourth King pacified.

Thud went the sound of wood on stone as Camarat emerged from the cave. Standing at the entrance in the sun, he hit his staff into the stone, sending out a shock wave of magic energy emitting peace, calm, and serenity while nullifying magic. Navarog's wings fluttered and he fell to the ground while Arathale should have been turned back to human. "I thought I would find you in the cell as I returned, but all I found was a dead corpse. I feared the worse until I saw who it was. Navarog, you are now free finally to do as you wish. But not exactly yet. Both of you will stay here until I'm done talking." he said, gesturing with his staff to both Arathale and Navarog. For once, Camarat walked in dead serious and ready for anything. The aura of blue energy surrounding him a testimony to this. He emitted three emotions: Peace, calm, and serenity.

Taking a deep breath, he noticed Farria. Recalling Eragon once talking about her he beckoned her over. "Come closer, dear. Do not worry, no one is going to fight." he told her, his smile passionate and gentle. Turning to Arathale and Navarog his expression turned stern as he began scolding, "Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Navarog, you must learn to find peace and serenity. Do not let your emotions beset you. Arathale, you should assess the situation first. The fact that Navarog still hadn't killed Farria though he could have was testimony to the fact that he was sane again. Yet you didn't care. You gave no care to the fact, either, that he gave up his gift to keep himself imprisoned. If he turned into that abomination in that cell, it would have been destroyed. Have you no insight? I thought your time spent with me would have taught you something at least. Both of you apologize to one another. Now"

When you die, your world ends. The world may go on, but in your eyes, the world ends with you.

-Carpe Diem