The Dragon's Massacre

Prologue
         Year 49 of the Advera calendar on the continent of Valereshe.  A day often remembered as belera mehverg platorth, the day the world burned.  In actuality, it is a major overstatement due to the fact that it only involved a single of Zertala's dozens of continents.  Nonetheless, it left the world shocked and in awe.  To them it was impossible to believe that a single boy, not yet even a full two decades old, massacred half of the populous in a blind rage.  No one truly knows what it was that initiated the incident, no one that is, except for me.
Chapter 1
         It was a brisk morning, the sun out and shining like any other day.  Surrounded by forests of giant fruit bearing trees and brooks overflowing with salmon, was the city of Y'zar.  It truly was a beautiful city, arches and statues made of gold and painted with intricate designs.  Who would have thought that such poverty would exist nearby?  It does happen in life though, that light draws darkness to it.  Y'zar harbored such chaotic and filthy slums, and yet, those who inhabited these slums still did experience joy in their lives.
         Through these slums, a young boy chased a girl of a similar age.  Both of their parents had passed away from the plague that had ravaged the lands only a couple of years earlier and now they survived off of what they could scavenge.  They also were often given loaves of bread from a friend of their parents who had loosely watched over them for the years since the plague.  The girl's long, brown hair waved in the breeze as she rounded a corner, yelling at the boy to try to catch her.  A cute nose marked the center of her face and beautiful brown eyes stared out from her face.  She wore a powder blue dress tied off with a weaved, yellow lace.  Her figure was that of a feminine young women, and yet tomboyish at the same time.  Her feet were sandy and brown with dirt but she didn't mind, it was a normal occurrence for her as she made her way through the back alleys of Y'zar's slums.
         "I'm going to catch you Kate!"  He yelled after her as he hopped over a wheelbarrow and spun past a street merchant.  His hair was a disheveled clump of sandy blond hair.  His face held a rather broad nose and sharp, attentive eyes.  His eyebrows displaying his obvious amusement with the game.  His strong, bronzed arms whipped back and forth past him as he sprinted down a long and narrow backstreet.  His clothing torn and dirty, hung loose on his limber body.  He glanced to his right and saw Kate climbing over a small wall.  He knew where she was headed as she climbed and so he took the shortcut through what would have seemed to any regular passerby a a dead end.  What he knew, unlike others, was that the planks closest to the corner of the alley were only hanging by a nail or two and with a bit of muscle, swiveled away easily.
         He hadn't expected though, that she would get over the wall as quickly as she had and as he rounded the corner, he collided with her.  The road that it occurred on though, bordered a small pond and as they collided, they flipped and hung in mid-air as though time had slowed as both they fell towards the water in unison.  They both landed with a splash and surfaced from the pond, looking at each other.  As if in sync, they both began to laugh about the whole matter. 
        "Come on Kate, we'll be late to the picnic if you don't hurry," he said to her as they climbed out of the pond soaking wet.  She giggled at the funny look on his face as she wrenched the water from her soggy dress.  "What's the matter?" He asked her, unaware of her intent. 
        "No, it's just that you looked so funny Hayden."  Hayden coughed and looked away, as if annoyed at her, but masked a grin hidden from her sight. 
         A small, tender hand clasped his own and as he looked down at her hand holding his, Kate gave his arm a yank and took off running.  Hayden give her hand a squeeze and took off running behind her into the heart of Y'zar.  Finally though, they arrived at the picnic, unaware of how late they truly were.  A strong hand tightened on Hayden's shoulder and he turned around, still holding Kate's hand. 
        "Oh master!" He muttered in surprise as he turned to face the tall, robed man. 
          "Did you forget the importance of this picnic?" He asked in an annoyed voice, sizing up his young apprentice.  This man was very well known around these parts, for he held the title of "Mage of Four," a rare title indeed, for
only the top five magi of the continent are given a number.  He carried his years with wisdom and knowledge, his beard only yet graying though.
         "Come, come, you have a guest to attend to," Nicolas said, for that was the name of the aging mage, as he sternly herded Hayden towards a lone figure.
        "Sorry Kate," he whispered to her as turned to follow Nicolas.  There wasn't anything Hayden could do about the matter so he followed Nicolas in quiet obedience.  Nicolas was a very fierce figure indeed to those who didn't know him.  His obviously superior height often put others off as did the scowl his face often maintained.  With him, he carried a large, wooden staff that tapered off into the claw of a baby dragon clutching a faceted ruby seemingly glowing with an invisible energy.
         Together, Hayden and Nicolas approached their mage colleague.  Hayden was greeted by a man of about fifty years with a large mustache descending into a long, wizened beard. 
        "Ah, so this is your young apprentice Nicolas.  I can see why you choose him, those bright eyes and such a radiant power flowing from him.  He has great potential." Said the man addressing Nicolas, as though Hayden wasn't even there.
        "Sir..." Hayden mumbled, his eyes staring at his feet. 
        "Hayden, you should know your place." Nicolas replied, without even a glance at his apprentice.  "I'm sorry about that Randy, sometimes the boy forgets where he is."  All the meanwhile, Kate hung around in the background of the crowd, keeping an eye on Hayden. 
         A server carrying a tray laden with drinks stopped nearby the magi, offering only Hayden a drink.  Hayden graciously accepted the drink and brought it to his mouth.  Kate kept a close eye on the server as continued past the trio of magi.  As the server turned a corner, a smirk appeared on his face that Kate only caught a minor glance of.  Something was weird about that server, Kate thought to herself.  As the cup was almost to Hayden's lips, Nicolas stopped him. 
      "Drink that if your intentions are death young one," he remarked, as he reached towards the ground.  He picked up a single blade of grass from the ground and dropped it into the cup.  With an astonished look on his face, Hayden watched as the grass rotted and darkened in the glass.  Obviously, this drink was not that of a normal sort.
         "Really, offer a drink to the boy and not I?  Just because I'm not the one who would drink of it doesn't mean that I wouldn't notice such treachery.  Now run and fetch Kate, it seems we will be departing the party early."  Nicolas said as he pushed the boy away.  Hayden gently placed the glass onto a nearby bench and walked slowly towards Kate.  He tried to mask the sudden fear that he felt but continued on his way. 
      "What's the matter Hayden?" Kate asked as she saw him quickly drawing near.  Hayden didn't say anything but grabbed her hand and walked towards the exit where Nicolas awaited him. 
      "Be quiet and look as you were, our safety is jeopardized," he whispered in her ear as they strode together towards the old mage. 
         Hayden and Kate finally reached Nicolas and like a parent, he shepherded them away from the party, around the corner and down an alley.  The color of the sky and their surroundings became blander and seemly suffocating.  Nicolas raised his staff, it's gentle red glow now radiating out from the ruby as Nicolas muttered a charm under his breath.  The world around them seemingly shattered, like glass not yet hardened from an artisan's skills.  Shards of various colors scattered as they landed on the bricks that lay beneath their feet.  The illusion broken, the three could now see what danger truly lay beyond. 
         "What gull you possess, to challenge me so!  What problem have you with me and my apprentice?"  Nicolas boomed, anger obviously underlying his voice.  For in front of them stood a dozen black figures.  With the shadows from the nearby buildings, it seemed as though they were robed with darkness incarnate.  At each of their hips, from a black cord tied at the waist, hung intricate, swords.  Obviously many an hour was dedicated by master blacksmiths towards crafting the swords.
      "How did you know so easily that it was I Nicolas?  We haven't met in many a year."  Spoke a voice that the source of which could not be identified by the three onlookers.  The dark figures split asunder and from the back of them, an even more ominous figure loomed forward.  He was obviously a  man of larger stature than the rest of those figures.
         "Kai, eh?  It has indeed been a long time since our paths last crossed.  I thought I had finished you the last time you endeavored to stand before me although it seems not."  Nicolas stated, standing tall, his feet firmly planted, obviously not afraid of what stood before him.  "Well it seems that once again, that we shall test your luck.  I will give you credit for your bravery to stand before me, or is it stupidity that causes such an act?  Nonetheless, it is misfortune that fates you towards my path."  Nicolas ended his sentence and pursed his lips, facing the dark figures that had disrupted their day so.  Aeirethe enflamtu ratr'ythes!  Nicolas let loose the words with a raging yell, amazing for someone of his age.  He gripped his staff with both hands and slammed the butt of it down into the ground.  Cracks emanated from the staff's bottom and spread outward, weaving beneath their feet.  A whirling ball of fire engulfed the ruby and in the a span of a mere moment, had doubled in size.           
         A scowl appeared on Kai's face as he drew his sword.  He rose the sword to the sky and as Hayden looked, he noticed a blue stone set in the pommel of the sword.  The stone glinted in the light and runes began to dance on the surface.  He muttered something under his breath, most likely preparing a shield.  He had considered charging the mage and dispatching him with a mere slash of his sword, but feared the mage's ability to chain together spells and dared not to risk it.  Within such a short time, the ball of fire had expanded tenfold and with a great show of strength, the old mage brought the staff behind his head and with it, whipped the fireball forwards towards the figures.  Kai moved his foot back and bent his knees, bracing for the impact.  He get off the last word and the rune characters grew and surrounded his body.
         "Master, what are you...?" One of the figures blurted out, obviously afraid of the approaching fireball.  He had watched his master's rune shield grow outwards but it had stopped before reaching any of the other dark figures. 
        With his face still turned forward, he uttered, "Some sacrifices are necessary in this life."  The flames engulfed all of them at once and the darkness faded into the bright flames as they dissipated into nothingness.  "Such fools really, I forget why I even brought them with."  Kai smirked and let out a cackling laugh.  All around where he stood, soot marked the ground, a lack thereof where the other dozen people had been standing.  Yells came from nearby, it seemed as though their magick had not gone unnoticed. 
         Nicolas paused a moment, considering his choices.  Well it seemed, he could be rid of Kai if he wanted.  The corner's of Nicolas' mouth twisted upwards into a grin.  Hayden and Kate, standing out of reach of the magickal duel, both glanced at one another and looked back at Nicolas, an idea was in his mind, and they both knew, that could be a very bad thing.  Kai certainly had wanted to be done with the whole matter, as with a moment's conviction, he began to charge the wizened old mage.  It seemed as though Kai had underestimated the whole matter.
         Nicolas slide his hand into his pocket and quickly withdrew it; a blue powder cupped in his one hand.  With a momentary incantation, he loosened his hand and the powder drifted onto the ruby that held domain over his staff.  Ice began to form on the ruby and spread over it's surface.  The ice wove it's way around his staff and down his left arm and continued to grow until it loomed above Nicolas, it's enormous shadow covering the area of the whole block.  Kai stopped his sprint as quickly as he had started it, his eyes growing in disbelief at the icy dragon that had formed.  It's body wrapped around the nearest building and it opened it's mouth, letting loose a bloodcurdling shriek.  It's claw tightened around the corner of the building it held onto and the stone began to crack and fall to the ground.  Kai could not comprehend what it was that loomed before him.  This was Es'lay, the icy queen of dragons.  He stepped backwards in a moment of astonishment and turned to run.
         Es'lay opened her large mouth and from it rained shards of ice upon Kai.  His body was engulfed with crystalline shards within seconds, all that remained of the act, an icy statue of grim consequences.  Nicolas made a gesture with his hands and Es'lay began to fade, although obvious signs of her presence still remained.
      "Who were they Master?" Hayden finally stuttered out, once he had time to swallow the lump in his throat. 
      "Come, we have to leave here young ones."

                                                                  To be continued.