Chapter Text
Monsters dwelled where the sun did not shine.
Such was common knowledge to any worthwhile adventurer. It was known that beasts lived in the dark, that they spawned where the light was low and the air stiff with heavy silence. Sometimes they came from caves. Sometimes they came from the sea. Sometimes they came from old cellars beneath tiny wooden houses, in those dusty old corners that were never lit up properly as well as they should.
They crawled out the dark and lashed at those who lived in the light. Zombies, skeletons, giant spiders and the ever dreaded creeper. All were beasts well documented for their danger, and all were beasts that Captain Jordan Sparklez was very well acquainted with.
Daybreak chased most of them off. The undead burned and fell back to the earth. The spiders skittered away to hide in the highest trees. Witches crept back into their gloomy huts, and though rare a sight as any, even the elusive phantom was set alight at the wings like a paper mache match as soon as the light touched it.
The sun chased the monsters away.
But what of the land where the sun did not shine? Of the world below the bedrock?
The Nether had no sun. It had no sun and no open sky. Its sky was a vaulted ceiling, a roof of red crags and thick bedrock stone, one held up by pillars of blackstone and dark gray basalt. The only light inside the Nether was that of lava and flame. And even the everlasting glow of a lit netherrack chunk was not strong enough to keep whatever infernal horrors that could be birthed from such wicked realm respectfully at bay.
No one knew for sure where the Nether came from. There were many theories, some scientific and others more mystical.
Some thought it was a physical location in the Overworld. A place on the same material plane that was just located way deep down where no current methods of subterranean exploration could reach.
Others thought it was another plant, one with an ecosystem contained wholly within the space between its upper crust and lower mantle.
Many claimed it to be another dimension. That would explain the portals needed to get there. Dimensions could only be accessed through magical means, with portals such as the obsidian rectangles built to pass into the Nether being one of the most common methods of interdimensional travel.
The Nether being another dimension solved most of its more peculiar qualities. Like the fact that it was infinite with no end point was one of its most unnatural qualities. Or impossible, rather. Impossible and utterly unthinkable. It was a seemingly endless realm with no end that did not loop around like the surface of the Overworld’s earth. Its bedrock roof could be phased through with a few tricks, and once you managed to find the small wedges in the gray stone, you’d find not an open sky nor the black void of space, but rather a flat plain, long and endless where it spread out in all directions.
Many people used this flat expanse of smooth bedrock to traverse great distances. One step in the Nether was several in the Overworld. With just a few feet of travel, a person could cross an entire ocean in a matter of minutes and come out on the other end with time to spare.
It was for this reason that a good chunk of the explored Nether realm was devoted purely to these “Nether highways.” Vast systems of tubes, tunnels, minecart rails and other such modes of travel were a common sight amidst mining operations and experimental facilities, and it just so happened that on his latest adventure, Captain Jordan Sparklez had been tasked with reclaiming one such highway from a certain dark mage.
The fortress in which his target resided sat nestled between two netherrack cliffs.
“There you are.” Jordan’s eyes narrowed as he skimmed the structure’s walls and beat his vast gold wings. A warm updraft sent from the magma a few hundred miles down carried him up a ways, and with a simple little tilt to the side, he was soon gliding around the battlements from a safe distance.
The Nether was filled with all sorts of strange structures. Most were crumbled ruins lost to the ages and the lava sea, but some were still intact, and many like this ancient fortress were a hotspot for all manner of ghoulish nasties. This one in particular was in excellent shape. The walls were high and made of deep dark bricks, the kind that formed when netherrack was super-heated and turned a cruel blood red. The nether brick roof was flat with a few short barriers, and the bridges that connected the two main towers on either side of the castle-like formation were held up by pillars that rose from the lava below. The structure’s windows were tall and narrow. Many were filled with thick fences that served as bars, an architectural decision that made the fortress seem less like a haven of defense and more like a prison.
A high wail came from just behind.
“Ha!” Jordan jerked himself to the side just in time to avoid the fireball. “Oh no you don’t!”
The ball of flame collided with a rocky wall and sent a cloud of ash into the red haze. Jordan smirked as he whirled to face his foe, sword drawn and chin high as his wings beat strongly to keep him aloft.
A ghast had floated over and was looking right at him. Its body was a colossal mass of pale light skin, a bloated ball of stretched out flesh with a cluster of fat white tendrils that thrashed wildly underneath its tumorous mass. Its face was horrible. Two slits for eyes and a gruesome frown for a mouth. It was like a visage of pale death, silent and twisted. A white devil in the dark red sky above a sea of liquid flame.
Its eyes peered at him as they opened just a bare inch, and once the red glow of its pupils was focused, another horrid scream erupted from its now gaping maw. A ball of hellish flame was spat forth with deadly accuracy.
Jordan raised his sword high to slash at the open air. “Catch, punk!”
The netherrite blade met the fire and sent it sailing back. The ghast’s eyes opened a bit more as the flame sped towards it, but before it could float away, a burst of fire mixed with inky black ooze blew its pale body apart. Chunks of white gore fell to the lava along with a few silver specks.
“Awe. Lost the tears. Dang!”
Jordan’s disappointment was mild and short-lived. He had a mission to do, one that could very well save thousands of lives, as well as one that would land him a good bit of gold to add to his hoard.
“Focus, big guy.”
Jordan whispered a reminder to himself before he turned his head to the nearest open bridge and swooped down to land. The bricks were cold beneath his feet, and as soon as he landed with a heavy thud, the crackle of old bones caught his pointed ears.
He swung his sword on instinct alone and felt it hit something hard.
Crack!
A black figure doubled back when Jordan slashed at its chest. The wither skeleton was taller than most humanoids by several feet, but next to the burly dragon hybrid, its black skull barely reached past his broad and bulky shoulders. This made it easy for Jordan to overpower it, with his tail giving a mighty lash as he waved the sword again and slashed at the creature’s already broken ribs.
Not a single sound came from the wither. Just an empty gaze through its black sockets, a voiceless scream from its open jaw, and a final creak of brittle limbs going crkk against brick as it fell to the floor. A few black chunks rolled off as its bones began to crumble.
Coal.
Not shiny, but useful. Jordan snatched it up to use for later and stored it in his leather satchel, then readied his blade as another skeletal figure rushed over from down the darkened hall.
Two more wither skeletons rounded the corner and charged straight at him. Jordan took the nearest out with a single slash that went from its right shoulder blade down to its jutted hipbone. It fell to the ground in a half-dusted mass, at which point the second reached him and made to swing its own weapon: a crude stone blade that was twice the size of any longsword that could be wielded with one hand with such ease.
The serrated edge barely nicked the edge of Jordan’s armor. He’d gone for a simple set for this quest. Just an enchanted netherrite get-up he had laying around the armory. Normally he’d go with more suited for the Nether’s intense heat. Something with high fire resistance and maybe a few thorns. But this was a simple mission, so he didn’t bother with anything too fancy.
Still, as the wither’s blade bashed against his armored chest, Jordan still felt the faint tingle of wither poison brush against his scales before it quickly faded away. The sensation was cold. Cold and sharp, like frostbite that stang and gnawed against his flesh.
His wings shuddered as he raised his blade. The wither skeleton made to swipe at his arm as it moved up to expose the faintest bit of open skin, but before it had the chance to strike, Jordan decided to surprise the jerk by snapping his sword down to the side and bashing its jaw with a firm fist.
“Gotcha!” He laughed.
If the skeleton had eyes, they’d properly have gone wide when his fist collided with its jaw and sent it crashing against the hard wall. A loud crack rang out in the air. Along with it came the sharp jolt of more withering pressing its way against his hand, but as Jordan drew it away and shook his clawed fingers out, the faint bits of dark black decay that had begun to seep into his veins shrank back before they could spread.
He faced the final wither with a wild smile.
“And that makes three.”
The tip of his sword went straight into the creature’s skill before it could even move its arm to attack. It stayed there for a second, long limbs limp and thin legs dangling as Jordan heaved it up and swung the sword over his head. The skeleton came along with it, and in a matter of seconds was reduced to nothing but ash, dust, soot and crumbled bones that scattered where it hit the floor.
He stopped to huff and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Okay…now let’s go find this Dervin fella and give him a talkin’ to…”
Dervin was the wizard he’d been sent to deal with. Apparently he was something of a reneged mage who was kicked out of the local magic institution and went a bit nuts as a result. Or maybe he was already nuts and it was just getting kicked out that pushed him over the edge. Either way, upon swearing vengeance against all who had wronged him(like you do), Dervin had decided to turn to the dark arts and taken up residence in this here fortress, making it into his base of operations so he could hijack the nearby Nether highway that led into the main city and cause all manner of trouble.
The city’s officials did not like this.
Obviously.
There were actually properly very few people who liked to have their main trade route taken over by vengeful college aged wizards. Especially when said vengeful wizards had supposedly amassed an army of monsters to lay siege upon their city.
Unfortunately, they were short staffed and low on resources. Something about an uprising, if Jordan remembered right. He didn’t really keep up on politics. Not his place, not his speed, yada yada.
But since they couldn’t handle it on their own, the people in charge sent out a call-to-action for any and all aspiring do-gooders who’d be willing to lend their services to solve this pressing issue. There were lots of promising folks in line when Jordan arrived to make his application. Many were young and bright in the eyes. It was nice to see that kids these days still wanted to do good in the world when they were able, but alas, Jordan was something of an adventurer superstar in most parts, so he got the job the second the interviewer saw his face, and oh boy, if that wasn’t an awkward way to be as all those whipper snappers shambled out the door and left empty-handed.
Poor kids.
But ah, well. Sometimes it was better to let someone with a bit more experience handle stuff like this. Start small and build your way up, as he often said.
He did have to admit that he was rather impressed by this Dervin fella’s defenses. He had the whole package! Wither skeletons, blazes, magma cubes and even a hoglin or five. Jordan just about got trampled when a whole herd of the buggers came stampeding towards him down one of the fortress’s many winding halls.
Close call, but never close enough.
A throaty bellow came from deep in his jugular when he stuck his blade into one of their thick meaty necks. The hoglin let out a high squee that faded soon into a wet gurgle as it fell on its side heavily and quickly lost its fight, and as the copper stench flooded the hall, a sick kind of glee made Jordan grin a smile that was all teeth and all dragon.
The yellow glow of its milky eyes faded with a final spasum from its sharpened black hooves.
Jordan yanked his sword back out with a huff, and after a small pause to catch his breath while he watched the pig beast’s blood pool out around its tanned form, he readied himself at last to climb that final set of stairs and enter the main chamber.
The heart of the fortress was a vast central hall. A dozen doors led to it, but only one was accessible from the outside, and many of the others had been sealed off to prevent unwanted intrusion. The walls were made of dark bricks. So too was the open floor and high vault ceiling. The roof was curved near the center and supported by a few stone bands, which were in turn held up by a few large pillars made of blackstone bricks that were speckled with the occasional fleck of bright gold.
There was a platform raised near the center. The stairs that led up to it were small and made of simple stone bricks. Atop the platform were several things of interest. First was a large bronze brazier that was filled with red netherrack chunks that were fully alit. Next were several levers made of blue warped wood and a thick stone slab, next to which were a few buttons that had been drilled into the platform’s surface. Probably some redstone meant to trigger a few traps if Jordan had to guess.
Lastly was a metal pole topped off with a bright blue gem. The gem resembled a large diamond, but it was much brighter in color than most, and with how strongly the pale glow shone from within the center its ice-like surface, he could only assume it was a magical artifact of some sort. The job listing did mention that Dervin might’ve stolen some stuff when he left the academy.
Guess the guy grabbed a neat rock before he hit the road.
Jordan rolled his shoulders back as he took the room in and got busy with scheming out a plan. As he did so, he noticed that there were a few chains that dangled down from above near the space in front of the platform. They didn’t seem to connect to anything.
Hm. Kid’s got some interior design sense, I guess.
A voice slithered into his ears after just a few seconds.
“Ahhh, hello there, Captain Sparklez…”
Jordan studied the man that stood before him.
Well, the kid, rather.
Dervin was a dark elf around the age of a hundred and twenty five years. By typical human standards that was pretty darn old. Same by dragon standards. But by the standards of most elven races, Dervin Potwick here was barely a young adult, let alone the dark master of shadows he’d seemed desperate to paint himself as when he attacked the highway and set his small army around the main portal. A pretty good way to go about scaring the general populace, but not very effective against an old dragon who was much bigger and much wiser than a little shrimp like this boy here.
He was a proper scrawny little guy. All twiggy, all meek. Short too. Very short, even by the stout standards of most male dark elves. If Jordan had to guess, Dervin stood at about 5’3 and barely weighed over a hundred pounds. He was thin. He was pale. His skin was a shade of sleek smooth onyx, but it was graying near the fingers as much as it darkened around his eyes. The bags beneath them were heavy enough to drag a roc down from the heavens almighty.
His eyes were gray like mottled ash.
They were large and adapted for dim lighting.
The torches on the walls cast a bright orange glow upon his face that caught well in those glossy, clouded spheres. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. And given how gaunt his face and how poor his posture, Jordan honestly wouldn’t be shocked if that were the case.
Dervin’s voice scratched against the dragon’s ears as he smiled at Jordan. “I had a feeling that you would arrive. I’ve heard all about you on the news and in the papers. The great Jordan Sparklez. Captain of the Sea Sneak. Thunder of the Eastland Skirmishes. Vanquisher of the great beast which tormented the Sullied Woods and slaughtered the Queen’s Rally. You’ve quite a reputation, haven’t ye?”
His accent was thick around the r’s. It made the words roll off in heavy waves, smooth and sweet like honeyed syrup. His dark robes were the same as the couple of academy students Jordan had seen while he signed up for the job.
Poor guy hasn’t changed since he left, huh?
Jordan kept that sympathetic thought in mind as he greeted the elf in a light tone that was friendly while still remaining firm and very no-nonsense. This guy was a kid, yes. A kid who was clearly very troubled and had lots of personal issues. He didn’t seem evil. He didn’t seem dangerous all on his own. He honestly looked about half a second away from falling over at the slightest breeze.
But still.
Dervin had caused issues. Quite a few. A few rail cars had been destroyed by his blazes. A few glass panes on the highway tunnel were shattered by a large magma cube he sent and landed on a dozen civilians. And to top off all the damage he’d done to the track itself, there were more than enough people present for the attack to last most therapists in the great elf city of Morhbelle a dozen human lifetimes.
Especially for the kids…
Something dark churred in his gut while his smile stretched with a bit more force.
“Pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Potwick.” Jordan bobbed his head a little in a sort of half bow. “I’m sure you are well aware of why I have been sent here, yes?”
Dervin nodded and had his boney fingers locked in front of his chest. “Indeed I am, good captain. You have been sent by the high council to stop me for enacting my revenge for how those cunts at that damnable shithole of an academy tossed me out for being too bold.” The bitterness dripped from his words like water from a seal’s blubbery back.
“Not exactly.” Jordan was careful with his words. Dervin had inched his way over towards the large lever on the platform’s edge, his hands still together by his chest but also clearly itching to pull at it. He would have to be careful not to irritate the guy too much.
“Then why-” Dervin’s face darkened along with his voice as he drew his hands apart and stared right into Jordan’s eyes. “-are you here? To stop me, correct?”
Jordan saw him move towards the lever and grew visibly tense. Dervin appeared to notice the change. His smile shivered at corners as his eyes grew even wider.
“Yes…” Jordan answered honestly but was very careful in doing so. “I have been sent here to stop you. But! That doesn’t mean that we have to do anything reckless, okay?”
That made Dervin pause.
“...good!” Jordan was able to relax once more and let his wings ease. “That’s very good, Dervin. Can I call ya Dervin?”
…
“...y…yes…?” Dervin’s eyes fluttered in confusion. As if he were confused as to why Jordan would ask such a thing. He drew his hand away a little and looked at the older man while keeping both arms held at his sides.
Jordan smiled. “Alright! Now, Dervin. I’m sure you understand that when you attacked the highway in front of the main portal into Morhbelle with all those critters you’ve gathered, you made a very big mess and scared a lot of people. People who had nothing, and I do mean nothing to do with your expulsion.”
Anger.
Anger was what flared on Dervin’s face. Anger mixed with annoyance and a childish snarl of defiance. The elf moved his hand at the lever again, this time showing his teeth in an ugly grimace as he looked at Jordan with eyes narrowed.
“Shut up.” He ordered.
“But Dervin-”
“Shut. Up.” Dervin repeated himself and would not budge. His hair was long enough to spill over his shoulders, its frazzled silver edges giving him the appearance of some wild arctic critter as he swelled with rage. “Shut up, shut up, shut up shut up shut up shut up! Shut up! Don’t you dare try to act like I’m not in the right here. Don’t ye bloody fuckin’ dare! I know why you’re here. Those bitches in charge don’t like to see someone fight back after being fucked over for no reason. They don’t want to be told off. They don’t wanna listen and give me another chance. They don’t care! All they care about is making themselves look good and keeping everything their way and their way only!”
Jordan let out a tiny sigh through his slightly parted lips. Again, politics were not his strong suit. He grew up in war and out on the battlefield, yes, and he knew the causes of most of the conflicts he was involved in during the days of his youth. Most were noble. At least most of the ones he had a choice in fighting for were.
But things were different now.
The world was different.
Jordan understood maybe a bit of what Dervin was saying here. Dervin had been expelled for doing stuff he wasn't supposed to do. Dervin didn't think that was fair and was very upset. The people who hired Jordan hadn't given him much info about why exactly Dervin had been expelled, but while Jordan was willing to learn about it from the man himself, he was not willing to bend when it came to ensuring that he was sufficiently punished for the people his outburst had hurt.
And as Dervin huffed angrily and whipped his head towards the lever closest to him, Jordan readied his blade for whatever was about to be thrown at him.
He gave diplomacy one last college try, though.
Heh…college.
Funny!
…because Dervin got expelled from a college…that's… that's why it was funny.
"You don't have to do this, Potwick."
Dervin grabbed the lever's handle with an iron grip. His voice was venom as he hissed between gray teeth.
" Belth , my thralls."
Belth. Elvish for "kill". Hm. Lovely .
The lever made a heavy thunk that was followed by a metallic rattle. The sounds of chains being pulled filled the chamber, the clatter of steel and the turning of gears grabbing Jordan’s attention and pulling his eyes upwards. Up by one of the stone pillars, a hatch slid open to reveal a small brick tunnel, the inky depths of which vomited up a hoard of several wither skeletons that jumped down and charged straight at him.
Jordan’s wings flared on impulse as the fire built within his chest.
“Come at me.” He dared with smoke pouring from his smiling lips.
The first skeleton that reached him died to the pointed tip of his glistening black blade. He drove it straight into the ribs and gave it a firm twist. The motion caused the ribs to crackle along with the spine where the vertebrae had been skewered, and as soon as the bones started to turn to dust, Jordan tore the sword back out and swung it back in a sideways arc.
A second skeleton met with a similar fate. Jordan cleaved its head clean off and sent the dark skull flying until it crashed into the wall. As the black powder exploded and coated his side, Jordan moved forward to close in on the third and fourth foes, both of which jabbed at him and barely missed their marks.
Red light could be seen at the back of his throat as he opened his jaw wide.
“ Move , you idiots !” Dervin shrieked, voice shrill as he watched the dragon’s head rear back as his wings came undone.
The skeletons both jerked violently in an attempt to do as he commanded. Unfortunately for them, all it took was one swipe from Jordan’s blade to knock them both off their feet. Quite literally in the case of the one whose left lower leg came off completely when it was struck at. The sudden loss of balance caused its owner’s jaw to open in a silent, startled scream. The skeleton reached to grab at its friend to keep itself upright, but instead of assisting its ally, the other wither instead shoved it away and lurched to finally dodge.
Too little, too late.
Fire spewed forth from Jordan’s maw in a column of fiery-orange glow. It was hot against his lips and teeth, but thanks to the protective mucus that coated the walls of his throat and inner mouth, the only thing he had to worry about was keeping the stream straight as it swallowed the skeletons whole.
All that remained when the flames dwindled away were two piles of ash that were covered in orange embers. The smell that filled the air around them was thick and heavy with dusty black heat. Jordan took a large step forward and crushed one of the piles beneath his claws, both of which were clad in custom-fit netherrite guards that were specially designed to cover the golden scales that coated his large, taloned feet.
A small kssst came from each pile as he started towards Dervin.
“Dervin…” He said slowly, his voice very calm despite the orange that still glowed from deep within his gullet. The smoke that wreathed his face on either side was dark gray and twisted in lightly tinted swirls. “Come on…be reasonable here. I’m not gonna hurt you. I just need you to get down from there, come with me calmly, and let yourself be taken back to Morhbelle so you can be judged once all this blows over. I’m sure that if you’re cooperative enough that your sentence will be lessened greatly.”
Dervin scrambled for a second lever without pausing. He all but squawked as he gripped the wooden pole as hard as his thin arm could manage while it was shaking so much.
“No!” He cried desperately. “No, no you can’t, you can’t . I-I won’t let you! I won’t!”
Another door came open on the opposite side of the first. From this hatch there were two wither skeletons, both armed with shredded blades and a matching chestplate each. They both hit the floor within a matter of seconds, but as they darted forward to engage with him, Jordan was more focused on the other two creatures that emerged from the door to pay either any mind.
A muffled howl sounded as twin yellow flames stared at him through a wall of dark smog.
“Blazes.”
Several balls of fire whizzed over his head just as he hissed that out. Jordan didn’t worry too much about the withers. All he had to do was charge forward and slam into one in order to knock it into the other, the force of either impact more than enough to shatter the pair to bits before he jerked his head upwards to stare the other beasts down.
“Get down here, you little-!”
More fire brushed as it wings. It didn’t burn as much as it would a human, but wing membranes were more sensitive than scales, so Jordan clenched his jaw on instinct as he felt the faint flames sting before he shook the discomfort out.
Both of his great wings beat only once before he was vaulted into the air.
The blazes were made of fire itself. Their central bodies were humanoid with round heads and beady yellow eyes. The place where their legs were meant to be instead ended in a dark red point, as instead of arms, a dozen fiery yellow rods surrounded them on all sides and rotated at a rapid pace. The rods’ movements quickened as the beasts readied for another assault. Jordan was ready this time.
“Take that !” He growled as he swiped one blaze clean in two. “And that !”
The fire creature howled with each deadly slash. The first phased through its center and did little visible damage, but the second was through its rounded head, which swelled like a water balloon as soon as it was punctured before it turned bright red and soon burst into a fiery rupture.
Glowing orange dust fell from the remains as a few rods were knocked loose and tumbled down towards the floor. Jordan ignored the blaze’s loot and whirled on the second, which blasted him head-on in the chest while he drifted to the side.
“Ack!”
He heard Dervin cheer with glee as the fire struck his chest. Thankfully the metal absorbed most of the blast, because as soon as he recovered and could move without encumberment, the first thing he did was whirl around and slash the blaze right across the face.
Dervin’s joy turned to grief as the second blaze exploded. Grief then became terror when Jordan turned to look at him directly, wings beating once and the twice as he flew across the room and dove straight at his prey.
Guess we have to do this the hard way, he thought as he prepared to grab Dervin up. Wouldn’t be the first time he had to literally drag someone in when words weren’t enough.
His eyes flared a fierce gold as he sped towards the elf. “Dervin!”
Dervin moved in a rushed lunge that hurled him across the platform. He fell to his knees and cried out in pain, but just when Jordan was certain he’d failed an attempted dodge, Devin reached for the glowing jewel next to the brazier and struck it with an open palm.
“ Than! ”
The word was fast and the blast of energy it produced even faster. It was like a wave in a summer storm. A strong blow against Jordan’s chest that struck him in the ribs and sent him hurtling backwards. A cry of pained surprise escaped him as he spiraled away through the air, which began to glow a ghostly blue pale around Dervin’s platform that drew the dragon’s gaze.
Jordan groaned lowly as he squinted to see what it was.
Dervin let out a huff that turned into a shaky laugh. He was still on his knees with his hand pressed against the gem, the color of which had changed from its previous icy blue to a now darker shade of mixed turquoise green. The inside of the jewel swirled in a lightly colored mist, and as Jordan stopped to catch his breath and gradually lowered himself back onto the floor, he was able to fully make out the bluish-green bubble that had formed around Dervin’s stage.
His metal guards clunked when his feet hit the floor. “Huh…that’s something…”
Dervin continued to laugh and sneered from behind the mystical mist. “Haha…hahahaha…ha…hahahaha! Hahaha! You fool ! You buffoon ! You really thought I’d lose so easily to the likes of you ? Hah!”
Jordan ignored him in favor of studying the bubble. It was very large and covered the platform completely. Its misty surface glowed with a pale green light, the surface of which was fuzzy and covered in paler mint swirls. Faint symbols that resembled arcane ruins floated around the circumference in bands of shifting lettering.
Jordan slowly made his way around to the front of the room without tearing his eyes away. Dervin’s head followed him as he did so, eyes nevering looking away while his smile didn’t care falter.
“Impressed, good captain?” The elf asked maniacally.
“Yeah!” Jordan answered with a small, firm nod. “That’s a real impressive guard sphere you got there, kiddo!”
Dervin’s breath turned ragged as his brows stitched tight. A look of hazy confusion formed on his face while he tilted his head between short, uneven gasps. “You…you…you know what this is?”
Jordan replied with friendly earnestness. “Yup! Well, now I do. I couldn’t quite tell what it was from all the way over here when I first came in. Thought it was some kind of magical doodad type deal. Never seen one so big before. Most of the ones I’ve got back home are smaller and meant for combat.”
He had himself a nice seat in front of the platform’s stairs as Dervin’s confusion etched deeper into his facial features.
“...so…what now?” The elf asked while his lashes fluttered. “Aren’t you, like, gonna try and get me? Or something?”
Jordan took his sword and decided to give it a nice polish. He pulled a cloth from his pocket once he reached into the gap between his armor pieces, then began to wipe down the blade to get rid of all that wither dust and inky thick hoglin blood. The blood itself was easy to remove. It was the smell that took ages to get out, especially if it spilled on your favorite cape and rendered it unusable for several months.
A sigh left his lips at the tragic memory as Jordan smiled and shook his head. “Nah. I’m good. I’m just gonna wait here until either your arm gets tired of holding that thing on or until its battery runs out. Shouldn’t take too long to run dead. An hour, maybe.”
Dervin’s eyes looked at the orb as if it’d suddenly turned a bright neon pink.
“Wait…battery? W-what battery?” He blinked and looked back to Jordan as the dread started to settle in. Jordan could practically smell the elf’s fear from down on the heated brick floor. It made his smile just a bit more devious.
“Those things don’t last forever, y’know?” He explained with a slight shrug. “All of the ones I have only go up for a few seconds before they gotta recharge. Yours there seems to have a longer shelf life than most, but it’ll power down on its own eventually. Either that or your arm will just get tired and drop away so you turn off the shield.” His eyes narrowed as he lifted his sword to study it intently, after which he set it aside and let his wings relax as he let out an easy sigh. “Ahh…either way, I’ll just wait here for the bubble to pop. Then I’ll go up there and grab ya so we can finally turn you in. Unless you wanna come willingly, that is?”
Dervin stopped to look at the dragon man.
Then he turned his head to stare at the glowing sphere.
He then looked back at Jordan with his eyes growing wider by the second, and this time when he looked at the magical orb, Jordan could watch in real time as the world came crashing down and crushed the poor guy beneath its cripping weight.
A cry of outraged defeat left Dervin’s lips. Along with it was a chuckle from Jordan, who just sat and sighed and waited for the time to pass.
The faint sound of Dervin sobbing only made the silence a bit more awkward than usual.
-
It was night when Jordan got back to the castle. A crisp breeze washed over him as he landed on the front balcony that led into the master living quarters. Any normal castle owner would lock the door to such an intimate location in their fortified home, but Jordan’s castle was far away from anyone who would take advantage of such a weakness, and in all honesty, it wasn’t like he had anything important enough to protect to be bothered if there was.
Not anymore, anyhow.
Not right now.
Jordan let an exhausted sighed empty out of him as he shambled into the bedroom. The room was dark and quiet in the moonlight. The four arched windows on the outward facing wall were decorated with tiled mosaic patterns, the colors of which caused the reflections of cobalt diamonds to stretch across the carpet alongside grape colored squares. A few of the curtains that covered the windows shifted when Jordan stretched his tired, flight-worn wings and yawned loudly.
He set his pack down on the floor next to his feet. It was heavy with sparkly coins that jingled whenever they moved. The reward for all the trouble with Dervin would go nicely next to the rest of the metal currency he’d collected throughout his adventuring lifetime.
That could wait for tomorrow, though.
Tonight he was tired and wanted to go to bed.
He’d have to take the coins down in the morning along with his armor, which he took off quickly and tossed aside without much thought. The lock clunk his helmet made when it hit the stone wall only made him hum with mild displeasure.
His eyelids felt heavier with each step. He wore a plain white shirt beneath his armor like he usually did for missions, along with the typical pair of black trouser pants and a thick leather belt with a shiny brass buckle. The buckle was tarnished by age with most of the polish worn away. The belt was in similarly shabby condition, and as Jordan used his talons to undo the long strap that held it in place, he was met with great bother as the leather suddenly snapped and the whole belt fell apart before soon falling to the floor.
Jordan sighed. “Dang…”
He’d been trying to cut down on his swearing. No real reason why. He just didn’t think it was a very captain-y thing to do.
Need to set a good impression for my dragonets once they come home!
The happy yet stressed chime of his instincts made his mood go from tired to downright exhausted. He could practically feel the worry coming onto him. Could feel it creep up his spine from the base of his tail. Could feel it as it spread over every scale on his body, spread all over and covered him up. Felt it start to claw its way in, claw claw claw like a hungry greedy insect .
Find them! It yammered in his head as it sunk its claws in deep with fishhooked malice. Find them and bring them home! Bring them home and keep them safe , yes safe . You’ll find treasure any day now, yes? Yes. You’ll find your real treasure, and once she and the babies are home, you won’t have to act like you aren’t falling apart at the seams every time you manage to get your lazy ass out of bed to go on another fun fun fantastic adventure. Won’t have to bring in the coin anymore, will you?
Cold air hit his skin and scales once his skirt was removed. He tossed it aside and reached for the nearest dresser to pull out something fresh to put on. Something clean that didn’t reek of sulfur. Soft too. Soft was always good.
Treasure was soft. Her hair was velvet and smelled like sunshine mixed with honeyed cream. Maybe I can ask her to make my clothes soft like she always used to once she finally comes home.
The scratches in his scales got worse when he pulled his pants down. His tail began to flick uneasily behind him, the gold tip twitching from side to side as he rummaged around and pulled out a plain sleeping robe. It wasn’t very fancy. Just plain blue silk with white diamonds on the back. A gift from some fan, maybe. Or maybe something his parents had sent that he forgot as soon as he put it away.
Its smooth texture didn’t make the sensation worse. If anything, it was likely that the faintest hint of wild berries that lingered on the garment’s sleek fabric made it worse than it would’ve been otherwise.
Jordan brought a hand up to scratch at his stubble.
“You’re fine.” He breathed quietly to the empty bed chamber. “You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re okay. You are okay. You are okay, you are fine, your scales aren’t on fire, and you’ll shave in the morning just like you always have.
He ignored the fact that it had been a whole year since he’d been able to hold a razor. Since he’d been able to trust himself with a razor.
Wait. No.
Not trust.
He didn’t have to start trusting himself with a razor after a year, because he never stopped trusting himself with a razor. He didn’t worry about razors. He just had really shaky hands that weren’t very good in the mornings. He just didn’t want to risk cutting his cheek off because he stopped paying attention. He didn’t stop trusting the razor. The razor was never the problem.
The itch turned to a sharp stab as his wings began to seize. Invisible knives jabbed at the spaces in between his scales, jab, jab, jab, jab, over and over and over until he felt their tips curve in before they started to pry.
A puff of pale green smoke came from his mouth as he turned to hide-no, not hide. Sleep. He was going to sleep on the bed and forget about it until morning. He wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t going to cry himself to sleep and beg for his wife to come home so he wouldn’t be alone again. He was going to go to bed and be a grown adult man who was going to rip the dimensions apart with his bare fucking talons over and over again until he brought his family home.
The heat welled in his chest.
Something wet prickled in the corners of his eyes. Jordan sniffled and easily blinked it away.
He stepped towards the bed and moved to pull down the covers.
She’d always call you to sleep when you got back from an adventure. You’d spend hours in the treasure room and need to be pulled out so you’d stop counting the coins. She’d say you were a greedy goober. You’d try to tell her that you were just making sure you were paid whatever got promised, but she knew you, and she knew you’d stay there forever clinking the coins between your claws if she didn’t pull you away. You loved her for it everytime.
The knives would’ve drawn blood by now. His scales could be popped off one by one so damn easily. Just like that. Pop, pop, pop, pop. If you took them all off then he’d be bare as a newborn hatchling. Just like little Tuberose, whose pale peach skin had not yet grown a single scale at the time he was lost to the sea.
It started to feel like there was something jabbing at him from the inside when his breath began to tremble. He cursed the way his talons shook when he clenched them into tightly balled fists.
“Stop it.”
The sting grew into a roar as his head refused and tormented him further.
What kind of jewels would Tuberose like? What kind of gemstones would he prefer? Diamonds? Sapphires? Emeralds? Rubies? He’d probably like gold. All dragons do. He’d spend hours in the treasure room rolling around in the stuff, giggling and laughing while you watched him play and dove in to join him.
Do you think he’ll ever get a treasure of his own? Or are you still so stupid as to believe that you didn’t fail them all when you let the sea swallow them whole and lost them to the tides?
Who are you trying to fool, good captain?
What have you got to show for the past year and approaching third month?
It was going to kill him, the thing beneath his scales. The itching, shivering, gnawing, clawing and desperate thing that had woken up inside would come out at any second. It would kill him. It would kill him from the inside out and take its wrath out upon the world. Jordan could feel the way it squirmed to be free, and as he fell onto the covers and curled into a shaky ball of scales, he could taste coppery red as his teeth pierced his tongue to silent an agonized scream.
He gripped the sides of his head and screwed his eyes tight.
His wings shook like leaves in the breeze as he covered his twisted face.
His tail coiled up to curl against his chest. He felt his heart hammer against his ribs and swore it’d break them in just a few moments.
His voice was frail as he pleaded into the lonely dark.
“Please…please stop…please…I can’t…I can’t take it…I can’t…I can’t…”
Tears flowed. Claws tensed. Sharp teeth pierced flesh until it bled, and as Jordan’s world began to crumble once again, he could feel the water just as much as he did on the night the sky burned and the universe took his family away.
It broke him.
It ruined him.
He’ll never find his treasure, sweet little Tuberose. He’ll never get to find them if you never bring him home. Can you imagine how nice it’d be? To see him and his special jewel wander the halls like you used to do with Rose? It’ll be so nice. It’ll be perfect. They’ll be so happy together, and all you have to do to make it happen is get up, get dressed, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and get back to searching .
The exhaustion in his bones was heavy lead that made his sobs turn into muffled screams. He grabbed the nearest pillow and buried his face inside, the smoke and the tears hardly noticeable with the chaos that rages inside his skull.
And as he lay alone in a castle by the sea, all Jordan could do was pray to whatever gods heard that it would all be over soon. He’d find them. He’d find them soon and make the universe right again. He’d bring his treasure home along with their two sweet babies. He would. He would do it. He had to do it. There were only so many places and so many dimensions where they could’ve ended up, right?
…
…right?