Wardens of Legend - The Dragon, The Bear and The Shadow

This tale takes place in a world plagued by the spawn of the darkest plane, and by creatures once men but now beings of terrible power. Three allies, warriors of untold strength, ready themselves to face a foe unlike any the world has ever seen, save for these heroes. Torinn Rhogar, a dragonborn and the purest paragon ever descended from his race, has looked the demon prince Cryonax in the face and lived. It came at a price. Cryonax lives within Torinn now, and day by day he must fight an inner battle to keep hold of his own mind. Ulrich, son of Gunther, has met many a god in his time and knows the exact worth of his life. Reed Ulmo, a man of pure mystery, has faced dangers that would send armies to the grave, and faced them with cunning. His past is lost to time; he lives only for the good of the world and for his brothers in battle. These three knew that together they could fell any foe who stood before them. Or so they thought.

A dark room. A bright circle. The ritual that keeps Cryonax imprisoned must not be disturbed unless a matter of grave danger is at hand. A loud, rapid knock shakes Torinn from his trance. "Torinn, Ulrich sends word for you. It's urgent you get topside." Merrit, Reed's right-hand man, receives only a low growl from beyond the heavy door. "We're under attack! We need you now!" At these words the door swings wide, and a draconic humanoid towers before Merrit. "What could possibly have the gall to attack our airship?" "Creatures unlike any I have ever seen. They have the body of a snake and the torso of a woman." Torinn only smiles, and begins walking toward the upper deck with an air of perfect ease.

"Ulrich, where are these creatures coming from?" First mate Gelzar shouts over the sound of his hammer crushing the skull of a six-armed snake-thing. "I don't know, nor do I know how they keep appearing on our deck, but we'll fight until they stop." Ulrich laughs at that as he brings his mighty axe down, cleaving a creature down the center. "I love the smell of enemies dying in the morning," Reed says, as though killing were second nature to him. "As do I," roars Torinn, coming down to the deck and felling several creatures on his way to Ulrich's side. "Nice of you to grace us with your presence, Torinn. I hope the meditating was enough to see you through this." "The ritual is a precaution. And yes, I believe it was." As the words are spoken, the two champions begin moving in perfect tandem, slaying beast after beast as if they were rabbits.

"Don't take all the glory!" bellows Gelzar, and as a creature leaps at Ulrich it drops to the deck and writhes in agony. "Gelzar, that ability frightens me." "Don't worry, Reed, my friend. My gifts are, and always will be, for the protection of my allies. Be glad I'm on your side." Reed laughs in agreement and fires a bolt from Phantom, the hand-crossbow mounted on his glove. The bolt flies true, striking a foe in the head as it lunges for Gelzar. "Your aim is impressive, Reed." "Yes. Be glad I'm on your side." "Trust me, my small friend. I am, very much so."

As they go on slaughtering these simple enemies, a light forms in the distance. "What is that?" "That, Gelzar, is a portal to a realm of darkness and terror. Take the helm and await my instruction." "Yes, sir." With one last swing of his mighty dragon-hammer, Gelzar makes for the ship's helm. A skull-like face takes shape where the light had been, and from its mouth the creatures of another world come flooding forth. "Ulrich, what are you planning?" "We are going to destroy that portal and send these things back where they came from." "And how, pray tell, do you mean to do that?" "You are going to infuse the prow of the ship with the power of your Ig-Ni-Sai."

"You're mad, Ulrich. I knew I liked you for a reason." Torinn begins fighting his way to the bow as Ulrich sends Gelzar a telepathic message. 'Ram the portal.' 'What? That will destroy the ship, and likely us with it.' Ulrich roars 'That's an order, Gelzar.' '...Yes, Captain.'

As the airship arcs toward the skull in the sky, Torinn looses a roar that would shake the very earth. From his mouth pours a mist swirling with bright blues and greens, threaded with what looks like static lightning, and it spreads to cover the prow. Torinn braces for impact by driving his long, powerful claws into the deck. Reed and Ulrich grip the railings, set for the coming collision. The ship meets the portal, and with the energy Torinn is feeding into wood and metal, the prow begins to tear into the skull. As the ship rips apart, a bright light floods the sky. The portal erupts, and what remains of the ship comes crashing toward the ground.

The heroes wake to a group of bears sniffing at their presumed-dead bodies. The bears begin to anger, but before anyone can raise a fist Ulrich bellows at them in a strange tongue, and the creatures scatter at once. "Did it work?" "Yes, Reed. I believe it did." "Did everyone make it?" "I'm not sure. Most were thrown far in the crash. Our ship, though, is no more." The Shadowfell turned back, the heroes begin the long walk to the nearest town.

"Torinn?" "Yes, Reed?" "What will you do without your ritual room?" "Hope I'm strong enough to keep him at bay until I can build another. And if I can't, hope the rest of you will be enough to stop him." "We wouldn't stand a chance, Torinn. But we'd give it everything we have." "That is all I can ask for, Ulrich. Though I pray it won't be necessary."