SORCERY

          Ash and smoke rose from the small volcano, a testament to the power it held beneath the ground. The gray clouds puffed upwards and split the red sky as if by will alone. The crumbly rocks that made up the hillside were like millions of pebbles, but their colour was as black as night. 
          Making his way up the side of the small volcano, Anton couldn't help but notice the absence of heat that should accompany such a spectacle. 
          'Apparently, this realm is more odd than I gave it credit for.'
          He had seen the remnants of a volcano once, a massive mountain in the range that separated his homeland from most of the world. As a young man, he had climbed to the summit and gazed into the dead caldera, expecting something to happen for no reason whatsoever. Having learned about the power of volcanoes at that time, he grew to respect what they had been capable of, or in this case, what they were still capable of.
          Anton made his way up the hill and continued on until he got close to the rim of the crater, being as careful as he could while covering the last several strides that would get him to the summit. Upon reaching it, the scene wasn't as overwhelming as he thought. A pond-sized object filled with molten lava spit and bubbled below, contained in a small crater. Anton removed the Shield of Varmerria from his arm and held it in both hands for a moment, admiring it first.
          Looking below to see the lava churning and moving, Anton nodded to the Shield to acknowledge it's power, before tossing it into the crater. It splashed down in the lava and started to fizz and burn before submerging from view, a wisp of white smoke all that remained of the once powerful Shield and everything it stood for.
          As he turned to leave the summit of the volcano, the ground began to shake and tremble. Anton turned away from the precipice and headed back down the slope, making sure to get away as quickly as he could in case the volcano were to erupt. The ground was shaking a lot, but not enough to inhibit foot travel as he was able to keep upright all the way down the incline.
          'Either it blows, or I someone make it back to my realm unscathed.'
          Returning to level ground, Anton decided to head back towards the riverbed where this all had started. As he walked, the red sky suddenly started to change colour, and the rocky ground underfoot changed from blackish grey to grassy green and sand. Upon reaching the river, it was flowing with water again as it should be, and the sky was back to normal but fading to night slowly, with clouds obscuring the light. Everything looked to be as it should once again, until a sound from behind him made him whirl.
           The hills were there, but he could see lightning arcing over them as if there was a sudden storm, but he could see none in the sky at present.
           "Something isn't right...."

          Accidently finding his way into another realm that he knew nothing about was bad enough, nevermind the fact that he had to destroy a legendary artifact to return to his own realm. But now, more trouble was brewing that he was having a hard time comprehending, the lightning bolts from the tops of the two hills taking on a life of their own.
          Anton stood near the hills, looking up at their crests. He had declined to ascend them due to the snap storm, and watched from below as the bolts of energy danced and played with themselves. 
          "Curious."
          After a few more moments of strange activity, the lightning bolts slammed into each other with a force that sent the clouds in opposite directions, and leaving something on the nearest hilltop in their wake. A solitary figure stood alone, wearing what looked to be a brown sorceror's cloak and hood.
          'A man?'
          Anton stood his ground but was visibly perplexed by all of this, watching intently as the man started to descend the hill towards him. Resisting his urge to unsheath his sword, Anton didn't move a muscle whatsoever. Within minutes, the sorceror-looking man had arrived, and stood before him. 
          "You sir." started the sorceror from inside his hood, his face still obscured. "Have managed to cross into the Dragon realm and back again. Who are you?" he queried.
          Anton raised an eyebrow. "I am Anton, a traveller. Who might you be?"
          There was silence for several moments, the sorceror staying motionless, and Anton not sure if he should draw his sword and prepare for a new battle. Out of nowhere, the man's hands came up, and flipped his own hood backwards to reveal his face. He was aged, and had short brown hair with grey patches, but his eyes were red and glowing as if they were meant to be. His demeanour was normal, but his facial expression was one of annoyance, as if something had disturbed him enough into being here.
          "I am Errian." replied the man. "A sorceror that now resides with the Dragons themselves, expect for when I am needed and/or distrubed. You, my friend, have distrubed me. What has happened here?"
          Anton remained motionless himself, his face expressionless.
          "I found a legendary artifact on my travels, and it brought me to your 'Dragon Realm' against my will. I destroyed the artifact to return here."
          Errian's eyes narrowed. "And you had the knowledge and sense to destroy the artifact to get you back to the normal realm?"
          Anton grinned. "I had help." As soon as the words left his mouth, a darkness enveloped the area and morphed into the shape of a Dragon, made of shadows and the very darkness that was falling across the land.

          The sorceror stood wide-eyed for several moments before saying anything. "A dragon? You walk with a dragon?" he asked, surprised.
          The Shadow Dragon's eyes glowed bright white. "Yes, a Dragon. One that cannot visit the realm in which I was born." he replied, in a booming heavy voice. 
          "So, I hide in the darkness, and only speak to those that are worthy."
          Errian considered this dragon for a few moments, and thought back to when he was first able to become part of the Dragon realm, not long after the death of his physical body a while back. They had welcomed him with open arms and made his transition into an energy being possible, as well as granting him a knowledge that would make any scholar or historian jealous.
          "The other Dragons," started Errian, "They don't mention you at all."
          The Shadow Dragon's eyes glowed a brighter white. "They don't speak of what they don't agree with, but it can be said that unlike our brother the Bone Dragon, I am redeemable and honourable."
           The sorceror thought back to his last conversation with the Dragons, having learned of the treachery befallen through the Bone Dragon and all the death and destruction he had been responsible for. Lucky for everyone, he had been taken care of permanently, and only his essence still remained for the time being.
          "When I am in human form, I can command the power of all the Dragons, and yet when I look at you, I see an empty void." explained Errian.
          The Shadow Dragon grinned. "I am a void, like the shadows that make me. I am the absense of things, an invisible being that is still quite powerful." he replied.
          Anton just stood there and listened to the two of them, learning more about the ancient Dragons than he had in the past. The sorceror and Shadow Dragon conversed for a while longer an covered a lot of ground, with Anton wondering what it must be like to know all of the Dragons and to be privy to the vast knowledge they must encompass.
          "And you, traveller. What is your story?" asked the sorceror.
          "I am on a crusade to rid the known world of greed and corruption, It started with the death of my parents, and continues with the deaths of those who use money and power to ruin lives and stand on the backs of others."
          Errian raised an eyebrow. "A noble cause, but you look to be more violent than most. You're somewhat like a man I used to know, but unlike him, you will take a life without thinking twice."
          Anton felt somewhat offended by the statement, but he didn't let it show and elected to take the high road.
          "I do what I must to honour and fight for those that cannot."
          Errian could see from the man's eyes that his convictions were true and that he would not waver in the slightest.
          'An interesting man, this one....'

                                                        *          *          *          *

          Already away from home and on a quest of his own making, Darius Darksword was surprised when he felt the ground begin to shake beneath him, Tremors were not common to this region, and it was truly unnerving to feel them. His first instinct had been to turn around and head for home, as his wife and son were more important to him than anything. Secure in the knowledge that Arielle could handle things back in the village, Darius had already been close to the Varmerrian plains, and decided to investigate.
          He didn't adventure as much as he used to do, instead preferring to spend time with friends and family, but could be called upon when needed. His unique powers of fire and water were valuable no matter what the situation, and his skill with a sword unmatched by anyone at all.
          Stopping on a ridge, he could see what looked to be a stormfront starting to form off in the distance, and over an area known for it's hills. 
          'Strange how the clouds only swirl in that area, the sky clear everywhere else....'
          Darius continued on in the direction of the disturbance, and silently wished that his best friend was with him on this one, both for company as well as for help if he ended up needing it at some point. Pressing on ahead, something nagged at him a little, causing him to stop and look at the stormfront again.
          'Something seems very familiar about that storm, but I just cannot put my finger on it whatsoever.' he thought. 
          'Perhaps it's nothing.'
          The ground trembled again as he walked, the trees in the forest he was passing through swaying slightly. It wouldn't be long until he came across the Varmerrian River, and he couldn't help but remember the last time he had come this way. Darius conceeded that he was much younger then, but had been eager to explore and make a name for himself, especially a while after being gifted his powers by the Dragons themselves.
          'I am of Varmerrian ancestry myself, and the land always seems to call out and speak to me from time to time.'
          I wasn't long before Darius emerged from the tree line and stood on a hilly part of the vast land, overlooking most of the plains. The storm clouds now circled around the tops of the two hills off in the distance, almost as if they were dancing around them and marking something that was to happen there. It made no sense to him, but he continued on. Dressed like a master swordsman would be, his brown, grey, and black tunic and light armour were striking, and enhanced his shoulder length dark hair and light complexion.
          Strands of grey hair started to make themselves known in his mane, but his eyes shone as bright as ever, especially in the face of danger. 
          "Whatever it is that is happening there, I will find out soon enough."

                                                                       -

Continued in 'Reunion'.