A Native

“You really think we’ll find anything here? This place is ancient, it’s been abandoned for decades.” spoke the man, he had a black mark above his brow and a scar across his cheek which was mostly covered by a black cloth mask.

“Centuries, Kengeki, centuries. This place makes me seem young.” Said the old dwarf just before he continued smoking on his pipe.

“Bah, who cares, as long as there’s some treasure to be found.” grumbled the half-orc woman, resting on her halberd.

They had finally reached the entrance of the great stronghold they had been searching for. “We’re finally here, Fortress Nardin… it’s been so long.” Whispered the elf, his waist-length white hair flowing in an invisible wind.

“I hope there’s something to fight in here, I’m getting bored.” The half-orc groaned, “You better wish there isn’t Mik. If there was, I’m not sure we’d all survive.” Said the elf. “Oh please Mr. knife-ear, if this place is really as old as you all say, I doubt anything’s still living here, and if it is, it’s probably almost dust,” Kengeki said. “KENGEKI! Show respect to our employer, Ailmon deserves it far more than you.” Shouted Verbin. “Yeah yeah, as long as we get paid,” Kengeki grumbled.

As they approached the gate, they began to hear a slow buzz which only Ailmon seemed to react to as he looked up with a cold stare. He watched as purple-blue energy began building up the tower. The buzz was suddenly replaced with a loud continuous burst as that same energy blasted into the sky. “By the gods.” Verbin murmured, “What is that?” Kengeki quietly asked in awe. “What we came for,” Ailmon said in an almost trance-like state as he stared at the stream of raw mana.

“Verbin, if you don’t mind opening the gate.” Asked Ailmon, the dwarf simply nodded and walked up to the grand old iron gate and looked up at it. With but a snap the gate began rising as Verbin stared with intense eyes the whole time until it stopped at the top. He turned to the other three, “Well let’s go you sorry bastards.” Kengeki glanced at Mik who simply shrugged and followed the other two. “Really, we’re going in there? This better be worth it.” He hesitantly followed.

Ailmon looks up at the now fading glow from the tower. ‘There is much work to be done, let us hope that this one will be greater than the last.’