Avatar Dragons

There once was a race of creatures known as the Finäfin, who dwelled in fair Fenzwör. They had an egg that they found, and they treasured it above all others. These were a strong people, that were made of magic and created by the blue dragon, Falinir. It was said that the egg they cherished was the egg of Falinir.

There was one day when their land began to quake; deep within the earth there came a great roar. The Finäfin feared for their home and went out to see what happened.

There before them stood a mighty beast, so tall he could touch the sky with his fingers. He carried a huge axe in his claw, and at his side rode a white stallion. His skin was like ice, but where his eyes should be hung only scars from which fire burned bright. In his hand he held the egg of Falinir, and in his heart lay hatred for those who had taken his love.

The Finäfin knew then that the Archdemon would not let them go, and it fell upon them to decide what they must do. So they took their courage together in their hands and faced the Archdemon. Fearing nothing more than death, they called upon their bravery and strength and set forth against the Archdemon.

But suddenly he turned toward them and struck down every last one of them without effort. Then the Archdemon spoke: “You have no hope of defeating me. I am stronger than you can imagine. You are weak and puny things. If you wish to live, you will give your lives to me.” And as soon as he spoke these words, the Archdemon bore the Finäfin down into the darkness.

As they ran, each fled with his own thoughts. Some sought hope, some fear, and some thought only of their loved ones and how they would spend the rest of eternity alone. But the Archdemon pursued them nonetheless, until finally they reached the place where the Archdemon slept. There, his chained servants of fire captured them and caged them. Alas, the hour was grim for the Finäfin. The wizards tried to free them, but they failed. They thought of how to escape, but nothing worked. They eventually called upon a council. They chose the members randomly, in hopes that one person had a good idea. Their hope was not useless, as they decided on forging 3 weapons of the magic and essence of the Finäfin. These weapons were given to 3 champions of the council. The tallest was given the Sword of the Dragons, the fairest and wisest was given the Bow of Elements, and the stoutest, bravest and strongest was given the Meligic Axe. Each of them must face the Archdemon to forge their weapon.

Once the Archdemon is defeated, the Archdemon’s power shall be broken and the Archdemon’s servants will be freed. Their chosen champions won the Archdemon’s trust. Together with the Archdemon they forged the Sword of the Dragons, the Bow of Elements and the Meligic Axe. These three weapons were used to defeat the Archdemon, and his power was broken forever. Once the Archdemon’s power was broken, his servants became free. The Archdemon himself was bound to his prison of ice and rock. After this, the Archdemon was never seen again… He became a legend, and faded away.

Many years had passed since the Archdemon attacked Fenzwör, and all was at peace. The dragon raised her head and stared wide-eyed into the distance.

She gasped as she saw the Archdemon appear, floating over Fenzwör with his icy hair flowing behind him.”It can’t be,” she said,”what happened to you, you’ve become a dragon of ice!” “I am no longer your enemy,” he said, “for now we are one.” There was a long silence between them. Then the Archdemon lifted the sword he’d been carrying and passed it to the dragon, saying, “Take it. The time for peace has come.” and with that he faded away, out of the pages of history, and merged with the dragons. At last, peace come upon the world.After a century of peace, war was finally brewing in Fenzwör. The emperor talked with his daughter about what was to be done.”I’m afraid my dear, that it is too late for us to stop him…” “…he’s coming for you, he’ll kill you if he gets the chance…” He raised his right hand. His left hand remained clenched tight around the staff. He could feel the cold metal digging into his palm; his fingertips were starting to hurt. This was no good, he needed his hands to fight. “Come on,” he said, “come on…” Suddenly, the door burst open and two guards rushed inside, swords drawn. Both men looked terrified and nervous. One glanced to his left, searching desperately for help, but there was none. The Archdemon walked slowly toward the frightened man, and slowly, deliberately, drew his sword. The man dropped his sword quickly, and backed up against the wall, trying to keep distance between himself and the Archdemon. “No,” screamed the emperor, “no please don’t do this! I didn’t mean to break your orders, it just happened.” The Archdemon extended his hand and placed it on the guard’s shoulder. He felt the man shake uncontrollably and then suddenly he collapsed forward onto his knees, his breathing shallow and rapid. “Please, please forgive me,” he cried, and then the guard died. The Archdemon knelt beside the body, and grasped the man’s shoulders. He looked up at his trembling form, and he smiled. “This one I understand,” he said, and he flung the man aside. He continued through the halls, ignoring the screams and pleas for mercy. As he moved, he held his staff tightly, and he felt its warmth radiating against his back. The Archdemon turned the corner and stopped suddenly as he heard a voice behind him speak, but he did not turn to look at it. “I wouldn’t move if I were you,” said the Archdemon, “you may still have a chance to save yourself.” The Archdemon turned around slowly and saw a woman, perhaps in her early twenties, wearing a black gown, standing motionless next to the corridor wall. Her head was bowed and she seemed to be praying. The Archdemon approached her, and she kept her eyes shut, seemingly unaware of his presence.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and stared directly at the Archdemon, her lips moving silently. “Falinir?” she asked, “is it really you? How…how are you here?” “It seems that I am not quite dead yet,” said the Archdemon, “and I have returned for you.” “Then why do you want to hurt me?” she asked, confused and fearful. “

Don’t you remember our days together, our love?” “Yes, I do,” replied the Archdemon, “but you betrayed me. For years I waited patiently for you to return to my arms, and when you did, you took the opportunity to betray me. And then you gave yourself to my enemies. Don’t you remember? Your hand was stained with blood, and your eyes were filled with hatred.” “You’re wrong! You misunderstood!” she protested, “I only did what I had to do to stop the Emperor’s plan. It wasn’t personal. Please, don’t hate me, Falinir, please. Forgive me.” She lowered her head and started to weep. The Archdemon sighed. “It is too late for forgiveness,” he said sadly, “so much time has passed, so much pain and suffering. I have given up on you.”

The Archdemon stepped closer to her and reached out to caress her cheek. He felt her shudder violently and then she fell to her knees. Her mouth moved in silent prayer as her tears streamed down her cheeks. He placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her tremble violently. “Stop it,” he said, “stop it now or I will end your life. Do you understand?” “It’s too late,” she whispered, “please, just…just leave me be…” “If you continue to resist,” he said, “then I swear I will kill you.”

He squeezed his staff tighter, and he felt the sharp pain against his palms. He tried to ignore it, and he stood up straight. “Now get out of my way.” She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Just go away, Falinir,” she said softly, “leave me alone with my pain.” And then she closed her eyes and vanished from sight.

The emperor ran down the hallway, and as he did, the floor shook beneath his feet. He looked up to find the Archdemon standing right above him, his staff raised high above him. “Do not forget your promise, emperor,” he said, “or else, I’ll make sure that you suffer.” He placed his hand on the Emperor’s shoulder. “Go now,” he said calmly, “go far away from here, and know that I am watching you.”

With that he pushed hard against him with his staff until he disappeared from sight; only then did he stop pushing hard on him with a sigh of relief as he walked down another hallway in search of more prisoners – or perhaps an opportunity – but before long there was no more time for this search; he had other matters to attend to…he remembered a prophecy from long ago…he had forgotten it…but now it came back to him…the prophecy foretold of a great dragon who would come forth from a faraway land…and an Archdemon who would slay that great dragon but it seemed that this prophecy foretold not just one great dragon but two… ***

After the great war was over, The Archdemon faded away, until today. He approached Fenzwör with caution ; there would be no more chances for him to get out of this alive if he made any mistakes; this city was filled with people who harbored ill will toward him or who feared him; now that they had tasted blood in battle they would welcome any opportunity not just to strike back at him but also bring him down forever…the Archdemon remembered how quickly this city fell several years ago when these same people rose up against him; they were ruthless in their hatred for him…he remembered how quickly an army could overcome such a small force as this with their combined powers…but there was still hope; if only there was someone who could stand against these people who would fight for him no matter what – someone who could guide his enemies into believing that their lives were worth nothing more than being burned alive or impaled upon sharpened stakes – someone who would be able to prevent such cruelty…there was only one person who could do this…the question now was: would she even listen? The Archdemon approached Fenzwör from behind a large boulder; it was hidden from view from most parts of this part of town by a thin layer of snow on top of tall trees that shielded it from view; this boulder served as a perfect hiding place for someone who wanted anonymity or protection from prying eyes; it also served as shelter from winter storms; but more importantly – it sheltered someone who wanted time alone with their thoughts – as such it served its purpose well…the Archdemon stood up slowly as snow sprinkled down from above; once again he reached into his pocket for a warm scarf but found only cold air instead – he realized that this scarf wasn’t in his pocket after all; he’d lost it while diving into a lake to escape from a dragon many years ago; it was lost forever now…he remembered how happy he had been wearing this scarf; he remembered how warm it had made him feel…he remembered how much he loved wearing it so much that he had never taken it off even when bathing or sleeping; but now it was gone…the Archdemon sighed as he wrapped his arms around himself in a vain attempt to stop the cold from seeping into his bones; he knew that he would never feel warm again…not unless he could find someone who could help him… He walked out from behind the boulder and into the open; the snow was coming down harder now and the wind was picking up; he could feel the cold air biting through his clothes and into his skin; he wrapped his arms around himself and quickened his pace; he had to find shelter soon or else he would freeze to death…he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last in this cold; he had to find someone who could help him…

He walked through the streets of Fenzwör, his head down to avoid the cold wind and the falling snow; he turned a corner and saw a small group of people huddled around a fire in a barrel; they didn’t seem to notice him as he approached; he could see the relief in their faces as they felt the warmth of the fire; he envied them…he wished he could feel that warmth again but he knew it was impossible; he was too far gone for that now… He continued walking until he reached the center of town; he stopped and looked around; everything was so different now…the last time he was here the streets were filled with people and the air was filled with the smell of baking bread and fresh flowers; now the streets were empty and the only smell was that of smoke and ashes…he remembered how this town used to be…he remembered the people and the places…but now it was all gone…he sighed and continued walking; he had to find someone who could help him…

He eventually came to a stop in front of a large building; he recognized it as the town hall; he approached the door and tried to open it but it was locked; he considered breaking the door down but decided against it; he didn’t want to attract attention to himself…he stepped back and looked up at the building; it was still in good condition considering the state of the rest of the town; he supposed that the people here had been trying to keep up appearances…he turned and started to walk away but something caught his eye…he stopped and looked back…there, in a second story window, he saw a woman; she was looking down at him, her eyes filled with sadness; he couldn’t see her face clearly but he could tell that she was beautiful…he stood there for a moment, staring up at her; he felt a sudden urge to speak to her but he didn’t know what to say…he didn’t know how to approach her…he didn’t want to scare her away…

He took a step toward the building but stopped when he heard her voice; she was speaking to him but he couldn’t hear what she was saying…he strained his ears but he still couldn’t make out the words…he took a few steps closer and then he could hear her clearly… “Please,” she was saying, “please help us…we’re trapped in here…the Archdemon has us all locked up…he’s going to kill us all…please, you have to help us…” The Archdemon stood there for a moment, considering what to do; he could sense the fear in her voice but he also heard the desperation; he knew that he couldn’t just leave these people here to die…but he didn’t know if he could trust them…he didn’t know if he could trust anyone anymore…

He sighed and walked away; he didn’t know what to do…he didn’t know how to help these people…he didn’t know how to help himself… He wandered the streets for hours, not really sure where he was going or what he was looking for; he just knew that he had to keep moving…he had to find someone who could help him… He eventually found himself in front of the town hall again; he stopped and looked up at the window where he had seen the woman earlier but she was gone now…he considered breaking down the door but he decided against it; he didn’t want to attract attention to himself…he turned to walk away but something caught his eye…there, in the snow, he saw a footprint…he followed the footprints until they led him to a small door at the back of the building; the door was unlocked…he slowly opened the door and stepped inside; he found himself in a small room with a staircase leading up to the second floor; he started to ascend the stairs but stopped when he heard a voice… “Please,” said the voice, “please help us…we’re trapped in here…the Archdemon has us all locked up…he’s going to kill us all…please, you have to help us…” The voice was coming from the woman in the window; the Archdemon started to walk toward the staircase but stopped when he heard a noise from the other side of the room; he turned and saw a group of people huddled in the corner, their eyes wide with fear; they were all staring at him… He stood there for a moment, considering what to do; he could sense the fear in their eyes but he also heard the desperation in their voices; he knew that he couldn’t just leave these people here to die…but he didn’t know if he could trust them…he didn’t know if he could trust anyone anymore… He sighed and walked away; he didn’t know what to do…he didn’t know how to help these people…he didn’t know how to help himself…

He wandered the streets for hours, not really sure where he was going or what he was looking for; he just knew that he had to keep moving…he had to find someone who could help him… He eventually found himself in front of the town hall again; he stopped and looked up at the window where he had seen the woman earlier but she was gone now…he considered breaking down the door but he decided against it; he didn’t want to attract attention to himself…he turned to walk away but something caught his eye…there, in the snow, he saw a footprint…

He followed the footprints until they led him to a small door at the back of the building; the door was unlocked…he slowly opened the door and stepped inside;

He found himself in a small room with a staircase leading up to the second floor;

He started to ascend the stairs but stopped when he heard a voice… “Please,” said the voice, “please help us…we’re trapped in here…the Archdemon has us all locked up…he’s going to kill us all…please, you have to help us…”

The voice was coming from the woman in the window; the Archdemon started to walk toward the staircase but stopped when he heard a noise from the other side of the room; he turned and saw a group of people huddled in the corner, their eyes wide with fear; they were all staring at him…

He stood there for a moment, considering what to do; he could sense the fear in their eyes but he also heard the desperation in their voices; he knew that he couldn’t just leave these people here to die…but he didn’t know if he could trust them…he didn’t know if he could trust anyone anymore…. The Archdemon thought long and hard until a solution dawned on him. From the emperor’s palace, he stole the egg of Falinir, and hatched it. When Falinir was born once again, the world was re built with his magic, and all was well.