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- 13
- Age
- 30
Azu'ul al-Saran, otherwise known as Soot, stared about the frozen tundra, his long, reptilian snout slightly opened as he tasted the air and found it dissatisfactory. Snarling in disgust, he hissed.
The young kobold had spent the last decade pouring over tomes and scrolls, questioning librarians and scholars. He had even sought some of his own people for council in his hunt. To say he had been determined was an understatement and finally, all his hard-work had borne fruit. With Azu'ul was a merchant, the merchant's personal guard of six, and two gnomes --- twins, which had struck the black-scaled kobold as odd. They had been chasing rumors of old dwarven families in an effort to salvage some of the lost history between dwarf and gnome while the merchant, Dravos Unger, was looking to secure more wealth, though Azu'ul suspected the man had some debts to clear as when he tried to deny the man, Dravos offered to fund the expedition.
Azu'ul was something of a collector, as most of his kind were wont to be, and had eclectic tastes --- the more rare, the better. Isn't it always thus? He allowed himself a soft chuckle, the icy wind carrying it away and he turned back to the small camp they had made. He felt some trepidation about being here, the cold seeping into his reptilian body and draining it of its warmth, though this area hadn't once always been cold; during the War of the Moon, the storm giants and dragons worked together to place this land in a perpetual snowstorm. Those wars had been millennia past and the magic had weakened enough that there were weak points in which an individual could enter.
The gnomes had been vital in finding these weaknesses, their affinity for the land proving quite useful. He had to admit he would have been hard-pressed in navigating through this tundra without some help. Being grounded had its downfalls; he could feel his wings wanting to be stretched and, he had to admit, longed to feel the wind beneath them. None here knew about his wings, and he had made sure to keep it that way. Having been exiled from his tribe due to their existence, they were seen as something of an insecurity. Azu'ul felt a guilty pleasure in taking enjoyment from flying, being one of the few times he felt truly free.
One of the gnomes, Venli, offered him a bowl of soup whenever the kobold found his way back to the fire; they had taken a small reprieve to warm and feed themselves. The three of them were joined by Dravos, whose highborn features were hidden by a growing beard. They had been on the trail for months, and within the area of the storm for one of them, though any sense of time was lost without the sun, locked behind the dark clouds as it was. No, they had established that they would tell time by their hunger, sleep cycles, and the dwindling supplies. Things had gone fairly well, being able to survive through the towns they went through; enjoying a barn or stable in the more rural areas until civilization was a distant thought.
'I can tassste them on the windsss,' He repeated to his audience, his voice a harsh whisper that slowly warmed as he ate, speaking between bites. It was clear in his tone that being this close to a ruin of the Vrexari, a race of snake-human hybrids that had once populated most of this continent, made him uncomfortable. 'I would ssssay we are within the temple area, given how my sssscales itch. Close to the center.'
His body an involuntary shudder at the acknowledgement of the uneasiness settling in his bones. Like we're being watched… But even as he looked around, he noticed the storm subsiding slowly but surely.
Dravos was dressed in warm clothes, furlined and thick, his guards dressed similarly --- they had forgone their heavy armor in favor of thick leathers that offered some protection from both elements and potential attacks. It was doubtful there were bandits or other such opportunists, but even Azu'ul felt some measure of relief at having them around. They had proven to be quite effective against the common bandit. Dravos was something of a minor talent as well, a throwback gene from some ancestor. Magical talent was rare these days.
The gnomes, Venli and Vohani, were twins. They seemed as immune to the cold as a rock despite their lean frames. Long and spindly, the gnomes were almost creepy in how they moved, especially so given their stature even compared to the kobold himself, who was considered tall for his race at a little over five feet. He considered them for a moment and concluded that he also found dwarves odd to look upon with their wide, stout frames on almost too short limbs. His eyes slid to the human and he sighed.
It was too cold for much conversation save for the few words needed to convey a small rest before moving out. The twins didn't seem to mind staying watch, resilient as they were to the cold, and Azu'ul for one was glad to be able to sit by the fire. He opened his jacket some, allowing the flames to warm his scales. His body relaxed as it grew warmer, the blood flowing more readily as both fire and food eased into it. A short nap…
When Azu'ul woke, it was to being face down on cold stone and trying to move found himself bound at his wrists and ankles. He was still wearing his jacket, his arms behind his back squeezed his wings against his body more, and as he tried to move, he grimaced in pain. He peered around and saw the twins nearby, unconscious and bound.
'Good, you're awake,' came the deep voice of Dravos. 'I suppose your metabolism is different, though I did try to account for that.'
Azu'ul twisted himself around to look at the human, the half-dozen guards spread out, armed with torches and weapons; mostly armed with swords and small bucklers, one or two had an axe or mace. Dravos had a sword at his hip, and Azu'ul knew it was useless in the man's hands as he preferred using his magic or relying on his guards. Even more importantly, however, was their surroundings.
The slitted pupils grew wide in some surprise as they finally took in where they were. The Vrexari temple, dedicated to their snake god, Naghariin.
'You found it…'
'Well, my men did, but yes. The central pyramid of the Vrexari's civilizations, the seat of their power.' There was triumph in the human's voice, and something else, a fervor that was reflected in the wildness in the brown eyes of Dravos. 'I dedicated myself to this search. I had nothing but vague rumors until you, my scaly friend, and I have to thank you. Did you know that this place wasn once home to an evil so terrible that even the most ancient beings could do nothing against it?'
Azu'ul felt his body grow cold and if he could sweat, he was sure he would be.
'That's right. This is a prison, meant to keep the surviving Vrexari isolated and unable to spread their influence.' A grin split Dravos' face. 'Until now.'
The gnomes were beginning to waken from their own drug-induced sleep, testing themselves against their bounds.
'Hey, what's going on?! Release us at once and we'll forget this happened!' came Vohani's high voice.
Dravos let out a laugh, pushing back his silken raven hair, but otherwise ignored their demands, looking at Azu'ul. 'You will be the sacrifice needed for their freedom, little dragon, and for my ascension into their ranks.'
Being this deep in the temple, the cold was at a minimum and the humans had taken off their winter clothing, and as Azu'ul was taking in the hieroglyphics, he heard the all too familiar sound of scales sliding across stone. A rectangular hole had been carved out in one of the walls, shrouded in deep darkness and he saw it.
A Vrexari.
It was a near-perfect blend of snake and human, a man if appearance was any indication; bald and naked save for some fetish items pierced through ears or hung from his neck and wrists with a long, sinuous tail. Gaunt and hunger-stricken, the Vrexari looked upon its intended sacrifices and let out a hiss of satisfaction, the noise striking something primal in Azu'ul who wanted nothing more than to flee his own flesh in this moment. The twins looked just as fear-stricken. More grinding, this time of stone on stone, sounded around them and more of the Vrexari slithered out, each as emaciated at the first. A dozen in all and perhaps the last of their kind.
The Vrexari leader made a sound and the other eleven responded in kind, falling upon the human guards in a flash. Some were quick enough to avoid dying in the first moment, but it was only a matter of time.
Dravos looked at the leader in outrage and shock. 'What's the meaning of this?! I was prom-'
'Ssssilenssssee, foooool,' the voice of the Vrexari leader was harsh, like broken glass, fixing the mortal man in place with its cold gaze. 'I am Manuya Yaotl, sssseventhhhh incarnation of the Great Ssssserpent.'
A sword landed nearby and Azu'ul crept his way towards it. He could feel Manuya's will gathering for an assault upon Dravos, who was in kind gathering his. A mage battle was not something he wanted to be near. The guardsmen were giving a good accounting of themselves against the hunger-mad Vrexari; both sides having taken some casualties. Some gained control over themselves, their unhinged jaws wide and hissing as strands of saliva dripped from the open maws, forked tongues tasting the blood in the air; their yellowed eyes narrow slits of malice. Eight of the remaining Vrexari fell upon the dead corpses of the guardsmen, the sounds of feasting almost enough to make Azu'ul sick. Fuck me…
Vohani was moving closer to Azu'ul, eyes determined and the kobold gave the gnome a curt nod. He was able to free his wrists after some struggling and used the sword to cut his legs free, moving to the gnome and began to cut away the bonds. Dravos and Manuya were locked in a battle of wills, seemingly unaware of what was going on around them.
One gnome free, Azu'ul let the brother free his twin --- the human sword almost comical in the small gnomes hands --- and looked around, noticing the quiet that had descended within the ancient pyramid. Fierce, reptilian eyes looked at him, the flames of hunger undiminished despite the recent feeding. Dravos had been driven to a knee, unable to withstand the elder Vrexari's will; a will as ancient and terrible as the pyramid itself.
There's no helping it…
He shrugged off his jacket, tossing it at the elder Vrexari in a moment of inspiration. A snarl of surprise and that terrible will bearing down upon Dravos slackened. He rose, sending a concussive blast at the Vrexari, which went slamming into the wall behind it and was slow to rise.
'You think you can fuck with me?' Dravos spat at the fallen Vrexari, stalking towards it. 'You could have been free, but now, I will devour you in turn.'
The eight, now covered in gore, had stopped their feeding long enough to see what had happened, sensing a change in the atmosphere; a shifting of power. They stared at the human stalking towards their leader, who had only been able to keep their madness in check through fear and cruelty. That leader had fallen, and they saw a chance to take that power for themselves.
He opened his mouth, releasing his dragon breath; blue fire spat out to ward off the eight Vrexari and he spread out his wings, making himself larger and more intimidating. Screams and hissing came as Azu'ul revealed his wings, some long lost fear of dragons manifesting itself as they cringed away. Using the resulting smoke as cover, he grabbed the twins by the back of their shirts in his back claws and took off, his wings dispersing the smoke as he along with his cargo headed towards the large opening in the ceiling of the pyramid. The two gnomes were heavier than expected but they managed to gain height once he realized Vohani still had the sword and yelled at the gnome, 'Drop it, or be dropped!'
Dravos's attention had been torn away from his own feast at the intense and sudden heat from Azu'ul's fire. A few of the Vrexari had been consumed by the blue flames, and those that had managed to survive were pulling themselves together in a half circle around Dravos, who seemed to be transforming right in front of them; his human body taking on more snakelike appearance as he slowly assimilated the elders power one bite at a time, fending off attackers with small blasts of magic.
That was the last he saw of Dravos, snarling in defiance as he protected his kill, daring those remaining to challenge him.
It was a tight fit for the three escapees. Remnants of old housings for glass still held onto their prize though broken now. Several cuts lacerated his wings; his scales protecting him from the most serious injuries but more than once he heard the twins call out in pain. Nearing the top, he noticed the opening shrinking until he was forced to dig his claws into the stone on either side of him. He folded his wings back against his body, wincing at the small tears.
'Climb up my body. The exit is near. We cannot all fit at once, so one at a time and take care.'
He could smell the cold and a look up showed him a night sky full of stars. The center of this storm, calm and untouched by the power of giant and dragon, unable to conquer even the last remaining vestiges of the Vrexari, who even now would potentially outlive their own prison to plague the land once again.
Back at the base of the pyramid, a five-tiered square monstrosity that exuded an aura of malice, they could hear the faint sounds of fighting; muffled and short-lived.
'Yknow, lizard, ye never did tell us yer reason fer comin",' Venli spoke up.
'Oh!' Azu'ul spread his wings, wincing once more and unwrapped a bolt of dark blue cloth, glittering like the stars above, from his torso. 'I'm a collector of rare cloth.'
The twins looked at each other and Vohani barked a laugh. 'You risked yourself for a shirt, you crazy bastard?'
'Come now, don't be rude.' Azu'ul admonished, gently folding the cloth, sniffing the air. 'We shouldn't linger. Let's find where they stashed the supplies and make our own retreat to civilization, yeah?'
The young kobold had spent the last decade pouring over tomes and scrolls, questioning librarians and scholars. He had even sought some of his own people for council in his hunt. To say he had been determined was an understatement and finally, all his hard-work had borne fruit. With Azu'ul was a merchant, the merchant's personal guard of six, and two gnomes --- twins, which had struck the black-scaled kobold as odd. They had been chasing rumors of old dwarven families in an effort to salvage some of the lost history between dwarf and gnome while the merchant, Dravos Unger, was looking to secure more wealth, though Azu'ul suspected the man had some debts to clear as when he tried to deny the man, Dravos offered to fund the expedition.
Azu'ul was something of a collector, as most of his kind were wont to be, and had eclectic tastes --- the more rare, the better. Isn't it always thus? He allowed himself a soft chuckle, the icy wind carrying it away and he turned back to the small camp they had made. He felt some trepidation about being here, the cold seeping into his reptilian body and draining it of its warmth, though this area hadn't once always been cold; during the War of the Moon, the storm giants and dragons worked together to place this land in a perpetual snowstorm. Those wars had been millennia past and the magic had weakened enough that there were weak points in which an individual could enter.
The gnomes had been vital in finding these weaknesses, their affinity for the land proving quite useful. He had to admit he would have been hard-pressed in navigating through this tundra without some help. Being grounded had its downfalls; he could feel his wings wanting to be stretched and, he had to admit, longed to feel the wind beneath them. None here knew about his wings, and he had made sure to keep it that way. Having been exiled from his tribe due to their existence, they were seen as something of an insecurity. Azu'ul felt a guilty pleasure in taking enjoyment from flying, being one of the few times he felt truly free.
One of the gnomes, Venli, offered him a bowl of soup whenever the kobold found his way back to the fire; they had taken a small reprieve to warm and feed themselves. The three of them were joined by Dravos, whose highborn features were hidden by a growing beard. They had been on the trail for months, and within the area of the storm for one of them, though any sense of time was lost without the sun, locked behind the dark clouds as it was. No, they had established that they would tell time by their hunger, sleep cycles, and the dwindling supplies. Things had gone fairly well, being able to survive through the towns they went through; enjoying a barn or stable in the more rural areas until civilization was a distant thought.
'I can tassste them on the windsss,' He repeated to his audience, his voice a harsh whisper that slowly warmed as he ate, speaking between bites. It was clear in his tone that being this close to a ruin of the Vrexari, a race of snake-human hybrids that had once populated most of this continent, made him uncomfortable. 'I would ssssay we are within the temple area, given how my sssscales itch. Close to the center.'
His body an involuntary shudder at the acknowledgement of the uneasiness settling in his bones. Like we're being watched… But even as he looked around, he noticed the storm subsiding slowly but surely.
Dravos was dressed in warm clothes, furlined and thick, his guards dressed similarly --- they had forgone their heavy armor in favor of thick leathers that offered some protection from both elements and potential attacks. It was doubtful there were bandits or other such opportunists, but even Azu'ul felt some measure of relief at having them around. They had proven to be quite effective against the common bandit. Dravos was something of a minor talent as well, a throwback gene from some ancestor. Magical talent was rare these days.
The gnomes, Venli and Vohani, were twins. They seemed as immune to the cold as a rock despite their lean frames. Long and spindly, the gnomes were almost creepy in how they moved, especially so given their stature even compared to the kobold himself, who was considered tall for his race at a little over five feet. He considered them for a moment and concluded that he also found dwarves odd to look upon with their wide, stout frames on almost too short limbs. His eyes slid to the human and he sighed.
It was too cold for much conversation save for the few words needed to convey a small rest before moving out. The twins didn't seem to mind staying watch, resilient as they were to the cold, and Azu'ul for one was glad to be able to sit by the fire. He opened his jacket some, allowing the flames to warm his scales. His body relaxed as it grew warmer, the blood flowing more readily as both fire and food eased into it. A short nap…
When Azu'ul woke, it was to being face down on cold stone and trying to move found himself bound at his wrists and ankles. He was still wearing his jacket, his arms behind his back squeezed his wings against his body more, and as he tried to move, he grimaced in pain. He peered around and saw the twins nearby, unconscious and bound.
'Good, you're awake,' came the deep voice of Dravos. 'I suppose your metabolism is different, though I did try to account for that.'
Azu'ul twisted himself around to look at the human, the half-dozen guards spread out, armed with torches and weapons; mostly armed with swords and small bucklers, one or two had an axe or mace. Dravos had a sword at his hip, and Azu'ul knew it was useless in the man's hands as he preferred using his magic or relying on his guards. Even more importantly, however, was their surroundings.
The slitted pupils grew wide in some surprise as they finally took in where they were. The Vrexari temple, dedicated to their snake god, Naghariin.
'You found it…'
'Well, my men did, but yes. The central pyramid of the Vrexari's civilizations, the seat of their power.' There was triumph in the human's voice, and something else, a fervor that was reflected in the wildness in the brown eyes of Dravos. 'I dedicated myself to this search. I had nothing but vague rumors until you, my scaly friend, and I have to thank you. Did you know that this place wasn once home to an evil so terrible that even the most ancient beings could do nothing against it?'
Azu'ul felt his body grow cold and if he could sweat, he was sure he would be.
'That's right. This is a prison, meant to keep the surviving Vrexari isolated and unable to spread their influence.' A grin split Dravos' face. 'Until now.'
The gnomes were beginning to waken from their own drug-induced sleep, testing themselves against their bounds.
'Hey, what's going on?! Release us at once and we'll forget this happened!' came Vohani's high voice.
Dravos let out a laugh, pushing back his silken raven hair, but otherwise ignored their demands, looking at Azu'ul. 'You will be the sacrifice needed for their freedom, little dragon, and for my ascension into their ranks.'
Being this deep in the temple, the cold was at a minimum and the humans had taken off their winter clothing, and as Azu'ul was taking in the hieroglyphics, he heard the all too familiar sound of scales sliding across stone. A rectangular hole had been carved out in one of the walls, shrouded in deep darkness and he saw it.
A Vrexari.
It was a near-perfect blend of snake and human, a man if appearance was any indication; bald and naked save for some fetish items pierced through ears or hung from his neck and wrists with a long, sinuous tail. Gaunt and hunger-stricken, the Vrexari looked upon its intended sacrifices and let out a hiss of satisfaction, the noise striking something primal in Azu'ul who wanted nothing more than to flee his own flesh in this moment. The twins looked just as fear-stricken. More grinding, this time of stone on stone, sounded around them and more of the Vrexari slithered out, each as emaciated at the first. A dozen in all and perhaps the last of their kind.
The Vrexari leader made a sound and the other eleven responded in kind, falling upon the human guards in a flash. Some were quick enough to avoid dying in the first moment, but it was only a matter of time.
Dravos looked at the leader in outrage and shock. 'What's the meaning of this?! I was prom-'
'Ssssilenssssee, foooool,' the voice of the Vrexari leader was harsh, like broken glass, fixing the mortal man in place with its cold gaze. 'I am Manuya Yaotl, sssseventhhhh incarnation of the Great Ssssserpent.'
A sword landed nearby and Azu'ul crept his way towards it. He could feel Manuya's will gathering for an assault upon Dravos, who was in kind gathering his. A mage battle was not something he wanted to be near. The guardsmen were giving a good accounting of themselves against the hunger-mad Vrexari; both sides having taken some casualties. Some gained control over themselves, their unhinged jaws wide and hissing as strands of saliva dripped from the open maws, forked tongues tasting the blood in the air; their yellowed eyes narrow slits of malice. Eight of the remaining Vrexari fell upon the dead corpses of the guardsmen, the sounds of feasting almost enough to make Azu'ul sick. Fuck me…
Vohani was moving closer to Azu'ul, eyes determined and the kobold gave the gnome a curt nod. He was able to free his wrists after some struggling and used the sword to cut his legs free, moving to the gnome and began to cut away the bonds. Dravos and Manuya were locked in a battle of wills, seemingly unaware of what was going on around them.
One gnome free, Azu'ul let the brother free his twin --- the human sword almost comical in the small gnomes hands --- and looked around, noticing the quiet that had descended within the ancient pyramid. Fierce, reptilian eyes looked at him, the flames of hunger undiminished despite the recent feeding. Dravos had been driven to a knee, unable to withstand the elder Vrexari's will; a will as ancient and terrible as the pyramid itself.
There's no helping it…
He shrugged off his jacket, tossing it at the elder Vrexari in a moment of inspiration. A snarl of surprise and that terrible will bearing down upon Dravos slackened. He rose, sending a concussive blast at the Vrexari, which went slamming into the wall behind it and was slow to rise.
'You think you can fuck with me?' Dravos spat at the fallen Vrexari, stalking towards it. 'You could have been free, but now, I will devour you in turn.'
The eight, now covered in gore, had stopped their feeding long enough to see what had happened, sensing a change in the atmosphere; a shifting of power. They stared at the human stalking towards their leader, who had only been able to keep their madness in check through fear and cruelty. That leader had fallen, and they saw a chance to take that power for themselves.
He opened his mouth, releasing his dragon breath; blue fire spat out to ward off the eight Vrexari and he spread out his wings, making himself larger and more intimidating. Screams and hissing came as Azu'ul revealed his wings, some long lost fear of dragons manifesting itself as they cringed away. Using the resulting smoke as cover, he grabbed the twins by the back of their shirts in his back claws and took off, his wings dispersing the smoke as he along with his cargo headed towards the large opening in the ceiling of the pyramid. The two gnomes were heavier than expected but they managed to gain height once he realized Vohani still had the sword and yelled at the gnome, 'Drop it, or be dropped!'
Dravos's attention had been torn away from his own feast at the intense and sudden heat from Azu'ul's fire. A few of the Vrexari had been consumed by the blue flames, and those that had managed to survive were pulling themselves together in a half circle around Dravos, who seemed to be transforming right in front of them; his human body taking on more snakelike appearance as he slowly assimilated the elders power one bite at a time, fending off attackers with small blasts of magic.
That was the last he saw of Dravos, snarling in defiance as he protected his kill, daring those remaining to challenge him.
It was a tight fit for the three escapees. Remnants of old housings for glass still held onto their prize though broken now. Several cuts lacerated his wings; his scales protecting him from the most serious injuries but more than once he heard the twins call out in pain. Nearing the top, he noticed the opening shrinking until he was forced to dig his claws into the stone on either side of him. He folded his wings back against his body, wincing at the small tears.
'Climb up my body. The exit is near. We cannot all fit at once, so one at a time and take care.'
He could smell the cold and a look up showed him a night sky full of stars. The center of this storm, calm and untouched by the power of giant and dragon, unable to conquer even the last remaining vestiges of the Vrexari, who even now would potentially outlive their own prison to plague the land once again.
Back at the base of the pyramid, a five-tiered square monstrosity that exuded an aura of malice, they could hear the faint sounds of fighting; muffled and short-lived.
'Yknow, lizard, ye never did tell us yer reason fer comin",' Venli spoke up.
'Oh!' Azu'ul spread his wings, wincing once more and unwrapped a bolt of dark blue cloth, glittering like the stars above, from his torso. 'I'm a collector of rare cloth.'
The twins looked at each other and Vohani barked a laugh. 'You risked yourself for a shirt, you crazy bastard?'
'Come now, don't be rude.' Azu'ul admonished, gently folding the cloth, sniffing the air. 'We shouldn't linger. Let's find where they stashed the supplies and make our own retreat to civilization, yeah?'