Rise of the Dawnbearer - Part 10: An Icy Reception

Rax pushed hard against the solid metal doors, yet they opened with ease.  Swinging inwards they revealed the grand foyer of the Dawnbearer manor. At first Rax thought this room must be the entirety of the house, judging by its size alone. However he could see several doors on each side of the entrance hall, along with a grand staircase opposite the front doors.

Rax took a few tentative steps forward across the solid marble floor. Each step echoed like thunder in the night. Like the floor the walls were white marble, with deep coloured veins running all across them. The continuous finish made it appeared to Rax as though the entire room were hewn from one giant piece of stone.

Along each wall stood several wooden doors, each ornately fashioned with brass fixtures. Adorning the walls between each of the doors were large black marble pots containing exotic plants, as well as richly detailed paintings which, to Rax at least, seemed almost life-like.

Across from the open doors stood a grand staircase which rose to the upper landing. Flanking the bottom steps stood a pair of marble statues, one male and one female. The male statue stood in a suit of plate armour and brandished a longsword. His female counterpart stood in a garb of chainmail and held a heavy mace with both of her hands.  Each of the two sculptures seemed to be bathed in a holy light, the source of which could not be identified.

Almost lost in the transcended visage of this antechamber, Rax jumped with a start when a tall elven man appeared by the base of the stairs. The man ignored the young Dragonborn and made his way directly towards Baroghan, whom he addressed with reverence.

“Salutations, my lord. We received your missive not three days ago. All has been prepared as per your request. I have been informed your guest has arrived in the city and will be joining us shortly.”

“Thank you Beren” replied Baroghan. He took a satchel from off his shoulder and handed it to the elf. “Is Saronten nearby?” he asked.

The elf took the bag from his master and responded. “He should be returning any moment from his morning session with Quor’ra.” Beren took a moment and looked over at Rax. “I take it this is our new addition?” he asked. Rax shifted nervously.

“Yes” he responded. Indicating to the young Dragonborn he said “This is Raxogar.”

Beren took a step towards Rax and bowed. “Greetings, I am Beren Veranthion, keeper of the Dawnbearer estate. Should you need any, it is my duty to assist you in any way necessary.”

Rax stood puzzled for a moment. He had never been addressed with such reverence and was unsure how to act. Nervously he gave a short bow to the elf. Beren straightened and once again turned towards Baroghan.

“I shall have your effects brought in and dismiss the driver, if there is nothing further?” said Beren.

Baroghan responded. “Please let me know as soon as the lady arrives.”

With a short bow Beren turned and walked out to the waiting carriage. As Rax caught up with himself again he was jolted by a loud shout from behind him.

“Father!” yelled the voice with exuberance.

Rax was almost bowled over as a young man swiftly made his way passed him and embraced Baroghan. The paladin returned the embrace with vigour.

“It is good to see you, Saronten.” Baroghan released his hold his son. Rax could now look over the young man in full.

Saronten Dawnbearer
Original by Schnedler

Saronten was in his late teens, just about to enter into manhood judging by the peach fuzz on his chin. The handsome features of his face were framed by shoulder length blonde hair. His red velvet tunic and breeches were lined with a fine gold trim, and at his waist he wore a longsword, the guard of which resembled a sun rising over the horizon. He seemed to stand very tall to Rax, though he was not more than six inches greater in height.

While Rax was looking over his new brother, Elisya and Ellana both stepped forward and embraced him. As Saronten released Ellana he scratched the top of her head with his knuckles, with a little more force than was necessary. Ellana recoiled in discomfort.

“I see you survived the wilds then, Lanie?” Saronten said with laugh.

It was at this point that Saronten noticed the young Dragonborn standing in the middle of the foyer. His smile faded into a look of puzzlement.

“What are you supposed to be?” Saronten asked bluntly.

Rax was caught completely off guard by the young man’s question. His lower jaw fell slack as he tried to comprehend what Saronten had just said. He was given some time to react as both Baroghan and his wife jumped to his defence.

“Saronten!” Baroghan responded angrily. “That’s not the way to treat our new family member!”

“That’s incredibly rude!” added Elisya. “Apologise at once!”

“Well I’m sorry,” he said insincerely, “but when I got your message and it said you were bringing home a new family member, I assumed it was some sort of pet for Lanie. I wasn’t expecting…“ He indicated to Rax. “… This!”

“His name is Rax!” stated Ellana defiantly. “He saved our lives.”

“Saronten” Baroghan leaned forward and placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “This young Dragonborn showed greater courage than a man twice his age. He stood against his own kin to save your mother and sister, and he came to my aid when I needed it. I believe the Gods brought him to us, and for that I have brought him in to our home.”

Saronten glared at Rax for a few moments before responding. Though his words were welcoming, Rax couldn’t help but feel that they were hollow.

“I am grateful for what you have done. I don’t know what I would have done if everyone had not returned safely.”

Saronten gave a short nod of appreciation. Slightly confused, Rax returned it with a nervous bow.

Saronten turned back to his family. “You must all be hungry after the long journey at sea. I’ll check on the kitchens whilst you all settle in.” He turned on his heel and briskly made his way through one of the doors leading off from the foyer.

For a moment Rax thought he saw a troubling look between Elisya and her husband, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it as Ellana grabbed him by the hand and pulled him across the foyer and up the main staircase.

“I’ll show you your room” she squealed in excitement. “You’re going to love it. It’s right next to mine!”

To be continued…

Rise of the Dawnbearer - Part 9: The Journey Home

When Rax stepped through the immense stone doors and out from the physical structure of Djerad Thymar, with the exception of the thin sliver viewable from his recovery room this was the first time in almost three weeks that he had seen the sky. He closed his eyes and soaked in the sun as it looked down upon him from above, a soft breeze caressing his scales.

Thirty feet to his right Rax saw a series of carts. Sitting atop the lead cart was Ellana with her mother. She waved enthusiastically at Rax as she saw him exit the city. Rax waved back before turning back towards Horatio and Virgil who had escorted him down through the city.

“Farewell my young friend” said Horatio. “Do try to stay out of trouble.” Without any further word he turned back and returned to the city. Virgil bent down and shook Rax’s hand and said “Good luck.”

His send-off concluded, Rax made his way over to the convoy and mounted the lead cart with Ellana. As they set off he looked back to see the city of Djerad Thymar from the outside.

The city was a monolithic stone pyramid of enormous size. At least 1,500 feet wide and just as high, the pyramid towered over the nearby trees. At present it was casting no shadow, but Rax imagined that in the early morning or late afternoon it would block out the sun for several miles.

After he had finally stopped looking back at the city, Ellana leaned over to Rax. “I got you a present” she said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small silvery-white mechanical dragon. “Something to remember this place by.”

As she placed the contraption, which was no bigger than an orange, in the palm of Rax’s hand it flexed its wings and blew a short jet of snow from its mouth. Overcome by the gift, Rax gave Ellana a generous hug. He lingered a little so she wouldn’t see as he wiped away a tear of joy.

Rax and Ellana spent the next few days taking in the view from the road and listening to the stories of some of their fellow travellers. By the weeks end they had made good time and had reached the port of Delzimmer where a tall ship, the Flying Owlbear, was waiting to take them back to Waterdeep.

As this was the first time seeing an ocean Rax was a little afraid of stepping foot onto the boat, but Ellana took his hand and assured him that it was perfectly safe and that they were almost never attacked by sea monsters. Unfortunately her joke did not go over too well with Rax and it took almost half an hour of combined cajoling from Ellana, Elisya and the ship’s Halfling first mate to lure him onto the ship.

As they set sail Rax, who was still quite apprehensive about their mode of travel, stood in the middle of the deck holding firmly onto the ship’s mast as though for dear life. After almost an hour of travel he loosened his grip, and Ellana was able to convince him to move to the edge of the ship.

As the wash from the ship sprayed salt water across his face, Rax looked out across the far reaching ocean. In the far distance he could only just make out the land from which they had come. Looking down into the water he saw several strange marine animals swimming alongside the ship, darting in and out of the wake.

“They’re called giant sea horses” said Ellana, seeing his intrigue at the strange creatures. “Apparently elves sometimes train them as mounts like we do horses.”

Rax was quite intrigued by this information and had several questions, but a sudden urge started to overcome him. His head started to feel dizzy and he felt a large amount of saliva forming in his throat and mouth. Then without further warning he felt a terrible retching sensation, originating from his stomach and heading up his throat and into his mouth. With a sound that made the nearby crew recoil Rax vomited over the side of the ship.

“Ewwww…” exclaimed Ellana.

Rax slumped down next to the railing feeling as though the cold hand of death was upon him. Much of the colour had withdrawn from his face and his cobalt scales appeared as though they now had a slight green tinge around the edges.

Several of the crew, along with Ellana, helped Rax to his feet and took him below deck to the passenger quarters. There he stayed for the remainder of the journey back to Waterdeep in a constant state of seasickness.

Ellana spent much of her time comforting Rax, but when he slept or wanted some alone time she would sit on deck looking out over the vast oceans through which they passed. On the rare occasions Rax would poke his head above deck he would sit in the middle of the ship, eyes closed, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and head.

Several months passed as the ship carrying Baroghan and his family crossed the Great Sea, west into the Shining Sea, and eventually made its way north towards the Sword Coast in the Sea of Swords. The ship made port at several locations during its journey, but Rax elected to remain below deck on these occasions.

It was a warm morning when Ellana, who was sitting on deck watching the waves roll by, heard the crewman manning the crow’s nest yell out “Land ho!”. Ellana ran to the bow of the ship and looked out to see a city on the horizon of which she was very familiar. The city was that of her home – Waterdeep.

Waterdeep, City of Splendours

Ellana rushed down below deck and, after waking him rather roughly, dragged Rax out of bed and rather reluctantly up onto deck. It was there that she pointed out to him the city that was to be his new home.

Through bleary eyes Rax saw the great city of Waterdeep in all its beauty. Behind the wall surrounding the Great Harbour, the sun reflected off the many angled rooftops making the city appear as though it was sparkling. To the west of the city along the coast was Mount Waterdeep, a great peak as high as Djerad Thymar.

In addition to the city, Rax now saw dozens of ships enter and leaving the great sea gates protecting the inner harbour. Some were great sailing vessels such as the one they were currently travelling on, others were tiny dinghies large enough to fit only one or two people.

As their ship passed through the southeast gate Rax laid his eyes upon the Great Harbour.  This small body of water was abuzz with merchant vessels going about their daily business. Rax was so enthralled by the scene he complete forgot about being seasick. It wasn’t until they reached the dock and shuddered to a halt that his stomach reminded him of how he felt about sea travel.

Keen to set foot back on solid ground, Rax and Ellana were two of the first people to alight the boat. As Baroghan and Elisya joined them, the captain of the ship farewelled them personally and saw to it that they found the horse and carriage that was waiting for them at the dockside.

It took a little over half an hour to navigate the one mile across the city of Waterdeep to the Sea Ward in the northwest where the Dawnbearer estate resided. Along the way Ellana delighted in pointing out every building and attraction that she knew of.

“… And that over there is Castle Waterdeep, they say it holds enough food for fifty thousand people, and down that way is the City of the Dead which is just a fancy name for the graveyard, and just up ahead is the market where they sell, like, everything!” jabbered Ellana at a pace that made Rax’s head spin.

After passing by the Field of Triumph, a large outdoor stadium and venue for many public spectacles, Ellana became particularly excited. “We’re almost there! We’re almost there!” she exclaimed repeatedly.

The carriage continued for three hundred feet before the main road turned left, at which point Ellana put her head outside of the window and pointed to a building another three hundred feet down the way. “There it is!” she proclaimed.

The Dawnbearer Estate

Blocked by Ellana half hanging out the window, Rax could not see the building to which she was referring until they were stopped right in front of it. Sitting on the corner of Shark Street and the Street of the Singing Dolphin stood a large and impressive manor occupying as much land as a half dozen of the neighbouring houses. The three storey marble façade stood illuminated by the midday sun.

As Rax stepped out of the carriage and made to follow Ellana up the stairs to the imposing brass double doors he felt a hand grasp him by the shoulder. Baroghan turned him around and spoke softly in his ear.

“This is not just my home, this is your home too. You are a part of our family now. Remember that.”

Rax was suddenly filled with an odd sense of apprehension. Slightly disconcerted by Baroghan’s final words, he let the Paladin usher him up the stairs and to the closed doors. At Baroghan’s prompting and with Ellana’s help, Rax pushed open the brass double doors and entered his new home for the first time.

To be continued…

Rise of the Dawnbearer - Part 8: Recovery and Restitution

Over the next two weeks, Rax and Ellana spent much of their time together attempting to communicate with each other. Elisya also spent some time with the pair, though they seemed to be more interested each other than the motherly figure. After a couple of days the two companions had taught each other, with some assistance from Virgil and Elisya, fragments of their own languages.

Rax relished this time spent with Ellana. So far his life had been spent fighting with his brothers and learning combat. It was a new experience to be fighting over cards instead of fighting to the death, and it was one he enjoyed far more. For the first time in his life he was able to feel and act like the child he was.

After a week of recovering in his room, Rax’s wounds had healed sufficiently enough that Horatio allowed him to venture out once per day, under his direct supervision of course. Ellana was extremely excited by this and couldn’t wait to show him some of the scenes she had discovered around the city.

As Horatio opened to door and led them out of the recovery room Ellana grabbed Rax by the arm and pulled him out with such force that he thought his arm might come off. They trotted along behind Horatio, with Virgil bringing up the rear, through the stone hallways for about a hundred feet, passing several closed doors on either side. Rax found it very odd that, though there were no windows or torches, there seemed to be an abundant amount of light in this area. Once they arrived at the end of the corridor however, the presence of daylight in an otherwise closed corridor was the furthest thing from Rax’s mind.

Exiting the hallway the four companions found themselves standing on a balcony which extended more than a hundred feet to both the left and right. At this point the balcony turned square in the direction they were facing, where it continued for several hundred feet before turning again and meeting upon the opposite side, leaving a large square expanse in the middle. Around the edge were a number of inlaid stone columns joined together by an ornate balustrade.

Ellana once again pulled upon Rax’s arm, leading him to the stone balustrade at the edge of the balcony. As Rax peered over the edge, his jaw dropped. Looking down below he could similar balconies to the one he was standing on, each recessed slightly behind the one above, continuing down for what seemed to be over a thousand feet. Looking up he could see the balcony above protruded several feet beyond the balustrade on their level.  It appeared as though the interior of the city of Djerad Thymar was a giant hollow pyramid.

Rax stood for several minutes taking in this view whilst Ellana stared at him, thoroughly enjoying the look of amazement on his face. “Isn’t it amazing?” she finally asked.

Rax had no words in either Draconic or Common for his astonishment. The sight before him was beyond anything he could have possibly imagined. Looking around he could see several glowing orbs on each level, which he now came to realise must have been the source of the light in the corridor he could not identify earlier. Craning his neck as far over the railing as he could, Rax looked down to the bottom level of the city. Though he could not make out any details, it looked to him as though the floor was moving.

“That’s the market” said Ellana, who was now leaning over the balcony as well. “They sell the most amazing things! We should go down there if Horatio will let us.”

Looking over at Horatio, Ellana could see he and Virgil were in discussions with a third Dragonborn and had for the moment taken their eyes off the two children. Her eyes darted back to Rax, and with a cheeky grin she asked “Wanna see how far down it is?”

Not sure what she had in mind Rax nodded. At his cue she leant her head over the balustrade and made a strange sound as she cleared her throat. Pursing her lips she began to dribble a wad of saliva until it was too big to remain attached and it fell down into the gaping chasm below.

Rax was completely flabbergasted by this magnificent display. As Ellana made to drop another loogie, Rax attempted to follow suit. After several failed attempts Ellana proceeded to instruct him on how to do it properly.

“You have to draw it up into the roof of your mouth. Like this!” She demonstrated once again. With his next attempt Rax managed to create a rather large ball of saliva and released it into the void. He watched it as far as he could until it fell out of sight. He turned smiling broadly to Ellana who was watching him, giggling.

As Rax began to giggle himself the two cohorts each felt a large hand grab them by the collar. They turned to see Horatio looking squarely at them, clearly unimpressed by their antics. As they stood quivering in front of the menacing Dragonborn with looks on their faces as though they had been caught with their hands in a cookie jar, the female Dragonborn that Horatio had been in discussions with earlier came to their defence.

“Don’t be so mean, Horatio. They’re just kids” she said.

Horatio backed off slightly, but still remained entirely focused on the two children. “Back to your room” he said sharply.

Crestfallen, the two turned around and proceeded reluctantly back down the hallway to Rax’s recovery room, with Virgil following closely behind. Rax and Ellana spent the rest of the day making up names for Horatio commensurate with his sourpuss attitude until night fell and they each retired for the evening.

The following day Horatio allowed the two friends to further explore the city of Djerad Thymar, though this time he kept a much closer watch on them. Together they explored the upper levels of the city where many of the citizens lived and worked. Expeditions over the next few days extended their tour to the lower levels where for the first time Rax experienced the floor of the interior pyramid.

At the base of the city was a large expanse covered by stalls, tables and tents. What empty space there was on the market floor was filled with Dragonborn of all colours and sizes, milling around stalls and sitting at tables eating and drinking with each other. There was a palpable buzz in the air which vibrated through Rax’s body.

Excited by the many wondrous items for sale, Rax and Ellana zipped from stall to stall to investigate. There were a variety of goods on offer, from exotic foods and fine clothing, to arcane relics and mechanical contraptions.

At several of the food stalls the proprietors, seeing a human female and a young cobalt Dragonborn, offered them a free piece of his wares. Some were delicious, others bland, and one particularly strange fruit caused Rax to sneeze small bursts of ice from his nose for several minutes. Ellana almost fell over laughing as she watched him unsuccessfully try to hold the sneezes in.

As the day grew long Rax started to feel as though several of the Dragonborn in the market were watching him. As he looked around he saw there were many different colours of Dragonborn in the market – sky blue, black silver, gold, green, copper, red, and even a few that were stark white. However he couldn’t help but notice that, like in his own clan, there were no other Dragonborn with the same hue as his own. Though there were blue Dragonborn all around, the sky-like colour of their scales was in stark contrast to his own intense shade of cobalt.

Observing this peculiarity he approached Horatio and asked him about it. “Horatio, are there other Dragonborn of my colour?”

Horatio thought for a moment, carefully considering his response. “I myself have not seen a member of our kin with the same complexion as your own, but that does not mean that they do not exist.” Seeing Rax’s confused and disappointed look he attempted to clarify his response. “Dragonborn usually bear the hue of one of the chromatic or metallic dragons in their lineage. This is not to say that other scale tones do not or cannot exist, just that they are less common.”

Rax didn’t feel entirely satisfied by the response. As Ellana returned from a nearby stall where she had been haggling with an old gnome Horatio indicated that it was time for them to return to the upper levels.

Later that night after Ellana had left his room, Rax lay awake by the candlelight thinking about all those Dragonborn he had seen in the market. Though surrounded by thousands of his kin, he couldn’t help but remember how, for a moment, he had felt like the only one of his kind. As he slept he tossed and turned with dreams of shadows and loneliness.

When Rax awoke the following morning he found Baroghan standing at the foot of his bed, apparently waiting for him to awaken. As he rubbed his eyes Rax pushed himself upright into a seated position.

The paladin was dressed in his armour and bore his weapon on his belt. He waited until Rax was settled before he spoke.

“I have been watching you over the last few weeks. My daughter has grown quite fond of you. It pleases me to see her so happy.”

Unsure of what to say or do, Rax gave a half smile in response. Baroghan continued.

“My family and I are to leave the city today for the journey back to our home in the north. As you have become close friends with Ellana it leaves me with a slight dilemma as to what to do with you.” Baroghan frowned grimly.

“It had been the intention of Horatio and myself to let you stay here with your kin, as it would be best for your development to remain with your fellow Dragonborn. We would find you suitable accommodation on one of the lower levels of the city where you could live under supervision until such a time as you were capable of making your own way. However, given the events of the last few weeks I have been forced to consider an alternative option.”

Baroghan paused for a moment. He looked grimly at Rax who was unsure of what was to come. His mind raced as to the alternative – was he going to throw Rax out of the city and back in to the wilderness? Or possibly something worse? Rax swallowed nervously.

“My wife and daughter have asked that you would accompany us on our journey back to Waterdeep, where upon you would be inducted into our family. You would live with us and be afforded all the rights and responsibilities as a member of our family. You would be Ellana’s brother, and my son.”

Baroghan again paused as he attempted to read the young Dragonborn’s reaction. “In the end though it has been decided that you should be the one to choose which path you will take.”

Rax sat stunned by the offer from the paladin. He had not thought about what might happen to him when Baroghan and his family headed back to their own home, and even if he had the offer of going with them would have been the last thing he would have envisaged.

After a few moments of silence Baroghan spoke again. “I can see that this is a difficult choice for you. We will not be leaving until noon, so you have a few hours to think it over before you need to make a decision.”

Baroghan turned and headed towards the door. As he grabbed onto the handle to open it Rax spoke.

“Yes” he said. Baroghan turned towards him with a quizzical eyebrow. Seeing his confusion Rax elaborated. “I mean, I wish to come with you… and Ellana.”

Baroghan paused before speaking. “Very well. I will make the arrangements with Horatio.” He opened the door before adding “I will be very glad to have join our family.”

He smiled broadly at Rax before swiftly exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

To be continued…

Rise of the Dawnbearer - Part 7: Introductions

The scent of lavender and jasmine gently wafted across Raxogar’s nose. As he breathed it in he felt all of his muscles relax into the soft warm bedding on which he lay. Without opening his eyes he reflected on the dream he was just having.

He was walking through a forest of trees that were taller than the highest mountains. He turned back and forth but could not tell from which direction he had come, nor in which direction he was headed.

The sun was high in the sky, but because of the thickness off the canopy Raxogar could not pinpoint its exact location or bearing. He furled his brow in frustration and started walking in a random direction.

After a few minutes of travel Raxogar found that he was walking along a well-trodden path. Looking to the left and the right he could see identical paths a few meters away running in parallel heading in the same direction. After a few more minutes of walking he found his path came to an abrupt end. Seeing as the two paths on either side of him continued forward he stepped from his own path and onto the path on his left.

After a few more minutes of walking Raxogar’s path again abruptly ended, whilst a path on either side continued onwards as before. Choosing a new path he stubbornly pushed forwards until his chosen path again disappeared whilst identical paths continued onwards on either side. This episode repeated again and again no matter how often it occurred or which path was chosen.

After switching paths over a dozen times, Raxogar let out a roar in frustration and dropped to his knees. Throwing his head back in defeat he looked again at the mottled canopy high above him. He turned and looked over his shoulder at the direction from which he came.

It was at that moment that Raxogar thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking perpendicular to his path he strained his eyes to try to catch sight of whatever it was he had seen. For just a moment he caught it – a dark shadow moving away through the trees. Jumping to his feet, Raxogar chased after it.

He had not gone far when he caught up with the mysterious shadow. Expecting to find some form to accompany it he was disappointed and confused to find that the shadow was on its own, seemingly cast by nothing. More frustrated than he had been on the path he scratched his head with both hands. Somewhere high above him a sound of canaries twittering sang through the forest, but in his frustration Raxogar paid no heed to them. As he put his hands down the shadow unexpectedly started to take on form.

The shadow grew and grew until it was almost as tall as the trees. As Raxogar watched a giant horned head formed above him, blotting out the light from the sun that made it through the thick canopy. The body of the beast widened, pushing the stout trees out of the way. Enormous wings sprouted from the creatures’ body, each as wide as the creature was tall. Two bright blue eyes formed in the beasts’ head, peering down at the relatively tiny Dragonborn.

Staring into the eyes of the beast, Raxogar strangely felt no fear. Rather he felt a majestic awe, as though he was standing at the feet of great king. The creature looked down at Raxogar and spoke to him. Raxogar strained his ears but the words seemed to be muffled, even though the beast was only a few feet from him.

It was these incomprehensible words that Raxogar was trying to hang on to when he felt his body start to awaken from its long slumber. As his eyes opened and they took in the sunlight reflecting off the stone walls, the fragments of the dream he was trying to hang on to flitted away.

It took Raxogar a while to realise his surrounds. As he tried to recall his last memories before entering that now forgotten dream he could only remember two things: his brother’s face as he stabbed him through the chest, and the face of a young human girl with long blonde hair. Looking around the room his vision rested upon the later of the two. Lying curled in an armchair next to his bed slept the young girl he had saved. Looking over her he saw that her hands were wrapped in bandages, and with a pang he remembered their first encounter.

Further examination of the room they were in yielded no useful information. The stone construction of this building was completely foreign to him. Around the room there was one other chair, currently unoccupied, and a table with a bowl and a pitcher of water sitting atop it. Through a high window he could see the bright blue sky outside though he could not tell what time of day it was.

As he shifted his weight slightly on the bed he heard the wooden frame creak softly. He paused and looked over at the occupied chair. The young girl shifted slightly and briefly opened her eyes before closing them again.

Raxogar held his breath, not wishing to make another sound in case he roused her, but it was too late. After taking a few seconds to comprehend what she had seen, Ellana’s eye flicked open and she jumped out of her chair with a look of elation upon her face. With open arms she dive forwards towards the injured Dragonborn.

As she hugged him around the torso, Raxogar came to realise the current extent of his injuries. He screamed out in agony causing Ellana to jump back in shock with an anxious look in her face. As Raxogar continued to grimace in pain the only door to the room burst open to reveal a human man who quickly looked from him to Ellana and back, followed by a thinly built black Dragonborn wearing pink robes. As Raxogar’s pain turned to fear the Dragonborn spoke.

“Easy my friend, you are safe here, no one is going to hurt you” he said softly in Draconic as he approached Raxogar.

Not soothed by the Dragonborn’s words Raxogar maintained his defensive posture.

“Where am I? Why am I here?” he said defensively.

The black Dragonborn responded. “You are in the Tymanther capital of Djerad Thymar. You were brought here three days ago with grave injuries by this man and his family.” The Dragonborn indicated to Baroghan who had now made his way over to where his daughter stood shaking with concern. “If you had not been brought here so quickly you would have surely perished.”

Raxogar looked confusingly towards Baroghan and Ellana before asking another question. “What happened to the others?”

The black Dragonborn thought ruefully for a moment before answering. “If you are referring to your kin, I’m sorry to say that they did not survive.” He carefully watched Raxogar’s reaction to his answer.

Raxogar sat confused, not knowing whether to mourn or be relieved by the response. After a few moments of thought he concluded that the later course was the right option, though he did harbor some feelings of guilt by that decision. He let out a low sigh as his fellow Dragonborn approached him and spoke once more.

“My young friend, I am sure you have many more questions, but first we have one or two of our own” he said. Raxogar looked up into his kind eyes. “Let’s start at the beginning shall we. Do you have a name?”

Raxogar thought for moment. Among all the questions he might have anticipated being asked, this was not one of them. He stumbled as he tried to answer.

“Rax… Raxogar” he said.

Horatio Storanojikan

“Raxogar?” replied the black Dragonborn. “Very well, Raxogar, my name Horatio Storanojikan. I am the chief physician to the ruling council of Djerad Thymar under the rule of Vanquisher Tarhun. He requested as a favour to his honoured guests…” he motioned towards Baroghan, “…that I personally see to your recovery. Whilst you are under my care I must insist that you remain in this room at all times unless you are in the company of myself” he said with his eyebrows slightly raised.

Though he spoke kindly, Raxogar couldn’t help but feel that Horatio had some misgivings about him. He knew this was understandable, given his clan had probably killed dozens of humans and Dragonborn alike.

Horatio turned and spoke towards Baroghan and Ellana. He spoke in common, rather than the Draconic with which he had been speaking to Raxogar with, and as such Raxogar understood none of what he said save his own name.

After he had finished speaking to the two humans, he turned once more and addressed Raxogar in the more familiar draconic language.

“I will leave you now to rest. Your new friend Baroghan (indicating towards the adult human) and his daughter Ellana, who I believe with whom you are already acquainted, have requested to remain with you for the time being. They speak little of our language so I will have one of my assistants remain with you also to aid in communications.”

Horatio bowed politely before saying “Good day” and leaving the room, only to be replaced by a younger Dragonborn wearing the same pink robes. This Dragonborn had vibrant red scales which clashed horribly with his uniform. He introduced himself to Raxogar as Virgil. It was also at this time that Ellana approached his bedside and gently took his hand between hers.

“Rax?” she asked nervously.

Raxogar looked her in the eyes. He had been called many names by his clan mates, but never had his name been said this way or with such heartfelt emotion. He opened his mouth, intending to correct her with his full name, before he paused to consider her question.

“Rax” he responded, softly nodding his head.

Smiling, the young girl understood him and responded with her own name. “Ellana” she said, placing one of her hands on her chest.

“El-ana” he responded. Ellana chucked softly at his attempt at her name.

At this, Baroghan placed his hand on Ellana’s shoulder and looked down at Rax. As Rax looked back at him, Baroghan gave a knowing nod and then turned towards the door. Leaving the room, he left Rax and Ellana to communicate with each other, with the able assistance of Virgil.

To be continued…

Rise of the Dawnbearer - Part 6: Vengeance and Valour

A trickle of blood dribbled from the corner of Raxogar’s mouth. He spluttered, coughing more drops of blood onto the dirt. He opened his eyes and looked around the field. Several more dark shapes started appearing at its perimeter. They weren’t hard to identify – several of them were Draakor’s fighters, as well as a few from the raiding party, including his two remaining brothers Varakrark and Keskabor.

Draakor took an arrow from his quiver and notched it in his bow. As he raised it to fire, Varakrark snapped at him.

“Let us kill him” he growled, indicating towards Keskabor. “It was our brother he killed, us that he betrayed.”

Draakor snarled at him. At any other time he may have pointed the arrow at Varakrark for speaking so, but he always enjoyed the feeling of vengeance. He nodded his head at the young Dragonborn and lowered his bow.

At Draakor’s command, Varakrark and Keskabor charged at Raxogar who had not yet prepared himself for their attack. With their claws they slashed at his blue hide, leaving sets of parallel cuts across his body. Keskabor bit deep into his shoulder from behind, ripping the flesh from the bone, whilst Varakrark pummelled his face with his fists.

Raxogar tried to defend himself from the vicious assault, but the combined onslaught from two sides was too much for him to handle. Every attack he blocked was followed by two more that he couldn’t. Eventually the overwhelming force of his two brothers’ attacks caused him to collapse to the ground.

Varakrark and Keskabor kept pounding on the fallen body of Raxogar, blood spurting across their faces, the sound of bones breaking beneath their fists. Seeing his quarry was almost dead, Varakrark turned and grabbed with both hands a large stone from the ground beside him and raised it above his own head, preparing to slam it down onto Raxogar’s skull.

As she saw the Dragonborn raise the rock above his head, without thinking Ellana rushed forwards. She grabbed off of the ground the arrow shaft that Raxogar had broken from his chest and leapt at Varakrark. With unnerving accuracy she stabbed the broken shaft into the jugular vein of the Dragonborn. The shock of the attack caused Varakrark to drop the stone he was holding aloft onto his own head.

Dropping to the ground, Varakrark screamed. He then grabbed at the arrow shaft and in anger pulled it from his neck. The blood started to flow free and fast from the wound. He got to his feet and growled angrily at the little girl, but as he stepped towards her the loss of blood combined with the concussion from the blow to the head made him fell dizzy. As he staggered forwards, his eyes rolled around in his skull and he fell to the ground.

Keskabor had momentarily stopped his assault on Raxogar to see his brother reel in pain before he eventually collapsed to the ground unconscious. Stunned but what this little girl had done, he was not paying attention to the woman who had come up behind him with a fallen tree branch. Elisya swung hard with the branch, catching Keskabor flush on the skull. The branch broke as it made contact, but the blow was so forceful that the Dragonborn was propelled several feet forward.

Keskabor turned his eyes back towards Elisya as he started to push himself back up off of the ground. He roared at her as he made his way to his feet, but was barely off his knees when arrow lodged itself in his throat. Swinging around he saw that the arrow had come from the bow of Draakor. As Keskabor spluttered in shock, Draakor spoke.

“Worthless wretch” he said. He then drew another arrow from his quiver, notched it in his bow and pointed it at Elisya. Without mercy or pity, Keskabor released the arrow towards its target.

For that split second the field was quieter than it had been in the history of the land. The thumping of Elisya’s heart was so loud by comparison that it could be heard a hundred feet or more away. As her eyes focused on the arrow she saw the reflection of the moon flit across the steel arrowhead. A second flicker of light passed across it before its path was intercepted.

The silence of the field was shattered by a cacophonous crash accompanied by a brilliant flash of golden light. The combination of effects was enough to temporarily blind and deafen all within sight of it. Dragonborn and human alike stumbled around bumping into each other. Ellana tripped over Raxogar as he lay on the ground, face-planting into the soft dirt. As she lifted her head up she wiped the soil away from her eyes and strained to see what had happened. Her look of shock quickly turned to joy as she saw her father standing in front of her, the intercepted arrow at his feet.

Baroghan Dawnbearer

“Father!” she exclaimed. Baroghan did not acknowledge her outburst, instead he stood still, focused on the troop of Dragonborn standing before him, now each recovering from his blinding smite.

Draakor was the first to recover. He glared back at the paladin. The two each seemed to be weighing up the other. After a moment, in unison the two charged at each other. Also at that moment a volley of arrows came flying out of the darkness towards Draakor's troops. Two Dragonborn fell to the ground dead, three more taking arrows to the chest.  The surviving Dragonborn turned in the direction from which the missiles came and charged into the darkness, weapons held high.

Draakor and Baroghan were now locked in a fierce battle. They were evenly matched, meeting each other blow for blow. Draakor had forgone his longbow in favour of his greataxe - an immense weapon in both size and weight, yet Draakor wielded it as deftly as if it were a rapier. Baroghan was wielding a shield and a large mace, the head of which seemed to be in the shape of a sunburst.  Each time he swung it the brass head radiated with a searing white flame, and when it clashed with Draakor's greataxe the two warriors were showered in sparks of holy fire.

After almost a minute of furious combat, neither combatant had sustained more than a few scratches. As a seasoned warrior Baroghan knew that this stalemate would only be broken once one of the fighters revealed a weakness which the other could exploit. Sure enough, Baroghan started to notice the Dragonborn extended his attack when swinging to his left, leaving himself open very briefly to a counter-attack. Knowing this, Baroghan waited till the opening presented itself.

After several close swings of his greataxe, Draakor made a swing to his left. Baroghan's eyes lit up knowing that this was his opportunity to strike. Positioning his shield at the right angle he met the blow, deflecting the majority of the strike and giving the greataxe a little push, causing it to continue swinging past Baroghan and seemingly cause Draakor to overbalance through the strike. Knowing he had succeeded in unsteadying the Dragonborn, Baroghan pirouetted on his right foot and swung back handed at Draakor's exposed back.

The mace made a thundering clash as it met the broad face of Draakor's greataxe - the Dragonborn had used the momentum from Baroghan’s shield block to swing the massive weapon around over his left shoulder and flat against his undefended back. For a moment Baroghan stood stunned at this magnificent manoeuvre, impressed by his counterpart. This admiration of his enemy was short lived, as Draakor took a leaf out of the paladin's playbook, angling the face of his axe away from him and pushing the mace to the side. He then, like his opponent, spun on his toe and swung his weapon in an upwards arc. This time the attack landed.

The greataxe sliced across the front of Baroghan's armour leaving a deep rend in the steel breastplate. Almost immediately from beneath the armour blood started to flow. Baroghan backed away and instinctively clutched at the wound. As he saw the blood starting to seep through the steel, Draakor smiled.

Not waiting for his opponent to regather himself, Draakor struck with a series of quick blows, pushing the paladin onto the back foot. Baroghan managed to block the initial assault with his shield, but the flurry of strikes coupled with his wound left openings in his defence. Fuelled by bloodlust his adversary kept attacking, targeting his new weakness.

Draakor kept the pressure on the paladin’s shield arm, overpowering it with his own strength until he was able to unsteady him. Baroghan’s feet staggered briefly and the Dragonborn struck, slicing through the armour on his shield arm. The shock caused Baroghan to drop his shield, hitting the ground with a loud clang.

As Draakor continued to swing his greataxe Baroghan continued to defend valiantly with his mace, but the radiant light once emanating from it now dimmed to a soft glow as his strength weakened. Another swing from the Dragonborn pierced Baroghan’s defences, this time slicing through his right thigh.

Baroghan fell to his knee, unable to keep standing on his injured leg. He continued to fight, block the next two attacks from his counter but with his third swing Draakor was able to disarm him, sending the paladin’s mace flying several feet away where it landed in a patch of grass, its glow completely faded.

As Draakor looked down at his unarmed victim he raised his greataxe above is head, preparing to strike the fatal blow. Baroghan too looked at into the face of his opponent as he whispered a swift prayer of protection to his god Lathander.

Whether by Lathander’s will or another, Baroghan’s prayer was unexpectedly answered as a pair of dark blue hands rose up from behind Draakor and grabbed on to the head of the greataxe. Not expecting this assault, Draakor fell backwards with the extra weight, releasing his grip on the axe. He barely had a moment after his head hit the ground to look up and see the axe head come down between his eyes, burying itself deep into his skull. The Dragonborn’s body twitched several times before it fell completely lifeless.

Looking across the body of the mighty Dragonborn warrior, for the first time Baroghan looked into the face of Raxogar, who returned the paladins gaze. Though the young Dragonborn was tired and heavily wounded, the paladin saw in him a great strength beyond that of his physical form. 

Baroghan maintained transfixed by the young warrior, even as several of the remaining caravan guards, who had finished battling the other Dragonborn, approach him hesitantly with their weapons drawn. However, before they were able to strike the young Dragonborn collapsed, unable to maintain his feet, next to the fallen body of his former Warmaster.

To be continued…