Second Scorching

Armored Scavenger 's fan-fict. 
This is the final part of the series: The Scavenger Series #1: Darkness Rising
The prequel to this story is The Quest For the Gems.
This is the end of the first series, but there is a second one! The story continues in Out of the Rainforest.
Enjoy reading and comment if you want! :)
== Prologue ==
Twelve years before the War of 5012...
Two men were running through the dark, morning would soon come. But they were not nearly far enough to be safe yet. Not yet. The rocky ground and steep slopes of the mountain made travel extremely difficult for the two.
"Please, I must rest," pleaded one of them. He was old, gray hair now taking over his black hair. His face was beginning to wrinkle and his body began to slow down. He had trouble breathing and he began coughing and panting. His forehead was also in a bloody mess, a slash across it produced deep red blood. He was growing faint.
The other one hesitated, but had no other choice than to stop. The old man would not be able to go on without catching his breath, but the younger of the two was more worried about what was tracking them down. The peak was still behind them, towering over the two as they sat on the rock ledge, the terrain sloping dangerously and abruptly downwards. It was a steep way down.
"Come on, come one," urged the younger of the two. "They won't wait for us!" Fear and worry was written across his face for he knew that was after them drew near.
The old man sat up and began to stand. The younger man helped him up and would have gladly carried him if they weren't in such a rush. The old man was up and they began to continue their escape. It didn't go quite as planned as they hoped as the stealth part failed.
The younger man climbed down the peak when he heard a howl. It was the old man. The younger man who was hanging from the edge of the cliff, trying to get to the bottom ledge, pulled himself up so he could see what had happened.
Another figure pushed the old man down unto the ground. The old man screamed in pain but was abruptly cut off mid-shriek when the figure began to strangle him. The younger managed to pull himself up and onto the ledge where it was all happening. He tried to stand straight but the injury from forcing himself up brought pain to his upper body, and he was on all fours, sweat dripping down his face, dirt almost masking his face. He had no facial hair to protect his face from the dust.
The figure turned around when he noticed the man struggling towards him. He stopped strangling the old man and let go of him. The old man fell back down to the ground, gasping for air.
The figure's identity was now introduced. He wore a black cloak with a black hood. He took the hood off and his face was revealed. He had pale, almost white skin, black obsidian colored hair, and a full beard of the same color. His eyes were grey, very dark, and he looked middle-aged. He looked frail and elderly, but his appearance did not match his abilities, nor his health. He stood up tall, looking at the young man intently.
The young man got up onto two feet and tried to tackle the black-clad man down. Instead he got kicked in the stomach and he crumpled to the floor. Despite his coat of armor, the kick was strong enough to almost knock the wind out of him. The mysterious man then turned back to the old man, whose head was now red with blood, and he was trying to get up. The figure did not say a word the entire time, and his face was completely emotionless. The paleness was eerie.
He kicked the old man hard in the side. Then he stomped on the chest. The old man was wheezing. The younger man got up again and ran again towards the pale man, this time with a knife in hand. The pale man once again foiled the attack by turning around quickly, then as the young man was about to stab him, the man grabbed his forearm, twisted it, making him drop the knife, then threw him towards the edge, almost having him tumble off, but he managed to hold on.
The pale man then turned once again to the old man, who now was laid out on the rocky floor. The pale man took the old man by the neck and lifted him up, choking him in the process. They were looking each other in the eye, the pale man emotionless, the old man exhausted. 
The pale man whispered, "Now."
The old man looked up, one eye closed, swollen, blood dripping from the head wound, and he was struggling to breathe. He replied in a weak voice, "I'd r-rather die."
The pale man let go of him and dropped him to the floor. From under his cloak he pulled out a long sword. He struck it at the old man's side. The old man yelped, but did not beg for his life.
"Very well," muttered the pale, black-clad man. He raised the sword and began to swing. However, he had forgotten about the younger man, who he thought had fallen to his death.
The younger man ran at him and grabbed him by the head. He pushed the black-clad man down and managed to get the sword in his hand. The pale man got up rather quickly and stood up. He stared angrily now, the first emotion he had been seen with.
The young man was quick though, and to his opponent's surprise he had slashed the sword across the pale man's chest, producing a terrible, bloody wound. The pale man fell to the ground, expressing pain, but his agonized face made no sound. It was disturbing. He then coughed up a little bit of blood, then even more.
The young man, instead of finishing him off, went to the old man. He knelt down next to him, tears in his face, not believing what had happened. "No," he cried. "No..."
The old man was dying, his injuries were too severe. He pulled the younger closer to him, he needed to talk to him one last time.
"Listen, listen very closely," he said, barely able to make the words out. "I will die, but you must know this," he continued. The younger man held the elder's hand tightly. "The gems...you must know about them. When....the time is...right....you will know," he explained. The younger man's face was filled with distress.
"Tell the elders, you are now the one. Tell them...the Guardian has passed down his title to a new man. They will then show you what to do...everything you need to read, every map, every scroll, all..."
"Don't die. Please don't die," begged the younger man. The tears from his face had literally washed the dirt off.
"Son...I have always trusted you....always was proud....always loved......" The old man spoke his last words.
The younger man's eyes grew wide. He choked, he cried, his face was filled with tears. He held the dead man in his arms, pressing his face to the other's. He tried to feel his heartbeat, his pulse, his breathe, but nothing.
The young man stood up after a few moments. He had prayed, he had mourned, now he had to do what the old man wanted, what his father's last breathe asked for. He turned around, the pale man was gone, vanished.
I promise father...you have always taken care of me....never asked for anything. Always wanted the best. Now I will return the favor. Father, I promise to fulfill the only thing you ever wanted. I promise. Father, I love you. Always.
Down below, a small crowd had gathered to see what had happened. The sunrise painted the sky orange. They looked up at the peak and saw an interesting sight.
Up there they saw the silhouette of a man. He had wings, arched wooden frames with feathers. He looked majestic with the sun's orange in the background. He was also carrying something, someone. A man.
The winged scavenger would grow to be known throughout Pyrrhia.
Famous, because of the promise he hoped to keep.
== Part 1: The Second Scorching ==
=== Chapter 1: Out of Time ===
Wladyslaw sat in his room in the city of Terchen, thinking deeply about what the rulers had told him. They said that he was out of time, it was now or never. If he didn't do what they wanted, they would do it for him.
He sighed. His plan was not even fully thought out yet, and still he had to do something. He wished he knew what to do.
He thought over his options. He knew all of them included a confrontation with Clauseus, usually at the end. That part he was worried about, because he was sure no one was ready for that showdown, whenever it was going to happen. If he was right about Clauseus, then it would be almost impossible for them to beat him.
He sat at his desk looking over papers, scrolls, books, and his notes, trying to come up with a solution. His idea, also Alexandria's, was to use the gems for many reasons and in many ways. Talking to dragons was obvious, but also to go into another's dreams. That was something that would be very useful and crucial. Maybe they could go into the dream of a dragon's, tell it to stop harming people, and also tell it that the humans were desperate and not every person wants to hurt them.
They could also visit the dreams of the enemy, maybe convince them to stay out of the war or change sides. It would not be easy, but it might just work. However, Clauseus might find a way to ruin it.
The last ability of the gems is they can weaken animus magic. One piece of the gem wasn't too powerful, however, if all the pieces were together, then it would become very powerful. But that was a risky plan. If Clauseus was really who Wladyslaw thought he was, who knew how powerful he really was. No one would know but Clauseus himself.
However, the hetman had an idea.
Wladyslaw went to bed. If his idea worked, maybe, just maybe, he could make his enemy a little unstable. He took his medallion and placed it on his forehead. He had studied dreamvisitors. They were usually made out of a sapphire, star-shaped, and the only ones known in existence were enchanted by a dragon a long time ago. There were rumors that some person managed to get their hands on one. Possibly related to the one who killed the desert dragon queen.
In a scroll it said that the owner had to put it on his or her forehead, then say the name of who they wanted to visit in that person's dream. Hopefully Clauseus was asleep. He was human, and he needed to rest as well. Therefore, Wladyslaw laid in his bed, and said the name, "Clauseus Vinus," out loud.
He closed his eyes, but then felt a throbbing pain in his chest. Soon he saw nothing but pitch black nothingness.
Then images came to him. He was no longer in his bed. He was on a mountain peak.
=== Chapter 2: Nightmares ===
A heavy mist surrounded Wladyslaw as he tried to figure out where he was. The rock below him was slippery and he struggled to keep himself balanced on it. He heard thunder in the distance, and lighting in the air could be seen for perhaps miles. A storm was coming.
Where am I? Where am I?! He then realized it was only a dream. Clauseus' dream. But where was he? And why did his dream appear to be nightmare?
The hetman went out to explore his surroundings. It was hard for him to see, but he did not grow tired, and even when he fell it did not hurt because he kept reminding himself that it was not real. Hopefully whatever his enemy was dreaming about wasn't part of reality, because if it was, Wladyslaw had no clue what was going on. Wladyslaw managed to spot a bright light on top of another peak. After he climbed to the top of it, he got onto a flat, wide natural platform. The mist was gone, but the clouds blocked out the sun, lighting continued to strike, and thunder roared as it closed in. Wladyslaw looked around until he saw a dark figure in the center of the great peak. The man was on his knees, garbed in black. It was Clauseus.
Wladyslaw cautiously approached him, and even though it was only a dream, he couldn't imagine what his enemy would do if he suddenly appeared to him in his sleep. Soon he was very close, but Cluaseus was behaving in a strange way. As he knelt on his knees, his hands were on the ground in front of him. He was breathing heavily, and nervously. He was also looking up, up into the clouds.
His face was pale and he had a black beard. He was tall, not short. The world never saw the real Clauseus before.
Suddenly, something happened that Wladyslaw couldn't have imagined would have. From the clouds above, seven dragon-like figures shot through the sky, circling overhead. They looked like dragons, but they appeared to be made out of colored mist. Seven colors, one red, one brown, one white, one yellow, one blue, another black, and the last was a mix of all six. Their eyes were a menacing glowing yellow. Clauseus was there, right below them. He screamed. The wind began to blow heavily, and soon it grew so violent that Wladyslaw had to lower himself to the ground to keep himself from blowing away
"Leave me alone! Get out of my head! STOP! NOOOO!!!!" Clauseus then clutched his head as if he were having a headache. He shrieked and then he screamed once more. "AAAAAAAHH. OUT! OUT YOU MONSTERS! LEAVE ME BE!"
Then, one by one, each dragon swooped down at him. The red one gave a burst of fire as it collided with Clauseus, then disappearing immediately on contact in a trail of red smoke. The brown one did the same, but disappeared in brown smoke. The white one shot a beam of ice, then left in white smoke, the yellow struck it's barbed tail and it was gone along with yellow smoke. The blue smacked its tail at the man and was gone with blue smoke left behind, the black shot another burst of fire, with black smoke being left behind, then lastly the multi-colored dragon shot out a black substance from its mouth and disappeared leaving behind a trail of grey smoke rising from Clauseus.
Wladyslaw looked at Clauseus, petrified. He had no idea what had just happened. But before he had a chance to think the dream changed.
Now they were on a dirt field, the sunset made everything orange. It was unsettling. But what was more unnerving was that it was the remains of a battle. Wladyslaw calmed himself down and tried to make everything out. The bodies were all over, and from all over. He could see at least one soldier from every nation, every tribe, from both sides of the war. There were a lot of them, thousands upon thousands.
In the middle of the dead stood a figure, again it was Clauseus. He was holding his chest, or rather his heart, in pain, guilt, and worry. Then a horse whinnied from the horizon. Wladyslaw squinted to see who it was. Charging from beyond, a person on a horse was coming this way, straight for Clauseus. As it got closer, Wladyslaw could make out what, or who it was.
The horse was a black stallion with white glowing eyes. The rider sent shivers down Wladyslaw's spine. The rider wore the same armor as himself, with wings, but everything was black. The feathers were black as well, but some were missing. One of the wings was broken in half. The rest of the body was dark, with glowing yellow sinister eyes that were targeting Clauseus under its helmet. In its hand was a long lance, not surprisingly black as well. As soon as the rider was within range, Clauseus hollered.
"No. NO. Stay away, STAY AWAY! Stay away from ME!" he shouted. Wladyslaw watched as the rider was about to drive its lance through Clauseus, who was screaming, shrieking, begging for his life. Then everything went black.
Wladyslaw woke up. He immediately sat up in bed. He was breathing quickly and heavily. Was...was that supposed to be...to be me...?
He gazed up and looked around his room. It was the middle of the night. He tried to go back to sleep, but he couldn't. Clauseus' nightmare would be something he would never forget.
Tonight he learned two things about his foe. One was that he was afraid of dragons, of what they would do to him, and second, of what he would do to Clauseus. Clauseus wanted to eliminate the two things he was afraid of, dragons and Wladyslaw. 
Another thing that made Wladyslaw shiver was how human Clauseus acted. His fear, his anger, and even his guilt made the hetman shake and tremble. 
=== Chapter 3: The Time Draws Near ===
Wladyslaw did manage to sleep, but only for a few hours. When he woke up he had breakfast, bathed, and went over to his small group of advisers. They met in a small room not too far from the main hall. Inside, there was only a small table and a few couches, nothing extravagant. Wladyslaw met with his war adviser, his diplomatic adviser, and lastly his regular, well-rounded adviser.
They all greeted Wladyslaw as he took a seat with them, next to his well-rounded adviser, Mark. On the table they had a basket of bread, some butter, and tea. There were four little plates for each of them, as well as four cups, already steaming with hot herbal tea. Soon the meeting had begun.
"Well, Wladyslaw, it seems you didn't have a good night's sleep, now did you?" asked Mark, clearly noticing Nowak trying to hide his yawn.
After he yawned again, Wladyslaw replied, "No, I guess I didn't. I couldn't get to sleep most of the night, and the other times when I was asleep I was plagued with nightmares. So excuse me for my tired behavior."
"Understandable. But I have some news that might interest you," said Mark.
"You do?" asked Wladyslaw, trying to look involved in the talks. He was awfully tired.
The war adviser, John Bentworth, started to speak. "Yes, my lord. I'm sure you will wake up when you hear this."
"Just try me."
"Sir, scouts are reporting that the Anti-Coalition is nearing collapse."
Wladyslaw wasn't expecting news like that. He was drinking his cup of tea and almost spat it out. "Wh-what!?" he asked, wide-eyed and now fully awake.
"Yes, sir. It is most interesting. We don't know exactly what is going on with them anymore," said the diplomatic advisor, Andrew von Classenberg. "Nationalism is one thing we do know, you know, tribes who want their own free country. The Aerules, the Qian, and even the Aredonians are violently protesting. The war has not been popular."
"Well, I guess that is sort of good news, for us at least," said Wladyslaw, who was listening wholeheartedly.
"And another thing. I think the dragons have caught on."
"Oh?" Now Wladyslaw was puzzled.
Mark took over. "Yes, well, er. It seems to us that the dragons have took notice of our fighting. We saw many of Clauseus' army camps and bases go up in flames. And it wasn't our doing. Even some villages are gone. Some are even calling this war the 'Second Scorching'."
Then Andrew spoke. "The Khanate is also in chaos. Ever since Kramek took control things have gone downhill. The army has deserted him. Now the sultan is fighting rebels, and we believe Clauseus is getting desperate. If he is going to do something, he will have to do it soon."
Soon. Soon! I have no more time, none. Whatever he plans, its going to be big, and it is going to happen soon. Maybe in a few days. Maybe in a few hours, I don't know. But I have to work quickly.
"Gentlemen, may I be excused? I don't have time to explain, but you will thank me later," the hetman interrupted.
"Of course, but..." started Mark, but Wladyslaw was already out the door.
The dream. The nightmare. Where was Clauseus? The peak, what peak? I know that peak! thought Wladyslaw as he rushed down the corridor.
He reached the room of the other guardians. They were in there, enjoying breakfast. Alexandria sat on the couch, while Fahima and Dire were sitting in chairs. Aleksander laid in bed, as it was his room by the way.
"Why, good morning, Wladyslaw. Would you care for a biscui-," greeted Alexandria, but Nowak cut her off.
"We leave for Jade at noon." His reply and order was simple. "Ready everyone."
Later they would realize this order would change the history of Pyrrhia.
== Part 2: Finale ==
=== Chapter 4: Jade Mountain ===
It was almost evening when the fifteen men, women, and young adults reached Jade Mountain. Wladyslaw stopped his group before there was no turning back.
"We camp here tonight. Tomorrow, at the break of dawn, we ascend to the peak. Seaweed, Goshawk, Stormfast, you will help us by carrying us almost to the top. Then we will go the rest of the way by ourselves. I know Clauseus will be up there, and this is our one and only opportunity. That will be...our finest hour," explained Wladyslaw.
The group made a small camp, only set up for the night. Everyone noticed how jittery Wladyslaw was. He wasn't sleeping, or eating, or even talking. When they asked him, he just said everything was going to be alright. Everyone was worried.
Alexandria, Dire, and the others, including the dragons, met on the edge of the camp.
"Something is up with him. What could it be?" asked Seaweed the SeaWing. "Do you scavengers know anything about poor Wladyslaw? Please help him!" begged Seaweed desperately. Everyone knew that Seaweed was close to the Grand Hetman. When he befriended her, they became nearly inseparable.
Casimir was almost in tears. "It's like I don't know him anymore. What happened to my brother, the kind, nice, generous Wladyslaw. Who is this cold, silent, serious soldier?"
Alexandria spoke. "I know he seems off, but you must realize, he is going through a lot."
Aleksander then muttered something. Everyone looked. Then he restated for everyone to hear. "Ok, fine! I didn't help enough. He is going through this alone! Three moons...why didn't I take care of him..."
Everyone looked at each other, then down at themselves. Dire said, "We have been so occupied with ourselves that we didn't take the time to find out what really was up with him."
Seaweed then bursted into tears. "I was always asking him silly questions when I should have wondered what was going on inside him."
Casimir looked down at his hands. "We have to talk to him. Right now." The group called the hetman over.
Wladyslaw came over when he heard them call. He wore his entire suit of armor, with wings and all the weapons he decided to bring. He looked around, and he was now concerned.
"What happened? Three moons...why do you all look so worried!?" he blurted out. He looked around then he went over to Casimir.
"Casimir! Brother! Tell me what happened. I'm here, don't you worry Casimir," he said as he embraced Casimir, stroking the top of his head, having no idea what was going on.
"Brother...its you." Casimir replied, a tear down his face.
"Wha..." Wladyslaw couldn't respond. "Me?"
Alexandria explained, barely making out the words. "What happened to you, Wladyslaw? The man I knew only a few days ago has been replaced by this stranger!"
"Wait...what!"
Seaweed cried out. "Wladyyyslllawww! What happened to you. Wlad..."
Everyone then grew silent, except for the occasional sniff or cry or cough.
Wladyslaw was bewildered at first, but then he thought about what had happened the past few days. Three moons...they are right. And I bet they blame themselves. I have to explain. They need to know why..."
"Everyone!" shouted Nowak. Everyone looked up. He continued, his face very serious. But then it became sad.
"My friends, my great friends, it is not your fault, it is mine. The last few days have been rough on me, because I haven't told you why. This is a very important time in our lives, and I only want it to turn out right, the way I want it to be."
Wladyslaw looked at Casimir. "I have been holding back for too long. Casimir, I should have told you a long time ago." Casimir looked up at him, he was no longer crying.
"Many years ago...when I was very young, and you were only but a child, my life changed. Twelve years ago, on Jade Mountain, a horrible thing happened. Our father survived that village attack, and he was alive for a few years after that."
He expected Casimir to lash out at him or something, but instead he said," I always knew my father was tough. Because you must be like him."
"On Jade, I saved father, he was the guardian of the gems before I. There we met Clauseus." 
Everyone gasped. 
"Our father died at his hands, but I didn't have the courage to strike down that monster, because my love went for our dying father. I made a promise to him to fulfill the prophecy. That is why I have been so serious and stone-hard these last few days. I want to do what he wished, what we have to do to save our world."
Casimir looked at him in shock. Everyone did. Wladyslaw hugged his brother even closer. "I saw Dad die in my arms, I don't want that to happen to you..." he whispered.
Wladyslaw continued to embrace Casimir for a few minutes. It was almost midnight when they heard horses and people. Wladyslaw got up immediately and took up a torch and sword.
Hundreds of torched flickered from the forest. Then a few figures emerged. "Wladyslaw? I say, is that you?" asked a familiar voice.
"My king?" asked Nowak, shocked. King Jan came into sight. Wladyslaw bowed and the King dismounted his horse along with some other men.
"Grand Master? Argus? Ares? King Jarl? What are your majesties all doing here?" asked a startled Grand Hetman.
"It is so good to see you, Wladyslaw, Grand Hetman of the Crown!" exclaimed Jan joyfully. "The war has brought us here. Clauseus' entire army is on the other side of the peak. The entire Coalition. We had to act fast."
Ares spoke up, he was in full armor. "Our entire armies are here as well. If there is going to be a battle, it will be the largest since before the Scorching."
Then Argus interrupted. "But some of their men came to us.They don't want to fight. They know we are here, and they are worried like us. They say Clauseus went up to the peak and they said when he comes back down the war will be over."
"That is why we are here," explained Casimir. Wladyslaw quickly looked back, even more startled.
"Me too," said Alexandria.
"As am I!" replied Cecilia.
"And me," pointed out Karolina.
"And us," said both Goshawk and Stormfast. 
Everyone else declared that they were ready to save Pyrrhia. To defeat Clauseus.
Wladyslaw shed a tear. He was proud.
The hetman turned back to the rulers. "Yes...we are ready to save us all. The war will be over soon, and everyone will have won, everyone except Clauseus."
The rulers looked at each other, and then they all dismounted and bowed to the fifteen humans and the dragons. "We will forever be in your debt," the monarchs said together. They then left for their armies.
Wladyslaw encouraged his group afterwards. 
"Rest up, tomorrow is our big day. Don't worry about it, just don't forget, we are a team. WE FIGHT FOR ALL OF PYRRHIA, HUMANS AND DRAGONS. HURRAH!!!"
"HURRAH!!! HOORAY!!!," everyone else cheered.
Soon, their finest hour will come.
=== Chapter 5: Their Finest Hour ===
It would be all or nothing. At the break of dawn the group woke up feeling energetic. They had confidence that was unmatched, bravery that no one could hope to beat, and zeal that drove them forward. The three dragons helped the fifteen ascend the mountain. Seaweed, Goshawk, and even Stormfast carried each of them on their own backs. The dragons dropped their scavenger passengers off just below the peak. The mountain grew into two peaks, as if they were arms reaching out to the sky. Clouds were moving with the wind below the humans.
A cool wind from the north, together with the high altitude, made climbing much more difficult. But that did not slow down the heroes. They went on, despite the conditions and the elements, and their fear as well. Before the peak was reached everyone was accounted for. They each took a deep breath and climbed onto the flat peak.
Wladyslaw was in the lead, his sword in his hand, ready. His medallion hung from his neck, bouncing every time he took a step. His eyes were on the peak, trying to spot where his nemesis was. He was worried, but he was determined as well.
Casimir, Alexei, Ivan, and Cecilia went together every step of the way. They too were armed with swords, and Casimir wore the armor his brother gave him. They were all very worried about what laid ahead, but they stayed close to each other and believed everything was going to be alright since they were together.
The other guardians kept an eye out. They made sure the group made it up safely and that no harm would come to any of them. They had weapons drawn, had armor protect them, and they looked cautiously at even the slightest sudden movement.
Almas, Dustum, Karolina, Cornelius, and Mika all traveled in the center of the group. They were afraid the most and the most nervous. Almas even tried to climb back down the mountain, but Dustum managed to convince her nothing would go wrong. She was eventually persuaded to go on. Mika and Karolina almost had to drag Cornelius on. Makena was the only one who was at the front with Wladyslaw. She too had worried thoughts, but she had the most determination out of all of them. She didn't care about herself as long as she could do a lot of good for everyone else.
The sun was completely visible when the group was close to the top. However, dark clouds hung over one of the peaks. That was the one they decided to visit.
"All right, everyone. This is it. There is no turning back now, my friends. The most dangerous man you will ever meet is going to be up there. He will fight to the very end, and you might get hurt, or even worse. But don't let that discourage you, you must all be brave, for the fate of all of Pyrrhia lays in our hands. Think of the hundreds of thousands of innocent dragons and humans who will die if he wins," said Wladyslaw, trying to explain to them how important their mission was.
The rest of the group looked back with determination in their eyes. They knew what they had to do. They were ready, and they would not back down.
Wladyslaw continued, just before they continued on. 
"I am proud of every one of you. Never could I hope for better friends."
Then he went to Casimir. "Or a better brother. Let's make our father proud."
That was it, there no turning back for any of them. It was all or nothing. It had to be their finest hour.
They climbed the peak carefully and quietly. Standing on top of it was a man, with black robes, pale white skin, and black hair and a beard.
Before they went on, Alexandria whispered to Wladyslaw, "That does not look like him, who is he?"
Wladyslaw answered coolly, "That is Clauseus Vinus. That is how he really looks like. One of his powers is to change his appearance completely, far better than a shapeshifter. This was the man I met twelve years ago."
The fifteen were now on the peak. They were on the flat part, sort of like a platform below the actual top. It loomed over them. Then the figure turned around. Clouds, dark clouds blotted out the sun that day. Wind howled.
The man was on the peak at one moment, but before anyone could even blink, he was then right in front of the group. Black smoke was emitting from Clauseus as he stared at his enemies, with a haughty, yet emotionless stare.
=== Chapter 6: One Man, For All of Pyrrhia ===
The cold stare of Clauseus could send shivers down anyone's spine. It was so emotionless, so cold, and so lifeless.
Immediately, Clauseus turned his gaze to Wladyslaw.
"You. I should have made sure you died. Your father didn't die quick enough. Now I can finally take a load off my shoulders today," he said, coldly.
"I wish that slash went deeper, but I regret not finishing you off that day. Today your reign ends," replied Wladyslaw sharply.
"You know, it has been a long time since we have met each other, face to face. I can see you have grown up, at least physically," Clauseus walked a little closer towards Wladyslaw. "Oh, I see you have the gems. Took you long enough, didn't it?"
"Just in time," replied Wladyslaw. He answered so calmly, and it seemed like they were speaking as if they were old friends.
"You know, we don't have to be enemies. We could get rid of those horrid lizards once and for all and then we can have peace. A human world, like it is supposed to be. Come now, Wladyslaw, what do you say?" asked Clauseus, slyly.
"Poor Clauseus still thinks that I would join him. The man who has the blood of thousands on his hands. It is you who needs to understand that your idea for a human world will never come to being."
"Oh, you are one of many who have told me that throughout the years." Clauseus merely shrugged. He then turned to the others.
"Come now, these dragons have only been slaughtering our innocent human race. Why must we continue to live under their rule, when we can become free? Have you ever wondered how a world would look like. We wouldn't have to live in fear anymore, we could travel whenever we wanted, wherever we to go. We could build cities out in the open, grand palaces, or beautiful monuments. No more fear, no more death. How can a person not want that? Why would a person not want to actually live!? The life we have now is hardly living at all!"
Wladyslaw saw where this was going. "You scoundrel! Don't listen to him! Clauseus, such a world cannot come about. It is our fault we are where we are. Our greed, our corruptness, our violence has made things only worse. We must learn to coexist with the dragons, to live in harmony and peace. Why kill thousands and lose thousands if we can save hundreds of thousands?"
Clauseus merely stared. "It seems you all need convincing." He stepped back and then disappeared.
Suddenly, something pulled Casimir by the neck and began choking him. Clauseus had him in a choke-hold. "You can't win this time. Another Nowak's blood will be spilt today."
Casimir tried to break free, but Clauseus held his ground. Wladyslaw tried to get in closer, but Clauseus held one arm out and held it above the ground. Suddenly, wherever the hand went, the ground turned into a wall of flames.
The blaze blocked Wladyslaw from coming any further. "Face it, Wladyslaw, you can't help him anymore. Your brother is mine. Be the smart man and give up now," said Clauseus as he drew nearer to the edge.
"The gems, the gems. Use them!" shouted Dire, when he remembered. Everyone took off their gems and went towards the flames. Sure enough, they died down, the magic was becoming weakened.
Clauseus didn't even seem surprised. "The gems won't stop me. I don't need my magic when I have a hostage," he said, with no emotion.
Casimir's face was turning blue now. He couldn't breathe and soon he wouldn't have the strength to even be conscious anymore. Wladyslaw put his weapon down, and then his hands up.
"You don't need him, Clauseus, you want me, I know. Spare him and take me instead," Wladyslaw offered, in an almost calm voice.
Clauseus responded in agreement, but was not a fool.
Wladyslaw was to walk over to Clauseus, and then he would exchange places with Casimir. Clauseus warned that Casimir would be dead within the moment Wladyslaw did anything to rescue him.
They did the exchange quickly and Wladyslaw was in the hands of Clauseus. Casimir went back to the group in tears. "You didn't have to do that, brother!" he cried out.
"I love you Casimir. I couldn't bare to live with you gone from my life," Wladyslaw cried, trying to smile, like he was still trying to comfort his brother like a mother to her child. His eyes were getting tears in them.
Clauseus then whispered in his ear, for only Wladyslaw to hear. "Don't worry, you won't be living long anymore."
He then turned to the crowd gathered in front of him. "Today marks the beginning of the new human world. The dragon race will be exterminated from the face of this world, my magic will destroy them, and these gems will help me see to it. Perhaps if you give them to me now, I might have a place for all of you in this new world. If not, well, there is no room."
No one gave in.
Clauseus did not seem concerned. "These gems contain great power. I can re-enchant them to do whatever I want. The spell I created thousands of years ago can only be put into one of these. With it the dragons will be wiped out. There is nothing you can do now."
Suddenly, through the dark clouds, a blue streak came racing down towards them, followed by dragons. One black, one brown, one yellow, one red, one white, and one of many colors!
The fourteen from the group charged at Clauseus as he was distracted. He soon realized what they were doing, and with his magic, concocted a wave of strong wind that collided with the group, pushing them back and onto the ground. But the dragons flew closer.
Then suddenly Clauseus muttered, "My nightmare won't come true. I won't let it."
Wladyslaw remembered it. Could Clauseus also see the future without knowing it?
The blue dragon then saw Wladyslaw, it was Seaweed. She looked at Clauseus with fire in her eyes. She dove down with lighting speed along with the others. Clauseus was preparing another spell. Large pieces of hail and rock were getting tossed at the dragons. One hit Seaweed, and she almost fell out of the sky. Fortunately, the yellow dragon managed to save her, and they continued onward.
Wladyslaw knew what he had to do. It was his fault his friends were in danger, that Seaweed was hurt, and that Casimir was crying. It was his fault that he didn't take care of Clauseus so many years ago. He seized the opportunity.
While Clauseus was struggling to carry out his spell, he couldn't contain Wladyslaw as well.
Casimir saw it all happen so fast. Something he, though eighteen, was too young to see.
Wladyslaw broke out of Clauseus' hold on him. There was a struggle. They were nearing the edge, too close to it.
"No. NO!" shouted Casimir as he shot himself towards the two men. Everyone else ran, but they could not get there in time. Clauseus was getting the upper hand and he was pushing Nowak to the side of the mountain.
"For Casimir. For Seaweed. For all humans and dragons...for all of Pyrrhia!" Those were the hetman's last words before the moment that would change Pyrrhia forever.
As Clauseus almost had his foe on the verge of falling down, Wladyslaw threw his arms around his opponent. And he didn't let go. Clauseus, bewildered, lost his footing and fell forward.
Everyone gasped as the two fell into the mist. The two made no sound, and silence followed.
Casimir ran over to the edge. He stared into the fog below. He bawled like he never bawled before. Everyone ran over to him. Alexei and Ivan literally dove down next to him and embraced him with all their might. The others crouched or laid by his side, mourning or comforting each other. The dragons landed or perched on the peak. They had witnessed what had happened, and some, like Stormfast, cried. But Seaweed almost flooded the mountain with tears. She cried and mourned her best friend, the scavenger who loved her.
For hours it was like this. Then it grew too cold and too dark to stay. Slowly they made their descent. Casimir held onto the sword of his brother, as a reminder of what he had done.
The selfless act of the winged scavenger would go down in history, and into legend. No one would forget the events that happened that fateful day...
=== Epilogue ===
The human war is now over. Clauseus had been defeated, and soon the Coalition fell apart. The armies gathered at Jade did not fight, and they went home. The nations became even more divided, however, with new ones being created out of the new peace treaty. 
Alexandria went home to her country, the new Empire of Cecuria. For her heroic actions, the new emperor promoted her as one of his advisers and generals.
Fahima returned to the Remelians as she decided to leave the Order. The Sultan welcomed her home, and he needed new warriors to fill the spots that were empty. She became a general and moved to the palace.
Dire remained part of the Order and was promoted to Head Castle Guard of the Capitol. He watches over the Grand Master and the home he lives in.
Aleksander was given a special thanks by the King of Bielska. He was offered a new position at the castle, but Aleksander, who more than grateful, did not accept it. He returned to his life as a freelancer, living in the wilderness of Bielska, occasionally visiting the towns and villages.
Almas went to the Order along with her family to become a lady-in-waiting. She lives within the walls of the capitol of the Order, remaining friends with Dire.
Cecilia continued her knighthood in the Order and still loves to patrol with her squad in their designated area. She now lives with her uncle, who adopted her. Her mother keeps in contact, but doesn't see her often.
Alexei returned to his country, the newly independent Grand Duchy of Kosburg. He became a castle aide and an apprentice to the royal librarian.
Ivan went home to Zelengorod. The Tsardom's civil war ended with Catherine on top. Ivan went to live with his parents in their old home.
Dustum went home to the Khanate. When he was seen alive by his countrymen, Kramek Noyan was ousted from power and exiled out of the country. Dustum became the new Khan and now rules the country in place of his father.
Mika stayed with the Order and wants to remain a knight. She became a Sergeant and now lives in the Order as a respected soldier.
Karolina left to her home of Kalda. She befriended the King and soon she joined the royal navy, protecting merchants and fishermen.
Makena went home to the rainforest. The Queen rewarded her with anything she needed. She and her family live in a hut near the Queen, living in peace.
Cornelius went back to his Cecurian university to be educated even further. He hopes to become an official writer or a royal scribe.
Casimir decided to stay in the Order of Pyrrhia. However, he became great friends with the King of Bielska, and he was made an honorary citizen and hero. Casimir remained a knight but also trained with his brother hussars, who grew famous from Wladyslaw's actions. Casimir would not wear the armor his brother gave him, but kept it as a reminder of him as well as his brother's sabre.
Wladyslaw became a legend in all of the nations. Those who once hated him grew to respect him, and those who loved him honored his sacrifice. The dragons who witnessed the event spread the word throughout the tribes, but no one listened and most laughed at it. It was impossible to believe it anyway.
Whether Wladyslaw perished that day is still unknown. No one saw what happened, and no body was ever recovered. Many believe both he and Clauseus met their end, but some, like Casimir, think otherwise.
The dragon war ended soon after that. On Jade Mountain, some sort of dragon activity was occurring, so many could not go to the place of the showdown. Many now return to their normal lives, with dragons still on top. But now some hope that the dragons and the humans might be able to coexist peacefully together.
The gems' ability to allow the user to talk to dragons seemed to permanently be part of the user. The group realized this when they took off their gems and managed to communicate with the dragons afterwards. So they decided to hide the gems so that no one could use them for evil. They hope maybe one day they could use them to make peace with the dragons, but for now they wait for human Pyrrhia to cool down.
But Pyrrhia is not safe yet. It never is and it never was. When one terror goes, more take it's place...
The End! Thanks For Reading! Comment Below If You Want. This is the End of the First Scavenger Series. Stay tuned and continue reading in the second series! c:
Category:Content (Armored Scavenger)
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)