15 Temptation

Adrion knew this was a dream; it had to be. He wasn't tired or injured at all, and he seemingly found himself on the top of what appeared to be a stone fortress. Wait, not stone, the rocks seemed to be more of obsidian on a closer look. The structure also appeared to be on the top of a mountain of some kind that overlooked a land practically covered in one large shadow. The only light that could be seen was spots of orange where lava fields lay. The smell in the air could be only described as sick, as if the entire place was infected.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, unable to hold back the sense of dread rising in his gut.

Suddenly, a screeching startled him as an armored half-dragon flew up, landing behind him. Then, two more, both wingless but with tails, appeared behind the first, both wearing similar, dark grey armor, but the one on the lead half dragon's right clearly being a female. However, there was something strange about them; they moved in a more bestial way than normal half dragons would, but what was most disturbing was their faces; they were completely black, as if there was only a big shadow behind the helmet.

Adrion, feeling the fear intensify inside him, began to warily back up from the new creatures, then turned his attention to what they were standing in front of; a black throne made of the same obsidian, but Adrion shuddered as he also saw bone lining it. Sensing them to be of darkness, Adrion took out his staff and lit the tip of it, sending a white light out.

"Get back!" he desperately shouted at them. "Whatever you are, get back!"

The three half-dragons backed away and hissed at him; their hisses sounded like no animal sound, but more like a hiss steam when water is splashed on hot coals, only more unnatural.

Suddenly, Adrion's staff jerked to the side, as if an invisible hand had grabbed it. After a few moments of fighting for control, the staff wrenched itself out of Adrion's hands and smacked him across the head, knocking him to the ground and dousing the light. Regaining his senses, he could hear the three half dragons laughing amongst each other as he stood up.

"Ooohh, he still got some fight in him, I see." The girl half dragon hissed in glee as she went up to him and grabbed him by his hair, "Let's toy with him some more."

"NO." boomed another voice, and a shadowy, armored hand lifted up from the throne. The half dragon hissed in disappointment, putting the young wizard down and walking back over to the throne as the figure, before hidden on the throne, now rose.

He was armored in black, but as he became more visible, Adrion could see there was also some glow, like magma, on the armor, as if the entire suit of armor was made of lava that hardened halfway. His helmet hat a line of spikes running around the top, like a twisted crown, and the faceplate resembled a hideous, fanged skull. When he spoke, his voice could only be described as oozing of evil.

The figure knelt down in front of Adrion as the wizard attempted to stand.

"What are you?" Adrion meekly asked.

"I know you," the figure said, "Yet you don't know me? I'm surprised considering where you are taught."

Adrion thought back to his studies, trying to place him. Then, his heart froze as he remembered one particular class where he was shown a picture of an armored figure on a dark throne, flanked by three half-dragons.

"You're…you're him." Adrion concluded, "The Dark Necromancer. Negramor."

"So you DO know after all." Negramor said, "Well, now that we are all properly introduced…"

"I don't want anything to do with you." Adrion quickly interrupted, "I don't deal with traitors to the King."

"Do NOT interrupt our lord!" the winged half dragon bellowed, flying up and punching Adrion across the face and sending him sprawling.

"Enough!" Negramor growled at the half dragon, who promptly cowered and went back to his master's side.

"Sorry about that," he then told Adrion, who was now trying to get back up, his mouth bleeding.

"However," the Necromancer continued, "He does have a point; you did not hear what I had to say. I am merely offering you a deal."

"What deal?"

"It has come to my attention that you and your friends are weary and wounded from a little encounter with Bone Wraiths."

"Yeah," Adrion snapped; he hated how this monster of a being was trying to be sympathetic to him, "You can thank your little pawn, Aktrius, for that."

"He's a little rough, for sure, but he is loyal enough."

"What's your deal, traitor?"

Negramor tensed but he managed to keep his cool: "I can end your weariness and give you the rest you know you so desperately crave."

"I'm sensing an 'in return' statement coming."

'Well, you can't get something for nothing. What I want is the very thing YOU are trying to get as well. Surrender the relic to me, and I will give you your rest."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I would hate to see something bad happen to your little girlfriend." Negramor said, gesturing to the side. As Adrion looked, he could see River locked up in a spiked cage, bloodied and bruised. River looked at him through the bars and pleaded: "Adrion…please…"

"No!" he yelled, then standing up in anger, he drew his sword and pointed it at Negramor and demanded: "Let her go!"

"Accept the deal and I will." The Necromancer replied, "But I suggest you choose soon, otherwise…" he gestured to one of the half dragons, who walked up to the cages, drawing his spear and stabbing it through the cage bars and into River's leg. As she cried out in pain, Adrion began to tear up; he couldn't bear to see River hurt like this, but he also couldn't join with someone as evil as Negramor.

"Choose wisely, boy." Negramor calmly said.

Adrion was in complete disorder, torn between two choices he could not accept. Overwhelmed, he dropped to his knees and clenched his head in his hands.

"Stop this. It's not real," he stuttered, "It's not real! It's just a dream!"

"It's real enough," the Necromancer said, "now choose."

The half dragon stabbed through the cage again, this time piercing River's side. Adrion tried desperately to drown out her screams and the other dark half dragons yelling at him to choose, when suddenly he heard another voice in his head.

"Calm yourself," the man's voice said, "You're not alone."

Hearing the voice in his head, Adrion felt a sense of calm fill his heart, as if the voice was that of peace itself. With his head cleared, Adrion realized the voice was right, he was not alone; he had someone far more powerful on his side. Picking up his staff and sword, he slowly got back up and faced Negramor and his lackeys.

"Well?" Negramor inquired, "Have you decided?"

Adrion responded by channeling as much magic as he could to the tip of his staff, sending a nearly blinding light out of it. Negramor and the three dark half dragons backed away, shielding their eyes and yelling in pain, but, to Adrion's surprise, the light did not affect him at all. He didn't let his mind stay on that fact and continued, declaring: "My name is Adrion Highstar. I am a servant of the White King, the real ruler of Pandreia. He alone is my king; I do not serve you, demon, nor do I accept your deal! Now BEGONE!"

"KILL THEM BOTH! START WITH THE GIRL" Negramor shouted in rage, and one of the half dragons managed to load a crossbow and aim it at River. However, just as the arrow flew, it ricocheted off a shield as a new figure; a young man in pure white armor and a blue cape wielding a longsword and shield with the mark of an eagle on its front appeared, standing alongside Adrion.

Now the Necromancer and his three goons really back away in fear.

"Curse you!" Negramor roared.

"Begone, Evil One!" the man shouted, pointing his sword at the necromancer, "This wizard and his friends are under MY protection. You have no power here! Now LEAVE!"

In a sudden flash of light, the Dark Necromancer, along with the three shadowy half dragons, were gone.

Adrion dimmed the light on his staff and turned to face the man who had joined him. Facing the wizard, the man took off his helmet to reveal his face; he was a younger man with rich brown hair, a fair complexion, and blue eyes that made Adrion feel at rest when they looked at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

All Adrion could manage was a shake of his head; the lighting of his staff had taken a lot of energy out of him, and he was breathing heavily.

The young man walked up and gently patted Adrion on the shoulder: "You did good. It's not easy to stand up to someone like Negramor; messing with people's minds and torturing their loved ones is like breathing to him. But I have always been there protecting you."

"Are you…" Adrion gasped between breaths, "Him?"

The man laughed: "No, I am not. But I am close to him."

Adrion then narrowed his eyes in recognition: "You were the voice in my head just a few moments ago, weren't you?"

The man nodded: "I saw you were struggling, so I decided to help nudge you back onto the right path. You may not realize it, but I've been watching you very closely."

"We both have," said a woman's voice, and Adrion turned to see a young woman dressed in a pure white gown with golden hair and shining blue eyes appear out of a flash of light.

"Now come on, brother," she said, "Father wants to speak with us and Adrion here has a quest to accomplish, which he can't do when he's unconscious."

The young man rolled his eyes in amusement: "Alright, I'm coming, Harmony." Then, turning back to Adrion: "Good luck, Adrion. Remember, the dangers aren't over for you yet, but remember who has your back."

Adrion nodded: "Thank you. And River, she's okay, right?"

Harmony smiled: "She's fine. What you just saw was an illusion, made by Negramor to try and break your spirit. My brother helped strengthen you a bit, but YOU were the one to make the choice to stand up to him. We are very proud of you."

"You and your friends are actually healing in a Lizard Men camp back in the Reptil Marshes," the young man continued as he walked over to Harmony, "You can thank your dragon friend for that."

Adrion felt a swell of pride and gratitude for having a friend like Rhogar on the quest. Meanwhile, the man stood next to Harmony, and moments later, the two became wreathed in a white glow.

"Now wake, Adrion Highstar." Harmony said, "And finish your quest, for the good of Pandreia!"

"And remember," the man advised, "You are not alone!"

The light intensified, then everything went black.