11. Gar and the Darkness (Part 1: Kalyssa’s side)

Kalyssa watched her friend drift unconscious. Her heartstrings tightening from her fear of him being hurt.

Alannah shook her captive and chuckled. "Poor thing is out cold." She then touched Gars cheek with the back of her fingers. "Don't touch him!" Kalyssa yelled at her now angry.

"Now, now elven princess. I wont let him be harmed anymore then what has been inflicted on him now. Right Alannah?!" Alannah nodded as she touched Gar's face. "For a goblin he is quite adorable."

Joyrot then clapped his hands and said. "Enough about him. Now that I have you all here. We need to discuss business." With a flick of his finger. The ruby on the ground levitated upward. "First the prizes! What does Ash get?" He said with a high pitched laughter and pointed to Ash with a gunslinger stance imitating a spell shot. With the sudden surprise Ash's eyes went wide and he couldn't react fast enough before the ruby shot into his forehead and with an extremely painful yell he fell to the floor. Ruby still glowing hot and embedded into his forehead.

Thia dropped down next to him and felt for basic signs of life. She sighed with relief and said. "Alive but unconscious.."

"I didn't want him dead. Ha! No just in pain and with what he was fated to carry." Joyrot cackled and pointed to Emrad and then to Thordak. "You guys have quite a bit behind you both. Emrad looking dear old brother. While dear brother is looking for the dragon whom killed his master. Or should I say dear old dad! Uh oh! Spoiled secrets!" He laughed and danced around. "By the way, mommy doesn't look so good, needs some meat on her bones.... get it! Skeletal dragon... meat on her bones." He again cackled and after he regained his posture from laughing with two deep breaths.

And he pointed to Thia and Thok. "You two learned of Grug. And you....." pointing to Kalyssa. "Dear Daddy never told you what became of your mother? The truth at least!" She then snapped. "You killed her!"

"We've cleared that part up. But you not know where she went after death correct? Hmmm." Joyrot said stepping only a few steps from her. Kalyssa's thoughts became heavy. She started to think about the many times she asked her father about her mother's burial or why she didn't see a grave marker for her near the Great Tree. With a defeated sigh she said "No."

With a clap Joyrot said. "Exactly! Dear mother wasn't only killed but she became what hides in the Temple of Light. You see where I'm going my dear. Lady Seraphina resides in that very temple. Along with that unruly dragon, Bahamut."

Kalyssa could not believe what she was hearing. Temple of Light held her dead mother's body. Along with a dragon that her father spoke was once a God reborn to live as a dragon again. But they both fell he told her. A new small headache of thoughts burned around in her mind.

"And that concludes business. Now you all mull that over and we have other stuff to attend to. Come Alannah and bring the green one." He said and with a snap a portal ripped open. Then he stepped through. "No! Don't take him!" Kalyssa shouted after them. She then fell to her knees and started to cry into her hands. Alannah stepped into the portal and flicked her wrist before the portal closed.

They the heard the rattling of the puppets surrounding them and they started to arm themselves for battle except for Kalyssa still distraught and Ash still unconscious.

This was about to really go downhill for them....