He put such things out of his mind, he did not have the time to indulge in the luxury of enjoying success he had to press on. He could relish his victory only when it was complete and not before. Only once all the world was his, and that would be soon, would he relax to bask in the glory that was he. He who was so strong and so evil that death could not hold him, who whose own evil was solid enough to bring him to a state of undeath to walk the earth. He realized he was basking in his own greatness again and turned back to the task at hand.
The lone vessel of Keshala walked through the Dessert from the west toward the tower of rock and stone. It stood out among the flat and yellow vast landscape climbing reaching toward the sky with sharp jagged edges. It may have been a natural mountain once, by the looks of it most of it was natural, but built out of the jutting spike was caverns and entrances that made the mountain an imposing tower. The design of which was clearly Draconic and with the lighting bolt carved into the tower from top to bottom along its north face it was clearly the home of a blue. He walked bravely forward waiting.
He made it further than he thought he would for the lightning sworn were heavily distracted with the assault from the east side. He was only a few hundred yards from the tower base when a patrol of scorpion riding men approached surrounding her and screaming at her in the tongue of the dragon. He fell to his knees held up his hands and responded in the same language using the voice of a scared woman, "Please, I'm looking for TeKuz. We've met. He offered me a place among you, I wish to speak with him." They looked to the one man holding a black metal staff which burned at the end with a blue flame. He removed the veil over his face and to show he was Tekuz. He responded, "It seems that it is destiny you join us, for I am here and not hard to be found. When I should be fighting the wolves." Destiny yes, helped by the manipulation of their dreams mistaken as omens.
He kept a cool expression on his face as he spoke to Tekuz while standing, "It is because we worship the same god. The blue flame, the dragon tongue the shared importance of blue. Different names yes but the same god. I've been led here to join and help the lightning sworn in their moment of greatest need. I know we can defeat them together, I know what your enemies are looking for."
Tekuz orderred the men to stand down. He led Darkness into the mountain tower fortress. They entered into what had been chiseled out of the rock to look like a gate. Strange blue flames lit the corridor and the inside expanse. All through the first level was large pools of water which they must have counted on for survival. Though Tekuz led her past all of those to what appeared to be a place of sacredness. It must not have been truly consecrated to any real god for Darkness felt comfortable however he recognized the layout and art as that typically dedicated to a god. They went before an altar painted in blue lightning on which burned a blue flame. He took a Darkness's hands and led him to kneel at that altar. Tekuz then began telling a story, it must have been part of their ritual or history. Darkness found his patience weakening so close to being done, he did not want to here this child dribble on about what was important to these worthless rats that live her. He decided that there maybe something important he could use to manipulate them later so he listened.
"The Dragon gods filled the heaven with their glory and might. Their majesty was undisputed and their right to rule unchallenged. They made elves to serve them from the ash and mud of the burned Greywoods. The first elf they called the greyfoot and appointed him and his posterity chief among the elves forever more. The Greyfoots spoke for the dragons and ensured the loyalty of the elves.
It was a sad fact that elves grew restless and sought to stretch above their station. They had hoped to replace the virtue of loyalty and obedience to the gods with out question with new laws of their own, as if their wisdom could compare to the great Dragon Gods. The Heretic and blasphemer Hyrule attempted to flee the land the Dragons had blessed for the elves and in so doing to escape the duty for which he was created.
The faithful were vigilant and facing the greatest of dangers joined the heretic and brought with them a single egg of the gods. It would grow into a great god that would ever remind them of where their devotions should be paid, and would punish and persecute the unfaithful or bring them to a remembrance of their guilt. Those faithful swore an oath to the lightning god that they and their children to the end of generations would serve the lightning god of blue and execute its will and pleasure.
The heretical elves prospered for a time, but as the wicked always do they fell and destroyed themselves. For when an elf things themselves in no need of the dragon's direction and rely upon their own wisdom they are sure to fall. The ranks of the Dragon sworn grew as the unfaithful were moved to repentance and returned to the god of lightning. It is by the Dragon Gods protection here in his dessert that many generations after the unfaithful were wiped from the earth we stand and continue to strive.
For over 20 generations we have kept to the faith and served the Dragon Gods. Do you Keshala swear to defend the home of the Dragon? To execute his will above your own? To serve as devoted to the lightning that gives us all live? To be one of the faithful on hope of all salvation and rebirth?"
Darkness did his best to sound sincere, "I do."
"Then drink." He handed her a small cup filled with water he took from a porcelain basin behind him. Darkness took the cup and drank. "Now you are sworn to the lightning, you are one of us."
Darkness stood the formalities over, perhaps now they would trust him enough for him to get the staff with out more delay. He said with out hesitation, "They are after a staff, or a piece of a staff. They call it the staff of ruling. It is associated with the heretics you refer to. If we give them the staff they will leave."
Tekuz examined him carefully then spoke, "I know the staff. We can not give them the staff your refer to. It is one of our most holy relics. Come." He said and motioning for him to follow left the sacred space and entered another corridor. The corridor became a large stair case and they climbed it for what must have been several stories. The legs of the vessel ached and burned tired and exhausted already but Tekuz did not slow down so Darkness pushed the vessel past the point where pain would stop a mortal. Tekus spoke as they walked, "The unbelievers were being wiped out by their own pride and division. With out the Dragon Gods to keep them in check squabbling and greed took their toll. On the eve of their destruction an elf named Mervic who was a powerful elf in the unbelievers congregation came to the nest and gave the staff as a tribute to the Dragon God. He said, 'We unfaithful have come to our end. I give you a piece of what was once a symbol of our power and strength now broken as are we. I give it to you to beg for your mercy and forgiveness shall you chose to do so.' " He said as if reciting memorized verse, "The Dragon God chose not to save the unfaithful who did not come and swear their loyalty. Now the staff stands in the horde as the ultimate symbol of the defeat of the heretic and sacred nature of our cause and lives. A reminder to all of us that elf with out dragon will fall to only suffering and death. That no matter how great we may think ourselves it pales in comparison to the greatness of those we serve."
They reached the top of the stairs and entered into a great room that was large enough to fit Darkness's entire palace into. Ceilings that were hundreds of feet high and the diameter of the room must have encompassed the entirety of the mountain tower. Mounds of gold and treasure as large as buildings filled every inch of the floor. The center of the treasure seemed to bend as if it had been molded to a large shape-- no doubt that is where the dragon lay. Then he saw it something worth more to him than all the gold in the room -- The staff of braided wood. It was in a hole carved into the wall with reliefs and paintings surrounding it and magnifying its position. Below it on the floor was a large pile of incense burning. Tekuz spoke and Darkness chose to listen, "You see we can not give them the symbol of everything we are. We by the Dragon Gods mercy and grace will defeat this threat if only we remain faithful there is no need to give them anything. Few are ever allowed into this room and you will not be again, but I felt it important to show you so you would know why we will always believe."
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It was nightfall. Darkness thought he could spend years infiltrate their ranks and then get the staff or since there was little to no guards inside the tower with the battle raging outside he could just walk in and take it. He decided on the later. Manifesting his powers through the vessel he turned the vessel to mist so that it would move up the stairs silently. Once in the treasure room the mist formed into the solid body. Manifesting his powers heavily taxed the vessel as the mortal frame was never meant to posses the powers he wielded so naturally. He could expend her body, it only served a purpose to get the staff anyway. He reached into the shrine to grab the staff.
Lightning crashed across the room causing the vessel's hair to stand on end then he was struck and flew across the room landing on a pile of metal. As gold coins rolled down over the body dislodged by the impact he looked for his opponent. He saw one come across an opening and sent a lightning bolt of his own. Channeling it through the vessel caused the bodies mouth to begin bleeding. A stone pelted his head knocking him off of his feat, before they were on him he leaped to the wall and began to spider climb up to get a better vantage point. An arrow struck his leg but he forced the vessel past the pain. When lightning struck the wall above him causing him to fall twenty feet he turned to mist avoiding the damage of the fall. It was the magic of some mage cast burning hands which began to dry the mist and forced him to take solid form again.
He rolled behind another pile of treasure and lay in wait for his prey. One of the lightning sword come around the corner and he struck, grabbing him by the throat and channeling his power lifted the man off the ground, "I AM THE LORD OF ALL. I AM DARKNESS HOW DARE YOU OPPOSE ME. COWER BEFORE THE MIGHT OF." The vessel gave out overly taxed by the channeling of god like abilities Darkness possessed.
The vessel awoke hang upside down ankles changed to the ceiling and arms bound. He screamed out to the shadows, "HOW DARE YOU? YOU HAVE ANGERED POWERS YOU CAN NOT UNDERSTAND, YOU WILL LOSE MORE THAN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR SOUL FOR OPPOSING ME. I AM DARKNESS."
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