Gathering Storm

"How many heroes are left in the Royal Palace?" Tigreal asks one of the soldiers in his command. "Where's Odette? What about Pharsa?"

"Odette is in the Southern palace, General." The soldier replies. "And Pharsa is nowhere to be found... still hunting that blood witch, I presume."

Tigreal nods. "Do you have any idea as to who are available at the moment?"

The soldier thinks about his answer for a minute, then straightens his shirt. "There's a village somewhere near here, my lord, Iga... who has someone who can help us. They call him the Shadow."

"Who is this... Shadow of Iga?" Tigreal asks.

"Hayabusa... I think... was his name." The soldier replies.

"Send a letter to this Hayabusa at once. Tell him that we need his help." Tigreal instructs the soldier. 

The soldier salutes and goes off to perform his duty. Tigreal just stands by the balcony and inhaled the sweet, fresh air of the palace.

Thousands of thoughts race through his head, eventually of Zilong, his "brother-in-arms".

"No... I can't.." he thinks. "He may be the Dragonborne, but he's still too young... 15 years of age even..."

There was a possibility that he'd become a hero of light, however that possibility is impossible now.

"I have already lost a brother during the great war... I can't lose him too."

While all these things made Tigreal worry, a bright light flashed across the balcony. It was coming from the heavens.

Tigreal tried to protect his eyes using his hands, to no effect. This was surely from the Lord of light.

And as he focused through the light, he could make out an angelic figure, in the form of an orb, trying to communicate with him.

"Tigreal... Tigreal..." the voice calls out.

Tigreal eventually knelt and covered his head. "Speak, lord... for your servant is listening..."

"The time of darkness falls upon the land once again. The enemy, the lord of the abyss, grows in power, his minions alongside him.." the voice says. "Assemble a league of warriors and slay the Lord of War in the woodlands... and attack through the abyssal wastelands."

"You know I can't do that... my lord..." Tigreal replies. "Moskov has started a split, and pretty soon your kingdom will be plunged into civil war... we need all the help we can get, and so we cannot attack the abyss just yet..."

"Hear ye, Tigreal, Warrior of Light." The voice calls out to him."10 years shall pass, and 10 years you shall fight the separatists. However, if those 10 years pass without any progress on the abyss... the enemy will come and destroy you all. You and the rebels."

"What do you suppose we do to even all of these out?" He asks.

"The Dragonborne shall grow in power and slay the Witch, pushing the Lord of the Abyss back." The voice explains.

"You need only help him."

Tigreal was startled when one of the Captains of the Royal Guard patted him in the back. "Is everything alright, General?"

Tigreal pauses for a bit before nodding as an answer. "Damn it Claude, you scared me half to death. What is it?"

"Vexana the Necromancer of darkness has been captured by the High Priests." Captain Claude Swordmane reported. "What shall we do with her?"

"We need her for information of the enemy." Tigreal replies. "Estes told me that Moskov and Vexana were apparently working on some project involving the dark arts. We need to put a stop to it."

"And once it is all over..." Tigreal says, looking up towards the sky once more.

"We shall finish the Great War once and for all."

_________________________________________

Roger Woodsman's POV

I remember it clearly...

It was a cold and lonely night out there in our ranch. Mama was cooking dinner while carrying my 2-month old baby sister, and Papa was reading his favourite book. I myself was sitting by the fire, warming myself.

We were poor. Mama was a laundry woman while Papa was a hunter. Mama would get us clothes to wear while Papa got us food to eat every night.

We were poor... but we were happy.

Happy... until that cold and dark night.

We could here the cattle being ripped into pieces. Those damn wolves again.

Papa grabbed his favourite hunting rifle, all the while telling my mother to protect me and my sister. My mother nodded and grabbed the knife.

My father smiles at one last time before going outside.

...

Nothing...

...

Not more than 5 minutes later, 3 shots were fired, followed by intense screaming. It wasn't the wolves... it was my papa.

My mama shivered as she grabs me and heads over towards the backdoor, eager for escape... but as she opens the door, a huge... a demon... the biggest wolf I have ever seen... blocks our way of escape. My mama stabs his eye, which sends him back a few meters... but that didn't stop him. It only made him more angry. He lunges at mama, who was carrying my younger sister. I was thrown by the impact it made, over towards the back side of the door. Coincidentally, a towel falls over my face, covering me from that horrible sight.

I thought I was going to die. The huge beast scans the room and spots me, but instead of attacking me, he just lets out a huge growl before spitting out the knife my mama had carried. He then leaves the room, leaving me shivering and alone.

...

That was 21 years ago. 

Ever since then, I have hunted for that beast. Carrying my father's favorite hunting rifle, I scavenged the entire Megalith wasteland for his capture... to no avail. I never forgot that night, even after I got married. My wife couldn't bear a child, however we did have a dog... and so that was enough to keep us company. I still wished that there was some way I could make my wife happier... however I would place that as my number one priority after I have dealt with the beast.

My wife would beg for me to stop looking for the creature... but I was determined. I still had his shiny, white tooth, the one my father's cold hand had gripped so tightly. Ever since then, I had hunted for "White Tooth", the old wolf king that hunts the Megalith Wastelands... leading a pack of about a hundred wolves, with none who were ever like him.

I encounter the pack one or two times, however not once have I seen White Tooth (except for that night). Was he dead? Did old age finally take him?

I think about those questions every time I finished praying to the most High before I went to bed. But because I had no proof... no certainty that he was dead... there was still a high possibility that he would be alive.

That morning, I packed up my things, kissed my wife goodbye, and went towards the villages who suffered the most attacks from the great wolf. I asked some questions to the families of the victims of his hunts, and I managed to get certain facts out of them.

It was said that White Tooth was cursed with the power of a hundred demons, living as an immortal ever since he had killed several servants of the great deceiver. The poor farmers pointed out the ways in which his pack had followed and some even volunteered to join me in my hunt.

However, it was always known that White Tooth's pack never attacks groups, only lonely wanderers and sheep, and so I denied their request. 21 years I have trained for this moment. 21 years of bitter hatred.

At about 12'o clock, I was travelling a certain path that the townspeople had sworn they saw White Tooth's pack went off to. It seems that they only traveled at night, not staying at one place for very long.. and with their numbers as an addition, it was almost impossible to slay them, much less their king. However I didn't let that get me down. Hunting White Tooth was the only thing that kept me going all throughout these years. I would not give up this easily.

"Hey mister!" I could hear the sound of a 5-year old girl call out. "What'chu doing?"

I touched the footprints that I found over at the ground one more time before standing up, facing that harmless little girl. "What are you doing here? It's not safe..."

"My daddy says that it's safe." The child obliviously says. "He's the sheriff!"

"That's nice." I told her. "Go back to your daddy now."

The child looked over at the ground at the ground, pouting. "He's ... he's too busy. "

I took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. This little girl shouldn't be left alone like this with creatures such as White Tooth running along... and the only way I can feel at ease now is to take this sweet child to her father. And besides, if anybody knew these parts it's gotta be either the Mayor or the Sheriff.

"Alright, take me to your father." I said, packing up my papa's favorite rifle. "He's the sheriff, right? I want to have a word with him."

She looks at me with those innocent eyes which reminded me of someone I knew a few years ago. "What will you tell him?"

"I would like to advise him to take care of you more." I told her not even mentioning White Tooth, walking softly towards the road. "Let's go?"

"Mmhmm!" The girl finally lits up with joy.

I smiled, trailing the little girl as she gleefully skips down the road. She resembled my sister... wherever she might be right now.