Catch a Dragon By the Tail (WHC Match vs. D. Hastings)
Aug 27, 2021 1:19:51 GMT -5
Duncan Ryder and Rogan MacLean like this
Post by wwjbcd on Aug 27, 2021 1:19:51 GMT -5
Hide Yamatora (山虎) slept poorly last night. The nightmares were returning to him as they often did at this time of year. The nights gradually grew longer, the days colder, and the memories - both good and bad - stronger. Now, the darkness never bothered Hide, and neither did the cold, but the unbearable memories were like eternal darkness, unearthly cold.
It had been countless years since his abode was destroyed by the monstrous ruler of The Unified Coalition of Terragymnas. Dorogan Hastings. The Dark Dragon Lord himself. Wielder of the magical artifact Varéon Varón, whose power influences the very world itself. Many have tried to wrest its power away from its owner, but the artifact too tries to wrest control over its owner. It can corrupt. It can even corrupt those whose covetousness reaches a certain point.
For Dorogan Hastings, the latter had occurred. Utilizing underhanded tactics, he even betrayed his own kingdom simply because it suited his machinations. Even before the Varéon Varón came into his possession anew, his greed, his unhealthy desire, it ate away at him, and he found his plans becoming more and more depraved, until the day he felled another blaggard in the form of The Chimera King.
Now, the evil forces lurking within the Varéon Varón had been purged by a former holder of the artifact, our hero Hide Yamatora. Through an intense and extensive ritual, the demons were expelled from the mighty belt, and when the time came, its power safely landed in the lap of The Sky Queen. Her reign too was benevolent, and Terragymnas could heal once more. Its citizens could breathe collective sighs of relief.
But then The Sky Queen’s path was crossed by the dishonourable Chimera King, and while the monster’s regal face appeared inviting, its stinger was busy teaching the young ruler a cruel lesson; those who trust too implicitly fall. A lesson for The Sky Queen, but a self-fulfilling prophecy for The Chimera King.
Dorogan had ruled for so much time and influenced events that occurred before he became privy to them due to one of the Varéon Varón’s many impressive powers, which caused Time itself to fracture and reform, fracture and reform.
In the new timeline, Dorogan threw his weight around as he showed off to his spawn and contemporaries, by levelling the mountain that housed his den. Hide was fortunate enough to survive, but his tigress and cub were not so lucky. The helpless frustration and misery Hide felt drove him mad. He wandered the forests aimlessly, picking fights with greater creatures than he, in the hopes he either became stronger by beating them… or succumbing to their might and rejoining with tigress and cub.
But Hide just kept beating foe after foe. His muscles grew, his claws became harder and sharper, he became quicker and more agile. His legend grew. The great tiger that stood above all other tigers, forever doomed to stalk the plains and swamps and savannas. All became in awe of his uncontestable might, but little did they realize that Hide simply had a deathwish.
There was a point where Hide had reached his peak and became unstoppable. Strangely enough, once that peak had been achieved, he immediately experienced his nadir. Loss after loss. More and more wounds scarred his torso. The sinister creatures that roamed Terragymnas, The Lord himself, the aforementioned Chimera, his consort The Harpy Queen, and their allies The Dark Man and The Wild Child, as well as The Propaganda Toad, Troglodyte Pierce, all took turns mocking and ridiculing the erstwhile wielder of the power of the Varéon Varón.
Hide, unwilling to use the Varéon Varón for sinister purposes, could not use it to its full potential. Even with his desire to be reunited with tigress and cub, he could not construct the words to bring them back without fail or flaw. His thinking too much was a slight against him. His choice of allies, a slight against him. His recklessness and benevolence and basically everything about him was used as a slight against him.
All he knew is, he needed to stop making this about him. Wallowing in self-pity, pining for a future that he cannot have, deliberately sabotaging himself. Indeed, he had all the skill and endurance to withstand any conflict, but he required guidance in order to direct that force in the right direction, at the right time.
One day, Hide’s roaming took him to a small village on the outskirts of the veldt. It was an odd place for a village to be located; Hide in fact was certain this place didn’t exist the last time he passed through. And yet, before him was a village bustling with activity; fishmongers selling their wares, lumberjacks returning with lumber for fireplaces, and various hawkers of bone jewelry, clay pottery… and a strange hut with a sign that read:
This intrigued Hide, who found himself drawn towards the hut. However, before he could take even three steps, something grabbed a hold of his shoulder. He jumped away from whatever touched him, letting out an echoing growl. What appeared to be an octopus in a heavy cloak edged away, holding up its tentacles in peace.
“Ah, truly sorry to have startled you, friend, but I see you have some interest in what lies beyond the doors of that particular hut.”
“And?” Hide snarled, “What’s it to you?”
“Well, I suppose it’s nothing to me per se,” the stranger began, but then hesitated, “It’s… just… The Dom Magus of Halfrond is a strange one among his own kind. You of course know of the Dom Magi, a coven of the most powerful wielders of the Dark Arts. But lo, here Johnathan Starmaker resides, away from his brethren, in a place where his talents stagnate.”
“Get to the point.” Hide demanded.
“The POINT,” the stranger replied, “Is that he’s… mad.”
“He’s mad?” Hide repeated, “And says who? You?”
“Aye, says me indeed!” the stranger retorted gleefully. “He has resorted to wasting away his skills with the everyday needs of Halfrond.”
“And this” Hide said as he motioned all around him with his large heavyset head, “Is Halfrond?”
The stranger scoffed as he crossed several of his tentacles. “Of course.”
“And yet, where was this city several months ago?” Hide asked with an air of skepticism.
“Oh.” the stranger said knowingly. “Here and there.”
Hide’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t appreciate your coyness.”
Sensing he was losing the grand tiger, the stranger let out a sigh of defeat. “Halfrond comes and goes with the winds. It keeps us safe. There, happy now?”
“I see.” Hide said, somewhat unconvinced. “And about this Dom Magus?”
“Right. So. Johnathan Starmaker is no one to make any deals with. He’s… OCCASIONALLY useful, yes; it’s thanks to his interspace-obfuscations we can go from here to there. Beyond that, he’s only useful for igniting furnaces, purifying water, oh, and accidentally luring dangerous creatures into the square.”
Hide paused, trying to understand that last thing. “I find that hard to be of any use to anyone. I suppose if your hunters were at the ready, you’d have enough meat to feed the village.”
The stranger laughed, only it seemed more mocking than in admiration for the tiger’s pragmatic response. This sound irritated Hide, and he let loose a roar to express that irritation. The stranger jumped back, trembling in fear of the great beast that stood before him.
“Settle down, settle down!” the stranger shrieked. “I merely find your theory naive, considering who we’re speaking about. But nevermind, all I’m suggesting to you is to avoid Johnathan Starmaker at all costs. Hitching yourself to his wagon can only lead to disaster!”
Hide backed down, partly turning away from the stranger. “I’ll keep your words in mind, thank you.”
He then continued on his way, not bothering to see where the stranger would end up. Hide knew to take any rumours with a grain of salt; there were precious few in this world who were not precious at all, but everyone else had to basically be good people. Still, he gave the hut a wide berth. He toured what little remained of the village of Halfrond, and nothing really stood out to him. It seemed like every household served a second function as a fisherman, logger, hunter, seamstress, cook, etc etc. Economically sound, having one’s business also be one’s home.
Every so often, Hide would find his eyes drawn to that one unexplored hut, but the stranger’s words echoed in his memories. After a while filled with many gazes in that same direction, he decided to ignore the stranger’s words and he entered the establishment. Inside were talismans, crystal balls, wands, wards, runes, a red humanoid-sized box with a door on it, you name it, they could be found here… in the middle of nowhere… where most if not all these items would be of no use to the average worker.
“I thought I told you to stay away.” said a voice from behind Hide. This startled the great beast to an incredible degree; how was one able to sneak up on him and get so close? His senses were otherworldly.
When Hide turned around, which took less than half a second, he was once more in the presence of the stranger from earlier. “Are you following me?!”
The stranger laughed, “Not quite. For you see, I am The Dom Magus of Halfrond.”
Hide raised an eyebrow, “You? You are Johnathan Starmaker?”
The alleged Starmaker threw off his cloak, “One and the same!”
Besides now appearing as a not-so-common Illithid, Starmaker also bore an unusual trait: two bulbous protrusions from his head. Hide was caught eyeing them.
“And to answer your question,” Starmaker said without waiting for one. “I have been bestowed with the gift of Two Minds. My powers related to the Psionic Plane are augmented to an unheard of degree! Hence why I could even get the jump on one such as YOU!”
“But I don’t understand.” Hide replied, “You go out of your way to warn strangers that you yourself are mad and bordering on useless?”
“Well, SOMEONE needs to bring up my reputation!” Starmaker exclaimed. “But that notwithstanding, what do you call THESE items?”
He pointed at all his wares. Hide stepped up to some to read their labels: “Dagger of Water Dowsing?”
“A strong short-ranged weapon,” Starmaker began, “That can also manifest water when plunged into the ground…”
“Seems useful to me.” Hide said.
“...of a desert.” Starmaker finished. “And the nearest desert is ruled by The Chimera King.”
“I see.” was all Hide could say before he moved onto the next item: “A Wand of Tremors?”
“We reside on a fault line.” Starmaker explained. “Using this here would consume all of Halfrond!”
“Right.” was all Hide could say before he moved on to yet another item: “A Candle of Winds?”
Starmaker sighed, “Well, you see, this candle can summon forth winds of virtually limitless potential… But anything stronger than a human’s breath will blow it out.
“That seems pointless then.” Hide frowned.
“Yes!” Starmaker shouted with excitement. “But think about the POTENTIAL!!”
“And another thing,” Hide said, “Your sign says something about you governing a power without form?”
Starmaker narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Yes?”
“And yet, you sell all these forms of power.” Hide said with a hint of irritation caused by the Illithid’s perceived ignorance.
Starmaker nodded, “Indeed, that is true. You’ve got me.”
Hide looked on at the strange creature with confusion, “So then…?”
“Oh, these items are all well and good, in the right hands,” Starmaker said as he waved a tentacle across the full assortment of goods against his walls. “But what I do, what I TRULY do, is be able to impart into one, a power that cannot be contained in ANY mere object, save a living vessel!”
Hide rested his hindquarters down and emitted a soft, barely audible growl. He never took his eyes off the braggadocious Illithid, simply tried reading him, examining his body language, smelling his strange musk. It was difficult to get any idea on Starmaker’s true intentions due to his almost alien biology.
“I have a difficult time believing it would behoove anyone accepting your power within them.” he finally replied.
Starmaker’s eyes widened, and a tentacle squirmed its way to rest across his heart. “I am a Dom Magus! I am of a bloodline whose penchant for extraplanar manipulations is beyond compare! Why, it would be an, an HONOUR for someone to accept my Dark Gift!”
“You say your talents are beyond compare, but why then, if that all is truly so, would you and the other Dom Magi allow Dorogan Hastings to rule over Terragymnas?” Hide growled. Those who abused their power were definitely not to be trusted. It didn’t help that there was something about this member of the Dom Magi that merely added to that distrust.
Starmaker shook his overly bulbous head. “It doesn’t work that way, kitty! Those that attempt to thwart the balance between good and evil get torn asunder! Our powers are such that we would have to divide our efforts, one-half of us siding with The Dark Dragon Lord, the other half aligning with The Koutatsu (光竜).”
The only true being capable of swaying the odds in the favour of all life in Terragymnas was another dragon, Kiseragi, the Koutatsu, or Light Dragon. He resides in a vast cave known for attracting only the most dedicated and bravest of warriors. They come to Kiseragi to unlock their full potential, only the trials that await such warriors are deadly to such a degree that many concede… or perish.
“And yet, the great Kiseragi can bestow upon one things the Dom Magi cannot.” Hide added. “So why would he desire your allegiance?”
“He wouldn’t!” Starmaker immediately responded. “And Dorogan is FAR too petty to make working for in any way enjoyable.”
“Then, I suppose I should go.” Hide said, stretching out the entirety of his long striped torso before rising fully to his paws.
As he saw Hide begin to walk off, he extended a tentacle. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“It’s apparent that if I am to vanquish the tyrant ruler of our world that I ought to seek out Kiseragi.” Hide replied. “I have no need for your charms and talismans.”
“Ah!” Starmaker said as he quickly scurried in front of his door, blocking Hide’s movement. “But surely you’re aware of The Koutatsu’s arduous tasks!”
“I am,” Hide responded, trying to figure a way around the Illithid without needing to resort to harming him. “And no reward is without its hard work.”
Starmaker scoffed, “Yes yes yes, I get it, but, what if I were to tell you that enchanting you with my power would give you a much-needed edge?”
“I would say I ought to take my chances without it.” Hide replied. “Now kindly step aside.”
Hide tried nudging his way past the Dom Magus.
“Wait! Wait wait wait!” Starmaker shrieked. Hide stopped moving, but has clearly grown impatient. “Listen, we, The Dom Magi, BENEFIT from The Dark Dragon Lord falling! So why not accept my Dark Gift? It’s on the house even!”
Hide appeared hesitant, and rightfully so. While The Dom Magi tend to be straightforward, this one, intentionally or not, somehow exuded an unexplainable aura of distrust. It went beyond body language, beyond any odors or pheromones. Just how this creature spoke was cause for some semblance of concern. But still…
“How can I be so sure your power won’t control me instead of the other way around?” Hide asked. “How can I know you won’t come for a fee later?”
Starmaker chuckled, “I can respect a healthy level of caution in a mortal! But it’s like I already said: we collectively benefit from deposing Hastings! And seeing as we are forbidden to take DIRECT action against him, this is the perfect compromise, don’t you think? You want him taken down, WE want him taken down, EVERYONE wants him taken down!!”
Hide appeared to actually be thinking it over. The Illithid looked on expectantly at the mighty beast, trying to hide his look of impending excitement.
“I must consider the end game.” Hide muttered to himself. “I… accept your offer, Starmaker!”
“Great!” the Illithid exclaimed as he clasped his tentacles together. He then cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Ah, I mean, great. Yes. Wise choice. I shall imbue you with enough force to both make it to the cave AND survive Kiseragi’s trials!”
Hide looked on with a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe just the treks there and back.” Starmaker admitted.
Hide said nothing.
“Okay, maybe just the trek there?” Starmaker said unconvincingly.
Hide was about to say something, but Starmaker interrupted, “Stop, just stop! You’re making me feel insecure! My powers have not really been tested on mortal vessels, but so long as you have faith in yourself and press your advantages, you’ll find yourself stronger, tougher, faster, more agile, and your senses will be augmented! Oh! And if you’re lucky, you may even cheat death. Once. Once you’ll cheat death.”
“Really?” Hide asked.
“Sure, why not?” The Illithid said so matter-of-factly that the veracity of his words was difficult to confirm.
“All right, enough. I’ll take whatever edges I can accrue.” Hide said, almost begrudgingly.
Starmaker grinned. “Then, you can be on your merry old way!”
Confused, Hide retorted, “Are you not going to work your magic?”
Starmaker laughed, “I already have!”
Hide once more looked on skeptically.
“What? Did you expect some flashy show? That’s all reserved for plays and exhibitions! Now go! The sooner you leave, the sooner you can vanquish Dorogan!”
“Hmph.” Hide said as he slinked on past the strange creature.
“Oh, ah, ONE more thing!” Starmaker said. Hide stopped dead in his tracks and shut his eyes, knowing it wasn’t going to be this easy to garner the favour of a Dom Magi.
“There is… ONE thing you could do for me.” Starmaker said.
Hide sighed, “I knew it.”
“Oh, no no no!” Starmaker tried assuaging the tiger. “It’s nothing major! Minor, really! Barely worth bringing up.”
“Then don’t.” Hide retorted and tried leaving again.
“Ah!” Starmaker called out. “But if you happened to, oh, say, actually SLAY The Dark Dragon Lord, then, ahhhhhhhh……. care to bring me his head?”
The disturbing request gave Hide pause. He then proceeded to exit the hut. “I’ll think about it.”
He then fully exited the Dom Magus’ hut.
Starmaker chuckled, “He’ll think about it!”
Hide Yamatora’s travels to the Koutatsu’s Cave were quite eventful: Passing back through the veldt, he came across The Carnagers, a seemingly endless supply of mercenaries who feast on the thrill of combat, scavengers who do whatever it takes to survive the cruel world pieced together by Dorogan. They paid Hide no mind, though did warn him of consorting with any dual-domed Illithids.
Carefully traipsing around the wastelands, Hide made himself scarce so as to not stir the Cosmic Deadheads, creatures with ever-shifting forms that tamper with the sanity of those who get too close. Simply being in their realm affected his mind.
While wading through the Swamps of Destruction, he ran afoul of their keeper, The Pitch-Black Annihilator, and though he bellowed many threats, Hide didn’t even need to lay a finger on him; the Annihilator did himself in, tripping into the deepest part of his own abode and drowning.
In the next city he came across, Savagonia, many interesting adventurers could be found, including a pair of temporal mechanics, a masked peasant hero, a bard who dabbled in illusory magicks, a veteran warrior of 100 battles, and the wealthy barbarian ruler and his consultant, a quick-witted Naga from a long lineage of royal Nagas.
It was here where Hide came across another Dom Magus, Frixos Phobos, who made himself known to the mighty tiger when he sensed Starmaker’s mark upon him. While he seemed even less trustworthy than the Illithid, the Rakshasa Phobos still managed to convince Hide that he could use his portal in the back room to speak directly to the Seraphim Triumvirate.
The Seraphim Triumvirate, much like The Dom Magi, were sworn to not interfere in mortal matters, so the suggestion to go visit them seemed odd, much less beneficial to the opportunistic Phobos. Regardless of his true intentions, Hide, feeling a sort of kindred spirit between the feline humanoid, acquiesced.
In this other world, one away from Terragymnas, he immediately came across three colossal figures: Seraph Du Mournicus, a slender being whose beauty alone could slaughter an army of 1000 men, Conja Raabius, a venerable creature swarming with cherubim, and the only male among the trio, and finally Vaughnemous Maximus the youngest of the three, slightly taller than the others and with a warm look that instantly put Hide’s mind at ease. Each imparted the tiger with a piece of advice:
Du Mournicus: “Trust only demons you can slay.”
Raabius: “Forge your wrath into a weapon.”
Maximus: “Do not leave your peppers unattended.”
This last thing truly confused Hide, but before he could ask the tallest one to elaborate, they had waved him off and back down to earth. Phobos confronted Hide right away, “Well? What did they say? What did they tell you?”
Hide’s mind swam, filled with wisdom it barely had the capacity for. “Uh, many things, one of which perplexes me: what does ‘Do not leave your peppers unattended’ mean?”
Phobos was intrigued by this question, but spoke to Hide no further, instead, he quickly flitted to his writing desk, madly scribing upon his papyrus. As he would find no further help here, he departed the Dom Magus’ abode. Later he would find out that only those with a good heart can gain access to the Otherworldly Sanctuary, and Phobos merely considered the portal’s efficacy theoretical until the day he came upon Hide.
Finally, the day had come: Hide had reached The Koutatsu’s Cave. The way in was unimpeded. This only made Hide more cautious, as he slinked on in, keeping to the shadows. He kept deadly still as several adventurers walked past, exiting Kiseragi’s lair. Some looked dejected, others worn out, others still irritated to no end.
“Fewer warriors to wait around for.” Hide thought to himself.
Eventually, a trail of riches of all sorts led to the inner sanctum of the legendary Dragon of Light himself. Hide looked on at the dragon, whose scales shimmered in all the colours of the rainbow. Though it wasn’t Kiseragi’s image or presence that was most impressive, rather, how he sat surrounded by several adventurers and… appeared to be teaching them? But didn’t he just give those who came to him tasks to perform and perhaps return to him with a symbol of their courage?
The class seemingly already over, Kiseragi’s students departed. Hide remained still, just watching, just taking in the countenance of The Koutatsu.
“There’s no need to hide, small one.” Kiseragi stated, his voice echoing throughout the cave. “I know you are there.”
This surprised Hide; he was not used to being detected when he didn’t want to be. Moments later, he emerged from the darkness. Kiseragi chuckled. “Such brazen insolence is usually reserved for humans, but nevermind, I sense in you traces of the Dark Arts.”
This caused Hide to stop breathing; was he tricked by Starmaker after all?
“But,” Kiseragi continued, “I also sense a strong desire to achieve an impossible task.”
Hide nodded.
“What you desire to accomplish was barely done by myself; what chance do you feel you would have against The Dark Dragon Lord?” Kiesragi’s words seemed blunt, but no malice could be found in them.
“I… desire justice.” was all Hide could blurt out.
Kiseragi’s head moved downwards to get a closer look at the great tiger, yet he said nothing.
“...Revenge.” Hide said truthfully. “I desire revenge.”
Kiseragi shook his head, “Revenge? Are you sure you are not a human in tiger’s clothing? Revenge is a never-ending path that only leads to eternal unrest.”
“Dorogan Hastings took everything from me: my home, my tigress, my cub.” Hide's voice trembled ever so slightly. “I have not known rest since that day anyway.”
Kiseragi was taken aback by the beast’s vulnerability. “I am sorry to hear that. I suppose we could say… you wish to depose a despot? Allow those whose spirits scream out for peace to finally rest? What would you prefer?”
Hide thought about this for some time, then responded, “One will lead to the other. I’m just here to do what you ask of me so I can survive long enough to deal the killing blow. Even if I die after the fact, so be it.”
“There is no need to take things that far.” Kiseragi scolded the tiger. “Now, that is not to say there is no chance of your demise, but we can see about… limiting that possibility.”
The Koutatsu stood at his full height, arms crossed, as he looked down at Hide. “Return to Savagonia; bring me back a symbol of proof.”
Hide was confused anew, “Anything?”
“So long as it can be confirmed you received it in and from there, then yes.” Kiseragi replied. “Now go; the longer you dawdle, the more time Dorogan has to accumulate even more power!”
Hide nodded, then bolted for the outside.
Later, back at Savagonia, Hide looked around for something that would prove he was here. Nevermind The Koutatsu’s seeming omniscience; this was clearly more a symbolic journey than anything. Though this did seem a tad… easy… for a task that was to grant Hide the Blessing of the Light Dragon.
As he passed by one home in particular, he spotted an old woman placing a steaming hot and sizzling steak on her windowsill to cool off. Granted, normally one would place a pie here, but who’s telling this story, you, or me? Anyway, the aroma emanating from this thick cut of perfectly marbled wonder was too much for the starving tiger to handle; he justified pilfering it - and subsequently consuming it - as a necessary act of survival.
That, or the Dark Gift was already screwing with his moral compass. Either way, it was a delicious treat, but now back to the matter at hand.
It was soon after the ill-gotten steak reappropriation that Hide sniffed some smoke. Now, to those with average senses, one may conclude it was merely wood stoves cooking dinner, but to Hide, something was not right with this particular smell. A short while later, panicked voices filled the square: a widow’s home was quickly becoming engulfed with flames. The Barbarian King’s fire-fighters were on their way, and it was stated that everybody inside was accounted for.
Curious, Hide made his way to the growing inferno. Armed with the knowledge nobody was harmed, the citizens simply tried consoling the widow. However, something felt off; if everyone within that home had been accounted for, why could he sense another presence still inside?
As all attention was on the widow and her two children… wait… she has three children! Hide hears someone say one of the children sped back inside to retrieve a stuffed toy! But now the flames were too intense! The child was doomed!
But without any further hesitation, Hide sprang into action, springing above the crowd, crashing straight through several panes of glass. The adrenaline, already coursing through his body, disallowed him to realize much of the glass stuck into him. Looking around, he didn’t find a child on this floor. Traversing the second floor would be a challenge; the flames occupied the stairs, yet Hide knew the pain of losing a cub, and defied the fire’s wrath. Quickly sprinting upstairs, he wasted no movements, headbutting in any doors he came across… until he found a small child cowering in a corner, tightly clutching onto a stuffed toy dog. Ablazed support beams had fallen and made escape through the door impossible for such a tiny creature. Hide ducked under the beams, and with tremendous might, hoisted the beams upon his shoulders and reared back. There was more space to maneuver around now, but the exit became blocked by the beams! Time running out, Hide acted fast; he gently scooped the child and his prized possession into his jaws, and pounced out of another closed window, thankfully gracefully landing safely. He carefully dropped the child onto the ground, who was immediately reunited with his hysteric mother.
As Hide stood there in an attempt to catch his breath, he eventually took notice of the citizens looking in awe of his daring feats. Hide himself was covered in bits of broken glass, and his fur was smouldering. Once he felt well enough, he went on his way, not uttering a word, not answering any questions. He thought, this was it. This had to be it. And armed with that knowledge, he left Savagonia again.
Later, Hide has just arrived back to the inner sanctum of the Koutatsu… only to be met with not only Kiseragi himself, but also Johnathan Starmaker!
Kiesragi turned to look at the Illithid. “You see? He has indeed returned.”
“Yes, yes! I see that!” Starmaker said, unable to hide his amazement.
“What is the meaning of this?” Hide growled.
“You’re so dramatic!” Starmaker said before turning to address The Koutatsu. “He’s so dramatic. I’m merely here to see how far you actually got! And I must say, I am NOT disappointed! You did whatever it took to return here with a symbol of courage!”
Hide’s eyes narrowed, “I didn’t rescue that child merely to complete the task! It was the right thing to do!”
Starmaker backed off, “Hey, hey! If you say so! Nevertheless, you are here, and I’m SURE this was what Kiseragi wanted!”
“Kindly do not speak for me.” Kiseragi said.
“LOOK at him!” the Illithid exclaimed as he pointed at the burning and bloodied beast. “If travelling all this way, stuck with - broken glass is it? And his fur SMOKING; if this isn’t the picture-perfect definition of your selfless heroics mumbo-jumbo, then I don’t know what is!”
“ENOUGH!” The Koutatsu roared. The echo caused by his raised voice lasted for 30 seconds at least. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Whether he knew this was the trial or he did not, he did indeed go through with it, rescuing a child he had no connection to, and at great expense to his well-being.”
Hide remained stoic, but Starmaker’s grin grew larger albeit slowly and cautiously. “So you’re saying…?”
Kiseragi nodded knowingly.
Starmaker excitedly jogged on over to Hide. “Now, you listen to Kiseragi, understand? It is only with his insight that you shall emerge victorious!”
This confused Hide. “But… what about your Dark Gift? With it, I tirelessly traversed the lands! I survived a burning house! I even gained audience with the angels themselves!”
“Psh!” Starmaker responded as he rolled his eyes, “I gave you no such gift.”
Hide’s eyes widened, “But you said-”
“It was of more value to you to have you BELIEVE you were made greater,” Starmaker began, “But of GREATER value to me to CONSERVE my powers!”
“I don’t understand.” was all Hide could say.
“As sickeningly cliché as it is, the power was within you all along!” Starmaker replied. “You won’t be able to beat Dorogan Hastings with tricks; but what Kiseragi has to impart to you is no trick! A healthy belief in one’s ability, compounded with KNOWLEDGE, THOSE will be your TRUE weapons!”
Hide looked at The Koutatsu, and the mighty dragon nodded.
“Now, the true trial can commence.”
An image of a colossal dark dragon, countless times larger than even Kiseragi, towered over mountains and eclipsed the sun itself. Standing across from him, a tiger stood his ground, forged with glass and fire, unyielding, unafraid. Ready to climb this mountain. Ready to break this curse plaguing Terragymnas.
It had been countless years since his abode was destroyed by the monstrous ruler of The Unified Coalition of Terragymnas. Dorogan Hastings. The Dark Dragon Lord himself. Wielder of the magical artifact Varéon Varón, whose power influences the very world itself. Many have tried to wrest its power away from its owner, but the artifact too tries to wrest control over its owner. It can corrupt. It can even corrupt those whose covetousness reaches a certain point.
For Dorogan Hastings, the latter had occurred. Utilizing underhanded tactics, he even betrayed his own kingdom simply because it suited his machinations. Even before the Varéon Varón came into his possession anew, his greed, his unhealthy desire, it ate away at him, and he found his plans becoming more and more depraved, until the day he felled another blaggard in the form of The Chimera King.
Now, the evil forces lurking within the Varéon Varón had been purged by a former holder of the artifact, our hero Hide Yamatora. Through an intense and extensive ritual, the demons were expelled from the mighty belt, and when the time came, its power safely landed in the lap of The Sky Queen. Her reign too was benevolent, and Terragymnas could heal once more. Its citizens could breathe collective sighs of relief.
But then The Sky Queen’s path was crossed by the dishonourable Chimera King, and while the monster’s regal face appeared inviting, its stinger was busy teaching the young ruler a cruel lesson; those who trust too implicitly fall. A lesson for The Sky Queen, but a self-fulfilling prophecy for The Chimera King.
Dorogan had ruled for so much time and influenced events that occurred before he became privy to them due to one of the Varéon Varón’s many impressive powers, which caused Time itself to fracture and reform, fracture and reform.
In the new timeline, Dorogan threw his weight around as he showed off to his spawn and contemporaries, by levelling the mountain that housed his den. Hide was fortunate enough to survive, but his tigress and cub were not so lucky. The helpless frustration and misery Hide felt drove him mad. He wandered the forests aimlessly, picking fights with greater creatures than he, in the hopes he either became stronger by beating them… or succumbing to their might and rejoining with tigress and cub.
But Hide just kept beating foe after foe. His muscles grew, his claws became harder and sharper, he became quicker and more agile. His legend grew. The great tiger that stood above all other tigers, forever doomed to stalk the plains and swamps and savannas. All became in awe of his uncontestable might, but little did they realize that Hide simply had a deathwish.
There was a point where Hide had reached his peak and became unstoppable. Strangely enough, once that peak had been achieved, he immediately experienced his nadir. Loss after loss. More and more wounds scarred his torso. The sinister creatures that roamed Terragymnas, The Lord himself, the aforementioned Chimera, his consort The Harpy Queen, and their allies The Dark Man and The Wild Child, as well as The Propaganda Toad, Troglodyte Pierce, all took turns mocking and ridiculing the erstwhile wielder of the power of the Varéon Varón.
Hide, unwilling to use the Varéon Varón for sinister purposes, could not use it to its full potential. Even with his desire to be reunited with tigress and cub, he could not construct the words to bring them back without fail or flaw. His thinking too much was a slight against him. His choice of allies, a slight against him. His recklessness and benevolence and basically everything about him was used as a slight against him.
All he knew is, he needed to stop making this about him. Wallowing in self-pity, pining for a future that he cannot have, deliberately sabotaging himself. Indeed, he had all the skill and endurance to withstand any conflict, but he required guidance in order to direct that force in the right direction, at the right time.
One day, Hide’s roaming took him to a small village on the outskirts of the veldt. It was an odd place for a village to be located; Hide in fact was certain this place didn’t exist the last time he passed through. And yet, before him was a village bustling with activity; fishmongers selling their wares, lumberjacks returning with lumber for fireplaces, and various hawkers of bone jewelry, clay pottery… and a strange hut with a sign that read:
Home of the Dom Magus of Halfrond
Johnathan Starmaker
Governor of Power Without Form
Johnathan Starmaker
Governor of Power Without Form
This intrigued Hide, who found himself drawn towards the hut. However, before he could take even three steps, something grabbed a hold of his shoulder. He jumped away from whatever touched him, letting out an echoing growl. What appeared to be an octopus in a heavy cloak edged away, holding up its tentacles in peace.
“Ah, truly sorry to have startled you, friend, but I see you have some interest in what lies beyond the doors of that particular hut.”
“And?” Hide snarled, “What’s it to you?”
“Well, I suppose it’s nothing to me per se,” the stranger began, but then hesitated, “It’s… just… The Dom Magus of Halfrond is a strange one among his own kind. You of course know of the Dom Magi, a coven of the most powerful wielders of the Dark Arts. But lo, here Johnathan Starmaker resides, away from his brethren, in a place where his talents stagnate.”
“Get to the point.” Hide demanded.
“The POINT,” the stranger replied, “Is that he’s… mad.”
“He’s mad?” Hide repeated, “And says who? You?”
“Aye, says me indeed!” the stranger retorted gleefully. “He has resorted to wasting away his skills with the everyday needs of Halfrond.”
“And this” Hide said as he motioned all around him with his large heavyset head, “Is Halfrond?”
The stranger scoffed as he crossed several of his tentacles. “Of course.”
“And yet, where was this city several months ago?” Hide asked with an air of skepticism.
“Oh.” the stranger said knowingly. “Here and there.”
Hide’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t appreciate your coyness.”
Sensing he was losing the grand tiger, the stranger let out a sigh of defeat. “Halfrond comes and goes with the winds. It keeps us safe. There, happy now?”
“I see.” Hide said, somewhat unconvinced. “And about this Dom Magus?”
“Right. So. Johnathan Starmaker is no one to make any deals with. He’s… OCCASIONALLY useful, yes; it’s thanks to his interspace-obfuscations we can go from here to there. Beyond that, he’s only useful for igniting furnaces, purifying water, oh, and accidentally luring dangerous creatures into the square.”
Hide paused, trying to understand that last thing. “I find that hard to be of any use to anyone. I suppose if your hunters were at the ready, you’d have enough meat to feed the village.”
The stranger laughed, only it seemed more mocking than in admiration for the tiger’s pragmatic response. This sound irritated Hide, and he let loose a roar to express that irritation. The stranger jumped back, trembling in fear of the great beast that stood before him.
“Settle down, settle down!” the stranger shrieked. “I merely find your theory naive, considering who we’re speaking about. But nevermind, all I’m suggesting to you is to avoid Johnathan Starmaker at all costs. Hitching yourself to his wagon can only lead to disaster!”
Hide backed down, partly turning away from the stranger. “I’ll keep your words in mind, thank you.”
He then continued on his way, not bothering to see where the stranger would end up. Hide knew to take any rumours with a grain of salt; there were precious few in this world who were not precious at all, but everyone else had to basically be good people. Still, he gave the hut a wide berth. He toured what little remained of the village of Halfrond, and nothing really stood out to him. It seemed like every household served a second function as a fisherman, logger, hunter, seamstress, cook, etc etc. Economically sound, having one’s business also be one’s home.
Every so often, Hide would find his eyes drawn to that one unexplored hut, but the stranger’s words echoed in his memories. After a while filled with many gazes in that same direction, he decided to ignore the stranger’s words and he entered the establishment. Inside were talismans, crystal balls, wands, wards, runes, a red humanoid-sized box with a door on it, you name it, they could be found here… in the middle of nowhere… where most if not all these items would be of no use to the average worker.
“I thought I told you to stay away.” said a voice from behind Hide. This startled the great beast to an incredible degree; how was one able to sneak up on him and get so close? His senses were otherworldly.
When Hide turned around, which took less than half a second, he was once more in the presence of the stranger from earlier. “Are you following me?!”
The stranger laughed, “Not quite. For you see, I am The Dom Magus of Halfrond.”
Hide raised an eyebrow, “You? You are Johnathan Starmaker?”
The alleged Starmaker threw off his cloak, “One and the same!”
Besides now appearing as a not-so-common Illithid, Starmaker also bore an unusual trait: two bulbous protrusions from his head. Hide was caught eyeing them.
“And to answer your question,” Starmaker said without waiting for one. “I have been bestowed with the gift of Two Minds. My powers related to the Psionic Plane are augmented to an unheard of degree! Hence why I could even get the jump on one such as YOU!”
“But I don’t understand.” Hide replied, “You go out of your way to warn strangers that you yourself are mad and bordering on useless?”
“Well, SOMEONE needs to bring up my reputation!” Starmaker exclaimed. “But that notwithstanding, what do you call THESE items?”
He pointed at all his wares. Hide stepped up to some to read their labels: “Dagger of Water Dowsing?”
“A strong short-ranged weapon,” Starmaker began, “That can also manifest water when plunged into the ground…”
“Seems useful to me.” Hide said.
“...of a desert.” Starmaker finished. “And the nearest desert is ruled by The Chimera King.”
“I see.” was all Hide could say before he moved onto the next item: “A Wand of Tremors?”
“We reside on a fault line.” Starmaker explained. “Using this here would consume all of Halfrond!”
“Right.” was all Hide could say before he moved on to yet another item: “A Candle of Winds?”
Starmaker sighed, “Well, you see, this candle can summon forth winds of virtually limitless potential… But anything stronger than a human’s breath will blow it out.
“That seems pointless then.” Hide frowned.
“Yes!” Starmaker shouted with excitement. “But think about the POTENTIAL!!”
“And another thing,” Hide said, “Your sign says something about you governing a power without form?”
Starmaker narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Yes?”
“And yet, you sell all these forms of power.” Hide said with a hint of irritation caused by the Illithid’s perceived ignorance.
Starmaker nodded, “Indeed, that is true. You’ve got me.”
Hide looked on at the strange creature with confusion, “So then…?”
“Oh, these items are all well and good, in the right hands,” Starmaker said as he waved a tentacle across the full assortment of goods against his walls. “But what I do, what I TRULY do, is be able to impart into one, a power that cannot be contained in ANY mere object, save a living vessel!”
Hide rested his hindquarters down and emitted a soft, barely audible growl. He never took his eyes off the braggadocious Illithid, simply tried reading him, examining his body language, smelling his strange musk. It was difficult to get any idea on Starmaker’s true intentions due to his almost alien biology.
“I have a difficult time believing it would behoove anyone accepting your power within them.” he finally replied.
Starmaker’s eyes widened, and a tentacle squirmed its way to rest across his heart. “I am a Dom Magus! I am of a bloodline whose penchant for extraplanar manipulations is beyond compare! Why, it would be an, an HONOUR for someone to accept my Dark Gift!”
“You say your talents are beyond compare, but why then, if that all is truly so, would you and the other Dom Magi allow Dorogan Hastings to rule over Terragymnas?” Hide growled. Those who abused their power were definitely not to be trusted. It didn’t help that there was something about this member of the Dom Magi that merely added to that distrust.
Starmaker shook his overly bulbous head. “It doesn’t work that way, kitty! Those that attempt to thwart the balance between good and evil get torn asunder! Our powers are such that we would have to divide our efforts, one-half of us siding with The Dark Dragon Lord, the other half aligning with The Koutatsu (光竜).”
The only true being capable of swaying the odds in the favour of all life in Terragymnas was another dragon, Kiseragi, the Koutatsu, or Light Dragon. He resides in a vast cave known for attracting only the most dedicated and bravest of warriors. They come to Kiseragi to unlock their full potential, only the trials that await such warriors are deadly to such a degree that many concede… or perish.
“And yet, the great Kiseragi can bestow upon one things the Dom Magi cannot.” Hide added. “So why would he desire your allegiance?”
“He wouldn’t!” Starmaker immediately responded. “And Dorogan is FAR too petty to make working for in any way enjoyable.”
“Then, I suppose I should go.” Hide said, stretching out the entirety of his long striped torso before rising fully to his paws.
As he saw Hide begin to walk off, he extended a tentacle. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“It’s apparent that if I am to vanquish the tyrant ruler of our world that I ought to seek out Kiseragi.” Hide replied. “I have no need for your charms and talismans.”
“Ah!” Starmaker said as he quickly scurried in front of his door, blocking Hide’s movement. “But surely you’re aware of The Koutatsu’s arduous tasks!”
“I am,” Hide responded, trying to figure a way around the Illithid without needing to resort to harming him. “And no reward is without its hard work.”
Starmaker scoffed, “Yes yes yes, I get it, but, what if I were to tell you that enchanting you with my power would give you a much-needed edge?”
“I would say I ought to take my chances without it.” Hide replied. “Now kindly step aside.”
Hide tried nudging his way past the Dom Magus.
“Wait! Wait wait wait!” Starmaker shrieked. Hide stopped moving, but has clearly grown impatient. “Listen, we, The Dom Magi, BENEFIT from The Dark Dragon Lord falling! So why not accept my Dark Gift? It’s on the house even!”
Hide appeared hesitant, and rightfully so. While The Dom Magi tend to be straightforward, this one, intentionally or not, somehow exuded an unexplainable aura of distrust. It went beyond body language, beyond any odors or pheromones. Just how this creature spoke was cause for some semblance of concern. But still…
“How can I be so sure your power won’t control me instead of the other way around?” Hide asked. “How can I know you won’t come for a fee later?”
Starmaker chuckled, “I can respect a healthy level of caution in a mortal! But it’s like I already said: we collectively benefit from deposing Hastings! And seeing as we are forbidden to take DIRECT action against him, this is the perfect compromise, don’t you think? You want him taken down, WE want him taken down, EVERYONE wants him taken down!!”
Hide appeared to actually be thinking it over. The Illithid looked on expectantly at the mighty beast, trying to hide his look of impending excitement.
“I must consider the end game.” Hide muttered to himself. “I… accept your offer, Starmaker!”
“Great!” the Illithid exclaimed as he clasped his tentacles together. He then cleared his throat and regained his composure. “Ah, I mean, great. Yes. Wise choice. I shall imbue you with enough force to both make it to the cave AND survive Kiseragi’s trials!”
Hide looked on with a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe just the treks there and back.” Starmaker admitted.
Hide said nothing.
“Okay, maybe just the trek there?” Starmaker said unconvincingly.
Hide was about to say something, but Starmaker interrupted, “Stop, just stop! You’re making me feel insecure! My powers have not really been tested on mortal vessels, but so long as you have faith in yourself and press your advantages, you’ll find yourself stronger, tougher, faster, more agile, and your senses will be augmented! Oh! And if you’re lucky, you may even cheat death. Once. Once you’ll cheat death.”
“Really?” Hide asked.
“Sure, why not?” The Illithid said so matter-of-factly that the veracity of his words was difficult to confirm.
“All right, enough. I’ll take whatever edges I can accrue.” Hide said, almost begrudgingly.
Starmaker grinned. “Then, you can be on your merry old way!”
Confused, Hide retorted, “Are you not going to work your magic?”
Starmaker laughed, “I already have!”
Hide once more looked on skeptically.
“What? Did you expect some flashy show? That’s all reserved for plays and exhibitions! Now go! The sooner you leave, the sooner you can vanquish Dorogan!”
“Hmph.” Hide said as he slinked on past the strange creature.
“Oh, ah, ONE more thing!” Starmaker said. Hide stopped dead in his tracks and shut his eyes, knowing it wasn’t going to be this easy to garner the favour of a Dom Magi.
“There is… ONE thing you could do for me.” Starmaker said.
Hide sighed, “I knew it.”
“Oh, no no no!” Starmaker tried assuaging the tiger. “It’s nothing major! Minor, really! Barely worth bringing up.”
“Then don’t.” Hide retorted and tried leaving again.
“Ah!” Starmaker called out. “But if you happened to, oh, say, actually SLAY The Dark Dragon Lord, then, ahhhhhhhh……. care to bring me his head?”
The disturbing request gave Hide pause. He then proceeded to exit the hut. “I’ll think about it.”
He then fully exited the Dom Magus’ hut.
Starmaker chuckled, “He’ll think about it!”
Hide Yamatora’s travels to the Koutatsu’s Cave were quite eventful: Passing back through the veldt, he came across The Carnagers, a seemingly endless supply of mercenaries who feast on the thrill of combat, scavengers who do whatever it takes to survive the cruel world pieced together by Dorogan. They paid Hide no mind, though did warn him of consorting with any dual-domed Illithids.
Carefully traipsing around the wastelands, Hide made himself scarce so as to not stir the Cosmic Deadheads, creatures with ever-shifting forms that tamper with the sanity of those who get too close. Simply being in their realm affected his mind.
While wading through the Swamps of Destruction, he ran afoul of their keeper, The Pitch-Black Annihilator, and though he bellowed many threats, Hide didn’t even need to lay a finger on him; the Annihilator did himself in, tripping into the deepest part of his own abode and drowning.
In the next city he came across, Savagonia, many interesting adventurers could be found, including a pair of temporal mechanics, a masked peasant hero, a bard who dabbled in illusory magicks, a veteran warrior of 100 battles, and the wealthy barbarian ruler and his consultant, a quick-witted Naga from a long lineage of royal Nagas.
It was here where Hide came across another Dom Magus, Frixos Phobos, who made himself known to the mighty tiger when he sensed Starmaker’s mark upon him. While he seemed even less trustworthy than the Illithid, the Rakshasa Phobos still managed to convince Hide that he could use his portal in the back room to speak directly to the Seraphim Triumvirate.
The Seraphim Triumvirate, much like The Dom Magi, were sworn to not interfere in mortal matters, so the suggestion to go visit them seemed odd, much less beneficial to the opportunistic Phobos. Regardless of his true intentions, Hide, feeling a sort of kindred spirit between the feline humanoid, acquiesced.
In this other world, one away from Terragymnas, he immediately came across three colossal figures: Seraph Du Mournicus, a slender being whose beauty alone could slaughter an army of 1000 men, Conja Raabius, a venerable creature swarming with cherubim, and the only male among the trio, and finally Vaughnemous Maximus the youngest of the three, slightly taller than the others and with a warm look that instantly put Hide’s mind at ease. Each imparted the tiger with a piece of advice:
Du Mournicus: “Trust only demons you can slay.”
Raabius: “Forge your wrath into a weapon.”
Maximus: “Do not leave your peppers unattended.”
This last thing truly confused Hide, but before he could ask the tallest one to elaborate, they had waved him off and back down to earth. Phobos confronted Hide right away, “Well? What did they say? What did they tell you?”
Hide’s mind swam, filled with wisdom it barely had the capacity for. “Uh, many things, one of which perplexes me: what does ‘Do not leave your peppers unattended’ mean?”
Phobos was intrigued by this question, but spoke to Hide no further, instead, he quickly flitted to his writing desk, madly scribing upon his papyrus. As he would find no further help here, he departed the Dom Magus’ abode. Later he would find out that only those with a good heart can gain access to the Otherworldly Sanctuary, and Phobos merely considered the portal’s efficacy theoretical until the day he came upon Hide.
Finally, the day had come: Hide had reached The Koutatsu’s Cave. The way in was unimpeded. This only made Hide more cautious, as he slinked on in, keeping to the shadows. He kept deadly still as several adventurers walked past, exiting Kiseragi’s lair. Some looked dejected, others worn out, others still irritated to no end.
“Fewer warriors to wait around for.” Hide thought to himself.
Eventually, a trail of riches of all sorts led to the inner sanctum of the legendary Dragon of Light himself. Hide looked on at the dragon, whose scales shimmered in all the colours of the rainbow. Though it wasn’t Kiseragi’s image or presence that was most impressive, rather, how he sat surrounded by several adventurers and… appeared to be teaching them? But didn’t he just give those who came to him tasks to perform and perhaps return to him with a symbol of their courage?
The class seemingly already over, Kiseragi’s students departed. Hide remained still, just watching, just taking in the countenance of The Koutatsu.
“There’s no need to hide, small one.” Kiseragi stated, his voice echoing throughout the cave. “I know you are there.”
This surprised Hide; he was not used to being detected when he didn’t want to be. Moments later, he emerged from the darkness. Kiseragi chuckled. “Such brazen insolence is usually reserved for humans, but nevermind, I sense in you traces of the Dark Arts.”
This caused Hide to stop breathing; was he tricked by Starmaker after all?
“But,” Kiseragi continued, “I also sense a strong desire to achieve an impossible task.”
Hide nodded.
“What you desire to accomplish was barely done by myself; what chance do you feel you would have against The Dark Dragon Lord?” Kiesragi’s words seemed blunt, but no malice could be found in them.
“I… desire justice.” was all Hide could blurt out.
Kiseragi’s head moved downwards to get a closer look at the great tiger, yet he said nothing.
“...Revenge.” Hide said truthfully. “I desire revenge.”
Kiseragi shook his head, “Revenge? Are you sure you are not a human in tiger’s clothing? Revenge is a never-ending path that only leads to eternal unrest.”
“Dorogan Hastings took everything from me: my home, my tigress, my cub.” Hide's voice trembled ever so slightly. “I have not known rest since that day anyway.”
Kiseragi was taken aback by the beast’s vulnerability. “I am sorry to hear that. I suppose we could say… you wish to depose a despot? Allow those whose spirits scream out for peace to finally rest? What would you prefer?”
Hide thought about this for some time, then responded, “One will lead to the other. I’m just here to do what you ask of me so I can survive long enough to deal the killing blow. Even if I die after the fact, so be it.”
“There is no need to take things that far.” Kiseragi scolded the tiger. “Now, that is not to say there is no chance of your demise, but we can see about… limiting that possibility.”
The Koutatsu stood at his full height, arms crossed, as he looked down at Hide. “Return to Savagonia; bring me back a symbol of proof.”
Hide was confused anew, “Anything?”
“So long as it can be confirmed you received it in and from there, then yes.” Kiseragi replied. “Now go; the longer you dawdle, the more time Dorogan has to accumulate even more power!”
Hide nodded, then bolted for the outside.
Later, back at Savagonia, Hide looked around for something that would prove he was here. Nevermind The Koutatsu’s seeming omniscience; this was clearly more a symbolic journey than anything. Though this did seem a tad… easy… for a task that was to grant Hide the Blessing of the Light Dragon.
As he passed by one home in particular, he spotted an old woman placing a steaming hot and sizzling steak on her windowsill to cool off. Granted, normally one would place a pie here, but who’s telling this story, you, or me? Anyway, the aroma emanating from this thick cut of perfectly marbled wonder was too much for the starving tiger to handle; he justified pilfering it - and subsequently consuming it - as a necessary act of survival.
That, or the Dark Gift was already screwing with his moral compass. Either way, it was a delicious treat, but now back to the matter at hand.
It was soon after the ill-gotten steak reappropriation that Hide sniffed some smoke. Now, to those with average senses, one may conclude it was merely wood stoves cooking dinner, but to Hide, something was not right with this particular smell. A short while later, panicked voices filled the square: a widow’s home was quickly becoming engulfed with flames. The Barbarian King’s fire-fighters were on their way, and it was stated that everybody inside was accounted for.
Curious, Hide made his way to the growing inferno. Armed with the knowledge nobody was harmed, the citizens simply tried consoling the widow. However, something felt off; if everyone within that home had been accounted for, why could he sense another presence still inside?
As all attention was on the widow and her two children… wait… she has three children! Hide hears someone say one of the children sped back inside to retrieve a stuffed toy! But now the flames were too intense! The child was doomed!
But without any further hesitation, Hide sprang into action, springing above the crowd, crashing straight through several panes of glass. The adrenaline, already coursing through his body, disallowed him to realize much of the glass stuck into him. Looking around, he didn’t find a child on this floor. Traversing the second floor would be a challenge; the flames occupied the stairs, yet Hide knew the pain of losing a cub, and defied the fire’s wrath. Quickly sprinting upstairs, he wasted no movements, headbutting in any doors he came across… until he found a small child cowering in a corner, tightly clutching onto a stuffed toy dog. Ablazed support beams had fallen and made escape through the door impossible for such a tiny creature. Hide ducked under the beams, and with tremendous might, hoisted the beams upon his shoulders and reared back. There was more space to maneuver around now, but the exit became blocked by the beams! Time running out, Hide acted fast; he gently scooped the child and his prized possession into his jaws, and pounced out of another closed window, thankfully gracefully landing safely. He carefully dropped the child onto the ground, who was immediately reunited with his hysteric mother.
As Hide stood there in an attempt to catch his breath, he eventually took notice of the citizens looking in awe of his daring feats. Hide himself was covered in bits of broken glass, and his fur was smouldering. Once he felt well enough, he went on his way, not uttering a word, not answering any questions. He thought, this was it. This had to be it. And armed with that knowledge, he left Savagonia again.
Later, Hide has just arrived back to the inner sanctum of the Koutatsu… only to be met with not only Kiseragi himself, but also Johnathan Starmaker!
Kiesragi turned to look at the Illithid. “You see? He has indeed returned.”
“Yes, yes! I see that!” Starmaker said, unable to hide his amazement.
“What is the meaning of this?” Hide growled.
“You’re so dramatic!” Starmaker said before turning to address The Koutatsu. “He’s so dramatic. I’m merely here to see how far you actually got! And I must say, I am NOT disappointed! You did whatever it took to return here with a symbol of courage!”
Hide’s eyes narrowed, “I didn’t rescue that child merely to complete the task! It was the right thing to do!”
Starmaker backed off, “Hey, hey! If you say so! Nevertheless, you are here, and I’m SURE this was what Kiseragi wanted!”
“Kindly do not speak for me.” Kiseragi said.
“LOOK at him!” the Illithid exclaimed as he pointed at the burning and bloodied beast. “If travelling all this way, stuck with - broken glass is it? And his fur SMOKING; if this isn’t the picture-perfect definition of your selfless heroics mumbo-jumbo, then I don’t know what is!”
“ENOUGH!” The Koutatsu roared. The echo caused by his raised voice lasted for 30 seconds at least. He took a deep breath before continuing. “Whether he knew this was the trial or he did not, he did indeed go through with it, rescuing a child he had no connection to, and at great expense to his well-being.”
Hide remained stoic, but Starmaker’s grin grew larger albeit slowly and cautiously. “So you’re saying…?”
Kiseragi nodded knowingly.
Starmaker excitedly jogged on over to Hide. “Now, you listen to Kiseragi, understand? It is only with his insight that you shall emerge victorious!”
This confused Hide. “But… what about your Dark Gift? With it, I tirelessly traversed the lands! I survived a burning house! I even gained audience with the angels themselves!”
“Psh!” Starmaker responded as he rolled his eyes, “I gave you no such gift.”
Hide’s eyes widened, “But you said-”
“It was of more value to you to have you BELIEVE you were made greater,” Starmaker began, “But of GREATER value to me to CONSERVE my powers!”
“I don’t understand.” was all Hide could say.
“As sickeningly cliché as it is, the power was within you all along!” Starmaker replied. “You won’t be able to beat Dorogan Hastings with tricks; but what Kiseragi has to impart to you is no trick! A healthy belief in one’s ability, compounded with KNOWLEDGE, THOSE will be your TRUE weapons!”
Hide looked at The Koutatsu, and the mighty dragon nodded.
“Now, the true trial can commence.”
An image of a colossal dark dragon, countless times larger than even Kiseragi, towered over mountains and eclipsed the sun itself. Standing across from him, a tiger stood his ground, forged with glass and fire, unyielding, unafraid. Ready to climb this mountain. Ready to break this curse plaguing Terragymnas.
