OOC: To any who want to join, just know that there is a plan for this thread which cannot be stopped. I thought about writing this in Fan-fic, but I thought it better if someone were around for it.

The ground beneath him made a crunching sound as he walked over the ashes of a recently burnt house. It wasn't a very large house, though the occupants hadn't had time to escape. Or they couldn't. Ret thought as he saw the group of bones in one corner of the house. There were enough for two adults and a child, though some of the bones were out-right missing. Incinerated by the fire.
I'll find you yet, I'm getting closer. Ret thought as he moved away from the ashes, following a path of destruction and magic, a kind of which he had never known before. A kind far more powerful than his own.
What kind of monster would do that to a family?
Mor'ranr woke up from his slumber in his Eldunari, sensing the mood of his once rider. A monster that is beyond our understanding, a monster that will only accept death.
Ret nodded his head, Then death is something I will happily give him. He walked as he was only able to follow the magic when he could take time to sense where it went.
Something burst out of the ground, grabbing Ret's foot and crushing it beneath it's fingers. Ret immediately sent tendrils of magic at it, twisting the hand so that it's fingers were bend back at an unnatural angle, and stepped back from where the ground disturbed. It was only a hand, but it was still alive!
What kind of magic can do this to a man!? Ret thought panicked. He didn't see the club of the other man behind him until it slammed into his head. It hurt to no end, but he wasn't unconscious.
Ret accessed the magic again, creating as much fire as he could in a circle around him. He was using his energy up quickly, but he couldn't afford to let it go just yet. He couldn't see and he couldn't stand. He inspected his hand as he brought it away from his head, seeing a smear of red but no hand. Everything was blurry. What was attacking him and from where? He wished he could see.

OOC: May I join with Voenth and Bascth?

OOC: Sure you can, it's open to anyone.

OOC: Thanks.

IC:
Voenth walked silently through the forest (I presume) toward the place where smoke had been seen by both he, and Bascth a day earlier. The elf walked at a relatively quick pace, not fast enough to be a run, but not slow enough to be a walk. The elf was in the area simply enjoying nature, when he had seen the fire, and both he and Bascth had felt duty bound to help whoever it was, though by this time, there were likely no survivors. The two came across an odd sigh when they saw a man bent over, close to the ashes of the home, with another man, who seemed to be swinging a club at the man. Voenth yelled, and the turned toward him and pointed, however he moved a few pacees away from the man on the ground. Then the man laughed evily. The elf did not care about the man, or whatever was wrong with it, only the man who was hurt. He said, "Let me help you, I am Voenth." said the elf as he was forced away from the man by the ring of fire.

Once they were close, Bascth said to Voenth, That man has an eldunari with him. I will try to make contact with it. Bascth placed his consciousness near that of the other eldunari in a very gentle way so as not to provoke a mental attack from the other and said, Brother, be still, I am Bascth previous dragon of Voenth before the forsworn killed my physical body. Let us help you, and your friend, something odd is happening here.

OOC: IDK what you want to do with the man, but if it is a physical man, let me know and I will edit.

OOC: It was a Man corrupted by the Shadow Realm.

OOC: So, does that mean I need to edit, or?

OOC: sorry, but it does. Just a normal man that's been corrupted and was attacking Ret.

OOC: I edited.

OOC: Thank you.

Don't come closer! Mor'ranr warned Bascth, Ret is disorientated and cannot see straight, if he spots you before he comes to his senses he will kill you!

Ret kept the fire up for as long as he could, though the amount of energy it was draining from him was increasing. He couldn't tell if he was increasing the fire or what, things weren't straight, nothing was making sense. He knew he had to cut off the magic soon, but he couldn't tell how much energy he had expended or how much he had left. Things were swimming in his head, even the presence of Mor'ranr was blurred and distorted.

OOC: Do I actually kill him, or just try, and the man is the enemy throughout the story?

IC:
Bascth glowed faintly as Mor'ranr gave him the "go ahead". He said to Voenth, Use my strength and destroy that man. He is evil!

Voenth yelled angrily and leapt through the air at the man. He swunf Let'hjartha powerfully at the man's head in an attempt to behead the man, however, the man was stifter than Voenth had thought and he easilly dodged the sword. He laughed crazily and swung his club at Voenth. The elf only barely managed to stop the blow from hitting him with the full force, and was able to leave the eschange of attacks with only a large bruise on his chest. The elf panted. The fight was much tougher than he thought. He growled angrily and then drew Rathur'gata. He yelled once more and charged at the man.

OOC: He's not important, just the start-off point. I'll have Ret explain things to you in the next post.

Things began to clear up and he wished fervently he had the ability to heal with his magic. Mor'ranr and told him to learn it what seems like an eon ago, but he stubbornly refused saying that the words were all he needed to know.
Mor'ranr? He called out in his mind, the world beginning to make sense again.
Ret! Mor'ranr said happily, You're ok, the one that hit you will die soon. I hope... A feeling of uneasiness crept along their bond.

OOC: Was that vague enough to not be a hinderance on teh book?

IC:
Voenth simply grunted at the man. His previous mood had been darkened by the evil of his past. He had no more happiness in him. He only wanted to walk on and try to get his mind on things other than his loss of Bascth and the evil and horrendous things that were done to him while at Uru'baen.

Bascth then asked, What is your story, Ret, Mor'ranr? We have told ours, what is yours? asked the eldunari as it glowed brightly from within the white cloak of the elf.

OOC: It's fine.

"My story is similar, in that it has the same outcome." Ret opened his mind to the memories, every single one fresh in his memory as the day it happened. He swore he would never forget.

Ret was smiling, he had never smiled since, but that day he didn't want for anything. Mor'ranr sat next to him, breathing the air slowly, wings spread as if he would take off but firmly on the ground. The rocks held a wonderful breeze that cooled the day off nicely. Mor'ranr gave Retribution the peace he longed for, his namesake.
A chill went down Ret's spine, one that lingered for longer than a shiver should. It broke the peace that Ret felt at that moment and he stood, scanning the horizon. There, a speck approaching fast. Another rider.
Ret sighed and sat back down, he had nothing to fear from another rider.

The assault on his mind came so quickly he couldn't put up his defenses in time to stop the rider from stealing some of his power.
"What is the meaning of this?!" He screamed at the man, who drew his sword.
"Galbatorix will rule this land and he will make peace. Will you stand with us or against us?" He had his mind blocked.
"What!? This land is in peace already!"
Ret, his dragon is not himself. I can't remember his name even though I know I know it.
"I will not stand by while you disrupt the peace that is on this land!" Ret said with more force than he intended.
"Then die!" The rider assaulted his mind, throwing everything he could at it. He was strong, stronger than he should have been, even with Ret's power. All his strength and attention was at breaking into Ret's mind which formed it's own type of barrier. Ret had no choice but to respond in kind.
Meanwhile, Mor'ranr and the other dragon attacked each other ferociously, their claws running through each others scales. Occasionally the message came through that if Mor'ranr gave his Eldunari then the pain would stop and so would the assault on Ret's mind.
They fought for what seemed like an eternity, their minds locked in a struggle that wouldn't cease. Mor'ranr, who was tiring quickly while the other dragon still seemed fresh, was running out of strength to fight off his advances and the techniques that this dragon was using were far beyond him. Ret used the abilities he could that wouldn't result in both their deaths. Ret didn't have the strength to beat him, but neither did the other man have the strength to beat Ret. Both were locked within a stalemate. That was when the other dragon got the idea to attack Ret, to distract him and allow it's rider access into Ret's mind. As he approached Ret, Mor'ranr screamed and threw himself in the way, coughing up his Eldunari at the same time. As soon as the Eldunari left Mor'ranr's throat, the other dragon raked it's claws across Mor'ranr and gripped tight. Then snapped Mor'ranr's neck.
Feeling the life sap out of Mor'ranr, Ret finally snapped. He had had his family taken away, his entire life, and now that he had found a life again in Mor'ranr... He was gone too. Gone. Gone if he didn't kill this man and his dragon. He would take from this rider what was taken from him, Retribution would be served.
Ret threw himself into the magic, allowing it to fill him up entirely, he was nothing but a faucet for the anger that would be unleashed upon this man. This nameless man.
What did he care what spell he cast? As long as it killed this man, he didn't care what the retaliation was. He ripped a hole within the world, not caring where it went, as long as it went somewhere that he would never be found again. The portal opened up behind the man, who felt the massive use of magic and turned to look. Ret screamed rage and ran at the man, pushing the man into the portal with all his weight. He then used magic to grab the dragon and extract his revenge. He reached into the dragon, found the Eldunari it carried and ripped it out of the dragon through it's chest. The amount of magic he wielded was taking the life from him now, the heartbeat in his chest growing weaker by the second. With what strength he had he crushed the Eldunari within his hands and closed the portal. When he released the magic, he felt the drain on his body and fell to the ground, warmth filling his body though he knew it should have been cold as a corpse. His eyes wavered, the world becoming blurry when he saw a faint glow of light. He reached his hand towards it, his hand trembling along the way. The glow was warm, so warm.

Ret's hand wrapped around Mor'ranr's Eldunari, Mor'ranr pouring what energy he could spare to Ret to keep him alive. Ret breathed in, coughing blood. He clutched Mor'ranr tightly, welcoming the sensation that was his mind. This man had killed Mor'ranr for this gem. For Mor'ranr. He wasn't strong enough to protect him and he died under his care. He wanted to die himself, but Mor'ranr had saved him. He owed his dragon everything, but how could he repay that debt?
"I'll become stronger." He said to himself at last, his throat scratchy. "I will repay my debt to you, somehow."

When Ret was done with the story, he was surprised to find a tear on his cheek. "I know I can't save him, so I'll give us a death to be remembered." They had walked far, but the trail was still a further. No telling whether or not this evil would wait for them.

Voenth continued on, his face void of any emption, all except for the light in his eyes. It seemed to be dimmed. He managed a few words and said, I am sorry for your loss. Let us just hope that wherever that rider went, he does not come back. He sounds like trouble." said the elf as he continued on through that day.

OOC: Pass, sorry.

"I don't care, he got what he had coming to him. He received the Retribution he deserved. He would have gone on to kill more riders and take their Eldunari." Ret spoke without emotion, his voice cold. Why should he care about a rider that betrayed his own people?
End this line of thought Ret, or it'll consume you. I forgive you for what you did, right or wrong. Mor'ranr piped up.
And I will see this creature brought to justice. Such evil cannot be allowed to live.

---- Time skip ----

The day wore on as they walked, Ret had to stop every now and then to find the trail once again, but they made good time. The sun was going down when they came to the next town, the shadows of the trees casting long shadows that seemed to reach for them. Ret suddenly felt cold, the sense of evil was much stronger here than all of the other places combined.
"Something's here. The magic has been perverted to a point where it quivers, your spells may be a little unpredictable." It seemed to vibrate as Ret reached for that part of his mind. He walked closer, expecting to see a town shattered. What he saw was people going about their business, all just regular. As both Ret and Voenth entered the city walls, all the people stopped and turned. It was obvious then, their eyes solid black.
"I gave you a warning." They spoke, the words seeming to be far off. "I don't know how you're following me, but stop or I will kill you."
Ret looked behind him, the villagers surrounding them. His disciplined mind formed a shell so focused that he saw nothing but his and Mor'ranr's mind and power.
"Show yourself." Ret said softly.

OOC: I'll tell the villain in the next post.

"I said show yourself monster!" Ret finally screamed, magic coursing through his body.
"If you so want." A voice said from the shadows. He seemed to materialize from the shadows between the buildings and walked out in front of the two Indlevarn. He wore a cloak of black, his hair to his shoulders in a silvery blackness that both consumed the light and sent it straight back. On his waist he wore a sword that was curved sharply and had a glint blood on its surface. Or was that blood that had soaked into the blade? His eyes were solid black, with a glint of red. Ret could feel the pure evil that drifted from the man, if that was what he was.
"And just who are you?" Ret asked cautiously.
Nilarek just smiled, his sharp teeth shining in the darkness. "I am called Nilarek, though many just call me either monster or pure evil." He brought his hand up in front of his eyes, fiddling with something in his fingers. It shone bright and of different colors, a spirit.
"Now, since I have granted your request of revealing myself, I tell you once more; Stop following me or I will kill you."

"After all the suffering you have caused?!" Ret quivered with anger.
"Yes."
Ret looked at Voenth, wondering what it was he was thinking.

OOC: Has Voenth fought Nilarek yet, I think he has, but I want to make sure before I post.

OOC: I'm not sure, I think so too though.

OOC: As EPIC RPGer, and you beign RPG Team Head, I now, whether it is true or not say, "Voenth has fought Nilarek!" there, now its officially official, lol.

IC:
Voenth gasped when he saw Nilarek. His face contorted into an angry snarl and said, "Hah! You will kill me, it did not work the last time you said that, and well, it never worked with Keralin did it you sorry excuse for a shade!" said the elf angrily as he tightened his grip Let'Hjartha and Rathru'Gata. He was ready for a fight with the evil shade, and if he could, would rid the world of the monster for good. His eyes locked with Nilarek and Voenth said, "Go on, I dare you, I am not the elf you once fought. I have learned more, I have learned the secrets of the Deep Magic."

Bascth glowed blindingly bright when Voenth said that it was Nilarek. He said, Voenth! Do not tell him any more, if he finds out, he will go after Eschelon and if Eschelon loses, one of the most powerful weapons in all the world will be under his power!

OOC: Lol, I accept that statement as the Head of RPG Team. Now, where were we?

Nilarek bore the insults of the mortal in front of him with what dignity he could muster. It was unfortunate that he was speaking the truth, but then he revealed something. "Deep magic now?" Nilarek said interested. "I know my failures, those being that I was much less... Informed. I think I will fight you, I must know your Deep magic. Minions, enjoy the new spirits I give to you now." Nilarek extended his arms and raised his head to the skies. From him, fourteen spirits, all colored black, sprang forth and entered fourteen different townspeople. The change was instantaneous, their hair turned pitch black and their skin turned pale.
When it was done, Nilarek sank to the ground and lifted himself up again. "The rest of you, I need more."

Ret felt the perversion of magic from each of the spirits and felt even more of the Shadow Energy that Nilarek now channeled. He was calling something, though Ret couldn't tell what. The fourteen shades then came running at Voenth and Ret.
"I will kill you for what you've done." He said to himself, a promise. "Voenth, let's show him how strong we truly are."
Ret drew upon the flow of magic, streaming it into his body and out via the silent spells he had trained himself to cast. One Shade instantly exploded, the forces keeping it together broken.

Voenth then fell asleep, and did not wake until the next morning...

OOC: Pass, sort of dry today......but in either case, we ahve both rested and now things can happen lol.

OOC: Aight, I didn't have much planned for this part anyway.

After Ret didn't get a response from Voenth he packed away his water and fell asleep, his body aching.

--Time Skip--

The next morning was pure agony as Ret woke to the protests of his limbs. Any amount of movement hurt beyond belief and the pain in his mind equaled it. He hadn't used pure magic in a long time and always regretted summoning it, it used far too much of his energy. He reached into his backpack and pulled out several rations of food, dried meat and a few spiced fruits. His stomach welcomed the food.
He looked over at Voenth, wondering if the wolf version ate fruit as well. "I've got plenty if you want some." He said, opening his pack to reveal nothing but food.