Arcaniss: Insurrection

Prologue: Sahfkehr's Fall

     Mount Glare, the highest peak in Erelion's mountain region. A cavern system laid at the heart of the mountain, which was filled with countless piles of treasures and offerings. The main chamber walls were plastered in gold. Gold that could only be melted by the most vehement of fires. That place, without a doubt, was the lair of a fearsome dragon.
     The roars shook the interior of the mountain. Fury and pain could be perceived in every shriek. The tumult originated in the main chamber and spread throughout the cavern system. The stench of burning flesh was unbearable. Hundreds of smoldering corpses, the remains of which were nothing more than metal adhered to the charred skins and bones of those who minutes before were soldiers.
     "The mightiest of the chromatic dragons, the dreaded red dragon, Sahfkehr. The king and god of Mount Glare!" A man shouted, while looking over his shoulder with a sense of mockery, who by his attire appeared to be a Templar knight. For he was dressed in a white robe with a golden breastplate, which bore the symbol of a perfect human face, above a geometric starburst. "God? Such blasphemy will be put to the test, for today will be a day that will live in the history of mankind!" The templar exclaimed before invoking a spell with the help of other knights and priests to immobilize the immense dragon.
     "Pothoc munthrek!", or stupid human in common parlance. "You dare think you can defeat me? Ha! Powerful beings have tried to destroy me and failed in the attempt. What makes you think that a bipedal race, as insignificant as yours, could cause me any harm? Your arcaniss is useless against me". Sahfkehr said to each of those present, through telepathy. The dragon broke the spells and behind a mighty roar expelled an intense flame that pulverized many of the soldiers, this time leaving no remains.
     "Your fire may destroy our body but, our soul is unbreakable. Brothers, the fall of the dragon is imminent, for the light of Zarus will guide us to victory. Now, concentrate your attacks on the head of the beast and your spells on immobilizing the limbs." The Templar knight raised his spear and a ray of light was shot through the cave roof and became surrounded by a golden aura along with his soldiers, it was then, when inspired by their God, that they managed to stop Sahfkehr.          "That arcaniss... Could it be? In the millenia that I have been in this world, I never knew of a munthrek blessed by it." Sahfkehr looked confused. The Templar prostrated himself in front of the dragon, raised his spear and said "I, Bartos Merval, son of Lucius Merval, Captain of the Order of Zarus, condemn you to death". And he thrust his spear into the dragon's chest. A burst of blood erupted from Sahfkehr's chest bathing Captain Bartos Merval in crimson. Sahfkehr gave a loud groan and tried to spit fire again to no avail. Gasping, the Captain removed his spear from the dragon's wound, wiped his face with his forearm and ordered the Savalir to be brought in.
     The Darss Savalir was an artifact made of corundum, in the shape of a pyramid with an orb in the center. This artifact was created by dwarven architects, elven sorcerers, and gnome alchemists, who were enslaved by Zarus' followers in order to obtain and master the dragon arcaniss. Sahfkehr's arcaniss slowly left his body and filled the Dragonkiller. The orb reddened as Sahfkehr expired. "May it be your will, my queen."
     "Did you hear? The mighty red dragon has accepted the mother of humans as his queen. Lord Zarus’ loved one, the Goddess Astra." The orb of the Savalir began to glow. Sahfkehr's massive body slowly faded into what appeared to be blue ashes. A tremor shook the mountain. The ground split open in half and revealed a lake of melted rock. Several soldiers fell into the lake, while others were crushed by stalactites. The cave collapsed, being consumed by the merciless magma.
     Bartos took the Savalir and escaped from the cave along with several soldiers. The troubled mountain was illuminated by the super moon. Bartos pulled a yellow generator crystal from a leather pouch, pressed it against his chest and flung it up in the air. A flash emanated from the crystal creating a small explosion. A huge eagle appeared out of the glow and flew towards Bartos. He mounted the eagle and soared into the skies. His soldiers and priests did the same. "Let us go home and celebrate our victory. Tonight will change the way the other races percieve humans. Our triumph will mark Erelion forever. Let us return to Edhervar."
     The magnificent birds headed south. A spectacular eruption blasted from Mount Glare.      Flaming rocks rained down, which created havoc in the nearby forests. Scorching lava flowed from the crater into the bodies of water that encircled the base of the mountain. From that night on, there was no life on Mount Glare. Trees and wildflowers died, the foxes and alpacas fled, the owls migrated and the rivers dried up.