[Book 2] Land of Corruption: The Great Truce (AQW)

General Lionfang

"You sent for me, your majesty?" Gomfalion said.

"Yes, Gomfalion, thank you for coming so quickly. I have a task for you," Alteon said. "One of my generals, a man named Lionfang, has need of your special talents. He has been searching for a way to defeat Drakath, and he might have found something."

"Sire, the followers of evil consider you a mighty warrior and respect your strength and cunning. The followers of good love you for your wisdom, fairness and nobility. The combined forces should be searching for a cure for your chaos infection, not..."

"Gomfalion, The Great Truce between good and evil has been formed to defeat Drakath and his lords of chaos, not to save one man's life. If Lionfang is correct then there might be weakness in Drakath's power. Once Lore is saved, then there will be time for me. Do as I ask. Go help Maximilian Lionfang."

"As you wish, sire."

Gomfalion followed the commands of Alteon and he made his way to Lionfang's keep on the back of Aether, his wolf. In the middle of his journey, he noticed a bunch of  corrupted soldiers charging towards him. He brought out his scythe, colored black and green and slashed everybody he passed by. All men dropped dead one by one, with chaotic blood on the ground. Gomfalion was just riding there, counting kills. After about 45 people in his counting, he noticed another shadow and was about to make it the 46th, but Aether's great sense of sight stopped him from running, and both the human and the animal realized, it was Gamzati.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Gamzati said

"No, Gamzati, it's too dangerous here," Gomfalion replied.

"I would rather be here with you through everything, than being back in Shadowfall, worried about your return."

"And I would rather take all the danger myself, than being with you all the time, trying to keep you safe."

Gamzati went closer to Gomfalion.

"You do not have to. I will be the one to protect you. To keep you away from danger. To keep you safe... Please, Gomfalion."

"Fine then. Hope on. Get ready for one heck of a ride. Aether, gariiga!"

The wolf charged with the two on his back, Gamzati clinging on to Gomfalion. They traveled about a mile, and there they saw, Lionfang's keep. At the front door, the two hopped off and left Aether to rest. The door was guarded by two knights, who blocked the door with their spears.

"Halt!" said one of the guards.

"Uh, I'm on royal business," Gomfalion replied. "King Alteon sent me."

"It's alright, let the hero pass," said a broad and raspy voice, which was Lionfang. "I apologize. Being stationed on the edge of Thunderforge has my men a little jumpy. So you must be Gomfalion, the one King Alteon has sent. Another loyal soldier for good, like myself."

"Whatever you say," Gomfalion said.

"And I'm Gamzati," Gamzati interrupted.

"Excellent," Lionfang said. "How is the king?"

"Not well," Gomfalion replied. "The healers haven't been able to slow the chaos infection."

"Does it seem to be affecting his mind?" asked Lionfang.

"No," Gomfalion answered. "He is still clever and wise."

"I wonder," Lionfang said. "All this Great Truce business didn't start until after he was infected. Would the great King Alteon actually side with evil?"

"There is strength in numbers and we will need that strength to defeat Drakath," Gamzati said.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Lionfang said. "I have been studying chaos since Drakath attacked Sepulchure and his majesty. Chaos is not new to Lore. It did not arrive with Drakath. The secret to defeating chaos, or even controlling it, may be right here in Thunderforge. There is a very old race of evil worshippers called the Darkblood who live here. The Darkblood that I have questioned have told me rumors about a relic that might be used to defeat Drakath. Somewhere inside Blackhorn Tomb might be a Darkblood which can lead us to it."

"Gamzati and I have a lot of experiences with old tombs like that," Gomfalion said.

"That's exactly why I asked King Alteon to send you," Lionfang said.

"Then let's get to it!" Gamzati said, enthusiastically.

So they set off to the tomb. It was dark and dirty, for it hadn't been explored by any people in years. Yet, the scroll was left there, unharmed. The tomb was filled with giant spiders everywhere. They were all around, looking to poison the three people, only to be inevitably killed by a spell casted by Gomfalion's dark magic. They then went to a dead end, filled with Darkblood writings on the wall.

"Notice not only the writings, but each word is within a small square," Gamzati said. It sparked an idea out of Gomfalion.

"Hold on," Gomfalion said. He put both his hands in front of him, and slowly bending his right elbow, pushing one of the stone blocks out. He noticed each word had a hollow spot behind the stone block. "Lionfang, can you translate these?"

"I'll try my best to," Lionfang said. He translated a bunch of the writings on the wall, and stumbled across an incomplete group of words, scratched on the surface.

D..KBL--/ #RO*L

"WAIT!" Lionfang said in excitement. "The letters shown say DKBL ROL. So if you add a bit more vowels, it would spell out "Darkblood Scroll"! Gomfalion, pull the stone out."

Gomfalion performed the same spell. As the block was taken out, it showed a map inside a bottle. The Darkblood Scroll. Lionfang was overwhelmed by excitement.

"This is it!" he said. "It will take a month to fully translate it from Darkblood but this is it! Do you realize what this means?"

"It means there IS a weapon to combat chaorruption!" Gamzati said. Chaos... Corruption... Chaorruption...

"Yes, but more than that! Much more!" Lionfang said. "It means the Great Truce is over! We can save ourselves and let Gravelyn and her soldiers perish!"

"But... Isn't that kind of evil?" Gomfalion said, confused.

"No! The destruction of evil in any form is always the greatest good!" said Lionfang. "You and I, heroes, we no longer have to play with this charade! You can help me lead my soldiers of light, the Golden Onslaught, to have victory over chaos AND evil!"

"The golden what? But you're one of Alteon's generals!" exclaimed Gamzati.

"Not anymore," Lionfang said. "The king I swore to defend would never side with evil! It's clear that his illness has taken his mind."

"You would break the great truce, betray your king, and start a war on two fronts?" Gomfalion screamed. "THAT'S JUST STUPID, LIONFANG!"

Lionfang enraged himself. He pulled out his whip and flashed it around Gomfalion's neck, choking him.

"NO! LIONFANG! DON'T!" Gamzati yelled, kneeling down. Lionfang didn't stop.

"You people are one of them, collaborators!" Lionfang said. "Oh, you two will regret your choice. Soon the weapon against chaos will be mine, but first, you and all those like you will come to see things my way, or perish!"

Lionfang retracted his whip. Gomfalion, although his neck was released of the tension, he could already feel the consciousness slipping away from him. He collapsed, out of oxygen, with his life forced drained. Before he touched the ground, Gamzati managed to catch him in her arms.

"Gomfalion! No!" Gamzati exclaimed. "Gomfalion? Gomfalion! Please don't give up on me!"

There was no answer. He was unconscious.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Gamzati said, checking for pulse. There was. "Aether! Come! Bring us back to Shadowfall."

Aether came. Gamzati lead the ride, with a lifeless Gomfalion behind her. Aether ran as fast as he could, returning to Shadowfall. As they arrived there, she met up with Kitri and Chizet. They all laid Gomfalion down and the clerics of Shadowfall began casting a healing spell on him. In total, it room three days for him to regain his strength. As he regained his consciousness on the third day, he went to the hallway of Shadowfall, and the first thing he recognized was a crowd, all speaking to each other and questioning Gravelyn...