ARYSARNIA

BLOOD FROM THE SEA

Cariman had reached the castle searching for an entry into one of its towers. Then, as fate will have it, he crosses Surune in the sky as he takes off from the tower of the Owls, a smaller tower beside the tower of the angel. He knocked the dwarf off course towards the city, where a tumble between the two brought them crashing back into the tower sprawling in flames. Cariman stood up before Surune, yet Surune appeared to care less as to whether Cariman was alive or dead and attacked him immediately with enthusiasm. Their combat took them through a rumble of fire through the streets of the already mortified city and ended back at the castle. It took a while for Surune to realise his attacks had little effect on Cariman. He decided to push his luck and spewed fire from his mouth toward Cariman; but Cariman remained unmoving. He seemed to be absorbing the flames as he hovered mid-air.

"Metal sharpens metal, Surune," he said. The dwarf stopped and tried to dive into Cariman, but he was quick to seize Surune by the neck.

"What are you doing here? I killed you myself," said Surune through gritted teeth.

"I survived" Cariman said. Surune felt it as Cariman overpowered him and threw him back onto the tower. Surune stubbornly rose up and drew away panting then he let out a cynical laughter.

"I don't care what you do... I have my revenge, I had the chance to kill you, and I destroyed your army. Oh-I almost forgot, I also had the chance to skin your pretty daughter alive, and now we rule your kingdom. Who laughs last now?" Surune continued with his taunting laugh as Cariman stood burning. "Your whole kingdom is suffering under a cursed queen. What a god you serve, he spits you out when you become too cold for him to chew"

The fire on his naked body suddenly snuffed out, and the golden feathers covering him gleamed. "I'm not going to kill you, Surune, it will be too lenient." Cariman spread out his wings over Surune. "But you do not deserve this power. "

There was a piercing screeching sound coming from Cariman as fire ebbed out of Surune into his wings. After a minute of the ordeal, Surune fell onto his knees; he knew his power was gone.

Cariman turned to fly away.

Then-"How on earth did you do that!" Surune squealed from behind.When he now looked up at Cariman he stood before him just a naked man, he no longer saw the fire that engulfed him or the golden feathers that drapped his form.

"When you burned me up at Crysonar, you only set my incubation in motion. I did not know that somehow, I had the blood of a phoenix running through my veins" he came back to stand before Surune, "I don't know how long but eventually I hatched from my shell among the ruins... and I'm glad I did. "

"Your daughter is dead! Did you know? Alaidalene killed her... She lies scattered in the Lupine woods. The worms had a field day" Surune said with a taunting tone.

The commotion atop the tower had attracted a couple of goblins and they raced up the spiralling staircase. Cariman spread out his wings of flame flew away without turning back. But now, in the eyes of Surune he was a naked man floating away on the wind.

Surune went down the tower and the goblins retreated.

"He is alive?" Alaidalene said, drawing to him.

Surune was back in the throne room. He became wary of her but stood still.

"There is something different about you...You have lost your fire. To rule, you need power -your crown alone is not really worth much" she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You served me well" she said. The dwarf shivered at her touch and was soon creeping with worms that issued out of him. Within seconds, he was a pile of bones and rags.

Ardal barged into the throne room followed closely by Astinux.

"I have news, mother,"

"You found a new toy...charming," Alaidalene said glancing at Astinux.