The Unnecessary Balance VII

Eh, sorry for the delay. I'll have the update in soon, I promise. I'm just awfully busy today. To tide you all over, here is a brief glimpse of the future.

Duncan Highborn leans back in his office chair, and heaves a dramatic sigh. Whoever thought running a multi-billion dollar cooperation would be so darn difficult. In all honesty, he would prefer the old days of war and tragedy over this... This endless stream of paperwork and ass-kissing. He would go back in time in a heartbeat, if only his wife would let him. Duncan sighs once more, just as the door to his opulant office suite swings open, revealing said woman. Duncan's mood instantly brightens, as it does every time he sees his beloved star. He smiles, and she returns the smile twofold.

"Good news and bad news love. Which would you like first?"

Duncan gives an overly dramatic sigh, as his wife swanters around the large oval desk and plops down into his lap. "Good news first this time," he replies, enclosing his arms around her waist.

His beloved smiles, pretending not to notice her husband's surliness, and she presses her lips to his forehead. "I've managed to wrangle us a couple days off," she whispers, her soft voice brimming with pride.

Holy... "How on Asgard did you manage that woman?"

She giggles. "By promising to work overtime later, and by reminding the Board who exactly is in charge around here."

Duncan beams with excitement. He certainly isn't happy about the idea of overtime, but for a couple of stress free days with his family, he'd happily swim through lava. Or an endless stack of paperwork. Still, when he turns to look out his office window, and he sees the seemingly endless fleet of commercial airships all bearing his wife's name, he's suddenly very happy. Because he remembers all the blood spilled, all the lives lost and friends sacrificed to achieve this age of peace. This Age of Prosperity. In that very instant, he retracts his earlier thought. He wouldn't give up this life for anything. Including the paperwork.

First came the Age of Creation, when Origin shaped the universe from nothing.

Second was the Golden Age, when peace and tranquillity reigned undisturbed.

Then came the Age of Heroes, when living legends walked the land, and Exalts battled dragons.

Then came the Age of Knowledge, when the Ancients built vast cities of technology.

And then there was the Age of Darkness, the era of sorrow in between. The purgatory between heaven and hell.

And finally, there is the 6th Age. The Age of Prosperity.

It looks like my hunch about them not wanting to fight us was right.
Also, I liked your "brief glimpse of the future".
Age of Darkness? Era of sorrow? Purgatory between heaven and hell? Yep. That's the present all right. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Let's go bring some prosperity.

At least a dozen red eyes appear in the gloom of the dense forest, their beady glowing eyes visible long before their shambling bodies come into view. Acting out of pure instinct alone, you reach into your leather pouch and grasp your Dragonstone. Instantly, a burst of pure white light floods the area, and you feel your body begin to shift. Your muscles elongate and bulge, your senses sharpen. A tremendous surge of power wells within you, a power as ancient as the stars themselves. You extend your wings and roar, as the light clears, revealing the glistening form of a giant silver dragon. Your roar is a ground shaking one, full of pride and delight. You can't even begin to describe how wonderful it feels, to be a dragon again. To be free of your mortal coil. The mindless advance of the Risen abruptly stops, pausing at your show of force. Interesting. It seems even these soulless creatures possess some sense of self preservation. But the sense is fleeting at best, and the fiends soon forget they're facing a dragon. The legion of undead promptly resume their steady march forward.

Your impromptu companions are also startled by the sudden appearance of a dragon. Well, at least the two older hunters are. They pale, almost dropping their bows. The one called Han even squeals, and you resist the urge to laugh. They did know you were a Manakete, right? Though you suppose there's a difference between knowing and seeing firsthand. The last of the three doesn't even blink however, and you narrow your stormy eyes. Uh-uh. So that's how it is, mister tough guy. First this young whelp calls you a girl-You!- and now he has the audacity to not be impressed! Something nags at the edge of your forgotten memories, and you have a feeling you're used to mortals quaking in their boots around you. For some incredibly odd reason, you find the prospect of making this arrogant young Chieftain bow before you... Quite enticing. "I certainly hope you can do more than stand there and look pretty, dragon!"

The young Chieftain's bold remark draws you from your thoughts, and you roar in challenge, creating a brief sudden gust of gale force winds. "I can do a great deal more than that!" You thunder, your timeless voice echoing with power.

Another part of your buried memories nag at you, the part that was obviously quite familiar with the ways of war once upon a time. Hmm... It might not be such a wise idea to leave your rear flank open... Still, it would be sheer folly to leave the front line undermanned. It was these situations that made you really wish you had all your memories back... What to do, oh what to do...

A: Send one of the hunters to guard the Rear Flank, while you and the other two confront the approaching Risen.(Tell me who)
B: Send all three hunters to guard the Rear Flank, while you confront the hoard alone.
C: Send two hunters to guard the rear, but keep one at your side.(Choose who goes where)

During battle strategy...
1: Have the Hunter(s) use the trees as cover, while you keep to the skies.
2: Act as a decoy to draw the hoard's attention, while your companions pick off the Risen from afar.
3: Concentrate on ranged attacks, and retreating when the horde gets too close.
4: Who needs strategy! Show these mindless beasts the might of a dragon!

Oh, and in case anyone's interested, Ratatosk and Gray can support. They can go all the way up to S, in fact. Gray can be permanently recruited later on(with higher power levels), providing both he and Rata survive and you find the Sidequest.

I'm going to go with B1.

B1

Last call for votes! So far, B1 is winning by a hair. Any more votes, or shall I lock it in?

Also, ding ding! You are correct SM! Though I think I may have given the answer away... Ah well. A promise is a promise. Artemis eventually goes on to invent the world's first Airship, and she founds the Highborn Cooperation, also known as the Sky Corp. Eventually, it is Artemis, NOT Trail, who ends up owning half the world.

Also, just message me what prize you want. I'll agree to most requests, within reason of course. You know the drill SM.

An idea begins to form in your mind, one that just might work. You beat your great wings and rocket into the sky, unleashing a sudden blast of silver fire at the nearest zombie. It explodes into a shower of black mist upon impact. "Hey, Gray!" You thunder, and the hunter turns to you, just as he looses a single arrow. The arrow thuds into the heart of a nearby fiend with tremendous force, sending it flying backwards several feet before bursting into dust.

"What?!" He barks back. "Can't you see I'm a bit busy here?!"

You can't help but chuckle. My my, so surly. Whatever happened to that calm, arrogant facade of his? "I'll distract the horde and thin their numbers from the sky! You and your hunters stick to the trees and pick off the stragglers!"

Gray looks like he's about to argue, but he obviously realizes your plan is sound, and holds his tongue. He barks a few orders to his companions, and the trio of hunters scatter into the trees. That's a good boy, you think to yourself, grinning. A couple undead break off from the main group, and stumble towards the opposite treeline, but they are quickly met with a hail of arrows. The rest of the horde focuses their attention on the big bad dragon, just like you planned. You hover just out of the range of their razor sharp claws, loosing a storm of silver meteors down upon the nearly defenseless hoard. As you do so, you feel your power growing, your senses sharpening. You feel some of your old power returning. Caught between a storm of arrows and fire, the mass of zombies are quickly dispatched. The last zombie is a great deal larger than the rest, and while it proves more troublesome than the minions, you still manage to put it down without much difficulty. With the deed done, you land on the soft grass below, your massive form sending up a shower of grass, twigs, and wind. You shift back into your human form, just as Gray comes striding up to you, clearly relieved.

He bows his head in a deep gesture of respect and gratitude. It's a significant difference from the surly Ranger of just a few minutes before, and you grin. "Thank you, my lady. For your help. These things have been threatening my home for months now. Without you-"

A shrill whistle rends the air, and before you can react, Gray tackles you to the ground. You hit the grass so suddenly the breath leaves your body. Above you, where your body was just a brief moment ago, a large volley of Javelins flies through the air. "Another horde?!" You gasp, and Gray grunts in agreement.

He swiftly moves into a low crouch, and faster than you would have thought possible, lets fly a lightning fast volly of arrows. The sudden gust of spears abruptly halts, at least for the moment, and you take the opportunity to leap to your feet. You immediately shift back into your true form and burst into the sky, almost knocking poor Gray over. He curses under his breath, something about clumsy dragons, but you don't have time to apologize. Your partner dashes back to the treeline where he left his companions, making sure to stay low to the ground. You see them now, the mass of bones and red eyes in the trees, and you feel a momentary pang of fear. What is this, the dark ages?! Since when do Skeletons walk the land?!

Your head suddenly hurts, as if you're on the verge of a memory, but the moment quickly passes. As does your moment of fear. You are a dragon. A ruler of the skies. A god-like being of old, with the power to melt mountains and inspire legends. You fear nothing! Let alone a group of walking bones! You roar with sudden fury, and barrel forward, charging the group of walking dead head on.

The battle, if you can even call it that, is over in mere minutes. Despite his initial nervousness, Gray proves a natural born Rider, and the two of you make a truly devastating team. With his power fueling yours, you feel just a bit more of your old self return, and you crash into the horde of unsuspecting skeletons like a tidal wave upon the shore, tearing into them like a raging hurricane. The fiends never stood a chance. In fact, you almost feel sorry for the little buggers. Almost. The horde tries to mount some defense, but it is futile; their javelins and swords break harmlessly upon your scales like the tide on a cliff. You slash the nearest skeleton into dust with your claws, and in a single motion, you swing your mighty tail into another skeleton, sending it flying towards a far off tree. It never completes the journey however, as it explodes into dust mid flight. Without even pausing your stride, you launch a torrent of silver flame at the group of skeletons in front of you, scattering them like a bull in a tourist shop. All the while, Gray looses arrow after arrow from your back, and you must admit, you're slightly in awe at how good he is with that bow of his. He only fires one arrow per enemy, as that's all he needs. Every single arrow finds it's mark. Before long, the only enemy remaining is the leader: a skeleton larger than the rest, clad in ornate steel armor.

You don't even hesitate. With Gray at your side, you feel nigh unstoppable. You barrel into the Wight at full speed, sending a very surprised skeleton flying backwards. Huh. Can a bag of bones even be surprised? Well, you learn something new every day. The Wight lands on the soft earthy ground with shocking grace, rolling into a crouch. It wastes little time, immediately rising to it's feet and charging, it's lance glistening with deadly intent. And just like that, the battle is over. You unleash a scorching blast of fire, and a split second later, Gray looses a single silver arrow. Your blast impacts the Wight dead on, sending the fiend reeling to it's knees. A nanosecond later, Gray's arrow finds it's mark. The Wight crumples to the ground, a lone arrow protruding from the left eye socket in it's helmet. It vanishes with a substantial cloud of purple dust.

Admittedly a little relieved, you fly back to the clearing and land next to Gray's two companions, a little surprised to find them staring at you in awe. You lower your head, and Gray leaps off. A second later, you stand next to him in human form, your heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush of battle. "We need to search the perimeter," Gray says suddenly, and the older men nod.

Your heart slowly returns to it's normal pattern, and the last of the adrenaline leaves you. Your hunger immediately returns with a vengeance, and you realize the only thing you've had to eat in the last two days, maybe more, is a couple slices of dried meat. Still, you push your hunger aside, and turn to Gray. "You think there are more of those things out there?" You ask, exasperated.

You don't know if you have another battle in you, in your current condition... To your immense relief, he shakes his head. "No, I don't. But it never hurts to be careful. Han! You and Derin search the south. We'll take the north."

And with that, you find yourself tagging along behind Gray. You don't find any more of those things, or Risen as Gray calls them, but your search isn't entirely fruitless either. You find a couple magical items amidst the piles of black dust and charred ground. A beautiful robe, surprisingly left unscathed from the battle and it's former owner, and a small golden emblem in the shape of a shield. Both of which Gray gifts to you, and you only offer a token resistance to keep up appearances. You and Gray circle along the eastern side of the clearing, finally reuniting with Han and Derin back in the middle. It seems their search was equally fruitful. They found no trace of lingering enemies, but according to Han, they did find something interesting.

The hunter in question hands you another emblem, this one quite different from the one you found. It is gold, embroidery with silver, and shaped in the likeness of a dragon head. Where the eyes should be, are two of the most beautiful stones you've ever seen, memories or no. Each eye is an emerald the size of a small child's hand.

"I reckon that should fetch a pretty penny, eh?" Han says in delight, grinning like a buffoon. "Heck, that should feed our entire village for the next century!"

You shake your head sadly, feeling a little guilty. He's right. This alone could keep the children in their village fed for their entire lives. But... "I'm sorry. But... This is a totem of my people. Don't ask me how I know, or what that Risen was doing with it... But this could very well be the key to my past. I'm really sorry... But I need this. Please don't ask me to give it up."

Han looks disappointed, but Gray shoots him a stern glare, and he backs down. The young chieftain then turns to you, all trace of the arrogant young pup you met before having vanished. "Don't worry, Milady. You've done enough for us already. Now, I believe it's my turn to repay the favor. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You could lend me some food," you blurt out before you can stop yourself. Gray gives you an odd look, and you blush a bit. "Sorry. It's just I haven't eaten much in the past few days, only some dried meat, and I'm starving. Literally, I imagine. I was out hunting for game when I ran into you, and well..."

Gray's eyes have been growing wider as you spoke, and now they were comically large. "You can't be serious... Holy Origin. You are. You are serious." He shakes his head. "Come, I'll lead you to my village. I'll have a feast prepared in your honor. It's the very least I can do. After all, I'm partially responsible for your plight."

All sense of humility left you a while ago, and you quickly assure him that yes, it is the least he could do. Without another word, Gray and his two ever present guards begin the long trek home, with you at their heels. Gray effortlessly winds his way through the dense forest, and with the firm possibility of a large meal and warm bed in the near future giving you a spring in your step, you easily keep up with the brisk pace of the hunters. Your small party stops to drink and rest once, a little past midday, and you share a lunch of fresh venison over a small fire. With the ache in your stomach slightly quelled, and your weary limbs rested, the last leg of the journey is easy.

Gray's village comes into view just as the sun begins to set. You emerge from the northern edge of the forest at a steady jog, with Gray right beside you, and the other hunters not far behind. You aren't sure what you expected of Gray's village, but it certainly wasn't... this. It is a sprawling village of wood and stone houses, surrounded by large wooden walls. The walls form an oval shape around the buildings and inhabitants inside, and several tall watchtowers stand just behind the walls, affording the town sentries a superior line of sight. The only entrance to the village is a large gate of tough oak, reinforced with stone. However those Risen troubled this village is beyond you. It looks more like a military encampment.

In what you assume is the center of the large village is a particularly tall tower, only this one is clearly a Bell Tower, not a watchtower. Only moments after your party clears the forest, shouting can be heard from the Sentries on duty, and the bell is sounded. Gray smiles, and you notice the profound look of relief etched into his face. "We're home... Finally, we're home."