by Tony Corden
“Are you all ok?” She asked in the goblin patter.
The younglings said nothing and just stared. She swallowed her last health restore potion, a stamina potion and stood. The six goblins began to cower against the rock. Just then, another Chimera roared in the distance, and the younglings rushed as one to Leah and huddled in close. She gently pushed them behind her and turned to face whatever might arrive. She equipped the bow and waited. She could hear the animal approaching, and she took a step away from the goblins telling them to stay low and huddle close to the dead Chimera. Another Chimera stepped into the glade, this one was slightly bigger, huge wings like an eagle were folded along its flanks, and it had a lion’s head, a snake-head and a different shaped dragon’s head. This one was deep red, and small trails of smoke came from the nostrils. The tail was similar to that of the scorpion she met on her first day in Dunyanin.
AIR CHIMERA (Level 130) 16900 HP 6500 EP
Without waiting for the Chimera to attack she fired and her arrow pierced the eye of the snake and the Chimera’s health dropped to 70%. Leah cast Chain Lightning, and as it arced across the Chimera's body she cast Disc of Death, then Rain of Fire. She stepped close and fired an arrow into each of the twitching heads. Suddenly the younglings screamed, she turned expecting another attack but instead she saw them darting away from the first Chimera. Moving closer, she saw the belly of the creature move. She realised that the Chimera had been a female and was pregnant. Its unborn baby was in distress. Using her knife, she slit open the belly, and a small sac about the size of a basketball fell out. She stepped closer and used the knife tip to break the thick membrane; revealing a baby Chimera. Leah had just killed both its parents. Its central head was that of a black panther, on each side was a draconian type head, one like the mother and one the deep red from the father. Its tail was curled tight but resembled a scorpion; small wings fit snugly against its flanks. All three heads turned and looked at Leah. As it did she felt a tingle down her spine, and a message appeared:
Atherleah, a beast of Dunyanin has become attached to you. Chimera have the characteristics of many animals. Like many birds Chimera young often imprint on the first living thing that they see. This newborn Chimera cub has Imprinted on you.
Chimera can be trained to hunt and may be used as mounts. Chimera are fiercely loyal and will fight for those who are a part of their pride.
Will you accept this Chimera into your care as a pet, and a possible mount? You will be required to feed it (Mainly meat and at times Mana). As a pet you can bring it with you into other worlds, it can also be transformed for a time into a statue so that you can keep it hidden in your bag. Players are permitted a total of three pets within Dunyanin. These pets are a part of Dunyanin but will resurrect if killed after 48 hours should their owner so wish it. If you will accept this Air Chimera as your pet, then give her a name and pick her up: If not, then walk away.
Leah turned to the Chimera which was struggling to its feet and trying to spread its wings. She reached for it and said, “I’m sorry for your parents, but they were attacking kids. I give you the name Mĕi, which means beautiful.”
Picking Mĕi up, she had Gèng search the forums for what to feed the creature. Gèng responded that only seven people had ever been recorded as having Chimera as pets and the only information was that they ate meat, of any sort, from birth. She turned to the goblins who were all chattering excitedly. She said, “Are you all ok? Is anyone hurt?”
They quickly assured her they were ok and then one of the smallest said, “Can we see the baby?”
Leah brought Mĕi down to their level, and soon all were huddled around Leah and looking at the small creature which was gnawing at Leah’s hand with all three jaws. Leah said, “Look we need to get you all home. Where do you live?”
Again it was the smallest who answered, “We live in the village, we were out walking with our teachers, they were showing us how to gather herbs. Can you take us home?”
“I will take you close, but you need to help me when we get there otherwise your village might try and kill me. Will you try and stop them?”
The kids nodded and so Leah, after harvesting the two adult Chimeras, followed the directions and brought them to the goblin village. The village turned out to be the headquarters of the goblin raiders. As they got close, Leah sent one of the oldest kids ahead to explain what happened, she and the others continued to move slowly toward the village. When they arrived, there was a large contingent of Goblin warriors standing at the gates. Leah stayed back while the younglings rushed forward. One of the warriors came forward and said, “Our younglings say you saved them from two Chimera. What happened to the teachers who were with them?”
“I only got there after the first attack. I’m sorry, but the adults were already dead.”
“We thank you for our younglings’ lives, but many are afraid you will tell others of our home if we let you go.”
“I’ve been in the barbarian town, and they already know where you live, they simply lack the forces to attack you. All they want is that you stop killing their people and stealing their goods.”
“Humph, they say that we steal but what of our home? The land that they built their village on was ours, but they came and drove us away, is it wrong for us to punish them?”
“I don’t know the history, but have you ever lived anywhere except here, in your lifetime? If they left would you take over their homes? Do you need to steal and kill to survive? Can you blame them for what their ancestors did while you do the same thing to them? I can only see continual death for your people. This land is harsh, and it would be better to work together not separately.”
“So say our women, weak, and willing to forsake their honour.”
“No, they say this because they see their partners, fathers and children go and die. They say this not because they lack honour, but because they love their families. They have many solutions, but you have only one.”
“Humph, more foolish women talk. You may not enter, but we must pay our debt, what do you ask of us?”
“Tell me what do you know of Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi.”
“You seek the cave of death. We can honour our debt and have you die at the same time. Sit, and I will tell the story, then I will take you to the cave, and you will die.”
“Before the meteor fell, this land belonged to the great dragons, Y’sam Ejderhasi and his mate A’lev Sevgilisi. Several thousand years ago, Gunes, the giver of life to Dunyanin, the star, shot forth from his mighty fires a Star-stone with which to test the world. Y’sam and A’lev perceived the mighty rock from afar and rose to prevent the catastrophe. A’lev flew first, and with her mighty fires, she burst the rock asunder as it fell. Weary, she returned to their cave as Y’sam attacked with claw and wing. Most of the star-stone was broken and landed throughout the whole land, but three great pieces still fell. Two, Y’sam broke asunder before they landed on Mount Dusen. The last was heading to this Mountain, where Y’sam and A’lev had made their home. As his final act, Y’sam used his body to slow the rock, and though it killed him, it did not destroy the mountain, nor his love, but it did block the cave in which A’lev had gone to recuperate. She lives still, deep in the mountain, depleted of strength and surviving on creatures of the depths and any foolish enough to enter her lair. There is no way for her to escape, no way to regain her powers. The Star-stone still blocks the entrance and her mate’s broken and decayed body blocks her access to the stone. I will show you the way, but be warned, to enter the cave is to seek death with the Dragon Lord, by the claw of His Lady.”
The chieftain, the goblin who had come to talk with Leah, was convinced by his daughter, the youngest Goblin Leah had saved, to first give Leah some meat for Mĕi. After feeding Mĕi, they set off for the mouth of the cave. As they came to the outcrop of rock Leah had seen from the top of Mount Ucan she could see how a huge piece of the meteor had slammed into the rock face and then been buried as the top of the outcrop had broken off and
tumbled down to bury it. The chieftain brought Leah around the side of the outcrop to a small cleft in the rock and pointed to a cave hidden within.
“This will you bring you to the cave of death, so called as all who enter are destroyed. Should you return to our village, we will attack you. Please know that though I thank you for my daughter’s life, yet I will lead the attack. Maybe you are right about our need to change, but I cannot look on humans and elves without hatred, it is not our way.”
“Then your way is wrong. I'm half-elf and half-human, everyone despises me, even you. If I were like you, your children would be dead, and eventually, so would you, as I led a group to stop your banditry. Change and acceptance are always better than bigotry and hatred.”
Shrugging, the chief hurried away. Leah, after some searching by Gèng, worked out how to transform Mĕi into a statue and she was put away in Leah’s bag. Leah took a deep breath and entered the cave. A few steps in and she saw a portal shining in front of her. Stepping through she received a message:
Level 5 Dungeon Achievement: First 1 (1, Painite)
Atherleah (Level 122), you have entered the dungeon:
The Death Cave of Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi
You are the first player to access this area. This is your first, 'First 1 (Painite)’ achievement.
Reward 1: 5000 x 122 = 982100 (+61%) Experience Points (260000/260000) … (31420/280000)
Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience
Reward 3: 1 x 1 Diamond = 1 Diamond
Reward 4: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5% whenever you are in this Dungeon. During your first time in the Dungeon, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.
Fame: 5000 Fame Points (43600)
A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.
Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum. Do you wish to retain your privacy?
[Y] [N]
“Yes.”
Moving through the cave, she came to place where it divided into two. One path lead towards what she assumed was the blockage of Lord Y’sam, and the other led downward to where she figured the dungeon would be. She stepped toward the downward path and had moved maybe ten metres when she stopped. She decided to pay a visit to the place where Lord Y’sam had died to save his family, and the surrounding area, from devastation.
The diversion wasn’t long, and within ten minutes she could see the remains of the great dragon. He must have been over one hundred metres in length. Leah could easily have stood within his mouth when it was open. His deep dark green scaled skin remained, though she could see great rents in it where it had been torn open as he fought to destroy the Starstone. His bones were all still there though his flesh had long since decayed. Behind his body, she could see the enormous meteor which plugged the cave mouth. One of his wings and two legs had been crushed in the impact. She didn’t look for anything but simply stared and then in a sign of respect she knelt and bowed her head until it touched the ground. She rose and turned to retrace her steps only to find herself metres away from a deep dark carmine coloured draconian face which was just as big, but alive.
LADY A’LEV SEVGILISI - FIRE DRAGON (Level 654) 2,797,262HP (327,000EP)
Leah had no hope of defeating the dragon, so she bowed from the waist and said, “Please pardon the intrusion, my Lady, I was paying my respect for your mate’s bravery and sacrifice.”
She waited. The dragon made her wait much longer than she had ever waited before. It was almost twenty minutes and then she heard a heard a voice, dark and dangerous, it crackled and blazed like a forest fire and yet was only heard as a whisper in her mind.
“What do you know of sacrifice? Yes, he saved us, but for what? He lives now in that next realm, where he flies again under a scorching sun and bathes in the rivers of life and roosts on the mountains of ice, he hunts the great leviathan and feasts on the sweetest of meats. But we remain, I never feel the sun, nor bathe my itching scales, nor roost with the wind blowing eddies along my spines, and I eat carrion or the foulest of creatures. What good is sacrifice, if this is our lot? Answer me that?”
Leah dropped to her knees and again performed a deep bow of respect, “Lady A’lev Sevgilisi, I am full of sorrow that my words caused offence. I did not mean to cheapen your pain, but only to honour his life and death. I have no answer except that of my mother who always tell me, ‘It is always right to choose to do good’. I honour his choice.”
Again the silence was long and in some ways, it slowly began to overpower Leah until it became almost deafening, yet she stayed still and waited.
“Why did you enter my domain?”
“I am on a quest, I seek the dungeon to master it. But I shall leave, if this causes you more pain, for I will not contribute to your sorrow and agony.”
“My dungeon! Yes, my dungeon! Over the millennia I have built caves and rooms and trapped monsters to keep adventurers out. If they succeed they will leave with some small token of my treasure, but they will leave us in peace to mourn and suffer.”
“Please forgive my impertinence, but you say us. Are you not alone?”
At this, the dragon opened her mouth and breathed liquid fire at Leah, incinerating her in an instant. Leah’s ashes drifted in the sudden silence as the dragon watched.
The Phoenix potion activated, and in a column of fire Leah was resurrected without loss of experience. Her armour, clothing and possessions, even her accomplishment of never dying was intact. She stood once more before the dragon but this time said, “Calm down lady, that hurt. It was a simple question; you want to be mad, fine be mad, you want to wallow in self-pity, fine, wallow. But get a grip on the whole 'destroying others bit'. I wonder if Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi would still want to be around you if your always slinging fire around. I know I’d pack my bags and leave.”
Leah then began to walk past the dragon who opened her mouth to immolate Leah again. Leah reached out a hand and grabbing the dragons upper lip swung onto her muzzle as the first flames burst through below her. She grabbed Merdiven and brought it down as hard as she could, between the dragon’s eyes and was fairly pleased to see an HP metre appear. It flickered and then disappeared as the dragon recovered from the shock. Leah bashed her again and said, “Lighten up, you big red lizard, you’re starting to make me angry.”
The muzzle jerked upwards rapidly, and Leah tumbled to the floor where she fell awkwardly and did some damage to her knees. She turned defiantly toward the dragon, expecting another death by fire but found the mouth slightly parted and although smoke was issuing forth it was in small puffs. The dragon was chuckling. Leah stood slowly, and then using Merdiven as a crutch said, “It’s not funny; that hurt.” She healed herself.
A’lev said, “You use the magic of life, you heal. This was my mate’s strength. He always sought to heal. My strength is the flame; my heart is always in turmoil. He would often seek to temper my flames with his stories of hope. He would be saddened by my actions today against you. The answer you seek is this; before the Starstone fell I laid a clutch of eggs. I cannot leave them here, and I cannot leave without them. My wings are broken and have healed distorted and disfigured. I could dig my way out, but I have no way of taking the eggs safely with me if I am above ground. I would be killed quickly. I cannot hatch them here, and I will not take them to a certain death.”
“My Lady A’lev, I did not mean to remind you of your grief. Is there nothing I might do to help?”
“Can you carry six eggs as large as yourself. I think not. Could you travel to the Dragonbone Islands and once there place the eggs in the great chamber to bring on their hatching? No! I thank you for your offer, but this is beyond you.”
“My lady, I am able to carry six eggs, and if you show me the path, I will take it.” Then remembering her conversation with the mage Jonathan, she lowered her voice and said with the same intonation that he had, “You have my word and oath.” And there was a flash of green light. A message ap
peared:
Atherleah, you have made a magically Binding Oath to take the eggs of Lord Y’sam Ejderhasi and his mate the Lady A’lev Sevgilisi to the Dragonbone Islands should she give them to you and mark the way.
Reward 1: Your reputation with A’lev Sevgilisi is increased from Neutral to Respect!
Reward 2: 50000 Experience Points (81420/280000)
Consequences of failure: Should you break this Oath you will lose reputation with all individuals, factions and races and your reputation with Drangonkind will become Eternal Enmity.
The dragon glared at Leah and then, finally, after almost ten minutes she said, “I accept your oath and would ask two favours. First, you must take my mate’s heart-stone with you. Second, you must kill me and take my heart-stone.”
Leah asked, “Don’t you want to live?”
“But I will, I will live with my mate in the glorious lands. Our heart-stones will be returned to our people, and our lives might have greater meaning as they learn from us throughout the centuries. Will you do this for me?”
“My first reaction is no, but I accede, I do not understand what happens after death and will bow to your wisdom. But, I honestly don’t think I could kill you.”
“I will aid you in this. Now, in my mate’s remains, you will find a large dark green crystal about the size of your head. Whatever else you wish from his remains you may take, but this must be returned to the Isles.”
Leah walked over and inside the massive beast. Near the centre of what had once been his torso, she found the heart-stone and with some difficulty carried it back to A’lev and carefully put it in her bag. After taking a luck potion, she then harvested the remains.