Darak's last adventure - Part 1

* Writer's Note: This is not the last tale of Darak's I am going to write: it's just the... end of his journeys, for a long time at least. I decided to split it in two just to create some... suspence. So read on and you'll understand what I mean... *

Many years had passed from my arrival to the Iliac Bay; I had overcome many dangers, fought dangerous enemies and practiced all my skills to the greatest extent one could possibly reach, to the point that I feltthere were no more challenges for me to face. It was then I had heard rumours of a dragon - a real, huge dragon, not the usual dragonlings I had encountered so many times delving into dungeons - living somewhere in a region of the Dragontail Mountains (could you imagine more proper a place?).

It was what I had long waited for. I had spent too long a time in the the Crimson Blades Castle, writing my memories and taking care of the library, that I decided to go there and investigate the matter not with a teleport spell but riding my faithful steed Blacksmoke. I saddled the horse and mounted... it was like years before: just me, my stallion, a world to explore and just the sky as a limit...

The journey was pleasant, though uneventful: I would have liked to do some hacking and slashing with wandering brigands or orcs, but nobody tried to attack me, so I simply enjoyed the landscape and the merry atmosphere when I stopped at the inns on the way. It took me a bit more than two months to reach the area of the Dragontail Mountains I knew the dragon was hiding. As soon as I began asking some townsfolks about it, I realized the mistake I had done choosing to go by land: though quite reluctant at first, they revealed me that a dragon was indeed terrorizing a small settelement not very far from there: the villagers were scared for once a year, on a given date, it "paid them a visit" and requested them to sacrifice a young boy or girl to it: the poor thing was clutched in the dragon's claws, never to be seen again... unfortunately, that particular date was two days before!!!

I hurried to that village, gallopping as fast as I could but, obviously, I arrived too late... It took me a long while to convince the people to tell me about the dragon and which direction it was headed to, for they didn't want a stranger to know about their infamous practice; at last, though, they admitted that three days before the monster had swung down from the south and disappeared in that same direction after grasping the girl chosen for that year...

As soon as I heard the information, I jumped on Blacksmoke and headed towards the southern peaks. The dragon had a considerable advantage, but I knew it to be a creature highly "imbued" with magic, so I tried to track it down using magic myself... I muttered a spell of detection and immediately I could sense a faint trail of raw power stretching in front of me, far above. I decided to leave there my steed (also because I didn't want him to hinder me, should he bolt at the sight of the dragon), so I let him loose and drew my majicka to lift myself from the ground and flutter in the sky, following the traces...

I had to travel for an entire day, but each minute I felt the trail intensifying, so I was sure to be on the right way; at dawn I arrived in a place whose beauty and stillness stunned me: in the midst of high mountains a narrow valley stretched out, occupied for the most by a lake: its waters shimmered like crystal in the light of the rising sun, but what really struck me was the high waterfall   that formed it, flowing downwards shrouded in the astonishing rainbow it helped create...

I remained still for a minute, contemplating htis wonder of nature... then I shook myself, remembering what had brought me there. The trail was there, strong, and it cut right through the waterfall, at the middle of its height. A well hidden lair, no doubt...

I took a deep breath: the most powerful opponent I had ever faced was there; my only advantage was the surprise...

I enshrouded myself in a cloud of invisibility... not that I thought it could fool the dragon; anyway, I felt safer with it. I also shielded myself with a spell, to prevent getting wet, then I slowly levitated towards the waterfall and through the opening behind it...

A large cave opened before my very eyes; a dim light came from the opposite end but, apart from this, the rest of the lair was wrapped in complete darkness; I tried to make out the shape of the dragon with my dark-elven sight, but there was absolutely no trace of it. I looked up above my head, fearing an ambush, but to my relief, it was not lurking there either. So I decided to step closer to the light, stealthily and silently. There I noticed a human shape: it was the girl the dragon had kidnapped, and she was still alive, though chained to the wall with a pair of manacles.

As I was approaching, she lifted her head, looked at me hopefully and whispered: "Please, noble adventurer, free me: the dragon could come back in moments". I was about to set her free when I realized something was very wrong: how could she see me if I was invisible???

"You are not fooling me, dragon. Reveal yourself and prepare to fight"

A malicious grin appeared on the face of the girl: "So, you are relly as smart as I expected, Darak Shadowblade" and while she was pronouncing these words the manacles disappeared.

"How do you know my name?" I replied, quite startled.

"Oh, I know so many things of you you would never imagine... but most of all I knew you were coming here. How stupid of you! How could you ever think of defeating a dragon? Your magic won't help you, nor will your weapon. I'm far too powerful for you, elvenling!" she roared with a voice that now was no more human.

"This we shall see. Prepare yourself!" I said confidently drawing my Dai-Katana; in fact, though, I was blaming myself for my foolishness... but now there was no time for regret: I decided I would attack with my sword and defend with magic.

The dragon, still retaining the likeness of the girl, tossed its head back and burst out in a deep, chilling laughter; then he looked at me and streched out its hands, launching a bolt of raw majicka towards me. I immediately murmured a shield spell, but the force of the discharge made me stagger back. I would not be able to resist to another blow like that, but maybe I could... I had no time to think: a second energy bolt, more powerful than the previous one was about to strike me. I launched another shield spell, but I tried to focus it only in front of me, instead of creating a globe around my body... It worked: the barrier was more resistant and I could block the shaft of energy. The girl stared at me malevonlently, then with a sneer, she released so much majicka that my shield could not withstand; it dissolved in a flash of light, making me blind for some moments, but I was unharmed.

A couple of seconds later  regained my sight and saw that the girl was still in front of me, smiling...

"My congratulations, Darak. You have been a worthy opponent, thougher than I imagined. I could not choose any better..."

I tried to understand what those words could mean, but she was about to cast an energy dart for the third time. I erected the barrier in front of me and...

I felt the hair standing on my neck as I realized the mistake I had committed: the shape in front of me dissolved in a rain of sparkles: it was just an illusory image!!! She had moved behind my back during the instants while I was blinded and had created that simulacrum!!!

I just heard a loud detonation before darkness surrounded me...

* Is Darak dead or what? You will read it soon, in the second part of this story *