League of Dragon Riders: The Beginning of the End

Deadly

"The end of the world?" Jasmine asked as she leaned against the table. We had made it back to the castle in one piece, fortunately.

"That's...what she told me," I said as I ran a hand through my hair. Potts placed a bowl of stew in front of my and ran a hand through my hair before leaving to get everyone else's.

"But...Asher survives?" Jade asked. The baby sat on her lap with his hands in her short hair. My, was he getting big.

"That's what she said," I told her. A small smile spread across her face.

"No one is going to die," Felix said, as he slammed his fist on the table.

"No?" Nathaniel asked, his face grim, "how do you suppose we outwit an Alter- demon?"

"I-" Felix started and looked at all of our grim faces, "we can't just give up!"

"He's right," Jasmine said as she rubbed her eyes. She glanced over at me and took a deep breath.

"And I never said I was," I told her, "we just need to accept that chances are slim."

"Chances have always been thin with us," Jade said, "we'll make it through."

"What's the plan?" Nathaniel asked bitterly, "there are no weapons of man that could harm her. None that I know of anyway."

"Is there anyone else who would know?" I asked.

"Well," Nathaniel said as he played with a knife, "the people who...taught me to do what I do, they might have an idea."

"Where?" Felix asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"You're not going to like it," Nathaniel said, "it's in the west. In the old Valmire palace."

There was a collective gasp throughout the room. I raised an eyebrow at the looks of terror in the others faces.

"Valmire?" I asked and the room grew quiet.

"You've never heard of Valmire?" Jade asked.

"No," I told her, feeling subconscious.

"You must have lived a sheltered life," Jade said with a shake of her head, "years ago, before there was the Dragon Wars, there was the Great Wars. We people are a feisty bunch. There was never really peace. When the kingdoms were strong and people had someone to answer to, they never got along. They all had different beliefs. Like most believed that dark magic should not be used.  Well, that was the one thing everyone agreed upon. Valmire was...an old city when magic wasn't frowned upon it was full of people practicing all kinds of magic. At the time of this war, however, the city was slowly dying and the only thing practiced there were the dark arts.

"When they stormed the city, they murdered what was believed to be the last of the population. Sure, some were cursed to horrible lives, but that didn't stop the blades from cutting them down. Now, city resides, forgotten, in the dark mountains in the west. The one's that no one travels has ever traveled to. That place is cursed and darkness spews from it like a river, seeping into the land and cursing all that used to call the mountain home."

"Mom," Jasmine spoke up, "said that there was this great necromancer that lived in the ruins of the city. That he was the one who spread darkness and disease."

"Great," I muttered, "we have to talk an evil necromancer into helping us."

"Yes," Nathaniel said, "that's not the only problem."

"What?" I asked.

"The journey there is...well, let's say deadly."