The streets were filled with glittering powder snow that piled up against the walls of the few buildings that were dotted everywhere. The sun was just setting and the streets were completely empty. Nobody hurried through the crisp air to get home, no one headed for the Inn that sat proud on the street corner. It looked as though the town was deserted.
Then a small figure rounded a corner and stepped onto the main road, looking around. Jess walked slowly through the streets, wondering where everyone was, but of course, they were inside, huddled up close to their fires.
Not Jess though. She needed to get through the town, and so she cut down into a dark alley that snaked past several high walled buildings. She wasn't afraid of muggers, but was still shocked to suddenly find herself in the grip of three strong ruffians. Where they had come from, Jess didn't know. She was sure the alley had been empty when she had entered it.

'Well, well, well, what 'ave we 'ere?' the one holding her drawled, holding her up so they were eye level. The half-elf struggled and kicked, but her captive was too strong. 'This one's a fighter!' another sniggered and the three laughed uproariously. That was when Jess felt her foot connect with the mugger holding her.
For a moment, he just looked at her, dumbfounded, and she smiled. Then, slowly, his face turned red, then purple and he dropped like a stone to the ground, making strangling sounds. The other two looked at the fallen man, then back at Jess who had drawn a dagger and was watching them with flaming eyes. Then they both ran at her, howling and with swords drawn.
Dodging under the first swing, Jess rolled and found herself between the two attackers. They closed in and one swung his sword in a massive arc that ended suddenly when Jess ducked and he found his sword in the head of his friend. 'Yeah, that was skillful.' Jess smiled at him and promptly drove her dagger into his heart.
It was at that precise moment that five more men rounded the corner of the alley.
They all stopped dead, staring first at the girl with the blood coated swords, then at the three figures on the ground, two of which were obviously dead.
The ruffians drew their weapons, an assortment of swords, axes and daggers, and started to slowly creep forwards. Jess lowered herself into a combat position, but she knew that she was tired, and five more rouges could be just too much to handle.

Nofurye followed the young girl as she walked through the village. It was snowing and the sun was slowly sinking below the horizon. Rye was on his way home after spending his day at the inn. He had quite a few glasses of ale, but nothing a restorative potion couldn't handle. He was almost home when he saw a girl out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know why at the time, but he had a sudden impulse to follow the young harlot.

After ten minutes of following her, he spotted eight men behind a dumpster. They were waiting for someone to ambush and when they spotted the girl, they got up off there backsides and smiled. They smiled because this one was pretty and they did something different with the pretty ones. Three of them disappeared behind a building and the rest followed the girl, keeping out of sight. Rye quickly turned into an alleyway so the bandits wouldn't see him. He had a plan and he didn't have much time to prepare.

Rye walked quickly, taking off his robe and putting it in his bag. He knew a shortcut that would give him some time, but he had no idea where the girl was headed. He had to assume that she continued to walk down the main road. However, he had no idea when the bandits would attack. His plan was full of guesswork, but he wasn't too keen on fighting all eight of them.

He turned a corner and there in front of him was the girl being held by the three bandits. Before Rye could do anything to help her, she kicked the man holding her and killed him in an instant. The other two men looked surprised, but in less than a minute they were on the ground, either dead or severely injured. As Rye was about to approach, the other five men rounded the corner and were shocked at what they saw. They didn't fight back very often, but this one was different. They drew there weapons and approached the girl. It was time for Rye to carry out his plan, or the girl would die.

He put down his staff and then his bag as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. He had no time at all so he had to be very quick. He was nude, only his underpants keeping him half-decent. He didn't want to ruin his robe, so he decided to leave it behind with the rest of his stuff. His underpants would be ripped into a thousand pieces, but he wasn't that fussed. He had done this allot and the spell he was about to use was very dangerous in the wrong hands. When he first learnt it, he could change his face and that was it. However, after a hundred years of mastering the spell, he could change into virtually anything.

"Alter self"

Nofurye pictured a young red dragon. It had to be young so he could fit between the buildings, but it would still cause the same effect. As he changed, he lost control of his physical form. His imagination became reality and he turned into what he wanted to become. His body was still there and would come back when he wanted to or the effect wore off, but for now a visible dragon sat in the alleyway, ready to run around the corner and scare the attackers away.

Spinning her blades grimly, Jess watched the men draw closer. They were angry, a single girl had taken down three of their comrades and now she had to pay. Just before the ruffians reached her, the half-elf noticed something move out from behind a corner. She gasped suddenly and lowered her swords in amazement.
That more then anything was what made the bandits turn.
Unluckly for them, they found themselves staring straight at a brilliant red dragon that could just fit in the alley, his folded wings brushing the high walls. Naturally, the men turned to run, but found a small, very angry elf in their way. For a moment, nobody moved, then one of the brigands cracked and he threw down his weapon, babbling incoherently. Strangely enough, the others followed suit, until they realised two things.
One, the elf was no longer there, and two, the dragon was leaning over them, baring his teeth, hence the reason for Jess's quick departure.
Using the dragons arrival as a distraction, she had flipped up to the top of the tall building that lined the alley. From there, she watched the dragon chase the men down the alley, giving up when they dove into a narrow section where the red dragon couldn't follow.
That was when he looked up at Jess, who instantly assumed that he was still hungry, having caught none of the running men. She saw him lower his great bulk and realised he was preparing to take off. Jess dove backwards on the roof of the building as a great red blur rocketed out of the alley, alighting silently right infront of her.
Jess groaned. It had been a long day, first the travel to Estolad, then the muggers and now this. Drawing her swords again, she waited for the dragon to make a move.

Rye flew around the corner, glaring at the bandits. They looked back at him in horror, seeing a red dragon that could tear them apart in seconds. The dragon had moved closer to the men, scaring them even more. They could feel his hot breath on there faces and taste the fear that had fallen over them. They made a choice then and there, to drop there weapons and run as far away as they possibly could and never return. It was that kind of fear that destroyed the weak minded. Rye made sure the men got away, chasing them until they dove into a narrow section where he could not follow.

Ryes plan had been a success and he was relieved and happy that the girl had been saved. She was on the rooftop above, looking down at Rye with a look of curiosity and terror. Then it happened, he became twisted. His mind turned into something it wasn't and his naked body collapsed to the ground next to him. Rye didn't know how it happened, but it had never happened before. His body was supposed to be in another dimension until he called it back, but it had fallen out. However, what confused Rye was that he was still the red dragon, looking down at himself. Then it became real. Its insides roared and a huge weight fell on Ryes shoulders as his whole perception changed. However, what happened next changed everything. He lost control.

The red dragon awoke, spotting the girl on the rooftop above. It all happened in a millisecond and Rye didn't have a clue what was happening. He could see what the dragon saw and feel what it felt, but he had no control over its actions. He had given birth to a monster and he couldn't stop it. While he tried to reverse the effects by chanting a spell in his mind, the dragon leapt into the air, headed straight for the girl. She fell back on the rooftop, eyes wide with horror. Ryes thoughts suddenly stopped as the dragons thoughts took over. Evil surrounded its mind and all it wanted was food.

Yimanes polak zabiatese lon. Jokasitan pogsat nosert taleskinados.

It had contacted Rye, talking to him in the ancient dialect of the dragon kin. He had learnt that language some time ago but he still knew how to speak it. The red dragon was speaking to Rye, knowing of his presence.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to live again. You will not stop me this time. It's time for me to finish what I started one hundred years ago. You'll have to live with the pain of seeing me slaughter thousands of people without being able to do anything. You'll be able to feel the anger that has been buried inside of me and when you do, you'll be possessed by the forces of evil. You will only be released when I die and by that time, the world will be obliterated! You should never have underestimated my power. I said I'd be back and you know I never lie, so I guess I should start with my first victim. The time of Kashipesakish has come!

Rye shouted at Kashipesakish, but he didn't listen. He shouted with all his strength, but he still did not listen. He was going to be the reason for the worlds destruction unless someone did something about it. Kashipesakish was considered a god in Tanlopak and in a way, they were right. He was powerful and no mortal would be able to destroy him. As a young dragon, he might be marginally weaker, but the rage that possessed him was stronger than any other evil on earth. Rye tried to look away, but he had no choice but to watch as the dragon slowly moved towards the girl. She drew two blades and prepared for combat, but only magical blades can hurt Kashipesakish.

Just as the dragon was about to strike, Rye felt a sharp pain like no other he had felt before. Kashipesakish felt it even worse, groaning with pain. It had hurt him quite a lot and if it hurt him that much, the spell that hit him must have been powerful. Then a figure came flying towards them, two blades in his hands. Rye was too weak to see him properly and he didn't try. He just stopped and let himself relax, going into a trance. Kashipesakish was too distracted to stop him but Rye had no choice but to see what the dragon was seeing. All sounds disappeared and he could see the figure with two swords ready to fight the red dragon.

I wish you luck my friend

Crying out in surprise, Jess watched as a tall, angelic figure dropped out of the air before her, blocking her from the dragons might. A sudden blast of light flew from his palm, slamming into the red dragon who reared up in agony.
'Miss are you ok.... Hope you dont mind the help...' That was the angel and after a moments shock, Jess replied. 'Don't mind it?' she laughed grimly. 'I'd probably be dead if you hadn't come.'
Watching the dragon carefully as he dropped back to all four feet, the half-elf muttered something under her breath. In an instant, both her swords set alight, burning with magical flame. Not knowing how much use the fire would be against a dragon, she was sure it would be better then nothing.

Before either the dragon or the angel made a move, Jess darted across the rooftop, flaming blades at the ready. The dragon, too distracted with the arrival of the angel, didn't notice the small figure run right between his front legs. What he did notice, was a sharp pain in his underbelly that instantly burned white hot.
Below, Jess listened contentedly as he roared in anger and pain and withdrew her swords from the soft flesh underneath the dragon. She wasn't feeling so content once he grabbed her with a massive, clawed foot and lifted her, struggling vainly, up to his eye level.
As he moved her slowly towards his gaping maw, Jess growled something incoherant under her breath. Then she promptly burst into flame. Dropping to the ground as the dragon released her in pain and shock, Jess darted back to the angels side, escaping the furious dragons reach.

I will not be defeated!

Pain surged through Kashipesakish as the girl surged her swords into his underbelly. The weapons were enchanted with a fire spell and although Kashipesakish was a red dragon, fire had the same effect as other elements. The wound was very shallow, the dragons hard scales stopping the swords from going any deeper. No blood spilled from it, but it burned. It was as if he was sitting on a fire and Rye couldn't handle it much longer. However, he had no choice for he'd have to take the pain if there was any chance of destroying Kashipesakish.

The dragon lifted the girl with his claws, looking at her with rage. Rye thought she was going to die, the dragon lifting her up to his jaws. However, she wasn't as weak as she looked. She whispered a fire spell under her breath and burst into flames, Kashipesakish dropping her in an instant. The flames did nothing to his tough claws but it made him let her go. Kashipesakish was losing this fight, but he wasn't going to give up that easily.

They don't realize whom they're messing with. I am the obliterator and I will win this battle, no matter what these two beings throw at me. I have killed many angels before and I certainly love the taste of little girls, so this will be easy.

Rye felt a burning in his stomach. It became worse and worse and in seconds, it was unbearable. Kashipesakish started to rise, flapping his wings until he was high above the two figures. He was so high he could easily dodge any spell that came at him. However, they couldn't dodge his attack. A massive fire came out of his jaws, burning the entire building below. The blast was so strong it sent a warm breeze throughout Estolad. The temperatures were immense, as hot as the magma deep beneath the earth. Rye lost site of the figures as soon as Kashipesakish launched his deadly attack, but he knew they were still alive. He saw how quick the two were and they were quite smart. They would have been expecting a fire attack from the red dragon, but the attack was the strongest he had seen from any red dragon he'd fought in combat. Rye was expecting an attack from the pair, but so was Kashipesakish. He knew that the girl couldn't attack him from this high, but the angel could. Smoke poured from the building as it burned, creating a smoke screen. The dragon liked it, laughing to himself as he hovered, waiting for the angel to attack.

He is going to fly right into my trap and I pity him for It.

Rye knew this was true, but he didn't know what Kashipesakish was planning. All he could do was watch and hope the dragons opponents were victorious.

The angel came shooting through the smoke screen, ready to fight. Kashipesakish twisted towards the angel and shot a small fireball, hitting him head on. However, it didn't seem to hurt him. The dragon shot three more balls of fire but it did nothing.

I should have known! It's an illusion, used to distract me. That means the idiot has something else planned for me. All I can say is bring it on!

Then something amazing but scary happened. A massive plasma dragon came soaring down and grabbed onto Kashipesakish wing. The red dragon screamed in annoyance. Things just got worse for him and he knew it. As Kashipesakish tried to let go, the plasma dragon attacked with a wave of magma. It emanated from its mouth, hitting Kashipesakish on the torso. It seemed as though it was all over. The force of the blow knocked Kashipesakish out of the dragons grasp and he plummeted towards the ground. The scales on his back were fried and he was close to death. Rye could feel it and he was scared of what would happen when the dragon died. Would he be returned to his body or would he die with the dragon?

Kashipesakish hit the ground hard. He landed in the middle of the street. People screamed as they saw the beast from there houses and smoked filled the air as the fire spread. People were throwing buckets of water on the massive fire, but when the dragon thumped on the ground, they ran. Besides, buckets had no chance of putting the fire out. The dragon breathed heavily as he tried to stand.

This isn't the end of me! I have lost this day but we are getting away from this place. Once I get my strength back, I'll be out of this pitiful village in minutes.

And with that, the dragon stood on its feet.

No, you can't leave. You don't have enough strength to fly and you will be hunted down and killed. Go back to the underworld and except defeat. There is a time when every living thing must rest and your time is up Kashipesakish.

"Beast... you have done too much damage upon this world for me to just let you go. In the names of Lothlómendil, the Goddess of Life and Avénnian, The Guardian of Holiness. I shall strike thee down."

It was time. Either Zenith or Kashipesakish would be victorious. The angel removed his cloak and revealed a full set of resplendent armour. This didn't intimidate Kashipesakish one bit; it just made him more excited.

I like a challenge. Just me and him, no interferences. This will be exciting.

Finally, two blades became visible in the angels hands. They looked extremely powerful and Kashipesakish didn't like it one bit. He wanted to fight the angel, not his equipment. They looked into each others eyes once more before they engaged in combat. Zenith ran across the roof and jumped through the air, spreading his wings and gliding towards the dragon. When he was close enough, he tucked his wings into his body and fell through the air towards Kashipesakish.

It happened in a second. Zenith attacked the dragon, striking at his back. However, Kashipesakish was expecting this and moved out of the way of the swords. Before the angel hit the ground, Kashipesakish used his thick tail to hit him in the stomach. He was thrown against a wall, hitting it hard. A few brave people watched the battle from a safe distance, praying for the brave angel that was fighting the beast. Kashipesakish looked towards the angel a few seconds after he hit the wall. Zeniths armour was tough but so was Kashipesakish tail.

Blade watched as the two people werw fighting each other as he was careful not to get into the fight but was visible to them. he knew that they didn't want interferance. he had come from flying a great distance when he had seen the fight so he stopped down to watch the fight. he hoped taht the older man would be able to make it out alive so taht he could ask him a few questions about his style.

Kashipesakish saw the two missiles as they hurtled towards him. They would hit him in a matter of seconds so the dragon had to think fast.

I hope you don't mind me using your spells. Sorry, I have no choice.

The dragon quickly drew the slow spell from Ryes mind and cast it towards the two missiles. It gave Kashipesakish just enough time to get out of the way as Zeniths spells drifted to the ground. Before the dragon had time to gather its thoughts, Zenith appeared beside him. He had a dagger in one hand and a magnificent sword in the other. Kashipesakish tried to dodge the angel as his dagger plunged into the dragons’ belly. It weakened him immediately, poison flowing through his veins, taking his life away.

That dog, he poisoned me! He used a shadow dagger and its poison is deadly. If I must die, I will take the angel down with me!

Steam blew out his nose as he took to the air. He wasn't sure if the angel followed him or stayed on the ground, but it wouldn't matter. He couldn't defeat the angel head to head, so he had to find a way to attack from the shadows. The sun was gone and the only light was coming from the smouldering building.

Kashipesakish flew higher and higher until he was above the clouds of smoke that filled the air. He wouldn't be able to stay airborne for much longer so he had to act fast. His wings were getting weak and if he didn't land soon, he'd fall out of the sky.

I must taste victory before the poison takes me and I must drink the blood of my foe. Then I will go to the underworld, never to return to the realm of Arda. However, I will not leave before I crush the angel that has doomed me for eternity. You out of all people should understand my will Nofurye. It will be done and you will help me, understand.

Rye couldn't believe what he was hearing. Kashipesakish was asking him for help. Nevertheless, what scared Rye was that a part of him wanted to help the dragon. He couldn't handle it anymore. Kashipesakish evil was so strong that it chewed at Rye ever since he came in contact with the dragon. It wanted him to embrace the powers of evil but Rye was strong enough to resist. Now it became too much.

I will help you Kashipesakish. However, you must let me go after we defeat the angel and you must go to the underworld. I will stop fighting and start giving and that might be the difference between winning and losing. You will not feel a strain in the back of your mind but instead you will feel power. You will win this fight Kashipesakish...

"I WILL SLAY YOU DRAGON!!!"

The scream could be heard from below as the angel catapulted himself through the air towards Kashipesakish. It was so strong and powerful that it sent shivers throughout the dragons body. The dragon waited for the angel to appear so he could send a fireball straight at him, but before the angel appeared, a magic attack came flying through the smoke. The angel appeared a few moments later, flying at an even greater speed. This caught Kashipesakish by surprise. He kept his eyes on the missile that was just metres away, swerving to the left as it flew towards him.

"Try dodging both of these then beast!!"

This caught the dragon by surprise. While he was pre occupied with the spell Zenith had launched at him the angel had landed on his back, ready to crush the dragon with one fell swoop. Kashipesakish rolled through the air, trying to dodge the missile and get the angel off his back at the same time. However, the angel held on to his back and hit him in the back with another attack. It was devastating. The holy magic hit him in his right wing, leaving a small hole in the membrane. Then the sacred hand ability hit aswell, from point blank range.

THIS CANNOT BE! I will not rest until Zenith is crushed beneath my feet, but it will not happen this day. However, I promise you this, I will make him pay! This is not the end of Kashipesakish

It was all over, Zenith was victorious. The red dragon slowly faded away, the wind blowing the evil to the underworld. The heroic angel had destroyed an evil that would have meant chaos for Arda and he did it in the most prestigious way possible. The dragon had been sent to the underworld, but evil could never be destroyed.

It was dawn as Rye awoke, his body completely naked. He lay next to a charred building, little to no fire still visible. The smoke had almost cleared and the cold suddenly hit Rye as he stood up.

My robe, I hope it's still in one piece. I don't want to be walking home in the nude now do I.

Rye was freezing to death as he found his robe and all his belongings around the corner. He quickly put the robe over his head and grabbed his staff, smiling as he did so. He didn't know why it took so long to find his body, his spirit drifting through the smoke as he tried to find the old thing. It took him all night, but finally he found it where he had left it. He was happy to be free of the dragons grasp, knowing that if he had stayed any longer the evil would have possessed him even more. He was happy that Kashipesakish was dead, but he had no idea what Zenith did and where he went after the battle.

I must thank the courageous angel that saved so many lives last night. However, today is not that day.

Rye thought this as he walked back to his small home on the outskirts of Estolad. He had alot of work to do and he knew that what had happened was virtually impossible.

Obviously not.

Rye chuckled as he continued down the street, his body covered in ash from the fire.

I think I need a wash.