Eiyuu Kishi Den

Four shadows came down the path the two traitors took, moving as quickly as the wind and quieter than the woods. The four shadows, one for each element stood around the two sleeping spell-weavers, simply waiting for them to wake...

As they approached the ruby top of Shatterstar with a soft red light that woke Liriel up, as she stirred silently and hauled her tired body up she saw four shadows. "Father, you should see this. We are not alone."

Ariakan himself stirred and woke up within a few minutes, replacing his mask to keep his scarred face from being seen he looked up. The Mithril of the mask gleamed in the firelight as the shining silver and ruby gauntlet that sat on his right forearm caused the dying light of the campfire to refract from it's surface, he then spoke. "Who are you and why are you here? Identify yourselves and your alliances..."

Liriel stood ready remembering what she was taught she was ready to defend herself, then Shatterstar spoke. "Mistress Liriel, they do not seem a threat and they each seem of a different element. Last I encountered a sight like this was the chaos generals, but your father I am sure told you all about it." Liriel looked at the staff with a glare as it went silent, Shatterstar inwardly sighing as he knew that she would be like her father.

"We are the four shadows." The tall woman spoke up. "I am Arashi, the Wind-Shadow, Kazekage in our language."

The taller male figure stepped up next. He gently shook a layer of sand off his robes. "I am Amon, Tsuchikage, Earth-Shadow."

The second female, shorter and wrapped in similar robes as the first two, only hers were dramatically shorter than the former. "My name is Suiren, Mizukage, Water-Shadow."

Finally, the last figure stepped forward, he did not dress similarly with the others who had white robes trimmed with the color of their element.

The last man dressed fully in black and studied the two of them carefully before speaking. "I am Shyura, Hokage, Fire-Shadow." Shyura offered his right hand towards Ariakan. "As one of the powerful sorcerer families we offer you a chance to take our side in the coming war. As one to stand above the 'normal' mortals. What is your choice?"

Ariakan and Liriel nodded as they listened, this war confirmed what the winds had been carrying. "Where do we meet? We willing to help you, once my actions are discovered it would not be safe here anyway. I am Ariakan Nightwing, and this is my daughter Liriel."

He then relaxed and then waited for a response as he prepared for the trance before his transformation. Liriel stepped aside and watched her father as she looked to the shadows. "We can be ready to travel very soon, the other families will hunt us down in time. My father and I seek something more in our travels too, knowledge hidden from us which could unlock secrets of the families past." As she spoke Ariakan already was in a deathlike trance as a black sphere of energy engulfed him and started growing, this time it grew faster than before as the darkness of chaos smothered the remnants of the fire.

The four waited until the two were ready in silence. Once the daughter had made it known that they were prepared the wind-shadow turned towards the forest and raised her arms. The wind began to pick up, churning and turning through the thick woods. The wind soon became a storm, tearing down several of the smaller trees and spreading the ash through the forest. A shadow began to approach them, fire burning above it.

The mass of wood and metal came to a slow halt, the flames above it finally giving a clear view of its shape. A large black ship that hovered over the ground, thick mast towered into the sky, also black sails waving in the wind. The figurehead of the ship in the shape of a open-jawed dragon.

"Our ship is ready." Arashi commented softly, lowering her arms. "Are we ready to go home?" As the ship appeared the sphere of black was at it's peak, out of the orb of chaos energy a black for shot into the air with an eerie, evil sounding screech of warning.

Liriel looked up at the ship then to her father who hovered in the air and watched Alania, once again releasing a distinct reptilian screech of hate towards the city he landed. An aura of death hovered around the huge dragon, one hundred and fifty feet long and an eighty foot wingspan. The ground as he landed shook a little and his feet left a section of forest crushed into the ground...

"We're ready, I will travel alongside until I can no longer hold my form. Liriel you go on the ship for now, I need to stretch my wings once every while."

Liriel held their packs as she nodded and drew the hood of her cloak, ready for the long sojourn to this new land where they could live without fear. As soon as the clan leaders and Liriel had boarded the ship rocked briefly before turning slowly. Several more trees had been crushed under its hull as it turned. With a loud creak it began its voyage towards the ocean, turbulent wind created behind its sails...

Ariakan flew near the ship, the steady rhythm of his wings and cool night air reminding him of the freedom this form brought. As he crossed over villages along the way he went low and let his shadow engulf them, that night villages in his path knew a fear which was unnatural. By the time they had just gotten off of the coast Ariakan landed on the deck and leaned heavily against his staff, looking at Liriel. "Perhaps the tales were right, now I must rest from the flight. Once we have arrived I will continue your lessons, you must be strong to survive the upcoming war. Strong to carry on my name..." He had left out the fact he knew when he would die, and as always from under that mysterious Mithril mask he didn't look into others eyes. He had good reason to.

* * *

At that same time as they prepared to leave Akaria and Danthiir's carriage shuddered as the horses acted like something was wrong at the sound of the faint cry in the air. "Find them, this is not my war I just want to find peace now. I am sorry Danthiir, but I know I will not survive this season..."

Looking at his mother Danthiir sat there silently keeping his pain hidden, he knew she was dying from his fathers actions. She now seemed so sad, and like she had lost all hope.

* * *

He then leaned on his staff, Liriel was always feisty, but then the past few years Ariakan had changed. There was that minor incident which he seemed more sinister, perhaps he had been too trusting then. "If you wish I will gather what I know of the skull dragons so that at least there can be some defenses in place for when this war starts, I should have enough information."