“Some people rarely stop to consider the cost of their actions. You could say that they don’t stop at all. Considering, pondering… nothing may stand in their wicked path.

People like that are dangerous, and they should be dealt with with an intensive re-education or swift execution. The things I saw during these years… I’ll never forget them.

We must take measures, and we must do it now!”

-Witchfinder Garkon, Valkanian Paladin.

Nashariel pov

Outside of the Willow, the temperature got chiller and chiller with the passing of days. Some nights, Nashariel’s breath formed small white clouds in front of her.

The village they sought was a bit more than a week distant in elven terms, so probably around two for the four of them. The group had gotten much better at traveling, but they couldn’t hope to match dedicated hunters who grew and lived here all their lives.

Halfway in, Nashariel smelled something burning. She instantly stopped the group, then rose in flight. Watching where the village was supposed to be, she noticed a few thin trails of smoke, and a patch of trees completely missing.

“Guys, how’s your [Fire resistance]?” Nashariel asked, landing.

Something in her tone unsettled her friends.

“I have [Elemental resistance] maxed out.”

“Lvl 12”

“Lvl 8”

Nashariel shifted into her dragon form. “Prepare to spend something on them. We got another Warband ahead of us.” Gray electricity coursed through her. “Fast, there might be some survivors!”

The group climbed on her without a sound, save for a minor wince once Nashariel’s electricity damaged them the first time.

Once they hold tightly, Nashariel got a running start, then soared. The possible presence of survivors outweighed the risk of getting attacked mid-flight.

Secondary mind, charge up everything you can!

/Acknowledged/

Nashariel felt her resources draining faster, but she didn’t let it stop her. She beat her wings as fast as she could, using the current as her new skills told her to.

Hours later, they successfully repelled several fliers who had tried to take a bite out of them.

Nashariel’s mana was periodically exhausted, while her stamina ran low. Veliel’s new songs were a lifesaver since they helped the dragoness to keep her resources up to an acceptable degree.

Other than that, a grim silence had fallen upon the group. They grew much stronger in these months, that’s true, but the nightmares of that inferno had never left them. We had so many people to support us back then… I hope that this time we’ll be enough. Her friends weighed heavily on her back. No matter the cost, I’ll protect you!

Hours later, Nashariel was forced to land, heaving for breath. She covered a few days' worths of distance, but she had also spent everything doing so. Arriving only to get incinerated made no sense, even if that grated on her nerves.

The air was heavy. The group forced something down their throats but hardly tasted the food.

“What’s the plan?” Dan finally asked.

“We go in, see what’s the situation, try to find someone who’s still alive, then we kill the Warband.” There wasn’t much else to do, really.

“They might have gone away already.” Said Dorel.

“That would be welcome, wouldn’t it?”

Only the sparse cries of the forest answered her.

“Could we try to burrow underground?” Asked Veliel.

Nashariel shook her head. “I have no idea of the village’s layout; I could make an entire house collapse on us.”

“Damn.”

Secondary mind, prepare to upgrade my [Dragon’s breath] if things go south. Nashariel had other skills and attunements that she looked forward to, but in a life or death situation? A third Tier skill was nothing to scoff at.

/Acknowledged. It would be advisable to max [Omnidragon physique], instead/

No. I’m resistant enough as it is, but we lack damage by ourselves.

/Acknowledged. Secondary mind is ready to assist/

An uneasy night’s rest later, the Templars were on the move once again.

Nashariel had tasked the secondary mind with keeping all her resources permanently filled. She endured a semi-permanent headache and nausea, but it was a necessary evil.

With her team on her back, she dashed towards the village.

From above it looked much similar to Althei, down to the last building. Despite the smoke, it seemed… normal. Nothing was out of place, as even the elves calmly walked into the city.

Less than a day before arriving, Nashariel stopped mid-air. “Did we… overreact?” She asked, making a few scouting rounds. The people below didn’t seem to notice her.

“Maybe?” Shouted Dan. “I can’t see the smoke anymore. Maybe they were cold or somethin’?”

Nashariel rolled her eyes.

“Let’s approach on foot. Maybe they defeated the dragons.” Proposed Dorel.

Makes sense… but we saw how many of them pelted a dragon. Let’s hope for the best. Nashariel deactivated her skills, slowly dropping a few hours away from the village. They rested for a few minutes, especially Veliel, who kept singing for hours on end.

They marched, wary of what awaited them.

The entrance of the village was guarded by a single Ranger. She welcomed them in after a single glance.

Strange, aren’t they a suspicious bunch? Nashariel mentally shrugged. Maybe not everywhere.

The group walked inside. The village itself was quiet, but people were peacefully strolling on the streets, as Nashariel had seen a moment before. Some were surrounded by what the group presumed to be their kids.

Nashariel scratched her itchy eyes. Damn, it’s not healthy to stay charged up like that.

Following the layout of the previous village, the Templars found themselves in the central plaza. Again, nothing seemed amiss. There was even a small fountain depicting a naked elven woman pouring the water in it, where some couples sat.

Nashariel wasn’t convinced. “I know I saw the smoke. Where is it?”

“Maybe their druid is skilled and rebuilt everything?”

“A Warband might not stop for as long as we thought.” Wrote Veliel.

Maybe. Possibly? I don’t think so… “Should we search for the local druid?”

The others nodded.

Nashariel approached a couple. “Excuse me, do you speak common?”

They looked at her without saying a word.

Guess not. She made a small apologetic bow, then talked to other people.

Few of those who answered her replied with a groan. Nashariel was quick to walk away from those.

Others shook their head. “No, I’m sorry young lady.” Replied one of them. He shivered. “It’s so cold these days…”

“Yeah, there are a lot of Ice monsters lately.”

“Oh… perhaps I should eat something, then.” The elf walked away without another word.

Yeah, this village is strange alright.

“She’s busy with something, these days. What about you stop in our inn? It’s cold these days, perhaps you should eat something.” Told them an old lady.

Nashariel was eerily reminiscent of the guy from before. “S-sure. Miss, may I ask what happened here? We saw lots of smoke from afar.”

The elf stared into her eyes. "Oh, people were cold, nothing more."

She pressed on. “But where are the burned things?”

The lady didn’t avert her eyes. “Perhaps I should eat something too…” she walked away.

Okay, that’s too much. “Guys, something isn’t right with these people.”

The others huddled a little closer to each other. “What do we do?”

Nashariel looked at the sky. It was close to the evening. I could swear that it was earlier a moment ago. I don’t like this, not one bit. She shrugged. “Let’s go to the inn. We’ll search the druid tomorrow morning. I don’t buy the ‘it was cold’ thing.”

“I mean; I was joking when I said it. I don’t buy it either.” Dan winced.

The group asked for an inn. There were two in the city, and the closest one was near the fountain. The wind howled, and some of the villagers looked at the rising moon with sad gazes.

The itch on Nashariel’s eyes became more insistent. This place is the worst!

The door creakingly opened, showing the group a normal dining room. A few waitresses brought plates and mugs to the various guests.

Seems normal enough. Nashariel and friends approached the counter, where one of the fattest men they had ever seen filled the serving plates. “Hello, do you speak common?”

The elf nodded.

“We would like something to eat and one room for four.”

“There’s nothing to eat.”

Nashariel pointedly stared at the various plates still being served. “Uh, are you sure?”

“There’s nothing to eat.” The man repeated in the same monotone voice.

“Oookay then. The room?”

“The first on the right is empty.”

The dragokin thanked the man. Before they walked halfway up, the innkeeper talked again.

“Don’t worry about the cold; it will be warmer soon.”

Shivering, the group entered their room.

"What the fuck is the problem with these guys?" Angrily whispered Dan.

“I have no idea. I bet that this is involved with the problem foreseen by the fairies.”

“No shit, boss.” Dorel sighed. “Sorry, I’m nervous.”

Nashariel tapped him with her tail. “Astill knows we all are, don't sweat it! I'll keep watch all night," she raised a hand to block Veliel's protests. "I'll rest after this is done; I have a very bad feeling."

The priestess nodded. “Me too.”

The dragokin opened her mouth to talk-

And a roaring shattered the calm.

Instantly, the whole group stood armed and ready.

Outside the window, they saw a trio of massive dragons descending on the city.

Terrorized elves screamed, all running for their lives.

The largest dragon landed, the impact so heavy that the glass of the team’s window shattered, all the fragments tinkling on the ground. Nashariel hid her body and the team behind her wings.

She jumped out of the window, purposely breaking everting possible for the others. Once mid-air, she transformed. “Rescue the villagers!!!” The dragoness shouted. “I’ll deal with them!”

Nashariel didn’t stop further. She shifted into Lightning, charging up her Approaching storm. The dragoness dashed, beating her wings faster and faster. The dragons didn’t notice her.

She unleashed her breath on the duo behind while clawing at the titanic red dragon's throat. He was easily twice her size.

Her hand passed through its target without leaving a scratch.

The sight forced Nashariel to pause for a moment. What the…? She noticed that her breath didn’t have any effect either.

The dragoness tried again and again.

The dragon, a male, spoke elven words without care. He didn't even notice her.

Nashariel activated her damaging aura at full power. The electricity poured out of her like a river. The ground vaporized, and even she had to squint her eyes for a moment. Still, nothing changed but the dragon talking with someone below them both.

She retreated, gaining some altitude. The trio spoke arrogantly with a druid who gripped her staff so hard that her knuckles whitened. She too shouted some words back.

The dragon answered by breathing flames so hot that the ground melted. The druid screamed defiantly, even when her flesh incinerated on her bones.

The fire dragons then wreaked havoc on the rest of the city.

Powerless, Nashariel watched as everything unfolded in front of her eyes. Every villager even just slightly touched by the flames, died, the fires refusing to let them go, even after one elf threw himself in the fountain.

Even the inn behind them was similar to a torch at midnight, showing every unfolding horror with trembling clarity. Nashariel noticed that the room they had chosen was ash.

As abruptly as everything started, everything returned to normal.

She darted where she smelled her friends. She found them staring at the dissolving forms of an elf, who regenerated back, standing as nothing happened.

Nashariel stood, dumbfounded, while elven villagers did the same in every angle of the city. What the fuck is wrong with this place?!

/Data suggest… undead. Please, primary mind, use your [Radiant sight]/

Nashariel hastily obliged.

*Spirit/Illusion-Elven echo Lvl -

An echo of an elven villager, present thanks to an unknown source of magic. Completely innocuous, until its master decides to manifest its combat form. You may forcefully dispel this sorrowful echo if you can dissolve the source of magic.

Radiant sight offers additional details.

This echo is a trapped soul whose unable to go on. It’s held back by something in this village.

Search the blockages.

Destroy.

Them.

All.

This innocent soul will thank you but beware of spiritual damage. After all, the power in control won’t hold back anything to protect itself. *

Nashariel shifted into Radiance, activating [Radiant sight] at full power. The whole village looked trapped by a glowing array of magic, with some points glowing particularly brightly.

It reeked of Curse magic.

She descended on her friends, returning a dragokin. She quickly explained to them what she found.

From pale, their faces turned into a ghostly white. “H-how do we solve this?” Dan asked, gulping.

“I don’t know…” Maybe the glowing points are the centers of this power? “Let’s try in the center of the village; these things always start there.”

They warily walked on the dark streets. The elves didn’t seem to notice them, but the Astillians, now that they knew what to look for, noticed that their walking was erratic, almost as if they weren’t familiar with the necessary motions.

They once again arrived in the fountain plaza.

Nothing seemed out of place.

“Nothing in here?” Dorel half-asked.

Nashariel used her Sight to scan the whole area. “Nothing, but [Radiant sight]is draining my mana. There must be…” a shimmer in reality made them pause.

/[Aura of radiance] might be of help, primary mind/

Nashariel followed the suggestion.

The fountain pulsed with a sickly green light.

The world broke like a mirror.

Thal wasn’t a complicated man. He was a carpenter, a good one in his honest opinion. Of course, what he loved the most were his wife and daughters.

They put the shine in the sunshine, at least for him. Aila always groaned when he said that. She usually kissed him later, though.

Unfortunately, even with a love this deep, people fought. He didn’t remember what he and Aila discussed about, only that they were about to shout at each other. Thal decided to go for a walk, instead of saying things or screaming in front of the kids. Tomorrow morning, he would come back home, discuss normally, and all would be good again.

But it was not meant to be.

Thal walked towards the inn when the dragons appeared. They demanded things and looked for someone. Dahlia faced them, personally wielding the staff that shielded the village. She rebuked him, called him a fool for even asking.

Thal stood right there, frozen in pure terror. He wanted to shout at the druid to accept the deal, moral or not. They couldn’t survive the wrath of a Warband, no one could. Especially not one led by a Mature dragon.

He was too late.

The leader roared in anger, and an inferno descended upon them… upon him.

The shield summoned by Dahlia didn’t hold for long. The flames licked them both, outright devouring the woman.

He didn’t know anything but agony. His arm was on fire, his clothes were gluing to his skin… Thal threw himself under the water, hoping for relief.

It didn’t come.

The Dragonfire clung to him like an obsessed lover, refusing to let him go. He slammed the arm against the stone, but it didn’t matter. The flames spread through the rest of his body.

“Cold… I'm… sorry, love…" Grown insensitive to the heat, he shivered in the cold. He sent his last thought to his family.

And yet, seething hate crept into his heart, commanding him to walk once more. These cursed flames had to GO.

NOW!!!

Nashariel abruptly regained her senses. A vision?

The plaza’s illusion had broken. Most buildings were in ruins, debris filling most of the floor. Slowly, a wave of mist rose from the broken fountain, followed by a dark-red flame.

The Templars set in formation.

A hand gripped the stony border, then a man stood. He was torched from head to toe, embraced by the same flame that claimed his life, now corrupted by hate and magic. Painfully slowly, he turned to face them. His neck bent to an impossible degree. “Why it’s so cold? I’m burning… why… wHY IT’S SO COLD?! AILA, SARA, HALAS, WHERE ARE YOU?!” He wailed, and his scream echoed in the plaza.

Every hair on Nashariel’s body stood upright.

*Echo of the lost awakens.

Cinder/Mist- Dragon-burned loneliness Lvl 130

This undead regrets the last words uttered to his loved ones. These emotions combined with his agonizing death caused him to return as a tormented creature, thanks to the aid of Curse magic. He possesses unnatural hate for flames of all kinds and uses the mist of his solitude to share his torment with his victims.

He cannot be destroyed, not until his spirit finds peace.

Radiant sight provides additional details.

This poor soul has been used to host one center of power. His memories gave you a hint to give him the peace he so much desires. Find it, or the magic will sustain him for a long, long time. *

Damnation! “He’s immortal, retreat!” Nashariel shouted.

As the group moved, the mist enveloped them all.

Nashariel was abruptly cut off from her friends.

No sight, no sound… nothing except the sizzle of a flame extinguished by water.

And the man, walking toward her. “Cold… are you…? You’re not Aila! You’re another burner!”

The dragokin re-activated her [Aura of radiance] and her racial aura. The combined light seared into the man.

“It burns! WHY THIS COLD?!” He screamed, darting towards Nashariel at blinding speed.

The dragokin blocked the undead’s claws, retaliating by tripping him with her tail. Her Auras drained her mana considerably, but the man quickly showed heavy damage.

He righted himself like a puppet, then charged at her once again. The flame around him became hotter. They seared Nashariel’s human skin, leaving her with red burns that swiftly healed.

She clenched her fists, going for a flurry of punches. She pummeled the undead until his bones broke.

They quickly reassembled, and he resumed his mindless aggression. This time, the flame was completely black. He got quicker and wilder, and, soon, red streaks ran down Nashariel’s body.

She bought some distance, then jumped high. The dragokin stood there, beating her wings and looking down on the undead.

He stood dumbfounded, seemingly unable to see her. “Where is she? AILA, where are you? My love…” The once-elf lost all his speed and grace, stumbling away into the mist.

Sighing in relief, Nashariel tried to seek a way out. The mist blanketed everything around her, blocking her from escaping. She gained altitude. After a few moments, she was out of the fog.

Nashariel took in the view. The whole plaza was blocked from her, but, strangely, the mist stretched to a singular street. They’re not in sight. I wonder how we got separated…

/Mist specialty/

I know, just… Nevermind. Suddenly, Nashariel sharply took in her breath. If the man didn’t focus on her… “NO!” She darted down once more.

In the mist, she couldn’t even hear the whistle of the wind. Everything was claustrophobically pale-blue, giving her a sense of suffocation.

The silence was interrupted by a sharp scream.

Veliel! Nashariel rushed.

She found the priestess, lying immobile in a pool of her own blood.

The dragokin froze. She scrambled to her friend. “Veliel, Vel… please say something!”

The siren slowly opened one of her eyes, looking into Nashariel’s. “Why have you abandoned us?”

“N-no, I didn’t! The mist separated us and…”

“Lies. You are a bloodthirsty killer, so you left us to die…”

Nashariel’s eyes watered, and her heart skipped a beat. “Why… why would you say-”

The priestess vanished in a thousand wisps of mist.

*Radiant sight successfully dispelled the illusion. *

The omnidragon stood still for a moment. She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves, then roared with all her might. "The necromancer will pay for this." She growled.

Nashariel fully activated her Sight. A path appeared into the mist, one that she followed with angry steps. Others false images of her friends' death appeared. Even her parents once watched her with sad gazes, disappointed in what she had become.

Nashariel seared everything without mercy, even if her heart wanted to cry. This is mom’s element? The girl only thought about mist as a gentle and soothing element. She had never seen this attunement's… cruelty. This is surely Curse’s fault.

Not a moment too soon, the mist ended in front of a house. The fog whispered unintelligible things to her ears, pushing her away from the door.

She mustered all her courage, then took another step.

“D-don’t open that door. Please.” The burned echo whispered.

Nashariel turned to face him, all her offensive skills ready to activate.

He simply stared at his house, weeping a soft trail of mist. “They hate me. I abandoned them to die… and now I’m lonely. I deserve it.”

The dragokin winced. Astill, have mercy on this poor soul… “How can they? I saw your memories, you loved each other.” She said softly.

The undead looked at her, then lowered his gaze to the ground. He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have abandoned them. I deserve this. The cold, the loneliness…” The mist kept whispering, and the man wept.

Nashariel’s heart clenched.

/The mist is controlling him/

I know. “This mist is lying; no one’s blaming you. See for yourself.” Nashariel funneled more mana into [Radiant sight], allowing its use for the echo in front of her.

The elf’s eyes widened in shock. He slowly scanned all around him. “Mist? How, when…?”

“Something happened, and now you have been cursed. Please, open this door, free yourself from this madness!”

He moved a step, two, then hesitated.

Nashariel extended her hand. “You’re not alone.”

Thal stiffened as if she hit him with her lightning. "I'm… I’m not?”

“Not anymore. Let’s go together.” She walked to him. He… took her hand, gripping it tightly to the point of making her bones groan. The flames burned her skin, but Nashariel ignored the pain. He’s going through that every moment… this is nothing. She idly touched her chest with her other hand.

Dragokin and the elf slowly walked towards the man's home. At the last step, Thal hesitated again.

An encouraging smile helped him to push the door open.

“Thal!”

“Dad!”

“Father!”

A blinding light forced Nashariel to close her eyes.

The elf near her burst crying. The girl heard his footsteps, then a whoosh.

The moment she opened her eyes, four spirits hugged tightly, then vanished.

They left behind a small, round object. Pitch black in color, mist poured out of it. Somehow, it seemed angry.

Nashariel smiled. Her eyes didn’t. “Those people… you’ll pay for that!” She jumped on the thing, activating both her auras at full power.

The omnidragon repeatedly smashed the object with her fists, grabbed it, and slammed it against the ground. Lastly, she supercharged her breath, unleashing it at point-blank range.

The sphere let out a piercing scream, then vaporized a moment later.

*Anthem of the lonely has been destroyed.

The curse has been weakened, and some souls are now in peace.

Keep going, young dragon. *

“WHy dO yOu KiLl uS, DRAGON?!” An echoing voice asked.

“I’m putting you to rest, spirit.”

“Lies! DRAGONS ONLY BURN!!!” The presence vanished with the last remnants of the orb.

Nashariel winced. That necromancer… are they trapped in their own spell? She sighed. If this is the result of Curse magic, I completely understand Veliel’s concerns. The dragokin threw a last glance at the ruined house, then returned toward the plaza.

A dozen steps ahead, she detected a presence behind her. Turning, she saw a crowd of elves, all smiling at her.

“It’s warm now. Thank you.” Thal said softly. As they vanished, the house collapsed.

“May you find peace under the Lady’s wings.” We must free everyone.

/We shall/

Back at the fountain, Nashariel heard her friends shouting her name. Her feet quickened. I need a hug.

Badly.