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The Lost Stars ChronicleChapter 48: Resting In Orion
Daner Pluto was smoking a long, thin pipe while scratching his pet monkey’s head when the door to his private study opened. The old wizard turned, his face wrinkling into a smile.
“Ah...welcome Hans…”
Then Daner caught sight of others, Bjarn and the rest of the Fellowship, and his smile deepened.
“Ah...welcome, welcome all of you. Please, sit.”
Daner waved his hand and chairs flew across the room and appeared out of thin air to settle around a table that had suddenly expanded. Eight chairs for eight persons. Bjarn, Reno, Aros, Luxus, Shainya, Anardan, Voolmark and Hans all sat quietly and waited. Daner continued to puff smoke and pat Yonky, his aged and wise eyes surveying those before him.
“So,” he said at last, “It is done. The quest is complete. The Pendants are destroyed.”
“Wait!” cried Shainya, “Aren’t you going to ask about Sir Dractor?”
“My girl,” Daner smiled, “I have not forgotten him. I need not ask about him, for I know where he is at. I understand completely why he had to go. His mission is vital, not unlike ours, but it is not related to us. The Old Man needs him now.”
Daner muttered a few words to Yonky and the monkey scurried off, chattering.
“You appear rested. Very good. It was wise four you all to refresh yourselves at your inn before seeing me. You all have been through much.”
Yonky returned, touting a round tin container. He handed it to Daner, who in turn opened it, set it upon the table, and pushed it toward the eight people opposite him.
“Here, you deserve some luxury after your struggles.”
Inside the box were delicate chocolates. They all took one and bit into them almost gleefully, savoring the taste.
Though his chocolate, Hans mumbled, “Now, Daner, on a few points, I am still really confused.”
“Yes, the matter of the Pendants are quite confusing.” agreed Daner, “It is best I start from the beginning. 4000 years ago, before Classic LEGOland and all the other factions existed, there were small pockets of human settlements throughout the mainland, and on several of the bigger islands. Now, 4000 years is quite a long time, trust me, I’ve lived half of them, and much was different from the way things are now.
“These clans of people were ruled by kings, yes, but their kings were always great wielders of magic -- wizards, magicians, mages...even necromancers for the more evil of the clans. Now, one of these clans were the Kris clan, ruled by King Calrias. However, he was always known as King Kris, for kings always adopted the name of their clan when they rose to the throne.
“King Kris was the most powerful sorcerer, and therefore the Kris Clan was the most powerful clan. For decades, the Kris Clan dominated but did not dictate over the land, only suppressing the ne’er-do-good clans such as the Scopos and Inion clans. Unfortunately, the Inion Clan -- lead by the Lord Inion of course -- was more powerful than King Kris had suspected. Lord Inion allied himself with the Scopos clan and attacked the Kris Clan from all sides. King Kris drove them back, but he was shaken, and he feared for his power. So King Kris built a temple his called the Temple Of The Powers and in a ceremony now forgotten, deposited all his power into two small pieces of jewelry, the Twin Pendants Of King Kris.
“Almost immediately after King Kris did this deed, Lord Inion attacked again, obliterated the Kris Clan, and discovered the Temple Of The Powers. King Kris and Lord Inion then dueled, but already King Kris’ fate was sealed. Once Lord Inion discovered the two bits of jewelry, he destroyed them in the very forge Kris had used to make them. Instantly Kris was powerless, and Lord Inion killed him on the spot. The incinerating fireball that killed King Kris illuminated the Temple Of The Powers like a dozen comets, and so the local populace began to call the temple the Temple Of Lost Stars. Long after the temple had been swallowed by the Neverwood, the name still stuck.
“For 2000 years, chaos and evil ruled the land soon to become Dametreos. The Inion Clan assimilated the other clans and expanded like a plague. That’s until my mentor and teacher, the wizard Verlin, banished Lord Inion with one powerful spell. Slowly evil dispersed, retreating to the dark corners of the land. The Inion Clan disbanded, and Scopos Clan evolved into the mysterious Shadow Knights. After 800 years, Dametreos was almost free of evil, and humans began to claim the land. That is when I was contacted by Verlin. He came to my door one day and ordered me to create two pendants, pendants that would suck the remaining evil from the world and lock it tight forever.
“I did as my master bid me, and remade the Pendants of King Kris. But, I fear, I must have done something wrong. For evil did not leave Dametreos. It did not explode back into being, either, but there it still remained, lurk, skulk, slowly spreading like a stain. 2000 more years pass, and Dametreos thrives and expands. Factions are created and prosper, and the whole of Dametreos is colonized. All this I have witnessed, ever-knowing of an evil that would not go away. My master Verlin died soon after he had instructed me to remake the Pendants, but he had given me one last order: ‘The Pendants must go to the separated sons of Krask.’ It was a vague and obscure order to be sure, but I did not question it. Then, at last, after centuries of waiting, I learned of a great war hero named Krask Regga. He had caused a stir when he married a simple Crusader peasant, a girl named Lacrecia. I kept my eye on them, and soon a child, Reno, was born. I knew Verlin’s orders would soon be fulfilled, but I had to wait until Lacrecia’s second son was born. Seven year later, Aros was born, right after his father’s death. But my time had not come yet. I hade to wait until Reno and Aros were separated. I didn’t have long to wait. Lord Void rose to power, Lacrecia was wounded in an attack upon the Crusader nation, and she sent her two sons off to an aunt for protection. But on the way south, Reno and Aros were separated and kidnapped by highwaymen. At last, I could deliver the Pendants. The details matter not, but one night I looped the chain of a Pendant around each brother’s neck, and then retreated to Fright Knight land. That is basically all to tell. You all know the rest.”
Daner leaned back and took a chocolate for himself.
“So evil is forever banished, now?” asked Reno.
Daner shook his head. “No. Never. There can not be good without evil. It’s a balance, you see. That is why the Pendants had to be destroyed. With them intact, the evil in the world outweighed the good. BloodVaine’s attack and takeover only amplified that. No, Reno, there will still be evil in the world. But perhaps it will be toned down some after now. Chodan knows I hope so.”
Daner rubbed his hands together, making bones crack.
“So! Now that you eight have completed probably one of the momentous quests in history, what are your plans now?”
Bjarn, Reno, Aros, Luxus, Shainya, Anardan, Voolmark and Hans all looked at one another.
“Well,” said Hans, “I think it’s about due some certain fella had a proper birthday party…”
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