Draknor strode through the twisting cavern tunnels, sword at the ready, Ylla trailed behind him with a torch.


“Feels like we’ve been walking for miles.” Ylla noted.


“We have.” Draknor replied.


Ylla quickened her step to stand closer to Draknor, fearing being left behind.


“I was expecting more guards or priests.” Ylla admitted.


“We are near its domain now,” Draknor grunted. “Tologroth lies ahead. It feels no need for guards.”


Ylla glanced nervously into the dark, though she had excellent night vision even she could not see all that dwelled within the shadows.


“It took an army of dracoz to defeat those creatures last time, and their minions.”

“Yes, it did.” Draknor grunted.


“We are but two, and I am no warrior.”


“You are thinking this now? I told you not to come with me.”


Ylla raised her voice then, the same tone of voice she used to use on naughty pupils. It had been years since she had used that tone and it honestly felt right to use it again.


“If I hadn’t come with you, you would be dead or severely wounded right now.”


“Hurr,” Draknor grunted.


Silence filled the cavern again except the distant dripping of water and the chittering of troglodytes. Finally Draknor spoke.


“How did you end up here?”


Ylla sighed, “I traded myself for a pupil’s safety.”


“I’m sorry.” It was the warmest Ylla had heard Draknor’s voice, indeed the warmest she had heard any voice in many years.


Draknor spoke again.


“You said Tologroth invaded your dreams before?”


Ylla shuddered, “Indeed. I would dream I was trapped in its clutches as it would gloat to me about how it had survived and my people were dying. How I was a slave to these humans, and therefore a slave to it as well. I would be alone with its terrifying presence until I would wake. Not that waking up brought much comfort.”


Draknor regarded Ylla, “You are strong then.”


“Strong? How?”


“Most would break.”


Ylla looked down at the floor, “But I was broken Draknor.”


“If you truly were broken you would not have risked as much as you have to aid me.”


The female dracoz looked at Draknor. “I suppose you’re right. I’m just ashamed I didn’t act sooner, the sacrifices, Thurn’s soldiers masquerading as bandits, being treated as worthless. All of it took a toll.”


Draknor grunted, “There is no point in dwelling on regrets of actions not taken. All that matters is the present.”


“Seems that statement comes from experience then.” Ylla observed.


Draknor grunted, “You are perceptive indeed. But I have no wish to speak of regrets of the past.”


The caverns shook as something shifted Draknor growled. “We shall be meeting a past regret very soon now.”


The two unlikely companions moved on and stopped, a large pool of water lay before them flowing away to deeper places still and there in the center of the pool a structure lay. It’s architecture, twisted and warped not wrought by the hands of man or dracoz.


“What is that?” Ylla asked.


“The true castle of Agratta.” Draknor rumbled. “We shall find Tologroth within.”


Ylla nodded as Draknor waded into the pool, the cold water only reached the Dracoz’s knees as they moved toward the non-Euclidean structure. The structure seemed to be fashioned by some dull crystalline material, pore like openings yawned before them as Draknor stepped into the structure.


A pungent smell assailed the dracoz’s nostrils as he entered. The structure rumbled again; a rumble felt in the very bones of the adventurers. Dark writhing shapes slithered towards Draknor and Ylla. With a defiant shout Ylla lashed out with her torch, there was a hiss and the shape withdrew and coiled like a snake.


There were dozens of the shapes, and the two travelers could now discern that they were in fact tentacles. Draknor bellowed a challenge as he struck out with his sword, his blade sliced clean through one of the tendrils and dark ichor spewed from the writing stump, Again and again Draknor struck his sword a silver blur in the dark as he cut through tentacles as they grasped at him. One tentacle wrapped around the dracoz’s ankle and jerked him to the ground. Before Draknor could strike a second tendril curled around his arms.The dracoz struggled the strong appendages.


Ylla shouted a challenge as she thrust her torch agains the tendril holding Draknor’s leg. The appendage withdrew and the female struck the tentacle wrapped around Draknor’s arm. The warrior shot to his feet and began hacking once again.


“You’re welcome… ooop!” Ylla exclaimed.


Draknor glanced up to see a tentacle had curled itself around Ylla’s torso pinning her arms to her side and forcing her to drop her torch where it was extinguished against the damp floor.


“Help me!” Ylla cried out as the tendril jerked her away through a tunnel.


Growling Draknor gave chase through the dim passageways. He could hear Ylla screaming for help as he gave chase, as the passageway sloped further down. Draknor came to a halt as he beheld an old hated foe.


The twitching dark mass lay in the center, a mass of tentacles attached to a body with a maw of sharp teeth and a single red baleful eye set within the teeth.


“Tolgoroth.” Draknor growled.


The creature did not reply as it held Ylla tauntingly in its grip. The female dracoz regarded Draknor.


“Be careful Draknor!”


Ylla suddenly gasped as the creature tightened its grip on her.


“Let her go, this is between us.” Draknor growled.


“This is between all of your kind.” Ylla spoke, but her voice was monotone as if another was speaking through her.


“I lead the campaign against you and your spawn. Focus on me.” Draknor rumbled.


“Hatred is a primitive emotion. But I will find consuming you palpable.” Ylla spoke.


Draknor bounded forward and hacked at the base of the tendril that held Ylla. A screech escaped Ylla’s maw as the tentacle went limp and released her.


Draknor cringed as she fell to the damp floor, and remained motionless. Tolgoroth wa snow entirely focused on Draknor. A dark shape fell over the lone dracoz and he barely managed to leap aside as the tendrils fell where he once was shaking the entire structure from their impact.


The dracoz warrior sprung to his feet and slashed, instinctively Tolgoroth swatted the dracoz aside and sent him flying. Draknor landed in a sprawl against the clammy ground the air knocked from his lungs. Again the abomination sought to swat the dracoz like a bug. Draknor watched the tendril raise as he barely rolled away in time.


His momentum was checked as he felt appendages wrap around his torso and Draknor was hauled up into the air as more tentacles wrapped around his limbs and began to pull. Draknor yelled in pain as he felt his tendons straining and he could hear a popping noise. Tolgoroth’s single eye stared at him impassively. The sword fell from Draknor’s grasp.


Ylla moaned as she came to her and rubbed her head.She could hear Draknor’s sounds of pain, gasping she looked up to see him struggling against the tendrils.


“Oh my.” Ylla gasped.


She had to do something to help. But what?


Glancing down Ylla spotted Draknor’s sword.


Taking a breath Ylla scooped up the blade, it was so heavy in her hands. Steeling her courage Ylla let out a cry as she hacked at one of the tendrils restraining Draknor. Tolgoroth bellowed as she hacked again and again.


For her troubles Ylla was grabbed again and jerked towards Tolgoroth’s waiting maw.


“Ylla!” Draknor cried as one of his hands came free from a weakened tentacle. Ylla tossed him his sword.


The hilt slapped against Draknor’s palm and he gripped the sword tight.


“TOLGOROTH!” Draknor bellowed as he shifted grip on his sword and hurled it forward like a javelin.


The blade sang through the air before it pierced the single red orb of Tolgoroth. The monster bellowed and convulsed the tentacles going every which way, Ylla and Draknor were flung away to land in a heap next to one another.


“Draknor.” Ylla gasped placing her hand on his bare chest.


“I’m going to make sure this is over.” Draknor said patting her hand and rising up.


Sprinting forward Draknor moved toward dodging the wildly flailing tendrils before his claws found purchase in the flesh of his hated foe. Draknor climbed Tolgoroth as if he were a cliff face before he thrust an arm between the gnashing teeth and found the sword hilt. With the cry of a thousand others Draknor shoved the blade in deeper as Tolgoroth bellowed its last.

With a mighty heave Draknor kicked off from the creature and took his dark ichor crusted sword with him as the behemoth fell into a mass of dead flesh. The cavern shook as Draknor helped Ylla to her feet.


“Can you move?” Draknor asked.


“Yes.” She replied.


“Then let’s move.” Draknor grunted.


Together the pair sprinted out of the structure as it began to collapse, the shockwaves being felt throughout the cavern. The two ran on not knowing where they were going, anywhere was better than where they were. A shaft of light practically blinded the two dracoz, and with that shaft of light came the scent of a fresh breeze.


“A tunnel.” Draknor exclaimed.


The two scrambled up the shaft in the ground, their claws slipping and finding purchase as they moved upwards, neither dared to stop until they were both out into the open night skies of Agratta. The two lay sprawled out on the rocks chests rising and falling in exertion.


After a time the two dared to stand up and take in their surroundings. It was a beautiful night, in the distance lay the castle, and many torches danced about as the castle was in a panic, their king and deity dead, and mass confusion.


“It’s done.” Draknor rumbled.


Ylla nodded. “I'm free, and I think this land may actually begin to be a bit better now.”

Draknor grunted, Ylla looked at him.


“What will you do now Draknor?”


The dracoz shrugged, “Resume my travels. But first I need to find some proper clothing.”


Ylla chuckled, “That goes for both of us I think.” She regarded Draknor again, “But are you in a hurry?”


Draknor thumped his tail against the ground, as he put an arm around Ylla’s waist with a hearty chuckle.