[HQ Ignorance] Scene 171 : Azhur's Quest

[Lev Lafayette]

So much of Azhur's life had been about community. Son of House Daymare,
member of the Battle Seers, so often leader of the Fellowship, even
King-elect of Seshnela. And now he was all alone; not even Othor, his
loyal squire could be seen. "'In plain Light, In plain Sight',
indeed!", he fumed to himself, stumbling, lost in the fog.

Dragons, as everyone knows, are to be feared and for good reason. But
for Azhur they were always just that little bit extra frightening.
Perhaps because he know how little he could do if confronted wit one.
Hunting brigands and poachers was one thing, but could even the
Greatsword of Talor even scratch that maddening monster that he had
just witnessed? A credo of duty, chivalry and equality seemed so weak
against such a being. An ant would be more significant to a person,
than what that was to a town or village. There is even a slight glimmer
of pride that he had not completely lost his mind, as so many had, with
the encounter.

Chivalry? Azhur paused for a second. What had become of his betrothed,
Marianne? It was hard to remember even of his love in the midst of the
destruction of the world itself. And the Fellowship? Scattered and
broken, they bore the weapons of Talor, true, but at what cost? Even if
they made their way out of Charg, what then? Even if the entire Kingdom
of Loskalm and Seshnela and others, were all united as a single
fighting force, could they even begin to threaten that amethyst Chaos
Dragon? 

Perhaps Snodal, Hero of Loskalm was right when he killed the God of
Silver Feet and set the Syndics Ban in motion, preventing the first
white wizard Zzabur, from sinking Fronela. But didn't Zzabur also drown
the Devil's Army? Either way life in Charg seemed to be at least
strangely protected from what was happening outside of it. It was
tempting, very tempting, to remain here in a splendid peace away from a
Chaos Dragon. Squinting from a hill top, he could see what appeared to
be a small village some several hundred meters away. Scanning, he could
see some rye fields, sheep, and cows, and smoke coming from the
hearths. 

"A community! People do live here!", he exclaimed to himself.