"If you don't mind me asking… What are you doing here in this… My old Village…" Jayce looked into the diamond wyes of the white reptile. The question caused the group to fall silent for several moments.
"My scouts have seen creatures with a purple aura that cloaks them. In my younger days, my old master once told me of a being who had this kind of aura." Argi turned and began to walk away. "There is something, as a former member of this village, I think you must see."
Jayce glanced over to Terek, who was just as confused as the other, shrugs his shoulders and began to follow Argi.
"My kind is known as a Kagan Crawler. Viscous reptiles that terrorize the edges of the desert." She spoke softly as she lead the two humans and Dire wolf to the center of the old and ruined village. "However, about five thousand years ago, a white wolf found three of my kind and gave them the ability to speak and freewill."
"You're one of them aren't you?" Terek asked as he followed by Argi's side.
"I am. And this pains me to say, the creatures that attacked this village eight years ago were mutated Kagan Crawlers." Argi spoke softly and stopped before a pile of bones. Terek and Jayce stood staring down at the remains and noticed the some disfigured horns and teeth.
"It's like those creatures we ran into in our forest…" Terek continued to stare at the remains, examining them as he started to reach for a horn.
"Do not touch the bones. We were able to move these here, but at the cost of several men being corrupted…." Argi looks away from the disfigured remains them began to walk to the front Gate.
"Do you know if there any survivors?" Jayce looked at the bones but he already knew the answer to his question. It was impossible for anyone to have survived this massacre.
Argi stood at the tall Gate, looking out toward the desert. "One young man survived…"
Jaycee head perks up and looks over toward the Kagan. "There was another survivor?"
"Unfortunately he is unable to travel, but he currently lives in my Village." She looked down. "But if you wish to speak with him, I must warn you. He was severely injured when he arrived to my care."
"What do you mean?" Jayce was now curious. It didn't surprise him he would have been injured but to have arrived to another village? "Wait. Did he escape the attack and crawled his way?
Argi shook her large head. "He claimed a White Wolf carried him to our village. He was cool to the touch even during the day of the desert." With what she just said, the two young men look at each other for a moment and immediately understood what was happening. The higher powers were trying to prevent another catastrophe on this world, I'd what they both thought. Little did they know this was only part of what was to come.
Jayce turned back to Argi and walked over to her. "May we go see this person? I may know who he is."
Argi thought to herself for a moment then looked at the two young men. At first when she looked, she saw her ancient master for a split second in each one of them before her vision went back on them. "Very well. I'll summon a couple of my Riders to escort you to my village." She nods then walks off to a group of men in wearing sleeveless tops, cloth around their necks, and goggles.
Timber could sense Jayce's feelings as she rushed over and leaned against him. The comfort of the big fluff ball eased his mind, allowing him to lean his head against her shoulder. "Thank you girl." He spoke softly with his eyes closed.
As he stood leaned against Timber, Terek decided to take a look around. Part of him couldn't believe what happened but after seeing the remains and the housings in rubble, he was starting to wonder what was truly going on. Argi's story and Jayces history lined up, but why had this Chaos began to form. The questions continued to race through his mind while he stared blankly at a collapsed and burned house.
"I can see you have many unanswered questions, young one." Terek snaps out of it and turns to Argi. She stood so close, her nostrils were almost against him. "Sorry if I frightened you. There was something my master once told me before his disappearance."
Terek looks up at Argi and looks inter her eyes. "It had something to do with us didn't it?"
"I'm not certain if it is, but before he disappeared, he told me this: 'In time, a war beyond this world will begin. When the time comes, find me. My blood will guide you." She told the young man. "I would have told you both, but he is not in the right mind for these words." She steps back to give him space. "For now, let us gather your wolf and your friend. It is time we head to my village."
Terek nodded and followed her back to Jayce and Timber. Argi guides the trio to a group of men who stood besides six Kagan Crawlers. The Kagans were smaller and thinner than Argi was due to them being young. Their scales were brighter and a darkish tan to blend in with the sands of the desert. Their eyes, unlike Argi's red, were green.
"These are my Riders. They have been ordered to escort you to my village. I unfortunately will not be joining you until halfway." She told them as they were mounting the backs of the young Kagans. The Riders were trying to tell them Timber would have to stay only to be growled at by the big Direwolf. In order to travel with the two, Timber had been awkwardly placed in front of Terek so he could keep her mounted which seemed to have calmed her down. Two of the riders took off ahead of Jayce and Terek's Kagans before theirs began to follow. Two of the Riders had stayed behind and followed Argi to the depths of the ruined village.
"I suppose I should have warned those boys about the Deathworms…" Argi told herself as she and the two riders walked up to the ruins of what would have appeared to be the Chiefs house.
"Master… We wanted to tell you about this, but we overheard one of them saying this was his old Village." The rider walked ahead of the Kagan and picked up a small talisman and held it up to her.
"Hmm. I see." She spoke softly as she leaned her huge head forward and looked at the talisman. On the topside, the design of a wolf was scratched into it. "What does it say on the back?"
The rider looked at her with a serious look before flipping it over. "A part of the prophecy that appears to have been removed by some one."
"The three born of Ice and Ire will be found, to awaken the one who has been bound. The Old Wolf God shall rise again, to end a war to start a war." Argi read this and thought to herself. "This was the original Prophecy. Those boys are more than just a key…"