TAHAROS

With Kho Wren’s aid, Taharos patched the dead dragon’s wounds and they dragged its body to where the elder cyclops lived. Preparing a massive cauldron, the elder wrote runes and spoke in Velsaic chants.

Candles were lit, and Taharos drained the dragon of its blood, filling the cauldron with it.

As he stared into the blood, he could see himself. The monster he had become.

Turning to Kho Wren, Taharos asked him if there was anything else he had to do.

Kho Wren told him that the ritual was ready, and that to become fireproof and harness the strength of dragons all he had to do was submerge himself in the blood.

Taharos thought for a moment, then grabbed the bloodstained pelt he wore. Holding it up to the elder, Taharos asked him if objects could be enhanced by this ritual too.

Taken aback, Kho Wren realized that — at least in theory — if submerged with the objects together as one, an individual could bind themselves and the blood to those objects, making them fireproof.

Taharos scowled at the remains of the dragon, and picked up his father’s axe.

Hacking away the pieces he didn’t need, Taharos fashioned the split skull of the dragon into pauldrons and stitched the wings of the dragon into armor to protect his legs.

Taking chains from the elder, Taharos strung his newfound armor together. Crafting metal into gauntlets and greaves, Taharos and Kho Wren formed sharp talons for both his hands and feet.

They prepared cloth and clothing for him, and once they were ready Taharos submerged them into the blood.
Grabbing his father’s axe, they repaired it together, making it larger, stronger, and attaching a sharp blade to the end of it.

When Taharos revealed his mother’s dagger and held it over the cauldron, Kho Wren grabbed Taharos’ wrist tightly.

Taharos turned to Kho Wren as the Cyclops stared at the gemstone.

“Who gave this to you?”

Taharos told Kho Wren that it was his mothers, and that after every kill it glows bright. His next sentence was interrupted by Kho Wren, who asked him if black mists are absorbed into the stone as well. Taken aback by this, Taharos answered yes.

Kho Wren let go of Taharos’ hand and stood back, staring up into the sky above and watching the stars silently.

Taharos asked the elder what this all meant, and the elder let out a dry laugh.

“That is a gemstone of pure death magic.” Kho Wren said.

The elder explained to Taharos that the stone siphons energy from its victims every time that there is a death. And that its weilder gets stronger with every death around them. It was even said that its power can raise the bodies of those it killed from the dead.

The gem is a very powerful cursed object, and within Mok Ghul it is very rare to find, and thought of to be myth and myth alone.

Taharos looked at the blade in shock, then stared at the cauldron.

“This must be added too.”

Kho Wren sighed, then nodded.

“Of course it will be.” He said.

And with that, Taharos cast the dagger into the cauldron of dragon’s blood.