The Legend.

There was once a warrior king named Oaron who prided himself with the knowledge that he was unbeatable in a fight. Many people came from miles around to challenge the boastful warrior king and they were sent home sore and saddened with the loss they had endured.

As the years past Oaron became more boastful and even more challengers sought him out to test his skills. They now traveled a crossed the seas and came from far lands and all who had faced him failed.

Then an unknown stranger came to face him. The stranger was thin and looked like he would fall under the weight of a sword let alone hold one. The stranger was browned skinned with silver hair and gray eyes.

Where Oaron was bulked with muscle the man was not, where Oaron was boastful the stranger was humble. I am Noraa Ash; I seek to test your skill. Oaron looked at the man before him and laughed. You must be kidding, you wish to challenge me. I do sir Oaron, what say you, will you meet my claim.

Oaron looked at the man before him, his beauty was almost feminine. He was dressed in silk from head to toe. Gem's adorned his long tapered fingers. His nails were longer than most men wore them but still shorter then what was in fashion for females.

You are barely a man, I cannot fight you; return home boy, you may come again to face me when you have grown hair on your chin, then I'll meet your claim. Noraa smiled I am older then I look, and do not be so quick to judge for I am a child of the Black isle.

All knew the tails of the black isle, and whispers arose among the spectators. Beings of myth live on the black isle. Is he one of the fey people? Oaron's eyes brightened at the prospect of testing his might against one of the weird's.

I will meet your challenge. Oaron was sure of himself. His skill was the greatest in all the land and he had tested it among the greatest.

The duel was marvelous and well met. Swords were clashed and parried, the sound of metal upon metal rung through the air like the song of a smiths hammer to iron ore.

Day gave way to night and night faded to the light of dawn three times, Then suddenly all sound stopped. The battle was ended and Oaron truly earned his title as the Warrior King.

Well met sir Oaron you are the victor and to the winner goes the spoils. What spoils do you speak of master Ash of the black isle.

The fight of a lifetime and the fame that comes with it Oaron, I speak of the Jeu Mort'Dieu. It is the challenge of the gathered gods. You will fight five of their beasts and should you win you will be known for all times in the book of legends. Never before has an outsider been offered the chance to compete in the Jeu Mort'Dieu. What say you? Tell me of these five beasts sir Ash. I wish to know my foe.

The first of the Beast is the Red Wolf, when facing her water is your ally and sanctuary.

The second of the Beast is the White Gryphon, it is said that which she entrapped her foe in seeks her death.

The next of the Great Beast is the Purple Hydra learn from the Gryphon that which cannot be killed can still be defeated. The forth beast is the Rainbow Unicorn, Wit is all you need but you will need a lot of it.

The fifth and final beast is the Jade Scorpion, where the mind and body are lithe, the heart still remains fragile. Take what I have told you Oaron and use it for these words are the key to you victory.

Before leaving Oaron gathered his weapons. He commissioned silver chain dusted in cider wood, a blade of Palladium, a mage glass, four skins of goblin blood and a heart stone.

Oaron soon set out to face the first of the five beasts. He found the red wolf bathing in the lake under the moon. He had remembered well what Noraa had said to him about facing the five. When facing the Wolf he chose to do so in the water. Now was his time to strike and so he did. First he pulled out the chain he tossed the chain at the wolf, the cider wood became plush and sticky making it hard for the wolf to swim.

Luna the red wolf turned her head to look at the one that had captured her. She did not fear for it was the game of her children during this year. The child to trap her will be given the blessing of a true Maji.

She turned around wanting to know which of her children had earned the blessing of the true Maji. She knew all her children by name and face, so it was quite a surprise when her eyes fell upon Oaron and knew not of him. By the time she realized the danger it was too late. The swift blade of her foe severed her head and her blood marked the icy waters.

Oaron was pleased with his work and the next day he set out to find another beast. Oaron came upon the White Gryphon late in the afternoon, she was curled up on a rock half asleep. This beast was the healer and gave favor to those known as the Elair; all things save for one gave way to her healing arts. Oaron pulled from his bag a blade made from the rarest of metals, found only in the Icesobran Mountains. Palladium cannot be heated, this metal can only be worked by a master smith on a cold forge; it's the only thing baleful enough to slay the Gryphon. So it was in her hour of slumber that the Gryphon met her doom. Oaron was again pleased with the way things were going, two of the great beast had fallen.

The third beast he met in open combat, for though he tried he could not catch this beast unaware, Still he was no fool and knew that to win this battle he would have to be prepared. So three times did he challenge the purple hydra, the first time was to test the hydra to find weaknesses in his hide of which there were none, the second time he tried to outwit the Hydra with poison but that two failed. No blade, nor bow; Not toxic brew would still the Hydra. It was only when he remembered what he was told that he discovered how to defeat the hydra; Oaron however was not gifted in the Maji arts, but he did have a mage glass and the blood of the red wolf and she was of magic, so he filled his mage glass with the blood of the Red Wolf and tossed the glass into the Hydras mouth; power surged through the Hydras body and one by one the heads fell to sleep. He then gathered some seeds from the nearby cypress tree and soaked them in the blood. A magnificent cypress sprung up around the Hydra and encased him within the tree. He collected his token, a single scale.

The Rainbow Unicorn took Oaron much more time to slay for she could be any animal and she only showed herself to those who are pure and innocent of soul and body. Oaron saw the Unicorn but he could never get close enough to her. She was smart and stayed out of range of his bow. Months had passed and he was still kept at a distance from her. Then one day he saw a young boy feeding the Unicorn and thought that maybe he could use the boy to get the Unicorn. He told the boy that he wanted to give the Unicorn a grand feast but she would not follow him to the food that he made. He took the boy to a beautiful meadow where he had indeed made a feast. Would you like some food Oaron ask the boy, who agreed happily. They ate and talked and the boy told Oaron that the Unicorn could not eat the feast he has made, she can only eat food given to her by the hands of the pure and innocent. It wasn't long till Oaron found all the pages of the Rainbow Unicorn and scared them from the woods. He then waited for her to become weak with lack of food and chased her down and feed her the goblin blood, her body twisted and bent, then in a few short moments an array of life sprung forth, the animals and plants were both, mythical and plane, kind and wild, some were outright malevolence. Still at the end all that remained of the Unicorn was her horn.

The Jade Scorpion the last of the godly beast sought Oaron out. He was enraged at what Oaron had done to his brothers and sisters, an so they battled. The Scorpion soon found that Oaron was a skilled fighter, who used both his mind and body in combat. It was this, which made the scorpion offer Oaron a second chance. I can make right all the wrong you have done if you would but vow to lay down your sword and never take up arms again. Oaron denied the deal, he was the warrior king and would be remembered as such. So the battle went on and on, and though the Scorpion had been bludgeoned, skewered, stabbed and poisoned. He would not die.

Oaron needed to think up a new plan to win the game of the gathered gods but he was at a lost, So when the scorpion asked his question again Oaron gave it some thought, if he lost this fight he would lose what he'd worked at his entire life. He would no longer be the warrior king. He took the deal stating only one condition, that the scorpion would break his fast with him every night. This Oaron thought would let him get to know the scorpion and seek out his weakness.

For three months they met and ate and grew to come to know each other, the scorpion had become fond of Oaron and let down his guard. Oaron did as he did every night before going off to slumber, he gave the scorpion a hug and patted his back, but one night while in bed he remembered what Norra had told him about the scorpion and his heart.

So the next night when he broke bred with the scorpion he asked the scorpion. What is your favorite food? And the scorpion told him so the next night he made that food. On the next night he asked the scorpion. What is your favorite game? Again the scorpion told him and they played that game all night. The next night he asked the scorpion, Is there anything I can do to help you? The scorpion had never been offered help before, so he asked? Why would you want to help me? To which Oaron replied that's what friends do.

It warmed the scorpion's heart that Oaron would want to help him or that Oaron considered him a friend, and now that the scorpion thought about it he had for some time considered Oaron a friend to. If you truly want to help me Oaron, you would come to my house and let me cook for you, said the scorpion wanting to do something for his friend for a change.

But why would you want to cook for me I am no god or great beast, said Oaron.

No but you are my friend. Replied the scorpion.

Oaron knew then that his plan was working. For the scorpion had let him in his heart and thus could no longer see Oaron's destiny and so the scorpion was unaware that Oaron was still playing the game.

The next night after they ate Oaron stood to leave, just as he always did he hugged the scorpion, patting him on the back but this time he did so with the heart stone in hand. The heart of the Scorpion was then trapped in the glass heart stone - which Oaron quickly broke. "Yes I won said Oaron." As he watched the scorpion tune human.

Over the months the Scorpion had been busy, assuring that the great beasts would live again. He had sown the seeds of their return in the wombs of their creations. "How could you Oaron, I thought we were friends, I have been kind and forgiving, Even after you have fouled the game by murdering my sisters and brothers, I have been merciful, and now you have undone me."

"No." screamed Oaron. "I was..." Realizing too late that he had been tricked by Noraa.

"You are too late, the great beast will return." A multitude of emotions raged through the scorpion and his body took the shape of a boy. In the end all the emotion he could muster was anger, spite and vengeance. So he curst Oaron with what power he had left. "Oaron your have wrought this upon yourself; you've stolen my heart; so you will never know the virtues a heart can bring, the blood of your blood will suffer – time will chase you but death will not take you - until thou blood has right the wrong you have done, All around you will turn to ash. Your sons will seek your throne and spill your blood. However I give you what you did not give me a quick end, One who is gifted, who's eyes will be like no others will see you undone."

"NO!" in fear Oaron plunged his sword into the boy's chest hoping to stop the curse but he was too late.

The boy vanished leaving Oaron there alone, and so Oaron lived ageing without death, immortalized in history.