Theta Campaign - Return of the Dragon Queen – Episode 36 Pt. 3

Written by: Flamereptile

Written: 07/29/26

Theta Campaign - Return of the Dragon Queen – Episode 36 Pt. 3

This part of this week’s tale begins with the world stopping around the party, and an unknown draconian emerging from a bright rift in the sky. As it stepped down upon the deck of the captured skyship, it forced Dolgrak to the deck, and turned the fleeing child cultists into frogs.

The draconian strode across the deck, sending suspended raindrops flying violently in all directions, and turned to descend the stairs to the deck below.

Instantly, Alonzo and Beezul felt an immense pressure overcome their bodies as they watched the children they were instructing instinctively flee and burst into frogs. While Alonzo managed to remain (relatively) calm, Beezul began to panic at the sight of the draconian.

"AAH!" he screamed, "You can have my eggs!"

Beezul turned and attempted to flee, but similarly burst into a frog.

He stood there a moment and croaked. All thoughts and fears that he once had faded away into emptiness.

"Where is she?" bellowed the draconian to Alonzo. "Are you in charge of this ship? Where are your associates? Where is Mikayla?"

Alonzo froze, outwardly maintaining his composure, but inwardly fightning off an encroaching panic attack.

"I don't know who Mikayla is, but Prinze and Allistair are below deck, handling an ogre."

In the frightened commotion, Allistair and Prinze emerged onto the crew deck to see a familiar face, albeit one enraged almost beyond recognition, baring down upon Alonzo.

Prinze rushed forwards, posturing himself between the draconian and Alonzo, saying, "Hey Arkalai. Long time no see."

The frog that was formed from Beezul let out high-pitched call, breaking the tension.

"Oh hell yeah! Looks like you killed Beezul!" said Prinze, "That's going to save me some effort."

"Where is she Prinze?" bellowed Arkalai, imposing his presence over Prinze and Allistair.

Prinze winced and replied, "We just found her below deck. You're welcome to help us with her."

"I wasn't asking your permission." snarked Arkalai, "I've been seraching for her for days. Since her magical signature disappeared from my sensors."

He turned and strode below deck into the hold, beholding the sight that was Lady Blackhurst strung up. Allistair, Alonzo, and Prinze followed behind.

"I think I can help." said Alonzo.

"How?" demanded Arkalai.

"I'm a cleric. I can heal her." said Alonzo.

Arkalai's expression softened at his generosity, and he quietly said, "Yes, that would be helpful. Thank you."

Suddenly, the world began ticking forward once more, unaware of its break in sequence. The rain began to fall again in sheets, and the skyship and Skyland continued their arcing paths towards each other.

Together, the four tended to Lady Blackhurst's wounds and released her from her restraints. Arkalai cleaned her with a flick of his hand and conjured clothes around her with the other.

"Mikayla, are you alright? Did they harm you?" asked Arkalai.

"Thanks to them I think I'll be fine." she replied, "But I have some grim news."

The attention of the four were locked on her as she continued, "When they captured me, the cult recovered the Chromatic Masks that I had. They have all five again, and they have a connection that can get them the five eggs that they had grown months ago to rebirth the consorts of the Chromatic Queen. We're back to step one."

"That is troubling indeed." said Arkalai, "With those back in their possession, this plane will not be long-lived."

He turned towards Prinze, "Your wraps there, they contain an Aspect of Jotunn, do they not?"

"Yeah, I think so." said Prinze.

Arkalai looked over the three members of the party, "I would like you to do something for me, and I think it's an objective currently in line with your own. I would like for you to take down the cult of the Chromatic Queen; slay or capture its Oracles, Justiciars, and leaders; and recover the Chromatic Masks they hold and the five chromatic eggs they have created to recall the Chromatic Queen."

Allistair and Alonzo nodded, but Prinze began to retort, "Why don't we just kill everybody, break their things, and smash the eggs?"

"You may kill the cultists and their leadership, but the Oracles and Justiciars are more valuable captured alive. As for the masks, you'd be hard pressed to destroy them, as they are powerful artifacts, and the eggs may be volatile. It would be safer if they were recovered and stored away for safekeeping." said Arkalai.

"Do you have any idea where to find these... everything?" asked Allistair? "That's quite the grocery list you're asking for, and we don't know where anything is other than the temple below us."

"I've been fairly passive to this point in your journey, but I believe I'm going to take a little more of an active role to increase the chances of success. You have one temple before you. My network can locate the other four and relay that information to you. You should be able to find the masks with the Oracles, and the Oracles guarded by their Justiciars. As for the eggs, I believe Beezul might know something about their location." said Arkalai.

Allistair nodded, taking mental notes for their coming quest.

Allistair then reached out his hand towards Prinze, saying, "Here, Prinze. As a sign of good faith."

Prinze hesitated before taking Arkalai's hand. His eyes rolled back into his skull, and his consciousness was drawn within him.

At first Prinze stood next to Arkalai in a vast darkness, but Arkalai took a step, causing ripples to appear beneath him. The two walked silently in stride for a few moments before a figure began to appear on an invisible horizon. As they approached it, the figure grew larger and larger until it towered over the pair.

It sat kneeled in the darkness, a storm giant in regal armor shackled to the darkness. It looked up, eyes glazed over, and saw nothing. But Arkalai reached out a hand an touched him, clearing his eyes.

"Arkalai, old friend. It has been some time." it said.

"Wrath of Jotunn. It has. You've been sealed away within these wraps for all of these years, and this child has come to free you." said Arkalai.

Prinze scowled at being called a child. After all, he did stand a head and chest over Arkalai. But he said nothing, believing the draconian to be of an incredible, unknown age.

"Jotunn, old friend. Won't you provide your power to this youngling? Won't you feed his rage against your ancient enemy?"

The giant thought for a moment before raising its arms. At first they caught on invisible chains, but he flexed and tugged at his unseen restraints, shattering them with an audible clink.

The Wrath of Jotunn stood, towering far above the pair of draconians, stretched, then reached down to poke Prinze in the chest with his massive finger.

"You will channel my wrath and bring an end to my ancient enemy." he commanded, then shattered into millions of red particles that surrounded Prinze and steeped into him.

Suddenly, Prinze's consciousness was released back into the material world.

Over the last few seconds, Allistair, Alonzo, and Lady Blackhurst watched as Prinze grabbed the hand of Arkalai. His eyes rolled in the back of his head, and his tongue lolled out. A few moments later, his wrist wraps began to glow and his eyes returned to their normal position, wider than normal.

"Well that was weird." said Prinze.

"Visiting Jotunn usually is." replied Arkalai, "But he has seen fit to ascend your Dragonbutcher's Shackles. Use them well, and be wary of crossing the will of Jotunn."

The group went silent for a moment then Allistair let out a chuckle, "Oh yes. Prinze, wary of crossing another powerful being. Good luck with that."

Laughter followed for a minute, then Arkalai prepared to depart.

"I will be taking Lady Blackhurst back to the Guild for a time. Call upon me whenever you've recovered something for me." he said.

"Will Lady Blackhurst come back to Sky's Reach when she's recovered?" asked Allistair.

"Yes." said Arkalai, "If she wants to."

Lady Blackhurst looked down at Allistair and gave him a subtle nod before her and Arkalai disappeared in a flash of light.

The three looked at one another for a moment, contemplating their thoughts when screaming began to echo across the decks of the ship. The three rushed above deck to the main deck, finding all of the children, and Beezul, had been returned to their normal forms.

They cried out in fear and panic in the rain as Dolgrak shakily brought the skyship down towards Sky's Reach.

Everybody braced for a rough landing as Allistair asked, "What's our plan for them?"

"Jail?" asked Beezul.

"Labor camps." said Prinze.

"I guess if they..." began Alonzo.

The ship impacted the main thoroughfare of Sky's Reach, skidding to a halt and leaving behind a trail of shredded hull behind it.

"I guess we survived." continued Alonzo. "Hey! You lot! Are you fanatical cultists or just in it for the money?" he shouted at the children.

He received a mixed bag of answers, finding that most of them were simply down on their luck.

"You work for me now." he commanded.

Most of the children began to nod, but a few were hesitant.

"Three meals, a cot, and a bit of pay. That's what you'll get. No questions asked. Anybody who doesn't like those terms can leave." he said, pointing to the edge of the Skyland.

The hesitant few quickly fell in line at this enticing proposal.

"Guess I got that taken care of." Alonzo said to the party. "I think I'm going to take care of this for a bit. Let me know when it's time to attack the temple. Alright you lot! File in! Follow me!"

Allistair and Beezul shrugged and began to split off to go their own way, but Prinze grabbed Beezul by the shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"Uum. To spend time with the Kobolds?" replied Beezul.

"Not yet you aren't. Where are the five eggs you didn't give to Arkalai?' asked Prinze.

"Oh... he told you about those?" said Beezul, beginning to shake. "Uum... would you believe me if I told you I traded them to Sylverfang for some enchanted honey that made the hive stronger?"

Rage began to build up across Prinze's face, "You what?" he said shortly.

"Yeah... I..."

"Get out of my sight." interrupted Prinze. "I have to sort through this."

Beezul hurriedly left to spend the rest of the morning with the Kobolds.

Prinze sighed heavily, then disappeared into the tunnels that wound within Sky's Reach. He knew they had all been magically sealed somehow by Sylverfang, and that she made her lair beyond them in the heart of the Skyland, but he couldn't figure out how to bypass the seals.

The seals themselves appeared as nothing more than a simple cave in. Large boulders blocking tunnel, but Prinze had been unable to get any of the giants to help him to move them, as each time they were brought down here they became possessed by the sneaky dragon's enchantments.

Fingering his amulet, Prinze attempted to stone shape the boulders, but it was to no avail. He then approached a boulder and gave it a solid punch, hoping to shatter it. It felt unnaturally hard, and his punch, while trained to shatter boulders, felt as if it would instead shatter his own arm. Perhaps there was an illusion or something that was forcing him to hold back?

He tried one last thing before turning and leaving the tunnel for another time. He backed up a fair distance, then closed his eyes, and broke out into a dead sprint, leaping at the last second and flinging his body into the (supposedly) illusory stones.

A moment later, Prinze found himself crumpled across the floor in pain. He gasped, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him, then stood and sulked out of the tunnel.

That is where this week’s tale ends, and the next week’s tale will begin.