AN: Hey everybody, I know it's been a long time since I finished the last part of this story. Hopefully since I finished up the main story project I was working on for a while, I'll be able to update this one more often. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing and for those of you who have waited patiently for this next installment.
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Dragoon. All aspects and characters of the game are copyrights of Sony Entertainment. The only things I own are my own characters and the plot outside the original game. I'm not making money off of this; I'm just playing around in their world for fun.
Ghost Stories
The babbling brook in front of Remona was full of fresh, crystalline water, with which she filled her wineskin. Through the ripples Remona could see her wavering reflection. How like her she thought; ripples. Her life lately was one shockwave after another and she couldn't see anything clearly anymore. Everything was always in motion. Through the constant movement of the spring, she could clearly see her own sapphire eyes, and the misery they were reflecting back upon her. Now, she had been forced to leave her home, and she was almost completely sure she wasn't ever going to make it back. Her father had sent her on a mission to kill or recapture the Black Monster, neither of which she felt capable of doing.
"Don't linger. It gives things more of an opportunity to go wrong," Rose said simply, having noticed Remona's lapse into thought as she paused at the waterside. Remona shook her head and resumed collecting water.
Well, she thought to herself, there was one small hope. She had obtained an ancient power and an ancient wisdom to help her: the power of a dragoon and the aid of a previous one. Rose, was the first darkness dragoon that resided as a ghost in Remona's choker. Remona hadn't even had the first clue where to go about looking for the Black Monster, but Rose seemed to. She had told Remona about a man named Dart Feld, who lived in Serdio. She had said this man could help her. Remona wasn't keen on accepting assistance at all, let alone from a complete stranger, but at this point, she was willing to accept all the help she could get. She'd need it. She'd heard tales about her quarry's atrocities. Even the moonchild feared the demon . . .
The knight in Deningrad had called her the Black Monster by mistake. Remona knew she had probably looked terrifying with black fire burning like that around her, but she was no monster. More troubling still was the fact that if she had been mistaken for the Black Monster, it must have been as powerful, if not more so, and more horrifying than she had been.
Remona sighed and shook her head; she thought she would have been alone. A strange thing had occurred on her way out of Deningrad. She had met, of all things, another dragoon. Strange also was the fact that she had been extremely surprised, while Rose had not. It had been Rose that convinced Remona to accept the other dragoon's offer to travel together. Rose said that dragoons were called together when the time is right. That begged the question to Remona, when what time is right? What was supposed to be happening? Rose didn't seem to have an answer for that one, but her response was always the same. Be on your guard.
"One crisis after another," Remona mumbled harshly to herself, though her thoughts softened considerably when they turned to her traveling companion, Liora Deluvare. Liora, the new white-silver dragoon, seemed to be just as clueless to happenings as Remona herself. "What more do I need?" Remona said with a scowl as her mind returned to milling over Rose's information. In addition to the Black Monster and her father, now she also had to bear in mind that other, more dangerous things were in motion. But what could be worse than the Black Monster?
"You'll figure it out when the time comes, don't wrack your mind over everything at once, you'll go mad," Remona heard Rose say from behind her, as Remona noticed her reflection add to the water.
"Somehow, I'm getting the feeling that you're not telling me something and it's going to come back and bite me in the ass. What's next, a crisis of the world? You should know I have enough to deal with," Remona replied uneasily, "What, with a demon that I'm supposed to dispose of that scares God and all," Remona added sarcastically.
Rose sighed. "One step at a time, one thing at a time," she reminded.
Remona knew Rose was hiding something from her, it was an almost overwhelming feeling, but seeing as every time Rose told her something new it only seemed to add to Remona's long list of troubles, she decided not to press it any further for now.
Remona understood that her first task was going to be finding the man that Rose knew, pass on Leon's message and ask about the Black Monster. Rose had said that this "Dart" knew a lot about the Black Monster. From the impression Remona had gotten, the man had faced the demon before. Plus, seeing as this man was also a dragoon, it couldn't hurt to meet him.
"Just as I said before, be on your guard. I will share this much with you; I've already told you that new dragoons are called together when the time is right. That time usually entails something important, for good or ill cannot be said," Rose admitted at last with a vagueness that matched her physical being. Nothing about her was concrete at all, not even her body. That was the most irritating of Remona's current revelations.
Rose sighed as she eyed Remona's un-amused look. "You should ask Liora about her situation. She must have received her dragoon spirit from Miranda, seeing as she was the last bearer. I'm sure you're well aware of whom Miranda is and as such, she is privy to sensitive information. With Liora being her daughter, she might add some information that could possibly grant us more insight to the situation at hand," she suggested.
"I guess," Remona mumbled with displeasure. She never had been one to socialize and she wasn't especially nosy. She detested the thought of having to invade someone else's privacy because she so desperately valued her own. Maybe, she thought bitterly, being dragoons would give them something in common.
She had been traveling with Liora for almost four days now and she had to admit they did at least get along well. She would also have to admit that unless she was getting her hopes up, they did have the start of a friendship. In the short time she had known Liora, Remona had gotten a feel for a few of her companion's personality traits. Liora was a usually cheery person; she seemed to have a bright outlook on most things. It was odd to Remona because usually she would find such optimism annoying, but it seemed that Liora lightened her mood just by being around her and her positive outlook had quite an opposite effect. Something about it was calming, and it gave hope. Maybe it was because she was the closest thing to a real friend Remona had ever known. Liora was also very patient; she didn't seem to share Remona's growing sense of urgency. Either that or she simply didn't acknowledge it.
Much to her surprise, Liora had been completely frank and forthcoming, telling Remona all about herself seemingly immediately upon their meeting. Liora was on her way to Serdio to get a cure for Queen Theresa, whom had apparently fallen ill with some mysterious ailment. The news wasn't surprising to Remona, whom had seen the Queen on the balcony overlooking the tournament. She was very pale when Remona had seen her. Liora had also, as it turned out, left town because of a parent. She had, albeit reluctantly, told Remona some things about Sister Miranda when she asked.
Remona, on the other hand, had given Liora hardly any information about herself. She had only given the very basics of her predicament-she failed to mention the Black Monster or her father's cruelty. It wasn't that Remona did not trust her, for some reason if she had to leap into hell with Liora at that precise moment she would trust her completely. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty, but she didn't want to burden anyone else with her troubles when obviously they had enough of their own.
Remona was connected to Liora, of that she knew already and she also had the impression that Liora was the type of person that would go through leaps and bounds to help someone else when they needed it. That was the problem. Remona was sure that this Black Monster mess was going to be the end of her—and anyone else that was tagging along. She did not want anyone else mixed up in it because of her and neither did she want to spread the accompanying misery this mission brought her to anyone else, especially someone as kind and tender-hearted as Liora. If she found out mostly likely she would selflessly throw herself into Remona's quest and likely end up getting killed in the process. No one would die with their blood on her hands. Then she really would be a monster.
So to keep matters simple, Remona had told Liora she was simply going to Serdio to find Dart. Thankfully, Liora had been satisfied with this and hadn't pried any further. Remona was actually starting to hold a great deal of respect for Liora even though she hadn't known her for very long. She was considerate and that was what Remona admired above all else.
Rose had fallen silent again, obviously allowing Remona the peace in which to think. The teenage girl finished filling up the two wineskins she had brought before glancing back up at Rose. The woman didn't say anything else, so Remona assumed she had nothing left to say. Remona had been just about to leave when she saw something odd farther along into the creek-bed beneath the clear water's surface. It looked like a track of some kind. Following the same trail, Remona saw that it led onto the other side of the small stream and faded away as the tracks disappeared into the Evergreen Forest on the other side.
Liora and Remona hadn't entered the actual forest yet, but Remona knew that eventually they were going to have to. The tracks looked human-like, but were far too narrow and had a deeper impression at the ball.
"Rose?" Remona asked uncertainly, making the raven-haired woman look up from where she leaned against a nearby tree trunk. "What made these tracks?"
The ghost glided over to get a better look; her feet never touched the ground as she moved. "Hmm . . . .Well, they look like elf tracks," she answered.
"Elves?" Remona rephrased curiously.
"Dark Elves to be exact. They are nasty beings and very hostile towards humans. I've heard rumors that they live at the very back of the forest on the west side close to the mountains. I've got no idea what one would be doing this far out. I can tell you with certainty that these are very fresh, probably no more than a half-hour or so. Be extremely careful. The chances are high that it might still be around here somewhere," Rose advised.
Remona nodded. "I'm done here anyway. I got what I came for. I'm heading back now and I'll let Liora know too," she replied.
Rose nodded herself and suddenly returned into Remona's choker in a swirl of silver mist. It had happened at least four times since Remona had first learned that Rose resided in the necklace, but it still creeped her out when Rose did things like that.
Remona could make out Liora's corn silk blonde hair as she approached their small rest area and assumed with relief that she hadn't encountered any signs of trouble in Remona's absence. It could have just been that Liora was too deeply absorbed in her atlas, trying to map something out to notice anything that went on around her. Remona cleared her throat so as not to startle her, seeing as her white pine bow was propped up against a flat rock inches from her reach with her arrows just as accessible.
Liora looked up instantly at the sound of Remona's approach and her concentrated look turned into one of greeting. "I trust you didn't have any trouble finding the brook then, Remona?" she asked, letting her eyes vaguely flicker back to the atlas she had on her lap.
"None," Remona assured and handed the sacred sister's daughter her water-filled flask.
Liora managed a soft smile and a chuckle. "That makes one of us then. I've been having a good look at this map and I think I understand it; the only problem is that this atlas is twenty years old. Some of the minor rivers and things might very well have dried up since then," she informed.
"Why didn't you get a more recent map?" Remona asked curiously.
Liora shook her head. "Because there wasn't one to be had. This was the most recent and complete one the library had to offer and it was in the restricted section," she replied.
Remona smirked as a thought suddenly occurred to her. It felt strange to her, probably because it was the closest thing to a smile she'd done in a while.
"What's so funny?" Liora asked, watching Remona's facial expression change.
Remona's smirk broadened. "Librarian Ute is going to have a fit, possibly even a stroke if he knew where his precious book was now—in the wilderness, in humid air, and around dirt and all other manners of sediment. He was always very strict about me washing my hands before handling the books, especially the ones in the restricted section. No sir, not one speck of dirt was allowed, even by divine intervention, to come in contact with any book in his library," Remona replied humorously, mimicking the old bookkeeper.
Liora laughed. "Yes, he probably would. So you know Librarian Ute?" she asked in interest.
Remona nodded. "Yes. I occasionally shelve books and check them back into the records when someone's returned them. You know, just an odd job to earn a penny or two," the chestnut-haired teen answered. Remona felt a twinge of curiosity overcome her and she found herself actually asking Liora a question for once, something she wouldn't normally have done either. Usually she would have not asked anyone anything personal, she wasn't nosy in the slightest. When it came to personal questions she usually waited for people to tell her things themselves.
"Well, if you don't mind me asking, how do you know Librarian Ute personally? He'd have to be a good friend of yours to let you take a book out of the restricted section home with you. Did he let you borrow it, or did you wrestle it away from him, Soa, and a dozen guards?" she said playfully at the thought of little Liora fighting a small army of old men for the rights to the book.
Liora found Remona's statement amusing as well, because she seemed to be laughing to herself. "I'm sure if he knew where his book was now, he really would come after me, but yes, I've known Librarian Ute a long time. Probably because I feel like I live at the library, I've been there almost every day for the past ten years. Heaven knows I must have had a lesson on every topic in there by now," Liora replied with a small smile.
Remona's smirk lingered on her face a moment longer before asking Liora a question pertinent to their situation. "Speaking of topics, I'm assuming you've studied geography before, am I correct?"
Liora nodded. "Of course, why?" she asked hesitantly.
"Because if you have, you'll likely be far more useful than a twenty year-old map. Information stowed in your mind can change more easily with the times. Saves time too, not having to put everything down on paper," she added sarcastically. "Anyway, have you mapped out a route to Serdio? I know we can probably leave the seafaring to the sailors when we cross the ocean," she began as a sudden swirl of silver vapor came forth from Remona's neck.
Rose coalesced out of the silvery mist standing beside Liora and looking at the map over her shoulders. Remona shook her head quickly, shaking off the oddity of it.
"But we still need a route for our land travel. I know a little bit about this region from maps I've looked over myself, but beyond that, I'm really not sure. Do you want me to help you?" she asked, trying not to let her voice portray how unnerved she was by a spirit's sudden emergence from her jewelry.
Even if Remona had appeared disturbed, Liora hadn't noticed. "I think I've got it figured out. But I really would like your opinion on it. Here's the way I've planned it," she said putting her finger on a starting point on the map. "We can go this way, unless you don't want to take my course. If not, I'll gladly follow one you set," she offered.
Remona was touched once again by the amount of Liora's consideration. "Your plan is probably better than mine," Remona admitted, "You have more knowledge to back yours up, but let me take a look and she what you've got," she said, walking over.
Liora tapped her finger against the paper and traced a path across the swirling colors and lines with her eyes as Remona walked over. "Well, for starters, I think we can continue due east, that'll put us skirting the Evergreen Forest," she started.
"Why not just go through the forest? It would save us a lot of time," Remona pointed out.
"Because when I was back home, earlier this month I overheard a meeting my mother was in. She'd been late for our archery lesson so I went to find her, but that's beside the point. Anyway I overheard our Commander of Knights tell her that the last three semi-squadrons they sent into the Evergreen Forest haven't come back yet, and they were dispatched over three weeks ago. The scary thing is that nobody in the forest has been responding either. I'm sure you already know that we're at least on neutral terms with the wingly population that lives at the heart of the forest, and no one's heard a peep from them, which isn't normal. Some people at the palace were speculating that the winglies might have something to do with the disappearances, but I don't believe that," Liora said stoutly.
"Why not?" Remona asked, probing for more information. "I've only met one wingly, and I can't say I liked him very well," she said referencing to Leon.
"Because mother thinks very highly of the winglies, and she knows their leader. She says they would never do something like that. What's more they've no proof. What we do have evidence of is that there have been several rural residents on the outer edges of the wood that have sent reports of "monsters" lurking about. Naturally, mother sent out a team to investigate these claims and they found that they were true. She said that the monsters were actually rabid forest animals. Our naturalists were studying possible causes last I heard, but I don't know what they could be. I only know that something in the forest is making the creatures behave aggressively when they normally wouldn't. And to top off the list of suspicious things that aren't adding up, Mayor Flanders in Furni has shut off all communications with Deningrad, when he's supposed to be keeping the Queen and the Sacred Sisters informed on the town. I'm sure you know that Furni is the only port into Mille Seseu, so you can imagine why it'd be so important to us. The knights mom sent three weeks ago were supposed to be going to Furni, and we've got no clue what happened to them. I'm sorry if this makes me sound afraid, but I'd really like to stay out of the forest as much as possible. Truth be told, I just have a very bad feeling about it and I'm not really all that comfortable with how close we are to it now," Liora admitted.
It made sense to Remona why Liora had been slightly edgy for the past few days after hearing this admission. But if what she said was true, her alternate route might be the quickest way to go after all. Having to stop and fend off monsters every ten minutes would sincerely hinder their progress. Remona processed Liora's claims swiftly and came up with one more question.
"One more thing," she started. "If Furni hasn't been communicating with Deningrad and your mother was sending knights, what makes you think that the port's even open? Do you think they've had some sort of natural disaster? In any case, it doesn't sound like somewhere we want to be. Why direct a course there? Isn't there any other port we can use? I know you said it's the only active one we have right now, but there has to be another solution. I mean, more than half our country borders the sea," Remona deduced.
Liora shook her head. "No, I'm afraid that Furni really is the only waterway in and out of Mille Seseu. You're right in the fact that we did at one time have another port on the west coast, but it's ancient and hasn't really been used since the time of the old wars. I heard tell it collapsed ten years ago. It was on the ocean bordering what used to be old Gloriano, and it might have been rebuilt if the conditions had been less harsh. It's too cold to really have any sort of productive outpost out there and the water's sealed by ice almost year round, making it infeasible for a port. You're probably right in the fact Furni's not likely to be the safest place in Endiness right now, but it is our only option off of this continent. And besides, if something has happened to the people of Furni, you and I are dragoons. We're honor bound to help them out. I don't suppose with the two of us we'll run into much we can't handle," she reasoned.
Remona raised an eyebrow, amazed by this powerful display of verbal confidence from such a usually meek person. Remona had only made the transformation once before, and just that minimal length of metamorphosis had left her completely drained. But then again, maybe Liora was more experienced in dragoon transformations, she didn't know. She hadn't asked. Maybe Liora would also know a way to combat the crippling fatigue. Or perhaps the exhaustion was a symptom unique to Remona alone, she wasn't sure of that either. Remona did know that all the dragoons were of different elements and that no two of them were alike, so maybe the thing that drained her so was the black fire. Remona was sure that part was an aspect completely hers alone and thought that maybe it could account for the enormous drain on her stamina.
"Don't you get tired after your transformations?" Remona said, asking her question aloud.
Liora looked down with a subliminal blush coming to her skin. "Well, actually I've never transformed before, so I couldn't tell you. But you have, right? Tell me, is it really that difficult?" she replied earnestly.
Remona blinked. She hadn't been expecting Liora to be completely naïve about dragoon powers. She seemed to know a lot about almost everything else, so this confession surprised her. Didn't her mother, the former white-silver dragoon teach her about it?
Remona sighed inwardly. She'd been hoping she could learn from Liora, not the other way around. Remona was slightly apprehensive about teaching Liora things related to being a dragoon, she knew there were bound to be questions she couldn't answer and the way she saw it, she was still a fledgling herself.
"I've only made the transformation once myself and to tell you the truth, it was extremely taxing. I passed out when I turned back," Remona admitted, looking at Rose, whom eyed her oddly.
"Hmm. So neither of you are trained? I would have thought as Miranda's daughter, Liora would have already been well-versed in dragoon matters. But then again, I suppose in a way this is fortunate. Now I can teach the two of you together so you will be on the same level and not be confused," she explained simply.
Remona really wanted to ask Rose just how she intended to teach both of them at once when only she could see or hear her, but she didn't for the sake of keeping her sanity in Liora's eyes.
Rose read her puzzled expression as easily as one would read an open book. "Don't say anything more about your lack of experience to Liora. I will explain things to you, and in turn, you will explain them to her. That way, you will both receive the same instruction and Liora will think you already knew these things instead of getting suspicious as to how you suddenly know so much. I have a feeling that she might believe you if you told her anyway, but it's best she doesn't know about me yet," Rose said matter-of-factly.
"Remona?" Liora asked uncertainly.
Remona blinked as she turned back to her. "Yes?"
"Sorry. You were just gazing into nowhere . . . I have another question. Do you at least know how to initiate the transformation? If you do, would you teach me? I really hate to ask such a big thing of you, and knowing who my mother is makes this slightly embarrassing, but I figure it would probably be in both our best interests. If something major happens then I can help you," Liora began sheepishly.
True to her word, Rose answered Liora's question before Remona had ever asked her. "Dragoon transformations are, in essence, triggered by very powerful emotions. You know, the kind that get blood rushing and adrenaline pumping. Rage is the most prominent," the previous darkness dragoon lectured.
Remona opened her mouth to translate, but Rose interrupted one more time. "Also, tell her that you would be prepared to teach her how tomorrow. The sooner you learn to be dragoons the better things will be. As for today, you need to focus on getting to Furni," she added.
Remona nodded to Rose, but Liora took the gesture for her answer. "You will? Wonderful! Thank you! I'm truly sorry if this is causing you trouble at all, I mean my mother probably would have taught me, but well, you know the circumstances," she supplied apologetically.
This time Remona nodded specifically to her, after Rose gave the teen an odd look a reminder to be discreet and that Liora couldn't see her to understand whom Remona was addressing.
"It's no trouble. Things happen. You can't really rely on your parents to teach you everything," she said bitterly at the last part, "But it will have to wait for tomorrow. Right now, we need to finish charting a route," Remona said, extending Rose's invite to the sacred sister's daughter.
Liora nodded in agreement and turned back to the atlas. "Well, we've already discussed skirting the Evergreen Forest, and I think we both agree on that," she added, receiving an affirmative nod from Remona. "So continuing this way," she continued, mumbling more to herself than anyone and traced an invisible line across the surface of the paper. "Then we can stop here around nightfall and we'll likely make it to the port in two days," Liora deduced. "Sound good?"
Remona strained her eyes through the filtered lighting to see the small, black dot marked on the map. "Is that a city? I didn't think there was one out this way," she asked, hesitantly.
"Well, sort of. That dot marks the Village of Neet. It was a city once, true enough, but now it's just a historical ruin. I think it would be safe to stop there, because not many people pass through there anymore, it's kind of been forgotten, and the other key portion to this is that it's outside the forest," the blonde teenager explained.
Remona recognized the name almost immediately. Neet was the town that had been attacked by the Black Monster over five decades ago. The stories she heard had stated there was only one survivor in the whole town, and that was Sister Luanna of Mille Seseu. Remona couldn't help but let her mind drift into morbid curiosity. Maybe, given that she was supposed to find this monster, it would be a wise idea for her to visit Neet and see the destruction for herself. A way for her to know her enemy better, as it were. The idea was tempting, but there was also a side of Remona that was equally appalled by the thought of visiting this place. Anything that could destroy an entire city and make the moonchild quake was something she was still sure was beyond her power to combat.
The grim reality of her quest hit her hard as she stared at the black dot on paper that was the ruins of Neet. She was on a suicide mission; she'd never leave that encounter alive. The man that claimed to be her father had such a blatant disregard for her life. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to will that ill thought away. No. She mustn't think like that. Her father had died with her mother; it was the Archbishop of Deningrad whom had given her this cruel ultimatum.
She knew she would at least have to face the Black Monster. She couldn't just run away in cowardice, her grandmother was counting on her. Remona also noted with sourness that her Grandmother was probably clueless to where she was right now and what she was doing. She knew if Aggie had realized what she traded for her safety, she'd have never let her leave. Her grandma loved her, and she was the only one.
She'd been thinking of her grandmother a lot lately, and wondered more and more how she was doing. She inwardly resolved to send a letter to Brother Smidt, the Deacon that had been charged with Aggie's care as soon as they could send word anywhere. It was disheartening to have been gone this long and still not have any news, and she was already on the verge of despair.
Her dragoon spirit flickered with a low, sapphire light, and an odd feeling of settlement crept over her. Was this the orb's attempt at comfort? Was it telling her to go to Neet? Remona opened her mouth to agree with Liora, but Rose suddenly interjected.
"Ask her if there's another way," the ghost said quickly.
Remona was thoroughly confused. Going through Neet was the quickest route to Furni next to the forest, and the sooner they could get to Serdio the better. Remona stared at Rose momentarily, but then slowly transferred her question.
"Is there another way?" Remona asked hesitantly.
"There are many other routes, but they aren't as quick or as safe. We could go around Neet and try to traverse the mountains, but that would be difficult seeing as it's approaching the snowy season, and it would also add a week to our trek. Why? Is something wrong?" Liora asked patiently.
Remona looked expectantly to Rose, wondering the exact same thing. Rose didn't show any sign of emotional reaction, same as always. Her voice was even and almost apathetic when she answered. "I wouldn't suggest venturing there. There are spirits there that would be violent towards you as dragoons," she finished.
Remona raised an eyebrow. In all the tales she'd heard, Remona had never once heard of any haunting or the presence of harmful spirits in Neet. Not to mention that she had, before meeting Rose, hardly believed in ghosts.
"Liora, you must know Sister Luanna well. You said a while ago that she makes frequent visits to Neet, didn't you?" Remona asked pointedly.
Liora nodded in reply. "Yes. She's very much like an Aunt, you could say. And yes, she does frequently visit Neet. She goes to visit her mother's grave, why?"
"And in all her travels there, has she ever had any trouble with malevolent spirits? I know it sounds odd, but I've heard . . .stories. Someone told me that spirits in Neet are violent to dragoons, or I read a book, rather," Remona corrected quickly after a harsh glance from Rose.
"What book was this?" Liora asked curiously, "I've never heard anything like it," she said skeptically. "At least, not in Deningrad's library."
"It was a really old book," Remona said with a minor snort, looking at Rose.
Liora shrugged. "Well, I'm not really sure. Apart from you and my mother, I've never met another dragoon in person. As for my mother, she's accompanied Sister Luanna to Neet before many times when she was still a dragoon. She never told me anything about any violent spirits. And I don't know if you know, but Sister Luanna can see souls, so I'm sure she would have known if mother was in any danger," she answered.
"I didn't know that about her," Remona said uneasily. "How did that happen?" she asked hesitantly.
"As you already know, Sister Luanna was the only survivor of Neet. She lost her physical sight as a child during the Black Monster's attack. According to Sister Luanna, the Black Monster came into her house and it started burning. Sister Luanna and her mother were trapped with no way out and her mother curled over her in an attempt to protect her," Liora began.
Remona was now listening intently and so too, it seemed, was Rose. "The Black Monster came into her house?" Remona asked quietly. "What did it want? What did it look like, does she remember?"
"She said that the room became really dark, despite the fact that there was demon fire everywhere. Sister Luanna never actually got a clear look at the demon because smoke was obscuring her sight. What she does remember was seeing a big, black shadow in front of them and she said she thought it had wings. The heat from the black fire burned the essence out of her eyes before she could get a clear look and that's how she lost her sight," Liora clarified.
Remona sighed. So much for that.
Liora looked at her curiously. "You seemed to have been expecting something different," she observed.
"This story is new to me," she admitted. "I want to know as much as possible," she explained. "It might help us later, I just have that feeling," Remona added vaguely.
Liora gazed at her skeptically, and then shrugged. "Well, Luanna didn't see anything else, but she did hear the demon speak. She said that the monster's voice sounded like three boulders rumbling together when it spoke and it filled her heart with dread," Liora relayed.
Remona was keenly interested and hanging on every word. Any information that she could gain might the fact that saved her life. "What did the Black Monster say?" she asked anxiously.
Liora looked distant for a moment, before replying. "The Black Monster demanded to know where the moonchild was. I'm already assuming you know that legend. Anyway, Sister Luanna was hidden underneath her mother long enough to hear her mother tell the demon that the moonchild wasn't in their city. She said the moonchild had left for the harbor. Her mother begged for the demon to leave, but the monster said that it wouldn't be satisfied until everyone in the town was dead. It said that if they were left alive, they'd all become evangelists for the moonchild. Then, the demon killed her mother. It killed her without one ounce of mercy or remorse, and left their house. It didn't see Sister Luanna, which is why she's still alive. Sister Luanna herself doesn't remember how she escaped the fire, but when she woke up two days later she had been rescued by the Knights of Deningrad," Liora finished chillingly.
Remona's stomach dropped into her feet for a few moments. What kind of monster would push for total genocide of a populace long after its quarry had gone? Remona's thoughts instantly turned to the moonchild portion of this story. Apparently this god of holy bliss had been a human. If the moonchild had already been born then why hadn't the world been filled with her father's "holy bliss" that he was so sure would have come?
"Who or what was the moonchild, did she say that? Did the—well," she stopped herself morosely, "Obviously the Black Monster must have . . ." she trailed off, having no need to finish.
Liora nodded gravely herself. "The moonchild was rumored to have been Princess Louvia of Mille Seseu. She was murdered on the S.S. Saint Louvia on the way to Tiberoa by the Black Monster," she said with a small amount of what sounded like uncertainty.
Remona picked up on her tone, subtle though it was. "Rumored? What do you mean rumored? You sound like you aren't sure. Don't you think we would know if the moonchild survived?" Remona pointed out.
Liora nodded. "You're right, I think we would, but there was something in my mother's eyes when I asked her about the Legend of the Moonchild that would've suggested she knew something different. Dumb, huh? Maybe I'm reading way too much into it, I don't know. It's strange, but have you ever had the feeling that someone close to you is hiding something?" she asked almost bashfully.
Remona shifted her gaze to Rose, whom was still standing behind Liora. The spirit hadn't said a single word throughout Liora's tale or even made a face. "Oh yes, all the time," she said somewhat sarcastically.
Rose raised a dark-colored eyebrow in reply.
"But, I digress. Anyway, I honestly don't think there will be anything in Neet that can hurt us. I seriously believe we're in more danger here than we would be there," Liora continued.
Remona continued to stare down the apparition that was Rose expectantly, waiting for permission or some other type of acknowledgement.
The specter stared back and shrugged. "On your own head be it," she said simply, without elaborating in the slightest.
Remona sighed. "If you say so," she said directed at Rose.
Liora looked confused and followed Remona's intense stare. "Is something wrong?" she asked, searching for the source of Remona's troubled expression.
Remona blinked, then locked eyes with Liora. "I'm fine with going to Neet. Nothing's wrong, I just thought I heard something for a minute," she lied.
"Right. All the more reason to leave here as soon as possible," Liora nodded and retrieved her pack of belongings. Remona cast Rose one more suspicious glance as the two started to move out of their rest area. She was starting to doubt Rose's intentions. Why would she steer them towards the wilderness when Neet was closer and safer? What was that comment about angry spirits? It just didn't make sense. Was she trying to test them, or did she clearly know something they didn't?
A sudden, distant roar from somewhere in the forest brought Remona's attention sharply back to the present. It had been distant, she could tell that much, but it was still extremely loud and powerful. Remona was instantly alarmed when Rose immediately stepped into an alerted posture and Liora almost tripped over a protruding tree root.
"What was that?" Liora asked, leery immediately after the noise had gone.
Remona didn't know any more than she did and apparently, neither did Rose.
"I don't know, but like you said, it's just more incentive to leave the forest immediately. Lead on, Liora," Remona said quietly as she watched the timberline dangerously.
The day was uneventful as the two, secretly three, traveled toward Neet. With as tense and alert as Remona was, she neither heard nor saw any trace of the source of the earlier noise. It was quickly becoming sundown when Remona started to notice certain oddities in their current environment bordering the forest. The trees were starting to thin around the trunk and the air was becoming significantly colder. The rays of the sun didn't seem to be reaching the area as well as they should have and the total combined effect gave their surroundings a melancholy, grey feel. Even the wind, which should have been present, didn't seem to dare enter the place. There were no wild animals, no singing birds or scampering mice, and in their absence, silence prevailed. It was unnerving to Remona, and it seemed to be the same with Liora also.
Remona finally stopped to take a good look around and Liora, who seemed to be waiting for the invitation, promptly stopped also.
"I don't like the feel of this place," Liora said uneasily.
"Me either. Something's not right with this area," Remona agreed aloud.
"The magic's gone out of this part of the forest, that's why," Liora said after a moment of taking in the scenery.
"Magic?" Remona asked, confused. "I thought only winglies could detect and use magic," she added.
Liora shook her head. "Even humans like us can feel it. Magic is normally all around us, just like life. In a sense, life is magic. This edge of the forest has no essence. I'd often play in the forest outside the palace in Deningrad when I was younger. It was always full of life and character. It had sound and being. The place was alive. This place is well, stagnant," Liora observed.
Remona nodded her agreement and reached out, touching the nearest tree. She had a feeling she might discover something if she used her tactile sense. Her suspicions proved to be correct. As her fingers brushed the rough bark, a gossamer string of green light connected with her skin before fading into it with an odd tingle. She flexed her hand and examined it intently for injuries or changes, but she couldn't see anything physical. She did however, notice that she felt stronger somehow. Remona threw a punch with her right hand as a test and a boulder the size of a human head flew out of her fist.
The rock flew through the air and crashed against a nearby tree. Remona's eyes went wide with surprise. "It's a vampiric spell! It's sucking the magic out of the forest and converting it into energy for something else," she deduced quickly.
"Maybe the winglies?" Liora said, though dubiously.
Remona shook her head. "No, I remember reading that winglies draw their powers from elemental energies in the air. There is no wind here, and here the air isn't the only thing lacking spirit. It's everything here: the trees, the ground, even the rocks," Remona replied.
Liora looked around, nodding. "You're right. I had forgotten that part. And furthermore, mom said that the wingly magic was still recovering. She said it was still too weak to do anything on such a grand scale. Whatever did this had to be very powerful to affect such a large area. What do you think it could be, Remona?" Liora asked carefully.
Remona was about to suggest that it could have been some freak occurrence, or maybe even related to the noise they heard earlier, when she noticed the answer in front of herself. Several sets of narrow, humanoid footprints were pressed lightly into the dead brush. "Dark Elves," Remona answered.
"Dark elves? Are you sure?" Liora asked and knelt down to examine the tracks for herself. She didn't need Remona's affirmation, she agreed instantly once she saw the imprints. "What are dark elves doing this far into the eastern lands? They're supposed to be on the western edges of the mountains. What would they be stealing energy for?" she asked aloud.
"Not sure, but it can't be good," Remona answered, turning to examine their environment more thoroughly. "I saw a few tracks by the river this morning too. This could just be grasping at straws, but if we're seeing them here and there, I'd say it's safe to assume they've extended their territory a good way from home," she said darkly.
Liora looked deeply troubled. "That's really bad news if it's true, seeing as this would normally be wingly territory. Elves and winglies never get along, at least according to the books. If elves have taken wingly territory, then the winglies are either unaware, or in serious trouble. Their antipathy towards each other makes it impossible for them to even coexist, let alone share the same forest. It's something I read in the ancient texts, that war happened before the human and wingly war," she clarified looking at Remona's puzzled expression. "There wasn't much on it, but we have enough evidence to know that it happened. Anyway, it's really disturbing to think that elves are responsible for this spell, and I have a feeling that either way this might spell disaster for the winglies living here. When we get to Furni, I'm sending a letter to my mother," she said grimly, "If I can. At any rate, that magic definitely explains the aberrations in this part of the forest," she concluded.
Remona shared Liora's sense of dread, and thought she might be right on target with the assumption that this spell might be aimed in some way against the winglies. However, if the spells from the elves left residue in this afflicted area, wouldn't wingly magic as well? Other than the odd feel of this place and the slightly altered appearance, nothing seemed to be grossly out of the ordinary. There was no evidence of any kind of struggle having taken place here, or anywhere else they had been for that matter. Remona was beginning to agree with the assumption that the winglies were blind to what was happening here, from what she read and what she understood of them herself, winglies were a resilient species and no one would dominate them without a fight.
"Maybe. Let's move on, whatever happened, we probably won't learn any more from lingering here. Plus, staying here puts us in danger. We need to reach our site before nightfall," Remona reasoned.
Liora nodded wordlessly and resumed leading the way. Remona stepped into stride beside her, taking her bearings and checking one last time avidly for anything suspicious. Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, Remona noticed a glimmer of silver light above them. She turned sharply to direct her full gaze to that spot, but she didn't see anything but the thick, pine canopy. She shielded her face as a dim ray of golden sunshine peaked through the branches and into her eyes. She blinked, clearing the momentary sunspots that had formed and looked around again. Whatever that subliminal light had been, if it was anything at all, was gone now.
Liora's hand shifted swiftly to hover inches off the surface of her bow, making Remona realize that her hand had gone subconsciously to the hilt of her sword.
"What did you see?" Liora asked with attentiveness.
The brown-haired teen relaxed, and started to ease her hand away from her sword. Without warning or sound, Liora drew her bow to the ready and notched it with an arrow so swiftly that she was a blur.
"Freeze! Stay where you are!" Liora shouted with a command in her voice Remona hadn't thought was possible. She turned, angling her weapon at a large Beech tree to the right with her crystal arrowhead gleaming maliciously. Her eyes locked onto a central point off to the left side of the tree trunk.
Remona's hand flew back to the handle of her sword when she saw the toe of a black, leather boot protruding ever so slightly at the base of the tree and a pale hand, covered in layers of dirt become barely visible over the edges of the tree bark.
"Come out slowly with your hands where I can see them, or I will shoot!" Liora called again threateningly, a tone that just didn't suit her.
Remona inwardly kicked herself for being too caught up in the insignificant details to notice the major ones Liora had. Why had that silver blur caught her attention, when clearly this should have? The hand and boot stirred slowly, before connecting into the form of a small boy, whom Remona estimated to be no older than seven. The bow carefully stepped into plain view with his arms held high over his head, per Liora's demands.
He was clothed in a filthy, hole-ridden yellow tunic and equally dirty tan linen pants. The child wore small, black boots with an open hole in the toe of the right, giving them sight to the enormous blister on the right side of his big toe. The child had a very round face, and every inch was covered in mud and what appeared to be soot. The boy had a clear scratch across his right cheek and what looked like a nasty abrasion on his neck just below. His hair was cut very short and dirty blonde, and though it had no length his hair still managed to have mats and several twigs caught in the strands.
The boy spoke intrepidly, for someone at arrow point. "Okay, okay. Don't shoot, you found me," he answered simply, as if he were playing hide-and-seek.
Liora lowered her bow slightly, clearly uncertain that a boy would pose any threat. "Who are you? Why were you hiding from us? Where are your parents? Are you lost?" the archer asked, taking on a more gentle tone.
The boy nodded. "I am lost. I got separated from my family, can you help me find them?" he asked innocently, as if this was an everyday occurrence and he would trust total strangers at the drop of a hat.
Liora lowered her bow completely and relaxed the arrow on her drawstring. "Remona, we have to help him," she said sympathetically.
Remona didn't respond, but continued to watch the boy intently as Liora continued her conversation with the battered looking child. Something about this whole scenario was completely off, and it set her on alert.
"Certainly we will help you. Where did you last see your parents?" she asked softly.
"I'm not sure," the boy responded. "I think it was that way," the child responded and pointed off in front of the two teenage girls.
Liora nodded. "I see. What do your parents look like? What are their names?" she asked the child in concern.
"My mommy's name is Michelle and my daddy's is John. I'll know them when I see them. Please can we go now? I'm scared. I miss my mommy," the small kid begged pitifully.
"It will be alright. We can go now," Liora said in a motherly tone and lifted her foot to start forward.
"Wait!" Remona hissed dangerously. "This doesn't feel right," she added. No sooner had she spoken the words, than did her ears catch the clear cracking sound of twigs and underbrush snapping. Remona drew her blue sword in a flash of metal and whirled around catching the strawberry-haired adolescent wielding a twelve inch knife red-handed. He had a very peculiar aim; Remona noted that he'd been directing the knife for the side of her neck, and not her back or head. She scowled as she swiftly turned the tides on this would-be attacker. She sideswiped his startled arm away from her body with the flat of her sword, then pinned the tip of her own blade at his grungy throat.
"That was cute," she growled. "Real cute. What the devildom sort of trap was this supposed to be?" she spat dangerously.
The second boy, in ragged and dirty clothes like the first, returned her scowl defiantly, but quickly thought better of a retort as Remona pressed her sapphire blade closer to his skin.
"Remona, don't! He's only a child!" Liora protested fearfully as the second boy winced.
"Yeah, only a boy with a knife, sneaking up like a coward behind us trying to stab me—tell me, what exactly were you trying to do? Rob us? Because I promise you, that's not going to happen," Remona replied, first to Liora, and then turning to face her captive.
The second boy stumbled quickly backwards, away from Remona's weapon. "Good choice," she said bluntly. "Now drop that knife, or I promise you, child or no, your actions are going to have some very adult consequences," she continued, not relenting in the slightest.
"Yeah, and then I'd be defenseless. I'm not stupid," the second boy said with loathing. He glared at her before he continued. "If I were you, I'd give us all your valuables before somebody really gets hurt. This is your only warning," he said with a cocky, punk attitude.
Remona raised an eyebrow. "Bad choice. In case you haven't noticed, there are two of us, we're bigger than you and your friend," Remona started sourly gesturing to the child behind her, "and we have better weapons," she finished, not intimidated in the least. "And between you and me, I'm not above teaching little punks who attack me to mind their manners. Where I grew up there were rats bigger than you," Remona said with an indignant snort. What was this? Now they were to be mugged by little kids?
The little, would-be thief didn't seem discouraged by Remona's valid points. "Yeah, well you may be bigger than us, but you're outnumbered," he replied and gave a loud whistle.
Several rag-tag young boys of assorted ages suddenly surfaced from several well-camouflaged caches. Remona growled in displeasure as she realized that they couldn't have all been there already, they had to have been followed. The circle of about ten boys closed in on the two dragoons, pressing them back to back by waving various crude weapons.
"How about now?" the redheaded boy with the knife mocked.
Remona rolled her eyes. She'd been in much worse situations before at home with the Knight Dodgers. She had no doubt in her mind that she could easily take care of this band of would-be muggers.
Liora shifted uncomfortably directly behind Remona. Remona knew she didn't want to fight at all, let alone fight children. Remona definitely didn't want to see her get hurt because she wouldn't strike back if this came down to an all out fight, which she had the feeling, this situation was going to become in mere moments.
"You're just defending yourself," Remona growled irritably in her ear. "They attacked first. This is stupid, we need our supplies and we can't afford to be short," she reminded impatiently.
"I know that," she whispered back. "I will fight back if I have to, don't worry," she promised, though Remona could hear the regret in her voice.
Remona stared back sarcastically at her would be assailants without any manner of fear and then gave them a taunting grin of her own. This seemed to unnerve the boy with the knife.
"What are you? Stupid or somethin'? Give us your stuff now!" he demanded, raising his knife.
"As I told you before, not going to happen," Remona rebutted, feeling as if she were talking to a younger version of Donaven all over again.
The boy frowned. "You really are stupid. You're a girl, what are you gonna do? If ya don't give it up, then I'll have to take it from you and mess you up," he answered. "You and your friend," he added, eyeing Liora.
Remona snorted and shrugged. "It's your mistake, little brat," she said somewhat laughingly.
"Fine. Nobody can say I didn' warn ya!" he hissed and poised to attack.
"Allan, I wouldn't attack her unless you want to die. There's no fear behind her eyes, she's more skilled than you," came a deeper, older male voice as a man with messy, curly black hair about Remona's age stepped out from behind another tree with his arms crossed.
The second boy, Allan, seemed completely offended. "Come on Ricki! Jus' 'cause she ain't actin' scared doesn't mean nothin'!" he argued.
The man, Ricki, came even further forward. Remona noticed oddly that this guy was wearing light leather armor over his clothes and he had an orange bandanna tied around his forehead, keeping his unruly curls at bay. Ricki reached over his shoulder and produced an iron morning star, smacking the shaft of the weapon in his open palm. He carried an aura of authority; Remona could immediately tell that he was the ringleader of this little gang, having been around enough gangs in her life to know.
"Let me have a chance! I won't mess it up!" Allan pouted.
Ricki shook his head. "No and I mean it. She's too strong for you. Any of you. I'll deal with this myself," Ricki asserted, putting an end to the argument and the reproachful countenances of several of his gang members.
Remona locked eyes with Ricki assertively and cut straight to her own point. It was better not to beat around the bush with these people.
"You have some sense in you. Now here's my proposal. Let us go peacefully and we'll pretend this never happened. If you want to pursue this, you're all about to get your asses handed to you," Remona challenged with fortitude in her own voice.
Ricki swung his arm wielding the morning star, causing it to hiss through the air back and forth as he stretched. He grinned, then hoisted it to the ready. "I think we have a misunderstanding here. I said you were too good for them. I didn't say you were too skilled for me."
Remona sighed irritably. This didn't surprise her, nothing like this ever got resolved verbally. "You should take your own advice. I'm not scared of you either," Remona pointed out.
The gang leader's grin broadened. "Well, that's because your friend is with you. You wouldn't be so brave if you were by yourself," Ricki said, nodding at Liora.
Remona raised an eyebrow once more. "Is that what you think? You're pretty clueless," she said simply. "I'll fight you one on one if that's what you're implying. It's your funeral; you're old enough to know better. So, here are the only conditions. You don't harm my friend during this fight, and I don't harm any of your little henchmen. If you win, we'll give you our belongings and fend for ourselves from there. If I win, you leave without resistance and don't bother us again," she said nonchalantly.
Ricki laughed. "Got guts for a girl, don't you? I'll admit when I saw you two walking through the woods I thought you might fold at the sight of deer. That sounds good to me, though. Back up you guys," he shouted to his friends, so that they formed a human fighting ring.
Liora put her hand on Remona's shoulder. "Are you sure you want to do this? Alone?" she questioned.
"Trust me," Remona said simply, as she handed her pack over to Liora, leaving only her sword, "I know what I'm doing. I've dealt with his type all my life," she replied harshly.
Liora managed a half-nod in a sad sort of understanding. "I trust you, just—don't kill him, okay?" she requested philanthropically and stepped obediently aside.
"Easier said than done," the dark dragoon said sarcastically. "Don't worry," she insisted, seeing Liora's troubled expression. Giving this punk the beating he deserved was the only thing on Remona's mind right now. The only person she thought she'd ever had the desire to kill was Donaven, and he had threatened what she loved most. Deep down, even when it had come down to it, she'd let him live. She wasn't a murderer, and moreover, she was resolved to never be a monster. She eyed Ricki, watching his every move like a hawk. She knew the duel would begin any second.