Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
This is the story of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies told through the point of view of Lekan, the Celestial Guardian of the small village of Angel Falls. Though young and inexperienced, the adventures Lekan and his friends will go on will not only unearth many mysteries, but will also help him to mature into a true Celestrian. Without further ado, let's begin.
Quick note: This story stays VERY true to the storyline of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, but will also contain little pieces that I have thrown in to add some of my own touch.
You don't usually wake up one day and find that you now have many more responsibilities than you already had. It's startling, even if it's a gradual change, when you realise that you carry the safety and welfare of a small village on your shoulders. It's a bad frame of mind to be in when you begin your day, but unfortunately I could not change it. I highly doubt that Aquila panicked like one does on the first day of his new duty. How am I ever going to become like Aquila if I am so afraid?
Aquila was everything I aspired to be like. He was wise, strong-willed, and un-deterred in every action he made. He was what many would call a 'True Celestrian'. One who did not falter in his duties, one who was not afraid to make the necessary sacrifices to ensure the safety of his flock. Even my former mentor, Apus Major, agreed that Aquila had the makings of the Almighty within him. I suppose I should consider myself incredulously lucky, for my mentor was none other than the object of my aspirations; Aquila.
"You have done well, Lekan". A small smile crept onto my face as the sound of Aquila's calming yet strong voice reached my ears. I turned to him, my forest green eyes meeting his deep purple ones, with the roar of the waterfall behind us as gallons of water fell from the cliff above down to the glistening blue pool of water that we floated above.
Aquila was quite tall, with a muscular build. He was not fond of the term 'bald', but to this day I can find no other word to accurately describe his hairstyle; or lack of it. Aquila's face was very masculine, with outlined chin and cheek bones. He was wearing what many of the Celestrian elders wear; a black waistcoat, with a loose jacket of multi-coloured feathers draped over him. He had baggy black trousers that reached down to just above his ankles, where rested his black sandals.
I glanced to the right, and noted that the sun had begun to set over the small village of Angel Falls. This was no ordinary village, though. This was MY village. The village that I had been assigned to guard over. Me, Lekan, the Guardian of Angel Falls. My smile grew wider as I repeated the phrase over in my head, but Aquila seemed amused at what I suppose was my 'spaced out' face. A quick shake of my head, and I returned to my senses. It was only then that I was able to take in the truly magnificent sight before me.
Angel Falls was quite possibly the prettiest village I had ever laid my eyes upon. Maybe I'm biased, or maybe I haven't been to enough villages to know for sure, but if only you were there to have witnessed the sight alongside me…I am adamant that you would've agreed with me. The houses were small, but practical, and well-built. The grass was as green as you would ever see, and spanned the majority of the village. Narrow dirt tracks acted as paths, leading around the village, into buildings and also out of the village. With only an inn, a church, a single merchant and a stable to occupy the majority of buildings in the village, Angel Falls truly made the best out of what it was given by the Almighty. But it was not only the appearance of Angel Falls that gave it that warm, welcoming charm. The inhabitants were all so generous and kind. Many times had I seen a villager, panicked and distressed, pleading for help from the others. Without hesitation, the other villagers immediately helped, and the problem was dealt with almost as soon as it arised. Truly I was blessed by the Almighty to be given such a wondrous place to watch over.
I had realised that Aquila was also deep in thought, for neither of us had spoken for a few minutes. We simply watched as the last few flickers of sunlight finally disappeared from view, and Angel Falls was darkened. It was not long before the lights from houses illuminated the paths, casting shadows outside of families eating, talking, and doing whatever activities mortals do. It was then that the silence was broken.
"I truly thought that I would never witness this sight again. Oh, how I will miss this village…" Aquila trailed off, closing his eyes as a cold breeze swept over us. I felt somewhat guilty about being the new Guardian of Angel Falls. Aquila had obviously grown very attached to this small village during his time as guardian, and he seemed so upset that he would have to leave it behind. While I pondered these thoughts, Aquila continued.
"…I regret having to leave it, but I have no need to fear for its welfare with a guardian such as you watching over it, Lekan" Aquila turned to me, and I saw compassion flooding his eyes. "I admit, when Apus Major bade me 'Aquila, take Lekan as your apprentice' I was hesitant. But the continued safety of Angel Falls shows that you are able to handle such responsibility well. I had never expected to see you bloom so soon" Aquila placed his hands together, inter-locking his fingers, and bowed his head. "I am truly proud of you Lekan, Guardian of Angel Falls".
Had I not felt so compelled to be strong in front of my mentor, I probably would've fainted right then and there, and fallen into the pool of glistening, pure blue water below me. The very thought of Aquila bowing to me was shocking enough, but for my hero to actually bow before me was something that made my Celestial heart skip a beat. I returned the bow, with a shaky "Thank you".
Aquila crossed his arms, and returned his gaze to the village. I had begun to drift deep in thought, when a surprised grunt escaped from Aquila's throat and brought me back to my senses. I cast a glance at Aquila, and quickly noted that his eyes were widened, and I followed his gaze. I saw two figures walking along the path to Angel Falls in the distance. Mortals. Not long after, I saw three more figures leap out of a bush, but they were like none I had ever seen before. One figure was tall, while the other two were very small, almost round shapes. They speedily waddled over to hide behind a rock on the other side of the path. The tail figure peered around the rock, eyeing the two mortals. Aquila turned to me, and I turned to him, and I knew we were both thinking exactly the same thing.
"Come, Lekan! You cannot allow innocent members of your flock to come to harm under your watch. I think it is time that I actually witness for myself just how you protect your flock" Aquila said, drawing his gleaming silver sword and spreading his large, feathered wings. Following his example, I drew my own sword, but it was slightly less dazzling than Aquila's. Being young, I was not allowed access to some of the better weapons housed within the Observatory. I spread my wings as much as I could, but they were only tiny little things compared to Aquila's wings. I had felt quite inferior at that point, but I didn't let it get to me. I had to show Aquila that I could fight just as well as he could. I had to show him that I knew how to protect the villagers under my care as guardian. I quickly took off towards the three figures, with Aquila following closely behind.
It did not take more than a mere 20 seconds to reach them. I landed behind them, with Aquila arriving at my side less than a second later. Now that we were close to the figures, I found it easier to determine what they could be.
The two small figures were slimy blue teardrop-shaped creatures, with a permanent goofy smile etched on what I assumed to be their face. I had seen these creatures many times before while patrolling the outside perimeter of Angel Falls. From what I had seen, they were docile, harmless creatures. I believe the villagers called them 'Slimes'. Simple, but appropriate. On more than one occasion I had seen some of the younger villagers bring them into the village and keep them as pets. The young mortals adored them, so to see such small, innocent creatures behaving in such an aggressive manner was quite a shock indeed.
The taller figure was one of the most bizarre creatures I had met in all my life, at least up to that point. It was a large, thick, green stick, with spindly little arms and legs. I remember seeing a villager eating something that looked very similar to this creature, sans the arms and legs. I believe he called it a 'Cucumber'. Mortals really do give their foods such strange names…The creature also had a face practically the same as the face of the Slimes, and a badly crafted wooden spear in its hands that looked like it could barely cut through paper…heh…criticising the weapon of a humanoid cucumber…I can be really weird when I want to be.
The three figures turned to face us, and snarled. Aquila and myself stood undaunted, glaring at the creatures. I glanced around them and noticed the two mortals were coming nearer. We needed to remove these creatures, and quickly. The cucumber creature made a mad dash towards me, with the Slimes in tow. Aquila let out a fierce roar, shocking the Slimes. They halted their charge, backed away, and then took off in retreat, leaving the cucumber to face us alone. It made a wild slash at me, which I dodged with ease, quickly bringing my sword down on its spear and slicing it in half. The creature stumbled backwards, and I took my opportunity; I slammed the hilt of my sword into the face of the creature. It fell back in defeat, and then suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light.
Not a moment too soon as well. The two mortals passed the rock mere moments after the battle ended. I did not recognise one of the mortals, but the other was all too familiar…
She was a young girl. Not as dazzling as our Celestrian women, but she was pretty even by our standards. Her hair was very fine, and fell down to her shoulders. Her fringe was blunt, coming to just above her eyebrows, beneath which rested those caring, innocent blue eyes. Stretching from her neck right down to her knees was a dress of the brightest blue, with a white apron hanging in front of it. Her boots were a brownish-yellow, and rather clunky. Many times I had wondered why she chose to wear such strange garments. Maybe it had something to do with the inn that she worked at? Her hands were inter-locked, hanging in front of her dress. She stopped beside me, but didn't notice me.
That is the thing that confuses these simple mortals the most about us Celestrians. Though they feel compelled to believe our existence, they can find no proof for it. I have lost count of the number of times I have helped a villager, and they have cried out 'Hello? Is someone there? If you're there, answer me!'…These mortals are most peculiar indeed. Though many of my brethren believe these mortals to be insignificant, this young girl interested me. Her name was, as I recall, Erinn.
I had spent hours watching her as she worked, ate and slept. Something about her…Enthralled me. Despite the constant annoyance of a mischievous young boy by the name of Ivor, Erinn remained adamant in her belief of the existence of Celestrians, and still does to this day. She possessed such a strong will, that I could not agree with my brethren. To know that there were mortals like Erinn inhabiting this world…It gave me faith in their abilities and future. I felt so touched by her strong belief in not just the existence of Celestrians, but also her belief in me, the Guardian of Angel Falls.
As Erinn smiled and looked on towards Angel Falls, I could not help but feel compelled to yell out at her. To let her know of my existence, so that she did not ever feel that her prayers fell on deaf ears. But alas, doing so would only convince Aquila that I have some kind of mental deficiency. I simply stared at her for a few moments more, before she finally spoke. She turned to the second mortal.
"Look, grandpa! Angel Falls! I told you we'd make it!" she squealed in delight. Her voice was charming, so much that I expect it would woo a Celestrian, much like me. The other mortal finally came into view as he stopped next to Erinn. The mortal was an elderly man, with wrinkly skin and thinning grey hair. He had a brown cloak draped over him, and use a wooden stick to support himself as he struggled to remain upright.
"Ahh…Angel Falls. It's still as beautiful as it was all those years ago. I'm very lucky…" the elderly man said. Erinn frowned, but then giggled.
"Don't be silly grandpa. It wasn't luck. I'll bet Lekan, the village guardian, was watching over us the whole way" she responded. Erinn then raised her interlocked hands, bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Thank you for protecting us on our journey, Lekan" Erinn prayed. She began to glow brightly, and a small, shining, bright blue crystal appeared and floated next to her. Erinn turned to her grandfather, and then continued along the path with him. Aquila approached the crystal.
"Behold Lekan. A crystal of benevolessence" Aquila motioned towards the crystal.
"I know what it is, Aquila. I've been a guardian for months now, so I know what benevolessence is" I said, annoyed at how he continued to treat me as though I was still young. But I had my own responsibilities now, my own village to protect, and I didn't want him thinking I wasn't ready for it.
"I have no doubt that you do, Lekan. Now, you must take this crystal of benevolessence and offer it unto mighty Yggdrasil. Yggdrasil has been fiercely glowing for a while now. This one crystal could very well be the crystal that guides us to salvation" Aquila said, seeming to drift away in thought as he finished his statement. I pondered the thought for a while, before Aquila snapped back to his senses. "You must waste no time Lekan. Come, let us return to the Observatory!" he exclaimed, and spread his wings. I too spread my wings, and we took off straight upwards, towards the home of the Celestrians; the Observatory.
Even as we flew upwards, I could not remove Aquila's statement from my head. What if he was correct and this crystal of benevolessence was the final one needed before Yggdrasil would bear the sacred golden fyggs? I was filled with both excitement, and hesitation. Although I had thoroughly enjoyed being a guardian, I felt that my duties would be finished before they had even properly begun.
I have never been more mistaken in my life.