Chapter 1
Bizon was rushing down the halls of the Parthevia palace.
He had just received some news that had disturbed him. Right now he was hurrying to confirm it. The only thing going through his mind was reaching his destination.
Bizon is a soldier of the Parthevia, and has gone through a great deal of combat. His hair is white, but he is not an old man, in fact, he is only nineteen. He has gold eyes, and is about average height. His armor was golden, and he had a double-edge sword attached to his belt.
"Hey, calm down, Bizon!" Someone behind him yelled.
Bizon looked behind him, but did not stop walking. It was Tarjim, his comrade.
"Come on, will you relax?" He said.
"No!" Bizon almost shouted.
"Listen, you heard it announced by the king himself." Tarjim said. "That means it's true, and it pisses you off, but there is nothing you can do about it. So let's go hit something to help relieve your rage."
"I want to hear it from Hina." Bizon said. "She can't be doing this willingly."
Tarjim sighed. He knew there was no talking Bizon out of his current course of action. Tarjim is a boy with black hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. He was an inch taller than Bizon, and more muscular. Rather than a sword, Tarjim carried an axe on his belt. When Tarjim was a boy, he was a slave. People told him he was only a possession, an object. He believed them for awhile, but that changed after he met Bizon. It was Bizon that made him a soldier, and ever since then, he has fought for him on the battlefield.
They reached Hina's room. Inside was a large dresser, a bed made with the finest silks, and walls covered with beautiful works of art. All of those artworks had been painted by Princess Hina herself. She may only be sixteen, but she has had great talent in art.
When they did not find Hina in the room, the two of them checked the balcony. Someone was there, but it wasn't Hina. It was Bizon's unit commander, Alfred.
Uh, no, Tarjim thought, this is the last thing we need.
"You look upset, Bizon." Alfred said.
Bizon was more than upset. His face revealed an express of intense rage. Tarjim was scared of what he might do.
"Why did the king announce that you and Hina will be married!?" Bizon's anger spilled into his voice.
"It's simple." Alfred said with no emotion. "Because we will be."
The second Bizon heard that, he tried to punch Alfred. Alfred avoided Bizon's punch, and countered with one of his own. He was knocked to the floor. As he stood up, he drew his sword, with murderous intent in his eyes.
"Calm yourself, boy!" Alfred commanded. "Neither her, nor I, want this marriage!"
That stopped him, but he did not put his sword away.
"This is simply an arranged marriage." Alfred assured him. "Her father wants this kingdom to be left in the hands of a true leader and warrior. Due to my many successes on the battlefield, and my status as a Dungeon Conqueror, he sees me as the best choice. However, I have no interest in ruling this country, or marrying the princess."
"There is something I don't understand," Tarjim said. "Hina has a brother, prince Haku. Isn't he the true heir to the throne?"
"He was," Alfred replied. "Until a few days ago, when it was discovered he suffering from an illness. His heart is growing weaker every day. The disease is too powerful for even magic to cure. It is only a matter of time before he dies."
Bizon had calmed down some. He asked, "What will it take to prevent this marriage?"
"Fortunately, I have a solution." Alfred said. "If someone else were to conquer a Dungeon, and defeat me in battle, the king would surely give Hina to that man instead. Understand."
"Yes." Bizon said with a determined face.
Tarjim understood as well. "Wait, Bizon, you aren't seriously thinking-"
"I wasn't thinking about it." Bizon said. "I will do it. I will conquer a Dungeon!"
"In that case," Alfred handed Bizon a scroll.
"That will get you into the Magic chamber, where the magician slaves of this country are kept. Use them to locate a Dungeon."
"You have my gratitude, Alfred." Bizon said as he bowed his head.
That is how you show your thanks in many countries during this era.
"To repay that me, all you need do is succeed." Alfred said with a smile.
The three of them left Hina's room, then Bizon, with Tarjim, went to the Magic chamber. Meanwhile, Alfred walked in the opposite direction. Alfred's body is covered in scars, his eyes are fiercer than a lion's, and his body has been pushed to the limit, meaning he is very muscular. He carries a sword on his belt. This sword has an eight-pointed star emblem carved into the blade.
The symbol of a Dungeon Conqueror.
In this world, there are mysterious structures known as Dungeons. Those who enter a Dungeon are faced with life-or-death challenges. When a person manages to overcome these challenges, they reach a place called the Treasury room. Inside, one will find great riches. Also, it is there that they will make a contract with a Djinn. The Djinn are magical beings that can fuse with any metal object. This object, and its owner, are then given terrifying magical power. Enough power to destroy or create a country in a single night. All these metal objects - Metal Vessels - can be identified by their eight-pointed star emblem.
Lastly, when someone conquers a Dungeon, they will have a vision of future events.
As Alfred turned the corner, he nearly bumped into Princess Hina. Hina is a beautiful girl, age sixteen. Her hair is very dark and long. Her eyes are purple. Despite being a girl, she is rather strong. Usually, she wears a white dress.
"Good afternoon, Alfred." Hina said, avoiding eye contact.
She felt awkward around him since discovering that they were engaged. Hina has no romantic feelings towards him, so the situation is . . . difficult.
"I have a news of your brother." Alfred said.
"What!?" Hina was not expecting that.
"Has his illness became worse!?" She said, sounding extremely panicked.
Hina is aware of her brother's illness. For the past few days she has been tending to him. Though, he was constantly refusing to let her. Haku has always been stubborn about letting people help him, including his family members.
"Since he is not long for this world, he plans to go to battle one more time." Alfred said. "He left early this morning. By nightfall, he will be in Monshu, where our forces have been locked in battle with Sindria's troops."
Hina's expression became one of horror. The day before she had overheard two generals saying that Monshu had nearly been taken over by Sindria. Her brother was headed to his death.
"Why didn't anyone stop him!?" Hina was in panic.
"No one knew of Haku's plan except the soldier's he took with him." Alfred said, attempting to comfort her.
She turned and ran down the hall. Alfred was well aware of what she intended to do, but still asked, "Where are you going?"
"To save my brother!" Hina yelled back.
After she was well out of sight, Alfred grinned.
Now, all the pieces are in place, he thought to himself.
Chapter 2
A few days earlier . . .
Dio had just reached a Dungeon's Treasure room.
It had been a hard journey. Together, with his knight, Frank, and his magician ally, Elvira, they managed to defeat every trial the Dungeon had thrown at them. They fought small dragons, giant rats, and avoided traps along the way. Now, Dio, prince of Sindria, would become a Dungeon Conqueror. He could return to his country with pride.
All the objects in the treasure room were stone. Until Dio touched a bronze shield on the floor, in the center of the room. Suddenly, everything in there began to glow. When the light faded, what was once stone became gold, silver, and diamonds. A blue mist filled the room. The mist disappeared in a few minutes, and blue giant stood in the center of the chamber. He had a long beard, was fat, with large ears.
"Congratulations, you have conquered this dungeon." He spoke with a booming voice. "I am Amon. Djinn of determination and achievement. Who will become king?"
Dio stepped forward. "I will!"
The Djinn studied the him. Dio is a boy with short blonde hair, blue eyes. He wore a red shirt beneath black armor. Nothing cover his arms or his shoulders. In his right hand, he held a one-sided blade.
"Very well." Amon said. "From this moment on, you shall wield the power of a king."
Amon's body became a blue flame that was absorbed by Dio's sword. An eight-pointed star emblem appeared on the sword. A bright flash blinded Dio and his companions. While his friends remained blinded by the light, Dio quickly regained his sight. He gazed at a moving image. This was an image of his brother Aoba and a girl whom he did not recognize. The two of them were sitting together, looking up at fireworks. They turned to each other. Aoba and this girl kissed.
Then, suddenly, Dio found himself standing in a crater, where the Dungeon had been.
"Nice job, my prince." Elvira congratulated him.
"Yeah, wait til we return home." Frank said, grinning. "The people will cheer your name, there will be a big celebration, one with plenty of girls, and-"
Frank stopped when he notice Dio was not listening to him. His expression was serious, and he appeared to be lost in thought.
Dio was wondering what he had seen. Part of him was happy that Aoba, who never showed much interest in forming a relationship, would finally find romance. However, Dio felt bad because a friend of his was in love with Aoba, and what he saw meant she would face rejection. The last thing he wanted was for her to suffer.
That is when a thought occurred to him. Since the event he had witnessed had not happened yet, he could prevent. There were fireworks in the sky in the vision, probably from the celebration of Sindria's founding. That event was going to happen in around a week's time. Dio needed to prevent Aoba from going to see them with that girl before then. If he did the vision would not happen, and his friend's feelings would be spared.
Dio made-up his mind to do just that.
"My prince?" Elvira said, worried about Dio's failure to reply to them.
"Yes, I was thinking." Dio replied.
"Of what?" Frank asked. "Wait, let me guess. You had a vision of the future, right? I heard king Sinbad say that you caught a glimpse of the future after conquering a Dungeon. So did you?"
Dio nodded.
"I'm in awe!" Frank was excited. "Well what did you see? Was I there? Did I have a beautiful woman on my lap?"
Elvira whacked in the him in the head with her wooden staff after that last question.
"Pig." She called him.
"I will consult my father before I tell you." Dio said. "Is that alright?"
Elvira made a nervous face, and asked, "Did you see something bad?"
"No, just a personal matter." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"We should be heading home."
A day later . . .
Aoba ran through the town. His destination was the harbor. He had received word that his adopted brother was returning home, and that his ship could be seen from the harbor.
"Wait," he heard someone behind him yell.
Aoba looked back, but did not stop moving. It was Mayuka. He turned towards her when she tripped.
"Are you alright?" Aoba said, as he helped her stand up.
"Yes, thank you." She blushed when she noticed they were holding hands.
Quickly, she let go.
"So, you came to see Dio too?" Aoba asked.
"Yes." Mayuka said smiling. "I've missed him very much. Even though it's only been a week."
"Yeah, me too." Aoba said.
Then the two of them noticed the street was getting rather crowded. Aoba realized it would take too long for them to reach the harbor, traveling on the streets. That is when he had an idea.
"Mayuka, could you use your flight magic, please?" Aoba asked.
Mayuka was not sure at first. She is only a trainee magician. However, if she did this for Aoba, he would be happy, and thank her. Hearing him tell her "thank you" would bring great pleasure. So, against her better judgement, Mayuka decided to do it.
"Okay, grab my hand." She said.
Mayuka heard the Rukh and released some of her magoi. Suddenly, they were up in the sky. For a few minutes, the simply floated in the air, thirty feet off the ground. It took her about that long to remember how to move through the air. Then, her and Aoba headed to the harbor. As they traveled, they looked down at the city below.
The two of the were in Luxon, the capital of Sindria. There are about five-hundred-thousand people living in this city alone. From their vantage point, they could see every building, all the merchants, and every store. At the center of the city stood the royal palace. It was beautiful, made from a number of different stones. There were a number of towers surrounding it with walls connecting them, for protective purposes. Also, is was not just a palace. Inside, there is a school for all those wishing to be knights.
"We're almost there Mayuka." Aoba said.
He should not have said anything, because his speaking reminded Mayuka that they were holding hands. She blushed, and started to sweat. Nervousness overpowered her. She lost control of her magic and the two of them went crash into the sea.
Aoba could taste the salt in his mouth. His first thought was to check on Mayuka. She struggled to stay above water. Quickly, he assured her she was safe and helped her to shore.
"Well, this is a surprise." Someone said as they climbed out of the water
Dio stood over them.
"Hey, bro." Aoba said, grinning. "Welcome home."
"Seriously, you're always causing trouble." Dio sighed. "You shouldn't get Mayuka involved."
"No worries." Mayuka said. "No harm was done. Besides, Aoba would never let any harm come to me."
"You say that to confidently." Dio said.
"Anyway, did you conquer the Dungeon?" Aoba asked.
Dio smiled, and unsheathed his sword. Revealing the emblem of a Dungeon Conqueror.
"I am in awe." Aoba said.
"We'll talk about it later." Dio said. "After you've cleaned ourselves up."
Both their clothes were completely soaked.
That night . . .
Aoba wore a blue shirt, and kept a sword at his side. His hair is brown, and his eyes are green. Mayuka was wearing a pink dress. The dress was as pink as her hair and eyes. The two of them sat at a round wooden table with Frank and Elvira. They, along with Dio, usually sit down together for a meal when they could. All five of them were old friends.
However, Dio was having a conversation with king Sinbad, so they were waiting for him.
"Geez, is he going to describe the entire adventure, down to last detail?" Frank said, annoyed and hungry.
"Just relax, pig." Elvira said.
Dio entered the room. "Sorry for the wait."
"No problem, brother." Aoba said.
As they began to eat, Dio turned to Aoba.
"Do I have something on my face?" He asked.
"No, I was just wondering if anything important happened while I was gone." Dio said. "Like, if you had final started a relationship?"
Aoba sighed. "No, I've told you this a hundred times. I am waiting for the right girl. I am not as much of a flirt as our father."
"I know." Dio said. "One more thing, you are coming with me to front-lines tomorrow. Understand?"
Aoba was so surprised, he almost spit out his drink.
"Why!?"
"Because, for the past five years, Sindria has been at war. With no end in sight, and the king's health declining, his successor must be prepared for the days ahead." Dio replied.
Aoba has no love of war. The last thing he wanted was to become a general.
"This is a direct order from our father." Dio said.
"Alright." Aoba answered.
With that, the fate was sealed.
Chapter 3
Bizon and Tarjim reached the Magic Chamber.
The guards outside the room let them in immediately upon seeing the scroll Alfred had given them. The room was rather depressing. There were magicians in chains everywhere you looked. They all had very thin bodies, and wore rags. All of those magicians were kept there until they were needed. Bizon stepped into the center of the room.
"I have come here because I heard you slaves could help me find a Dungeon." Bizon said as loud as he could.
He heard one of them laugh. It was a old man with a wrinkled face and yellow pus coming from his eyes. After he finished laughing, he began to cough blood.
"What is so funny!?" Bizon demanded an answer from the old man.
"Only a few magicians are capable of locating a Dungeon." The old man replied. "And I don't believe any are here."
Bizon stabbed the old man in his left arm with his sword.
"Liar!" Bizon shouted. "Tell me where I can find a Dungeon, or-"
"You'll kill me?" The old man cut in.
The old man smiled. "I am already at death's door. You do not scare me."
There was fury in Bizon's eyes then. He pulled out his sword, and looked like he was going to strike the old man dead. Just as he was about to, someone else yelled, "Please stop".
A young boy stood up. He appeared to be ten, or eleven years of age. His hair was long and blonde. If you did not look at him too closely, you might think he was a girl.
"If you spare him, I'll take you to a Dungeon!" He screamed.
"Lasha, don't!" The old man said with desperation in his voice.
Bizon told him to shut up.
"Can you really find a Dungeon, boy?" Bizon asked.
"Yes." He replied.
"Listen, kid, if you are lying, you better say so now." Tarjim said, sounding worried. "If we find out you are lying, my friend will kill you and the old man."
"I am telling the truth!" The boy shouted. "Please believe me!"
Bizon looked at the boy, his eyes like piercing daggers. He decided to believe the boy, after all, he did not have any other options. The three of them left together. Bizon made arrangements to leave with the help of Alfred. He had hoped to say goodbye to Hina, but he was told she had decided to be with her dying brother in his last moments. That caused Bizon some sorrow, but he still left. They sailed for about three days. Tarjim got sea sick in the first hour. After they reach land, the three of them rode a carriage two days before finally reaching their final destination. It was incredible. They had traveled deep into the forests of the country Muasim, and found what could only be a Dungeon. It was a building that appeared to be carved into a mountainside. A small door behind four pillars, with beautiful carving all around it. Some of those carvings resembled animals, other looked like humans wearing strange clothing. Truly a breathtaking sight.
"Well, kid, seems you weren't lying." Tarjim said.
"As a reward I will give him some of the treasures I will obtain." Bizon said.
He and Tarjim pushed open the doors together. As they opened, there was a blinding light. They could not see for what seemed like a few seconds. Once the light finally ceased, they were no longer outside the Dungeon. They could only be inside the Dungeon. There were carving, much the ones outside, on the walls. The room they were in was dome-shaped, with a pillar in the center that had stairs circling around it, heading up. It seemed to lead to another room. Other than that, there appeared to be no way in or out.
"So this is a Dungeon." Tarjim said. "Interesting."
Bizon ignored him. He was already headed up the stairs.
"Wait, Bizon!" Tarjim yelled. "Please wait."
"Hey, Tarjim," Lasha said. "Can ask you something?"
"Sure." Tarjim replied.
"Why is Bizon so set on conquering this Dungeon?" He asked.
Tarjim sighed. "Well, he is doing this because the woman he loves will soon be married. This woman is of very high social status. The only way Bizon could stop the marriage is if he conquers this Dungeon. With the power of a Metal Vessel at his disposal, he would be worthy enough to marry this woman."
Lasha said nothing. However, when he looked at Bizon, there was newfound respect. To him, anyone that would risk their life for love was a great person. It was then and there that he decided to help Bizon conquer that Dungeon.
The three of them reached the top. For a second, they thought they were outside. There were trees all around them, and the air even smelled fresh, but there was a roof over their heads. It seemed to be an indoor forest. This forest was very thick. So thick that there was only one path they could follow. Bizon drew his sword, because from what Alfred had told him, never let your guard down in a Dungeon, or someone will be killed. They followed the path, and found a blue giant. The giant was about twenty feet tall, had long blonde hair that reach its feet, female, and had green eyes. She wore a dress that looked as if it was made of leaves.
"So, which of you wants to become king?" She asked, her tone made seem as if she could not care less.
"What is this?" Bizon said, confused.
According to what Alfred had told him, in a Dungeon, one must face many dangers and tests before reaching the Djinn (the blue giant).
"Is this all there is?" Bizon asked.
"Of course not." She said. "I am don't want to serve a king that must rely on others to succeed. I will test all those who desire my power, individually. Understand?"
So that's it, Bizon thought.
"He is the one who will gain the power of a king." Tarjim said, referring Bizon.
"Is that so?" The Djinn made an amused smile. "I am Harpie, Djinn of loyalty and obsession. What would you do with the power?"
Bizon stood before the Djinn, his face with a determined expression. "I would destroy my enemies, and keep those I love with me."
"Hmm." The Djinn looked at Bizon. There was a new found interest in her eyes. "You amuse me."
Just then, she exhaled a purple mist from her mouth. It surrounded Bizon, made almost impossible to breath. When he inhaled, his throat felt it was exploding. In about a minute, he lost consciousness. Upon waking up, he felt his limbs restricted. Seconds later, his limbs felt like they were being burned. He could not see anything.
"Tarjim!" He shouted.
Only a minute later, he could not remember why he shouted that name. Bizon quickly realized what was happening. His memories were fading away. People he knew, places he had seen, and events in his life, all of it was crumbling away. He tried to recall the memories, but all he got was a headache. So, he clung to the memories he had. Particularly, the ones of Hina. He thought of the first time he meet Hina. Back then, she was six and he was nine. His family had served and protected the royal family of Parthevia. She was small, but still beautiful. She had always been kind to him. Once, he got bit by a snake on accident, and Hina treated his wound. Even sucked out the poison for him. That is when Bizon started to develop feeling for her. Then, when he saw her painting, he was in awe. Hina was only ten, but drew so magnificently. Her paintings took his breath away. As the years followed, Bizon fell deeper, and deeper, in love with Hina. However, he could feel those moments fading. Her image was getting blurry.
"No!" Bizon scream at the top of his lungs. "No! No! No!"
He willed the images to remain. Using all of his will power, he forced the images to remain. Slowly, but surely, all of his memories came back. The restraints around his limbs disappeared. His sight returned to him. Bizon stood where he had been when the Djinn breathed the purple mist. Lasha and Tarjim lay on the floor behind him, out cold. The Djinn was in the exact same place. She was also clapping. Her claps sounded like boulders crashing together.
"You have passed the test." The Djinn said. "You have a will stronger mine."
"What sort of test was that?" Bizon asked.
"A test of your inner strength." She replied. "Only through extreme force of will could anyone withstand that test."
"So will you grant me the power?" Bizon asked.
"Yes. Lift your sword."
Bizon did as she told him. Her body became a blue mist that was absorbed by his sword. A eight-pointed star emblem appeared on the blade. Suddenly there was a flash of light. It only blinded Bizon for a second, then he saw something that filled his heart with delight. He and Hina were standing at a wedding altar. Tears Bizon believed to be tears of joy fell from her cheeks. However, a figure appeared. A boy with brown hair and green eyes. He wore silver armor, the kind Sindria's soldiers wore. In his hands, he held a sword that had the emblem of a Dungeon Conqueror. This boy took Hina away from the altar.
Bizon shouted "No!" at a tree. It took him a moment to realize he was back outside. He, Tarjim, and Lasha were back where they had left their horses. There was no trace of the Dungeon. Not much later, Tarjim and Lasha woke up.
"Bizon," Tarjim saw the emblem on his sword. "You did it!"
Bizon did not seem to hear him. He was about to walk towards him when Lasha stopped him.
"Don't, he is angry." Lasha said, his tone grave.
"How do you know?" Tarjim asked.
"The Rukh surrounding him are all black." He replied.
Tarjim had heard of the Rukh. Supposedly, they were the souls of people who died. It was said that only Magicians could see them, and that they surrounded the living, changing color with the emotions of the one they surrounded.
"Why would he be angry?" He asked.
"Perhaps, it is because of the vision he had?" Lasha replied. "When a Dungeon conqueror conquered a Dungeon they have a vision of the future. It could be he saw something he did not like."
"Your right." Bizon said.
His voice made them flinch. They were sure he was not listening to them.
"I saw a stranger take away someone I care about." Bizon said.
"Who?" Tarjim asked.
"Hina."
Lasha then realized who Bizon was in love with. Princess of the Parthevia Empire, Hina Parthevia. No wonder he had to conquer a Dungeon to marry her.
"What happened to her?" Tarjim's voice contained some panic.
"I will tell you when we return to Parthevia." He replied.
The three of them quickly got on their horses and set out for their home country.
Chapter 4
Aoba and Dio were riding their flying carpet in silence.
The two of them had not said a word to one another since the night Dio told Aoba he was going to the battlefield. While Aoba had been trained in sword play, he hoped never to see a battlefield. He wanted to save live, not take them. His father, Sinbad, knew that. So why was he being sent into battle? Aoba had a feeling that there was something he did not know.
"We are almost there." Dio said.
I hope this works, Dio thought.
When he went to see his adoptive father, Sinbad, he was told his efforts were in vain. Sinbad had told him no matter what you do, the vision you see in a Dungeon is absolute. That there is no way to prevent it. Dio did not give up, even after hearing those words. So, Sinbad allowed him to take Aoba with him to the battlefield.
"I can see it." Aoba said, his voice containing a hint of dread.
Dio stood up to get a better look. He saw what had once been a town. Now it was nothing but ruins. Buildings missing walls and those that remained were stained by the blood of dead soldier, maybe even civilians. A terrible tragedy, to say the least. On one side of the village were Sindria's soldiers, wearing silver armor. On the opposite side were Parthevia's soldiers, wearing golden armor. Even from the vast distance, they could tell that Sindria's soldiers outnumbered the Parthevian soldiers. It did not seem that the two of them would be needed.
Suddenly, there was a flash of white light, which blinded Aoba and Dio. Once they regained their sight, the number of Parthevian soldiers changed dramatically. An army of new troops had appeared. They must have used reflection magic to hide their presence. Dio swore as he jumped off the carpet. Aoba was shocked and rushed to see what happened. He had forgotten that now that Dio had a metal vessel, he could fly. Dio fly straight to the battlefield.
Meanwhile . . .
Hina just barely managed to reach her brother. However, they were all ready at the battlefield. The fight had begun. Parthevia's troops fought Sindria's in the remains a town. She saw her brother headed to the front lines. Hina flew down to him.
"Haku!" She called out.
"Hina!" He shouted, shocked to see his sister.
He hurried over to her. "What are you doing here!?"
"I came to bring you home!" She shouted. "Why are you here? You could die!"
His expression showed great sorrow. "I am going to die if I don't do this. Before that happens, I want to die a proud warrior. So, I will do this. I have to."
"No you don't!" Hina said. "I want to make as many happy memories with you as I can before you die. There are so many things I want to do with you. Please, come home with me."
Before Haku could answer her, he felt a terrible pain in his chest. It was like his insides were exploding. Suddenly, he could not breath and was gasping for air. He fell to his knees. His sister caught him in her arms as he fell. She said his name again, and again. He could not reply at first. With the last of his strength he managed to say, "Hina."
Meanwhile, Dio had reached the battlefield. He saw that Sindria's troops were being slaughtered from high in the sky. He had only had a little practice with his metal vessel, but he used it. Flames came pouring out of his blade and covered the battlefield. The flames spread quickly, turning everything they touched to ash. Dio yelled for his forces to pullback because he was having trouble controlling his metal vessel. Parthevia's forces were screaming in pain because of the flames. It quickly became too horrible for him to stand, so he tried to reabsorb the flames. However, he could not. The flames he had created continued to spread, the screams of the soldiers grew louder.
"No," he said in horror.
Dio called on all his willpower to stop the flame. Suddenly, his body felt hot. In the back of his mind, he heard Amon's whisper, "You can not return the flames to the metal vessel."
"What do I do!?" He shouted, hoping the answer would come to him.
Down below, he saw a girl, laying on the ground, that could not move because she had burning wood on her legs. Without hesitation, he flew down to her. Without thinking, he removed the burning wood from her legs. Oddly, he felt no pain when he did so. His hands were not even burned. Then, he had an idea. He pulled the flames towards him. The flames were absorbed by his body. After a few seconds, his body was covered by the flames, then the flame turned into red armor. This red armor covered his chest and legs, but left his feet and arms bare. The sword he carried became black, and the eight-pointed star emblem was glowing. All of the flames were gone.
"Brother," Aoba said as he ran towards Dio.
"Aoba, how are our troops?" Dio asked.
"Find, most of the fire was concentrated on Parthevia's troops." Aoba replied.
Then, Aoba turned his attention to the girl Dio had saved. He bent down to examine her. That is when Dio saw her face. Imagine his shock when he saw it was the same girl he had seen Aoba kissing in his vision. There was no doubt. It seemed his father, Sinbad, was right. No one can avoid fate.
She opened her eyes and groaned.
"What is your name?" Aoba asked.
"Hina." She replied.
Chapter 5
Bizon was shouting at commander Alfred with all his might.
He and his companions had traveled constantly to return to Parthevia. They barely slept. Bizon was so worried about Hina that he had not gotten any sleep in five days. It was a miracle that he was still able to stand.
Upon their arrival, they hurried to the palace, where Alfred informed them of Hina's leaving to stop her brother.
"How could you let Hina be lost?!" He yelled.
"Like I have said before," Alfred said, "her brother did not wish to die in bed, so he gather troops and left to fight in Monshu. When his sister discovered this, she left to try to bring him back. However, when she reached him, the battle had already began. According to the report from a surviving soldier, Sinbad's adopted son seems to have captured a Dungeon, which he used to unleash an inferno that wiped out nearly all our troops. We can only hope she survived."
Bizon made a fist with his right hand. Hina had to be alive. She had to be.
"Who the hell told her what Prince Haku was doing anyway?" Tarjim asked. "Must have been a real fool. Anyone, even a five year old commoner would know not to tell her."
"At this time, we do not know how she discovered Haku's plan." Alfred said. "That aside, did you manage to conquer the Dungeon?"
Bizon unsheathed his sword, revealing the new eight-pointed star emblem carved into it.
"Marvelous." Alfred said, sounding impressed. "What challenges did you face?"
"This is not the time to be talking about our adventure!" Bizon shouted. "We must find Hina!"
"As I said there is guarantee she survived." Alfred said. His voice was cold, and emotionless.
Bizon lost control of himself the second Alfred finished his sentence. In one swift motion, the tip of his sword was placed against Alfred's throat. A drop of blood traveled down his sword. However, Alfred did not so much flinch.
"Bizon!" Tarjim said. "Think about what you are doing! Killing him would be treason!"
"He right!" Lasha said. "You will be executed if you go through with what you are about to do!"
Their peels fell on deaf ears. Bizon had shut the rest of the world out. All of his attention was on Alfred. They looked into each other's eyes. Staring at each other, waiting to see who would blink first. Alfred closed his eyes and smiled.
"You have great power within you, Bizon." Alfred said. "So I will let this incident pass. I know you love Hina, but I am a general. More importantly, I believe myself to be your friend. So I will not lie to you even if I wish to do so."
Bizon began to calm down. Slowly, he lowered his sword. Then, a man burst into the room they were talking in.
"Sir, we have located Princess Hina!" He said.
That caused Bizon to rush over to the man.
"Where is she?!" Bizon demanded an answer.
"Using magic, we have determined her location by using magic." The man replied.
"So, where is she now?" Lasha asked.
The man was hesitant to answer. "She is in Sindria's capital city, Luxon."
"Seriously!?" Tarjim said.
"How did she end up there!?" Alfred asked.
"We do not know." The man answered. "But the Rukh do not lie. She is there."
Bizon began to move towards the door.
"Where are you going, Bizon?" Lasha asked.
"To save Hina!" Bizon replied.
Before he could take another step, Alfred moved in front of him, blocking his path. Just as Bizon was about to speak in protest, Alfred punched him in the gut. Bizon's vision became blurry. Seconds before he passed out, Alfred said, "I am doing this because I am your friend."
Meanwhile . . .
Hina awoke in a soft bed, with a boy she did not recognize standing over her.
The boy looked rather handsome to her. His eyes were kind. He was applying a wet cloth to her forehead. Hina noticed that she felt increasingly warm. She realized she had a fever. The boy noticed she was awake.
"Hello, I am Aoba." He said, his voice gentle. "What is your name?"
"Hina." She replied.
"How do you feel?" Aoba asked.
Hina felt dizzy and confused. Her head hurt a little. She tried to recall what had happened, and where she was. That is when she remembered her brother dying. Her last memory before passing out of flames surrounding her, then being saved by the boy beside her.
Hina tried to get up, but the Aoba said, "Easy, you need rest."
Aoba noticed the girl was crying.
"Did you lose someone during the battle at Monshu?" Aoba asked.
"My brother." She replied.
"I am so sorry." He said, doing his best to comfort her. He held her hand.
Hina then drifted back into a dreamless sleep.
She was sleeping in Aoba's room. Outside, Mayuka was observing them. As she watched Aoba care for the young girl, her heart felt as if it was going to sink to the bottom of the sea. Part of her was glad that Aoba was taking care of the sick girl he had saved on the battlefield. The rest of her felt jealous of her. Mayuka wanted to be taken care of by Aoba. To have him watch of and tend to her.
"What are you doing?" A familiar voice came from behind her.
It was Dio. His expression was serious, with a bit of sorrow in his eyes.
"Is something wrong, Dio?" Mayuka asked.
"I should be asking you that." He said, quickly changing his expression. "Why are you outside Aoba's room?"
"Well, I, er, was-" Mayuka was desperately trying to think of an excuse.
"Don't worry about." Dio said. "I don't need an answer."
Once he was out of sight, Mayuka let out a sigh of relief. She then decided to leave.
A couple hours later, Hina awoke again.
Her fever had gone down considerably, and her head no longer hurt. The boy, Aoba, was asleep in a chair next to her. There was the sound of crickets, and the only light came from a candle on the small square-shaped table next to her. Hina realized, that she had absolutely no idea where she was. All she knew is that she had been saved and cared of by Aoba.
She got out of the bed, and walked across the room. Above the door, opposite the bed, was a symbol. Instantly, she recognized it. Hina could feel herself trembling. That symbol was that of Sindria. She was in enemy territory. Her heart rate was increasing. Quickly, she analyzed her surroundings. The room she was in had a bed, a small table by the bed, a dresser, another table with books on it, and a chair behind the table. Once she finished, her attention turned to the boy that had taken care of her.
Aoba was his name if she remembered correctly. He had sat beside, and cared for her, while she had a fever. He was also the one who saved her in Monshu.
Could such a kind boy really be her enemy? Perhaps, the people of Sindria were not what her father had raised her to believe?
She shook that thought out of her head. Parthevia and Sindria were at war. Her and Aoba were enemies. Lucky for her, they had not discovered who she is. If they did, she would surely be interrogated. Or, maybe she would be used as a bargaining chip for power. She had to escape and find a way back to Parthevia.
Quietly, Hina left the room. Fortunately for her, she had been trained as well any of Parthevia's soldiers. This helped her move through the palace undetected. Also, most of the guards were not expecting anyone to sneaking around. In a hour, she reached the walls that surrounded the palace. It was designed so that the guards could walk on top of it. Hina walked on top of it, trying to find a way to get to the other side. She leaned over the side, looking just that.
"Hina!" A voice surprised her.
She lost her balance, causing her to fall off the side. It seemed like the end for her. However someone grabbed her hand, and kept her from falling. Aoba was the one who was holding her hand. He was using all his strength to hold on.
"Don't worry. I'll pull you up." Aoba said, keeping his doubts from his voice.
Hina could not believe it. This boy from Sindria was saving her life.
"Why are you doing this?" Hina asked, still hanging over the wall.
"Why wouldn't I?" Aoba said that like Hina had just asked a ridiculous question.
"Because I am from Parthevia." Hina replied.
She could not believe what she just said. Now that he knew where she was from, he most definitely let her fall to her death. But he did not. Instead, he said, "I know and I don't care."
That was probably the most shocking thing she had ever heard. He did care that she was from an enemy country. Her heart was racing. There was this feeling of joy inside of her. Despite the fact that she was probably moments away from death, she felt unmistakable happiness.
Then suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up. It was not Aoba lifting her. There was this golden light surrounding her. In about a minute, she was back on top of the wall. Another person was on the wall, standing behind Aoba. This person held a fishing pole in his hands, wore green clothes, and a green hat. His face and long hair made him resemble a girl. A golden light surrounded him.
"Hello there." He said. "Nice night, isn't it?"
"Are you Yunan?" Aoba asked him.
Hina recognized that name. Yunan is the name of a wandering magician that can create Dungeons. Many believe he lead Sinbad into the first of the seven Dungeons he conquered. It has also been said that Yunan is immortal. Supposedly, he has not aged or died in three hundred years.
"Yes, I am." He replied. "May I inquire as to how you know my name?"
"My father told me about you." Aoba answered.
"I see." Yunan said. "How is Your father, Sinbad, these days."
"He is ill." Aoba sound like what he was saying actually hurt him. "It doesn't look like he has many days left."
As he spoke, Hina almost forgot to breath. Aoba was King Sinbad's son. That was all she could think about.
"Miss are you alright?" Yunan asked Hina. "You seem a little pale."
For a second, she had forgotten about the other two. She had been lost in thought.
"I'm okay, don't worry." Hina said quickly.
"Well, that's good." Yunan said. "I need to go now. Sinbad summoned me here."
Yunan flew away. After he left, Aoba and Hina started to talk.
"How did you know I was from Parthevia?" Hina asked.
"When my brother and I found you, I saw a spider sewed into your clothes. The national symbol of Parthevia; worn by all their citizens."Aoba replied.
"Yet, you still saved me. Why?" Hina asked.
"Why not? You are a living person. You have never done anything to hurt me or my loved ones. So, I had no reason not to." Aoba replied.
That would not have been the case in Parthevia. There, the soldiers are trained to show no mercy to their enemies, even if they have done them no harm.
"So … Can I stay here?" Hina asked.
"Of course." Aoba said. "Though, I thought you would want to return to Parthevia."
Truthfully, That was the last thing she wanted to do. Returning to a future husband that she did not love, and responsibilities she did believe she could handle. Not many people would want that.
"No." Hina said. "I would rather stay here."
"Alright." Aoba said, smiling. "Hey look, it's dawn."
He was right. The sun was slowly rising up from the darkness of night. It was a truly beautiful sight.