Raj's Pov:
Sleepywood is a dreary place filled with darkness. More so than even Kerning City, home of the crooks and thieves. However, it has been my home for ten years and I have many good memories here. I met my dragon, Emory, here and my best friend Aria. I found Aria about two years ago, she had been sitting alone in front of Zakum's lair. I had been going there to slay the beast and there she was, injured and memoryless. The only thing she remembered was her name. I took her to my house so that I could heal her and we quickly became the greatest of friends. She is the kindest soul I have ever met, but she unfortunately still has no memory of her past. When I revealed to her that I was a Dragon Master, she decided she wanted to train to be a 'hero' as well. We tried multiple classes until she found the perfect one for her. I smile as I think about how happy she was that day.
'Master.' A soft voice breaks out from behind me, making me startle before I relax.
"I thought I asked you not to call me that." I scold, turning around to face Emory. He is a huge shadow standing at 8 feet tall.
'I like calling you Master though, Master' He quips back, his silver eyes gleaming in glee. I snort in response to his childishness.
"What do you want Emory?" I ask, walking up to stand in front of him, looking up so I can look at his face. Tall bastard.
His eyes lose their glee and he huffs.
'You are no fun Master. Anyways, it is almost time to go. Everything is prepared and Aria is waiting outside.' No way!
My eyes widen and I look at the clock. Shit! I didn't realize it was already almost 1. I scramble around, grabbing my bags and scolding myself.
"Thank you. I didn't realize how late it was. I will be out there shortly." I mutter.
'It is my job to help you when I know you're stressed. I know you're overwhelmed by everything, I don't mind." He says gently, nuzzling my back before leaving quietly, well, quietly for a dragon anyways. I smile and shake my head behind him. He is the sweetest.
Today is the day we join the heroes. It took a lot of observation and research for Aria to convince us to go. She was drawn to the cause the second she learned of it, much to our dismay. We don't particularly like getting involved in world conflicts, however this time it is crucial that we do. I sigh as I comb out my pitch black curls, looking into the mirror. Hazel eyes glare at me in return.
"Here we go." I mutter to myself before heading out of my mahogany-brick house, stepping into the garden Aria insisted on having. She said Sleepwood is dreary enough as it is and needs some light.
Speaking of Aria, she is standing right in the middle of the garden, speaking quietly with Emory before she turns at the sound of the door opening. She smiles brightly at me, blue eyes sparkling and red-hair gleaming. She is very beautiful, though I could only ever view her as a sister.
"Finally! You took forever onii-chan!" She cheers, making me chuckle as she fidgets excitedly.
"I suppose you are both ready then?" My question is greeted with a chorus of yes's and we both climb onto Emory's back, tying our bags to the side of his saddle. Aria sits behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist, chattering about how happy she is to be joining the cause. I listen to her absentmindedly, smiling as I observe our surroundings. The meeting will take place in Leafre, home of the dragons. It will take us about an hour to get there from Sleepywood, since we are flying. I look over as we pass the town of Henesys, watching the vibrant orange mushrooms fight over a puddle of water, making me snort lightly.
"Raj, are you even listening to me?" Aria's indignant voice breaks me out of my observations and I turn my head to smile apologetically at her. She snorts and shakes her head at me, but grins nonetheless.
"I was saying that I feel like something great is going to happen. Like, I know it's not all fun and games but… I can't help feeling that something has changed for the better and we are meant to be the catalyst for that positive change." She chatters, nervous excitement lacing her voice. I nod, agreeing with her.
"I think you are right. I've had that feeling as well. It just feels right. I heard there was another Dragon Master there, a genius apparently, I'm excited to meet him and see what he's like." I say in response. I really am excited to meet another person with my talents, I just hope he treats his dragon right.
Aria smiles at me and looks out over the ocean as we cross it. She suddenly frowns, making me tilt my head at her. She glances back at me and quickly turns her gaze back to the ocean.
"I… I hope we can defeat the Black Mage, I don't want all of this death to be in vain." She mutters sadly, sadness set in her eyes.
I frown at her sadness and turn my gaze out to the ocean as well, thinking of a reasonable response to that.
"We will defeat him Aria. We have to. And we will not let our Allies die in the progress. We will save as many people as we possibly can and we will make MapleWorld a better place." I firmly state, making her whip her head around to look at me in surprise, but I just stay silent. She nods at me, determination in her eyes and then turns back to the ocean. The rest of our ride is silent, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
-Slight Time Skip-
Half an hour later, we are flying over a dense forest, the town of Leafre in clear sight. It is extremely beautiful, very rustic. Bark makes up the walls of the tiny houses and thick, gigantic leaves serve as the roofs. The citizens, Halflingers, a very furry people, scurry around preparing protection bunkers in the case of an attack. It breaks my heart to see it as the Halflingers are probably the most innocent people in MapleWorld. Even more motivation to take out this dark enemy.
The leader of the Halflingers, Chief Tatomo, is waiting for us on a tall landing perch on the right side of the town. I instruct Emory to head that way and we softly land in front of him.
"Welcome to Leafre, I am Chief Tatomo, I would say it is a pleasure if only the circumstances weren't so dreary." His raspy voice greets us as we climb off of Emory's back. I leap off and land right in front of him, startling him slightly.
"Aye, I would say the same. I am Raj and this is Aria and Emory. Thank you for the warm welcome, regardless of the circumstances." I politely greet him, bowing my head slightly before turning around and walking over to Emory to grab my bags from his saddle. Aria had already grabbed her bags and was heading over to the chief. We smiled as we passed each other.
"Well, I will lead you to your rooms. Unfortunately, there will be no time to settle in. The meeting will start as soon as you are ready. The other heroes are waiting in the meeting room." He states apologetically. I silently curse. Leave them waiting, that's a great first impression. However we got here precisely on time, so I don't feel too awful about it. I grab my bags and we head down the stairs, him leading us into the small town. Halflingers stare at us in awe as we pass by and Aria smiles at them and waves. She will definitely be spending time here with the citizens in our free time. I can already tell they are as charmed with her as she is with them. Everyone is charmed by Aria, afterall. Even me. The chief leads us into a huge clearing on the south side of the town. It is obvious that some trees had to be cut down to accommodate the space, as there were small tree trumps surrounding the camp. It was overall very pretty though, spring flowers gently swaying in the wind. There are 4 small huts surrounding a huge one, which I am assuming is the meeting hall. The chief leads us to the hut on the right of the hall.
"Two heroes share one hut. Unfortunately, everyone else is already paired up so you two will have to room together. I apologize for the inconvenience." He states, looking at us guiltily. The others are probably rooming with the same sex.
Me and Aria look at each other and shrug, turning simultaneously to the chief and smiling.
"We are as good as siblings Chief Tatamo, thank you for your concern but we are completely fine with the arrangement." Aria reassures calmly, smiling at the chief. He smiles back in relief and nods.
"I am glad to hear that, please go in and set your things down and I will lead you to the hall." He instructs us and we nod, walking into the small hut. The hut is split in half by a leaf curtain and I choose the right side while Aria claims the left. Each side has a grass bed, a wooden desk, a small bookshelf, and a stump to sit on in front of the desk. I wonder where the bathroom is. We quickly set our bags down and head back outside. He looks at us and nods, leading us to the big hut in the middle. I was right, it is the meeting hall. The chief drops us off at the leaf door and nods again, asking us if we need anything before heading back the way he came. I whistle, summoning Emory (he was way too big to travel safely through the small town, so he will have to settle in a nearby cave, hopefully with the other dragon.) Me and Aria stare nervously at each other as we wait.
"I really hope this goes smoothly." She whispers, making me nod in agreement.
"Me too." I whisper back, trying to smile reassuringly at her. I fail. I am just as nervous as she is.
What if they hate us? What if their leader is an absolute asshat? I shuffle nervously and pray this is not the case. We desperately need allies to take down the Black Mage.
I feel the wind pick up and turn to look at Emory as he softly lands behind us.
'Ready?' He asks us both. I stumble over to him and rest my head against his, taking deep breaths to gather my courage. After a few seconds I nod and we walk into the room.
Is is huge as to be expected. The loud chatter in the room quickly dies down as we enter and the six stunning occupants flick their heads to look at us. Holy shit, they are way more attractive than I expected. My breath stops as a man, who I am assuming to be the leader, stands up.
"Hello, I am Freud, dragon master and leader of the Heroes, I would assume you are the new recruits?" His magical voice makes me tremble slightly as I look wide eyed at him. He has auburn colored, messy hair and ocean-blue eyes. He is wearing a dark red robe containing the symbol of the Onyx dragon. He must be at least 6 feet tall. His pearl-white teeth smile kindly at us and I stand stunned for a second before a hand gently taps me. Aria. Oh shit, he must think I am extremely rude. I quickly avert my eyes, blushing.
"A-Aye, I am Raj, also a Dragon Master. I-It's a pleasure to meet another Dragon Master, despite the circumstances." I stutter, inwardly cursing myself for letting my sexuality get the best of me. I don't even know this man for fucks sakes. What the hell?!
'I am Emory, dragon of the Night Vason.' Emory outwardly projects, startling some of the heroes except for Freud who just looks at him calmly. The is a small intake of breath from the back and I jerk my head forward and see a huge, dark blue dragon staring at Emory, his golden eyes widened in shock. He is 9 feet tall and the symbol on his head indicates that he is an onyx dragon. Emory also softly inhale staring back in shock. I look between them in confusion. What is going on? We all knew there was another dragon so why do they look so shocked? Even Freud looks confused as he glances between the dragons, glancing at me in question. I shrug and he blinks. The other dragon shakes himself and shakes his large head.
'I am Afrien, former King of the Onyx Dragons.' He introduces himself calmly, despite the shock still clear in his eyes.
Former? I decide to save that question for later, feeling it to be a sensitive topic.
"Uh… I am Aria, dual blade. I look forward to working with all of you." Aria timidly introduces herself, making all of the heroes gasp.
The man sitting two seats to the left of Freud scrambles up, staring at Aria in shock.
"A-Aria. I- I can't believe it." He stutters, stepping towards her. She steps back in shock and he freezes, his purple eyes showing deep hurt. She looks at me confused by their reactions and I stare back. She glances back to them.
"I.. I am sorry. Do I know you?" She asks, making the purple eyed, blonde haired man gasp and grasp at his chest, as though in physical pain. Freud walks over to him and grabs his shoulder, trying to comfort him. I decide to step in since Aria looks at me desperately, begging for help.
"She has amnesia, all she remembers in waking up in Sleepywood two years ago with no memory other than her name."
All of them look at each other and frown. Freud stares at me, the only one not freaking out. He smiles thankfully at me. I blush and smile back, tilting my head towards him. Then he nudges Phantom, whispering lightly to him. Phantom nods and straightens, guarded expression on his face.
"I am Phantom, master thief. Aria… we were very close. I thought you had died." He states, staring directly at Aria, who is frowning.
"I am sorry dear Phantom, maybe our time together will help me regain my lost memories." She softly says, smiling sadly at him. He smiles back, trying to push back the pain.
"I hope so." He softly mutters in response.
A clearing of a throat snaps them out of their moment and I glare slightly at the next man who stands, who pointedly ignores me. He has cold blue eyes and white hair, cloaked out in white, ironic seeing as how he acts.
"I am Luminous, mage of the Light." He announces shortly, causing me to dislike him even more. His aura of arrogance annoys me. But I just nod curtly as Aria does the same, also glaring at him. She hates pompous people even more than I do, and that's a feat in itself. The beautiful woman beside him snorts as she stands.
"I am Mercedes, Queen of the Elves, bowmaster. I am greatly relieved you chose to join our cause." She announces, her voice regally laced with strength, but no arrogance. She actually seems quite kind. She has long, blonde hair and sky blue eyes very much like Aria's, but a shade lighter. Her uniform is very breezy and laced with white, gold, and light blue.
"Wow, it is a great pleasure to meet a queen. I hope that I can learn much from you." Aria says politefully from beside me, her light blue eyes sparking in awe. Mercedes smiles gently to her in response.
"Oh my dear, you truly have much to learn. It is a great honor for me to be a mentor for you." She smiles, bowing her head respectfully to Aria, surprising us both.
Who was she to these people? So powerful that a Queen would bow her head to her? I avert my eyes as the shock overwhelms me.
"O-Oh thank you." Aria stutters out bashfully. The queen chuckles and I conceal my shock in time to see her nod.
"Ugh, what is with all this stuffy formality? I expect it from you three, but not from you Phantom." The woman next to Mercedes groans out as she too rises. She is also very beautiful, pure white hair locked in a long braid and glacier blue eyes.
Mercedes rolls her eyes and looks over to her.
"Aran, this is a meeting, not a meet and greet. Please try to be at least a little formal." She berates her friend, smacking her on the arm lightly.
"Oh come on babe, you know I'm not the formal type." The friend, well lover, wraps her arm around Mercedes should and tugs her into her side, smirking down at her. Mercedes blushes.
"A-Aran!" She whines, pouting at the other woman, trying to pull away. The woman, Aran, rolls her eyes playfully and refuses to let go, turning her gaze to us.
"I'm Aran, the greatest warrior of Rien. Girlfriend of this stuffybutt." She introduces herself jokingly, smiling goofily at us as her girlfriend scrowls up at her.
Not what I expected but, hey, it's reassuring to know these people aren't homophobic. I notice Freud looking at me, slight worry in his eyes, and I smile reassuringly at him before turning a playful gaze back at Aran.
"It's a pleasure to meet ya." I respond in the same tone, winking at her playfully. She grins mischievously back at me and I chuckle, Aria doing the same from beside me.
I love Aran's vibrant personality, it makes a dark situation a lot brighter.
The next person to stand up is a man. His dark purple eyes glanced nervously at us as his long black hair sways from behind him. He is in a black and gold uniform.
"I- I'm Eunwol, pirate knuckler. I- It's an honor to have you fight with us." He stutters bashfully, making Luminous look over at him in slight concern. Huh, interesting. That was the last thing I expected from that jerk. I smile to myself, maybe he isn't so bad after all.
"It's an honor to fight with you as well Eunwol!" Aria cheers, smiling at him. She has always been great at knowing how to make people feel better. It works as he smiles gently back at her, nodding.
"Well now that introductions are done with," Freud says, smiling, the heroes and him sit, "I think it is time we fill you in the current situation, do you mind taking a seat?" His silky voice makes me inwardly shiver as he gestures to the two empty seats between him and Phantom. Me and Aria glance questioningly at each other, silently making a decision before nodding. We walk around the table and I nervously claim the seat next to Freud as she claims the one beside Phantom. This was the best seating arrangement, seeing how being close to Phantom may help her recover her memories. Unfortunately for me, however, I have to sit next to the man who makes my heart flutter anxiously. Freud looks at me and grins, making my heart beat even faster than before. Holy shit, is this man an angel? I smile back softly and he turns to face the rest of the table.
"Alright, we recently received a report that the Black Wings are invading Edelstein. The Resistance is calling for our help. There have been 30 casualties and 250 injured." He announces solemnly, making the happily charged atmosphere turn into a grime one.
"We need to rally up and go help them." Phantom states without hesitation. Everyone except Mercedes, Freud, and I nod in agreement.
I remain in silence for a few moments, thinking, before I take a huge risk and state my opinion.
"We do need to send troops to Edelstein, however, we ourselves should not go. We need to train and research so that we can defeat the Black Mage. We can not afford to lose anyone. All of the fighting will be in vain if we all die before even facing the Black Mage. And if we fail, Maplestory is lost, any life we saved will have been for naught." I grimly share my thoughts, hoping that I haven't just made a grave mistake. Freud's head jerks back over to look at me, his eyes showing surprise for the first time since I've met him. But then he nods his head in agreement with me.
"He is right. All we can do is send some of our best troops to assist them and pray that it is enough." He announces, making everyone frown, but they all nod.
Phantom looks devastated and he quickly rises from his chair and storms out of the front door. We all stare after him for a minute before Aria gets up and goes after him.
"Er… I suppose this meeting is over then?" Aran awkwardly asks after another few moments of utter silence. Freud, who had been looking down at the table, looks up at her and nods, saying nothing.
Aran gets up and gently grabs Mercedes and Eunwol by the hand, leading them out of the room a Luminous follows, leaving just the dragons, Freud, and I. I swallow nervously at the realization.
"That went well." He draws sarcastically, making me snort and look at him. Huge mistake. A beam of light shines into the room at that exact moment, creating a halo of light around his fluffy brown hair. I quickly look away, face scarlet red.
"I-It's a tough choice to make. We have all lost so much in this war, nobody wants to lose anything more. Unfortunately, life is a bitch and sometimes the choice we want is not a choice we can have." I muse, making him laugh at my language choice. He looks at me and I see the sadness set into his beautiful ocean eyes. I am positive the same look rests in mine.
'Alright, enough with the sadness, let's go flying to clear our minds.' Emory interrupts the moment, making us startle as we turn to look at our dragons. I can't believe I forgot they were still in here! I smile awkwardly at them.
"That's a great idea Emory, you comin' Freud?" I call back as I walk over to my dragon, stroking his muzzle once I reach him.
I don't hear a response and I look back to see Freud hesitate before he nods.
"Only for a bit, I have a lot of work to do." He says, making me smile. So do I.
"Alright! Let's go then. We only have so long before duty calls!" I full-out smile, beyond excited. I've never had someone to ride with before. Freud matches my expression perfectly. I am almost positive he is the same.
This is gonna be fun.