Dragon's Flight
Prologue
Silencing the Behemoth
Gaea/Year 914/Tamur Ocean/Evening
"GOTCHA, you little mongrel!" Ray shouted with triumph as the grouper thrashed on the surface of the water, stubbornly clinging onto the hooked worm.
"Hot damn, that's the biggest one today!" Mike exclaimed as Ray reeled in the line, the grouper losing strength. The boat rocked as the struggle endured. With one final tug, Ray pulled the grouper out of the water and into the boat.
"Best catch yet!" Ray said with pride as he threw the flapping fish into a container loaded with other fish. "All right, that's enough for today, wouldn't you say?"
"Yep," Mike replied as he gazed at the setting sun, its colors radiating off the scattered clouds. "Think we'll make it back to the port in half an hour if we book it?"
"I hope so," said Ray as he checked the fuel gauge on the boat motor. "Give me a minute to refuel 'er up."
As Ray got fuel from the front of the boat and started filling the motor, Mike continued looking out to the evening sky. He observed the horizon, looking out for any islands. He saw some small sandy ones poking out, but apart from that, nothing but the orange color of the sunset beating down on-
"Huh. Hey, Ray, you see that?"
"What?" said Ray as he stopped pouring fuel and turned to look in the direction that Mike was motioning towards. Far off, almost on the edge of the horizon, there was an island-looking mass that seemed to be moving by itself. It had sharp-looking rocks protruding from it, making the mass look something like a miniature mountain range.
"Well, I'll be damned. What do you suppose that thing is?"
"I dunno. Could be a chunk of rock or part of a cliff gone adrift. It's moving rather quick, though." Mike observed. As the mass continued gliding across the water, Mike saw rises in the water coming toward them.
"Heads up! We got some waves coming."
"Aight," Ray replied as he set the canister of fuel down. As soon as the fuel was firmly seated on the boat floor, the first wave hit fast and quite hard for its size. Mike yelped in surprise while Ray almost lost his footing.
"Get down, Ray!"
Ray sat down in the boat and braced himself as more waves jossed the boat. It seemed like the boat was being barraged by water for an hour, even though in reality it probably lasted only thirty seconds. Finally, the waves stopped hitting, leaving Ray and Mike shaken around in a boat still bobbing in the unsteady water.
"Lordy…what the hell kind of waves were those?" Mike stammered as he sat back up in the boat.
"Hell if I know. Ain't never seen waves that small move so quick and hit like that," Ray replied as he looked out to the traveling mass. "Whatever that thing is, it looks like it's heading for Aelehica."
"That thing might be one of those new 'Imperial Arms' or whatever secret operation Aumilia's working on. Come on, let's get out of here before we become casualties of weapon testing," Mike said.
"Good idea," Ray smirked as he grabbed the fuel and finished refueling the motor. He pulled a crank on it, and the motor started up with a snarl. The boat began coasting on the rough waters back home, its occupants now handy with a funny story to tell their friends back home.
The mass continued its journey through the water, harsh waves rippling from it as it headed for Aelehica.
Late Evening
"How's everything looking out there?" the commander asked the scout peering through the binocular scope on deck.
"Nothing yet," the scout answered back as he adjusted the scope. "Should we head back to base, sir? There's been no sightings of anything Danger Beast-like since morning."
"We'll leave when the sun's gone completely down," the commander replied as he surveyed the fleet of ships around his own. "Keep contact with our submarine units."
"Yes, commander," the scout responded. The commander left the scout at his post and walked along the deck, the salty sea air blowing against the crew. He recalled the information the navy had received from the Explorer Corps-the giant trail on a private island for military purposes leading into the ocean. The Corps had surmised that some creature had probably flown and landed on the island, then went into the ocean. The orders had been to investigate the strange incident and, if it was caused by a Danger Beast, to report it back. If the Beast threatened the navy, it was up to them to neutralize it by any means necessary.
The commander looked out to the sun, which was halfway past the horizon already. The sky had turned red with light, the stars and moon beginning to shine through. The commander prepared to enter his office when the scout ran up to him shouting, "Sir! Sir! News from Sub Unit 084!"
"What?" the commander asked as he took the warbler from the scout's hands. "Sub Unit 084, report!"
"Sir, we've spotted what appears to be a great mass moving underwater. It seems to be as large as a small island from here. We don't know what it is yet, but we're bringing the sub closer."
"Stay on the line. Tell me everything you see," the commander said sternly.
"Yes, sir….We're getting a bit closer. The object seems to be cloaked in a hard substance, like some form of reptilian scales…..Sir! The object has opened its eyes! The object is definitely some lifeform….It seems to be traveling faster…Other sub units are coming to observe as we-It looked at us! The creature is currently looking directly at u-"
The warbler rang out its miscommunication noise. The commander shouted, "Sub Unit 084! Respond! Sub Unit 084!"
The warbler continued sounding off static until another voice picked up. "C-Commander!"
"Who is this?!"
"This is Sub Unit 505! Sub Unit 084 has been destroyed, sir!"
"What?!"
"The…The creature saw the sub and shot something from its eyes, sir! The sub was eradicated instantly."
The commander clenched his teeth in frustration. "What's the creature doing now?"
"It still seems to be just staring at us, sir….wow, it's a lot bigger that we imagined…G-a-aahhh!" the officer yelled as the noise of grinding metal and shouting soldiers came out of the warbler.
"Sub Unit 505! What's happening?!" the commander shouted.
"S-Sir! The creature has opened its mouth and is sucking us towards him! It's like it's inhaling us! Taking counteroffensive measures!"
The commander could hear the noise of what sounded like torpedoes firing. He waited a bit before asking, "Any success?!"
"The torpedoes didn't seem to even faze it, and it's…What?! The walls are leaking water…Steer to the side! Try to evade the suction, and…oh, damnit!"
"Sub Unit 505, what's going on!"
"The sub's coming apart, sir! Water's pouring in and…wharndeeanjuaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
The screams cut off to static. The commander took the warbler away from his ear, his face solemn. "Lieutenant."
The lieutenant ran up to the commander. "Yes, sir?"
"Tell the fleet to prepare for battle. Whatever is in that water is a threat to us and to Aumilia. We must stop it, here and now."
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant answered as he grabbed his own warbler and barked orders to the rest of the fleet. The commander marched up to the front of his ship, observing his troops arming the ship. He looked out to the sea, waiting for the creature to surface.
The ships formed a circle, ready to enclose and trap the creature. The commander looked out, bracing for the worst.
For a bit, there was nothing. The commander checked the water and saw something wrong. The ocean was bubbling, and a great steam was coming from the water. The sea was literally boiling around the fleet.
"Sir! We've lost all our sub units!" the scout reported with a regretful face.
The commander's lips tightened. "Stay at your post."
The ocean continued to bubble, its temperature rising. "What kind of creature could make the ocean boil?" the commander thought. "Something from Uaroxos, or maybe-"
The ship was rocked by a sudden pull. The crew stumbled, weapon stockpiles rolling down the deck. The commander grabbed a railing to support himself and shouted, "Lieutenant! Status, now!"
"Sir, the fleet's been caught in what looks like a whirlpool!"
"Impossible! Nothing could create a whirlpool that fast!" cried the commander in disbelief. He looked over the side of the ship and true to the lieutenant's words, a giant, frothing whirlpool had formed almost instantly and had caught the fleet in a vacuum. In the center, something was barely poking out of the vortex hole.
"Fire at the center!" the commander barked. Shouts over warblers rang out, and the fleet bombarded the shape with heavy fire. Nothing happened.
"Keep firing! Take the Beast dow-"
The commander's orders were cut off by an explosion of water plowing right through another ship. The ship was blown in two as its crew's screams rang out.
"N-no…" the commander gasped as he slipped and fell. The whirlpool was swirling so rapidly now that the ships were accidentally firing on each other. As the fleet hurt each other, the sheer force of the whirlpool tore apart the weaker ships and overturned others. Navy soldiers that were thrown overboard could be seen splashing desperately in the aquatic nightmare.
"S-S-Sir!" the scout shouted, clinging onto the rail. "P-Pilot can't take this any longer! S-Should we aban-"
A plume of water jutted from the whirlpool, knocking the scout off the ship and into the water, where he disappeared below with a yell.
"NOOO!" yelled the commander. Desperate, he climbed the nearly vertical deck to get to his lieutenant, who was clinging onto a protrusion.
"Can we still communicate back home?!" the commander shouted.
"We're sunk, commander!" the lieutenant shouted back. "No way to call anybody!"
The commander winced in despair as he saw the other two remaining ships fall apart. Solemnly, he grasped his lieutenant's hand and climbed over to the last remaining cannon.
"S-Sir, what are you-"
"Load the cannon, lieutenant! We're firing on that Beast until our ammo is gone! We fight as one!"
"B-But sir, we'll lose!"
The commander smiled at him. "Then we'll do that as one, too."
The lieutenant stared for a few seconds before nodding and loading the cannon. The commander grasped the controls and fired at the shape, shouting with all he had.
From the depths, a giant claw impaled the engine of the ship. The ship detonated, sending pieces of metal and human across the water. The whirlpool sucked up the debris, dragging screaming soldiers into the point of no return. The last objects to go under were the commander and lieutenant's hats.
With the entire fleet destroyed and sucked into the watery abyss, the whirlpool dissipated. The water calmed and looked as if nothing had happened. The entire altercation had taken less than five minutes.
The creature continued its swim. Fish underwater quickly swam out of the giant's way, watching it move with purpose. Whatever the creature's motive, it was one of great importance to it.
Aelehica-Karun Bay-Night
"Mommy, I got five more seashells!" the girl squealed excitedly as she held up her collection to her mother.
"Pfft, big whoop! I saw five jellyfish all washed up!" her brother retorted.
"Eeewww, that's gross!"
"Jellies aren't gross, you dimpleweed!"
"Now, now, kids, both things are very cool," their mother reassured them. She took her daughter's shells and put them in her bag while saying, "Wanna go meet daddy on the pier?"
"Yeah!" both kids responded at once.
The lifeguard watched the family run off with a smile as he observed the beach. Karun Bay at night was a beautiful place, with the torches casting a great color on the beach. The bayside resorts were bustling with activity. People were partying across the sand, with small bands playing loud music, drinks being tossed around, and beach games in full swing. Satisfied, the lifeguard walked back to his post. As he climbed up the ladder and settled into his seat in the hut, he took his binoculars and surveyed the water. Swimmers were having a good time, none of them in any peril. The lifeguard zoomed in towards the horizon, looking for any ships too close to the bay. So far, there was-
That was odd. It looked like there was some tiny island moving towards the bay. Before the lifeguard could inspect it further, he heard the same boy from before shout, "Dad! The water's going down!"
The lifeguard looked towards the pier, where the boy was pointing to the water, which was rapidly going down. Swimmers that had previously been swimming deep found the water growing steadily shallower. The lifeguard's eyes widened. If the water was going down like this, it could only mean one thing.
The lifeguard slammed a button on the wall, causing a loud siren to shriek over the beach. The people stopped what they were doing in alarm as the lifeguard shouted through a megahorn, "TSUNAMI WARNING! ALL BEACHGOERS EVACUATE THE BEACH IMMEDIATELY! HEAD FOR HIGH GROUND! EVACUATE NOW!"
The peaceful atmosphere quickly devolved into a state of panic as hundreds of people ran inland, the siren blaring. The signal system was in good shape. Not only had the siren sounded off, the button signal would also send a message to the Coast Guard so they could mount a rescue. The lifeguard climbed off his post and ran to the pier.
"OFF! OFF! EVERYONE OFF NOW!" he shouted to the few people and fishers. The people ran off while the lifeguard went to the end of the pier, binoculars in hand, and looked at the sea. The water was still receding, with almost half of the visible water having gone down. As the lifeguard peered, he saw the mysterious island-looking thing on the horizon getting closer to the beach. Through the water, he could see two red glowing objects. They seemed to shine right at him.
Suddenly, the object was completely obscured by a rapidly-rising wave of water. As the wave grew bigger and wider, the lifeguard knew that now was the time to go. He sheathed his binoculars and ran for his life. The wave behind him expanded so much that it looked more like a mountain than a mass of water. As the lifeguard ran off the beach, he could see people dashing alongside him, jumping over items left on the roads to escape the tsunami.
The wave smashed against the pier, shattering the strong wooden structure like brittle glass. The few unfortunate souls still on the beach were engulfed by the torrent. The wave crashed over the beach, tearing down the bayside resorts. As the people fled, they felt water rush underneath their feet. Some of them looked back, and nearly fell over with shock at the kilometer-tall wave that was bearing down on them. The running crowds were overwhelmed by the roaring waters. Houses, buildings, and more were wrecked by the wave.
The beach lifeguard climbed onto a hut and shouted, "RUN FOR THE HILLS! GET TO HIGH GROUND! HURRY!" He was about to shout more when a large piece of debris clonked his skull. The lifeguard fell unconscious to the ground, where the wave swallowed him.
The pier family rushed into their house. The father fiddled with the keys in his pocket that opened the underground cellar and unlocked the door. "EVERYONE IN NOW!" he shouted as the family clambered into the cellar. The father slammed and locked the door behind him. The wave hit and destroyed the house, rushing over the cellar door. Water leaked through small cracks as the parents tried to calm down their weeping, frightened children.
The wave continued its devastating rush, catching anything in its path. The few fast and lucky people that had managed to reach the hills were trapped between a wave and a hard place. Screams and cries echoed in the night air as the wave slammed against the hills, crushing any remaining survivors. The water finally settled as the sun's light vanished completely, leaving the moon to shine its gaze on the destruction below. Bodies and debris floated in the dirty water as it began to recede. At first a slow crawl, the water began to rush rapidly back to the ocean where it came. In less than a minute, the water had been sucked back into the ocean.
The cellar door opened, and the pier family slowly crawled out, shocked by the sight before them. Debris and people lay everywhere. Nearby, the son gasped as he saw the lifeguard's drowned corpse nearby. The mother comforted her children while the father started running around, yelling for help. For a few minutes, there was nothing but the eerie quiet of a post-disaster landscape. Then, the family heard rotating wings over them. They looked up, and saw two aerochoppers approaching them…
"Yeah, a tsunami just hit Ounra. There's bodies everywhere. Town's totaled," the coast guard officer reported on his warbler as he guided his aerochopper over the ruined town. "Looking for survivors. Over."
"You see anybody yet?!" his partner yelled through the open structure of the aerochopper.
"Hold on, Jim, I'm still looking…Ah, there!" he exclaimed as he pointed out of his seat to the family waving for help below.
"I got 'em," Jim said as he lowered his chopper. "Keep an eye out for the other boys, Pete."
As Jim descended, Pete looked out for the other rescue units that were sent. Not seeing anybody, he glanced back and forth to Jim picking up the shaken family to the murky ocean, full of refuse and human-
"What the…" Pete muttered as he squinted at the horizon. There was something in the water out there, something breaking the surface. "Jim, are you seeing this?"
"I'm busy right now," Jim called as he landed his chopper next to the family.
The bay's waters began to boil. Waves emanated from a large, still portion of the sea. Suddenly, a giant, scaly long object jutted out from the water. It rose straight up, piercing the sky with its pointed tip. Pete's eyes bulged.
"Jim! Jim, look at this!"
Jim, who was checking the family for any immediate wounds, looked at the beach and whispered in astonishment, "What is that?" The family saw the protrusion and gasped. The long object hung in the air for a few seconds before slamming back down onto the water with a great splash. The water rippled as the object rested on the surface. Then, something began to rise slowly from the water. As the water cascaded off the object, scales glistening with the salty liquid showed themselves. The object rose higher, waterfalls coming down from it. As Pete watched, his face went pale. The object was a creature, and the creature was becoming bigger and bigger.
"Jim, pick up that family now! Some Beast's coming out from the beach!"
In a rush, Jim loaded the family onto his chopper and began to liftoff. In the bay. The creature was almost completely out of the water. Even from the horizon, its shape could be clearly seen as massive.
"Jim, move your ass!" Pete cried.
Jim's chopper was now off the ground and heading away. The creature was now standing on all fours in the bay.
"Base, this is Pete! We've retrieved a group of survivors and are heading back. Do not send anymore choppers! There is a gigantic Danger Beast in the bay, and it-"
Pete's transmission over the warbler was interrupted by a sudden gust of wind that nearly blew the chopper over. Struggling with the controls, Pete stabilized the chopper. Glancing outside, he saw Jim doing the same. Pete turned in the direction of the gust and his throat went dry. The creature had unfurled wings that made the already gargantuan Beast even larger. The protrusion that had spurted from the water was now swinging in the air, attached to the creature, and Pete could finally identify the type of animal he was seeing.
"Holy mother of Yao, it's a dragon," Pete whispered in horror.
As if on cue, the dragon's eyes opened, revealing two red eyes with white hot pupils. The eyes began to crackle with energy.
"JIM! GET OUT OF HERE! IT'S GOING TO-"
In a split second, the dragon fired two bolts of lightning from its eyes at the choppers. The vehicles and their passengers were vaporized instantly, leaving no trace. The dragon stood up on its hind legs, obscuring the moon with its sheer mass. Gazing at the ruined town, it spotted more rescue units in the distance. The reptile crouched and leapt, aiming right for the choppers.
"SWEET MOTHER OF-"
The pilots were crushed by the dragon as it landed on the terrain with a great crash. Tremors could be felt from the landing for kilometers. The great dragon threw back its head and roared.
Coast Guard Base-Karun Bay
"Rescue Unit 05! Rescue Unit 07! Please respo-"
A roaring sound shook the entire building. Coast Guard staff toppled over from the tremors of the roar. The communications officer sat in silence for a moment, processing the final messages sent by the rescue units. A draconic Danger Beast had been seen in Karun Bay. It had most likely caused the tsunami that destroyed Ounra, and was now probably moving further inland. There was only one thing that they could do. The officer rerouted his warbler to the Aumilian Army's communication line.
"Attention. Karun Bay has come under siege from a Danger Beast unlike anything we've known. It has created a tsunami that has destroyed the town of Ounra, and as far as we know, there are no survivors. It is most likely heading inland. The beast must be neutralized before anyone else dies. Code Red. I repeat, Code Red."
The officer finished the transmission and left his office. Seeing the shaken staff, he yelled, "All right, let's get out of here before we-"
The building was hit by a fireball that engulfed the entire building in flames. In almost no time at all, the base was burned down to the ground. The officer's body burned alongside his coworkers. The base's flames were snuffed out by the foot of the dragon, crushing everything underneath.
Unknown Road
"Are you positive it's him?"
"The power of Magatama is absolute."
Deep in the backroads of Aelehica, three figures were running down the road as fast as they could. One of them was female, dressed in a radiant qipao with flowing orange hair, sun-themed jewelry and high-heeled sandals. Another was almost completely covered in a black cloak, his raven-colored hair covered by a hood. A moon-shaped pendant flashed on his wrist.
"Can we not wait out the dragon? The army will most likely tire it out," the hooded one suggested.
"And leave thousands of people to die? It's not humane," the female admonished.
"Even so, I am still in doubt that the three of us are strong enough to defeat the dragon. None of us have encountered it for centuries, and it has had plenty of time to adapt to whatever's been thrown at it over that period."
"That's why we're bringing the scabbard. No matter what, the dragon will not lay waste to this or any other continent," the sun-woman replied.
"Can we actually do it? You know what Master wanted the dragon to become after his passing. Will this not stain all his efforts of pacifying the dragon and only enflame its anger?"
"I know this would break Master's heart if he was still here," the third figure said. He was a blue-haired man with two horns. A stave-like weapon, several swords, and a scabbard with special markings on it were strapped to his kimono. "But he also wanted to make sure that both humans and the dragon were safe. This was his wish. Hopefully we won't need to do it."
"I hope so too, brother," the sun-woman said. The hooded one nodded. Together they continued dashing in the direction of Karun Bay, hoping to get there before casualties became heavy.
South Coast
"We're approaching the coast now," the field commander reported on his warbler as he steadied his horse. "Over." He surveyed his battalion. Several tanks crawled along, dragging loads of Imperial Arms. Soldiers marched along. Looking good so far.
"Did that beast really cause a tsunami?" a soldier asked his partner.
"That's what I heard. Tore up the entire town. Everyone's dead."
"Damn. Is it gonna be just us?"
"They're sending backup shortly. We're closest to the area."
"Right."
The army continued moving through the brush, searching for the dragon.
"See anything yet?' the commander asked the officer riding horseback next to him.
"Nothing. If the dragon's trying to stay camouflaged, it's doing quite a good job."
The commander was about to answer back when a loud noise cut the night air. The army tensed up, cautiously looking around. Soldiers picked up Imperial Arms from their storage.
"What in the hell was that?" a soldier asked aloud.
Another noise that sounded like an animal's snarl echoed, and the army turned to look. They saw a dark shape on the horizon ripping up what looked like the remnants of a town.
"That, buddy, was a dragon," another soldier responded.
The dragon tore up the street with its claws, killing the last of the civilians. One more village down. The reptile glanced back at its trail of destruction. It had traveled some distance across the coast, killing everybody in its line of sight. So far, it had destroyed about six villages and murdered tens of thousands of people. As its eyes looked out to the distance, it spotted a marching military regiment approaching the coast. Grinning with malice, the dragon leaped to them, not bothering to fly just yet. It landed with a great tremor that shook the entire area. The soldiers, knocked off their feet, gazed in horror at the behemoth before them. The dragon stared at them quietly for a few seconds before shooting lightning from its eyes, killing several soldiers.
"FIRE! ALL MEN FIRE!" the commander yelled. Tanks and soldiers let loose on the dragon. The bombardment exploded onto the creature's scales, where they either bounced off or detonated harmlessly. Unamused, the dragon attacked, ripping up the land as it mauled the army with its claws and teeth.
"BACKUP! WE NEED BACKUP NOW!" the commander screamed into his warbler.
"It'll be there in about an hour!"
"WE'LL ALL BE DEAD IN AN HOUR!" the commander roared. Cursing under his breath, he loaded his gun and fired at the dragon's eyes, yelling out, "HOLD THE LINE!"
The dragon felt artillery bounce off its eyes. Deciding it had wasted enough time with the confrontation, it gathered energy in its throat and spat a fireball right at the army. The fireball exploded on contact with the land, bathing the army, tanks and all in scorching white-hot flames. They almost immediately disintegrated from the sheer heat of the flame. The commander, who had jumped off his horse in the nick of time, groaned as he crawled over to a tree. He stared in shock at the remnants of his troops. "M-My men…."
The dragon focused on the sole human left. The commander bravely reloaded his gun and fired at the dragon's eyes again. Taking no notice, the dragon prepared to vaporize the man with one move. Seeing energy build in the dragon's eyes, the commander stopped firing and closed his eyes in surrender, accepting his fate.
Just as the dragon was about to fire, a blinding light covered the area. The dragon hissed with discomfort as it shielded its eyes. The commander, startled, looked away from the light and saw a dark figure approaching him.
"W-Who are you?!" he demanded.
"That is not important. Run away from here as fast as you can. If there are any others coming, tell them to retreat," the dark figure said.
Blinking with fuzzy eyes, the commander stuttered, "B-But…why-"
"GO NOW!" the dark figure shouted in a voice that forbade any argument.
The commander didn't need to be told twice. He picked himself up and ran at top speed back the way he came. Watching him leave, the dark figure moved back to the target.
The dragon continued shielding its eyes until the light finally stopped shining. Recovering its sight, it saw the horned man, the sun-woman, and the hooded man before him. The dragon's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Opening its mouth, the dragon let out a long sigh.
"Oh joy, it's you."
The horned man spoke to the dragon in a gentle tone. "I know what you're feeling. I know what drives you. You think that the end of humanity will make Gaea a better place. I assure you now, your actions are only making everything worse."
The dragon snorted. "Is that a fact? Look around you. Observe the nature. Do you truly believe that humans will leave this alone?"
"They will if they are guided!" the sun-woman pleaded. "You are one of the oldest and most powerful beings on Gaea! It is your responsibility to help life flourish!"
"My responsibility is to look after humans as if they're my progeny? No. My responsibility is to preserve the lives of my brethren and protect my home. Your responsibility is to maintain the balance of natural energy that collects on Gaea. Humans? They've never been responsible with anything."
"You know that's not true," the hooded man retorted. "Master would never approve of your-"
"Master was a naïve fool!" the dragon snarled. "He believed that humans would stay peaceful after the war. He believed that humans across the world would create a new world where all life could coexist in happiness. But instead, they've just found excuses to start more wars and more suffering, just to satisfy their short-sighted greed!"
The sun-woman tried to protest, "You can't judge an entire species based on the actions of a few-"
"And what of the other Beasts? Surely they haven't transformed into thin air?"
The sun-woman stopped, caught off guard by the dragon's interruption. Seeing this, the dragon continued, "You thought I wouldn't notice? All across Gaea, the most powerful Beasts have been vanishing as of late. That big oaf from Ioshuin is gone, that silk serpent is gone, even Leviathan has vanished! I know that Master trusted you with tasks after his death. Whatever did he tell you to do about the Beasts?"
The three looked at one another before the horned man spoke up. "Master told us to seal away the Beasts in case the world became too troubled for them to exist peacefully.
"Ohhh? And whatever could have the potential to bring such ruin upon the world that Beasts as powerful as them would have to be sealed away?"
The three didn't answer. The dragon scoffed.
"Pathetic, the whole lot of you. You know deep down what has to be done, and yet your cowardice and misguided loyalty to a man whose ideals were ill conceived and proven insufficient stalls your hand."
"We decided to act because of the actions of a few humans!" the hooded man objected. "The entire human race is not at fault!"
"Do you believe this problem would even exist if humans decided to protect and preserve nature? Only a minority cares about nature on a regular basis, and even those people have ulterior motives. Humans are selfish, inconsiderate wretches. Yao did not create the world with the intention to have a species trample the others into the ground."
"There's still time for change," the horned man said. "Care and patience-"
"I have lived on this planet for nearly a millennium. Are you really going to lecture me on patience? And as for care, I will take great care in ensuring that every filthy human on this planet never sees the light of day again. I will feast on the flesh of our oppressors. I shall create a new world built on the bones of the ones who destroyed the old world. My fellow Beasts will never again have to suffer at the hands of man. I'm Gaea's last hope."
"Please," the sun-woman begged. "We can work this out. We can find people who-"
"The only reason I haven't destroyed you three yet is because of your knowledge of where the sealed beasts are. Surrender, release them, and you will be spared. Refuse, continue defending an unjustifiable disease to Gaea, and I will spread your ashes over the oceans."
The horned man's lips tightened. He looked over to the others. Their expressions confirmed his thoughts. Turning to the dragon, he unsheathed his stave. "I cannot allow you to wreak anymore havoc on this land. In the name of Master, you shall be defeated."
The dragon hissed. "You may try!" With a roar, the dragon unleashed white-hot fire breath on the three. The figures dodged the attack as the dragon continued breathing fire at them, focusing on the horned man. The horned man jumped through the brush, gathering energy in his palm. He leaped out of the brush and fired a bolt of lightning at the dragon. The electricity crackled against the dragon's scales, but it didn't damage the dragon. The reptile lashed out its tail, smacking the sun-woman dead on. The hooded man caught the woman as she was sent flying and set her down as he fired a barrage of lunar energy at the dragon. Ignoring them, the dragon fired a laser of pure energy from its mouth. Quick as a wink, the hooded man grabbed the pendant on his wrist and held it out, where it transformed into a large mirror. The mirror absorbed the laser and fired it right back at the dragon. The dragon simply moved its head, completely avoiding the counterattack.
"The Mirror of Yata's our best option of defense against the Beast," the hooded man commented as the sun-woman got to her feet. "See if you can attack its mind."
"Already on it. Magatama Manifestation!" the sun-woman proclaimed as her beaded necklace radiated with energy. Her orange eyes glowed as she focused on the dragon. Suddenly, the sun-woman cried out in pain. The hooded man grabbed her in alarm. "Are you all right?!"
The sun-woman recovered her senses. "Yes. The dragon's mind is too full of malice and anger. I cannot enter it. I'll have to try astral attacks." The sun-woman raised her arms, and astral constructs of two snakes formed around them. She sicced them on the dragon as the hooded man continued using the Mirror of Yata to defend against the dragon's fire.
In the brush, the horned man knew that he couldn't afford to hold back against a creature as powerful as the dragon. Clutching his stave, he said, "Sword of Kusanagi, activate!" The stave transformed into a fine-cut sword with engraved marking on its side and crackling with electrical energy. His weapon ready, the horned man dashed onto the dragon's leg, where he climbed up the scales, searching for any weakness. Noticing this, the dragon produced cold energy from its scales. The horned man found his limbs frozen to the dragon's skin. Struggling to get out, a plume of golden energy melted the ice away. Freed, the horned man landed beside the sun-woman, whose astral snakes had no effect on the dragon.
"We're running out of options, brother," the sun-woman bemused.
The horned man nodded. He jumped over to the hooded man, the sun-woman right beside him. "All right, we need to use all the power we've got in one joint attack. If it works, it works. If not…" The horned man patted the scabbard on his back. The others nodded.
"All right. Let's do this!"
The three produced an aura of energy that shone brightly. The dragon observed, knowing that they were about to go all out on it. All three of theme shouted,
"ACTIVATE-AWAKENING!"
With a flash of energy, the three transformed. The horned man's hair was now white, and his eyes glowed yellow. The sun-woman's hair had become a literal plume of fire, her eyes glowing bright. The hooded man glowed with a white aura, his transformation obscured by his cloak.
"NOW!"
The hooded man created a ring of energy around the dragon, while at the same time a large storm cloud formed over the dragon. In the ground, something was glowing yellow.
Then, all at once, the attack names rang out.
"DIVINE THUNDER!"
"SOLAR INFERNO!"
"ETERNAL DUSK!"
The dragon became engulfed in an explosion of lightning strikes, solar fire, and lunar energy. The energy seems to explode on top of each other as the dragon was bombarded by the three's strongest attacks. The horned man clenched his fists and crosses his arms in an X shape. A tornado formed and rotated violently on the dragon, trapping it in a vacuum of power. The area was wracked by the wind and energy. Finally, the attack stopped, and the dragon's body was slumped. Cautiously, the three peered at the dragon, checking if it was finally defeated. Suddenly, the dragon sat right back up and roared right at them. The three were hit by a force of power that blew them meters away. The three landed in heaps on the ground, where their transformations ended, turning them back to normal. The dragon looked upon them with contempt.
"Hmph. What a waste of talent. You three truly believed you could defeat the ultimate lifeform of Gaea by yourselves?"
The three got to their feet, still stunned. The sun-woman spat out, "I-It's too strong!"
"Indeed," the hooded one wheezed. "We have no other choice."
The horned man nodded. He turned to the dragon. "Beast, it seems that further battle with you would be fruitless. You are too powerful for us to defeat."
"Then shall you surrender?"
"Not so fast, Beast. I said you were too powerful to defeat. We will stop you, and I have the method with me!"
The dragon, confused, listened as the horned man continued. "Master loved you like a brother. He never wanted any harm to come upon you. Yet, if you needed protection, he entrusted us to make sure you were kept isolated." He unsheathed his scabbard and held it in front of him. The dragon growled in surprise as he recognized the scabbard.
It was a Teigu. Not just any Teigu, but his very own Master's Teigu. As the dragon slowly realized what was about to happen, the horned man announced, "In the name of my Master, I hereby cast you away from this world, and away from humanity!"
Alarmed, the dragon crouched down to fly away, but was paralyzed by a powerful force. The Teigu had cast its magic on the dragon, and not even the ultimate lifeform could resist the energy of the weapon. With the others grasping onto the Teigu, the horned man shouted, "Beast, BEGONE!"
The dragon roared with anger as the energy began warping it into the Teigu. As the dragon was being sealed away, it screamed with fury, "YOU HAVEN'T WON! I WILL RETURN! NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES, I SHALL FREE MYSELF, ALL OF HUMANITY SHALL BUUUUUUURRRRRRRNNNNNNN!"
With a final flash of energy, the sealing was complete. Where the dragon once stood was filled in by the natural darkness of the night. The three sighed in relief.
"It's over," the hooded one concluded.
"Now what do we do?" asked the sun-woman.
"Now, we hibernate," the horned man said as he strapped the scabbard back onto its back. "We three are the only ones who know where the sealed Danger Beasts are kept, and for the safety of the world, no one of this generation must ever find out."
"What will you do with the Master's Teigu?" asked the hooded man.
"I will hide it in a place that only one worthy of such a Teigu can find it," the horned man replied. "That person will be the only one trustworthy enough to reawaken us."
"But what if the dragon awakes? Will the chosen be able to resist it?" asked the sun-woman nervously.
The horned man frowned. "That question can only be answered by Yao himself. Let us be off."
"Very well. Farewell, brothers. Until we meet again," the sun-woman said.
"Goodbye for now," the hooded one said.
The horned man simply nodded, and the three ran off in different direction, each one off to hide themselves and hibernate for the chosen. The horned man hid the Teigu, asking Yao's protection on whoever would be worthy to inherit it, before going into hibernation. The army reported the Danger Beast mysteriously neutralized, and reconstruction projects began for the areas devastated by the dragon's rampage. Time went by, and the new generation grew up without the knowledge that the dragon or the three were real, perceiving them merely as legends. As the new millennium broke, a time of change was coming onto Gaea, a time that would redefine the world…
Author's Note
Welp, this had to be done eventually. After reviewing the first chapters of the old story, I decided I could do better. This chapter will probably be the one with the most changes. The next few will focus on edits that improve the narritave flow and better characterization. After Chapter 5, the story will continue on its own. The update rate will be faster this time(bullshit cannons are fully operational). Stay tuned!
Xakada
P.S. I cut the introduction because I felt it gave away too much too quickly. I want the dissection of Dragon Flight's world to be a gradual experience.
P.P.S. Teigu and Imperial Arms are not the same in my story.