The most depressing thing about Mayfil was probably that the sun
never rises, Lavitz thought to himself. Mayfil did have the nauseating
stench of death about it, but one got used to it, plus Lavitz had been
cramped into tight places with several soldiers where hygiene wasn't
exactly their strongpoint.
"I guess death isn't all that bad. With all the spirits around here, I'm never bored. There is always someone to talk to." Most spirits wailed in suffering, in anguish at their own deaths, but those who accepted their deaths in life were able to keep some of the vestiges of their sanity in death. Most of these were the elderly, and they always had stories to tell. Many people that had been Lavitz's age had been cut down in wars, or taken by illness, so they would shriek and wail like everyone around them cared to listen.
Even knights Lavitz knew, he tended to ignore. Seeing people in the Serdian War brought back such terrible memories. Lavitz was a warrior, but that didn't mean he enjoyed conflict. Although when Dart and company had come through Mayfil, they had told Lavitz about what happened, that Basil had won the war, and Serdio was united.
That memory brought tears to the soldier's eyes. He had seen all of his friends for that short while, and during most of that time, that demon Zackwell had attached itself to Lavitz's spirit. He couldn't remember what happened when he was possessed by the demon, but he did remember that Dart and King Albert had sliced the parasite-like fiend off of his back and then attacked all out on the creature. But the spirit drew on Lavitz's own emotions to function.
"Dammit." Lavitz cursed. "I shouldn't have been so weak." During Dart's mission, Lavitz couldn't help but worry, even after that swordsman Lloyd shoved his sword through Lavitz's chest. At first, death had been restless, like an oblivion with troubling dreams. But King Albert was safe, and that was what mattered. When Lavitz had seen them again, Albert had inherited Lavitz's Jade Dragoon Spirit. That thought made Lavitz smile, even if it made him worry that the King was going out and fighting. Dart, Rose, and Master Haschel were still there, but Lavitz was interested with the newcomers. The first was Kongol, the large Giganto that attacked in Hoax. Strangely, seeing the large brute didn't make Lavitz mad one bit, despite the nearly broken arm the brute gave him back then. The second was Meru, an extremely spirited girl who was actually a Wingly. Lavitz had never met a Wingly before, until Dart told him that Lloyd was indeed one, but there wasn't much difference between Winglies and humans. Meru had bright platinum hair and dressed with the impression that "less was more", which made the conservative Lavitz blush a little, but she was truly a cheerful, pleasant young girl who was as brave as she was spirited. The last was a Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, the Sister Miranda, a blonde woman who dressed in light armor and had who had the deadly aim of a hawk snatching prey. That made Lavitz notice that Shana was not around, but Dart explained that they were rescuing the young girl, and that, in Mille Seseau, Shana's White Silver Dragoon spirit had rejected her and chosen Miranda as it's master instead.
"I suppose not all the spirits keep their masters. Doel's wouldn't stay, and...neither would mine, it seems."
Lavitz had met the spirits of the old Dragoons, and he enjoyed hearing the story of the Dragon Campaign over and over again, it never seemed to get old. Suyveil was the old Jade Dragoon, a studious young man. He reminded Lavitz so much of Albert, who made it a point to learn as much as possible, then go around talking like everyone knew what he was talking about. Belzac was the old Golden Dragoon, and he was the kindest man Lavitz had ever known. Damia, the old Blue Sea Dragoon, was cheerful and upbeat, like Meru, but not as intense. If Meru was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by laughing, then Damia was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by her gentle and soft optimism. Kanzas was the old Thunder Dragoon, and he was one nasty mother. Lavitz tended to avoid him, and as such, he didn't know that much about him. With so many people, Lavitz never felt alone. It seemed to power of friendship transcended death.
There were a few people Lavitz wanted to meet that he knew when he was alive. His father, Servi, was one. They talked on occasion, but Servi had forgotten most of his memories when he was alive, and so, he mostly listened. Greham was also here, and often there would be spear-sparring matches for fun. However, thinking about his life had always made him worry about those still left alive: Dart, Shana, King Albert, Mother. So Lavitz tended not to talk much, and much preferred to listen.
He drifted along through shadowy corridors, rooms of a sort. This was a place Lavitz frequented, although he was not trapped here like so many others. Shirley, the original White Silver Dragoon, had said these rooms were like a purgatory of sorts. Spirits who had such intense emotions were banished to this place to have them burned away. Lavitz was free to come and go as he pleased, and he shouldn't be here, but since Zackwell had used Lavitz, he could wander this place without being seen unless he wished to be seen.
Lavitz then came to a room where there was some kind of spirit in the center. This spirit reminded Lavitz of the dragon Feyrbrand, but it wasn't the same thing: Dart had mentioned before that they had put the spirit of Feyrbrand to rest. But still, something drew Lavitz to this spirit. It was a dragon, and he was bound with spectral chains that kept him secured between two pylons. Every so often, the dragon screeched, a horrible, guttural scream. There appeared to be some specter looking at the dragon, and it appeared to be taunting the beast. That made Lavitz angry, but there was nothing he could do, he didn't want to be seen in this place. Eventually, the spirit left, disappearing through the wall. Lavitz came closer to the spirit, and looked upon his form. He wasn't as large as Feyrbrand, but he was still impressive in size. Lavitz then decided to make his presence known to the dragon. At the sight of this newcomer, the dragon recoiled, almost in fear.
"Don't be afraid." Lavitz said softly. His calm voice seemed to quiet the creature.
"It...it understood me?" Lavitz wondered. He was only hoping that the soft tone of his voice would soothe it, but it seemed to have a spark in its eyes that suggested it understood what Lavitz was talking about.
"Do...do you understand me?" Lavitz asked. He might as well have asked this obvious question. The dragon spirit nodded slightly. Lavitz wondered, how was this possible?
"That is the Diamond Bloom Dragon." Came a familiar female voice. Lavitz was startled, but he stopped when he saw Rose, hovering slightly. He had seen Rose when she had died, and she filled Lavitz in on what went on, about the Wingly dictator Melbu Frahma and how the Second Dragoon Campaign was apparently a complete success.
"Can you tell me about it?" Lavitz asked.
"This dragon was killed in the Dragon Campaign." Rose responded. Neither she nor Lavitz had much of a concept of time anymore, so the 11,000 years between the Dragon Campaign and now didn't seem so old to them. "I'm not exactly sure, but I believe this beast was killed by humans and Gigantos working together. Being defeated by apparently lowly spirits must've been horrible to it, and such, it was confined here."
"Why can he understand me?" Lavitz asked.
"He understands you because, despite your death, you are still a Dragoon, you control Dragons, remember. The power of the Dragoon transcends death, and that power involves speech with dragons."
"I see." Lavitz responded, then he turned back to the dragon. He put his hand on the dragon's skin; it felt scaly and cold, even to a spirit like Lavitz.
"Are you alright? Is there some way I can help you?" Lavitz asked the dragon. It didn't give a reply, but Lavitz was drawn to the open cuts in the dragon's scales, and a tear dropped from his eye.
"You're suffering!" Lavitz said sympathetically. His heart ached for the spirit; death was supposed to be a release from pain, not where more could come.
"Is there some way I can help you? Rose, maybe you could use your..."
"If you are asking whether I could drain health from someone and give it to the dragon, I cannot. We do not possess our dragoon spirits in death, Lavitz." Indeed, Rose's dark purple dragoon spirit was not present.
"Well, I can't very well leave him here to be tormented, he's had eleven thousand fucking years of that." Lavitz shocked himself with his strong language. Rose, on the other hand, chuckled.
"There is only one way I can think of." Rose said, indicating Lavitz's spear. Lavitz looked at it for a second, and then at the dragon.
"If I killed you, the pain would stop, although I'm not exactly sure what would happen to your body. It's the only thing I can think of. Do you...want me to end the pain?" Lavitz asked. The dragon nodded slightly.
"All right." Lavitz nodded, drawing up his spear.
"Be quick, I think I hear someone coming." Rose insisted. Lavitz needed no provoking; he thrust the thin head of his spear between the dragon's scales, shoving it as far as it could go. The dragon made no noise, but Lavitz could swear, as the spectral visage started to fade, that it was smiling at him; thanking him. As the spirit vanished completely, Lavitz noticed that there was one thing left. A round, dark green sphere, which seemed to have formed where the dragon's eye had been. He quickly swiped it and disappeared through the wall with Rose. If anyone were coming in, there would be no evidence that Lavitz Slambert killed that dragon.
"Rose, what's this?" Lavitz asked, holding the sphere up to her.
"It's a...I'm...not sure." Rose responded amazedly. "What could something like this sphere be?"
"I think I can answer that." A voice spoke behind them. Lavitz and Rose turned to see the old Dragons from the Dragon Campaign. Syuveil was at the front, and the glimmer in his eyes suggested that he had something very interesting to tell.
"You can? Then spill the beans, Syuveil. Don't wait for us to ask." Rose commented.
"That spirit is here because there is an anomaly within the world. Something is upsetting the balance, perhaps because the Moon Child has not been killed. The Moon Child is the embryo of destruction, and she is walking on the planet that she is destined to destroy. The planet itself rebukes Soa's will and wants life, and so, with the Moon Child walking on the earth like this, what happens is the planet struggles. Something...something terrible...has taken advantage of this and reviving Melbu's Frahma's dream. His dream of destroying the world." Syuveil spoke very seriously.
Lavitz looked lost, but Rose nodded affirmatively. "We are dead, though, Syuveil, what can we do?" The black haired woman asked.
"We are dead, but not completely. We linger on this world because of the strength of our spirits. You feel it? Every time you just your eyes, you feel a pull that you can't explain?" Shirley asked. Lavitz nodded, he did feel something like that; like someone was tugging on his shirttails as a small child does asking for attention.
"Perhaps we are dead, but the strength of the spirit denies it." Kanzas said. "It is not easy to understand."
"A spirit wants to live." Shirley returned. "All things that die want to live."
"Okay...but what does any of that have to do with any of what's going on? How does a dead spirit help the world?" Lavitz asked.
"It cannot." Belzac responded. "Only the living can affect the living world."
"But we are dead, we can't affect it." Rose responded. "Should we spy on the Second Dragoons and goad them on.
"No, we must send someone to the world of the living." Shirley responded.
"How?" Lavitz asked.
"The magic behind it is something not even Syuveil could explain if he had a thousand years. Let's say it's a miracle." Shirley responded.
"But who could go to the world of the living?" Lavitz asked. Everyone present stared at him.
"Now, now." Lavitz raised up his hands in protest. "It's true, I like life as much as the next guy, but this isn't natural. Me going back is just going to be..."
"You think about your mother, and your friends." Damia said with a soft smile.
"The world is in need of someone. And you are a hero, aren't you, Lavitz?" Kanzas asked with a sarcastic tone.
"The world has changed in eleven thousand years. It would be folly for one of us to go, as we won't remember anything." Shirley responded.
"Then what about Rose?"
"What about Rose?" Rose responded. "My long life was unnatural. Why pervert nature's order on my account further. Besides, that crystal in your hands, I can sense life within it." Lavitz looked at the crystal from the dragon.
"It's a gift, from someone who was forced to live." Syuveil responded. Lavitz hesistated a second.
"I'm a little scared. I mean, what happens when someone sees me."
"Do not think of such selfish things, Lavitz." Zeig, the old Red Eye Dragoon and Rose's now husband, married in death, responded, clasping his hand on Lavitz's shoulder like Dart used to do, sort of a weird male bonding ritual.
Lavitz smiled. "You're right. My return to life is not just a gift for myself, I'm returning to life because I have a purpose to fulfill. I'll find out what's happening, and then destroy it." He resolved, punching his fist to his hand.
The seven Dragoons, heroes of the Dragon Campaign so long ago, stood in a circle around Lavitz, their hands joined together.
"It will take all of our strength, but we can do this." Shirley resolved.
"The Dragoons of the Dragon Campaign unite one last time." Syuveil said, nodding his head.
"We may not be able to come here again." Belzac said. He was a very kind man, but he always spoke the truth.
"Well, this is an adventure. The final adventure of our Campaign. After all these years, we'll help save the world one final time." Zeig laughed a little.
"This is getting really interesting." Kanzas was smiling, but Lavitz found his smile frightening.
"Be careful, Mr. Lavitz. We don't know exactly what will happen, but we're counting on you." Damia responded sweetly, kissing Lavitz's hand.
"Lavitz, I believe you will be sent to the city of Ulara, a Wingly city. There, seek out Charle Frahma. If anyone knows about what is going on, and if Melbu is involved again, it will be her." Rose instructed.
"Charle Frahma...Okay, I'll remember. Thank you all, heroes of the past, for using your strength. I swear that I will use mine to help this world, and find out what has gone wrong. I shall do my best to make this as bloodless as possible." Lavitz gave a little speech. Rose knew what he meant; if the Moon Child, Shana, was the problem, then Lavitz hoped to fix the problem without killing her. She was an important person to so many, after all.
"Lavitz, hold that crystal from the dragon to your chest." Shirley instructed. Lavitz followed suite, and he could almost feel a faint heartbeat within it, although he was sure he was imaging things.
"Now shut your eyes." Shirley instructed. Lavitz did so, and for a second, it felt nothing. Later, he felt like someone was grabbing at him, pulling him in an infinite number of directions at the same time.
"Keep them shut!" Shirley shouted, although her voice sounded strained. Despite how much Lavitz wanted to help Shirley, as she sounded in pain, he kept still, focused on what was happening. After the pulling, he felt really sick, as if someone had sucker punched him in the gut. With a brick. Then, he felt bodiless and drifting, but not like the feeling he got in Mayfil. In the Death City, the emptiness inside was replaced by coldness, the chill of having no anchor, but here, it was just empty; no chill or warmth.
"Is...did something go wrong?" Lavitz wondered. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he couldn't feel the crystal in his hands. Did he drop it?
"No." Lavitz answered his own silent question with a silent answer. "I was sure I didn't drop it. It almost felt like...it just...disappeared, like it faded away.
Lavitz then crossed his arms across his chest. It didn't feel like he was in Mayfil, but it didn't feel like he was much of anywhere. What had happened?
But then, Lavitz felt something. A thump, like a boot stomping on hard wood. But there was nothing around here, Lavitz was floating. Plus, the sound was not loud, he didn't really hear it, he felt it. Lavitz dropped his hands to his sides, and he no longer felt it.
"Was it..." Lavitz pressed his hand to his chest and felt the thump again. His heart was beating! And he could feel air coming through his throat and mouth. Breathing! The simple feeling of Lavitz's heart lurching in his chest made the knight yelp with glee.
"But now...what happens? Am...am I in the real world, or stuck in some kind of Limbo?" As if t answer Lavitz's question, he felt himself being pushed, a rush of powerful wind behind him pushing him forward. Lavitz still had his eyes shut, but the darkness of his shut eyes began to glow a different color, like when one simply closes their eyes in a light room, and instead of true darkness, there is still a light haze. Lavitz also felt himself growing heavier...solid...as the wind pushed him and sent him towards an unseen destiny.
"I guess death isn't all that bad. With all the spirits around here, I'm never bored. There is always someone to talk to." Most spirits wailed in suffering, in anguish at their own deaths, but those who accepted their deaths in life were able to keep some of the vestiges of their sanity in death. Most of these were the elderly, and they always had stories to tell. Many people that had been Lavitz's age had been cut down in wars, or taken by illness, so they would shriek and wail like everyone around them cared to listen.
Even knights Lavitz knew, he tended to ignore. Seeing people in the Serdian War brought back such terrible memories. Lavitz was a warrior, but that didn't mean he enjoyed conflict. Although when Dart and company had come through Mayfil, they had told Lavitz about what happened, that Basil had won the war, and Serdio was united.
That memory brought tears to the soldier's eyes. He had seen all of his friends for that short while, and during most of that time, that demon Zackwell had attached itself to Lavitz's spirit. He couldn't remember what happened when he was possessed by the demon, but he did remember that Dart and King Albert had sliced the parasite-like fiend off of his back and then attacked all out on the creature. But the spirit drew on Lavitz's own emotions to function.
"Dammit." Lavitz cursed. "I shouldn't have been so weak." During Dart's mission, Lavitz couldn't help but worry, even after that swordsman Lloyd shoved his sword through Lavitz's chest. At first, death had been restless, like an oblivion with troubling dreams. But King Albert was safe, and that was what mattered. When Lavitz had seen them again, Albert had inherited Lavitz's Jade Dragoon Spirit. That thought made Lavitz smile, even if it made him worry that the King was going out and fighting. Dart, Rose, and Master Haschel were still there, but Lavitz was interested with the newcomers. The first was Kongol, the large Giganto that attacked in Hoax. Strangely, seeing the large brute didn't make Lavitz mad one bit, despite the nearly broken arm the brute gave him back then. The second was Meru, an extremely spirited girl who was actually a Wingly. Lavitz had never met a Wingly before, until Dart told him that Lloyd was indeed one, but there wasn't much difference between Winglies and humans. Meru had bright platinum hair and dressed with the impression that "less was more", which made the conservative Lavitz blush a little, but she was truly a cheerful, pleasant young girl who was as brave as she was spirited. The last was a Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, the Sister Miranda, a blonde woman who dressed in light armor and had who had the deadly aim of a hawk snatching prey. That made Lavitz notice that Shana was not around, but Dart explained that they were rescuing the young girl, and that, in Mille Seseau, Shana's White Silver Dragoon spirit had rejected her and chosen Miranda as it's master instead.
"I suppose not all the spirits keep their masters. Doel's wouldn't stay, and...neither would mine, it seems."
Lavitz had met the spirits of the old Dragoons, and he enjoyed hearing the story of the Dragon Campaign over and over again, it never seemed to get old. Suyveil was the old Jade Dragoon, a studious young man. He reminded Lavitz so much of Albert, who made it a point to learn as much as possible, then go around talking like everyone knew what he was talking about. Belzac was the old Golden Dragoon, and he was the kindest man Lavitz had ever known. Damia, the old Blue Sea Dragoon, was cheerful and upbeat, like Meru, but not as intense. If Meru was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by laughing, then Damia was the person who tried to make everyone feel better by her gentle and soft optimism. Kanzas was the old Thunder Dragoon, and he was one nasty mother. Lavitz tended to avoid him, and as such, he didn't know that much about him. With so many people, Lavitz never felt alone. It seemed to power of friendship transcended death.
There were a few people Lavitz wanted to meet that he knew when he was alive. His father, Servi, was one. They talked on occasion, but Servi had forgotten most of his memories when he was alive, and so, he mostly listened. Greham was also here, and often there would be spear-sparring matches for fun. However, thinking about his life had always made him worry about those still left alive: Dart, Shana, King Albert, Mother. So Lavitz tended not to talk much, and much preferred to listen.
He drifted along through shadowy corridors, rooms of a sort. This was a place Lavitz frequented, although he was not trapped here like so many others. Shirley, the original White Silver Dragoon, had said these rooms were like a purgatory of sorts. Spirits who had such intense emotions were banished to this place to have them burned away. Lavitz was free to come and go as he pleased, and he shouldn't be here, but since Zackwell had used Lavitz, he could wander this place without being seen unless he wished to be seen.
Lavitz then came to a room where there was some kind of spirit in the center. This spirit reminded Lavitz of the dragon Feyrbrand, but it wasn't the same thing: Dart had mentioned before that they had put the spirit of Feyrbrand to rest. But still, something drew Lavitz to this spirit. It was a dragon, and he was bound with spectral chains that kept him secured between two pylons. Every so often, the dragon screeched, a horrible, guttural scream. There appeared to be some specter looking at the dragon, and it appeared to be taunting the beast. That made Lavitz angry, but there was nothing he could do, he didn't want to be seen in this place. Eventually, the spirit left, disappearing through the wall. Lavitz came closer to the spirit, and looked upon his form. He wasn't as large as Feyrbrand, but he was still impressive in size. Lavitz then decided to make his presence known to the dragon. At the sight of this newcomer, the dragon recoiled, almost in fear.
"Don't be afraid." Lavitz said softly. His calm voice seemed to quiet the creature.
"It...it understood me?" Lavitz wondered. He was only hoping that the soft tone of his voice would soothe it, but it seemed to have a spark in its eyes that suggested it understood what Lavitz was talking about.
"Do...do you understand me?" Lavitz asked. He might as well have asked this obvious question. The dragon spirit nodded slightly. Lavitz wondered, how was this possible?
"That is the Diamond Bloom Dragon." Came a familiar female voice. Lavitz was startled, but he stopped when he saw Rose, hovering slightly. He had seen Rose when she had died, and she filled Lavitz in on what went on, about the Wingly dictator Melbu Frahma and how the Second Dragoon Campaign was apparently a complete success.
"Can you tell me about it?" Lavitz asked.
"This dragon was killed in the Dragon Campaign." Rose responded. Neither she nor Lavitz had much of a concept of time anymore, so the 11,000 years between the Dragon Campaign and now didn't seem so old to them. "I'm not exactly sure, but I believe this beast was killed by humans and Gigantos working together. Being defeated by apparently lowly spirits must've been horrible to it, and such, it was confined here."
"Why can he understand me?" Lavitz asked.
"He understands you because, despite your death, you are still a Dragoon, you control Dragons, remember. The power of the Dragoon transcends death, and that power involves speech with dragons."
"I see." Lavitz responded, then he turned back to the dragon. He put his hand on the dragon's skin; it felt scaly and cold, even to a spirit like Lavitz.
"Are you alright? Is there some way I can help you?" Lavitz asked the dragon. It didn't give a reply, but Lavitz was drawn to the open cuts in the dragon's scales, and a tear dropped from his eye.
"You're suffering!" Lavitz said sympathetically. His heart ached for the spirit; death was supposed to be a release from pain, not where more could come.
"Is there some way I can help you? Rose, maybe you could use your..."
"If you are asking whether I could drain health from someone and give it to the dragon, I cannot. We do not possess our dragoon spirits in death, Lavitz." Indeed, Rose's dark purple dragoon spirit was not present.
"Well, I can't very well leave him here to be tormented, he's had eleven thousand fucking years of that." Lavitz shocked himself with his strong language. Rose, on the other hand, chuckled.
"There is only one way I can think of." Rose said, indicating Lavitz's spear. Lavitz looked at it for a second, and then at the dragon.
"If I killed you, the pain would stop, although I'm not exactly sure what would happen to your body. It's the only thing I can think of. Do you...want me to end the pain?" Lavitz asked. The dragon nodded slightly.
"All right." Lavitz nodded, drawing up his spear.
"Be quick, I think I hear someone coming." Rose insisted. Lavitz needed no provoking; he thrust the thin head of his spear between the dragon's scales, shoving it as far as it could go. The dragon made no noise, but Lavitz could swear, as the spectral visage started to fade, that it was smiling at him; thanking him. As the spirit vanished completely, Lavitz noticed that there was one thing left. A round, dark green sphere, which seemed to have formed where the dragon's eye had been. He quickly swiped it and disappeared through the wall with Rose. If anyone were coming in, there would be no evidence that Lavitz Slambert killed that dragon.
"Rose, what's this?" Lavitz asked, holding the sphere up to her.
"It's a...I'm...not sure." Rose responded amazedly. "What could something like this sphere be?"
"I think I can answer that." A voice spoke behind them. Lavitz and Rose turned to see the old Dragons from the Dragon Campaign. Syuveil was at the front, and the glimmer in his eyes suggested that he had something very interesting to tell.
"You can? Then spill the beans, Syuveil. Don't wait for us to ask." Rose commented.
"That spirit is here because there is an anomaly within the world. Something is upsetting the balance, perhaps because the Moon Child has not been killed. The Moon Child is the embryo of destruction, and she is walking on the planet that she is destined to destroy. The planet itself rebukes Soa's will and wants life, and so, with the Moon Child walking on the earth like this, what happens is the planet struggles. Something...something terrible...has taken advantage of this and reviving Melbu's Frahma's dream. His dream of destroying the world." Syuveil spoke very seriously.
Lavitz looked lost, but Rose nodded affirmatively. "We are dead, though, Syuveil, what can we do?" The black haired woman asked.
"We are dead, but not completely. We linger on this world because of the strength of our spirits. You feel it? Every time you just your eyes, you feel a pull that you can't explain?" Shirley asked. Lavitz nodded, he did feel something like that; like someone was tugging on his shirttails as a small child does asking for attention.
"Perhaps we are dead, but the strength of the spirit denies it." Kanzas said. "It is not easy to understand."
"A spirit wants to live." Shirley returned. "All things that die want to live."
"Okay...but what does any of that have to do with any of what's going on? How does a dead spirit help the world?" Lavitz asked.
"It cannot." Belzac responded. "Only the living can affect the living world."
"But we are dead, we can't affect it." Rose responded. "Should we spy on the Second Dragoons and goad them on.
"No, we must send someone to the world of the living." Shirley responded.
"How?" Lavitz asked.
"The magic behind it is something not even Syuveil could explain if he had a thousand years. Let's say it's a miracle." Shirley responded.
"But who could go to the world of the living?" Lavitz asked. Everyone present stared at him.
"Now, now." Lavitz raised up his hands in protest. "It's true, I like life as much as the next guy, but this isn't natural. Me going back is just going to be..."
"You think about your mother, and your friends." Damia said with a soft smile.
"The world is in need of someone. And you are a hero, aren't you, Lavitz?" Kanzas asked with a sarcastic tone.
"The world has changed in eleven thousand years. It would be folly for one of us to go, as we won't remember anything." Shirley responded.
"Then what about Rose?"
"What about Rose?" Rose responded. "My long life was unnatural. Why pervert nature's order on my account further. Besides, that crystal in your hands, I can sense life within it." Lavitz looked at the crystal from the dragon.
"It's a gift, from someone who was forced to live." Syuveil responded. Lavitz hesistated a second.
"I'm a little scared. I mean, what happens when someone sees me."
"Do not think of such selfish things, Lavitz." Zeig, the old Red Eye Dragoon and Rose's now husband, married in death, responded, clasping his hand on Lavitz's shoulder like Dart used to do, sort of a weird male bonding ritual.
Lavitz smiled. "You're right. My return to life is not just a gift for myself, I'm returning to life because I have a purpose to fulfill. I'll find out what's happening, and then destroy it." He resolved, punching his fist to his hand.
The seven Dragoons, heroes of the Dragon Campaign so long ago, stood in a circle around Lavitz, their hands joined together.
"It will take all of our strength, but we can do this." Shirley resolved.
"The Dragoons of the Dragon Campaign unite one last time." Syuveil said, nodding his head.
"We may not be able to come here again." Belzac said. He was a very kind man, but he always spoke the truth.
"Well, this is an adventure. The final adventure of our Campaign. After all these years, we'll help save the world one final time." Zeig laughed a little.
"This is getting really interesting." Kanzas was smiling, but Lavitz found his smile frightening.
"Be careful, Mr. Lavitz. We don't know exactly what will happen, but we're counting on you." Damia responded sweetly, kissing Lavitz's hand.
"Lavitz, I believe you will be sent to the city of Ulara, a Wingly city. There, seek out Charle Frahma. If anyone knows about what is going on, and if Melbu is involved again, it will be her." Rose instructed.
"Charle Frahma...Okay, I'll remember. Thank you all, heroes of the past, for using your strength. I swear that I will use mine to help this world, and find out what has gone wrong. I shall do my best to make this as bloodless as possible." Lavitz gave a little speech. Rose knew what he meant; if the Moon Child, Shana, was the problem, then Lavitz hoped to fix the problem without killing her. She was an important person to so many, after all.
"Lavitz, hold that crystal from the dragon to your chest." Shirley instructed. Lavitz followed suite, and he could almost feel a faint heartbeat within it, although he was sure he was imaging things.
"Now shut your eyes." Shirley instructed. Lavitz did so, and for a second, it felt nothing. Later, he felt like someone was grabbing at him, pulling him in an infinite number of directions at the same time.
"Keep them shut!" Shirley shouted, although her voice sounded strained. Despite how much Lavitz wanted to help Shirley, as she sounded in pain, he kept still, focused on what was happening. After the pulling, he felt really sick, as if someone had sucker punched him in the gut. With a brick. Then, he felt bodiless and drifting, but not like the feeling he got in Mayfil. In the Death City, the emptiness inside was replaced by coldness, the chill of having no anchor, but here, it was just empty; no chill or warmth.
"Is...did something go wrong?" Lavitz wondered. He hadn't opened his eyes, but he couldn't feel the crystal in his hands. Did he drop it?
"No." Lavitz answered his own silent question with a silent answer. "I was sure I didn't drop it. It almost felt like...it just...disappeared, like it faded away.
Lavitz then crossed his arms across his chest. It didn't feel like he was in Mayfil, but it didn't feel like he was much of anywhere. What had happened?
But then, Lavitz felt something. A thump, like a boot stomping on hard wood. But there was nothing around here, Lavitz was floating. Plus, the sound was not loud, he didn't really hear it, he felt it. Lavitz dropped his hands to his sides, and he no longer felt it.
"Was it..." Lavitz pressed his hand to his chest and felt the thump again. His heart was beating! And he could feel air coming through his throat and mouth. Breathing! The simple feeling of Lavitz's heart lurching in his chest made the knight yelp with glee.
"But now...what happens? Am...am I in the real world, or stuck in some kind of Limbo?" As if t answer Lavitz's question, he felt himself being pushed, a rush of powerful wind behind him pushing him forward. Lavitz still had his eyes shut, but the darkness of his shut eyes began to glow a different color, like when one simply closes their eyes in a light room, and instead of true darkness, there is still a light haze. Lavitz also felt himself growing heavier...solid...as the wind pushed him and sent him towards an unseen destiny.
