by Chustang
Chapter 1
"Star Burning"
The Sentinel III Gazette's unprecedented headline that day ruled the end of an adventure, blazed in bold letters across that unimportant paper in those unimportant hands, and marked the dawn of a new era. Many tears were shed over the event, and many dangerous smiles bloomed in vengeance. It was the end for a few, star searching outlaws and yet, a wonderful beginning.
'Outlaw Star, Famous Star Ship, Goes Down In Flames with Captain Gene Starwind'
Cold, gleaming black eyes flickered in the blue light that emanated into the dark void. Each flare of cosmic light crackled and echoed in the eternity of night surrounding it. Those dragon, dangerous eyes just watched, as a serpentine figure sat beside a blue flame fire, and sifted a few orbs in his claw. The five clear orbs of crystal were misted with their own distinct color, only larger than a marble.
One sky blue, one dusted tan, one blue black, one aged green, and the last, red.
Each clicked as they hit each other, glowing furiously. A grin curled back the snake-like dragon's face as he noticed this. They still must be fighting death, he thought devilishly, curling back his claw to contain them. Foolish humans, too much spirit if you ask me. Think they can scrape their way out of anything if they fight. The dragon snorted arrogantly, as any Keeper should take his glory, and let the glistening marbles fall slowly from his scythed claws into the fire. "Enjoy eternity, humans," he hissed.
Suddenly, the dragon shrieked in pain, and he doubled up his sinewy body. A shoot of fiery pain was spiked into his palm, almost like a resentment to his words. Snarling, he quickly opened his palm and glared at the orbs. Despite its rarity, humans had tendencies to hear words outside their orbs and attack. His dark, harsh eyes narrowed on the red one, which pulsed angrily in his tight grip.
"A fighter, are you? Well, you'll need all that strength because there's no way out from the inside, buddy," he snapped. The dragon's black, scaly lips curled to reveal scythe like fangs, and he snarled angrily. This one must be the captain, Gene. Of course, the outlaw who had died five feet from the precious Leyline he had striven after. A cruel thought came to mind, considering this. Perhaps, the dragon silkily thought, Gene Starwind will play the game. Surely a reckless outlaw shall take the challenge. If not, I think the idea of losing his comrades would make him reconsider.
An undeniable smirk crawled his gruesomely reptilian face. Snorting, a mist of black energy fell from his nostrils. The dragon set down the glittering marbles, and held the red one up to stare through. His teeth flashed menacingly, and the dragon faded his form to pure invisibility. With the red orb seemingly suspended in midair, he let the marble drop to the ground.
"Play the game, Gene."
Instantly, a shimmer of red light shot from the orb and crashed against the circular, black wall that blended into the void. It seemed to splash out futilely, scraping for an escape, but was pulled back together. The light began to swirl within itself, its glow intensifying into a pure white blaze.
"Play the game."
The dragon's cruel face smirked as the light began to darken, forming in a false, copy physical body. The captain's real body was no longer existent; and it shouldn't, after an explosion of such intensity. Slowly, he could make out the blood darkened face of the human, and the scars that sliced horizontally along his cheek bone. His thin, vivid red hairs were blackened from burned carbon, concealing his sealed eyes. As his body was solidified from its insubstantial form, he groaned tiredly. Rubbing his temples, he shut his eyes tighter and clutched at his side with his free arm. Gene's lips formed a few slurred, pained cuss words to drown out the spears of pain in his side.
Perhaps he would play with this new life toy. It wasn't often when he had a human soul freed in the City. "Well, will you?" he said suddenly.
Gene sat bolt up right, and his dark, cadet blue eyes focused on the voice. His eyes were those of a seasoned fighter, instantly accusing the empty air of its guiltiness. "Will what?" he asked, hand reaching for his caster. Each finger smoothed a few specks of dirt from the glistening, tarnished bronze colored surface. His pointer finger slid into its familiar place, around the trigger, and his fist tightened threateningly around the gun. "Show yourself. Now," he demanded, rising painfully from his sitting position.
The dragon smirked. Blood coursed from his impaled side, leaking from a neat, round hole, caused by a large bullet.
Pursing his lips silkily, the dragon purred back in his rumbling voice, "Why Gene, be reasonable. This is not the welcome I expected from a man I just granted life to." Still invisible, he could freely grin, as, despite his agony, the outlaw whipped the caster from its sheath and angrily leveled it. The dragon easily evaluated his opponent. Gene Starwind, if battling a Pirate or a human, was nearly invincible, his dark eyes conceived. Even in this state.
But against a dragon?
Gene, his dark eyes pained, began to toil this over and over in his mind. It echoed fiercely, and it blurred his mind. What did this voice mean? Some Pirate trick? At this, the outlaw finally gave the wound recognition, and the cruel truth struck. Gene lowered his gun, and, the limp fingers paying no heed, allowed the machine to dangerously hit ground.
All the dark, blood smeared scenes whirred back upon him, like an angry beast. Again, he saw the span of stars around him in the Outlaw Star cockpit, and the chaos fuming in it. Pirates lunged at him, and he evaded quickly. Gene could remember knowing he was tiring, and it was just a matter of time; all ammunition was wasted now. He was inches from the Leyline, and it was the Kei Pirates who laughed at him this time.
"Jim," he had said grimly, "I hate to say it but.... we lost this one."
His blonde comrade had turned, his blue eyes fierce and pleading with tears. "Gene! You can't be serious! But that would mean..."
"Yeah. I know. But if we crash into the main ship, we can take out all the other ships with us, and the Leyline will be safe, at least for a while." He had hung his head. Silence ensued this grave decision. He had allowed one, muffled sob to escape. This would be his last adventure. "Gilliam?"
"Yes, Gene?"
"I'm sorry."
He had lingered, shutting out all blurred memories, then slammed on the acceleration.
Gene Starwind was dead. I'm dead....
The outlaw staggered to his knees, and his dark eyes confusedly searched the void. Gene couldn't possibly be dead, he was here now, he was bleeding and he felt very much alive. Yet, the cruel truth sank in as he realized, in horror, he had never taken a breath. The crimson blood from a Kei bullet spell leaked from his pierced side, and his black pants were a deep red. "Then its true, isn't it?" he whispered, his head hung.
"Smart boy, aren't we?" the dragon hissed, snaking closer. "Now, Gene Starwind, I have an offer I think you'll accept." Dangerously smirking, his black, venomous tongue leaped at his prey as the dragon silently drew closer. The foolish human was still on his knees, caster glistening at his feet, and he was just too tempting to resist. A young blooded soul like this would indeed make him powerful, if he just consumed him now, before he bled to death.
Gene was swimming in emotions. And drowning slowly, each memory harder than the last. He clutched the caster gun, and he continued to hang his head. I died... five feet from the Leyline. I failed, and I brought everybody into a hellhole with me. Damn it! It was then the bubbling anger he had contained in his heart since his eleventh birthday began to crack its binding. Everything bitter and foul that had graced his life became just another anger rush of his, a burning vengeance to kill; to repay what he had lost. He could never control his rage, especially now. First his mom, then his dad, Hilda, then.... everyone. He'd let them all die.
He had to just kill.
Gene angrily snatched the gun up to level randomly at the blackness, and his dark blue eyes were racing with fire. Straining his arms, he violently rammed the trigger back, screaming in rage. He just wanted everything to leave. He never wanted any of this. He lost his best friend, and... her.
"No!"
The dragon felt a piercing, magic charring blaze in his shoulder, as the fired caster shell hit solid flesh. Instantly, the gruesome thing roared with all his fury, and the shield of invisibility faded away. Blood began to leak from his dislocated, maimed shoulder and the sting of gun magic pulsed into his veins. He could feel it pumping mild poison into his bloodstream; but not enough to do damage. The dark, serpentine thing was flung to the ground, falling on the fire and extinguishing it.
Gene was on the dragon in a flash. The next sound was that of a gun locking, and the dragon's eyes blinked to be faced with a caster barrel.
"Cut the crap." Gene narrowed his eyes, and they were nearly lost in his shadowed face. Almost complete blackness consumed them, without fire, and the only light was from the glowing caster and the dragon's slightly glowing eyes. The throbbing presence of his wound slowly began to lessen, as it began to clot.
"I don't need no damn offer, especially now. If you don't want to taste my next shell, I suggest you just bring my friends back," he hissed, his words ragged from firing so soon without recovering from his death.
The dragon, cloaked in the familiar shadows, narrowed his silver glistening eyes. Perhaps, this human was stronger than he had thought. A smirk twisted his face in the dark. All the better the game when he played.
"Yes, of course, Starwind," he submissively complied, in a low, rumbling voice.
Gene just flared his dark, cadet blue eyes in suspicion. Adjusting the gun in his grasp, the young outlaw just stared down at the dragon, locking gazes. "What did you say?" he asked coldly, in a very soft voice, never wavering from his icy composure.
"I will bring back your friends, there is no doubt about that, my boy."
"Liar." The word came cold and simple, like a freshly impacted bullet. Gene never moved, just concentrated his bronze colored gun on the concealed, dark body of the dragon. No one ever kept their promises to him. Nobody. You said you'd be there, Dad. You promised too, he bitterly thought.
The dragon smirked at his suspicion. He had been greatly taught in psychology. Such anger could only be generated by emotional disorder. Any normal, unstressed person would put the pieces together; if he raised him to life, then he could for his comrades. "Not so tough on the inside, are you?" he purred dangerously.
"Bullshit."
"I can see past your lies. Your like a book I can read, outlaw," the dragon warned. "I know you miss them all; your comrades. Especially the ones called Jim and" - he couldn't help but flash his fangs in victory - "Melfina."
Gene held silence, but his eyes widened, glistening from oncoming tears, and the dragon knew he had hit the weak spot. Chuckling to himself, the dragon thought, Foolish human love. Pathetic. The outlaw tightened his hand around the gun, and his eyes narrowed in anguish. The caster began to warm up threateningly, light spewing from its barrel as the antique magic began to stir again.
"Can you bring her back?" he asked softly, still cold and wary.
The game was beginning. Gene Starwind was submitting already. "Of course," he silkily rumbled, bowing to the red-headed human vehemently. "But- there is a price."
"What price?" Gene growled back, leveling the gun again. Both hands, with the ragged blue gloves tearing from the intensity of his grip, clutched the trigger. He was burning wildly inside, and desperately wanted to blast this thing to kingdom come. But killing this creature would be condemning Mel, Jim, Aisha, and Suzuka.
The dragon nodded, and extended a claw out toward the human. The scythed talons were fierce and dangerous in the slight light, and Gene protectively tightened the trigger. But instead of the lethal weapon attacking, there was a small, bluish hologram screen created in the dragon's claw. "You are now in the greatest city ever built, one more precious than El Dorado and more dangerous than a Ktarl-Ktarl slum," he explained. Glittering and flashing, the screen depicted a stunning silver and dragonite city, with massive dragon sculptures, bordered by a black forest of dangerous animals. Scene after scene were scattered with dragons, griffins, and ferocious animals from lore, originating from all across the universe.
"It's called Shinar, or the City of the Leyline. A place where all power of the universe is grappled between the animals of magic and dragons. The task you must perform, if you dare to accept, is to travel through the city. Now, my bounty hunter, the first part of this trek will require you to find and dispose of three dangerous dragons: Laporea - the Lunar Dragon; Niamh - Dragon of War; and Evoli - Mirror Dragon. Then, you must travel to the center of the city, where I will be waiting.
"Then, you shall have your precious comrades."
Gene had lowered his caster gun, sliding it into his leather carrier. With his narrowed, dark cadet blue eyes, he considered this. He folded his arms, twisting his lips over gritted teeth. The dragon, face framed by the spiked horns, stared harshly back, awaiting his answer. Gene gave only a soft, cynical reply, after a good two minute consideration. "Why?"
The dragon snorted incredulously, a mist of black smoke falling from his nostrils. "Why? Because these dragons are criminals, deadly things with no good judgment. And, knowing outlaws, they only accept if there is a profit at the finish line. Does that answer your question?"
"Yeah," he grumbled, focusing on the dragon's dangerously sharp face. "But do you really expect me to do such a immense job by myself?" he spat back.
The dragon lashed his long tail over the fire's ashes, and the plume of smoke that was milled up drifted up into the darkness. Irritated, he realized the human was haggling. Smart. A seasoned bounty hunter would know that a dangerous job was almost always fatal without a partner. He gritted his fangs sharply, so their sound echoed ominously. "Fine," he hissed, displeased with this new development. The game was so much better when the stakes were high. Clawing at the ashes, the dragon recovered the four orbs, each shining desperately. "One at that, though. Take your pick," the dragon offered.
Gene knew he couldn't take Melfina. This game he had stumbled recklessly into demanded endurance and wits, not to mention skill with weapons. If she was killed, he wasn't just on his own, he would be alone; completely.
He drew a ragged, burning breath, by instinct, and it flowed surprisingly easily into his throat. It stung, red hot, against his lungs; but it was worth it. "Jim," he sighed back, rubbing his temples from the burden of his thoughts. Brushing away his flame red hair, Gene felt a weak pulse of blood in his temples, painful and alien. "Jim and I are partners no matter what."
The dragon allowed the dark, forest green orb to hit the ground, and a flare of green light shot from the small crystal marble. It struck the side of the circular, black room that blended into the void, and slowly began to form into the short figure of a young boy. Gene turned to look, and the flare of white light faded slowly to reveal his blonde partner.
"Jim!" Gene said, running over. "Hey Jim, wake up!"
Leaning heavily against the wall, the eleven year old boy grumbled a slurred response. With a swirling headache, Jim cracked open his blue eyes. Smeared, his vision only was a black and red blur. "Gene?" he groaned. "Let me sleep..." He shut his eyes and ignored the displeased grunt of his partner.
Rolling his dark blue eyes, Gene just sighed, kneeling on one knee next to Jim. "It's really important that I talk to you Jim, because, you see..." he began, nudging his shoulder relentlessly. But the lanky kid just groaned sleepily in protest, straining his closed eyes.
Smirking, the dragon hissed, "Shall we play?" The creature unnervingly cold and menacing, Gene met the inquiry with restless, angry blue eyes. His lips confusedly formed a few, demanding words. It fell silent though, as the dragon flared the light from his dark eyes. Instantly, Gene felt the darkness beneath him shudder with power.
Jim snapped awake at the tremors, which began to attack with furious speed and power. Beneath them, the blackness began to sift away, and the dragon was suddenly nowhere in sight. Suddenly, everything blacked out.