Chapter 1
Dart stood trying to figure out what was happening. He had gone to bed that night, he remembered lying down and going to sleep. but now he was here, where ever here was. The landscape was a monotone gray, completely flat, and stretched further than he could guess. Above him was the night sky, with the stars shinning more brightly than he had ever seen them on earth. Wait! He caught that thought; was he still on the earth?
"No, you're not." Said a man's voice. It was a rich voice, one that had power, experience and age rolled into one tone. Dart spun, but his reaction was slow. He was wearing his armor! his deep red armor that hadn't been worn for ten years since his adventure as a dragoon. In his right hand was his sword, it felt comfortable, like it was meant to always be there, as if after ten years, his strength, and fighting skills hadn't diminished at all. There was one difference between the sword he held, and the sword he had placed in a chest, along with his armor; this sword was new, but an exact replica of his own.
"We are not out in space as you thought, we are in a spirit world. and, no, you're not dead."
Dart studied the man in front of him. Most of the stranger was covered in a black cloak with platinum colored trim. Powerful arms and legs protruded from the deep recesses of the cloak. In his right hand he held the exact same sword Dart held, but this one was old, and had stories of battle written up and down the edge. But what disturbed Dart was the fact that this man knew his thoughts, and his face was beneath the hood of the cloak, so Dart could see nothing of the stranger's countenance. "Ready yourself Dart." He said, pointing the tip of the sword in Dart's direction.
"what?!"
It was too late for questions. The cloaked man charged Dart with amazing speed. The strike came high, but was expertly aimed at Dart's head; he barely had time to raise his armored arm to block the blow. Dart tried to counter attack, but his challenger moved away, and out of the sword's reach. Battering Dart's sword at a wide angle, the cloaked man gave Dart a quick blow to the gut; although it was armored, Dart's hinged plate bent, and the blow drove the breath out of his lungs.
"You are weak Dart. Have you become so slack in these ten years?"
"Who are you?"
The man stood back and relaxed his sword; with a quick brush of his arm, Dart's attacker removed his hood. Dart gasped. It was him.
"I am you."
"What?! That can't be! You're not me!"
"You're right, I am Soa."
"Soa? No, that's impossible!"
"You're right, I am you."
"Shut up! Stop this now!" Dart yelled at himself.
Dart bolted up in bed. It was a dream, he thought to himself. He went to reach for a glass of water on his windowsill, but couldn't, his bicep racked and spasmed with pain. Dart looked at his arm, blood and puss oozed down it from the ripped calluses on his hand, and his whole body trembled with fatigue. Gently he touched his stomach with his good hand, pain, his abdomen was bruised. A glint of sliver in the moonlight caught his eye. On his windowsill was a new sword, but with fresh nicks taken out of the edge, and on the floor was his blood-red armor. It was all real. He turned to rouse Shana from her sleep. she was gone. Fear and panic griped his chest, and breathing became harder. A note had been placed next to him where Shana was usually by his side. Trembling, he picked up the note and lit a candle. It read:
"Yes, it was all true, it all happened the way you remember it. And, yes I have taken Shana. She belongs to me twice as much as her to you. Remember, I am you, and I am Soa, and she is still my Moon Child."
-Dart
For a few long moments Dart sat with the short letter held up to the candle light. Then, almost out of impulse, he held the note to the flame and watched it burn. Silently, he went to the chest where he had lain his past live, and opened it. The sword and armor were missing, they were already out, but in a bundle of cloth, his the Divine Dragon spirit shone brightly. Dart clasped it in one hand, went over to the windowsill and grasped the sword that lay there. Then, without a word to anybody, walked out the door to rescue Shana. again.
Dart stood trying to figure out what was happening. He had gone to bed that night, he remembered lying down and going to sleep. but now he was here, where ever here was. The landscape was a monotone gray, completely flat, and stretched further than he could guess. Above him was the night sky, with the stars shinning more brightly than he had ever seen them on earth. Wait! He caught that thought; was he still on the earth?
"No, you're not." Said a man's voice. It was a rich voice, one that had power, experience and age rolled into one tone. Dart spun, but his reaction was slow. He was wearing his armor! his deep red armor that hadn't been worn for ten years since his adventure as a dragoon. In his right hand was his sword, it felt comfortable, like it was meant to always be there, as if after ten years, his strength, and fighting skills hadn't diminished at all. There was one difference between the sword he held, and the sword he had placed in a chest, along with his armor; this sword was new, but an exact replica of his own.
"We are not out in space as you thought, we are in a spirit world. and, no, you're not dead."
Dart studied the man in front of him. Most of the stranger was covered in a black cloak with platinum colored trim. Powerful arms and legs protruded from the deep recesses of the cloak. In his right hand he held the exact same sword Dart held, but this one was old, and had stories of battle written up and down the edge. But what disturbed Dart was the fact that this man knew his thoughts, and his face was beneath the hood of the cloak, so Dart could see nothing of the stranger's countenance. "Ready yourself Dart." He said, pointing the tip of the sword in Dart's direction.
"what?!"
It was too late for questions. The cloaked man charged Dart with amazing speed. The strike came high, but was expertly aimed at Dart's head; he barely had time to raise his armored arm to block the blow. Dart tried to counter attack, but his challenger moved away, and out of the sword's reach. Battering Dart's sword at a wide angle, the cloaked man gave Dart a quick blow to the gut; although it was armored, Dart's hinged plate bent, and the blow drove the breath out of his lungs.
"You are weak Dart. Have you become so slack in these ten years?"
"Who are you?"
The man stood back and relaxed his sword; with a quick brush of his arm, Dart's attacker removed his hood. Dart gasped. It was him.
"I am you."
"What?! That can't be! You're not me!"
"You're right, I am Soa."
"Soa? No, that's impossible!"
"You're right, I am you."
"Shut up! Stop this now!" Dart yelled at himself.
Dart bolted up in bed. It was a dream, he thought to himself. He went to reach for a glass of water on his windowsill, but couldn't, his bicep racked and spasmed with pain. Dart looked at his arm, blood and puss oozed down it from the ripped calluses on his hand, and his whole body trembled with fatigue. Gently he touched his stomach with his good hand, pain, his abdomen was bruised. A glint of sliver in the moonlight caught his eye. On his windowsill was a new sword, but with fresh nicks taken out of the edge, and on the floor was his blood-red armor. It was all real. He turned to rouse Shana from her sleep. she was gone. Fear and panic griped his chest, and breathing became harder. A note had been placed next to him where Shana was usually by his side. Trembling, he picked up the note and lit a candle. It read:
"Yes, it was all true, it all happened the way you remember it. And, yes I have taken Shana. She belongs to me twice as much as her to you. Remember, I am you, and I am Soa, and she is still my Moon Child."
-Dart
For a few long moments Dart sat with the short letter held up to the candle light. Then, almost out of impulse, he held the note to the flame and watched it burn. Silently, he went to the chest where he had lain his past live, and opened it. The sword and armor were missing, they were already out, but in a bundle of cloth, his the Divine Dragon spirit shone brightly. Dart clasped it in one hand, went over to the windowsill and grasped the sword that lay there. Then, without a word to anybody, walked out the door to rescue Shana. again.