Chapter 1- The Kidnapped
"Jragon, don't forget son, one day you will go further around the world," the man said to a young child, the sunset was reflecting lightly on his face. The day was ending but brings an excitement of the next day as a new beginning. The child looks up with curiosity. "Don't forget... don't forget-Jragon are you there?"
Jragon slowly open his eyes and looked up from where he lied to see his commander looking down upon him. His commander had the "look here and you better listen" aura on him, looking at him with disbelief. He was lying on the cold hard ground of the town of Dunbarton with younger children running around, and the elder with teens just standing around have a loud chat and cheers. Not wanting to hear a scowl from his guild leader he rose up, straightening his coat brushing dust off and salutes before dropping to his chest.
"Yes sir?" His Demonic Gloomy Sunday now equipped from opening a small screen to retrieve it, eyeing at the left message from his commander he looked quickly back and forth from screen message to commander and smashed the message closed in embarrassment.
"Jr, I told you to get ready for the dragon raid in Connous, the guild headed out and we need a bard for buff," the commander grown impatient and dragged the poor boy to the Dragon messenger npc nearby. If the messenger wasn't doing his duty, he would likely be laughing right now.
"Sorry sir. Guess I'm out of my mind right now...I'll get onto it," Jragon apologizes and ushers to open screen to enter the Black Dragon raid area. The guild leader shakes his head angrily and follows in suit to the raid.
At the dragon area, many people ganged up at the Black Dragon for the raids. Many played role of attack and other guarding the attackers from Raptors that the Black Dragon summon to assist. The raid was going strong but many are down needing assistance from others. Raptors chasing warriors back and forth and archers piercing attacks at the dragon and kept on progress to avoid timing and the dragon's flight.
Jragon searched for his raid group and submit admission to the party and being the bard of the guild he just played music for the raid and heal the injured. He wasn't call the medic for most of his time and only attacking the raptors and dragon when the members needed help. The raid continues for almost two days straight without much of breaks just to prevent the dragon from disappearing or recovering over time. Eventually the dragon was defeated with a sudden thud to the ground and the group cheered before walking off to the side of Connous desert or leaving the area. The group were tired and took the break leisurely for the meantime in the desert sandy land discussing about the next dragon raid and rewards they received.
"Hey Jr you did a great job today, you kept the team up without anyone fainting on us," Al called out to Jragon who sat across, Al had been a long pal to Jragon when he recruited. Although Al joined after him they have been close friends for many years. Anything he could ask for he can refer Al for some help or someone to talk to.
"It was nothing, I don't want to lose anyone else...excuse me for a bit," Jragon said as he walked off from the group to the oasis further away from their location. Whistling, a black flame mare summons out in a flare of bursting heat of fire and quickly getting on he rode off the remaining path.
"Should we follow him?" Al asked the group, most of them shrugged, she was worry for Jragon but for certain following wouldn't be all bright.
"I think it's best to leave him alone for now, I'll message him to get back for next dragon raid," commander said as the others nodded knowing the leader to keep connection with his members. The rest of the time they return back to their discussions with Jragon being there to listen.
At the oasis night time breeze softly blew at the tall trees around the waters. Both resides at the water reserve, Jragon's horse quench her thirst with the water while Jragon sits knees to his face completely hidden. Lifting his head he peer over the water with a huge frown, he felt really confused at the moment and blinked towards his reflection over the water.
The small moon peaking at the middle of the water, his reflection still lingering at it's spot but as his horse moved her lips to gather more water the water ripples. The ripples kept shaking but eventually comes to a stop with him still looking downwards, now he saw himself but much younger. His hair was a bit longer with a small ponytail tied on his left lazily dropping from his reflection, instead of donning his usual black coat he wore under his guild he was wearing a small black robe with blue at the bottom half and a gray metal belt holding the layers together. His eyes were really big too, but as he grew older his eyes grew very slim and slightly baga underneath from crying most of his nights. His confusion over years and knowing grief of his parents made an impact which led him to tearing every time at nights.
"Sleipnir? Have I really changed so much?" He gently pats on the mare's head and she gave a small neigh as he stopped patting but left his hand still on the head between the nose. "I know we didn't known each other before the incident but I sigh... I-I'm not really sure about myself anymore."
Completely dropping his arm from the mare and pulled out the screening, pressing each key towards his inventory. He scrolls down the list till he saw what he was searching for and press to receive it. In a small flash a lyre dropped on his palm of his hand. The lyre was purely black wooden the strings on are lightly gold and on the back was a small carving engraved. The written words were written by his parents and given to him at his tenth birthday the last day he ever seen them. It read "M and O, love from your parents." Taking the lyre in his hand he gently strummed a string then another getting the feel of the old instrument he rarely used for any other purpose. He position to stand up with his mare snorting at his action as he places the lyre on his arm and played.
'Afraid of the light[1]
I steadily breathed out toward the sky
A voice as quiet as a whisper
blended
into someone's shadow'
'The warm
fantasy will come to an end
Together with the setting sun'
The song encircled the boy in the melody and power of the song engrossed together to form a chorus in phantasmal. The mare's ears turn to seek attention to small footsteps approaching behind the young boy. However the boy was trapped into his music and continues to sing and play.
'In the scenery dyed red, I sing
My throat vibrates with what I truly wish I could've told you
With a tone that was born from me alone
Different from your voice or someone else's'
'The dreams that each of us envisions and desires
are getting more different, little by little
So I won't cover my ears
nor will I mind
the grating sound when we disagree'
'All people
have the truth in their hearts
Even if it isn't everything there is'
The mare started to tense and he attentionally looked at the mare at the eyes. Lessening down but however the mare was unsteady and snort a bit louder. Jragon heard the soft sand stir behind, assuming the mare's attention was because of the footsteps but brush it off as probably a bystander or his guild member coming to retrieve him.
'The city dyed in red murmurs to me
"Does your throat quiver in fear while you still can't say it?"
Even if I get bloody or if it's all thorns ahead
I'll respond to your voice that called out'
'Pieces of my emotions
have accumulated in me all this time
Because no one can hear them
when all I've done was begging for them
to "reach you"'
The mare snort once again but he paused his playing a bit and pat the poor horse. Usually she was calm a lot of times even around bystanders, wonder why she's reacting badly. The footsteps remained a stop as he heard no other sounds being made but with the mare's reaction the person's probably still there. He continues on ignoring the continuous mare's snorting and panic to finish the rest of the song.
'In the scenery dyed red, I sing
Even if not all of the feelings I put into it were to be conveyed
I'll make them resound, not with someone else's voice
but with the tone born in the depths in my heart
I'll respond to your voice that called out'
As the song ended, tears slid down his Jragon's face as he wipes them with the sleeves of his coat. He played the song many times because it was the only song he remembered from his parents, it took him two years to complete the rest of the song because it was never finished but afterwards it was worth his efforts. To only wishing his parents were able to hear it…
The mare shrieks loudly and stomped the sand in huge sand dust as he quickly turns his attention to where the mare stares. Turning around he faced a mysterious person donning a mask completely hidden his face from him and the mare. Panicking he quickly grabbed the mare's reign and tries to get on to run.
However the stranger equips a wand and Ice Spears both, inflicting damage dropping their health to barely 1. The mare protecting the boy, raced to the stranger and attacked but the mare got Countered before landing a hit to him. Jragon quickly redraws his pet, he knew well he wouldn't want to summon any others if this fight wouldn't end well.
"W-who are you?! And w-what do y-you w-want?!" Jragon tries to ignore his low health and struggles to get up and run again, he quickly brought out his cylinder and Shocks himself to paralyze him, while he was stunned he quickly use Life Drain to take some hp from the stranger but only barely did half of the damage. The man barely unfazed as Shock ended he charged an Ice Spear again and frozen him into the prism, shattering and damaging his health down again.
A ring came from his message log and found that the guild leader messaged him. "Hey are you okay right now? Head back when you are alright or message here."
With much of his effort he typed in the message while scuffling his inventory to find any health potions for the chance of getting away. "Commander, I'm getting ambushed! My pet is down and my health is about to-" He wasn't able to find any health potions in time and before the last message was finished typed the man launched a firebolt but evade quickly. The stranger knew he was about to dodge and use Doppelganger taking his last health to 0.
"I...don't...understand...why…this...is...happenin g…" Jragon said before completely went into unconscious state with the lyre lying nearby his body. The message lying open with a reply from his guild leader. "Jr...Jr… are you there?! Jr!"
The man accessed the message exiting it completely and setting the status to offline. Sheathing his weapons away, the gaze drops to the lyre near the boy's body and reached down to pick up the lyre. He stares at the engrave for a minute before dropping his arm to the side lyre still in hand. Looking down upon the body, he puts the lyre into his inventory and picks up the unconscious boy and walks away from the soft sandy oasis in the remaining of the night with Jragon's tears slipping away from his closed eyes and lands into the dusty sand of where he would be last seen at the oasis.
[1] Song is Each and All from Devil Survivor 2 The Animation