Chapter 2: Makata of the red-eyed dragon
"How should we get there?" asked Dart as they walked through the long cave.
Loyd seemed to ignore him. He looked around slowly from side to side.
"We should fly" replied Loyd slowly.
"Fly? All the way there? That would be crazy for me in dragoon form!"
Loyd suddenly stopped and turned to Dart
"How much do you love this girl?"
Dart faltered and looked at the ground. He looked up
"With more than words can express" he muttered
"Well, then. If you have to fly, then fly you must. The longer you fly for the better you will get at it. I found that fighting you inexperienced dragoons was too easy for me yet too hard. You had the courage, and the brains to beat me but you seemed to know nothing about training yourself to new limits. When I had the divine dragoon spirit at first I had to fight for my life to maintain the power which coursed through me, but I succeeded, I let the divine dragon know who was boss. I controlled it! The power was all mine, but still it willed against me. Even though I hated transforming ever since and that I knew every time it would be a battle with my self I did it as often as possible. For I knew that with practise I would become much better. I became better, I improved far quicker than any of you. In fact so much that I maintained the power for the whole battle and after. I was almost driven mad on the ice track but I pulled through, Melbu finished me there, but the angel boots helped me yet again"
"Why are you telling me all this?" asked Dart as they crossed over a thin rock bridge
"Because I know that you can reach a level that I cannot. I would like to see that, since no one ever has with the divine dragoon. We must hurry and get out of these caves"
"What's that noise?" whispered Dart suddenly holding a hand in a gesture of quiet.
"What noise?" replied Loyd undisturbed
"I don't know"
Slowly Dart took out his dragoon spirit. It glowed and hummed to it 'self. Dart moved it around slowly, the sound grew louder as he moved it to his left.
"It is over there!" pointed Loyd. A small expanding crack lay across a rocky wall. Across the bridge a small light came from inside of moving water.
"What could it be?" asked Dart looking at Loyd. Loyd slowly took out his dark spirit, it began to glow with a dark aura.
"For bad of for good, it shouldn't matter too much" whispered Loyd "I have mastered my dark summoning spell already, and some others. I don't like the idear however of fighting in a cramped space. It's up to you Dart, you were always the leader of the dragoons of this decade, and you are the leader now. Should we go?"
"But, Shana" muttered Dart "I guess, perhaps a quick peek. If we don't meet it now it will probably meet us later"
"Let's go" muttered Loyd. The two quickly hopped over the end of the bridge and walked quickly towards the crack. As they got nearer a bright light started to shine out of the crack. It was a bright white light. Dart walked in followed slowly by Loyd. There was only room for one abreast.
The passage lead into a wide new cavern. Darkness filled every crack except for light which emanated from a ring of water in the centre. A space of land was in the centre and on it was
"Shana!" exclaimed Dart and tried to run forward but Loyd grabbed him on the shoulder and holstered him back quickly.
"Wherever Shana is" muttered Loyd "winglies will be there to"
Shana lay there, her arms wrapped around her. Slowly she got up and looked across the room. It was a dark, dark room, the only light source was the strange water ring in the centre. It could quite easily be a barrier, but it could quite easily be a trap. Loyd being a wingly of a high age, magic and dexterity and most good things (I could go on) realised there was something else in the room. It seemed almost too easy to find the direct person they were looking for beneath their noses.
In fact, Loyd went as far as to disbelieve it completely. His magical sense felt also something else in the darkness. A strong warm power, stretching back into the shadows. The cave must have been very long for Loyd felt the urgency as a faint shimmer. Perhaps a Virage of some kind?
"Dart!" she called "Dart, I'm scared. Please, they have left me in an enchanted circle, only you can brake the spell. Walk through the ring!"
Dart looked to Loyd slowly. Loyd looked back at him his blue eyes glimmering in the low cave light.
"What are you waiting for Dart!" called Shana "help me!"
Loyd quickly outstretched a hand and a fireball leapt towards the undefended girl. Shana shrieked and there was a flash of fire and light as the centre of the circle was filled with fire. Dart gasped at Loyd with a indescribable look. It was seconds away from Dart about to draw his sword on Loyd but Loyd calmly held up his hand smoking.
"That was the most perfetic attempt at a magical image I have ever seen. So, who is the culprit behind this stain on the face of magic!" called Loyd with a horribly unfearing voice. The calmness seemed to bypass everything with a unseen force of knowledge and power. Dart admired him greatly for it.
Shana suddenly landed with a quiet drop as if she had taken a single footstep. Quickly she took out an arrow in front of the ring and fired it at Dart's head. Dart smacked it away with the back of his hand, it scattered to the floor down the cave.
"Give up yet?" muttered Loyd taking a step forward. Slowly he unsheathed his sword and pointed it forward. Shana took out a long broard sword which was ludicrously too big for her to hold and ran screaming towards Loyd. She swung it with immense skill and daring and used several blow but Loyd held her off with one sword arm. It took about six clashes until Loyd's sword held hers to the ground. Quickly the blue sword Loyd used struck up with immense force and impaled Shana. No blood, she just disappeared.
Loyd had stood still the whole fight except for his arm. And plus he had come away unscaved, he calmly walked over the spot where Shana would have laid and walked forward.
"Show your self fowl mage" he exclaimed.
Slowly a figure immerged from the shadow walking towards them around the ring. Beyond the ring of water there seemed only darkness. Anything beyond was hidden from view. The only sound, was the faint movement of rushing water from outside.
"Makata!" said Loyd turning away to Dart "I should have known I would have had to put up with you some time"
"Brother!" exclaimed the female wingly walking forward "how can you turn your back on me even now!"
"Brother?" stated Dart amused folding his arms
"Yes," replied Loyd slowly turning back "this perfetic wretch is my sister. She likes her magic tricks, but I know how far they go"
The wingly was gaspingly pretty, her perfect shape seemed to move with such grace. Her blue eyes and long streaming silver hair only enhanced her beauty. She looked at Loyd with pleading eyes. She had red armour which descended in a small dress shape at her legs stopping at her knees.
"Loyd!" she continued "Why don't you come back to the fortress! Together with the other winglies we can re-control the humans. We can use their weapons of old against them!"
"Not with a bumbling fool like you" returned Loyd "Faust would role in his grave. I hate you and everything you stand for!"
Dart looked at Loyd swiftly with surprise. This didn't seem like brother and sister talk.
"Loyd!" muttered the wingly girl with sadness in her eyes.
"If there's nothing more to be said, my friend and I have an appointment to achieve. And that is stopping you people. You winglys are far too proud for my liking. I used to respect you but now I cannot bring my self to do that. I would rather not have to draw your blood"
The wingly looked at the floor with sadness in her eyes. Dart felt sorry for her but Loyd as always was not sparing. Something long ago had distanced him with his people. Slowly he turned and gestured Dart to go. They started to walk away to the cave entrance. Dart watched his back just in case.
Dart was right. But not to watch his back, the crack at the entrance of the cave suddenly crumbled as a lightning bolt struck it. Rubble and rocks fell and the three were trapped together alone, or were they.
Loyd turned around with fire in his eye.
"So this is what you want Makata, an early death!"
"Don't call me that bro! CALL ME SISTER!! Like you used to!" she shouted
Dart looked at the ceiling a little embarrassed. He was tempted to look the other way but then again he was in a very dangerous situation. Instead he decided to go on the verbal offensive before Loyd went into another of his long and droning speeches. He seemed almost as bad as Albert.
"Ok wingly, what do you want. You have wasted far too much of are time" paced Dart folding his arms. He wasn't really so confident but he knew it looked good for prestige and to dullen the enemies spirits. The other reason was more complicated, but to simplify, it was very hard not to look like an idiot when standing next to Loyd.
"Why are you keeping us here?" continued Dart
"The winglys sent me all by my self to conquer Serdio. The raid on your village was just to destroy you and capture the moon child. But it looks like on my little rest in these caves I found bigger fish to fry. You spent most of your time talking. But I assure you Dart, you will not leave here alive. Loyd might if he apologises to me"
"I don't like the sound of her confidence" said Loyd to Dart aside "what makes you so bold?"
"Listen!" she whispered sending a chill down Dart's spine.
Dart listened to the air. He began to notice something, not quite right, a breathing noise.
"It's ok Fido, you can come out now" whispered Makata to the shadows. Something moved way back in the depths of the darkness, completely hidden by the lack of light. Even so Dart felt the ground shudder. It gradually became a sound and the ground shook more as it approached. A giant shape appeared in the darkness.
As the gleaming water brightened it, the shape became understandable. A dragon, a red dragon.
"The red eyed dragon!?" exclaimed Dart struggling to stand up under the force of the dragon's quaking stomps. Fear spread over him like a disease. It was rumoured that fear of dragons is not purely psychological, apparently a certain magical element in the dragon it 'self also adds to the discomfort.
"Yes, you know him. I just call him Fido" said Makata leaning back. The dragon reeled its head from side to side staring at the intruders with an intense dislike. "I doubt this is the dragon you thought of though"
"We'll take that thing and shove it down your blubbering mouth Makata!" shouted Loyd and took out the dark dragoon spirit. Dart did the same and various flashes of light lightened the dark cave. Suddenly Makata took out her own stone, the red-eyed stone. It glowed for her and she transformed.
"No way!" exclaimed Dart watching from his own transformation. Fire surrounded her and she glowed red as wings drew back light green from her shoulders. Compared to the others Dart's transformation to the divine dragoon was slow and taxing. Makata was already and Loyd's eyes were set on the dragon.
"How else did you expect me to control dragons? Brace yourself Fido, this is going to be a tough battle, go for the big one!"
"Fido" lunged forward with full force and slammed the unprepared transforming dart straight into the rock face behind him. There was a bone cracking slam and Dart was pushed into a newly made hole in the wall.
"There goes your perfetic human friend Loyd, now will you join us?"
"Dart!" shouted Loyd. The dragon continued to attack Dart in the rock maiming and scratching away. Loyd started to fly over to stop the dragon but Makaya stopped him getting in the way with a clashing sword. It glowed red with fire.
Loyd jumped back into the air and prepared himself.
"As you wish!" he shouted and charged flying towards the wingly. He began swiping rampantly with his dark sword and Makaya was constantly having to block and retreat. She had no hope of beating Loyd in a sword duel and she knew. Loyd was the best swords artist the winglys had ever trained and that basically meant the best in the world. The strokes were multi and in several places, there was no chance to attack. The attacks were also defensive and when she tried to attack she yelped in pain as the sword pierced her flesh.
Suddenly Loyd was knocked back in a burst of flames, Makaya had cast flame shot on him and it stung. Quickly he hopped up and prepared to charge back. Just as he did this there was an explosion from the rock wall. The hole opened back and Dart was cast outside being pushed back by a beam of light. The dragon however met the full thrust of the forward force of the spell and was thrust back in pain.
Outside of the cave Dart knelt down in dragoon form, blood trickling down his face. Hurryingly he took out a healing potion Loyd had given him, the only out of breath words he could mutter were
"Basted…….. Caught me…. Off …. Guard!"
The dragon buster glowed with fury at the cheating of battle rules. Dart leapt forward and smashed a knew hole through the rock wall a little right to the other. He flew forward catching a glimpse of the battle Loyd was having to face. Fido charged towards him and the two met in an explosion as the dragon wailed and furiously beat Dart back with its wings. The dragon buster had drove through and pierced a great wound on the dragon which would stay as a scar for ever more.
Loyd had his own magic as well. He cast bolts of fire a little afraid to cast the dragoon magic in case it caused a cave in. Dart however seemed less worried blasting beams of energy mostly missing the dragon. He was weakening the cavern rooftop immensely.
"Dam you Loyd, you were always too good for your own good!" shouted Makata retreating further back.
"That somehow doesn't work, the way you said that" replied Loyd "perhaps you should work on your losing speeches a little better next time I beat you"
"Oh shut up!" replied Makata angrily and leapt forward with a blow which would have decapitated him if he hadn't simply moved aside. Makata felt a blow to the head and lowered in height. Loyd had hit her with the sword hilt.
"You know, you leave your self way to open to a counter attack. Next time I might use the blade" smirked Loyd hovering back.
"Final!…….Burst!" shouted Makata and charged in a spiral of flame towards Loyd.
Loyd only just escaped the movement. Sure he was fast but he hadn't expected that sudden incredible speed. He cursed himself for talking too much. Deep down, Loyd didn't really want to kill his sister, he hated her but something still stopped him. Perhaps a once lost love for her, he knew that if Dart finished the dragon quickly then he would make mince meet of Makata with the dragon buster. One cut sends shivers down your body paralysing you for a few seconds, it pierces through the magical armour easily and a direct blow almost always kills.
Loyd hardened his heart suddenly. He realised, he would have to kill her. She didn't matter anymore anyway, she was trying to kill him, why not return the favour. Prove to him self he could do it, the ultimate test. Quickly he jumped forward and cast a spell.
"Summon Dark dragon!" he called over the battle. Dart glanced to his left and saw Loyd's move. Darkness flashed wildly in Loyd's eyes as he shouted the words. His hand stretched forward and he reached back into the darkness.
The spirit of the dark dragon appeared and started to fly towards Makata at incredible speed. It was preparing its deadly attack. It was black and sleek, meant for speed, it was at home in the darkness of the cavern. Makata turned to see it coming and knew she didn't have time to escape. Her final burst had meant to hit her target while Loyd was talking, now she would pay the price for missing.
"Help! Fido!" she screamed
Fido quickly turned from Dart who was watching the battle. Dart quickly picked up on what was going on and chased after the dragon. The red eyed dragon moved as fast as it could to catch up with the magical image. The power in the spell was immense. Fido going as fast as he could caught up with the dark dragon on a side slam. He knocked the dark dragon out of the way and the move faltered and the image disappeared. The red eyed dragon turned to face Loyd in front of Makata. Makata smiled seeing Loyd against uneven odds.
"Dam!" muttered Loyd. But a second later Dart caught up and slammed into the dragon the dragon buster first. As before there was a explosion and sparks flew out and pieces of dragon flesh. Dart hit again and again and pieces flew high and landed everywhere. Makata screamed out in sorrow. It was obvious to all that the red eyed dragon wasn't going to survive. Dart felt a brief sorrow in his heart, long ago he had been the red dragoon.
"Give it up Makata" shouted Loyd as the dragon plummeted down to the cave floor with a crash. Dart continued in a frenzy not quite sure whether it was dead or not. He continued hacking away like a mad piranha fish. "You're finished and your dragon, and you've trapped your self in!"
"How dare you be so certain of my down fall, and how dare you kill Fido! Dam you! Dam you both! I'll get you for this!" quickly she flew up high and did a spin.
"Final!….. Burst!" she screamed out and plummeted directly upwards. She slammed into the rock ceiling and caused a cave in. She tunnelled up presumably to the surface the fire melting away the rocks. The impact sent rocks flying down below landing into the water pool with a splosh.
Rocks started to rain down on the two dragoons left behind. Dust started to fill the cave. Dart only stopped hacking at the dragon when a rock hit him on the head, luckily a small one. It didn't hurt much with the power of the dragon but it woke him up and made him realise that the red eyed dragon had paid far more than the amount of damage it had caused him.
"We need to get out of here now!" shouted Loyd over the noise "Unless you want to be buried alive!"
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Albert rode swiftly along the path to Seles. He would have to cross mountains to get there, but that wouldn't matter, or… he could go through the lime stone caves he had heard Lavitz talk about. Apparently Lavitz when he was alive had some not very nice experiences with a giant snake. Albert didn't particularly want a repetition of this.
Trees and greenery whirled past as the white horse sped on. Once the people back in the castle found out There would be an awful chaos until Emile decided the time was right to explain to everyone where their king had gone to.
Albert looked down at the path which sped past at an alarming rate. It made his eyes giddy so he stopped and concentrated on ahead of him. He had rode for quite some time now hoping to leave the Serdians behind in case they sent out search parties a little quicker than he'd expected.
Suddenly Albert felt silly. He a king had just deserted his castle and people to chase the enemy all by himself. What kind of king would do that? The king of Tiberoa certainly wouldn't.
Somehow Albert felt it was crucial he hurried though. The other soldiers would only slow him down. Albert was faster alone, he knew that and secretly liked it. The day was bright and the sun shone, and if circumstances had been different Albert could have been having a relaxing day out doors back at the castle. But somehow things as usual had been ruined by perhaps the usual fact that it was hard to be a dragoon and a king at the same time. He felt him self wondering what had happened to the other dragoons, Haschal, Dart, Meru, Kongal, Miranda and the previous dragoon Shana.
He missed them all, and the memory of their passionate spirits filled his heart and he was content. For he knew for sure then that he was doing the right thing again.
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Meru waited impatiently for the next match to start. It was to be the final match to decide who the winner of the tournament was. She felt fairly confident as every other fighter had fallen to her immense skill and training. It seemed she wouldn't need the items, the most hurt she had become was from her big toe when she had landed slightly wrong doing a flip over someone's head which really didn't hurt all that m
"Even so it hurts!" exclaimed Meru to one of her failed opponents.
"It looks like a women's always gonna be women. Listen lady you may be pretty good with that hammer of yours but your gonna end up scrubbing dishes eventually" said another of the fallen warriors. Each had bandages in several places of there body. This particular one was about to have another.
There was a loud smack and the warrior fell to the ground his nose bleeding.
"Serves you right!" said Meru standing up quickly "Ow my toe!" exclaimed Meru cringing as her toe bent too fast.
"You're on now I think!" muttered the bored soldier she had been talking to. He sat there his head in his hands worrying about the poor warrior with the bleeding nose.
"Oh, am I?" replied Meru and quickly ran to the entrance. Yet again her opponent was already waiting for her when she got there. It was a slim man with a thin bladed long sword. He was wearing blue with a red belt around his waist. He was a handsome young human with dark black hair.
"You keep me waiting Mademoiselle" he muttered sharpening his sword.
"Yeah, sorry about that" replied Meru folding her arms behind her head "I've sprained my toe!"
"Is that going to give you any serious physical disabilities?" asked the man taking up his sword.
"Nah, I don't think so" she replied slowly.
"Ah good" replied the man "We'll have a clear clean fight then. I'll let you make the first move"
"Hey!" replied Meru "I'm not falling for that one! You make the first move. People who make the first move always lose!"
"Well I'm not gonna move" replied the man
"Well neither am I!" replied Meru
Guhara slapped his hands over his head in frustration. Watching from the balcony he somehow wished he still had the piece of lizard to frow at Meru's head.
"Get moving!" shouted the crowd aggravatingly. The cheering continued until it subsided into a "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" continually
"Alright" replied the man "Let's make a deal. We'll both take the first stroke together!"
"Ok" replied Meru.
Both leapt forward and Meru swung her hammer. However the man backed off and counter attacked.
"Cheat!" shouted Meru. The sword nicked Meru's arm and she clutched in pain backing off. Blood stained her pretty blue clothing which made her even more cross.
The man leapt forward this time on the offensive start and Meru carefully blocked with her hammer. Losing balance as she tried to retreat the sword hit the hammer off guard and it was sent skidding along the floor. The man quickly ran over and picked it up as Meru clutched her arm in pain.
"Meru!" called Guhara "Are you going to be ok?"
"I take it you surrender?" said the man pointing both weapons towards her.
Meru looked around her in aggravating silence. She couldn't lose, this was the last battle; she had to win somehow. And anyway, he was the bad guy, he cheated.
"No way!" shouted Meru.
"Fine" replied the man and charged towards her. Meru sidestepped and started to run along the walls of the arena. The man began to chase after her but she was ever the faster one. The crowd began to laugh at the scene pointing at Meru who was running as fast as she could away. This carried on for several laps and the audience laughed more and more and started to point. Eventually Meru got worried that she would lose her breath and stopped.
"I've got to settle this" thought Meru abruptly turning around. Quickly she raised her fists, the man looked forward with surprise at her sudden resistance. Concentrating on his target the man ran forward to attack her with both weapons but suddenly slipped up. His foot had lost its holding on something green and slimy dipped in a yellow source. Whatever it was had bee thrown onto the track by one of the audience. Guhara laughed under his muffling hand.
Quickly Meru leapt forward and recovered her weapon.
The man got up slowly picking up his sword. What met his face was Meru patting her hammer into her left hand with a chill smile that would beat the divine dragon (if it could smile) when it ruined the Crystal palace in Demingrad.
The man with an embarrassed smile held his hands to the side and backed off. Quickly Meru leapt forward with murder in her eyes.
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Dart lay exhausted next to Loyd. The hole Makata had left was barely big enough for the divine dragoon to get through. And now Makata was gone, but at least her dragon was dead, how she managed to get it was beyond Dart completely.
"I'm going to kill her" muttered Loyd over and over again to the thin air.
The grass was sweet upon which the two were resting but braking out of the cave had taken most out of them even Loyd. Loyd was still getting used to his new spirit though he didn't want to say it.
The sun stung Dart's poor eyes and he turned his head to look at the horizon. It was a beautiful blue and the sweet fresh air refreshed him greatly. Clouds a fluffy white moved slowly across the sky. Such a fragile little world, designed to be destroyed easily by the creator Soa. What would happen now that was not so? Would everyone just not exist? Or had Soa planned this all along. Dart knew quite a bit about the history of the winglys now but he knew next to nothing about the creator Soa. He didn't even know how people knew he was called Soa. Perhaps he was just made up.
Gradually Dart got up. He felt proud to be the one to do that for a change. Usually it was others who told him to get up but this time he would have the pleasure of asking Loyd to get up.
"I think we're going to need to move soon Loyd, if we're to rescue Shana"
Loyd turned his head in the opposite direction.
Dart gave up and walked down the hill in search of water. Obviously telling people what to do wasn't his speciality, especially with someone like Loyd. He had decided what to do inside the Limestone caves as they had approached Loyd's sister. Loyd had even asked him what they should do. Perhaps it was starting to get to Dart's head.
After a bit of looking around Dart found a small stream which flowed swiftly through the small forest. He washed his face and drank water from it, it tasted fresh. It must have come from the caves here. He took out his water bottle and took of the top. There was water inside already from the caves. Dart hit himself on the head and started to walk back up the hill.
"Why on earth didn't I remember!?"
As the top came in sight he saw that Loyd had gotten up and was walking up and down.
"Is there any point chasing her?" asked Dart as Loyd noticed him
"No" replied Loyd "She's too far away already"
Dart sat down on a flat grey stone.
"What if she attacks Bale like she said she was supposed to?"
"Bale's got a dragoon if I remember correctly, that green person with the blond hair. He can deal with her. You've got bigger fish to fry"
"Yeah but still he might need are help" replied Dart
"He shouldn't" said Loyd quickly and turning around "He's a king. He should protect his country. That's his job, it's out of your hands unless it affects things on a grander scale. I doubt one dragoon can take on every soldier in Dale and the jade dragoon. I'm more interested in how my sister got her dragon. According to legend the red eyed dragons were supposed to have become extinct when they attacked the wingly capital Kaddessa along with the previous dragoons. Either the legend is wrong or she has found a way to bring them back which I doubt"
Dart started to think about it carefully. It didn't really make much sense.
"I remember fighting two dragons. The jade dragon and the blue sea dragon. Were they always alive?" asked Dart suspiciously
"They shouldn't have been" replied Loyd "Impostor Diaz proved me wrong on that one like the rest of my wingly legends he had a way of making me believe"
"It seems crazy" said Dart slowly "but if the winglys have found a way to bring back dragons I think we should know about it. A flock of dragons and Virage doesn't sound a good idear to me to have to try and ward off"
Loyd fround. "I guess we better get going then"
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Albert's horse was getting pretty tired. He gave it some of the food he had brought with him and sat down. It was getting on and Albert realised he had left without lunch. The way to Seles however was way ahead and through the lime stone caves. He would have to push on and also, find food for himself along the way. He found he wasn't very good at that when he tried.
He would rest here for a bit at least. He searched in his bag for the previsions he had taken with him. A healing fog, a sun rapsody potion, several things ideal for battle but useless for filling a hungry tum.
Looking through the bag he found some sweet bread made into a sandwich of cheddar.
"Oh Emile" he muttered "you shouldn't have
The sky was starting to darken as he looked up. It seemed only daylight when he had sat down. Perhaps it had been.
He should have got some sleep but really he just felt like staying away for a bit. And anyway he didn't really have much to sleep on. There was so little in the way of towns on the way to Seles and the south of Serdio. Perhaps there should have been. Albert began to think about it.
Perhaps a outpost of some kind, if a route could be found that worked then the pass from Seles to Bale would be a lot quicker. Perhaps in the caves themselves. It would certainly make the stone and gold mines west of there have a good place to store material on the way to Bale. It would probably be quite a good idear. Albert couldn't think why nobody had thought of it before. But of course, in those old times that giant snake roamed the cave, that would put plans right out of the window.
As Albert sat on the soft ground he caught a faint glimmer from his jade spirit. Suddenly it started glowing. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the bushes. Quickly he stood up and picked up his quality spear. Leaves flew apart as a creature jumped out.
"If that was supposed to be a surprise it failed" said Albert sardonically
What met his eyes was a female wingly (he knew straight away from the platinum hair) with red armour. She looked tired and she was bleeding from several wounds.
"Are you ok?" asked Albert after awhile of waiting
She fell over onto the ground face down. Albert quickly walked over to her and turned her over.
"What the heck happened to you?" he murmured. At this rate he would have to head back, Dart was his friend but he couldn't just desert a dieing person. His thoughts ravaged his memory for a solution. Quickly he lifted her carefully up into his arms. She was heavy with the armour. He put her carefully onto his horse and tied her face down, he then signalled back down the road towards Bale.
The horse looked at him once and then again. After the 3rd point it got the message and started to gallop back towards Bale. If the search parties were out they would probably find it. That was all he could really do for the wingly girl. He suddenly realised that he was left out there miles from civilization, trapped without transport or food.
That just cheered Albert up no end and he sat with a gloomy face. This wasn't like the old dragoon times, he had always someone to talk to and something to do when he was with the others.
He would need to get to the limestone caves now really or face a night out in the open. But how could he do that? He began to think.
"I could fly as a dragoon" muttered Albert. But that was really just for battling, or was it? It would make much more sense to fly rather than walk all the way there. He could only fly for a short amount of time however. He would just have to cope, if he flew fast, and the wind favoured him (which for some reason always seemed to do so) then he could get there quite quickly indeed.
Suddenly he sat up and looked at the jade spirit. It hummed softly. He looked back in the direction of Bale.
"What?" said Albert suddenly. He looked slowly and deeply into the jade spirit "Are you telling me that that wingly was a dragoon?" it shone brighter as if with a nod. Albert still didn't trust it that much. After all he hadn't had it that long, and dragoon spirits had a long history of trading owners in silly battles. But then again that was part of the point, the other two dragon spirits had gone missing in a silly battle. One in which the dragoon saved the world from destruction.
He had not thought about it when the wingly was in front of him though he certainly should have thought about it. It annoyed him that he hadn't. However at the moment he had to get to the limestone caves, and then check Seles. He would deal with the wingly later and find out where she got her dragon spirit. Or maybe the jade spirit was signalling for something up ahead. He looked down at his spirit. It flashed brightly as if nodding. At that point he putts it back in his pocket and decided not to put his trust in stones.
What on earth was the likelihood that in the whole world he a dragoon would meet a dragoon going past him after several years and it is a new dragoon and at the same time have a dragoon/dragon in front of him and for him to not know who any of them were? Perhaps the stone was playing with him, perhaps he was just a puppet in some major scheme. That line sounded suddenly familiar.
Looking up he realised it was getting to dark for comfort. In darkness the monsters are more ready to attack their victims, though that wasn't much of a threat. Albert still didn't like the idear all the same. Quickly he took out the spirit.
"Here goes nothing" he murmured and took off quickly shining green as the transformation was complete. Albert soured high and suddenly realised as he looked down on the earth that he was doing the one thing people dream happily of doing most. Flying, the world was so different. The wind blew across his tired eyes refreshing them anew and he looked first down to the dark green slopes below him to the bright stars above him.
His hair blew back as he soured high and came down and up sweeping the skies. He was messing about and he felt silly, but then again he wasn't a king now, he was a dragoon. Dragoons were aloud to have fun. Quickly he sped on up the slope towards the mountains over the lime stone caves. He scanned the grassy floor looking for a entrance into them.
Suddenly something caught his eye. Below him was a great big hole with scorch marks everywhere. The area was still smoking so the blast couldn't have been more than since morning.
"What on earth happened here?" asked Albert to himself. Already the dragoon spirit was starting to way Albert down. He was getting tired. It was as if some great beast had smashed its way out of the earth it's self to escape.
Quickly he sped on up the slope and the air started to become thicker. Down below he saw what he needed, a entrance to the caves. It wasn't the one he had been told about but perhaps it would branch onto the right path. Now his bones ached through the power and he gradually lowered himself down towards the ground.
His feet hit the ground gently and he felt a gentle breeze hit his face. It was dark in the small passage. Light surrounded him and he took his normal form, looking back he could see the scorched earth. Really however he didn't want to dawdle sight seeing.
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The man lay beaten before Meru and she rejoiced while people from off the arena ran on with a stretcher and took the poor man away. He was not more than a bloody mass and would need much treatment before he would ever fight again. Meru felt he deserved it for being such a cheat, the cut on her arm stung and her toe ached even more than before.
Eventually she was called back on again after awhile and the places were decided. Naturally she came first. Guhara looked happy from above and slightly relived that he wouldn't have to put up with a up set Meru. But then again he hadn't really expected her to lose.
The prise was for winning was 10000 g, enough to live on for quite a while. Somehow Guhara felt that he and Meru wouldn't be settling down for a long time. Not while the dragoon side of Meru existed. He sighed slowly. If only she had been a normal wingly they would have settled down in the forest ages ago. But no, he had to have chose the odd card, "oh well" muttered Guhara. He didn't really mind anyhow, it was kind of fun trecking around the world.
Little did they know while they were enjoying their time in Lohan that the world around them was going to pot.
"How should we get there?" asked Dart as they walked through the long cave.
Loyd seemed to ignore him. He looked around slowly from side to side.
"We should fly" replied Loyd slowly.
"Fly? All the way there? That would be crazy for me in dragoon form!"
Loyd suddenly stopped and turned to Dart
"How much do you love this girl?"
Dart faltered and looked at the ground. He looked up
"With more than words can express" he muttered
"Well, then. If you have to fly, then fly you must. The longer you fly for the better you will get at it. I found that fighting you inexperienced dragoons was too easy for me yet too hard. You had the courage, and the brains to beat me but you seemed to know nothing about training yourself to new limits. When I had the divine dragoon spirit at first I had to fight for my life to maintain the power which coursed through me, but I succeeded, I let the divine dragon know who was boss. I controlled it! The power was all mine, but still it willed against me. Even though I hated transforming ever since and that I knew every time it would be a battle with my self I did it as often as possible. For I knew that with practise I would become much better. I became better, I improved far quicker than any of you. In fact so much that I maintained the power for the whole battle and after. I was almost driven mad on the ice track but I pulled through, Melbu finished me there, but the angel boots helped me yet again"
"Why are you telling me all this?" asked Dart as they crossed over a thin rock bridge
"Because I know that you can reach a level that I cannot. I would like to see that, since no one ever has with the divine dragoon. We must hurry and get out of these caves"
"What's that noise?" whispered Dart suddenly holding a hand in a gesture of quiet.
"What noise?" replied Loyd undisturbed
"I don't know"
Slowly Dart took out his dragoon spirit. It glowed and hummed to it 'self. Dart moved it around slowly, the sound grew louder as he moved it to his left.
"It is over there!" pointed Loyd. A small expanding crack lay across a rocky wall. Across the bridge a small light came from inside of moving water.
"What could it be?" asked Dart looking at Loyd. Loyd slowly took out his dark spirit, it began to glow with a dark aura.
"For bad of for good, it shouldn't matter too much" whispered Loyd "I have mastered my dark summoning spell already, and some others. I don't like the idear however of fighting in a cramped space. It's up to you Dart, you were always the leader of the dragoons of this decade, and you are the leader now. Should we go?"
"But, Shana" muttered Dart "I guess, perhaps a quick peek. If we don't meet it now it will probably meet us later"
"Let's go" muttered Loyd. The two quickly hopped over the end of the bridge and walked quickly towards the crack. As they got nearer a bright light started to shine out of the crack. It was a bright white light. Dart walked in followed slowly by Loyd. There was only room for one abreast.
The passage lead into a wide new cavern. Darkness filled every crack except for light which emanated from a ring of water in the centre. A space of land was in the centre and on it was
"Shana!" exclaimed Dart and tried to run forward but Loyd grabbed him on the shoulder and holstered him back quickly.
"Wherever Shana is" muttered Loyd "winglies will be there to"
Shana lay there, her arms wrapped around her. Slowly she got up and looked across the room. It was a dark, dark room, the only light source was the strange water ring in the centre. It could quite easily be a barrier, but it could quite easily be a trap. Loyd being a wingly of a high age, magic and dexterity and most good things (I could go on) realised there was something else in the room. It seemed almost too easy to find the direct person they were looking for beneath their noses.
In fact, Loyd went as far as to disbelieve it completely. His magical sense felt also something else in the darkness. A strong warm power, stretching back into the shadows. The cave must have been very long for Loyd felt the urgency as a faint shimmer. Perhaps a Virage of some kind?
"Dart!" she called "Dart, I'm scared. Please, they have left me in an enchanted circle, only you can brake the spell. Walk through the ring!"
Dart looked to Loyd slowly. Loyd looked back at him his blue eyes glimmering in the low cave light.
"What are you waiting for Dart!" called Shana "help me!"
Loyd quickly outstretched a hand and a fireball leapt towards the undefended girl. Shana shrieked and there was a flash of fire and light as the centre of the circle was filled with fire. Dart gasped at Loyd with a indescribable look. It was seconds away from Dart about to draw his sword on Loyd but Loyd calmly held up his hand smoking.
"That was the most perfetic attempt at a magical image I have ever seen. So, who is the culprit behind this stain on the face of magic!" called Loyd with a horribly unfearing voice. The calmness seemed to bypass everything with a unseen force of knowledge and power. Dart admired him greatly for it.
Shana suddenly landed with a quiet drop as if she had taken a single footstep. Quickly she took out an arrow in front of the ring and fired it at Dart's head. Dart smacked it away with the back of his hand, it scattered to the floor down the cave.
"Give up yet?" muttered Loyd taking a step forward. Slowly he unsheathed his sword and pointed it forward. Shana took out a long broard sword which was ludicrously too big for her to hold and ran screaming towards Loyd. She swung it with immense skill and daring and used several blow but Loyd held her off with one sword arm. It took about six clashes until Loyd's sword held hers to the ground. Quickly the blue sword Loyd used struck up with immense force and impaled Shana. No blood, she just disappeared.
Loyd had stood still the whole fight except for his arm. And plus he had come away unscaved, he calmly walked over the spot where Shana would have laid and walked forward.
"Show your self fowl mage" he exclaimed.
Slowly a figure immerged from the shadow walking towards them around the ring. Beyond the ring of water there seemed only darkness. Anything beyond was hidden from view. The only sound, was the faint movement of rushing water from outside.
"Makata!" said Loyd turning away to Dart "I should have known I would have had to put up with you some time"
"Brother!" exclaimed the female wingly walking forward "how can you turn your back on me even now!"
"Brother?" stated Dart amused folding his arms
"Yes," replied Loyd slowly turning back "this perfetic wretch is my sister. She likes her magic tricks, but I know how far they go"
The wingly was gaspingly pretty, her perfect shape seemed to move with such grace. Her blue eyes and long streaming silver hair only enhanced her beauty. She looked at Loyd with pleading eyes. She had red armour which descended in a small dress shape at her legs stopping at her knees.
"Loyd!" she continued "Why don't you come back to the fortress! Together with the other winglies we can re-control the humans. We can use their weapons of old against them!"
"Not with a bumbling fool like you" returned Loyd "Faust would role in his grave. I hate you and everything you stand for!"
Dart looked at Loyd swiftly with surprise. This didn't seem like brother and sister talk.
"Loyd!" muttered the wingly girl with sadness in her eyes.
"If there's nothing more to be said, my friend and I have an appointment to achieve. And that is stopping you people. You winglys are far too proud for my liking. I used to respect you but now I cannot bring my self to do that. I would rather not have to draw your blood"
The wingly looked at the floor with sadness in her eyes. Dart felt sorry for her but Loyd as always was not sparing. Something long ago had distanced him with his people. Slowly he turned and gestured Dart to go. They started to walk away to the cave entrance. Dart watched his back just in case.
Dart was right. But not to watch his back, the crack at the entrance of the cave suddenly crumbled as a lightning bolt struck it. Rubble and rocks fell and the three were trapped together alone, or were they.
Loyd turned around with fire in his eye.
"So this is what you want Makata, an early death!"
"Don't call me that bro! CALL ME SISTER!! Like you used to!" she shouted
Dart looked at the ceiling a little embarrassed. He was tempted to look the other way but then again he was in a very dangerous situation. Instead he decided to go on the verbal offensive before Loyd went into another of his long and droning speeches. He seemed almost as bad as Albert.
"Ok wingly, what do you want. You have wasted far too much of are time" paced Dart folding his arms. He wasn't really so confident but he knew it looked good for prestige and to dullen the enemies spirits. The other reason was more complicated, but to simplify, it was very hard not to look like an idiot when standing next to Loyd.
"Why are you keeping us here?" continued Dart
"The winglys sent me all by my self to conquer Serdio. The raid on your village was just to destroy you and capture the moon child. But it looks like on my little rest in these caves I found bigger fish to fry. You spent most of your time talking. But I assure you Dart, you will not leave here alive. Loyd might if he apologises to me"
"I don't like the sound of her confidence" said Loyd to Dart aside "what makes you so bold?"
"Listen!" she whispered sending a chill down Dart's spine.
Dart listened to the air. He began to notice something, not quite right, a breathing noise.
"It's ok Fido, you can come out now" whispered Makata to the shadows. Something moved way back in the depths of the darkness, completely hidden by the lack of light. Even so Dart felt the ground shudder. It gradually became a sound and the ground shook more as it approached. A giant shape appeared in the darkness.
As the gleaming water brightened it, the shape became understandable. A dragon, a red dragon.
"The red eyed dragon!?" exclaimed Dart struggling to stand up under the force of the dragon's quaking stomps. Fear spread over him like a disease. It was rumoured that fear of dragons is not purely psychological, apparently a certain magical element in the dragon it 'self also adds to the discomfort.
"Yes, you know him. I just call him Fido" said Makata leaning back. The dragon reeled its head from side to side staring at the intruders with an intense dislike. "I doubt this is the dragon you thought of though"
"We'll take that thing and shove it down your blubbering mouth Makata!" shouted Loyd and took out the dark dragoon spirit. Dart did the same and various flashes of light lightened the dark cave. Suddenly Makata took out her own stone, the red-eyed stone. It glowed for her and she transformed.
"No way!" exclaimed Dart watching from his own transformation. Fire surrounded her and she glowed red as wings drew back light green from her shoulders. Compared to the others Dart's transformation to the divine dragoon was slow and taxing. Makata was already and Loyd's eyes were set on the dragon.
"How else did you expect me to control dragons? Brace yourself Fido, this is going to be a tough battle, go for the big one!"
"Fido" lunged forward with full force and slammed the unprepared transforming dart straight into the rock face behind him. There was a bone cracking slam and Dart was pushed into a newly made hole in the wall.
"There goes your perfetic human friend Loyd, now will you join us?"
"Dart!" shouted Loyd. The dragon continued to attack Dart in the rock maiming and scratching away. Loyd started to fly over to stop the dragon but Makaya stopped him getting in the way with a clashing sword. It glowed red with fire.
Loyd jumped back into the air and prepared himself.
"As you wish!" he shouted and charged flying towards the wingly. He began swiping rampantly with his dark sword and Makaya was constantly having to block and retreat. She had no hope of beating Loyd in a sword duel and she knew. Loyd was the best swords artist the winglys had ever trained and that basically meant the best in the world. The strokes were multi and in several places, there was no chance to attack. The attacks were also defensive and when she tried to attack she yelped in pain as the sword pierced her flesh.
Suddenly Loyd was knocked back in a burst of flames, Makaya had cast flame shot on him and it stung. Quickly he hopped up and prepared to charge back. Just as he did this there was an explosion from the rock wall. The hole opened back and Dart was cast outside being pushed back by a beam of light. The dragon however met the full thrust of the forward force of the spell and was thrust back in pain.
Outside of the cave Dart knelt down in dragoon form, blood trickling down his face. Hurryingly he took out a healing potion Loyd had given him, the only out of breath words he could mutter were
"Basted…….. Caught me…. Off …. Guard!"
The dragon buster glowed with fury at the cheating of battle rules. Dart leapt forward and smashed a knew hole through the rock wall a little right to the other. He flew forward catching a glimpse of the battle Loyd was having to face. Fido charged towards him and the two met in an explosion as the dragon wailed and furiously beat Dart back with its wings. The dragon buster had drove through and pierced a great wound on the dragon which would stay as a scar for ever more.
Loyd had his own magic as well. He cast bolts of fire a little afraid to cast the dragoon magic in case it caused a cave in. Dart however seemed less worried blasting beams of energy mostly missing the dragon. He was weakening the cavern rooftop immensely.
"Dam you Loyd, you were always too good for your own good!" shouted Makata retreating further back.
"That somehow doesn't work, the way you said that" replied Loyd "perhaps you should work on your losing speeches a little better next time I beat you"
"Oh shut up!" replied Makata angrily and leapt forward with a blow which would have decapitated him if he hadn't simply moved aside. Makata felt a blow to the head and lowered in height. Loyd had hit her with the sword hilt.
"You know, you leave your self way to open to a counter attack. Next time I might use the blade" smirked Loyd hovering back.
"Final!…….Burst!" shouted Makata and charged in a spiral of flame towards Loyd.
Loyd only just escaped the movement. Sure he was fast but he hadn't expected that sudden incredible speed. He cursed himself for talking too much. Deep down, Loyd didn't really want to kill his sister, he hated her but something still stopped him. Perhaps a once lost love for her, he knew that if Dart finished the dragon quickly then he would make mince meet of Makata with the dragon buster. One cut sends shivers down your body paralysing you for a few seconds, it pierces through the magical armour easily and a direct blow almost always kills.
Loyd hardened his heart suddenly. He realised, he would have to kill her. She didn't matter anymore anyway, she was trying to kill him, why not return the favour. Prove to him self he could do it, the ultimate test. Quickly he jumped forward and cast a spell.
"Summon Dark dragon!" he called over the battle. Dart glanced to his left and saw Loyd's move. Darkness flashed wildly in Loyd's eyes as he shouted the words. His hand stretched forward and he reached back into the darkness.
The spirit of the dark dragon appeared and started to fly towards Makata at incredible speed. It was preparing its deadly attack. It was black and sleek, meant for speed, it was at home in the darkness of the cavern. Makata turned to see it coming and knew she didn't have time to escape. Her final burst had meant to hit her target while Loyd was talking, now she would pay the price for missing.
"Help! Fido!" she screamed
Fido quickly turned from Dart who was watching the battle. Dart quickly picked up on what was going on and chased after the dragon. The red eyed dragon moved as fast as it could to catch up with the magical image. The power in the spell was immense. Fido going as fast as he could caught up with the dark dragon on a side slam. He knocked the dark dragon out of the way and the move faltered and the image disappeared. The red eyed dragon turned to face Loyd in front of Makata. Makata smiled seeing Loyd against uneven odds.
"Dam!" muttered Loyd. But a second later Dart caught up and slammed into the dragon the dragon buster first. As before there was a explosion and sparks flew out and pieces of dragon flesh. Dart hit again and again and pieces flew high and landed everywhere. Makata screamed out in sorrow. It was obvious to all that the red eyed dragon wasn't going to survive. Dart felt a brief sorrow in his heart, long ago he had been the red dragoon.
"Give it up Makata" shouted Loyd as the dragon plummeted down to the cave floor with a crash. Dart continued in a frenzy not quite sure whether it was dead or not. He continued hacking away like a mad piranha fish. "You're finished and your dragon, and you've trapped your self in!"
"How dare you be so certain of my down fall, and how dare you kill Fido! Dam you! Dam you both! I'll get you for this!" quickly she flew up high and did a spin.
"Final!….. Burst!" she screamed out and plummeted directly upwards. She slammed into the rock ceiling and caused a cave in. She tunnelled up presumably to the surface the fire melting away the rocks. The impact sent rocks flying down below landing into the water pool with a splosh.
Rocks started to rain down on the two dragoons left behind. Dust started to fill the cave. Dart only stopped hacking at the dragon when a rock hit him on the head, luckily a small one. It didn't hurt much with the power of the dragon but it woke him up and made him realise that the red eyed dragon had paid far more than the amount of damage it had caused him.
"We need to get out of here now!" shouted Loyd over the noise "Unless you want to be buried alive!"
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Albert rode swiftly along the path to Seles. He would have to cross mountains to get there, but that wouldn't matter, or… he could go through the lime stone caves he had heard Lavitz talk about. Apparently Lavitz when he was alive had some not very nice experiences with a giant snake. Albert didn't particularly want a repetition of this.
Trees and greenery whirled past as the white horse sped on. Once the people back in the castle found out There would be an awful chaos until Emile decided the time was right to explain to everyone where their king had gone to.
Albert looked down at the path which sped past at an alarming rate. It made his eyes giddy so he stopped and concentrated on ahead of him. He had rode for quite some time now hoping to leave the Serdians behind in case they sent out search parties a little quicker than he'd expected.
Suddenly Albert felt silly. He a king had just deserted his castle and people to chase the enemy all by himself. What kind of king would do that? The king of Tiberoa certainly wouldn't.
Somehow Albert felt it was crucial he hurried though. The other soldiers would only slow him down. Albert was faster alone, he knew that and secretly liked it. The day was bright and the sun shone, and if circumstances had been different Albert could have been having a relaxing day out doors back at the castle. But somehow things as usual had been ruined by perhaps the usual fact that it was hard to be a dragoon and a king at the same time. He felt him self wondering what had happened to the other dragoons, Haschal, Dart, Meru, Kongal, Miranda and the previous dragoon Shana.
He missed them all, and the memory of their passionate spirits filled his heart and he was content. For he knew for sure then that he was doing the right thing again.
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Meru waited impatiently for the next match to start. It was to be the final match to decide who the winner of the tournament was. She felt fairly confident as every other fighter had fallen to her immense skill and training. It seemed she wouldn't need the items, the most hurt she had become was from her big toe when she had landed slightly wrong doing a flip over someone's head which really didn't hurt all that m
"Even so it hurts!" exclaimed Meru to one of her failed opponents.
"It looks like a women's always gonna be women. Listen lady you may be pretty good with that hammer of yours but your gonna end up scrubbing dishes eventually" said another of the fallen warriors. Each had bandages in several places of there body. This particular one was about to have another.
There was a loud smack and the warrior fell to the ground his nose bleeding.
"Serves you right!" said Meru standing up quickly "Ow my toe!" exclaimed Meru cringing as her toe bent too fast.
"You're on now I think!" muttered the bored soldier she had been talking to. He sat there his head in his hands worrying about the poor warrior with the bleeding nose.
"Oh, am I?" replied Meru and quickly ran to the entrance. Yet again her opponent was already waiting for her when she got there. It was a slim man with a thin bladed long sword. He was wearing blue with a red belt around his waist. He was a handsome young human with dark black hair.
"You keep me waiting Mademoiselle" he muttered sharpening his sword.
"Yeah, sorry about that" replied Meru folding her arms behind her head "I've sprained my toe!"
"Is that going to give you any serious physical disabilities?" asked the man taking up his sword.
"Nah, I don't think so" she replied slowly.
"Ah good" replied the man "We'll have a clear clean fight then. I'll let you make the first move"
"Hey!" replied Meru "I'm not falling for that one! You make the first move. People who make the first move always lose!"
"Well I'm not gonna move" replied the man
"Well neither am I!" replied Meru
Guhara slapped his hands over his head in frustration. Watching from the balcony he somehow wished he still had the piece of lizard to frow at Meru's head.
"Get moving!" shouted the crowd aggravatingly. The cheering continued until it subsided into a "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" continually
"Alright" replied the man "Let's make a deal. We'll both take the first stroke together!"
"Ok" replied Meru.
Both leapt forward and Meru swung her hammer. However the man backed off and counter attacked.
"Cheat!" shouted Meru. The sword nicked Meru's arm and she clutched in pain backing off. Blood stained her pretty blue clothing which made her even more cross.
The man leapt forward this time on the offensive start and Meru carefully blocked with her hammer. Losing balance as she tried to retreat the sword hit the hammer off guard and it was sent skidding along the floor. The man quickly ran over and picked it up as Meru clutched her arm in pain.
"Meru!" called Guhara "Are you going to be ok?"
"I take it you surrender?" said the man pointing both weapons towards her.
Meru looked around her in aggravating silence. She couldn't lose, this was the last battle; she had to win somehow. And anyway, he was the bad guy, he cheated.
"No way!" shouted Meru.
"Fine" replied the man and charged towards her. Meru sidestepped and started to run along the walls of the arena. The man began to chase after her but she was ever the faster one. The crowd began to laugh at the scene pointing at Meru who was running as fast as she could away. This carried on for several laps and the audience laughed more and more and started to point. Eventually Meru got worried that she would lose her breath and stopped.
"I've got to settle this" thought Meru abruptly turning around. Quickly she raised her fists, the man looked forward with surprise at her sudden resistance. Concentrating on his target the man ran forward to attack her with both weapons but suddenly slipped up. His foot had lost its holding on something green and slimy dipped in a yellow source. Whatever it was had bee thrown onto the track by one of the audience. Guhara laughed under his muffling hand.
Quickly Meru leapt forward and recovered her weapon.
The man got up slowly picking up his sword. What met his face was Meru patting her hammer into her left hand with a chill smile that would beat the divine dragon (if it could smile) when it ruined the Crystal palace in Demingrad.
The man with an embarrassed smile held his hands to the side and backed off. Quickly Meru leapt forward with murder in her eyes.
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Dart lay exhausted next to Loyd. The hole Makata had left was barely big enough for the divine dragoon to get through. And now Makata was gone, but at least her dragon was dead, how she managed to get it was beyond Dart completely.
"I'm going to kill her" muttered Loyd over and over again to the thin air.
The grass was sweet upon which the two were resting but braking out of the cave had taken most out of them even Loyd. Loyd was still getting used to his new spirit though he didn't want to say it.
The sun stung Dart's poor eyes and he turned his head to look at the horizon. It was a beautiful blue and the sweet fresh air refreshed him greatly. Clouds a fluffy white moved slowly across the sky. Such a fragile little world, designed to be destroyed easily by the creator Soa. What would happen now that was not so? Would everyone just not exist? Or had Soa planned this all along. Dart knew quite a bit about the history of the winglys now but he knew next to nothing about the creator Soa. He didn't even know how people knew he was called Soa. Perhaps he was just made up.
Gradually Dart got up. He felt proud to be the one to do that for a change. Usually it was others who told him to get up but this time he would have the pleasure of asking Loyd to get up.
"I think we're going to need to move soon Loyd, if we're to rescue Shana"
Loyd turned his head in the opposite direction.
Dart gave up and walked down the hill in search of water. Obviously telling people what to do wasn't his speciality, especially with someone like Loyd. He had decided what to do inside the Limestone caves as they had approached Loyd's sister. Loyd had even asked him what they should do. Perhaps it was starting to get to Dart's head.
After a bit of looking around Dart found a small stream which flowed swiftly through the small forest. He washed his face and drank water from it, it tasted fresh. It must have come from the caves here. He took out his water bottle and took of the top. There was water inside already from the caves. Dart hit himself on the head and started to walk back up the hill.
"Why on earth didn't I remember!?"
As the top came in sight he saw that Loyd had gotten up and was walking up and down.
"Is there any point chasing her?" asked Dart as Loyd noticed him
"No" replied Loyd "She's too far away already"
Dart sat down on a flat grey stone.
"What if she attacks Bale like she said she was supposed to?"
"Bale's got a dragoon if I remember correctly, that green person with the blond hair. He can deal with her. You've got bigger fish to fry"
"Yeah but still he might need are help" replied Dart
"He shouldn't" said Loyd quickly and turning around "He's a king. He should protect his country. That's his job, it's out of your hands unless it affects things on a grander scale. I doubt one dragoon can take on every soldier in Dale and the jade dragoon. I'm more interested in how my sister got her dragon. According to legend the red eyed dragons were supposed to have become extinct when they attacked the wingly capital Kaddessa along with the previous dragoons. Either the legend is wrong or she has found a way to bring them back which I doubt"
Dart started to think about it carefully. It didn't really make much sense.
"I remember fighting two dragons. The jade dragon and the blue sea dragon. Were they always alive?" asked Dart suspiciously
"They shouldn't have been" replied Loyd "Impostor Diaz proved me wrong on that one like the rest of my wingly legends he had a way of making me believe"
"It seems crazy" said Dart slowly "but if the winglys have found a way to bring back dragons I think we should know about it. A flock of dragons and Virage doesn't sound a good idear to me to have to try and ward off"
Loyd fround. "I guess we better get going then"
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Albert's horse was getting pretty tired. He gave it some of the food he had brought with him and sat down. It was getting on and Albert realised he had left without lunch. The way to Seles however was way ahead and through the lime stone caves. He would have to push on and also, find food for himself along the way. He found he wasn't very good at that when he tried.
He would rest here for a bit at least. He searched in his bag for the previsions he had taken with him. A healing fog, a sun rapsody potion, several things ideal for battle but useless for filling a hungry tum.
Looking through the bag he found some sweet bread made into a sandwich of cheddar.
"Oh Emile" he muttered "you shouldn't have
The sky was starting to darken as he looked up. It seemed only daylight when he had sat down. Perhaps it had been.
He should have got some sleep but really he just felt like staying away for a bit. And anyway he didn't really have much to sleep on. There was so little in the way of towns on the way to Seles and the south of Serdio. Perhaps there should have been. Albert began to think about it.
Perhaps a outpost of some kind, if a route could be found that worked then the pass from Seles to Bale would be a lot quicker. Perhaps in the caves themselves. It would certainly make the stone and gold mines west of there have a good place to store material on the way to Bale. It would probably be quite a good idear. Albert couldn't think why nobody had thought of it before. But of course, in those old times that giant snake roamed the cave, that would put plans right out of the window.
As Albert sat on the soft ground he caught a faint glimmer from his jade spirit. Suddenly it started glowing. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the bushes. Quickly he stood up and picked up his quality spear. Leaves flew apart as a creature jumped out.
"If that was supposed to be a surprise it failed" said Albert sardonically
What met his eyes was a female wingly (he knew straight away from the platinum hair) with red armour. She looked tired and she was bleeding from several wounds.
"Are you ok?" asked Albert after awhile of waiting
She fell over onto the ground face down. Albert quickly walked over to her and turned her over.
"What the heck happened to you?" he murmured. At this rate he would have to head back, Dart was his friend but he couldn't just desert a dieing person. His thoughts ravaged his memory for a solution. Quickly he lifted her carefully up into his arms. She was heavy with the armour. He put her carefully onto his horse and tied her face down, he then signalled back down the road towards Bale.
The horse looked at him once and then again. After the 3rd point it got the message and started to gallop back towards Bale. If the search parties were out they would probably find it. That was all he could really do for the wingly girl. He suddenly realised that he was left out there miles from civilization, trapped without transport or food.
That just cheered Albert up no end and he sat with a gloomy face. This wasn't like the old dragoon times, he had always someone to talk to and something to do when he was with the others.
He would need to get to the limestone caves now really or face a night out in the open. But how could he do that? He began to think.
"I could fly as a dragoon" muttered Albert. But that was really just for battling, or was it? It would make much more sense to fly rather than walk all the way there. He could only fly for a short amount of time however. He would just have to cope, if he flew fast, and the wind favoured him (which for some reason always seemed to do so) then he could get there quite quickly indeed.
Suddenly he sat up and looked at the jade spirit. It hummed softly. He looked back in the direction of Bale.
"What?" said Albert suddenly. He looked slowly and deeply into the jade spirit "Are you telling me that that wingly was a dragoon?" it shone brighter as if with a nod. Albert still didn't trust it that much. After all he hadn't had it that long, and dragoon spirits had a long history of trading owners in silly battles. But then again that was part of the point, the other two dragon spirits had gone missing in a silly battle. One in which the dragoon saved the world from destruction.
He had not thought about it when the wingly was in front of him though he certainly should have thought about it. It annoyed him that he hadn't. However at the moment he had to get to the limestone caves, and then check Seles. He would deal with the wingly later and find out where she got her dragon spirit. Or maybe the jade spirit was signalling for something up ahead. He looked down at his spirit. It flashed brightly as if nodding. At that point he putts it back in his pocket and decided not to put his trust in stones.
What on earth was the likelihood that in the whole world he a dragoon would meet a dragoon going past him after several years and it is a new dragoon and at the same time have a dragoon/dragon in front of him and for him to not know who any of them were? Perhaps the stone was playing with him, perhaps he was just a puppet in some major scheme. That line sounded suddenly familiar.
Looking up he realised it was getting to dark for comfort. In darkness the monsters are more ready to attack their victims, though that wasn't much of a threat. Albert still didn't like the idear all the same. Quickly he took out the spirit.
"Here goes nothing" he murmured and took off quickly shining green as the transformation was complete. Albert soured high and suddenly realised as he looked down on the earth that he was doing the one thing people dream happily of doing most. Flying, the world was so different. The wind blew across his tired eyes refreshing them anew and he looked first down to the dark green slopes below him to the bright stars above him.
His hair blew back as he soured high and came down and up sweeping the skies. He was messing about and he felt silly, but then again he wasn't a king now, he was a dragoon. Dragoons were aloud to have fun. Quickly he sped on up the slope towards the mountains over the lime stone caves. He scanned the grassy floor looking for a entrance into them.
Suddenly something caught his eye. Below him was a great big hole with scorch marks everywhere. The area was still smoking so the blast couldn't have been more than since morning.
"What on earth happened here?" asked Albert to himself. Already the dragoon spirit was starting to way Albert down. He was getting tired. It was as if some great beast had smashed its way out of the earth it's self to escape.
Quickly he sped on up the slope and the air started to become thicker. Down below he saw what he needed, a entrance to the caves. It wasn't the one he had been told about but perhaps it would branch onto the right path. Now his bones ached through the power and he gradually lowered himself down towards the ground.
His feet hit the ground gently and he felt a gentle breeze hit his face. It was dark in the small passage. Light surrounded him and he took his normal form, looking back he could see the scorched earth. Really however he didn't want to dawdle sight seeing.
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The man lay beaten before Meru and she rejoiced while people from off the arena ran on with a stretcher and took the poor man away. He was not more than a bloody mass and would need much treatment before he would ever fight again. Meru felt he deserved it for being such a cheat, the cut on her arm stung and her toe ached even more than before.
Eventually she was called back on again after awhile and the places were decided. Naturally she came first. Guhara looked happy from above and slightly relived that he wouldn't have to put up with a up set Meru. But then again he hadn't really expected her to lose.
The prise was for winning was 10000 g, enough to live on for quite a while. Somehow Guhara felt that he and Meru wouldn't be settling down for a long time. Not while the dragoon side of Meru existed. He sighed slowly. If only she had been a normal wingly they would have settled down in the forest ages ago. But no, he had to have chose the odd card, "oh well" muttered Guhara. He didn't really mind anyhow, it was kind of fun trecking around the world.
Little did they know while they were enjoying their time in Lohan that the world around them was going to pot.