Chapter 7
Fanning the Flames: Part 2
Finally! It took me ages, but I've finally completed a 95% original chapter of "Dragons and Dragoons!"
To the latest Anonymus reviewer, that is a very good idea about doing interlude chapters. I may have to do one after this. Thank you.
I do not own The Legend of Dragoon or Dragon Booster. Just the OCs.
When we last left our heroes…
After winning a race with the instruction of Kitt Wonn, Artha Penn's pride grew to the point where he became arrogant, angering both Kitt, who aided him and never received any thanks from him, and Dart Feld, his Dragoon partner from Endiness. After Dart departs for a "walk," Mortis informs them that Word Paynn, the man who desires a new Dragon-Human War, was sending riders from various crews to locate the bonemark of the ancient red dragon of war, Furox.
However, ancient past and today's present collide when the spirit of Dart's Dragoon Spirit, the Red-Eyed Dragon, takes over his host's body. Enraged at Furox's arrogance and disregard for the sacrifices made in the ancient Dragon Campaign, the Lord of Fire regained his physical form with a desire to end his traitorous descendent.
Can Artha and his friends stop Furox and save Dart before Yoldrognah's fire consumes her?
Mortis watch from the screen on the Dragon Booster's saddle. His worries had come to fruition. His charge, young Dart Feld, had been taken over by the spirit in the stone. Now, the Lord of Fire had returned and if he was not calmed, Dragon City could end up in flames before the next day. What's more, if Yoldrognah were to continue, Dart would…
Shaking his head, Mortis called up a separate screen. After punching in a select group of numbers, Mortis waited for his counter-measure to pick up. He didn't have to wait long as he saw a familiar figure with platinum hair appear.
"I'm glad you were able to pick up. We need your help."
With the Dragon Booster…
For the first time in their lives, Artha Penn and his friends felt true fear. The power of the gigantic dragon that was once their foreign friend was immensely strong. It was like either standing at the edge of a volcano's crater or being within walking distance of the sun. Granted, there were massive dragons on Draconis. But none of them compare to the ancient dragon before them.
For the dragons, their awe and fear was multiplied. Especially Wyldfyr. All Red-Draconian dragons were told by their mothers (or by other dragons) about their shared ancestor: The Lord of Fire. They knew of his power and his fury, but they also knew he was honorable and just. Still, to see Yoldrognah in his angered state sent shivers down the dragons' spines.
The humans were just as scared. However, one other emotion gripped them: worry. Not just about the angry ancient dragon before them, but for the human girl that was his host. After the Lord of Fire appeared, all traces of Dart Feld disappeared. Everyone present was frozen in place, scared about what Yoldrognah would do.
There was one more accelerated pulse within the Scale Citadel. Moordryd, who had landed on a nearby platform and made his way back up, watched the scene from behind a pillar. He knew about Furox. But he never knew about the massive dragon before him. And this came from the Westerner?! Whatever this new dragon was, one thing was clear.
It was pissed.
Taking advantage of the stalemate before him, Furox turned around and dashed out of the chamber. Seeing his dishonorable descendent take off, Yoldrognah released an angered roar. The sound alone was enough to make even the dragons cover their ears. Artha looked up and saw a front paw from the fiery dragon lift and approach them.
"Everyone! Move!"
Seeing the paw, the youths quickly moved out of the way as Yoldrognah charge through, smashing the interior of the citadel without a care.
Unfortunately, the brute force of the giant dragon combined with the fragility of the citadel was a combination that was proving to be deadly as stones from the ceiling began to rain upon our heroes. And not just pebbles, but stones large enough to crush a person's skull. Looking toward the exit Yoldrognah made, Artha called out to his group.
"Let's get out of here!"
No one argued as they raced out of the chamber. Moordryd was quick to run from the chamber and reach Decepshun, carefully following the Dragon Booster's group while trying not to get crushed.
The exit was a bit easier as Yoldrognah had smashed through all of the traps. However, the escaping group still had to avoid the falling boulders, using their Red Thruster gear to accelerate and Green Ramming gear to protect the dragons. The escape seemed like forever until they saw sunlight.
"Quick! Through there!" Kitt yelled as she up the power of her gear.
Lance and Artha were quick to use their dragons to maneuver through the debris, while Parmon had no choice but to have Cyrano ram though the grounded obstacles while trying to protect himself at the same time.
By the time they escaped the collapsing citadel, Moordryd was quick to take a right turn at the exit, making sure he wasn't seen. After climbing a high hill nearby, he got a good look at the chaos before him. Yoldrognah was still chasing Furox and Pyrrah, gaining more ground by the second. Each time he got close, Yoldrognah would snap his jaws at them. Using Pyrrah as his secondary eyes, Furox dodged his ancestor's jaws as he continued to try and elude him. After about the twelfth jaw-snap, Yoldrognah's anger rose even higher. Stopping, Yoldrognah inhaled a large amount air. When he exhaled, he did something none of the Draconians expected: he exhaled fire.
A steady stream of fire plowed through the landscape, incinerating everything it its path. As the fire spread, the stream cut Furox's path off, forcing the younger dragon to stop. As Yoldrognah approached, however, Furox was quick to find another route to run, continuing the chase. Opening his comm-link, Moordryd contacted his father. Not even looking at the scowl Word was giving him, Moordryd adjusted the screen to show the scene.
"You need to see this, Father."
As soon as he saw it, even Word was worried. While he was indeed amazed at the sight of one of the ancient dragon ancestors before him, even he knew that to evoke their wrath was suicide. And from the looks of it, things were definitely not going his way. As Moordryd returned the screen to its original position, Word had only this to ask.
"What happened?"
As Moordryd was explaining things to his father, the Penn Crew and Kitt stood at the edge of the cliff the Scale Citadel was based on, watching in horror as Yoldrognah ravaged the wasteland in his rage-induced chase of Furox. Creatures of all manner that called the wasteland home fled as the fire continued to rage. Even the feared Hydrags fled in terror as the giant dragon rampaged across the land.
Everyone was shaking with fear and horror as the scene continued before them. Kitt covered her mouth to catch her gasp, keeping her hands there as she watched. Parmon was shaking in Cyrano's saddle, and Lance moved Fracshun next to the Dragon Booster and Beau, needing the support of his elder brother. Artha watched unmoving as the land was being engulfed in an inferno. How could this have happened? How he could have prevent it? And more importantly, what had happened to Dart?
A scream in his mind and in Beau's had answered his last question.
Their heads throbbing in pain, Artha clenched his helm while Beau's front legs buckled as the screaming continued. Then, something happened. The vision of the fiery wasteland vanished and was replaced by a dark void. The only things there were the two of them and a red crystal encased in flame. As he got a closer look, Artha's eyes widened as he saw a figure inside. Seeing it too, Beau approached the crystal with his rider. As they got closer, they were horrified to find Dart trapped inside the crystal. Her clothes had replaced by flames and from the looks of it, she was in agony.
The vision faded as both Dragon Booster and dragon found himself in the real world.
"What was that?" Artha asked himself.
However, he shook his head as he remembered the scene before him.
"Guys! I think Beau and I saw Dart!"
The three looked to them as they scanned the area for their missing friend.
"Where!?" Lance asked, desperately.
Instinct cause Artha to point at Yoldrognah.
"I don't know how, but Beau and I saw a vision. A vision of her being trapped inside a crystal, burning and screaming like she was being tortured. And I have a strong feeling something bad is going to happen to her if we don't stop the Lord of Fire."
"But how are we gonna stop something that big?!" Kitt called out as she pointed to the rampaging dragon.
"And don't forget Furox. If he gets to Dragon City, he'll rally all of the Red Draconian dragons against the humans!" Parmon replied as he scoured the landscape, keeping an eye on the fleeing Furox.
"But how do we stop him?!" Lance cried out as he gazed at the scene in fear.
"Then perhaps I can help?" A perky voice rang out, causing the Draconians to seek it out.
But when they couldn't find the source, the voice spoke again.
"Look up, kids."
They complied and jaws proceeded to drop at the sight before them.
The owner of the voice was a woman with platinum hair tied back in a ponytail. She was dressed in a blue two-piece ensemble that had burnt orange trimmings of unknown origin. The outfit appeared to be a crop-top that covered her bust and had her shoulders exposed while the pants where capris. She had gladiator sandals on her feet and had a blue ribbon tied at the base of her ponytail. She was also carrying a silver and yellow hammer that had seen battle before. But her appearance wasn't what surprised them.
It was the fact that she was flying on wings of light.
Seeing the woman, Kitt's eyes widened as she realized what exactly the woman was. She read about them and her mother would tell her stories of these people as a child, but she had long thought it was a myth until now.
"You…you're a Wingly!"
The Dragon Booster and Parmon looked to Kitt and back to the woman in surprise as Lance whispered in confusion.
"What's a Wingly?"
Parmon whispered back as the Wingly hovered above them and assessed the damage.
"A Wingly is a species of humanoids that, according to legend, held a large amount of magical abilities. Their name is given for their ability to produce wings of light and fly with them. But I thought they were a myth."
The Wingly gave a cheeky smirk as she looked to the boys.
"Winglies are not exactly myths. We just haven't been around humans much. Especially on Draconis."
Parmon and Lance froze as the Wingly looked to the Dragon Booster.
"It's been a long time since I've seen that armor, but I take it you are the new Dragon Booster?"
Snapping out of his stupor, the Dragon Booster nodded.
"Yes. And right now, my friend is in trouble."
Showing some seriousness for the first time, the Wingly nodded back.
"Yes. Your Dragon Priest told me about your predicament and called on me to help."
"But how will you help?" Kitt asked, still trying to get over the fact she was talking to a real-life Wingly.
The Wingly pointed her thumb to Yoldrognah.
"I'll handle the cranky fire hazard if you can get the one that made him mad in the first place."
Upon hearing her declaration, the Draconians became confused and surprised.
"How? He's huge!" Lance asked, comparing the size difference between the Lord of Fire and the Wingly.
The Wingly grinned as she descended to the ground.
"How about I introduce myself first."
She landed on the ground and swung her hammer around 360 degrees and raising it high as a pale blue glow emitted from the base of her ponytail. Despite the visors, the Draconians still had to hold up their arms to provide some sort of shade as the Wingly was surrounded by a cocoon of ice. From their side, they could see her lift her hammer and smash the line, causing a mist of snow and ice. When the show and ice cleared, they were met with a new-yet-familiar sight.
The new, physical wings were an indication that she was a Dragoon like Dart. However, her coloring was of a light blue and her armor was a bit more revealing than Dart's. The Wingly's armor looked like a strapless one-piece swimsuit made of cloth and metal. Two strips held the suit together on each side of her hips, exposing them until they reached the blue thigh guards that went from her upper thigh to her knee. Her boots were ankle high and had high heels and her gauntlets went only to her elbows, leaving her shoulders bare. Her headdress looked akin to a blue tri-spiked tiara with even yellowish jewels adorned in a diamond form. Her hammer also changed, increasing in size, becoming more silver, and cyan veins traversing the hammer like a bloodstream of magic.
The new Dragoon placed her free hand on her hip while she placed her hammer behind her shoulders as she smiled mischievously at the group.
"My name is Meru. And I am the Dragoon of the Blue-Sea Dragon. Now go catch Furox while I'll handle Yoldrognah before they either enter the city or incinerate its base."
The Wingly Dragoon, Meru, flew upwards and, with incredible speed, used her hammer to strike Yoldrognah under the chin and send him flying backward. The Draconians and their dragons marveled at the power and confidence that Meru was displaying at the moment. The movement and power made them realize exactly how different Meru was in comparison to Dart.
This was a Dragoon that had a plethora of experience.
Remembering Meru's words, the Dragon Booster turned to his friends.
"You heard her! Let's stop Furox before he finds a way back to the city!"
Agreeing, the four riders rode off to cut off Furox while the Dragoon of the Blue Sea Dragon did battle with the Lord of Fire. Mordred, meanwhile, began to record everything just as his father was about to do so. Word narrowed his eyes as he saw the new Dragoon battle the ancient dragon.
"This is not good. She's arrived. True, she may deal with the rampaging Lord of Fire, but she'll make it even more difficult to acquire the girl's power."
Word also took note that to steal an experienced Dragoon's power was suicide. He had heard of Meru during his time as an apprentice to the Dragon Priests and of her exploits. This made him understand that the Blue Sea Dragoon would never join his side and start a Dragon-Human War, but would do everything in her power to end it.
Meanwhile, the Dragon Booster was going over an idea while he and his friends chased Furox.
"If we can spread out and weaken him, maybe there's a way to break the mag-lock on the bonemark."
"But how?" Parmon asked, unsure of how to do it himself.
As the humans struggle to figure out a way to separate the bonemark from Phorrj, Beau experienced a vision. In it, he saw the silhouettes of the original Dragon of Legend and Dragon Booster battling Furox. He saw his predecessor emit a stream of mag-energy at Furox's head, right where the bonemark would be. See what they needed to do, Beau let out a roar and increased his speed. The Dragon Booster, startled at his dragon's actions, sensed that everything was going to be fine and called out to his friends.
"Guys! I think the Dragon of Legend has an idea!"
Looking at his surroundings, the Dragon Booster called out.
"Kitt! Lance! Take the sides! Parm! Keep following Furox from behind while I'll get ahead of him! We're going to box him in!"
Getting the idea, the other riders splintered off and headed to their spots. Lance was on Furox's left while Kitt was on his right. Parm kept on Furox's tail while the Dragon Booster used his Red Thruster gear to run ahead of Furox before stopping in front of him. Furox halted and saw that the other dragons and their riders had closed in on him, preventing his escape.
Upon seeing this, Furox roared angrily while Beau roared in response before his Draconium began to glow. And it wasn't just him. All of the dragons in the group glowed their respective Draconium colors and the riders marveled as the light from their dragons flowed to the Black and Gold Dragon of Legend. The possessed Pyrrah ordered Furox to attack, but Beau was quicker. With his enhanced energy, his focused his power in a stream of mag-energy at Furox. Pyrrah and Furox cried out in anguish as the energy tore the bonemark off Phorrj's head and causing it to fly towards a nearby fissure.
"The bonemark!" Kitt cried out, but it was too late.
Before anyone could do anything, the bonemark fell into the fissure and into the darkness below.
The markings of Furox's possession disappeared from both Phorrj and his rider before the pair collapsed on the ground. The Draconians breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to watch the battle between Meru the Blue-Sea Dragoon and Yoldrognah: The Lord of Fire. Unaware of the treat they were going to see, Lance looked to his brother.
"Isn't there any way we could help them?"
The Dragon Booster looked back and watch Meru dodge and parried Yoldrognah's strikes and returned with her own.
"Something tells me that this is out of our league, Lance. If Meru needs our help, I have a feeling she'll call."
With that said, the riders and their dragons proceeded to watch the battle.
With Meru…
As the Draconians watched, Meru found herself enjoying her battle with Yoldrognah. She had not felt such adrenaline in a long time. Not since the days of her youth when she first became the Blue Sea Dragoon. And while this was not the first time she fought with the Lord of Fire, he still proved to be a challenge. As Yoldrognah swiped his claws at her, Meru dodged as she took the chance to charge in with her hammer again.
She swung her hammer in an uppercut before jabbing with it. She then flew back and spun twice upon charging at the ancient dragon before doing a backflip above the dragon and bringing full power to her hammer as she forward-somersaulted downwards and smashed it over Yoldrognah's head, releasing a mist of power from the impact.
She flew back and despite the concussion, Yoldrognah was still eager to fight. Meru smirked.
"So you want more? How about a nice chill for that hot temper of yours?"
With that, her armor shimmered, alerting the observing Draconians that Meru was about to perform magic. For this spell, Meru spun in a circle of ice and snow before raising an arm into the sky before pointing it at Yoldrognah.
"Freezing Ring!"
The group watched in awe, and a slight chill, at the sight of the ice ring leaving Meru and surrounding Yoldrognah before giant icicles burst forth, freezing the dragon, and shattering it. A growl informed them and Meru that he wasn't done yet. Meru twisted her face in annoyance at the dragon's stubbornness. Once again, Meru's Dragoon armor shimmered for another spell.
"Still hot? Then how about this?!"
Meru threw her hammer to the ground, the impact causing ice to appear and keeping the hammer upright while Meru landed on the end of the hammer daintily, standing on it with one foot. She closed her eyes and brought her hands to her chest as an icy mist rose from the ground and bubbled below. The mist surrounded Yoldrognah as Meru's hands parted, forming a crescent of blue energy before her as four ice pillars appeared around Yoldrognah. The ice pillars trapped Yoldrognah in a cocoon of ice before Meru crossed her arms again and yelled out the attack.
"Diamond Dust!"
With a swift movement, Meru's hands' parts, causing the crescent to slice through the cocoon and shattering it, creating "diamond dust" ice that brought harm to Yoldrognah. Still, he wasn't going to give in. Seeing this, Meru sighed.
"Seriously?! You're still going at it?! I guess I'll need her help, after all."
This time, the Draconians saw the third new Dragoon move and from what they and their dragons were sensing, it was very powerful. They froze as Meru's entire body glowed as she raised her arms. With confidence, she called out to the heavens.
"I call upon the Queen of the Sea! The Ruler of the Blue-Sea Dragons! Drogdo-Okaaz!"
Upon the voicing of the name, the daylight vanished as a pale-blue void surrounded the area before becoming dark. Snow fell from the dark sky as a thick sheet of ice appeared beneath Yoldrognah. Parmon, like Mordred, was recording everything on his device starting when Meru displayed her last attack before she used Freezing Ring. His scanners found something swimming beneath the ice, but no one could make out what it was on the scanner, but saw a silhouette of it swim beneath the Lord of Fire like a shark stalking its prey before vanishing below.
Then, in a flash, a new dragon burst forth from the ice, having the appearance of a flying fish rather than a reptile. The dragon swam swiftly as it created a waterspout, trapping Yoldrognah inside before the water disappeared and the ancient dragon fell, landing on the ground both soaking wet and completely exhausted. In addition, the fires Yoldrognah had started were extinguished by the appearance of a rainfall brought on by the Blue Sea Dragon. The newer dragon "hovered" over to Yoldrognah before vanishing, leaving Meru in its place.
What she did next surprised the Draconians even more. Meru cast one last spell, which consisted of her spinning her hammer 360 degrees and causing a rainbow to appear. She lifted up her hammer and rain fell from the rainbow as it flew from Meru's hammer to the sky above.
"Rainbow's Breath."
The power of the Rainbow's Breath spell reached the Draconians, feeling a new aspect of the Dragoon's power. With the rain's touch, both the Dragon Booster's group and Pyrrah with Phorrj restored their energies and healed their injuries. The dragons took this power as both a surprise and a blessing while the humans were surprised at the fact that Dragoons had healing powers, as well. As the rainbow vanished, Meru motioned them to approach. "It's ok, now." She called. Hearing this and worried about Dart, the group approached the scene.
Meanwhile, Meru walked over to Yoldrognah's head, knelt down, and spoke gently and politely.
"Drogdo-Okaaz told me to tell you that your descendant's bonemark is lost in a fissure. There is no need to be angry anymore. So can you please release your host before she becomes ash?"
Seeing the truth in the Wingly's words, Yoldrognah nodded as his body became flames once more, dissipated as Dart's body returned. Unfortunately, her clothes had been burnt away save for her Dragoon Spirit and its chain. However, her eyes held a shade of red, indicating that Yoldrognah still had control.
"I understand, old friend. However, before I relinquish this body, I wish to speak to the Dragon of Legend and the Dragon Booster as myself."
Meru nodded before pulling a nearby cloth from one of the junk piles and covering Yoldrognah's torso.
"Human modesty. She'll appreciate it later."
Yoldrognah nodded as he stood up, tying the cloth into a chiton or toga as the newer generation approached with caution. Turning around and seeing them, Meru waved towards them.
"Hey! His Fiery Highness wants to speak to you!"
The group froze as the heard this. Yoldrognah wanted to speak to them? But why? And about what? Cautious, the Dragon Booster dismounted Beau and the pair approach who they thought was Dart until they saw her eyes. They stopped a few feet away as Yoldrognah's eyes analyzed the pair. Then, he did something none of them expected. He bowed.
"I apologize for my behavior, young ones. One does not forget the sacrifices and blasphemies one has experienced. Especially when such blasphemies were made by their own kin."
Though they were startled at the dual sound of Yoldrognah's and Dart's voices, both Dragon Booster and Dragon of Legend bowed in return.
"It is not your fault. The choices Furox made were his alone."
"Even so, I still feel like what happened now and what happened three millennia ago should have been prevented. But, as you have already known, Red dragons have tempers. And I have the shortest fuse."
Yoldrognah lifted his host's head as he continued to speak.
"You were lucky that the host of the Blue Sea Dragon arrived when she did. If I may be so blunt, I don't believe your lot would have been able to defeat me. Still, I thank you for stopping Furox. But what, pray tell, happened to his bonemark?"
The Dragon Booster gulped while Beau, in dragon tongue, answered hesitantly to the ancient. While he was the Gold Dragon of Legend, it didn't hinder his respect for the ancient dragons that fought in the Dragon Campaign. He knew of their power and their might. When Beau finished, a deafening silence filled the air as Yoldrognah folded his arms in thought.
"Hmm. 'Tis a shame. And I had hoped he had learned his lesson after the last time. Still, at least he won't be causing any more trouble."
He then noticed Artha's anticipated look and raised an eyebrow.
"You wish to ask me something, Dragon Booster?"
Artha stiffened at being noticed by Yoldrognah, but he knew he had to ask his question.
"It's about Dar- I mean, your host. Before we met Meru, Beau and I caught a glimpse of her. She was encased in a crystal and on fire. What was that? And is she alright?"
The steely gaze of Yoldrognah was unnerving as he gazed at the Dragon Booster. A sense of relief washed over Artha as Yoldrognah closed his eyes and smiled.
"You need not worry about my host. I'll admit, I had done some damage. But it wasn't enough to induce serious burns and far from turning her to ash. And with Drogdo-Okaaz's host using her healing magic, we were both able to recover. The magic may not be as strong as Illumina's, but it was enough."
"Illumina?" Kitt asked warily.
Meru whispered to her so as to not disrupt the meeting.
"The White-Silver Dragon. Bears powerful healing and light magic."
Kitt's eyes widened in wonder as her attention returned to the conversation before her.
"As for the vision you saw, it was because of your connection between you two and my host that you were able to see her inside the Dragoon Spirit."
The group's eyes widened upon hearing this.
"Our…connection?" Artha asked, struggling to take in what is being said.
Yoldrognah nodded as he continued.
"Fourteen millennia ago, the world was once enslaved by the Winglies, who were led by two different rulers. The benevolent Winglies were led by the kind and loving Charle Frahma. The wicked Winglies were led by her younger brother, the evil Melbu Frahma. Under his rule, the many species suffered as slaves until the human, Emperor Diaz, led a rebellion against Melbu Frahma and his kind.
"To defeat him and the creatures under his control, the Virage, a plan was made to combine human and dragon power. It was theorized that if a human could bear the soul of a dragon, something powerful would be born. But for that power to be created, seven dragons must test the mettle of seven sapients and see their worth. The results were six humans and a half-mermaid becoming the very first Dragoons.
"I challenged many, but I was moved by the fiery passion of Zieg Feld, my host's ancestor and one of Diaz's best warriors, that I held no anger when he took my life and I became sealed inside the Dragoon Spirit. The battle was fierce, but we won. However, there was a price. Zieg had destroyed Melbu Frahma, but he was cursed with a petrification spell for eleven millennia before the spell wore off. He found a mate and bore a child before things took a terrible turn. A creature known as The Black Monster attacked the village we lived in and Zieg had no choice but to use me to defeat the creature.
"However, my bond with Zieg had been tainted, for Melbu Frahma's soul wormed its way into my stone. So when Zieg tried to use me again, he was taken over by Melbu Frahma for a purpose I shall explain another time. Zieg did not take me with him. Instead, I chose his son, Dart, as my new host. His story will be one for another time. After his greatest victory, I passed down through the generations until I took his distant grandchild as my new host."
Yoldrognah was pleased to see the Draconians drink in his story, even if it has been only the highlights. If they were going to endure the future ahead, they needed to listen to his and his fellow ancients' words. Especially with what he was about to say next.
"Over the centuries, I had developed a deep bond with the Feld family. A bond so deep that, for example, I see both my host and her sister as my own daughters. That bond made powerful Dragoons in the family and it is true to the bonds between you humans and dragons."
Puzzled, Parmon dared himself to speak.
"H-how is it so? We can't transform into Dragoons. …Can we?"
Hearing the question, Yoldrognah let out a chuckle and shook his head.
"No. Only eight people can turn into Dragoons. However, great power can come without taking a dragon's life or merging it with a human's. Call it a 'kinship.' When dragon and rider hold deep respect for each other, they can unlock great potential. I believe here it is called by two terms: 'Releasing the Dragon' and 'Releasing the Human.' If you can release both, Dragon Booster, then you and your dragon will find the means to stop Word Payne once and for all. Until then, continue with your training and share your burden with your friends. That is another thing I had learned during the Dragon Campaign. United we stand, divide we fall, as the saying goes."
He then took a glance at Kitt and Wyldfyr, who both stiffened under the ancient's gaze. A smirk appeared on Yoldrognah's face as he spoke to the pair.
"The two of you have done me proud. You rose against one who has defiled the good name of the Red Dragons and prevented a catastrophe. However," he pointed a finger at Kitt, "it would be wise for you to learn to control your fiery temper. While I agree that the boy should have been more humble and thankful, your temper had set you up to be a pawn to those with darker ambitions. Learn to control that temper. Otherwise, the outcome will be just as damaging as my flames."
Kitt flinched upon being scolded by the ancient. Still, he was right. Her temper towards Artha Penn's attitude had been the puppet strings Pyrrah used to manipulate her through the Scale Citadel and made Pyrrah a puppet to Furox. She needed better control. Yoldrognah then pointed to the Dragon Booster.
"Make sure the boy remembers humility and proper gratitude. To forget them will only cause him to loose friends and potential allies. Not to mention he was making myself as well as my host infuriated at the size of his ego."
The group struggled to hold back their laughter as the Dragon Booster blushed with embarrassment under his visor. Though he was unsure why Yoldrognah didn't address him. Was there another person nearby? Pyrrah?
"Yeah…I'll…let him know…"
With a smile, Yoldrognah closed his eyes.
"I must rest. But should you need me, I shall speak."
And with that, the body of Dart Feld collapsed, only to be caught by a quick Meru. The Draconians waited anxiously for the Wingly's diagnosis. She breathed a sigh of relief as she powered down.
"She's ok. Just severely exhausted."
She then picked Dart up bridal-style and turned to the group.
"I don't suppose there is a place we can bring her to?"
Getting the hint, the Dragon Booster padded Beau's back.
"Hop on. We'll take you to where she is staying."
Without another word, Meru flew onto the dragon's back and held to both the unconscious girl and the rider as the group made their way back, unaware that Mordred began the recovery of Furox.
Still, Yoldrognah's words echoed in the young Payne's head. There was more to the Dragoons than what his father had let on. Information that only the Dragoons know of. While he had failed to see the source of the Red-Eyed Dragoon's power, something told him not mess with it for a while.
And despite his unwillingness to admit it, he was worried for the golden-haired foreigner.
Later, at the Temple…
After bringing Dart to the Temple, Meru instructed the boys to prepare a washtub with slightly cool water while she and Kitt helped Dart change.
"She's still warm, so a submersion in water should help. Don't run it too cold or it will send her into shock."
Despite wanting explanations from the Wingly regarding her timely appearance, the boys did as they were told while Meru and Kitt got Dart into a crimson swimsuit. Once the boys returned with a washtub of water, they placed Dart in it, making sure her head was kept above the water. They were startled when steam began to emit from the contact between the girl and the water. Now all they had to do was wait.
Hearing stomachs growling, Meru spoke.
"Why don't I cook us some dinner?"
Obeying their stomachs, the Penn brothers brought what food they had and Meru took the time to go into town to pick up some beef for a beef stew. Having only feed on rations since the fire and whatever meals Parmon would bring from home, it was nice to have a home-cooked meal made at home again for the Penn's.
After explaining the situation to Mortis, who was glad that Dart was safe and recovering, he spoke to Kitt concerning the situation. Kitt listened as Mortis expressed the necessity about the Dragon Booster's secret identity and the secrecy of their location. Kitt agreed to keep quiet so as long as she takes part of the team. While he was hesitant at first, Mortis gave her permission to do so on the condition that she and Dart have a civil conversation and apologize for their first meeting. Kitt bit her lip and swallowed her pride. She was wrong about what she had said to Dart. Meru's presence was proof of that.
As Meru stirred the stew, the group finally sat down around the small fire and the pot above it.
"So…how did you know what was going on?" Artha asked as he glanced at Dart.
Meru motioned to Mortis as he answered.
"I was the one that contacted Meru. It was a contingency plan should something go wrong Dragoon-related. Even now, I am pleased that Wingly magitek still works."
"Magitek?" Parmon asked, genuinely interested.
Once again, Mortis answered.
"As unbelievable as it is to you, Parmon, magic is real. Unlike here in Draconis, Endiness thrives with magic. The people are capable to cast magic with the proper training, though Winglies have easy access to it, considering their wings. In the ancient past and the present, the Winglies were able to create various devices that used both technology and magic. One such creation was a teleportation system. That was how Dart was able to arrive here. Meru used the same system to arrive and made her way down to the Wasteland to assist us."
Meru nodded as she checked the stew.
"There was also a personal reason as to why I've arrived."
But before they could ask, the sound of water caught their attention.
It didn't take long before Dart could awaken. It was the smell of the stew cooking that awoke Dart from her slumber. Upon seeing her form and her location, she rubbed her head in confusion.
"What happened?"
Hearing her, Artha brought her a bowl of stew while Beau sniffed and nuzzled Dart's head.
"You've been possessed by the Red-Eyed Dragon. Furox got him angry and he went on a rampage after Furox tried to flee. I was another Dragoon that helped us."
Dart tilted her head in confusion at the words.
"Another Dragoon? Who?"
"He means me, sweetie." A familiar voice spoke.
Looking past Artha, Dart saw the Wingly and practically jumped out of the tub in shock while screaming the Wingly's name.
"AUNTIE MERU!?"
This caused every human and dragon present to look at the pair in surprise.
"Auntie?" Parmon asked, stunned.
To their surprise again, Meru just smiled as she continued to dish out the meal like it was something ordinary.
"While I'm not related by blood, I knew her family for ages. My husband and I are also her legal guardians."
The group looked back to Dart for answers. Meru was her family?! The only one who wasn't shocked was Mortis, though it was hard to tell under the helmet. Meru proceeded to pour a bowl of stew and walked over to Dart.
"We'll talk about my being here later. For now, eat, Alexis."
A chorus of coughs was heard as the group cried out incredulously.
"Alexis!?"
Dart's face blush, completely mortified as Meru cheerfully explained.
"Didn't you know? Alexis is her real name. 'Dart' is her middle name."
Dart groaned despairingly as she sunk in the tub.
"Auntie! You know I hate that name!"
Still, Meru kept her cheerful smile.
"What? Just because those village boys gave you that nickname doesn't mean your name isn't pretty."
Hearing this, Lance grinned mischievously.
"What nickname is that?"
Meru, aware of his mischief, turned around to face him.
"Well, the nickname was-"
However, her words were cut off as Dart jolted up and quickly covered the Wingly's mouth.
"They don't need to know, Auntie!"
The group ended up laughing at the pair's antics as they sat down to dinner. Meru ceased her teasing and joined the group. Dart begrudgingly took the stew as she ate in the tub, completely embarrassed. Still, it was nice for a member of her family to come. As she ate, she watched as Meru began telling her stories, catching everyone completely off-guard when she revealed her age.
"You're 3,016?!" Parmon practically screeched in surprise.
Meru nodded as she ate her stew.
"That's right. I was 16 when I became the Blue-Sea Dragoon. In fact, I was in the same group as Dart Feld, Alexis' ancestor."
This surprised the group again and practically looked to both Mortis and Dart for answers. Mortis nodded while Dart spoke.
"She's not wrong. She's the last living member of my ancestor's original company. That's how she is close to my family."
By the time dinner was done and it was time for Parmon and Kitt to head home, the questions the Draconians had increased ten-fold. Thankfully, Meru was planning to stay a while. Of course, she added in that she was going to be Dart's Dragoon mentor. But at the moment, Dart lost interest in the conversation and curled up in her usual spot at Beau's side.
Meru smiled as her pseudo-niece slept, relieved that everything was going well and that she was safe. Still, she could not help but frown at the journey before her.
This was just the beginning.
Yes!
The Mystery person is Meru of the game. Before you ask "How could she have survived this long?", Charle Frahma and her Winglies of Ulara are roughly 11,000 in the game. So there's got to be some way that Winglies extend their life whether it is natural or unnatural.
Fun Fact: Dart's real name, Alexis, is actually the name of an OC of a draft of a Legend of Dragoon sequel fic. If you want me to keep her real name, I'll work something where she'll grow to like her name again. Otherwise, she'll be "Dart."
There will be three more Dragoons to appear in is fic. The rest will appear in the sequel fic. (First one in Draconis, the second in Endiness.)
Drogdo-Okaaz: Lord of the Ocean
Illumina: (I found the name in Sonic Shuffle and I liked it.)
Enjoy and Review
