Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Quest. This is the story of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies told in the point of view of a warrior named Iniko, who is going to follow 'The Hero' through her journey. There will be improvisations on the storyline and things that don't happen in the games. This is to give the story a more emotional edge and will hopefully give the characters depth. Iniko, Katunei, Keikazu and Machi are mine.
adventurerXD – Yeah, Iniko's not the type to hit someone when she's feeling that emotional, especially because it might have insulted her honour to attack someone who she believed was right. I'm happy Keikazu finally got a chance to show how manly and macho he is. I've kinda been playing him off as a guy who can sweet talk a monkey dragon, but isn't as good as using his fists.
I'm glad you liked the chapter, and that you realise how annoying it must be for the characters when it's all "You're our hero" this and "You're our saviour" that and nobody even looks at them. There is NO WAY the Hero would survive through the game without some friends by his/her side.
Hirundine – Thank you! I'm glad that I've kept you entertained that long. Am I really? I didn't think I was doing too well!
Yeah, I like to think of things from a different point of view; the Hero gets boring every once in a while! And don't worry, info will come out in due course. I've pretty much got Machi figured out, but she lives somewhere far off, so we won't get to any mega drama for her for a while. But something will happen to get the info out of her before that. Keikazu…I have a general idea of where he is going, and I think I will be working on him next after the characters are over the shock of Katunei being a Celestian.
Thanks for the advice! I thought I was laying it on a bit thick, but I couldn't help myself. I was typing it all put and the chapter was done before I knew it! I have a tendency to jump straight into the action.
I'm glad that I'm helping! I think the only reason that I'm good at writing is because I like to read a lot.
Well, I'm really sorry this update took so long, but I WILL be quicker in the future. Promise!
I gave a grunt as I ran my sword through the Brownie's belly, and it took mere seconds for the monster to poof into a layer of black smoke, leaving my sword hanging in nothing but plain air. I sheathed my sword and bent down as the smoke cleared, scooping up the abandoned Gold that the monster had left behind. I pocketed the cash in my satchel, and turned to the rest of the group.
Right after our reunion with the Wight Knight (and what a strange reunion it was) we left Zere and began travelling north, as the nursery rhyme had pointed us. Katunei was adamant to find Brigadoom today, as she said the charted land on the map we were heading for, was the most likely spot for the castle to be. The Wight Knight was following behind us, but not close enough that any of us could converse with him.
So for the past few hours, we've been travelling north down the lands past Zere. We were all surprised at how quickly the scenery changed. Suddenly there was a lack of grass beneath our feet, and patches of poison puddles were showing up all over the place. The monsters had become stronger and more vicious, leaving us a little fatigued after a battle.
And every time we pushed on, the more we began to lose belief in the fact that there was a kingdom ahead.
What kind of kingdom would be able to survive in such a swamp ridden land? Surely after some time they would have figured out that this isn't a good place to be and leave?
The monster's aggression was also a bad sign. It normally meant that they weren't used to having humans on their land and they wanted us off. But they were so clumsy and uncoordinated, like they hadn't had to fight someone off in ages. I could only assume this was because they hadn't fought with humans for a while.
Even with all the evidence in front of us, telling us that there was no kingdom ahead, we marched forward.
I could tell that Keikazu had caught on, but it didn't look as if Machi had noticed anything was wrong. She still had a smile on her face as she trudged forward, delicately side-stepping a small patch of poison laid in front of her. Machi was either trying to keep a positive side to this for all our sakes –which was a very Machi-like thing for her to do – or she honestly didn't know that we have most likely spent the last few hours dodging acid burns and hammer strikes for nothing.
I was jolted out of my thoughts when I walked smack damn into the middle of a tree trunk.
"Urh!" I cried out as my hands flew to my nose, and I could already feel the blood seeping through my fingers.
"Hm?" The others turned around, wondering what the holdup was.
"Iniko? What happened, you ok?" Machi asked, looking concerned. I was about to reply, but blood spurted out of my nose again, and it poured through my hands heavier than before. "Oh, your nose!" Machi ran over and clamped my hands down as she examined my face. After a few moments of staring hard, she gently placed her hand on my nose and her hand started glowing.
She held them there for a couple of seconds, before pulling them away. "Thanks, Machi." I said as I grabbed out some tissues from my satchel and wiped my hands clean best I could. At the questioning look on everyone's faces, I confessed my screw up. "I wasn't concentrating and kinda…walked into a tree."
I heard a snort and glared at Keikazu's quickly turned back. Next came muffled laughter, and my glare intensified as we kept walking, focusing in on the back of his head. I felt satisfied when his laughter turned to shivering.
"…Huh?" I looked at Machi where she stood still, looking confused. I looked to where she was looking and also stopped walking. We all stopped and took in what was before us.
To our sides were broken statues, one with its upper body lying by its feet. A gate stood ahead of us, but that's all it was. No walls around it, just a heavy metal gate and it's supporting brick sides. The gate had an emblem on the front that looked similar, but I couldn't place where from. Looking past the gate, you could see the jaggedly smashed walls and stairways, because there simply were no walls. Not even a roof; it was a wonder that the entire thing hadn't fallen down yet. Pools of acid stained the grounds, and bubbled menacingly, an oozing purple that gave off a foul stench, even at a distance.
Machi jumped when a flash of lighting struck, and no one could deny how ominous the castle looked when it was illuminated in that light.
And that's when it hit me. We were here. This was it.
This is Brigadoom.
Lightning struck again, and a large piece of brick collapsed off the side of the gate.
Or, at least, was Brigadoom.
A presence brushed past my side, and I jumped back, sword in hand. I had not even registered the Wight Knight's arrival, and sheathed my sword as he gazed over his old home. "No! This can't be Brigadoom." He protested sharply, as if scolding us for even thinking that this was his home.
We were silent to his rage, unwilling to speak the words that were obviously true. This is Brigadoom, this is your home! There's a song about because it happened hundreds of years ago! Everyone else is dead, and you are the living dead! But no one spoke.
"I don't understand. How can I have been away for so long that it's fallen into such disrepair?" He looked down for a moment, but then looked up at the sky. "And where is my beloved Mona?" His stead reared as he yelled to the heavens. "Princess Mona! Mona!" His stead charged forward, and crashed into the gate, knocking it down with ease. I hadn't the will to tell him, to explain what had happened to his love. Best to let him search; let him at least credit himself for knowing he looked in every place possible for her before he stopped. But would he ever stop?
We had battled through monsters, been forced to run through shin deep puddles of acid, and due to its crumbling state, nearing fallen off of the higher floors of the castle. We searched through corridors and looked inside decaying rooms. I'm not sure what we were looking for, but we kept going anyway, Machi looking as if she were about to cry when the acid ate at her legs, and ended up getting poisoned. I had only one cure left, but I wouldn't leave her like that.
But I shouldn't have bothered, because she ended up crying anyway. She cried at the trailblazing bandana we found locked in a chest at the top of a watch tower. She cried as Katunei slipped it on over her hair, saying a prayer of thanks to the ones who had left it behind. She cried when we came to what could have been a library, with the books still intact and clear enough so we could read them and learn from the past. She cried when we saw two human skeletons close together, a small one curled within the elder one's embrace. The final embrace of mother and child.
And I could understand why she was crying. This here, the ground we were walking on, used to be a beautiful room with pretty wallpaper and a little crib by the side. This used to be a room where a child slept, and ate and grew older. This used to be a room where a child lived. Where they lived and breathed and had their whole life ahead of them. This room used to contain life.
But now it only held death, and the despair of it smothered the air and made it difficult to breathe.
I looked to see how Keikazu and Katunei were holding up, and was surprised to see Keikazu nearly expressionless. The only clue that he was disturbed by what we were seeing was the small dent above his eyebrows and the slight down turn of his lips.
Katunei seemed to be doing well as always, but now she had gone pale as a sheet, and her eyes shifted quickly, seeming slightly wild as she looked around at things over and over again. I thought back to how I once had the idea that Katunei had never travelled before, and I wondered if she was prepared for this sight. Keikazu certainly seemed to be.
Was Keikazu used to sights like this? The constant view of death and destruction as life around every corner was slowly wasting away, like a shrivelling flower locked up in a closet? I thought of Keikazu as he normally was, with his cheeky smile and open, bright eyes that were like the window to his soul. Never once had I seen the despair of death or war in his eyes. His eyes were like a child's, carefree and open to every emotion he felt. You would never have guessed that such a person had seen sadness like this.
Abruptly, a group of monsters shot out at us from behind, and I sighed as I drew my sword, now depressed by my morbid thoughts.
We had been in here for hours now, fighting through so many monsters that my satchel had become nearly full. Sometimes I simply couldn't be bothered to pick up the Gold they left behind, but always made myself, as my father's words of always being prepared came to mind.
We had become so weak and tired, that Katunei had actually once stumbled over and didn't get up for a minute. Machi was doing her best to heal everyone, but she couldn't keep doing it for long. She was going to burn herself out, and Katunei and Keikazu's Heal spells wouldn't be enough to keep us going. I luckily brought some Heal potions, but they weren't going to last long.
As Machi finished healing us up again, we continued trekking forward through this nightmare castle, hoping that soon we would find whatever we were looking for, and be satisfied enough to leave.
We soon came to a long hallway devoid of monsters, and we walked forward cautiously, and I was almost afraid of what could possibly keep this monster infested place away from this spot. We turned a corner to find a large door, and Katunei pushed it open slowly.
I pushed the door open wider as I stared at the scene before me. At the end of a long, mouldy blue carpet, the Wight Knight stood, sword in hand, facing something that was blocked from my view by his body.
"Ka ha ha! Welcome home, ma love. I've been lookin' ev'rywhere for ye. Ye wernae hidin' from me were ye, ye naughty boy?" The voice made my spine chill, and we all stepped forward and around the Wight Knight to see a…woman, I think, sitting in what appeared to be a throne. But then the villager's words came back to me.
"A real piece o' work, she was, red eyes a-blazin' an' all! Asked me if I'd seen her slave, the Wight Knight, so she did!"
So she was a witch. That could explain a lot.
She had light blue skin and long, violet hair that waved over her, well, wings. She had, as the villager said, red eyes glowing like a fire, and was wearing a tight, red gown to match.
"…Morag!" The Wight Knight spat her name out like it was a dead bug, and I could feel the killing essence radiating off him in waves. "Now I understand. Now I remember everything. I left Brigadoom in search of you, so I could destroy you."
The witch, Morag, cackled cruelly as she rose from the throne and stepped forward. "Ka ha ha! But it was I who defeated you, an' wrapped ye in ma sweet, sweet embrace…" She took another step, eyeing the Wight Knight gleefully. "An' I had ye all tae maself there for a century or two, in oor own private wee world o' darkness…Ye're all mine, an' dinnae forget it. Ye're my Wight Knight in shinin' armour…"
"Enough!" The Wight Knight's sudden outburst didn't surprise me in the least, as I could sense his growing rage at each of her words. "This" he swung his sword around to emphasise his point, "is all your doing! What have you done with her? Where is my Mona?" The question was expected, but the answer was one we would all dread to hear.
The Wight Knight leapt up with his sword extended, fully intending to impale her with death's blow. But Morag did not move, only stood there as her eyes glowed almost as bright as the sun. Before he could even get close, two beams of purple darkness shot out at him from her eyes and sent him crashing to the ground, as he rolled backward a few times before being still.
We rushed toward him, worried that his rage would truly end his life this time. But up he rose, shrouded by a dark miasma that seemed to be pushing its way into his very soul. He cried out in pain as electricity crackled around him, as he stood immobilized by agony.
"Ka ha ha! Ye silly nyaff! The earthquake broke the spell I placed on ye, but there's nothin' that can stand in the way o' true love." The Wight Knight shook violently as he attempted to lift his head. "I'll put another spell on ye, and we'll be all alone together in the darkness again before ye know it. Just the two of us…-"
"No WAY!" We all stood in utter silence as Machi's words rolled around the room. She had moved to stand in front of the Wight Knight, and had her arms spread out to protect him. She had a fierce look in her eyes that I hadn't seen in her before, and she didn't have one inch of fear on her face.
Half of me was cheering her on for being so brave and facing her fears. The other half was screaming at her 'Now isn't the bloody time to face your fears!'
I was terrified to move, terrorized by the fact that one wrong movement could easily cost Machi her life. More resistant to spells or not, this is not the kind of thing she should be facing alone! I must have looked a fool, hand held out towards her, one foot already forward, face twisted into mindless worry.
"And who might you be, hm? Ye're no here tae steal my beloved Right Knight away from me, are ye?" Machi jaw tightened stubbornly, but before she could answer, Morag began again. "Ha! Well, ye're a fool if ye are! Can ye not feel the strength of the curse I've put on my poor wee darling? It's pure dead powerful."
Machi held her head higher, but a flicker of fright lit in her eyes as Morag lifted a knife to her mouth and licked the tip. "Dinnae worry yer pretty wee heid if ye cannae, though. Ye'll find out soon enough for yerself! Ka ha ha!"
Before I could even realise what was happening, Katunei had shoved Machi out of the way as Morag once again used her beams of darkness and they were aimed directly at Katunei. She raised her hands together around her body like a shield, and was suddenly engulfed by the attack.
My mouth was open in a silent scream as I watched Katunei take that darkness on full force, and Machi didn't look much better. Katunei's form was hard to see now, and was surrounded by waves of black.
Morag looked on at her smugly, almost looking bored, and my sword was out of its sheath and ready to cut her throat out before I knew it. Keikazu placed a steady hand on my shoulder and I glanced up at him. He was staring intently at Katunei, so I chanced looking at her as well, hoping it was over.
Katunei's arms were so tight around herself I wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't move them away later, but at least the darkness had faded enough that I could see her form. I looked at Morag again, determined to seek revenge and clear Katunei's curse, but Morag suddenly reared back in shock.
Keikazu gasped, and I whipped my head around to look at Katunei once more. And there she was. Free of the curse entirely and standing there as if she just needed to brush a piece of lint off of her shoulder.
"Wh-what…? I've the cruellest, most crippling curses known tae mortal kind…how could they not work…? Just what exactly are ye? If ye were mortal, my curse couldnae have failed."
Katunei said not a word, just waited there, ready for attack. "…Wait…ye're not…one of them, are ye? Ach, no! We cannae be havin' this!" She shifted her stance and held her knife up at Katunei. "Why couldn't ye just leave us in peace, eh? Now I'm goin' tae have tae make yer pretty wee face a whole lot less lovely!"
Morag jumped up so instantly I almost didn't see the movement, her knife pointed at Katunei. Katunei jumped out of the way with a Minstrel's grace and had her fan out in moments.
Machi stood up quickly and started praying a heal spell, her wand pointed at Katunei. Once the spell was over, which only took seconds, Katunei let out a sigh of relief, and I guessed that the curse took more out of her then she let on.
Keikazu held his wand in front of him and chanted a spell, and Morag was suddenly pierced by a large hunk of ice that just appeared above her head and it plunged into her shoulder, and Morag hissed.
My turn. I brought my sword up and ran forward with speed, hoping she was still too dazed from Keikazu's spell to see me coming just yet. I got close enough to land a powerful strike on her arm, and very nearly cut it off, but Morag clawed at my face and I jumped back. My face was burning from what must have been acid in her nails, but I ignored it.
I wasn't sure how long it took, but we eventually began to wear her down. Her attacks didn't hold as much power, her spells failed more often, she took more and more of our hits each time she dodged. I knew that she was going to fall soon, but we were tired. We had been battling for hours before, and had been walking for hours before that as well. In fact, I was kinda surprised that we lasted so long. But I knew this had to be the final hit.
Recently, while training, I had learned a new move. It seemed to be especially effective on dragons, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't do heavier damage then a normal attack on a witch. I swung my sword forward, putting everything I had into this final swing.
My sword dug deep into her stomach, and she wailed loudly, screaming bloody murder as her wings flung back, and her hands came around my neck. I let one hand off my sword to try and fight her off, but I had no strength left. I could feel myself losing air, struggling to breathe as Morag's eyes filled with sick pleasure, and the corners of my vision were turning black.
Right before I felt myself blacking out, a fist snapped forward with lightning speed and punched Morag above her eye. She recoiled, surprise loosening her hold on my neck, as she flew from the impact and hit the wall with a thud.
I slid down to the ground, and two strong arms appeared underneath me, hoisting me up with one hanging under my kneecaps and the other around my waist. I looked at Keikazu, hoping my eyes showed how grateful I was, and I let my head loll against his chest.
"No…Ma Wight Knight…our eternal world together…no more…" It took me a second, out of dreariness, to realize that it was Morag's voice, and I almost groaned at how impossible it seemed to kill the damn wench. "But, ma love…ye must ken that ye cannae turn back the centuries. Yer beloved Mona is no more…Ka…ha ha…Now ye're doomed tae walk alone in eternal despair…Ka ha ha ha ha…!" And with those final words, her head rose up as her body quickly dissolved into darkness.
The sound of multiple coins clattering signified just how much she had left behind without even a glance, but that wasn't what I was preoccupied with at the moment. Keikazu had turned to the Wight Knight, and we watched as he collapsed to his knees, Katunei stood in front of him carrying an unconscious Machi on her back. "Princess Mona! It can't be true!"
All was silent. No one had a clue what to say. Yes, he was free from one curse, but he was now trapped within another. To keep living for all eternity, knowing that you were too late to save the one you loved, was truly a curse in itself.
Something flickered next to Katunei and I stared hard at the space, but I could see nothing there anymore. "With your help, I finally returned to Brigadoom. And yet…The passing of time has destroyed my homeland. And my beloved Mona is no longer here to welcome me." A long pause. "I came home at last, but alas it was too late."
"You are not too late." Crisp, clear words were spoken behind the Wight Knight, and we all stilled, no clue as to who else was here. The Wight Knight's head slowly turned, seeming uncaring about whoever it was. But upon seeing the person, did a back take. I think we all did.
"That necklace!" Standing behind the Wight Knight, was the Princess Simona. How in the seven hells she had made it all the way here to Brigadoom and through all those corridors of monsters, and with no weapons, baffled me so completely, that I just gave up trying to figure it out. It would most likely remain a mystery to me forever more; and besides, there was no need to use my brain right now, when I was so tired I could sleep for a month and still be tired when I woke up.
Princess Simona stepped forward on the dirty mat, looking completely out of place in her beautifully sown silk dress, and stopped behind the Wight Knight. "Princess Mona! I don't…aren't you…?" She slowly shook her head, looking completely serene as she gazed over the Wight Knight.
"I made you a promise. I swore I would wait for you, no matter how long it took." …Is this really Princess Mona…? I watched in near awe, wondering if this was the power of true, honest love, as cheesy as it may sound. The Princess – whichever one it was – held her hand out to him. "My beloved Right Knight…Take my hand and dance with me! The first dance we would have had as man and wife…"
The Wight Knight stared at her hand for a second, and then slowly stood, turning to her. "Princess Mona…you forgive me?" Her head tilted to the side, and her smile was adoring. The Wight Knight took her hand without hesitance, and lowered his head close to hers. And it began.
I watched, transfixed by their elegant movements and grace, at how they had somehow turned this castle filled with only pain and curses into a beautiful ballroom. They twisted and turned, their bodies close, and the Wight Knight appeared blissfully happy. As the dance ended, the Wight Knight gave off a slight, blue glow, so faint I could hardly see it. Once again, the room had fallen to silence, but this, this was a happy silence. One that meant promises fulfilled and laughter for all.
Suddenly, the Wight Knight was lifted into the air and was soon hovering high above us. I craned my head, wanting to see what would happen. "Thank you, Princess. I know now that you are not my Mona. But…without you, I would have been doomed to wander forever in eternal despair." So…she really was Princess Simona? Huh. So much for loves promises.
"I knew you were the Wight Knight from the old stories. I just knew it." The Princess had her hands held to her chest, something that seemed familiar for her. "I knew there was a connection between us the moment you appeared."
"It is not so unbelievable that you, who inherited the memories of my beloved Mona, would have felt so…"
Princess Simona's face turned to surprise. "So I am Princess Mona's…!" Her eyes went glazed for a moment, and her mouth made an oh shape.
The Wight Knight spun to face Katunei. "Thank you, Katunei. Without you, I would never have uncovered the truth. Now I have no regrets. Only gratitude…" A pale blue light grew within him suddenly, and blinded me as I snapped my eyes shut against the rapidly brightening light. When I opened my eyes, the Wight Knight was gone. He had finally been allowed to pass over to the over side, and meet with his Princess.
I felt Keikazu's arms tighten around my body, and realised just how tired I was. His chest was warm as I closed my eyes, and I asleep seconds later.
When I woke up, I was mildly surprised to find that I was lying on a soft, red bed that I had grown accustomed to. I stretched widely, wincing as I stressed a wound on my waist. Stepping out of bed, I headed to the elevator, with the intent of grabbing some good breakfast for my now growling stomach. Before I could press the button, the doors opened to reveal Machi and Keikazu, one with a plate of bacon and eggs in hand. My mouthed watered at the smell as it assaulted me, and distracted me from what I should have expected.
"Iniko!" Machi, of course, tackled me in a bear hug, though thankfully I was prepared for this and didn't fall over, despite having numerous wounds screaming out in protest. Keikazu used one hand to pull her off me, smiling apologetically, the other being careful with the plate. I smiled back, but was soon distasted by the bacon, and snatched the plate out of his hand, reasoning with myself that he would drop it holding it with one hand. Much safer for me to hold it.
Keikazu pouted for a second, but let it go as he slipped into his easy-going smile that I hadn't seen in way too long. "You shouldn't be out of bed just yet! I still need to check your wounds to see if they've all healed up alright. And-" He stared at me, before sighing. "The food's all yours." Within seconds, there was no food left on the plate. I gulped down my last bite, satisfied that my hunger had been sated with such delicious bacon.
"You were saying?"
He blinked slowly, taking in my empty plate and the happy, clueless smile on my face that always meant good food. "Never mind." We headed downstairs, and saw Katunei chatting with Erin, waiting for us to come down. She looked slightly surprised that I was up and rearing to go already, but let it go as Keikazu had, at my obviously upbeat state. Machi talked enthusiastically about how we had received 700 Gold from Morag's defeated form, and how Katunei had promised to spend it all on new armour.
We son found ourselves standing in front of the King, while the Queen appeared to be quite absent-minded. I was worried for a second that he would act like an ass and not believe our story, but his and Princess Simona's relaxed face told us everything.
"Ah! It's you, Katunei! Good to see you, lass! Simona's told me everything. Sounds like that Wight Knight was having a tough old time of it. I feel a wee bit guilty in hindsight. Still, all's well as ends well. You did a braw job there. I'm impressed, lass!" I knew that my pride wouldn't allow me to forgive the King so easily, but I recognized that he was admitting his wrongs…to an extent.
"Thank you. I and my comrades worked hard to achieve our ends." Katunei spoke in a formal voice. I briefly wondered what it would be like if Katunei spoke with a Scottish accent, and held in my laughter at the thought so the King wouldn't get the wrong idea.
"Aye, and you more than deserve that reward I promised. I'll have them open up the treasure chamber. You just help yourself. You can take it all if you want to!" He gestured his hand backwards. "Just climb the stairs behind the throne and go outside. East from there you'll see the treasure chamber."
"Thank you for your generosity, My King." Katunei bowed, and the rest of us followed suit. The entire treasure chamber! We would get to have all of it!
"Crivvens! I almost forgot! I've opened up the Eastern checkpoint again. It was closed while all that stramash with the knight was going on. There's a big town beyond the checkpoint. Could be an interesting place for you to visit on your travels." He looked at the Queen who was wiping a tear from her eye, and then to Princess Simona. "Ay, well…" Princess Simona nodded to him, and then turned to us. I was shocked as she bowed to us.
The King gave us a nod. "I hope you have a safe journey. And maybe you'll stop in Stornway again sometime?" Katunei waited a moment, then nodded.
"You'll always be welcome here, Katunei!"
First thing I want to do is send out a big apology to everyone who waited so long for me to finish this chapter. I know that I hate it when authors say that they'll update, but then take 2 months for it to happen, and I don't want to become that kind of author, so I'm sorry. The only real excuse I have is that I recently started school again, and now I have a lot of pressure on me for exams and whatnot. But I promise that won't be an excuse anymore. I'll work extra hard, and get my Mom to hide all the chocolate until I update!
If I am ever taking too long, feel free to have a nag at me; it will make me feel all guilty and work on it all through the night.
Well, what did you guys think? Any improvements I could make? What did you like? Anything confuse you?
I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
Love Katunei999 XOXOX
