Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Dragoon.
(Author: This chapter may seem kind of boring but it is necessary for the next part of the story.)
Aaron was in fine condition now and insisted on driving the ship. Charlotte and Krystal were off talking while they made lunch. Jason and James were sitting in the sun sharpening their swords when Aaron walked down onto the main deck to talk to James.
"You said that you are a knight from Basil?" asked Aaron.
"Yea I did. Why?" asked James.
"Well…I was wondering if we make it away from Cianabar alive; will you take me to Basil? I would kind of like to meet King Albert." Aaron said blushing.
"Sure I would like for all of you to meet King Albert if you will come with me." answered James.
"Thanks." Aaron said before walking away.
The next day they could see the shoreline. They were all silent for a while until they came into the harbor where James quickly had a talk with them.
"We need to make it safely out of Cianabar without being noticed. Then we can sneak back into the city at night and talk to the chief merchant. This way he wont have a chance to kill us. We need to ride quickly through the city but not too quickly that we are noticed. Krystal, you need to wear a hood and make sure that you don't let anyone see your face.
"I will try." responded Krystal.
"Remember, do not attack unless it is vital," said James before they left.
They rode their horses off the ship with Charlotte riding on the back of Aaron's horse. As they expected there were a lot of the chief merchant's guards throughout the city. They made it through safely though.
"Wow, I didn't expect it to be that easy!" said Jason.
"Me either. I think we should head for the merchant's palace as soon as possible. If someone is following us we don't want them to make our location public," said James suspiciously.
They rode their horses to a group of trees where they tied up the horses and started to head for the merchant palace. Jason got a rope from his pack and they used it to climb into the chief merchant's bedroom. There they waited till night when they heard the chief merchant's heavy footsteps coming toward the door.
"What do you mean you didn't attack them?" yelled the chief merchant.
"I'm sorry sir I wasn't quite sure that it wasn't them so I didn't think anything of it." cowered the soldier.
"Well go back out there and find them, and bring them back here before I lose my patients!" yelled the merchant.
The chief merchant walked into the room and Jason, who was standing behind the door, slammed it shut and locked it. James, holding his sword up to the chief merchant, came closer.
"We hear you're were looking for us," said James.
"How did you get in here?" said the merchant still very confused.
"You should learn to lock your window." answered Jason.
"I suppose you are going to kill me now."
"Actually we weren't planning on it but if you don't want to corporate with us then I guess we have no other choice," James said.
"What do you want then?" the surprised merchant asked.
"We want you to let Krystal go and stop trying to kill us. I am a knight of Basil and if you try to harm us again or try to take Krystal I promise you that the full force of Basil will come raining down upon you. I give you my word on that!" James said raising his voice.
"Fine take the girl and whatever else you want just let me go." cried the merchant starting to get scared.
"Then call your guards and tell them everything you just told us," ordered James.
The chief merchant called the guards and before they left the next morning James gave the chief merchants slaves the opportunity to take their boat back to the monks fortress and live with them where they can be free. They sent one hundred fifty men with their wives and children to the fortress. Then the group set out again heading for Basil.
"I just thought of something," said Jason.
"What is it?" asked James.
"What if my father has sent word to Basil about my running away?" asked Jason.
"You ran away? What?" asked a confused Krystal.
"My father is Dart."
"Why did you run away?"
"It is a long story, but I can't go back to him yet. I'm not ready." Jason said sternly.
"Well if I have anything to say about it, you won't be sent home." said James.
"Thanks James."
Now that they had horses this time the trip was a lot faster and they reached Basil a two and a half days later. The party was greeted into the city and the captain of the guard came to escort them to the castle. When they reached the castle, King Albert came out to greet them.
"James, it is good to have you back…What happened to the soldiers that we sent you off with?" asked Albert.
"They died valiantly trying to retrieve the divine dragoon. I will tell you of my travels after we eat." replied James.
The entered the dining hall where they sat and ate with King Albert and his wife, Emile, and the captain of the guard and some other knights.
"Krystal, it is good to see you again. You have grown so much since the last time I saw you. What brought you to come here with James?" asked Albert.
"I met him in the Port of Cianabar where I was betrothed to marry the chief merchant there. I actually ran away with James who was pursuing the bandits across the sea. We talked it over with the chief merchants when we got back and here I am now." she replied.
" I'm not even going to ask about that one…James you still haven't introduced me to your other three friends."
"Well this is Jason. He is the son of Dart. He joined me after I lost my soldiers and he pursued the bandits with me. If it weren't for him I would probably not be here now."
"I have heard about you Jason. Your father has been worried about you. Though I am glad that I have had a chance to meet you and I thank you for aiding James."
"It was both an honor and a pleasure sir." said Jason.
"This is Charlotte. She followed us out of a city we went through and wanted to join us fighting the bandits."
"I appreciate you helping them, thank you."
"Your welcome," she responded.
"Finally this is Aaron. He requested that I take him here to meet you. He sailed our ship across the sea for us and defeated the leader of the bandits."
"You have done a great dead for this country, Aaron."
"Also I promised some friends that I would tell you this: The bandits, as you may know, occupied a fortress that was deep into the marshlands that used to be a part of this kingdom."
"Yes, I remember it. It was too far for us to send soldiers to help defend the fortress that we had no choice but to give up on it."
"Well we defeated all the bandits and a dragon that they created and now there is a about five hundred occupying the place. We have filled in the marshes and created a thriving city. We promised the last three monks from the dead lord's council that we would have you send willing people to join them and a small army to stay and protect them."
"That I will gladly do. You have done many great deeds but were you able to retrieve the divine dragoon?"
"Not only that but We also have four other dragoons," answered James.
"How did you manage that?"
"That is another long story."
"Which ones do you have?"
"We have the ice, fire, earth, and dark dragoons.
Albert sat silently while they ate. When they were done he spoke.
"James, I have known you since you were a young boy and now that you are old enough I sent you on a mission that would let you do what you dream of and travel. Now that you are back I think it would be wise if you left again and fighting this country's enemies. I do not believe that Basil is the right place for you."
"Are you giving me permission to leave Basil?"
"Yes, I am. When you and your friends are well rested I will send Jason back to his father and the rest of you are free to go or stay and you may leave James."
"Sir, I am not yet ready to return to my father and I don't want to disobey you but if you command me to return to my father now I will not go!" Jason said sternly.
"You are a grown man. You need to learn for your self and when you feel the time is right you will return to your father, but remember, your father may be strict but it is because he loves you. Now all of you go and get some rest my servants will show you to your rooms," said Albert wisely.
They all slept well and dreamed of what would come. They slept heavily because they were exhausted from all the events that had happened in the last three months.
(Author: I hope you keep reading even if you didn't like this chapter. I promise that it gets better. At least I think it gets better.)