Author's note: As I said earlier, don't expect too many VS scenes as the story goes on. Also, I consider air and wind two different things in my story. Just saying.
I'd post the warning here, but you know already.
"So um, what's with you wearing two different colored gloves today?" Elizabeth asked as the two of them walked down the staircase into the school's main foyer.
Crap, she noticed. Hishoji's luck had ran out.
"It's a long story," He sighed. "Don't wanna talk about it."
Don't want to get her involved, hm? Kuroi said from somewhere in his mind.
I did say I want to keep the craziness to a minimum.
"I guess you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Elizabeth started to tug gently at one of her ponytails. "Heard the weird rumors about the monsters yet?"
"Monsters? What?" Hishoji's heart skipped a beat.
"Yeah, haven't you been watching the news? Or did Edmund not tell you? I thought he would be all over this," Elizabeth lowered her voice, even though there was no one else around but the two of them taking the stairs. "There were some people saying that they saw some weird looking animals and whatnot appearing all around their houses and roads. The ones who saw them said they saw some resembled that dragons, and others that looked like something right out of an action film. Strange thing is, the monsters all disappeared just as fast as they arrived."
It wasn't like Hishoji had not been anticipating this, but the thought that they were already on the news after just one day still shocked him a little. Of course, he could just use this to his advantage. He made a mental note to watch more television at home.
"And I just remembered something. I think the people who made these claims live somewhere near your house. Did you see anything yesterday morning?"
"What? See what?" Hishoji tried to avoid the subject.
"Oh crude, you weren't even listening, were you?" Elizabeth seemed to notice the uncomfortable look on Hishoji's face. "Well, you don't have to be so worried anyway, it's just a couple of reports, maybe around two or three. Probably just a bunch of crazy goons who had been drinking too much."
They arrived at the foyer, where their sports teacher was awaiting them with a look of menace on his face. Strangely enough, everyone from their class seemed to have gone ahead for their run without the two of them.
"I mean seriously, monsters?" Elizabeth scoffed. "Yeah, right."
If only she knew better, Shinki cackled.
Volt jumped out of Ayumi's room the instant the Kushala Daora roared, his weapon at the ready. He gave a gasp of surprise at the wind Elder Dragon still glaring at them from the opposite side of the window.
"What the hell is that?"
"Kushala Daora. The Elder Dragon of wind. I certainly hope it's not an Awakened one, otherwise we-"
"Found you." The Daora cut Mark off with a voice that reverberated around the house.
"Never mind, forget I said anything," Mark flew back into Ayumi's room. "Tell me when you guys are done."
Volt gave Mark a unimpressed look.
"You're just gonna run when trouble comes knocking on your door? Great help you are," He jumped down from the second floor and landed beside Ayumi. "Yo, quit daydreaming. You got your weapon loaded?"
"What? Y-yeah. I don't think it wants to attack us just yet though. Its been standing there for over a minute now, just glaring at me."
"We can't wait for it to make the first move. Remember what happened with the Jaggis?" Volt opened the front door and took the first step out, the rain instantly drenching his armor.
Ayumi slowly inched her way to the front door as well, her eyes refusing to turn away from the Daora. Much to her surprise, once she was outside, the harsh rain became a light drizzle around her.
"Eh? What's this?" She looked at the Daora. Was it the one causing this unnatural phenomenon? If so, it seemed only to be interested in her, as Volt was still getting pounded upon by the heavy rain.
"Damn, it's getting really hard to move," Volt attempted to take a step forward, only to be pushed back by a blast of wind. "Tch, how are we supposed to hunt that thing when we can't even move or see it in this weather?"
"I dunno about you, but the wind isn't affecting me," Ayumi hopped forward to prove her point, then looked at the Daora. "How did you find us?"
"I asked the wind," The wind wrapped around the Daora slowed down slightly, although it still looked like it would mince anything that dared to touch it. "It never lies."
"Well then, since this weather doesn't seem to be affecting me, I'm assuming you want something from me?"
"Correct. Alatreon assigned this mission to me as a test of my loyalty," The Daora moved closer to Ayumi, "Not that I need to prove anything to that bastard, but the fate of the Daora family hangs in the balance. It's a simple task really, I am to just bring you to him."
"So you're going to be like that Lao Shan Lung as well?" Ayumi looked up at the Daora towering above her.
"How did you know about him? And I'm only doing this for the guaranteed safety of my clan. Alatreon promised he would not harm any of them as long as I do as he says," The Daora sighed and spread out its wings, "I shouldn't be telling you this much. But there's something...intriguing about you."
"Oi, I hope you haven't forgotten about me!" Volt had sneaked forward while the two of them were talking, and had placed himself in an advantageous position at the side of the Daora. He thrust his Switch Axe forward, only to have it caught by the wind barrier. A horrible screeching sound filled the air as the sharp winds started to tear Volt's weapon apart.
"I'm sorry, I think I did. Won't happen again."The Switch Axe was sent flying from Volt's hand, and embedded itself into the ground several feet away from Ayumi. The rain around Volt began to get even heavier, such that he was brought to his knees and struggling to stand.
"Crap," Ayumi took a few steps towards Volt, only to be forced back to her original position by the harsh winds. She frowned and took aim at the Daora with the scope on her bowgun. "If you think I'm going without a fight then you can keep on dreaming."
"I thought you might say that. But please, consider the current situation you're in. What chance do you think you have when even that hunter in full armor over there couldn't do anything about me?" The Daora sighed, "Let's just make this as short and painless for you as possible, alright?"
"I'll never know until I try," Ayumi hopped backwards a few paces and fired a bullet, only to watch it bounce harmlessly off the chest of the Daora due to the wind barrier. "Damn wind."
"I told you," The Daora didn't move from its position. "Look, I'll give you two more shots. If you fail to harm me within those two shots then I want you to leave with me without anymore resistance. If you do manage to harm me, I'll take my leave."
"And what guarantee do we have you'll really leave if we manage to get past your barrier?"
"I give you my word."
Elder Dragons can't break their promises, Ayumi. You can trust her on that one. Shira intercepted Ayumi before she could speak.
Huh? Oh, okay. She had no reason not to believe Shira. She was an Elder Dragon as well after all.
"Okay then," Ayumi cast a glance at Volt, who had gotten up and pulled his weapon out from the ground. "Volt, what's a recommended bullet? Normal shots don't seem to be working."
Volt checked his weapon carefully, then placed it on his back when he was assured that it was still in one piece. "Pierce should get us past that wind."
"Gotcha," Ayumi took the bullet with the label "Pierce lv3" on it and loaded up her bowgun. "Let's hope this works..."
She pulled the trigger, and the recoil from the shot pushed her backwards against the wind. The bullet that emerged from the barrel of the bowgun flew with a surprisingly fast speed towards the Elder Dragon, and for a moment it appeared as if it was going to hit her. But with a mere flick of her wing, the Daora caused a sudden gust to propel the bullet out of its trajectory.
"Cheater," Ayumi muttered under her breath.
"I didn't say I was going to just stand here and let you shoot me. All I said was that I'll give you two more shots. And you have one last chance remaining."
She's right, Ayumi. You still have one more chance. The Light Bowgun in Ayumi's hands started to glow softly with Shira's words.
Ayumi nodded resolutely, and pulled the trigger once more. She noted that the recoil from the bullet this time was nonexistent. The bullet seemed to have acquired the glow from the bowgun as well.
The Daora looked at the strange bullet, unsure what to make of the white glow. She still stood her ground though, and flicked her wing as with the previous bullet. This time, the bullet continued heading towards her.
"What?" The Daora exclaimed in surprise as she saw the bullet still heading towards her despite the wind. She took flight to avoid the bullet, and as she hovered above the ground the Daora looked at Ayumi strangely. Then her face seemed to lit up, as though she remembered something.
"That power..." The Daora landed. "I thought I felt something familiar about you."
About time. Shira sounded happy. Ayumi, can I take over for a while?
Uh, sure.
"Took you long enough." Shira smiled at the Daora.
"That voice...I haven't heard that for a while." The Daora hopped back, then straightened herself. "Lady Shira?"
"The one and only."
"Forgive me for my impertinence earlier," The Daora's tone had changed to one of respect the moment Shira confirmed her identity. "I heard you and the other two were still alive, but even the wind didn't seem to know where."
"Maybe you just didn't tell it specifically what to search for."
"True, I only asked for it to search for the three awakened Fatalis. Details given by the Vespoids were unclear, and I thought you three had somehow managed to revive inside your bodies. Since you are in the form of a human, the wind automatically excluded you."
"Look on the bright side, at least you found me now."
The Daora sighed. "Yes, I did. But Alatreon that swine, to think I almost committed an act of betrayal without even knowing it..."
"Well then, what are you going to do? From what you said earlier, it sounded nothing short of blackmail by Alatreon."
"I have to secure the safety of my clan, it's my duty as an Awakened. But to raise my hand at my old friend and Queen would be unforgivable for me as well."
The rain around the house began to stop as the winds slowly died down, although the weather outside the perimeter of the house remained as it was. Volt moved towards the two, his armor still dripping wet.
"So, am I missing something here?"
"Yes, you are. Wendy and I here go way back."
"Wow, it has a name?"
A quick gust of wind sent Volt rolling along the floor.
"She."
"Right, she. My bad."
"Regardless, are you sure it's a wise choice to listen to that Alatreon? He never keeps his word, you know. Another reason why we banished him."
"I would rather make an ally than an enemy out of that Alatreon in times like these," The wind barrier around Wendy completely dispersed, revealing shining metallic skin. "But since things have come to this, I doubt I can return to him."
"You're staying, then? We could do with more allies too, you know. Especially with someone like you."
"I'll come back after I've ensured the safety of my clan," Wendy prepared to take flight, and then stopped. She gave a confused look at the sky as a slow breeze blew all around the three standing out in front of the house. "Oh no."
"What?" Volt asked. An intense look of sadness had overtaken the Elder Dragon's face.
"I've been a fool to trust that lowlife," A single tear emerged from Wendy's eyes, and flowed down her cheeks before the wind blew it off. "I fear the Daora clan is no more."
"Ah my lord, still as cunning as ever."The Great Furogi bowed down before Alatreon, as did the Great Baggi who was beside it.
"Yes, killing off the entire Daora species after sending their leader off on a mission was a stroke of genius."The Great Baggi added.
"I expected that Daora to join them if she ever figured out what I was doing. You could say I merely took some precautions in advance," Alatreon smiled in satisfaction. The Kushala Daoras weren't the only monsters that had died today."But that wasn't what I summoned you two here to discuss about. Who else from Pokke have pledged their loyalty to us?"
"My lord, I would say we have the support of around fifty percent of the monsters from Pokke."
"Too little. What have you all been doing, slacking off on the job?"
"B-but my lord, we've been doing our best to-"The Great Furogi begun to stammer.
"Silence!" A geyser of flame exploded near the tail of the Great Furogi, who let out a yap as its tail caught fire. "What about the the Rajang?"
"W-well, he has still decided on remaining neutral."The Great Baggi replied, all the while looking at the Great Furogi who was still trying to get the fire off its tail.
"Still?" The annoyance in Alatreon's voice was evident. The Rajang was a considerably powerful fighter, and could either be a great help or threat depending on whose side he was on. "The two of you have three days to get the Rajang to join our cause."
"We understand." The Great Baggi gulped. Three days was hardly enough, since the Rajang had made his point clear about not taking sides when they had asked him. He didn't even give them a chance to ask again too, for he had disappeared immediately after answering their question. "Although if I may ask, why not simply destroy the Fatalis Trio right now? We have more than enough to crush them where they stand without suffering too much casualties."
"Do you know of the humiliation I suffered when they cast me out of the Elder Dragon family? I intend to pay them back twofold for all they put me through. Their deaths shall be anything but quick," Alatreon's eyes seemed contained a spark of madness as he said this. "I shall make them rue the very day they decided to cross paths with me!"
The Great Baggi and Furogi stared at each other, the same thought going through both of their heads. Alatreon might be powerful, but he had enough insanity to match that power as well. And it was simply because of this power that they had pledged their loyalty to him. But could they really believe in someone who was so obsessed with revenge?
Further above the three monsters, an Elder Dragon with a serpentine white body gazed down upon them. His movements in the air were smooth, almost as if he was dancing, and as he twirled he slowly picked the remains of some Kushala Daoras off his body. He called himself Zarklyion, but of course the hunters back in Yukumo didn't know that. They called his species Heaven's Calamity, or in their native tongue, Amatsu-magatsuchi.
He had first met Alatreon not too soon after the latter had been banished. Word of an Elder Dragon with power over almost every elemental energy in Minegarde reached Zarklyion's ears, and he had sought Alatreon out hoping to be able to learn how to master the various elements besides the two he possessed.
The two hit it off almost immediately upon meeting in a volcanic wasteland, for Alatreon wanted to know how to control water and air as much as Zarklyion wanted to know about elemental energy. It was on this basis that their friendship was formed. Of course, it was a very fragile relationship, since both knew that once one of them mastered everything, he would have no qualms about killing the other.
And so it was that they taught each other only the bare minimum, while retaining the more finer details of their powers for themselves. With Alatreon's natural aptitude for elemental energy he soon figured out how to control water effectively with minimal help from Zarklyion. But control over air was still out of bounds for Alatreon, and it was solely for that reason that Alatreon had refrained from killing him off.
Zarklyion knew that well, and had put off teaching Alatreon about air for as long as possible. But the latter's paitence was coming to an end. Zarklyion had returned from his latest mission to find the two other Amatsus that had followed him into this world dead, their bodies completely ravaged. The wounds on their bodies were familiar to Zarklyion; he had seen what Alatreon could do back when they went to war with the monsters from Pokke.
Zarklyion knew Alatreon won't kill him before being taught how to control air, but there was nothing Zarklyion could do about his dead comrades. He could only curse his former 'friend' silently in his heart. However, as Zarklyion watched the three speaking below, he caught the flicker of doubt that crossed both of the Bird Wyvern's faces for a split instant.
"I almost feel sorry for them," The voice that emerged from the mouth of the Amatsu was a breezy one, "But Alatreon should know that attempting to rule through fear alone will never work."
"Maybe there is something I can do after all," An idea began to form in Zarklyion's mind. "It's just a matter of finding a group of monsters who has had enough of that dragon. And they'll need someone to lead them. Someone like, say, me."