The Gathering of the Seven.
Chapter Four: What Lies Inside.
The Desert.
It was still daytime when Helios landed on the outskirts of Reno City, his wings flapping as he parted the sand beneath him, and landed on one knee. Helios then got up, looking around in three directions as he sniffed the air and his red eyes scanned, his necks extending out to their full length. Being a Ghidorah, Helios had a muscular yet slim body covered in golden scales along with two massive wings on his back, the wings folding as he walked around and continued to look for any signs of his quarry, and two tails along with a row of spikes running down his necks and back. Helios himself had three heads, but unlike other Ghidorahs, lacked any signs of manes at all, along with his faces being almost similar to Gojirasaurs in certain ways, giving him a very handsome appearance. Helios was clad in a black outfit with some armored parts on it, his four toed clawed feet and hands being the only parts exposed other than his wings, tails, and his heads. Holstered on his left side was a strange looking cylinder, with gold handles and two small Ghidorah heads at the ends of each side. On his right side, slipped into his belt, was a sword with a medium blade, with the inner part of the blade being gold while the outer was silver, and with a gold ring at the end of the katana like handle. "I keep losing his scent," Helios muttered to himself, his almost youthful voice contrasting with his fully-grown appearance. "I wish you were here Sensei…."
"Now Helios," the older Ghidorah lectured the 16-year-old Ghidorah, catching him off guard with a sweeping kick, to which the younger Ghidorah leapt over only to be met with a palm strike to his chest, followed by a discharge of lightning from Mars's hand. "Did you forget what I taught you, my student? Always. Be. OBSERVANT!" Helios flew back and landed on the mat, his black Gi not being torn by the lightning, and watched as Mars stood over him, the red robed Ghidorah holding out his hand to his student. Helios reached out slowly, only to grab Mars's hand and then quickly use his weight to pick himself up and flip the older Ghidorah over his shoulder. "Well then," Mars grunted as he saw Helios staring at him with an exhausted expression, "Seems like you did remember. That's enough for today my student…."
"Sensei, are you okay?" Helios asked this as he helped Mars up, the older Ghidorah's heads smiling with pride as Helios bowed down before him, with Mars doing the same. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, it was not my intention."
"No no," Mars shook his middle head as Helios's heads looked up at him, followed by all three of Mars's heads looking at his student. "Do not apologize to me my student, I am perfectly fine and healthy. However, as for you…. I am impressed. You grow quite stronger every day… as if God himself has smiled upon you." Helios watched as Mars walked over to a window in the castle, and looked at the sunlight, his wings spreading out as he grabbed two cups of steaming dark liquid from a table, offering one to Helios.
"Thank you Sensei," the young Ghidorah humbly replied as he drank the tea with his right head, while Mars drank with his middle head. "Does that mean…. I'm ready Sensei? Do I still need to train more?" Mars turned around and placed his free hand on Helios's shoulder, still smiling at him as he beckoned him to the mat, the two sitting across from each other in a cross-legged position. "I can train more if you like Sensei. I want to serve the Imperial Alliance well, so if you think I'm not ready…"
"Now calm down Helios," Mars chuckled as his middle head spoke watching the younger Ghidorah as he pulled out a wooden box right next to the mat. "Sixteen years I have been blessed to watch you grow into a fine young Ghidorah, and a capable warrior at that. You have made me very proud my student…. However while I believe that you need some more training before you can start going on missions, that does not mean I cannot reward you for your growth." Helios looked at the box as his heads pushed in front of each other to stare at its polished dark brown surface, along with two golden clasps keeping it closed. "Go ahead… open it…" Helios undid the clasps, and opened the lid, gasping as he suddenly saw dark fabric within the box, along with some armored bits as well.
"It's beautiful," Helios murmured as he took the outfit out of the box, looking at the top and the armor before doing the same with the pants. "Thank you Sensei… when do you think I'll be ready?"
"I believe soon my student," Mars beamed, making Helios smile back at him with all three of his heads. "Keep up your training, and then you will be ready…. Perhaps very soon."
"Sensei," Helios sighed as he walked around, still trying to find any sign of his quarry, "What would you do?" Twelve years had gone by fast, and Helios himself was almost 30 at this point, and yet, he could not help as feel that he still had things to learn from his master. The dragon then thought for a few more minutes, before he knelt down in the sand and sniffed some more, and then shut all six of his eyes. "Are you listening….. Metphies? Is there a sign for me out there? I've served you for so long…. Please guide me to him…. guide me to Dagon and help me defeat him." Dagon…. a name given to a Gojirasaur who was supposedly a big threat to the Imperial Alliance, and by far the hardest target Helios ever had to track. Of course, Gojirasaur were the Ghidorah's natural rival, so it would be no surprise that the king would be paranoid enough to believe one Gojirasaur would be a threat to him. Aside from a few fleeting glimpses of him, all Helios had to track him was his scent and hearing secondhand stories of travelers who had met him. Along with the trail of bodies he had left behind, always the same robed kaiju, which in the light brown sand and dirt of the massive desert, did not seem to be present. Helios opened his eyes, and then a sudden thought came to his mind, and quickly opening up his wings, he flew up into the air, staring below at the desert as he made sure to not blow the sand around too much. "Tracks!" There were a set of Gojirasaur footprints in the desert, nearly covered by sand, and along with them Anguirus and Divine Moth footprints, the latter of which stopped after a short while. Helios flew down, and sniffed, gaining the scent of the Anguirus as he put two and two together. "So…. you have allies now? This will be interesting…. Thank you Metphies…. Thank you so much." Helios then smiled as he flew in the direction the tracks, the scent fresh in his mind as he prepared himself for the possible battle ahead.
Helios sometimes wondered why Gojirasaurs were his enemies. After all, the one he had met face to face and talked with in the past seemed to be quite a warrior, which was more than he could say for the robed kaiju he had encountered numerous times.
Redwood Forest: Unknown Territory.
There was something about the forest that made Akira wary, and as he looked at his two companions as they stood in the clearing surrounded by tall dark trees, their leaves stretching out and blocking most of the sunlight, he could tell Ryu and Leo felt the same way. The moth had stopped flying some time ago and now was looking around the trees warily, his scythes up and a small light glowing in the middle of his hand. Ryu on the other hand looked around, his spikes not yet hardening, thinking he saw something dart by quickly. "Rest here you two," Akira cautioned, keeping his hand on his tachi blade as he listened to the sounds of the forest. "I'm going to investigate our surroundings. Ryu, Leo, be careful back here." The two nodded and Akira headed further into the woods, hearing the sounds of the wind and leaves rustling, along with the cries of the wildlife. Ryu sighed, and sat down, watching as Leo continued to stand and then take the rose out of his loincloth, a strange light coming from it as the moth rubbed his necklace.
"Hey, what's going on Leo?" The moth stayed silent, until the light from the rose blinked out and he put it away again, his scythe arms relaxing as he put his hand on a tree.
"This is the furthest I've been away from home in a long time," Leo answered, hearing Ryu get up and move over to him, "I think I've been in this forest before, but I'm not exactly sure."
"Oh! I'm in the same boat as you then." Ryu smiled as Leo turned around, albeit quiet nervously as his eyes darted around, wondering where Akira was. "This is the furthest I've been from home too….. although I don't know about Hazuki." Leo looked at the direction where Ryu was gesturing, before he looked back, his scythe arms moving up as he decided to ask Ryu something else.
"So Ryu…. How did you meet Hazuki anyway? And after everything is over, what are you going to do?" Ryu put a finger under his chin, thinking about the questions Leo had asked him, especially when it came to the second one.
"Well, he and I met in an inn," Ryu spoke, pacing around as he continued to watch the trees and Leo listened, "and well you see, I was in there trying to find kaiju who would join me in trying to stop the third faction, but nobody really was listening to me. However, Hazuki listened to me, and then he went and saved a child who had been kidnapped by the third faction… and I followed him after he left, and well… that's how we met… and since then we've been traveling together." Ryu breathed out, wondering how long ago this was as he looked back at Leo, seeing that the moth was still listening. "As for the second question…. I…." Ryu stopped, and for a few minutes, he stood still, his mind buzzing as he realized something. "What happens when this is over? Do I go back home, or do I what Akira does, and just keep wandering? My grandpa…. Did I let him down? I can't…. I'm not good enough yet…. I don't know….. Sigh…. I don't know….."
"Hey, it's okay Ryu," Leo chimed in, causing the Anguirus to gasp as his mind stopped buzzing, and he realized he was panting. "I'm sorry… You'll figure it out, I'm sure of it. Hazuki too…."
"No it's okay Leo," Ryu sighed, putting his hands on his knees as his chest went back to normal and he caught his breath again. "You're right….. I'll figure it out. Do you have any idea what you'll do when this is over? And well…. how good are you at using that thing?" Ryu pointed at the small blade, which Leo looked at.
"I and Gojo are going to get married when this is over, and then…. I don't know," Leo replied, shrugging slightly. "I'll figure it out. With this however," Leo continued as he tapped the handle of the blade, "it's different than you might think. I don't use this in physical combat per say…. It's more of a way for me to channel my magic if I have to, since it tends to be mostly chaotic…. So it's not case of me using it like your axe if that makes any sense."
"Oh, okay. There's still a lot I don't know about Pangea," Ryu admitted, sighing as he kept looking around, "You two seem to know more about it if I had to be honest." Leo suddenly stood upright, his antennae going up right as his hands started to glow white, and his green eyes glowed bright as well. "What is it Leo?! Tell me quickly!" Ryu's spikes hardened and he quickly took his axe off his back, raising it up as all the sounds in the forest seemed to stop.
"Watch out!" At Leo's cry, Ryu quickly jumped out of the way as a lightning beam blasted past the two of them, and the two turned around to see Akira flying back at them, locked into combat with a Ghidorah.
"There's something out here," Akira said to himself as he looked through the trees and continued to walk down the path cautiously. Ryu and Leo had been talking about something, but the further away he moved from them, the more faint it became. There was a rustling in the treetops, causing Akira to dart his head upwards as he saw several leaves moving, and growled lightly as he put his hand on his tachi, and continued to walk. There was some more rustling, and he quickly looked to his side, seeing a few mammals chattering as they ran through the forest, carrying fruit in their mouths. "…. I must not fear, fear is the mind killer….." Akira slowed down his breathing as he stopped and listened, and heard some more rustling as he closed his eyes and gripped his sword tighter. "I must not fear…. fear is the mind killer…." A tree creaked and Akira whipped around as he drew his tachi out rapidly, blocking a blow from a Ghidorah in a black armored outfit holding twin golden daggers, their blades clashing easily with his tachi as the two flew back from the blow, staring at each other as the Ghidorah's body crackled with yellow electricity, and Akira's dorsal plates hardened and grew to their full length. The two charged at each other again, the Ghidorah leaping as he spun the daggers in his hands and Akira holding his tachi with both hands as he ran and crossed blades with the Ghidorah, sparks flying into the air.
"I finally found you… Dagon. I am Helios, and I will put an end to you….." Akira growled as the two disengaged and continued to slash, their blades clashing as the two dueled and Helios's heads lashed out in an attempt to bite Akira, the Gojirasaur dodging each strike before he quickly blocked another blow and then headbutted Helios and kicked the dragon into a tree.
"First of all, my name is not Dagon," Akira growled as he leapt at the Ghidorah, who rolled out of the way as he tried to bring his tachi down on him. "And secondly…. if you know what's good for you, you will leave now…. or I will take your life." Helios then slashed again with his daggers, which Akira blocked, his dorsal plates glowing blue as Helios's body crackled with electricity, and the insides of his necks started to pulse with yellow as all three of his heads looked at Akira.
"I will bring you down," Helios snarled, as Akira fully charged his atomic ray and fired it out at the dragon. "For… my master…." All three of his heads fired gravity beams at once, and the beams met the ray, clashing as Akira and Helios both moved forward, still clutching their weapons as there was an explosion, and a gravity beam went flying over Akira's head as he went flying back, landing right in front of a shocked Leo and Ryu.
"Assassin!" Akira's shout was all the warning the other two needed as Helios flew at Akira and tackled him into several trees, knocking them over as Ryu quickly chopped one tree in half so it would not land on Leo, while Leo quickly dodged another tree as he took flight, and then focused his hands on another tree, keeping it from falling with telekinesis. Akira kicked Helios off, and then quickly slashed with his tachi, cutting into the Ghidorah. Helios looked at the cut, right before Akira then punched him back into the clearing where Leo and Ryu were. The dragon's wings flapped and he righted himself as he saw that he was surrounded by the three warriors, Ryu angrily holding his axe up, Leo's scythe arms raising up as he got into a fighting stance with his wings fully unfolded and his fists glowing green, followed by Akira drawing out his wakizashi and staring at Helios. The dragon's three heads moved around, looking at each of his opponents as he snorted, right before his middle head spoke.
"So…. there are more of you huh? I can take you all on, but make no mistake, I am only here for him," Helios gestured at Akira, his other two heads keeping their eyes on Leo and Ryu. "I have no reason to kill the both of you."
"And? He's our companion," Ryu answered as he gripped the axe tighter, "and we will fight for each other, so if you think any of us are gonna run away, you got another thing coming!"
"Interesting, you say you have no reason to kill the both of us, and yet your mind is conflicted," Leo muttered, his eyes glowing as Helios nearly backed away. "You, Helios right? I see you've eliminated dangerous kaiju before….. including ones in dark robes right?" Helios continued to back away as Ryu and Akira looked at Leo in amazement, the moth still concentrating as he searched the dragon's mind. "They are our enemies too….. why are you attacking us?"
"Because…. It's my duty…." Helios stopped, looking at each of the kaiju as he thought about what the moth had said. A strange gurgling noise followed by deep booming laughter suddenly broke out, and just as quickly, Helios's eyes opened in shock and in three directions, he fired gravity beams, causing Akira, Ryu, and Leo to look behind themselves. A blob like creature with a glowing red skeleton leapt at Akira, its fists turning into axes as it swung down, causing the Gojirasaur to jump back as he, Ryu, Leo, and Helios found themselves surrounded by more of the blob creatures, their gurgling laughter increasing as the kaiju looked at each other, and then threw themselves into the crowd of blob creatures. Ryu swung his axe with ferocity, slicing the creatures in half as a few punched him and tried to blast him with red energy beams from their eyes, to which the Anguirus attempted to dodge as he blocked several more blows with his axe. Akira was roaring angrily, slicing through many of the monsters with his blades, before grabbing one that had blasted him in his back with an energy beam, and tossed it over to Ryu, who sliced it in half with his axe. Leo flew around as he punched and kicked the monsters, his fists glowing green as Leo's scythes shredded one monster. Leo then held his hands together as he concentrated, and then fired out a multi colored beam from his eyes, immolating several of the monsters. Seeing one that was missed, Leo did a quick uppercut, and sent it flying to Akira, who promptly blasted it with his atomic ray, which allowed Ryu to leap up and slice it in half with his axe. The three then turned to see what was going on with Helios as more and more of the monsters attacked, a few who had been sliced in half reforming. The Ghidorah had put his daggers away in favor of using his sword instead, and was nimbly blocking blow after blow and quickly butchering each monster, as well as discharging gravity energy through his blade and out of his mouths, blasting any that dared to come near. The dragon then was hit by several blasts from their eyes, falling to the ground as the monsters chuckled and started to surround him. Akira then saw one approaching Helios from behind as he tried to take flight, its eyes glowing as Helios fell down once more.
"Damn it….. I better not regret this." Akira leapt at the monster and quickly sliced it in half with his blades, noticing that one of Helios's heads was looking at him. Leo followed next as he quickly fired light bursts out of his hands, which disintegrated the monsters and made Leo's eyes widen in surprise, and then Ryu too joined in, swinging his axe in a long arc to blast the monsters away. Helios looked up at his saviors, his eyes locked with Akira's fierce eyes, and he got up, holding out his sword as all four found themselves surrounded by the monsters. "These things, they keep getting back up….."
"….. Yes," Helios answered, catching the other three kaiju by surprise. "Whatever they are, they'll keep coming….." Helios's heart beat rapidly in his chest, and he could feel his hands shaking as he wondered what to do.
"Hazuki," Ryu growled, keeping his axe up as every one of the monsters' eyes started to glow red, "Is there anything you can think of?" It was then that he looked and saw Leo fly up, his fists glowing green as his body started to shine with a white light.
"My magic seems to destroy them permanently," a voice rang in the heads of the kaiju, causing them to look up as Leo continued to draw in energy, and then take out his short blade, holding it in his left hand as the silver blade started to glow gold and moved it in a circular motion. Around the kaiju, a golden circle appeared, with a strange symbol in the middle of it as the golden light started to shine in both of Leo's hands and eyes, followed by the rest of his body. "This spell is one I have practiced several times but never fully unleashed….. shield yourselves!" Akira quickly ducked and sheathed his swords as he wrapped his tail around himself, while Ryu turned his back and used his carapace to shield himself and his axe. Helios stood there, and put his heads underneath his wings as the golden light became brighter and the monsters roared. "CREATURES OF DARKNESS, GO BACK TO THE SHADOWS!" The light flashed brightly, and golden energy spread amongst the clearing, creating a bright light in the forest that could be seen everywhere. The creatures croaked and gurgled as the energy washed over them, blasting them into black smoke and then flashing once more, before disappearing and leaving only the surrounding area, trees, wildlife, sunlight, and kaiju untouched.
"Leo!" Ryu quickly jumped out of his covered position and reached his arms out alongside Akira to catch the falling moth, Akira handing him over as Ryu's spikes went soft again. Akira looked up, and noticed that Helios was gone as well, and growled under his breath, before he knelt down with Ryu to examine Leo. The moth weakly stirred, and then put his blade away while he panted heavily. "Leo…. Are you okay?"
"Don't worry…. I'll be fine," Leo coughed, watching as Akira strapped Ryu's axe back on him, and still looked at him in concern. "It just…. takes a lot out of me…. I don't think I can do it again for a while…. But they're gone….." Leo grunted, and Ryu and Akira got up, looking around and the parts of the forest that were devastated.
"He's gone too Ryu, the assassin," Akira muttered, fingering the handle of his tachi. "I think there's a village nearby…. We need to get there and get some rest…"
"Sure thing Hazuki," Ryu nodded, while looking at Leo in his arms. "You lead the way…. And I'll carry Leo…."
"Keep watch," Akira stated, looking at the path he was on when Helios had attacked him. "We don't know what else is in this forest."
As they moved onto the path, the trio wondered where those creatures had come from…. And most of all where the Ghidorah had disappeared to.
Helios stood in a particularly tall tree, looking at the trio, and asking himself one thing that was present on his mind. "…..Why would he save my life?"
Aoi Estate: Grand Alliance Territory.
"Sir, sir!" Izanagi was sitting with Izanami and Ishiro in the sunlit tea room, the three getting ready to speak with a few of the leaders who had been invited to Izanagi and Izanami's estate, when a soldier suddenly burst into the room, his eyes wide. "GAIUS JUST DOUBLED HIS ARMIES!" The soldier was a Baragon clad in silver armor, and on his shoulder was a dark blue and grey feathered teratorn, which was simply preening itself and ignoring the harness and bag attached to its midsection.
"Slow down Commander," Izanagi waved his good arm, while Ishrio and Izanami looked at the frightened Baragon, who was panting heavily. He stood up and gently walked across the straw matted floor, putting his good arm on his shoulder. "Now Commander, gather your thoughts…. and tell my wife, Ishiro and I what it is." The Baragon, panted some more as Ishiro and Izanami joined Izanagi, and he looked up at them.
"Sir…. We've gotten word from our scouts and a sympathizer from within the royal court that King Gaius has doubled his armies and guard…. And he's forcing the other leaders to add to them…."
"He means to make a move then," Izanami muttered, putting her fingers in-between her brow. "That fool will kill us all….."
"Commander," Ishiro spoke gently as he looked back at his friends and then back at the armored Baragon. "Have you informed the others yet?"
"Go on commander," Izanagi ordered, looking in the back of the room as he heard some clattering. "We'll catch up to you and then we'll discuss this together." The Baragon saluted and left the room, while Izanagi walked over to another set of sliding doors, and with his good arm, slid them open, causing a younger Gojirasaur to fall in the room from the hallway outside. She got up, and looked at the trio, a nervous smile on her face. She like Izanagi was grey in color, with a hint of green mixed in as well, and her dorsal plates being jagged like his, with a white outline on them. Her face was a mix of her parents, and like her mother she had yellow eyes, while like her father her snout was similar to his along with her headspikes. She was smaller than both Izanami and Izanagi in height, mostly due to only being 19 years old, and like Izanami, had a fairly athletic body that was both muscular and slightly chubby, albeit one that was still being trained. She was wearing a purple kimono with orange trim and a long skirt which split at her legs, along with a white sash and gold rope, along with gold arm guards and shin guards. She was holding a naginata in her right hand, and she rubbed her head as she waited for one of her parents to address her.
"Aiko," Izanami asked, her stern voice making the younger Gojirasaur look down in embarrassment. "How much did you hear?"
"I'm sorry," Aiko apologized, bowing down gently. "I was walking back from training when I heard you, father, and Ishiro talking, and I wanted to hear if it was about Rin…. I heard that King Gaius was doubling his armies, and then father opened the door."
"Aiko," Izanagi sadly murmured as he rubbed her head, "I'm sorry…. We've still heard nothing about Rin…. However….. since you did hear about Gaius…. there's something I want to ask you…."
"Yes father?" Izanagi breathed in, and gently walked Aiko over to Izanami and Ishiro, the trio opening the door to the outside hall as they walked on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, the wood floor creak gently under the weight of the quartet of Gojirasaur. Below in the courtyard were various soldiers of the Grand Alliance Army, all training with each in various ways as an Anguirus commander barked orders from a wooden platform, watching as a Caesar stabbed a straw dummy with a spear and a Gorosaurus showed several sword movements to a bunch of young recruits.
"Would you like to sit in during the meeting Aiko?" Izanagi's question caused the younger Gojirasaur to gasp lightly in surprise. Ishiro looked at Izanagi, seeing how his eyes were shining with a sense of wistfulness, and could see the same in Izanami's eyes. "I don't think it will be very long… but if you want to, you can watch us."
"I do father," Aiko answered, a hopeful look in her eyes which Ishiro noticed. "Maybe there's gonna be news about Rin…. I really hope so."
"Don't worry Aiko," Ishiro smiled as he placed his big hand on her shoulder, right as the group reached another sliding door with two armored sentries watching over it. "I'm sure she will be safe. Young kaiju like you are stronger than most would think… and if you want… I can train you later." Aiko smiled sadly, as did Izanagi and Izanami, and stood with them as the guards slid the door open, allowing the group inside. The meditation room was a large room, with a center sand floor and several dark wooden rakes lined up against the wall alongside two decks with chairs and tables. While it would normally be a quiet room aside from a gentle breeze or rainfall on the outside, it was filled with a loud conversation among several kaiju. General Diana was there, alongside Grant, Victor, Ruby, and Prince Li. Baraguirus was nowhere to be seen, something that did not surprise anyone due to his health, and in his place was Ieyasu, his top general and second-in-command.
"Iza-sama," Ieyasu said, suddenly noticing the four Gojirasaur in the room as everyone stopped talking and looked as well. "Rhys has told you the news then?"
"Yes he has Ieyasu," Izanagi answered as he took his place among the other leaders, and so did Ishiro and Izanami while Aiko stayed near the back and watched. "What should we do? Do you know if he means to march on us?"
"Izanagi," Diana sighed, her head going low as she looked at Rhys motioned him to speak. "There's something else you should know…."
"What is it?"
"Lord Izanagi," Rhys answered…. His face looking grim. "Gaius has been doubling his armies and security in response to reports of a Gojirasaur taking out multiple assailants in various parts of Pangea. The Gojirasaur….. is said to be dressed in black and gold… and seems to be fighting similar to a member of the Hazuki clan." At this, Izanagi's eyes went wide and he buried his face in his good hand. Behind him, Izanami softly gasped and Aiko moved over to her mother, while Ishiro looked down at his hands.
"… We need….. we need to prepare for a battle," Izanagi finally said, looking at the other leaders. "I don't ask you this lightly, but if you can, will you all be able to gather your armies together in case Gaius marches against us?"
"I will be able to Iza," Diana answered, albeit quite grimly as she took out a metal fan, and unfolded it as she felt the blades on it.
"And so will Baraguirus," Ieyasu said, "I just pray it doesn't come to that."
"I can start upping my army's training more," Ruby answered, picking up a trident as she did so. "But like General Ieyasu said, I too pray this doesn't come to another battle."
"I'll die alongside my men Lord Izanagi," Prince Li answered, his determined face shining with sunlight. "If it is battle where they go, then I will go as well."
"Victor, you seem silent," Ishiro rumbled as he walked over to the Frankenstein, the latter getting up as he did so. "What are you thinking about?"
"Rest assured, my people will be willing to fight if it comes to that," Victor answered, making sure to adjust parts of his armor. "However, I somehow have a bad feeling that there is only a 75% chance that if the stalemate ends and another war breaks out, that it will not end well for anyone."
"If William were still here," Grant sighed, "I think that number would be far higher. I'll still try my best Iza…"
"Don't worry Grant," Ishiro reassured the Gorosaurus, before looking at everyone else. "I do see it possible that William MacLeod will resurface soon, as I have."
"How do you know that Ishiro?" Grant's question caused the Gojirasaur to look out a window, a look of longing on his face.
"Some things…. You never forget…" Izanagi looked at him, and then back at Izanami, his wife beckoning him to go talk with Ishiro as she took his place, and more discussions of what to do took place. Aiko continued to listen in, clutching her naginata tighter as she looked at her mother, noticing how natural she seemed to be in conversations. "….. It's not Cain Iza….. you know that right?"
"I…. I know Shiro, but for a moment…. I thought he came back from the dead," Izanagi replied, looking up at the bigger Gojirasaur, and gently grabbed his hand with his good arm. "…. Shiro…. Do you know what happened to Akira after he left you?" Ishiro looked down at Izanagi, and stared deep into his brilliant eyes.
"We were so proud of him…. you should've seen him Iza," Ishiro replied, a faint smile on his face. "But after we lost Satoshi… he left… and we never found out what happened to him."
"Do you think it's him? He looked so much like Cain….. And now….. if it is him….. I don't know what to do." Izanagi pulled his hand away from Ishiro's and looked away…. almost shamefully. "Shiro…. Do you think Rin is out there like him? What if he runs into her?"
"Listen Iza….. I am sure she is fine…. And like I said earlier, young kaiju are stronger than we think they are…. I could see the fire within Akira… and I am sure Rin has the same fire he does," Ishiro reassured the other Gojirasaur, moving his head back to talk with him face to face again. Izanagi looked up at Ishiro, and quietly closed his eyes, putting his head against his chest as Ishiro continued to talk to him. "I'm sorry I was gone so long Iza…."
"It's okay Shiro," Izanagi replied, looking back up at him again. "Can I and Izanami watch you train Aiko please? And then maybe we can show her some moves as well?"
"Sure Iza," Ishiro smiled, taking the Gojirasaur back to Izanami and Aiko as the meeting dispersed, and the kaiju started to go their separate ways.
"Have a good talk you two?" Izanami asked, smiling as she grabbed her husband's hand and then Ishiro's.
"We did my love," Izanagi answered, kissing his wife before he looked at Aiko. "Aiko honey, are you ready to train now?"
"I am father…. can you watch me and Ishiro?" Izanagi rubbed her head affectionately and nodded, smiling for the first time in a while. "Thanks father! I'll make you proud…. I promise…. and Rin will come back…. I believe it." As Aiko nearly ran to the door to get to the training chamber, the three older Gojirasaur stayed back, just for a few more moments.
"Hey, Iza, Shiro….. do you think we can ever go back to those days…? When we were so happy together?"
"I'm sure we can Nami…. One day we can… and like she said…. Our Rin will return to us…." Izanagi hugged his wife, and nuzzled her while Ishiro placed his big hands on both of their heads. "And maybe….. Akira too…."
"We will…. For my Momoko and my Satoshi we will return to them…. and Akira will be welcomed back with open arms….. for Cain and Lilith's sake…."
The Meditation Room was silent once again… except for the gentle breeze outside.
Tako Village: Unknown Territory.
At the end of the sunlit path, Akira sighed in relief when he saw a sign which simply read, "Welcome to Tako Village," and motioned for Ryu to come closer. The Anguirus was now supporting Leo on his shoulder, the moth weakly walking along as the two reached the sign, and looked at it. "There it is…. I see an inn…. come on you two…" The group walked past the sign and passed under a faded red archway, seeing several wooden and stone buildings within a clearing, surrounded by the tall trees and having several stone trails which seemed to lead to several parts of the forest. The kaiju in the village seemed to only consist of Anguirus, Baragon, and a couple of Frankenstein and Gorosaurus, along with a Caesar or two, so the trio proceeded on safely under the afternoon sun. The trio took notice of a market and a blacksmith's shop with a well-built Angurius running it, Akira and Ryu making a mental note to check their armor to see if it needed to be repaired. There were a couple of dinosaurs around as well, two stegosauri drinking out of a water trough, a hadrosaur and an iguanodon eating some foliage from bushes, and the groans of several triceratops resting in a barn. The inn itself was three stories tall, with several windows that were lit by glowstones, and the dark wood it was made out of along with the stone made it appear safe, something that Akira kept in mind as he opened the door, letting Ryu and Leo in first. The inn was well lit with a bar in the corner run by a red and yellow Gorosaurus with a pair of small horns on his head, and several tables and empty tankards on them. The main desk was occupied by a Divine Moth with yellow compound eyes and dark blue fluff along with double segmented wings that had patterns of purple, green, and red, and her clothing was a simple shirt with a few decorations on it along with a red and purple skirt. Between her desk and the bar was a hallway, along with a staircase within the hallway that no doubt led to more rooms.
"Oh hello!" The moth looked surprised as the trio approached the desk, Akira taking a small bag of gold coins out of his belt and putting it down lightly as an Anguirus came out from a room on the other side of the desk, her light green scales matching the green on the moth's wings quite well. She was wearing a short-sleeved and medium-skirted kimono with light blue trim and white fabric, and looked at Ryu as if he was someone she recognized. "Oh no… is he okay?"
"I'm fine," Leo groaned…. clutching his head as he did so. "Getting through the forest was a bit rough back there…. you have a room for the three of us?" The other moth picked up the gold, and nodded, taking out a key with the number 55 on it.
"Thank you very much miss," Ryu answered, watching as Akira took the key and the Gorosaurus from the bar came over.
"You're welcome! If you need anything, make sure you find Miyuki here," the moth answered as she grabbed the Anguirus, hugging her arm, "or you find our husband, Colin, here. Stay here as long as you need, and rest well! Oh, my name is Lora, so if you need me make sure you shout my name."
"Oh Lora," Miyuki chuckled as she kissed the moth on her cheek, "Never change, you hear me? So, how long you three been together?" Ryu and Akira looked at each other in confusion, right as Colin reached them, while Leo laughed a little bit.
"We're just traveling companions," Akira answered, scratching the back of his head. "Leo here just joined up with us, but Ryu and I have been traveling together for a few weeks by now." Miyuki simply nodded, muttering a single "Ah," and she then waved them on, the trio following Colin down the hallway and up the stairs all the way to the second floor. The Gorosaurus stopped and then unlocked a door, opening it up into their room.
"Now… if yer in need of a bath or somethin," Colin said, his gruff voice having a tinge of warmness to it as the trio walked into the room, taking the key from him, "there's a communal bath and bathroom on the first floor. Enjoy your stay, and give me a holler if ya need anythin." Colin smiled and gently shut the door, allowing the three travelers to look at their room, Leo immediately heading for a bed and flopping down on it, sighing contently. The room was medium sized, with a single glass window that could latch open, and wooden walls that were carved with depictions of what appeared to be mythological figures, and even a couple of dinosaurs. The hardwood floor had three beds and a table near the entry way, along with a simple metal wood burning stove, a counter with utensils for cooking, and a metal pipe going up the celling to expel any fumes outside. Leo sat up on the bed, while Ryu and Akira looked around, sitting down on the bed across from Leo, looking at the moth directly. The beds themselves were simple white mattresses stuffed with straw and with brown dyed sheets, keeping it relatively simple. Ryu sighed, placing his face in his hands as he set his axe down while Akira clutched the handle of his Tachi, thinking about what had happened earlier.
"Those things…. What were they? You saved us back there Leo," Ryu finally spoke, looking up at the moth who sat quietly on the bed. "Scarab was one thing…. but these….. whoever is behind them is…. a sorcerer almost."
"You're not wrong there Ryu," Leo grunted, rubbing one of his scythe arms gently, "Those things…. Monsters…. reeked of darkness. Whoever made them is tampering with dark forces, and whoever it is might be making more as we speak. Hazuki… are you okay?" Akira looked up from his tachi handle, seeing the both of them looking at him.
"I'm fine…. I'm just thinking about something," Akira answered, his voice especially low right now. "I saved his life…. should I have done that?"
"….. Hazuki, we haven't seen the assassin since that attack." Ryu put his hand on Akira's shoulder, trying to get the Gojirasaur to listen. "If he was going to kill us… he would've while we were going through the forest."
"He's right Hazuki," Leo added, rubbing his other scythe arm. "Besides…. Something tells me his heart's not really in it… And he has been fighting the third faction too… so maybe he's not what you think he is."
"…. I don't know Leo…. I'm still going to keep my guard up, you two should as well," Akira said, a sad expression on his face. "….. I'm sorry… I'm not used to being with other kaiju yet…."
"Hey, it's okay Hazuki," Ryu reassured him, starting to rub the Gojirasaur's shoulder. "We can take care of ourselves…. And you'll get used to it…." Akira looked at Ryu, noticing the Anguirus smiling sadly at him… "It's been awhile since I've been around other kaiju….."
"I know that feeling," Leo followed, lying back down on the bed as he breathed in deeply. "Look…. we need to rest here for tonight okay? So if you two need to go out to do anything, I'll stay here and watch the room."
"Well, I can cook some dinner here soon," Ryu answered, checking the packs of each kaiju for their food. "Plus I'm gonna run down to the market and restock there. What about you Hazuki?"
"I'm going down to the blacksmith's," Akira answered as he reached into his shirt, and felt the armor underneath. "I want to see if my armor needs a touch up. I'll be leaving my broadsword here… make sure you watch it."
"Sure thing, stay safe out there you two," Leo answered, watching Akira remove the broadsword from his back, while Ryu kept his axe strapped to his back.
"We will Leo. Rest now." Akira and Ryu both headed for the door, while the moth watched them both, and then turning to look at the broadsword, holding his own weapon as his wings spread out. As soon as the two kaiju were out of the moth's earshot, Ryu whispered, "Akira…. What's going on?"
"Those creatures Ryu…. I can't stop thinking about them…. they would've killed us if it weren't for Leo." Akira was talking in a hushed voice as was Ryu, the two of them opening up the door and Akira making sure that Leo could access the lock if necessary. "…. I think they know we're trying to stop them now."
"Then it means they're scared right? Someone's finally standing up to them…. I don't think anyone has before," Ryu whispered, the two moving down the hallway to the stairs.
"Ryu…. Are you okay? There's something weighing on you heavily…." Ryu looked at Akira, and shook his head.
"Hey, don't worry about me. Look… I'm just a bit stressed from what happened back there, but it's nothing a quick trip to the market can't fix." The two finished walking down the stairs and passed by Colin, leaving the Inn as they did so.
"Well…. okay Ryu…. Stay on your guard while we're out here okay?" The two were now looking at each other, the midday sun giving them a warm orange glow. "…. Something tells me the kaiju in black is involved with this…. but I don't know." Akira looked at Ryu, the Anguirus smiling as he placed his hand on his shoulder, and regarded the other warrior.
"You be careful too partner, okay?" Ryu could see the Gojirasaur's face… a small blush coming to his own face as he saw the glow bring out his handsome features, before he turned away and headed for the market. As soon as he saw Akira disappear into the blacksmith's shop, Ryu's smile faded away, and the Anguirus leaned against a building as a dull pain rang throughout his head. "I'm such an idiot…. I'm a fraud…. I'm still not ready for this…. how am I supposed to help them? I respect Akira so much as a warrior….. but who am I kidding? He's better than me…. he really is… I'm sorry grandpa… but maybe Lord Ieyasu is more fit to be King than me….. I care about them too much…. And yet I still can't tell them yet…" Breathing in sharply, Ryu composed himself, and walked up to take a look at some watermelon… praying that Miyuki had not recognized him as….. the heir to King Baraguirus's throne and to all Anguirus. She seemed happy with her lovers, which made Ryu's heart feel warm as he thought about how much Gojo and Leo had been in love with each other, and the moment where Akira had confided in him for the first time.
On the outskirts of the town in the forest, there was a small fire, and standing in the dim yellow glow was Helios, the Ghidorah examining his wounds as a small mammal roasted over the fire, and one of his heads drank some water from his bag. "I still have their scent… so I'll attack when I get another chance….. but those things….. he saved my life…. what do I do?"
Tako Village was peaceful that day.
Castle Augustus: Imperial Alliance Territory.
"My king, please listen to reason!" A loud crash echoed throughout the halls of Castle Augustus, almost causing Nostradamus to wince as he glided down the stone stairs to the war room. The Rodan made sure to put his hand against one of the cool walls to stead himself, sighing as he heard another shout and glass shatter. Nostradamus was a fairly old Rodan, which a slight hunch along with his dull brown and red scales all over his body showed. His yellow eyes also seemed dull from age, and his once handsome face seemed to lack the luster it once had, with the exception of his head horns, themselves still as sharp looking as they were when he had been young. His beak was shorter than most Rodan, and while it was just as sharp, it lacked the wear that one would find on most Rodan beaks. His claws clicked on the stone steps while he continued to move down the steps, more shouts echoing throughout the passageway. He was clad in a simple brown robe, which hid his chest spikes as well as his two wings, which like the rest of his body were showing their age. Once, Nostradamus could soar high in the skies, flying past clouds and looking down at the Earth below, seeing mixtures of green, brow, grey, black, red, and blue, always reminding him of how tiny they were in the universe. But now, all he could do was fly lower now, a slower kaiju, one that could've touched the clouds once. Time had stolen a lot from Nostradamus, but there was one thing it could never steal, something that kept his mind buzzing as he gently opened up the door to the war room. "Nostradamus, you're here!" A Zilla soldier ran over quickly, a frightened look on his face as he grabbed the Rodan's shoulders and nearly shook him. "King Gaius is losing it!"
"Calm down calm down," Nostradamus reassured the solider as he took his hands off of his shoulders. "The King is… in one of his moods again….. Let me talk to him." The Zilla nodded, and let the Rodan by, allowing him to take a look at the war room. The room itself was circular, with a beautifully multi-colored tiled floor and a similar tiled ceiling depicting Metphies encircling the Earth. On the walls and next to the silver and gold doors on the sides were racks and racks of various weapons, mostly for decoration but also as trophies from battles long past. The two windows to the outside were closed of course, and faint sunlight was shining through them, illuminating a massive map of Pangea which was marked in various colors, each color showing which territory was owned by each faction. There was a circular stone table in the middle of the room, and on it were miniature statues of various kaiju, with quite a few of them lying face down or on their sides in puddles of red wine and a shattered wine glass. Leaning over the table was King Gaius, today clad in a green robe with some black decorations, and a furious look on all three of his faces. Several sentries stood near the doors, each having a look of fear in their faces, and on Gaius's left was Lord Hedorah, standing stoically behind him as he almost always seemed to do now. Grandmaster Mars was looking out of one of the windows, his hands behind his back while his right head kept its eyes on the kaiju in the room. "My king, my lord," Nostradamus announced, bowing down before the king, "What ails you so much?" As always, the kaiju kept his disdain hidden with a hint of respect, of which was all too easy to fake with King Gaius.
"What ails me?! Your prophecies are what ail me! You told me that a Hazuki clan member would lead me to my death," Gaius bellowed, slamming his fists onto the table and glaring at the Rodan. "So I get rid of them all, and what do my men tell me?! CAIN HAZUKI HAS COME BACK FROM THE DEAD!" Nostradamus growled a bit as he could still see the seething dragon, noticing how his angry expression had turned into one of fear. The one thing that time would never steal from Nostradamus would be the damned gift of prophecy, something that he had discovered when he had fallen asleep one day as a child, and saw a vision of his mother and father receiving the news that the two would be required to meet with Princess Izel. The next day, he told this to his parents, and while they laughed it off, they soon were greeted by a messenger who told them Princess Izel required their presence. And so, it would come to pass that this gift would stay with Nos for most of his life, even when he met his beloved Isabella, so he would make a living off of it, having fellow kaiju come to a small shop he ran and telling them their potentinal future. Unfortunately, this would lead to the Golden Kingdom discovering a Rodan who could tell the future, and thus he would find himself torn away from Isabella, because the royal family felt as if having a fortune teller by their side, then they would win the war. Of course, what they never understood was that the gift of prophecy never would happen the way they would expect it to, and so here was Nos now, standing there stoically as Gaius screamed at him. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! I WON'T LET HIM TAKE MY DESTINY AWAY FROM ME! I"VE ALREADY DOUBLED MY ARMIES, AND NOW I NEED YOU TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO NEXT!"
"All I saw in that vision, my King, was your death," Nos responded, clasping his hands together. "And that a Hazuki would be involved in your death somehow. If anything…. it seems as if the prophecy is finally coming true…. Especially considering how you seem to be worrying yourself over a random sighting." The massacre of the Hazuki Clan was something that Nostradamus never saw in his visions, and learning of it was what sealed his hatred of King Gaius, among other things.
"SHUT UP!" Gaius limped over to Nostradamus and towered over the Rodan, his red eyes burning with fear and anger still. "It's not random! I know it…. I know it… he's back…." Nos huffed and started to walk away, leaving the King to stew in his anger. "Get back here you stupid beakbrain! TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE SEEN!"
"Hm. I'm sorry, I have had no visions recently my king," Nos responded calmly, gripping the door handle and opening the door. "But if I do have some later, I'll let you know what I have seen. Then you can plan accordingly… if you will." With that, Nostradamus walked in and shut the door, leaving a furious Gaius in the war room as he moved up the stairs again, quietly heading back to his living quarters. As soon as he reached the simple brown wooden door, he opened it gently and walked inside, letting it creak shut. His quarters were medium sized and fairly simple, with only one window and a writing desk underneath it, a small kitchen and some furniture, and two beds next to a closet. Nos sighed as he sat down on a chair, and rubbed his brow, feeling a small pain in his head. "….. Doubling his armies…. He will destroy himself…. and us with him…. I can only pray the Grand Alliance got my message. For all of Pangea's sake…." One of the beds suddenly creaked, and Nos looked up, seeing its denizen looking at him. "Hello Marcus… how are you my boy?"
"He was yelling again wasn't he? I'm okay Nos…. I just… I didn't want him to hurt you," sighed a young Ghidorah. Marcus was a young member of his species around 26 years of age, and having very light golden scales, as well as his three handsome heads having neatly trimmed manes. His wings were medium sized and he had a very athletic build much like a warrior, no doubt due to his training regimen that he made sure to follow very closely. Marcus got up carefully from his bed, only wearing a simple white shirt and some black pants as he walked over to Nostradamus, rubbing one of his arms as he winced in pain.
"Don't worry Marcus, he won't hurt me," Nos answered, letting the young Ghidorah approach him. "I'm too important to him to win this damn war…. Besides, it's you who I'm worried about harming…." Marcus glanced down with all three of his heads, and Nos reached out, touching the young Ghidorah's arm to feel the damaged scales, seeing how some of them were still black.
"But, you're so old Nos, and father is…. I'm supposed to be king next. Nos, do you think I'll turn out like him?" The Rodan stood up, while the Ghidorah kept his necks short so he could look at him eye to eye, and put his hands on his shoulders gently.
"Look here Marcus…. You are not him, you are you, and from what I've seen… you are a wise young Ghidorah," Nostradamus answered, smiling slightly at his young ward. "I've been blessed for 20 years to watch you grow and to teach you all I know… and I do believe you will be a good king. Now I don't need a vision for that…. I can just see it by looking at you my boy." He removed his hands, and watched as Marcus picked off the scales, letting them fall to the floor gently. The wound was healed then, sealing up completely and causing several more golden scales to take the place of the ones that had been blackened.
"You really think so? What about Izel, Vladimir and the others? And what about the Grand Alliance?" Marcus's question made the Rodan put his hand underneath his chin and think for a few minutes.
"Don't worry, they're all reasonable Marcus," Nostradamus answered as he put his hands down, walking over to the desk under the window. "They want to end this war as much as anyone does… so you have nothing to worry about my boy."
"Hey… thanks Nos," Marcus answered, wrapping his heads around the Rodan's body as he hugged him from the back. "I'm gonna get dressed and start my training… what about you?"
"Oh nothing much boy," Nos replied, gently resting his head on the desk. "I'm going to rest up here some. Be careful Marcus." Nos gently shut his eyes as a sharp pain shot throughout his head, and before him came a blurred image, as it always would whenever a vision occurred.
Before Nostradamus lay a battlefield, a light grassy ground that was stained in red, and blacked in other areas, with quite a few pieces of land being uprooted as several craters dotted the landscape. Kaiju, ranging from Gojirasaur to Divine Moths and to Ghidorah and Rodan, littered the landscape in prone, lifeless forms with pieces of armor and weapons lying on or sticking out of the ground, with a couple of dinosaurs and mounts as well. Some of the bodies were intact and others were in pieces, with pools of blood forming underneath them as thick black smoke filled the air, blocking out the sun with an orange glow, giving the battlefield a haunting look as Nostradamus gasped for breath, his eyes wide with horror. Then, he could see the smoke seemingly rising up, forming into a shape… twisted and writhing as laughter echoed throughout the vision. Nostradamus desperately backed away when the thing suddenly noticed him and reached out, only for something to come out of the sky and slice into the creature with a sword, a howl of pain emanating from it as it backed away. The savior got up, and before Nos stood a Gojirasaur clad in a black and gold shirt with black pants and silver armor, holding a Tachi and a Wakizashi as he faced down the creature. The two charged at each other and…
"OH!" Nos woke up from his trance with a start, looking around his room as he panted heavily, clutching his chest. Marcus had left already, something which gave the Rodan a small bit of relief, right as he looked down at where he had rested his head. "This vision….. there's something terrible that will happen…. Whoever you are, last survivor…. I wish you luck on your journey… we'll need all the luck in the world…." Nostradamus got up, and looked into a small mirror next to his bed, seeing his bloodshot eyes reflected in it. "Whatever you are, creature of darkness…. You will fall….."
Back in the war room, Gaius stood where Nostradamus had been for a few more seconds, before he turned back at the table, and knocked several statues off it, sending them clattering to the floor. "Uuuurrgghhh….. Lord Hedorah, tell me… do you think it is Cain Hazuki back from the dead?" Mars still stood in front of the window, his right head joining the other two as he scanned the ground below. The camps had grown in size, to the point where there was barely any space left for any more to join, and below he could see a good mix of kaiju in what was once a kingdom of mostly Ghidorah, quite a few of them looking out of place and as if they wished they could be back home.
"Now my king, I do not think it is Cain Hazuki back from the dead," Hedorah answered as he walked over to Gaius, and gently placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Nor do I think it is a member of the Hazuki Clan, but just simply a Gojirasaur trying to drive you mad." Gaius stopped panting heavily, and yet still clutched his fists while Mars looked back once again, curious to see what would happen.
"Regardless of who it is… this Dagon….. I will send out an order to any soldier who spots this Gojirasaur to engage and destroy him," Gaius growled, "And as for you…. is there anything you can do? After all, you did warn me of the dangers of the Hazuki Clan, so it should be easy for you to deal with this."
"Hm? What do you mean exactly?" It was quite easy for Hedorah to seem as if he had no idea what the king wanted, all to make him feel at ease. "Would you like me to… ahem… hire mercenaries? Bandits?" Hedorah himself grinned underneath his bandaged face, noticing how the king was looking at him with the upmost trust. Making sure the fool's mind was at ease would help, especially considering the issues the last Hazuki was causing him.
"Yes…. Yes… Perfect!" Gaius smiled, and then sighed happily. "They'll get rid of him for any price…. And then if the Grand Alliance wants to protect him… it gives me all the more reason to crush them where they stand."
"My student is still tracking down Dagon, my king," Mars said, moving his heads to look back out the window. "I won't stop you if you wish to hire such scum to try and kill him… but I can assure you that you shouldn't be surprised if they fail."
"Either way my king," Hedorah continued on, moving in front of Gaius as his distinct red eyes burned into the king's eyes, "You can put all of your fears to rest now. Now… you know that your meeting with Phobos is occurring soon, so shouldn't you be more focused on making sure we can secure him and the rest of the Battra in our alliance?"
"Yes Lord Hedorah," Gaius answered, limping over to one of the side doors as the sentries opened it for him and the rest followed. "I knew I could trust you…. more than anyone else other than Mars." With that, the doors slammed, leaving Mars and Hedorah behind in the war room, the latter reaching into his robes and taking something out of them.
"You do realize Hedorah, that it is very possible that our king will not be able to secure Phobos's alliance," Mars said as he finally left the window and walked near the other kaiju. "And you do realize that your hired mercenaries may not be able to eliminate Dagon?"
"Oh Mars," Hedorah said, looking at a big yellow and brown striped spider in his gloved palm, its legs raised up as it hissed at him. "You'd be surprised."
Unknown Battleground.
On an old battleground in the misty, cloud-covered daylight, there lay the remains and rubble of a temple. And within the temple, a Zilla in a dark robe ran for his life, trying not to slip in the blood that stained the dirty stone floor. He was dark brown and red in color, and he held onto a black serrated blade as he continued to run, footsteps echoing from the other end of the hall he was in. The arched empty windows offered him no solace, only revealing a light grey mist over deep green grassy fields and several bodies lying in front of the windows. The Zilla suddenly tripped and slammed into a wall, getting up slowly as he realized the rest of the pathway was blocked off by piles and piles of rubble, and nearly scrambled as his tail whipped around and he pointed his sword up at a dark shape approaching him through the mist. A low growl echoed throughout the hall as the shape got closer, the Zilla standing up shakily as he kept his sword pointed at the figure, who slowly stepped out of the mist, the smallest amount of light illuminating him. The kaiju was Gorosaurus with light grey-blue scales, which were yellow near his front from the front of his neck all the way down to his chest. He had a pair of short horns on the top of his head, showing some carnotaurus ancestry present in his bloodline, and a single row of headspikes that ran down the back of his head all the way down his muscular back and his massive tail. He was very muscular, and was clad in a one sleeve purple and gold trim shirt which exposed the right part of his chest and arm, a blue and green plaid sash that was tied on his left shoulder with a silver emblem and went all the way down to his right hip, a black leather gauntlet on his right wrist, gold pants that seemed to be puffed, and black and silver ringed shin guards. In normal circumstances, he might have been seen as someone of high class, or rather a clan leader among normal Gorosaurai. However, the clothes and parts of his body were stained a deep red with a few more colors as well, and in his right hand was a claymore, the silver blade also fresh with blood as well as its crossguard. The Zilla swung his sword, only for the Gorosaurus to grab the blade in his free hand, and to glare down at the unfortunate kaiju with his piercing blue eyes. The slits in his eyes were very narrow, almost predatory as some blood dripped from the hand gripping the blade, and a low growl rumbled from his throat as he snapped the blade in half, and then quickly swung his claymore. The Zilla's arm went flying to the side, and as he tried to scream in pain, the Gorosaurus grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him over his head. "….."
"Wait, wait, wait," the Zilla pleaded, feeling his throat slowly growing tighter and the glare pierce through his very soul. "I'll give you anything, anything. P-p-please d-don't! I was only followin-URK!" The Gorosaurus dug his fangs into the Zilla's neck, and pulled away as bone crunched and flesh tore off, tossing away the Zilla's jugular before he swung his claymore downward again, slicing the front of the Zilla's robe and slim body open. The Zilla's eyes rolled back in his head as he gurgled, and his entrails fell to the ground with a wet thud, to which the Gorosaurus simply tossed the body to the side, and roared up to the sky as his slits went back to their normal size. Panting heavily, he looked at his wounded hand and snorted just a bit as he walked over to the dead cultist, ripping off a piece of his robe to bind the wound while using the unstained parts of the robe to clean off his claymore, putting it away in a sheath hidden by his sash.
"Hm." The Gorosaurus snorted some, and then walked down the long hallway, hearing nothing but the crackling of a dying fire, and his own footsteps echoing through the temple. As he left the hallway, he came to a bigger room where there were several collapsed pillars on the ground along with bodies of more robed kaiju. The grey sky could be seen through a hole, and the dim natural light revealed an altar in the middle of the collapsed pillar… and the body of a Gorosaurus child lying on top of it, his throat cut open and his eyes closed as if he was sleeping peacefully. The Gorosaurus walked up to the altar, gently picking up the child and slowly walked outside, sighing deeply as he looked one more time at the temple.
The battlefield had been long abandoned, with the remnants of weapons, armor, and the ruins of a temple being the only evidence among a grassy field with patches of light brown that there had been kaiju there at one point. The Gorosaurus silently urged on Garaidh, his dark grey and black triceratops covered in battle scars and a broken left horn, the dinosaur snorting as he and his master rode on through the battle ground. Garaidh stopped and growled a bit as the Gorosaurus dismounted, and rubbed his frill. The triceratops then ran forward and quickly impaled something with one of his horns, tossing it back at the Gorosaurus. It was a kaiju in a black robe, a Gargantua to be exact, but he did not care, and he quickly put on the robe. "Stay here Gar." He walked through the rest of the battleground, hearing a strange eerie chanting coming from the temple and then quickly ran over past two sentries who looked at him in surprise.
He was too late.
The robed cultists all looked at him, his hood having fallen down as he saw the blood flowing from the child down the altar, his eyes wide with horror. "Brother, you've arrived late," a Zilla said, taking his hood down while he held the knife that did the job. "Have you nothing to say to us?" The Gorosaurus's vision started to slowly turn red as he saw the lifeless child lying there, and his entire body shook as his blood began to heat up, a low growl emanating from his throat as his shock started to burn away. He grabbed his claymore from his back and shredded his robe as he saw the cultists back away in fear, his eyes narrowing as he only roared one thing.
"NO MERCY!"
The Gorosaurus knelt over the dirt mound silently, putting up a marker from a stone he had found, and sighed heavily, a small teardrop falling from his eye. Gar emerged from his hiding place, and walked over to his master, moving his beaked mouth underneath his arm. The Gorosaurus looked down at himself, noticing he was still covered in blood, and stroked Gar's beak, looking sadly at the triceratops and back at the small grave. Breathing in, he stood up and mounted the dinosaur's saddle, pointing him in another direction as he looked back at the tiny grave once more, and another memory came to his mind.
"William? Where are ya at dear? Dinner's almost ready." The Gorosaurus was bent over a small crib, smiling down at a giggling smaller Gorosaurus with violet and yellow scales, a pair of tiny horns, and wide green eyes, his tiny hands gripping onto his finger. "Ah, playing with Conner again huh?" William turned around and saw Freya standing there with her arms crossed, his smile growing even wider. "Oh you…. we both made him ya know?"
"An' he's wonderful my love," William laughed a bit, picking up the baby and holding him close to his face, to which Freya smiled. "Got a bit of yer temper though." Freya was a Gorosaurus with violet and red scales, emerald green eyes, and while she lacked the horns William had, she was just as well built as he was and still carried a fierce yet beautiful look much like William's fierce but handsome look. William was wearing a white buttoned up shirt and brown pants, while Freya was wearing a short sleeved green and blue dress, which was not what they usually wore.
"Aye. That may be true, but don't worry Will," Freya answered as she walked over to her husband, kissing him on his cheek. "I think you and I both could make sure wee Conner here will be just fine." William smiled once again, and gave her a one armed hugged, hearing the excited giggles of his son.
"I'm sorry little one," William whispered to the grave, before he turned away and urged Gar forward as the clouds started to clear a bit, the two slowly disappearing into the horizon.
William MacLeod had lost track of the amount of years he had spent alone….. and yet he did not care.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, it's me again, and I'm back with a brand new chapter of Godzilla: War for Pangea! I am sorry if this took a little too long to write, but I wanted to make sure it would be as good as possible, especially considering the amount of events that happen in it. Of course there might be a few errors I missed so I'll always come back and edit if necessary. So, quite a lot happened in this chapter, Helios finally got a proper introduction, our trio and him became the targets of Lord Hedorah's monsters and while they are safe now they are now deeper than they thought they would be, the Grand Alliance and the Imperial Alliance know of their actions now, and there's a new player on the field in the form of William, so anything can happen now. Here is the voice cast with plenty of new additions.
Jonah Scott as Akira Hazuki/the Ronin (Heisei Godzilla).
Carrie Keranen as Rin (Mix of Godzilla 2000 and Vs Megagurius).
Griffin Puatu as Ryu (Heisei Anguirus).
Yuri Lowenthal as Leo (Mothra Leo).
Dante Basco as Helios (Legendary Ghidorah).
Quinton Flynn as Ramirez (Legendary Rodan).
John Rhys-Davies as William (Original Horned Gorosaurus).
Paul St. Peter as Lord Hedorah (Both Showa and Final Wars Hedorah).
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Grandmaster Mars (Grand-King Ghidorah).
Orson Welles as Anti-God.
Patrick Seitz as Izanagi (Kiryu Saga Godzilla).
Ken Watanabe as Ishiro (Legendary Godzilla).
Vanessa Marshall as Izanami (Godzilla 2000).
Richard Epcar as King Gaius (Showa Ghidorah).
Corey Burton as Nostradamus (1964 Rodan).
Phil LaMarr as King Baraguirus (Showa Anguirus).
Johnny Yong Bosch as Gojo (Adult Godzilla Jr) and Prince Li (Showa King Caesar).
Steven Yeun as Prince Marcus (Heisei Ghidorah).
Susan Eisenberg as General Diana (Mothra Mix).
Laura Bailey as Queen Izel (Fire Rodan) and Queen Ruby (GMK Baragon).
Fred Tatasciore as Vladimir (Organic Gigan) and Grant (Gorosaurus).
Kevin Michael Richardson as Kabuto (Megalon).
Dee Bradley Baker as Siegfried (Varan) and Victor (Toho Frankenstein).
Clancy Brown as Scarab (Original Megalon Design).
Mark Hamill as Captain Orga (1964 Godzilla).
Grey Griffin as Aiko (Mix of 2000 and Kiryu Saga) and Miyuki (Original Anguirus Design).
Jennifer Hale as Freya (Original Gorosaurus Design).
Matthew Mercer as Lord Ieyasu (Final Wars Angurius).
Lara Jay Miller as Lora (Mothra Mix).
Everyone as Charade (1955 Godzilla).
Next time in War for Pangea, in Tako Village the trio try to rest after the incident in the forest, but after they leave they come to a bridge, where they face a warrior they've never seen the likes of. And what else can you expect? Find out next time in Godzilla: War for Pangea!
See you all next time and stay safe. Don't be afraid to leave feedback or recommend this fanfic to anyone seeking Godzilla fanfiction out there.
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