A lot of what you'll see in this story is Dark souls and Skyrim inspired. Even the character Koga himself Is based around my love of greatswords and a manga/anime series named Berserk. So don't be surprised when you see a reference here and there!
Chapter 2 – The Princess, The Elf, The demon and The Wanderer Part 2
"Oh…just look at you…you're such a precious little girl…"
Bean laughs as she was picked up by her mother, Queen Dagmar. Dagmar held her daughter closely in her arms. She smiled at her as baby bean began laughing and giggling. "Oh Sweetheart, you're destined for great things. You will be the key that this world needs. You'll see soon my love." Dagmar said softly, as she kissed Bean on her head. That's when her mother's voice began to fade out and it was replaced by the sound of another familiar voice.
"Bean come on! Wake up! Bean!" shouted Elfo as he was gently shaking Bean.
Bean lets out a groan and she slowly opened her eyes. "Elfo?" she said softly, looking over at the green elf.
"Oh thank god!" Elfo said in relief "You're ok!"
Bean slowly lies up while holding her head. Bean then suddenly felt a sharp pain in her arm. "OW!" she yells.
"Bean be careful! You have a bad cut on your right arm!" said Elfo, worriedly.
Bean looked around and saw that the four of them were all in a small dark hole. The only source of light was the fire that was brimming from Luci's tail. "How long was I out for?" She asked in a groggy tone.
"About a minute or so…" Elfo replied.
Bean looks up and sees the hole they fell through. "That's a long climb up…"
"And that's why we're not going to climb," said Koga "We're not in a hole. We're actually in an underground dungeon. Areas like this are made hundreds, maybe even centuries ago. It's not surprising the place is collapsing in. That's how we ended up down here." He said as he gets to his feet. Luci walked forward, revealing the pathway straight ahead of them. "Only way out, is forward."
"What do you think is down here?" Elfo asked timidly.
"Who knows," Luci replied "Demons bigger than me, monsters and skeletons."
"That's not funny Luci!" Elfo snapped at him with a glare.
"The cat's not wrong." Koga agreed, and Luci grumbled at being called a cat. There's a good chance those things would be down here,"
"Oh…well that just makes everything better…" said Elfo, letting out a defeated sigh.
"Enough jabbering, we need to get moving," Koga said as he picks up his greatsword and places it around his back.
"OW!" Bean let out a louder painful shriek as she held her arm. She looked at the cut and saw that blood was seeping through. "Oh great…now I'm going to lose an arm…"
"N-No there has to be some way to take care of this!" Elfo said fearfully.
"I think it'll be pretty cool for you to be known as the princess with one arm!" Luci said, letting out an evil laugh.
Koga walks over to Bean and kneels to her. He reaches into his pocket to take out a small jar that had a green cream in it. He opens the jar and placed it on the stone floor. "Let me see your arm," He asked as she reached out to her.
"Don't touch me! I'll take care of it myself," Bean replied resentfully.
"Look just let me take a look at it ok? I have something that will help. Trust me." Koga said staring into Beans eyes. Bean was hesitant at first, but this pain was immense, and if he did have something that would help she didn't have a choice. Bean sighed, "Fine…" She let Koga see her arm. Koga rolled up Beans sleeve to reveal the large cut that was dripping blood onto the ground
"Damn…that is a nasty cut, that's going to use up all of this," said Koga, as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a jar that was full of green cream and he opened it. He then dips his two fingers into the opened jar covering it in the cream and then rubs it on Beans wound. Bean winces and shuts her eyes tightly as her wound felt like it was burning "OW OW OW! THAT STINGS!" She cried, her legs began squirming and kicking forward at the ground.
"Just hold still will you?" said Koga, he reaches into his pocket once more to pull out a roll of white tape. He unravels the white tape and then wraps it around Bean's wound and tied it. "There, all done. See? Wasn't so bad was it?" He lowers Beans sleeve.
"What was that stuff?" Elfo asked curiously.
Koga looked between Bean and Elfo "You two act like you haven't seen Medicinal Ointment before," said Koga as he placed the tape and ointment back into his pocket.
"Medicinal what?" Bean asked confused
"It's a remedy used to treat cuts. As a wanderer like myself who gets into a lot of crazy situations I have to have this." Koga explained, "Now that that's done, we need to get moving." Koga takes out his short sword and cuts the binding ropes that were tied around Bean, Elfo, and Luci "Just in case we do end up running into something we can't be tied down. Just don't run away from me when we get to the top ok buckteeth?" Koga smirked at Bean.
"Call me that again and I'll use these buckteeth to bite out your spine," Bean said glaring at Koga.
"Ooooh scary," Koga said, letting out sarcastic fake tones of being intimidated.
With that said and done. The four of them began to tread down the path ahead, lead by Luci. As they walk further down the path, the area around them began to expand giving them more room to spread out. After a few minutes or so of walking, they finally reached a large wooden door.
Bean walked forward and tried to push it open. "UGH! It's locked!" She groaned.
"Step aside princess," said Koga as Bean did just that. He lifts his leg and kicks open the doors sending them flying across the room on the inside.
"Noice!" said Luci as he walks in. Luci looks around, he spots a torch on the wall and he climbs up and lights it. Once the torch was lit, the whole room was lit up. The light had revealed a large library full of books and a variety of items. In the middle of the room was a table that had worn yellow papers and more books stacked up on top of each other and an iron box with a lock on it.
"Whoa…" Awed Elfo as he steps into the room.
"So we discovered an underground Library? How exciting," said Bean with obvious fake enthusiasm as she walks around staring at the bookshelves.
"Just be careful where you touch, we don't know if this stuff is booby-trapped," said Koga cautiously as he looked around for an exit.
"Hehehe…Booby," Elfo giggled to himself.
"Oh don't worry oh mighty wanderer, I'll try and hold back my curiosity of the wondrous world of books," said Bean, with much sass and sarcasm.
"Thank you, your highness, you didn't peg me as the one who reads much," Koga fired back with a grin.
Bean just rolled her eyes. But then her eyes had fallen upon the small chest that was sitting on the table. Luci walks over and climbs up to Beans shoulder his eyes on the chest too.
"Whatcha thinks in it?" Luci asked her.
"No idea," Bean replied shaking her head.
"Wanna open it?"
"I do but…tall dark and cocky over there is right, we might set off a trap,"
"Oh come on, even if the traps are here there's no way that they're working after all this time,"
Suddenly the sound of a clank went off and a bolt shoots out near Elfo but was thankfully caught by Koga. Koga glares down at Elfo, who lets out a nervous chuckle. "Thanks…" He said softly. Koga just tosses the bolt away and continues to look for an exit.
"Except for that one," said Luci, looking over at Elfo. "Yeah, that was probably the only one."
"Well…even if we did we don't have a key," said Bean "And if we carried this it'd only slow us down."
"Allow me!" said Luci hopping off Bean's shoulder and landing on the table. He turns around and placed his tail in the box and began working around inside of it "Come on…just a little more…" Then there was a loud click that filled the room.
Koga and Elfo turned around "What the heck are you two doing?" He said as he and Elfo walked over to them.
"Letting Curiosity get the best of us," Luci replied as he opens the iron box.
They all looked inside the box, and their eyes widened. Bean reached in and pulled out what looked like a dagger. It was sparked with black and red scales that coated it, and the tip of it was made up like a key.
"What the heck is this?" Bean said, tilting the dagger around in her to get a better look at it.
"Looks like a Dagger…" said Elfo, staring at the sparkling red and black scales.
"Way to state the obvious buddy," Luci retorted.
"That's Dragon scales…" said Koga.
"Huh?" Bean looked at Koga.
"And it's not a dagger…that's made up like a key…"
"Wait wait hold on, so we run into a Dragon today and we find a scaly dragon key in an underground passageway?" said Bean, looking between Koga, Elfo, and Luci.
"Do you think the lock is somewhere in this underground area?" Elfo asked, looking at Koga.
Koga looked on the table where the papers were laid. He picks up one of them and tries to read it. "These papers are so old I can barely read them. Doesn't help it's written in that scribble bullcrap…"
"You mean cursive writing?" asked Bean
"Yeah whatever the hell that is," said Koga, frustrated.
"Here let me see it," said Bean taking the paper and reading it. "At last I have found the key that unlocks the dragon's keep. It took me years to search for it. So many painful years but I have finally found it. Now that it is in my possession…I can finally destroy it?"
"Destroy it?" said Elfo shocked.
Bean placed the paper down and picked up the next "The key to the dragon keep is unbreakable. This is a problem. No sword or any type of magic can destroy this key. All I can do now is hide it. I fear I may never see my love again…"
"That…sounds sad…" said Elfo, his ears drooping
Bean then placed the paper back down on the table and searched for the next one. Bean picks up a paper that has more writing on it than the last two. "If anyone finds this…I hope you are selfless and full of heart. My name is Oscar, and I am a man who has been studying Dragons for all of my life. The Dragons of this world are important sacred creatures and they must be protected. They hold power that must not fall into anyone's hands. Only I know the truth…and will die with it." Bean finished reading "That's it…" she said placing the paper down. "Wow…that's…just…wow…"
"So we're holding a key to a secret that unlocks something to do with Dragons?" Luci said, staring at the key. "I say we keep it for ourselves and sell it!"
"Or maybe we bury it and leave it at that? I mean this sounds like some really dangerous stuff guys," said Elfo worriedly. "Didn't you hear what the note said? Whoever this Oscar guy was someone probably killed him! There are people out there looking for this key!"
"Elfo's right," said Bean "We should just leave it here and-" Bean was then cut off by the sound of a loud clicking noise, followed by the sound of one of the bookshelves moving. The four of them turned around to face a man, covered in chainmail armor. His hair was brown along with his goatee, and there was a long scar going down the right side of his face and he was accompanied by five other strangers that were also wearing chainmail armor.
"Well, what do we have here?" said, Noland as he walked into the room. "Ah, you're Princess TiaBeanie of Dreamland? What in the world are you doing in here?" His voice was deep and raspy.
"Umm…what, who are you?" Bean said surprised as she hid the red and black dragon key behind her back.
"The name is Noland. I am out on a quest to seek a key that should be right in this room," Noland looks over at the box, and then at Bean, seeing that she hid something behind her back. "I take it that…it's behind your back?"
"Umm…No," said Bean holding up both of her hands.
Koga had taken the key from Beans hands. But, to her surprise, he holds it up to them.
"HEY!" said Bean, glaring at him. "What the heck?"
"What's special about this key? Why do you want it so much?" Koga asked curiously
"That is none of your concern," said Noland sternly, placing his angry gaze upon Koga. He then began staring at Koga. Of course, he couldn't see all too well with just one eye, but Koga began to look familiar to him.
"Well, I'm pretty curious as to why some random goons are after this special key," said Koga, tossing the key into the air and catching it. "Especially goons that belong to the Order of The Sword."
"Order of the what?" Bean perplexed
"Oooh, this is getting good…" Luci said rubbing his hands in excitement
"The Order of the sword was founded 10 years ago. They're a group that was made up to form a team to take down corruption and help the weak. They sought after the toughest warriors of the land to join their cause. Before they all went power-hungry." Koga explained, glaring at Noland. "But of course…they ended up becoming exactly what they swore to stop."
Noland scowled at Koga "Long time no see old pal" He hawks and spits on the ground "I was hoping to run into you again."
"Uhh…you got history with this guy?" Elfo asked, whispering to Koga.
"I cut off his finger," Koga replied staring down at Elfo. "And sliced at his face. That's why the idiot is missing an eye."
"Oh..wow…" said Elfo looking over at Noland "So you can only see one half of the room? That's sad…"
Noland growled and he gestures his men forward. They entered the large room and they drew their swords.
"Oh boy…" said Bean as she watched the guards corner them
"So what's it going to be Koga? Are you going to hand over that key? Or do you want the blood of this princess, green little creature, and cat to be on your hands?" asked Noland, as he draws his sword that was rugged and chipped.
"DARN IT I'M NOT A CAT!" Luci screamed in frustration.
"Holy smokes it talked!" said one of the guards
Koga thought about it "Nah," He quickly reaches into his pocket and tosses two bombs onto the ground that blew up in a puff of smoke, blinding their field of view. Noland cursed at Koga and coughed.
"MOVE MOVE NOW!" Koga shouted as he, Bean, Elfo, and Luci ran forward towards the opened entrance. They ran up a flight of stairs and through a pathway that was lit up by coming from above. "I knew I should've just killed that guy when I left that town!"
"You weren't kidding when you said you get into a lot of trouble!" said Bean, as they made a few sharp turns.
"Well, the guy is an asshole! He never liked me when we met!" said Koga as the four of them found the exit to the underground passageway.
"I SEE THE LIGHT!" Elfo shouted happily.
At last, the four of them had made it out of the underground. Outside were horses that Noland and his group were riding on. "HAHA! Thanks, you one-eyed bastard!" said Koga as he ran for one of them and hops on "Come on let's ride!"
Bean, Elfo, and Luci hop on, Elfo kicks at the horse's side and they ride off. Noland had made it out of the underground and glared at them as they rode off. "AFTER THEM!" He roared as he, and his goons mounted their horses and chased after them.
Bean turned around and saw Noland and his goons riding after them "They're on our tail!" She warned Koga.
"Oh yeah?" Koga said looking up at the mountain range that was above them. "Well let's go ahead cut these guys off. Koga reached into hi one of his many pockets once more and pulled out another ball that was pitch black and the size of a small stone. He eyed the mountain above him. "Hey, kitty! Light this for me!" He asked Luci
"Umm and Luci, and for the last time, I'm not a cat!" Luci lights the black ball and it starts sizzling.
Koga slings the ball up at the rocks above them and a large explosion goes off causing the rocks above them to slide down the mountain, almost catching Bean and the gang. The rocks blocked off the path between them the two groups. "DAMN IT ALL NO!" Noland cursed in anger. "DAMN YOU KOGA!"
Koga let out a loud laugh "MAN I'VE BEEN WANTING TO USE THOSE FOR AWHILE!"
"What the heck was that?" Bean asked looking at him "That was the equivalent of a cannon! And you just had it in your pocket!"
"It's called an explosive bomb. Pretty cool huh?" said Koga excitedly
"Heck yeah, it was!" Bean replied with a big smile on her face. "That was amazing!"
Koga chuckled softly as the pair rode off into the distance. Making sure to cover as much ground as possible.
…
After about twenty minutes of riding. The group had stopped at a signpost. They all got off the horse to stretch their legs. "Finally, I thought we'd never get off that horse," said Bean, popping her back and neck.
"Where are we anyway?" Elfo asked, he turns around to look at the sign above him. One arrow was pointing left saying Southwold and the other Rochdale. "Where should we go?"
"Southwold is a good town," said Koga "We'll head there and hunker down for a bit." He looks over at Bean, who was rubbing her wounded arm. "Hey, how's your arm?"
"Huh? Oh it's uh, well it's not hurting as much anymore. That stuff you put on my arm is helping a lot," Bean replied with a smile. "How'd you make it anyway?"
"The nature around us. Certain plants have properties that tend to wounds. I just gathered a lot of that stuff up and made the cream I put on your arm." Koga explained.
"Wow…I never knew that you could do that," said Bean staring at her arm. "I was fearing that my arm would get chopped off…"
"That sucks, I was looking forward to how you'd manage with one arm," said Luci disappointingly
"Don't you ever have anything nice to say?" Elfo asked, scowling at Luci.
"No not really," Luci replied
"Come on guys, we need to get moving. We can't give those sword idiots any time to catch up to us," said Koga hopping on his horse, followed by Bean, Elfo, and Luci as the four of them ride down to the town of Southwold.
Koga then suddenly stopped and looked around the area.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Bean asked as she held on tightly to him.
"I just…I just feel like someone's watching us…" said Koga, "It's sending shivers all around my body…"
"Ok now you're just getting me Paranoid…" said Elfo, as he began shivering.
"Maybe it's just my imagination…sorry," Koga kicks at the horse's sides and they continued riding to the town.
But…they were all being watched…
"This is very unexpected sister…" said Cloyd, dressed in a light and dark-purple robe and he wore glasses, as looks up from the green fire and placed his eyes upon her sister, Becky the enchantress, who wore a dark orange dress with a mask and crown around her head.
"Indeed brother…this man is in the way of our plans," replied Becky
"What do you suggest sister?" asked Cloyd
Becky began to think, till finally "For now we wait…if this man does intend to bring back Princess Tiabeanie to dreamland, then that's good. But…if he were to have a change of heart. Then we'll have to intervene. Till then…we're for now spectators…"
The four would then arrive in Southwold