Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfic. Hope you have enjoyed the read so far.

Anyway, enjoy the read.

Chapter Cover: Shinji holding his sword at the ready with a determinate look upon his face.

Chapter Eight

The Dragon knight's Secret Mission

"Don't worry about me, I'm…HULP…fine."

"You don't look fine,"

Shinji couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh at the situation at the moment. The young man glanced back at people that were in the carriage with him. Aesyr was seating beside Helen looking as pale as milk which was quite a feat considering how dark her skin was. The young woman had been completely out of it ever since they left the base and heading toward Hyades. He could hardly believe that it was the same assured looking young woman that had defeated Karmer all by herself.

If anyone looks at her now, they'll never think she was that strong.

"This is one of the worst cases of motion sickness I have seen," Ellis said, "You sure you're going to be okay?"

The woman nodded.

"I'll be fine…ULP…," she said, "I endured one month on a ship…I can endure this."

"Why don't you put your head upon my lap then?" Helen said, "maybe it will give you some relief."

Aesyr denied it.

"It's okay," she said, giving her a shaky thumbs up.

Suddenly the carriage took a nasty bump causing her to lower her head into her hands, as if trying to stop herself from throwing up.

"In any case…how much longer…?" she asked.

"It's just over that ridge," the soldier that was with them who identified himself as Lee answered, "We've made good progress. It's not even midday yet."

He was right, Shinji noticed as he looked at the road in front of him. He hadn't been there in a while but even he still remembers the path that will lead straight into the village. Shinji frowned to himself since he was still very young when he had last seen the area and couldn't help but feel worried about the entire situation and about Yael.

I hope that I am wrong in my theory, he thought.

They turned over the ridge and Hyades Village expended in front of them and Shinji couldn't help but gasp in horror at what he was seeing. Charred remains of broken homes were all that he could see, and even in the distance he couldn't see much people wondering around as he remembered. He had seen the aftermath of Minotaur's rampage these past five years ever since Dragmount fell to him, and to think that he would be seen Hyades in such a state left him with ice in his veins.

"There…There is not much left," Lee said his voice subdued, "My home…,"

The ride into the village was dead silent and it came to a stop near the entrance. Shinji jumped down, wincing lightly at the wounds he still had but it passed enough. The others stepped off the carriage, Ellis being the first, followed by Aesyr who looked to be still queasy but was well enough and Helen was helping her.

"C'mon," Shinji said.

The group walked into the destroyed village together, and Shinji's eyes were looking at the destruction and couldn't help but feel anger boiling within him. this was the kind of tragedy that dragon knight like himself were supposed to prevent from happening but ever since Dragmount's fall, they were just him as the last dragon knight.

"Anyone," Lee yelled out, "Is anyone here?"

The silence was all that answered them.

"Could…could they have left the village behind?" Ellis asked, glancing around.

Shinji knew that could have been a possibility and there is also the possibility that everyone was…

"Someone's coming," Aesyr suddenly said, pointing forward, "That direction."

Shinji glanced at her in surprise for a moment but then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. He turned his attention forward, his hand already gone for his sword as he faced forward and yet he never drew it for he knew the person that was walking toward them.

It was an older man, with long white hair falling upon his shoulders. The man was dressed in pants with bandages all over his body and the look on his face was stern as he observed them for a few moments until his gaze fell upon Shinji.

"You took your time getting here," he said.

"Bartholomew," Shinji said walking forward, "I thought the worse had happened."

"They didn't kill me yet," the man, Bartholomew said with a frown, "C'mon follow me."

The group followed him out of the village and into the forest where they found many of the people of the villages that were still alive. Helen had wasted no time going on to help the wounded however she can with her healing magic and Lee had left them behind as well to get some attention toward the soldiers who survived the attack.

The rest were with Bartholomew as the old man told them the full story of what had occurred the night the village was attacked.

"They came out of nowhere," he said, "Barely had time to put up a defense but even then, their numbers overwhelmed the soldiers that we had. To make matters worse, they had two of their top members present as well leading the attack…we didn't stand a chance."

"Yael?" Shinji asked.

The man shook his head.

"Her body wasn't found in the village, nor in the area surrounding it," he said, "There is a good chance she was taken…"

"That's not a good chance," Shinji interrupted, "That is a very real possibility. I never thought Minotaur was after her of all people."

Ellis frowned.

"Just what is going on with the two of you?" he asked, "You are acting as if it's the end of the world that some random villager was kidnapped."

Bartholomew sighed.

"You're going to have to tell them Shinji," he said, "That was the mission your father had entrusted you with after all."

Shinji stayed silent for a moment.

"Yael…is not a simple villager," he said looking up at both Ellis and Aesyr, "She is the last living descendant of the Salvatore Family."

Ellis's eyes went wide with shock at the news but Aesyr looked confused.

"The Salvatore Family?" she repeated.

Shinji looked at her.

"The Salvatore Family was the current royal family in Atlasia," he told her, "It was said that they had many secrets that were buried with their fall and that many people will do anything to get their hands upon some of those secrets. Bartholomew here was a member of the Crescent Knights, the protectors of the Royal family and Emma Salvatore confident."

Ellis looked at the man shocked.

"You were part of that infamous Order?" he said shocked, "I thought they were all killed when the Salvatore fell."

Bartholomew nodded.

"You are right in thinking most of my Order are gone," he said, with a soft sigh, "But my duty was to safeguard the princess and her unborn child at the time…and that what was I focused on."

Aesyr frowned lightly.

"What caused them to fall?" she asked, "Was it a war?"

The man shook his head.

"No one knows," he said, "Even I don't know…but what I do remember from that night all those years ago…is the blood moon that shone in the evening sky. It shone bright red, brighter than any moon I've ever seen, a perfect blood red circle in a sky filled with stars."

"A blood moon?" Aesyr said.

"I had taken Emma to Dragmount were the knights welcomed us," Bartholomew continued, "Which was were Yael was born…but staying there would only draw unwanted attention so we all came here to Hyades. It was out of the way, and isolated…not a place that many would want to look for hiding royalties."

Ellis suddenly looked at Shinji.

"When Minotaur attacked Dragmount…?"

Shinji nodded.

"There is a chance he came looking for the Princess five years ago," he said, "I had my suspicions as well but no proof. It's one of the reasons why I am always keeping my eyes out for Minotaur's movement and heard through a tip that he was going to be in the Port…but I guess it was just Karmer."

"If this Yael girl was born after the fall of the Salvatore family," Aesyr said frowning confusedly, "How would she know about any of the secrets of her family? Did her mother taught them to her or something?"

"One drop of her blood will be enough to reveal many secrets," Bartholomew spoke out looking at the girl, "Her blood is considered sacred in Atlasia. Some would say that the bloodline of the Salvatore family is descended from the Gods themselves. Magic ran deep within that family ever since they were blessed by the Dragon God."

A light frown appeared upon Aesyr's features as she was observing them but she didn't say anything.

"If she was taken…then there is only one place that Minotaur would have taken her," Shinji said.

"Labyrinth," Bartholomew said, "I had the same thought as well…but no one had ever attacked that place and survive."

Shinji stared up at him, anger rising through him.

"I made her a promise," he said, standing up, "I promised her that I would always be there to protect her and when she needed me the most I wasn't there…"

"Getting yourself killed isn't going to help anyone," Bartholomew said, "You know you alone can't do anything against them at the moment…and none of us can match their Generals in strength and not telling the numbers of followers that he has. Minotaur is too powerful for you to take on."

The young man let out a grit of teeth as he tightened his hands into fist. He knew that Bartholomew speak the truth. But he didn't want to accept it. The longer that Yael was in the hands of those people…

Yael…, he thought, the image of the young woman appearing within his mind.

Night had fallen around them, and Aesyr had been given a tent all to herself so that she could sleep but the young woman wasn't going to fall asleep yet. With everything she had learned today, how could she fall asleep knowing the way things are right now? She had simply gone off with everything that had happened but she knew that Shinji wasn't going to wait to go rescue that Yael girl, whoever she was.

So, she had simply waited and bind her time waiting for when Shinji would be trying to sneak out of the village to go after her himself. The young woman waited till the sun was down and when everyone had gone to sleep before dressing herself and stepping out into the calm area.

A fire was still burning low somewhere in the camp and she can see few people still milling about but with Shinji's scent in mind, the young woman followed it and just like she had thought, the young man was right there by the ridden creatures as he was saddling one by himself.

"I knew it," she said.

Her sudden voice caused him to jump a foot in the air, probably not having expecting her to sneak up on him. The young man instantly turned toward her, his eyes wide but then when he realized it was her, he let out a small sigh.

"What is the big idea sneaking up on me like that?" he asked, "You almost gave me an heart attack."

"Your way too young to be able to die from that," Aesyr answered him crossing her arms.

Shinji shook his head and turned his gaze toward the mount he was working on.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked.

Aesyr didn't say respond to him but only asked him another question.

"You are going to that Labyrinth place, aren't you?"

Shinji stilled in his movements.

"I have no choice," he said, without even turning around, "The longer she is in Minotaur's hand, the closer that bastard get to the secrets of the Salvatore Family. As a Dragon knight, it is my duty to fight and stop that from happening."

"That may be true," Aesyr said uncrossing her arms, and walking toward him, "But that's not the face you made when the old man told you not to go."

Shinji turned to face her, a curious expression upon his face.

"I was watching you back then when you were talking," she said, "Ellis may not have picked up on it, but you had the face of someone who had already made a decision the moment you heard that she was taken."

Shinji looked away for a moment.

"We were just kids when we first met, Yael and I," he said, "She was never much of a princess…no matter what blood flows in her veins. She was just a young girl that I knew from my childhood and a good friend. Which is why I am not going to just stay here when she needs my help."

Aesyr narrowed her gaze.

"From what I've heard, that Minotaur guy has a lot of men with him," she said, "And possibly two people that were as strong as that afro guy we've faced back at the Port and you still want to go in alone? What would be your plan exactly to get her out of there by yourself?"

Shinji tightened his hands into fists.

"I'll figure it out when I get there," he said turning away from her, climbing upon the creature.

Aesyr let out a sigh.

Men and their stubborn pride, she thought, shaking her head.

"You know you could have just asked me for help, right?"

Shinji looked down at her surprise upon his face.

"You…You'd want to help?" he asked shocked.

Aesyr gave him a look.

"Do you really think you can do this without help?" she asked.

Shinji stayed silent for a moment.

"I appreciate it," he said, before extending his hand, "Get on…we'll get there quick on the Leopard."

Aesyr looked at him for a few moments.

"….Can we walk?"

"It will take too long."

Hope you guys have enjoyed this update.

Next Time: Labyrinth

Jacques0 out.

R&R