Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction.

Hope you have enjoyed the read so far. Now enjoy this new one.

Chapter Cover: Shinji standing by himself as he faced a number of graves in front of him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The Tale of the Last Dragon Knight part 2

It was through Yael we've managed to reconnect with Bartholomew. He was the man that we went to Hyades to look for. We told him everything that had happened to the Dragon Knights, the mysterious attackers which had completely destroyed the Order and that we were all that was left. We stayed with him for a few days, regaining our footing after losing everything.

It seriously was the best thing that could have happened to us.

But that was also the first time I learned the Salvatore Family and Yael's relation to them.

Shinji walked out toward the small courtyard where Bartholomew was standing. The man had both of his arms crossed as he was looking out toward the greenish mountains that were around them. It was a late afternoon for them. The rest of the guys were not here yet, having taken a job for clearing out a bandit camp that had taken refuge in some nearby town. Luke had decided to go along with Bossan along with Sylvia.

He wasn't worried for them, after all, the group could handle themselves.

"Ah, Shinji," Bartholomew spoke out taking notice of him, "Thank you for meeting me."

The young man looked at him, feeling a bit confused.

"Well, it sounded serious when you said you wanted to talk to me," the young man answered.

Bartholomew looked at him for long moment, before his gaze fell toward the sword that was upon his waist.

"Your father gave this to you right?" he said.

Shinji glanced at the blade before nodding.

"Yes," he said, "I don't know why he did so. If he had this weapon in hands, maybe he wouldn't have died when Dragmount fell."

Bartholomew let out a small hum.

"He was skilled at using it," he said, "Did you know his own father gave it to him?"

Shinji glanced at the man, surprised.

"What?"

"This sword has been passed down your family for generations," Bartholomew spoke out, "Back to your great-grandfather who was the Commander of the Crescent Knights."

The Crescent Knights. Shinji had heard about them in History class back during his training. They were the Knights handpicked by the Royal family to serve as their bodyguards and they were said to be the best of the best thought when the Royal family fell from power years ago, it was assumed that they were all killed in the event.

"That sword was always used by the Crescent Knight Commanders," Bartholomew continued, "But your Grandfather was the one who was in command when the Royal family fell and the two of us escaped together along with the Princess Emma Salvatore."

Shinji stared at the man shocked.

"You…You were a Crescent Knight?"

"I was fifty years ago," the man spoke out, "But my age is starting to catch up to me and it won't be long before I pass. Your father was aware of the last mission I was given by the King and he was given that blade when the mission has passed to him…but given he had passed the blade to you, then he is intrusting you with that sacred duty as well."

Shinji glanced at him, confused.

"Secret duty?" he repeated.

Bartholomew glanced at him, the look upon his face completely serious.

"To protect Her Highness, Yael Salvatore."

Shinji's eyes widened in shock.

"Yael…Salvatore?" he repeated, "I thought she was your niece?"

Bartholomew let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah…that's the cover story," he said, "Yael is aware of her heritage of course, but for now, she is simply my niece as far as everyone is aware. Shinji, can I count on you to be there for her when I no longer can?"

Shinji looked at him.

"Why are you asking me this now?" he asked.

"Because that is the duty your father intrusted to you," Bartholomew told him, "The duty he had before you and your grandfather before you. As Crescent Knights, we were bound by duty as it is our code. However, you Shinji I am simply asking you and your friends to be there for her…because I have a feeling that in the future, Yael will no longer hide who she is any longer, and she will need people to stand beside her."

He stayed silent.

At the time, I couldn't understand what he was asking of me. I couldn't believe Yael, the girl that I knew from back then was the heir to the Salvatore Throne. But I could at least understand as to why it was imperative to keep this a secret. If it was revealed that a member of the Royal Family was alive to the world, then…they would be a lot of people interested in her.

Shinji gave Aesyr a glance.

"The Salvatore Family as you already know have a lot of power within them," he said, "And they are many within them that would try anything to do anything to get their hands on their secrets."

Aesyr nodded, showing she understood, after all, she faced Minotaur for a battle for that very same reason.

Shinji turned his gaze toward the fire in front of him.

"But what came next was the start of everything…"

Shinji was seating down at the table with a frown upon his face. All around him where the rest of the Dragon Knights trainees, Yael and Bartholomew. The news of what had reached them through the rumors that were going around. In the few months since they've been staying in Hyades, what had happened to the Dragon Knights had started to make waves around the south of Atlasia. It was one of the reasons why they were so many bandits moving around and other criminals taking advantage of the chaos. One of the main reasons they have been so busy.

But this news…

"Are you certain that's what you heard Luke?" Ashla asked, her tone curt.

"Yeah," Luke said narrowing his eyes, "Those rumors about Caldun Valley are all the same. Seems that someone named Minotaur had taken over the region."

"Caldun Valley belongs to the Dragon Knights," Sylvia said, "This was our territory…"

"It still is," Luke said.

"Minotaur…," Shinji repeated, "Why does this name sound familiar?"

"He is one of the Fallen Gods," Bartholomew spoke for the first time since the meeting, drawing their eyes at them, "I have kept an eye upon the Imperium's lackeys and Minotaur is definitely a name that has been growing these past years."

"A Fallen God?" Ashla repeated frowning.

Something cleared within Shinji's mind.

"The rising violence since the Dragon Knights disappeared must have caused the Imperium to act," he said narrowing his eyes, "But for him to target Caldun Valley…"

Bossan glanced at him.

"What's so special about that place?" Yael asked glancing around them, confusion in her tone.

"Caldun Valley is home to the best smiths in the entire Kingdom," Ashla explained, "They are the ones that have been making our Dragon Knights armors for centuries. While Dragmount village provided us with food and clothing, Caldun Valley gave us armor and weapons. Been the best, they have provided us with enchanted armor and other useful materials, and if that Minotaur guy is targeting it…"

"He is after their resources," Sylvia said.

"So, what's the plan, Captain?" Luke said giving Shinji a look.

Shinji stared right back at him.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory," he answered, "We go to Caldun Valley and we get the bastard out of our territory."

The others smiled at him, rearing to go but Bartholomew spoke out.

"You'll be going against a Fallen God," he said, "They are given that name for a reason. Don't needlessly throw your life away like that on such a mission…you don't know what you'll be walking into."

Shinji looked at him.

"That may be so," he said, "but we are Dragon Knights and we have our own duty to protect what belongs to us."

Bartholomew frowned lightly.

"Besides, we have to give the people the hope that even with what happened at Dragmount," the young man continued, "the Dragon Knights will always be there to protect them."

The man let out a small sigh.

"Just be careful," was his only warning to them.

Caldun Valley

As the name imply, Caldun Valley was a massive area where a river once flows freely but had dried up long ago. Now, the place was the home of the village of Smith that worked here since hundred of years. They had been working here for centuries perfecting weapons. The sound of clanging and the heat of forges were the normality around Caldun Valley.

But now, the village was on a complete lockdown. Many people in armors were walking around with their spears in hand installing martial law to keep the citizens in line. With the rumors of the fall of Dragmount, the people of Caldun Village were shocked, having many friends among the Knights but now with this new force invading their homes, they were not quite ready to give their services to this new.

"It's only a small division from what I can see," Bossan said from his hiding place, "Probably not expecting much resistance from what I can understand."

Luke frowned.

"The girls intel was spot on," he said giving Shinji a glance, "If we are going to change thing around, we best act now."

Shinji nodded.

"Then let's get a move on and show the Imperium that these lands are not for the taking."

Luke and Bossan gave him a nod and the group moved forward as one each of them taking a place within the area. Shinji glanced around himself for a few moments before he drew his sword and then walking out in the open drawing the attention of the two guards that were standing at the entrance of the village.

"Hey who goes there?"

Shinji didn't even say anything as he charged forward and with two strikes, he took both of them down with ease. The young man didn't even stop as the sound of explosions started to echo in other part of the village meaning that the others were making their moves as well so Shinji went to work on taking the men of Minotaur down one after the other.

Our battle in Caldun Valley was the first battle I've ever fought against Minotaur's forces. It was our first victory and the first of many down the lines. Through the citizen of Caldun Village, we learned that it was Minotaur who had destroyed the Dragon Knights and we launched our campaign against him…

End of Flashback

Shinji joined both of his hands together as the memories flashed within his mind. He hadn't thought about them in a while now, never believed that he could speak to someone else about but, Aesyr needed to know about his failure so she doesn't make the same mistake he did…

"Minotaur laid a trap for us," he continued, "What was supposed to be a simple sabotage mission turned into a complete mess. I wasn't with them since I was working on something else at the time, but in that battle, Sylvia, Bossan…both of them were killed by Minotaur's Commanders at the time…Ashla lost the use of both of her legs from that battle and Luke…Luke simply left, turn his back upon the Dragon Knights...never saw him again."

Aesyr stayed silent.

"Without us, Minotaur solidified his hold upon these lands," Shinji continued, "Sure the people still help me, and they are those that still known me from the time I helped them over the past five years and it wasn't long before the moniker the "Last Dragon Knight" got stuck with me."

"Then…Karmer's words from back then," Aesyr said, her tone her voice saying that she was putting things together.

"I'm sure he had a hand in their deaths," Shinji told her, "But it's because I was so short sighted that they lost their lives. If only I was smarter, if I wasn't so focused on having revenge for what had happened to the Dragon Knights…to my father…"

The young man shook his head, turning his gaze toward her.

"I know you want to rebuilt the Dragon Knights," he said, "And you will have my aid. Maybe you'll make a better leader than I did, maybe you'll see the bigger picture I missed back then and won't make the same mistakes I did."

Aesyr stayed silent for a moment, her gaze into the fire.

"This country need the Dragon Knights," she said to him, "We've already taken care of Minotaur…now we simply need to get everything moving again and bring peace to the east."

Shinji nodded at her.

Headquarters of the Golden Lions

A group of people were approaching the building together all of them harmed, thought some of them were bruised in some places but they were not all worse for wear. The building that they were approaching was a stone building similar to a fort, with flags dancing across it revealing it the snarling lion that was upon it.

Since this was their homes the group entered within it, making their way toward the large hall that was inside the building and they were people waiting for them to arrive. They were three of them, two which were standing and one who was seating down upon the stone steps that was leading toward the chair behind him.

The one standing on the left was a man with short dark hair. He was wearing a single shoulder armor and had two blades upon his back. He was looking at the new arrival with some interest in his gaze which was a dark brown.

Tyrion

Golden Lion Right Hand

The one on the left was a young woman with straight long red hair falling upon her back. She was wearing a fur upon her shoulder with a long dress that had a revealing side which showed her legs and the leg tight. she was wearing a choker, which the buckle beneath her chin was a snarling lion. Her eyes, which were blue showed light amusement at the sight of them approaching.

"Ara, Ara," she smiled, crossing her arms beneath her chest, causing it to bounce lightly, "Weren't they more of you when you left?"

Nessa

Golden Lion Left Hand

"Nessa is right," Tyrion spoke out, "Garon's team didn't come back. The team we sent to Mellanvia, that was Minotaur's territory, it shouldn't have been difficult to take it over now that he is no longer in power."

The man that was seating down let out a small chuckle.

"Then that should mean he is there," he spoke out drawing the attention of the two that were around him, "I was hoping that we'll be able to take the town and quickly spread our influence in the northern part of the east, but we've run into an obstacle."

Nessa tilted her head.

"When you said he…do you mean…?"

The man let out a grin.

"Exactly what I mean, Nessa," he spoke out standing up from his spot, "Minotaur's former Commander, Saul Marz."

Tyrion let out a hum.

"That explain why Garon's team failed," he said, "Saul is quite the powerful one."

The man then started walking forward.

"But he no longer has Minotaur to hide behind," he spoke out, a grin crossing his face, "For five years, we lived under that monster's boot and he was finally dethroned. Whoever has done it, has given us the opportunity to be the new power within this land, and I think taking Saul down will make people finally realize that we're entering a new age in Atlasia."

His brown hair fell around his eyes as he adjusted the golden shield upon his back.

"The Age of the Lions has come."

Luke Lionheart

Leader of the Golden Lions.

A new arc begins...

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Dragon Tales

Jacques0 out.

R&R