"A-are you sure it has silver wings?" Naoko stammered, trying to keep her expression calm. Dillandau shot her an impatient look.
"Of course I'm sure. Valken spotted it, and it was he who suggested killing it should be your initiation." He gave her his twisted smile. "Unless you don't really want to be a Slayer, that is."
"No, I do. I will bring you back the Energist of this dragon, I promise." Naoko replied, though she felt sick at the thought.
"You have three days, Nao. Don't disappoint me." Dillandau said ominously.
Naoko sat against a tree and watched as the flying ship vanished into the sunset. In exactly three days it would come to pick her up. If she survived. Naoko rested her head on her up-drawn knees and groaned. How could she kill Darakk, the one who had taken away some of the pain of her cousin's and parents' deaths? Silent tears streaked her face, and she angrily wiped them away.
"At least I know Darakk is still alive." She said aloud, then laughed bitterly. She pulled the map she had been given out of her pocket and studied it. Valken had seen Darakk disappear into a huge cave that must have been his lair. It was marked on the map, and Naoko decided she better start heading for it. She got to her feet, slipped on the pack she had been given and trudged toward the mountain in front of her.
"Do you think he can do it?" Dillandau mused, watching as Naoko walked closer to the cave. Unknown to her, Dillandau and Valken had taken two of the guymelaf's and, cloaked, followed her.
"If he can't, it only means one less person to worry about." Valken replied. "But I think he can do it."
Naoko stopped and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Yolanda had cut it so that it fell in shaggy black lengths around her face. She looked up and realized with a start that she was almost standing in the cave. From inside, she heard great snores that she recognized as Darakk's. A sad smile crossed her face as she remembered hiding in the forest with him, and the way his snoring would scare off all the wildlife. Reluctantly, she put the pack down and drew her sword.
She crept into the cave with her sword held defensively in front of her. The snores continued without pause, and Naoko continued walking toward the sound. Suddenly, she rounded a corner and found herself in a gigantic rough-hewn room. Stalactites covered the roof, and dripping water had created rainbow rivers on the walls. The floor had been smoothed perfectly, the result of millions of years of running water-or the great bulk of a golden dragon.
Naoko stopped in surprise as she saw the room was empty. She also realized the snoring had stopped. Too late, she whirled around, just in time to catch a sight of a huge green eye before she was flung across the room. Her sword flew out of her hand, and she crashed into a pile of gold coins.
"Darakk! It's me, Naoko!" She yelled, wiping blood from her forehead and just managing to duck as a massive claw buried itself in the wall directly behind her head. Darakk's immense head swung down to stop just centimeters from her face. His fangs, each twice Naoko's height, were bared in a fierce snarl. An enormous front foot was on each side of her, the claws each even bigger than his fangs. Darakk was three thousand feet of muscles and strength from his nose to rump, all contained in a skin brighter than gold bricks. His silver wings shone even in the darkness, and his tail, as long as his body, whipped in the air above him. Huge horns curled on either side of his head, and a spiked crest reached down his neck and back.
"Naoko?" He asked uncertainly, in his deep, rumbling voice. "But, you're dressed in the uniform of a Dragon Slayer." His great emerald eyes narrowed, and smoke curled out of his nostrils.
"I know. I had to join them, in order to find you." Naoko said as fast as she could, then broke off into a fit of coughing. "Did you have to fling me across the room?" She gasped out.
"Now I know it's you! I'm sorry, I thought you were another pesky Slayer coming to kill me. Hey, why are you here?"
"Um, well, I was sent to kill you. But you know I could never do that. Unfortunately, Dillandau will kill me if I don't bring back an Energist."
"Hmm, that is a problem. Why'd you cut your hair? You look almost like a boy." Darakk pulled her out of the pile of gold coins and sat on his haunches in front of her. Naoko shot him an exasperated look.
"That's the point, dingbat! You don't think Dillandau would let a girl join his Slayers, do you? Maybe I can hide in here, and they'll think you've eaten me..."
"No, they'll send out a search party. They did it the last time they sent a Slayer against me." Darakk smiled a dragon smile, and casually reached a claw up and picked his teeth. Naoko grimaced.
"That's disgusting, Darakk. But how can I go back without the Energist? I'll be dead either way. And so will you." She slumped on the ground in defeat. "This is just great."
"Naoko, you'll get your Energist. How long do you have?"
"Three days. But how are you going to get an Energist?" Naoko asked, looking up at him with faint hope in her eyes.
"We dragons have our ways. Stay here, and keep under cover. At nightfall, I'm going to get you your Energist. For now, get some sleep." Naoko nodded and lay down against one massive leg. She yawned and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
Valken looked up in surprise as the huge shadow of the dragon flew out into the clear night. He glanced at Dillandau, and saw he was fast asleep, his face twisted with nightmares. Valken looked back and saw that the dragon was now a fast diminishing speck against the moon. If the dragon was still alive, then that must mean Nao was dead. But Valken didn't think that was true. Nao had been too good of a fighter to be killed. He debated whether to tell Dillandau, and decided against it. He would wait, and watch. And see who this so-called Nao Kamiya actually was.
"Naoko. Wake up." Darakk called softly. Naoko stirred on the pile of fur she was sleeping on and opened her eyes.
"Darakk? I dreamed that I joined Dillandau's Dragon Slayers... And he wanted me to kill you." She said drowsily, then sat bolt upright as she remembered it was true. "Darakk! What about the Energist?"
"I've got it right here." Darakk replied, holding out a strangely colored jewel. It was pure ebony, shot through with strands of silver. Gold threads seemed to form a tiny star exactly in the center. Instead of reflecting the light, it seemed to draw it in and make the light it's own.
"Wow, it's beautiful. But how did you get it? I thought you had to kill a dragon to get an Energist." Naoko said softly, accepting the proffered jewel. She studied it, then slipped it in the pouch around her waist and looked demandingly at Darakk. He winked at her.
"Don't worry, Naoko. Nobody died. We dragons have our own little secrets regarding Energist. Can you get picked up sooner than the three days? I have this uncomfortable feeling that we're being watched."
"Yeah, I can. Do you think Dillandau saw us?" Naoko asked, climbing to her feet. "I'll just activate this little tracer. Where's my sword gone?"
"No, not Dillandau. Then other one. Your sword is somewhere over there." Darakk answered, pointing with one claw. He lumbered over and searched for it, then handed the sword to Naoko. "It's a good job you didn't lose this. It's the only heirloom you have." He mused. Naoko glared at him.
"And who threw me across the room, hmm? What, I was supposed to hold onto it and kill myself by landing on it?"
"That's what the last one did." Naoko made a rude noise, and clicked on the tracer on her belt. She ran up and hugged Darakk's neck, then turned and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
"Darakk, I'll leave Dillandau's ship tonight! As soon as I can, I'll send you a message. Goodbye!" She waved, then turned and grabbed her pack from the ground. She waved once more, then walked down the hillside to her pick-up spot.
"I haven't seen an Energist like this one before." Dillandau said, staring suspiciously at Naoko. He was in a particularly bad mood today, which Naoko later learned was because he was thinking of a young man named Van, that he wished to kill.
"It is an Energist." Naoko replied calmly, putting on her usual expression of bland disinterest. Dillandau scowled at her, and turned the Energist over in his hand.
"I always thought the Energists from golden dragons were... golden." He eyed her as though waiting for a move that would let him yell at her.
"Leave me alone, Dillandau." Naoko snapped. He promptly punched her in the mouth.
"I let your insolence go once, Nao, because I needed you fit. I won't tolerate it again." Dillandau replied quietly. His eyes flashed. Naoko stared at him, then wiped the blood off her mouth. She could feel her temper rising, and fought to get it under control, but to no avail.
With a yell, she leaped at him, knocking him down and sending the Energist spinning across the ground. She managed to get a few punches in before Dillandau kicked her in the stomach. As she bent over in pain, he slammed an elbow into her head. Naoko saw stars, and collapsed to the ground. As Dillandau tried to kick her in the side, she grabbed his foot and twisted, flipping him onto his back. She pinned him and proceeded to punch him in the face as hard as she could...or would have if someone hadn't roughly yanked her back. Whoever was behind her had her arms pinned, but Naoko realized it must be one of the other Dragon Slayer's when two more appeared and held Dillandau back.
"I'll kill you, Nao!" he shrieked. "You're a dead man! No one does this to me and gets away with it. Let me go, you fools!" He struggled wildly, but the Slayers were strong and held him back. He suddenly stopped and looked at Naoko calculatingly. Naoko shivered; somehow that look was scarier than the madness.
"No, I won't kill you. Fighting skills like that are much too valuable. But if you do not wish to be dropped off in the middle of a desert somewhere, you will teach me everything you know." Dillandau said calmly, then smiled wolfishly. Naoko stared at him for a second, then her shoulders slumped in defeat. She knew when she had been beaten. The person behind her cautiously let go of her arms, and stepped in front of Naoko, revealing himself to be the young blond Naoko had met earlier. She glanced at him, then did a perfect double-take. She knew him! His name was Gatti, and she had met him at one of the fairs annually held in Palas. They had become quite good friends, and had met every year until last, when Gatti mysteriously disappeared.
"Fine, Dillandau. I'll teach you everything I know." Naoko replied softly, still staring at Gatti. He glanced at her, but she didn't see any recognition in his eyes.
"Let go of me." Dillandau snapped, pulling his arms free from the other two Slayers' grip. "Clean yourself up, Nao. We'll begin tomorrow. As for the rest of you, get out of here." He picked up the Energist, and sat at the table. He began drawing a dagger across the table top as he studied the Energist. Naoko and the other Slayers walked out of the room.
"I definitely have to get out of here tonight." Naoko muttered as she hurriedly shoved everything in her pack. "There's no way I can stay here any longer." She was so busy trying to get everything to fit that she didn't hear the soft click as the door opened and the almost silent footsteps on the carpet.
"Naoko."
A strangled shriek escaped Naoko, she spun around and flattened her back against the bed. She stared up at Gatti as he walked over to stand in front of her. He seemed very sad.
"Naoko, it's been a long time."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Nao. Nao..." She trailed off as she realized Gatti had known Nao, her cousin. "Oh, no. Gatti, please don't tell Dillandau! I'm leaving, leaving as soon as everyone's asleep!"
"No, you're not." Gatti replied ominously.
"W-what? What do you mean?" Naoko asked nervously, feeling trapped by the wall and the bed.
"Take a look outside, Naoko. We've been moving since you got back. The entire time you were fighting with Lord Dillandau, we were flying away. We're now in the middle of the desert." Naoko stared at him in disbelief, then ran to the window and stared out. Gatti had told the truth. She was never going home.
"Of course I'm sure. Valken spotted it, and it was he who suggested killing it should be your initiation." He gave her his twisted smile. "Unless you don't really want to be a Slayer, that is."
"No, I do. I will bring you back the Energist of this dragon, I promise." Naoko replied, though she felt sick at the thought.
"You have three days, Nao. Don't disappoint me." Dillandau said ominously.
Naoko sat against a tree and watched as the flying ship vanished into the sunset. In exactly three days it would come to pick her up. If she survived. Naoko rested her head on her up-drawn knees and groaned. How could she kill Darakk, the one who had taken away some of the pain of her cousin's and parents' deaths? Silent tears streaked her face, and she angrily wiped them away.
"At least I know Darakk is still alive." She said aloud, then laughed bitterly. She pulled the map she had been given out of her pocket and studied it. Valken had seen Darakk disappear into a huge cave that must have been his lair. It was marked on the map, and Naoko decided she better start heading for it. She got to her feet, slipped on the pack she had been given and trudged toward the mountain in front of her.
"Do you think he can do it?" Dillandau mused, watching as Naoko walked closer to the cave. Unknown to her, Dillandau and Valken had taken two of the guymelaf's and, cloaked, followed her.
"If he can't, it only means one less person to worry about." Valken replied. "But I think he can do it."
Naoko stopped and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Yolanda had cut it so that it fell in shaggy black lengths around her face. She looked up and realized with a start that she was almost standing in the cave. From inside, she heard great snores that she recognized as Darakk's. A sad smile crossed her face as she remembered hiding in the forest with him, and the way his snoring would scare off all the wildlife. Reluctantly, she put the pack down and drew her sword.
She crept into the cave with her sword held defensively in front of her. The snores continued without pause, and Naoko continued walking toward the sound. Suddenly, she rounded a corner and found herself in a gigantic rough-hewn room. Stalactites covered the roof, and dripping water had created rainbow rivers on the walls. The floor had been smoothed perfectly, the result of millions of years of running water-or the great bulk of a golden dragon.
Naoko stopped in surprise as she saw the room was empty. She also realized the snoring had stopped. Too late, she whirled around, just in time to catch a sight of a huge green eye before she was flung across the room. Her sword flew out of her hand, and she crashed into a pile of gold coins.
"Darakk! It's me, Naoko!" She yelled, wiping blood from her forehead and just managing to duck as a massive claw buried itself in the wall directly behind her head. Darakk's immense head swung down to stop just centimeters from her face. His fangs, each twice Naoko's height, were bared in a fierce snarl. An enormous front foot was on each side of her, the claws each even bigger than his fangs. Darakk was three thousand feet of muscles and strength from his nose to rump, all contained in a skin brighter than gold bricks. His silver wings shone even in the darkness, and his tail, as long as his body, whipped in the air above him. Huge horns curled on either side of his head, and a spiked crest reached down his neck and back.
"Naoko?" He asked uncertainly, in his deep, rumbling voice. "But, you're dressed in the uniform of a Dragon Slayer." His great emerald eyes narrowed, and smoke curled out of his nostrils.
"I know. I had to join them, in order to find you." Naoko said as fast as she could, then broke off into a fit of coughing. "Did you have to fling me across the room?" She gasped out.
"Now I know it's you! I'm sorry, I thought you were another pesky Slayer coming to kill me. Hey, why are you here?"
"Um, well, I was sent to kill you. But you know I could never do that. Unfortunately, Dillandau will kill me if I don't bring back an Energist."
"Hmm, that is a problem. Why'd you cut your hair? You look almost like a boy." Darakk pulled her out of the pile of gold coins and sat on his haunches in front of her. Naoko shot him an exasperated look.
"That's the point, dingbat! You don't think Dillandau would let a girl join his Slayers, do you? Maybe I can hide in here, and they'll think you've eaten me..."
"No, they'll send out a search party. They did it the last time they sent a Slayer against me." Darakk smiled a dragon smile, and casually reached a claw up and picked his teeth. Naoko grimaced.
"That's disgusting, Darakk. But how can I go back without the Energist? I'll be dead either way. And so will you." She slumped on the ground in defeat. "This is just great."
"Naoko, you'll get your Energist. How long do you have?"
"Three days. But how are you going to get an Energist?" Naoko asked, looking up at him with faint hope in her eyes.
"We dragons have our ways. Stay here, and keep under cover. At nightfall, I'm going to get you your Energist. For now, get some sleep." Naoko nodded and lay down against one massive leg. She yawned and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.
Valken looked up in surprise as the huge shadow of the dragon flew out into the clear night. He glanced at Dillandau, and saw he was fast asleep, his face twisted with nightmares. Valken looked back and saw that the dragon was now a fast diminishing speck against the moon. If the dragon was still alive, then that must mean Nao was dead. But Valken didn't think that was true. Nao had been too good of a fighter to be killed. He debated whether to tell Dillandau, and decided against it. He would wait, and watch. And see who this so-called Nao Kamiya actually was.
"Naoko. Wake up." Darakk called softly. Naoko stirred on the pile of fur she was sleeping on and opened her eyes.
"Darakk? I dreamed that I joined Dillandau's Dragon Slayers... And he wanted me to kill you." She said drowsily, then sat bolt upright as she remembered it was true. "Darakk! What about the Energist?"
"I've got it right here." Darakk replied, holding out a strangely colored jewel. It was pure ebony, shot through with strands of silver. Gold threads seemed to form a tiny star exactly in the center. Instead of reflecting the light, it seemed to draw it in and make the light it's own.
"Wow, it's beautiful. But how did you get it? I thought you had to kill a dragon to get an Energist." Naoko said softly, accepting the proffered jewel. She studied it, then slipped it in the pouch around her waist and looked demandingly at Darakk. He winked at her.
"Don't worry, Naoko. Nobody died. We dragons have our own little secrets regarding Energist. Can you get picked up sooner than the three days? I have this uncomfortable feeling that we're being watched."
"Yeah, I can. Do you think Dillandau saw us?" Naoko asked, climbing to her feet. "I'll just activate this little tracer. Where's my sword gone?"
"No, not Dillandau. Then other one. Your sword is somewhere over there." Darakk answered, pointing with one claw. He lumbered over and searched for it, then handed the sword to Naoko. "It's a good job you didn't lose this. It's the only heirloom you have." He mused. Naoko glared at him.
"And who threw me across the room, hmm? What, I was supposed to hold onto it and kill myself by landing on it?"
"That's what the last one did." Naoko made a rude noise, and clicked on the tracer on her belt. She ran up and hugged Darakk's neck, then turned and walked towards the entrance of the cave.
"Darakk, I'll leave Dillandau's ship tonight! As soon as I can, I'll send you a message. Goodbye!" She waved, then turned and grabbed her pack from the ground. She waved once more, then walked down the hillside to her pick-up spot.
"I haven't seen an Energist like this one before." Dillandau said, staring suspiciously at Naoko. He was in a particularly bad mood today, which Naoko later learned was because he was thinking of a young man named Van, that he wished to kill.
"It is an Energist." Naoko replied calmly, putting on her usual expression of bland disinterest. Dillandau scowled at her, and turned the Energist over in his hand.
"I always thought the Energists from golden dragons were... golden." He eyed her as though waiting for a move that would let him yell at her.
"Leave me alone, Dillandau." Naoko snapped. He promptly punched her in the mouth.
"I let your insolence go once, Nao, because I needed you fit. I won't tolerate it again." Dillandau replied quietly. His eyes flashed. Naoko stared at him, then wiped the blood off her mouth. She could feel her temper rising, and fought to get it under control, but to no avail.
With a yell, she leaped at him, knocking him down and sending the Energist spinning across the ground. She managed to get a few punches in before Dillandau kicked her in the stomach. As she bent over in pain, he slammed an elbow into her head. Naoko saw stars, and collapsed to the ground. As Dillandau tried to kick her in the side, she grabbed his foot and twisted, flipping him onto his back. She pinned him and proceeded to punch him in the face as hard as she could...or would have if someone hadn't roughly yanked her back. Whoever was behind her had her arms pinned, but Naoko realized it must be one of the other Dragon Slayer's when two more appeared and held Dillandau back.
"I'll kill you, Nao!" he shrieked. "You're a dead man! No one does this to me and gets away with it. Let me go, you fools!" He struggled wildly, but the Slayers were strong and held him back. He suddenly stopped and looked at Naoko calculatingly. Naoko shivered; somehow that look was scarier than the madness.
"No, I won't kill you. Fighting skills like that are much too valuable. But if you do not wish to be dropped off in the middle of a desert somewhere, you will teach me everything you know." Dillandau said calmly, then smiled wolfishly. Naoko stared at him for a second, then her shoulders slumped in defeat. She knew when she had been beaten. The person behind her cautiously let go of her arms, and stepped in front of Naoko, revealing himself to be the young blond Naoko had met earlier. She glanced at him, then did a perfect double-take. She knew him! His name was Gatti, and she had met him at one of the fairs annually held in Palas. They had become quite good friends, and had met every year until last, when Gatti mysteriously disappeared.
"Fine, Dillandau. I'll teach you everything I know." Naoko replied softly, still staring at Gatti. He glanced at her, but she didn't see any recognition in his eyes.
"Let go of me." Dillandau snapped, pulling his arms free from the other two Slayers' grip. "Clean yourself up, Nao. We'll begin tomorrow. As for the rest of you, get out of here." He picked up the Energist, and sat at the table. He began drawing a dagger across the table top as he studied the Energist. Naoko and the other Slayers walked out of the room.
"I definitely have to get out of here tonight." Naoko muttered as she hurriedly shoved everything in her pack. "There's no way I can stay here any longer." She was so busy trying to get everything to fit that she didn't hear the soft click as the door opened and the almost silent footsteps on the carpet.
"Naoko."
A strangled shriek escaped Naoko, she spun around and flattened her back against the bed. She stared up at Gatti as he walked over to stand in front of her. He seemed very sad.
"Naoko, it's been a long time."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm Nao. Nao..." She trailed off as she realized Gatti had known Nao, her cousin. "Oh, no. Gatti, please don't tell Dillandau! I'm leaving, leaving as soon as everyone's asleep!"
"No, you're not." Gatti replied ominously.
"W-what? What do you mean?" Naoko asked nervously, feeling trapped by the wall and the bed.
"Take a look outside, Naoko. We've been moving since you got back. The entire time you were fighting with Lord Dillandau, we were flying away. We're now in the middle of the desert." Naoko stared at him in disbelief, then ran to the window and stared out. Gatti had told the truth. She was never going home.
