Disclaimer: All Legend of Dragoon characters, places and things all belong to Sony and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.
Author's note: I have often been debating, with the growing number of other fanfics I am currently in the process of finishing, whether or not I should even take an attempt at writing this fanfic. With the growing urgency of Finals, I am compelled not to, yet something gnawing within, drove me to pursue this goal anyway. This fanfic, if written by my original standards, will, by no means, be short. It this tale I will try to the best of my abilities to portray a setting very close to that of the original game with appropriate changes as necessary. If successful, my attempt will be to present to you a close enough depiction of the dragon campaign fanfic as it was only hinted at in the U.S. release of Legends of dragoon. For all those fans who are concerned with whether or not I am still continuing my other LOD fanfic, the answer is yes. The only reason why its taking me so long is that I have a bad case of writers block concerning that particular piece of literature. Hopefully I won't fall under the same problem with this fanfic and hopefully I'll be able to present a good enough rendition of it. Once again, I do not own any of the characters or places or things, they all belong to sony and other involved companies. This fanfic is purely for fun and enjoyment. Thanks for reading. Hope you like it.
-Cordis
DRAGON CAMPAIGN
The Call of Destiny
Prologue:
As told from Wingly historical mythology, all existence originated from a single tree known as Soa. Based on this principal, the theory of evolution has governed the way of life for all those existing in the present day. Winglys, who are said to be the last and most powerful of all creatures birthed through Soa, are at the top of the social class structure. It is this belief that gave rise to the arrogance of wingly society in believing they were ultimately better then all other creatures.
So ignoble, have the winglys become that they have even created their cities amongst the skies, far away from all lesser beings. It would be different if this were all the winglys did to push their superiority over the other races. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Over the passing of time, the winglys exerted more and more authority over the lesser races. Gaining control of special beasts known as Virages, the winglys soon acquired the powered to control all. The Virages specific role was to keep the dragons, who were smarter yet less powerful creations, in check. They also exerted authority towards other races forcing them all to aid in the construction of their sky rise societies and to pamper their way of living to an extent that they stopped thinking the other races were living beings entirely.
However the lesser races were not privy to simply take this lying down. Many revolutions ensured, however none of the revolting races were ever unified, carrying a deep inbred prejudice towards one another, thus making domination for the Wingly populace and their Virage slaves all the less difficult and more efficient to conquer.
It is in this state of torment and enslavement that now begins a tale about a single group of people. Hero's strong and brave enough to not only oppose the dominance of the wingly monarchs, but also to fight for what they believe in and challenge the very essence of what separates their cultures and constantly prevents their races from achieving their goal, Unity.
CHAPTER 1:
Karsack, A city well known for its degenerate lower cast society. In an age ruled by those who's ambitions allow them to rule the skies, Karsack is seen as nothing more then a mosquito's nest. A worthless city inhibited by filthy annoying insects who, if you get too close, could prove to be troublesome but even then they are all the more vulnerable to be dealt with.
The city of Karsack was mostly inhabited by humans, who were, by wingly standards, the most annoying of all Soa's creatures. In the harsh reality, humans were forced to mine and provide labor and new structural support for the upper society of all winglys. All the while, humans were constantly made to suffer more and more, whether by plague, famine, or simply overexertion. However, it didn't bother the wingly at all as they merely saw humans as cannon fodder to be molded exclusively for work and labor. Effectively, human life was wasted just so the wingly population could live a life of more luxury.
Given many other races faced the same sort of cruel treatment, no other cities in the world faced the same trauma and turmoil as that of Karsack. It was because of these reasons that Karsack not only became the most unattractive place for traveling wingly to visit but also it became the main junk capital of the world.
The way the winglys governed their lesser slaves was somewhat lax as many if not all winglys hated traveling to the world below for their disgust of anything outside of their culture. Therefor the city was exclusively watched by the Virages, the wingly's dragon-like guard dogs. It was only during certain time intervals that wingly guards would themselves actually make rounds to check up on the progress of their workers. And if for some reason, tasks weren't being accomplished, the winglys would simply annihilate that area so as to let it be a lesson to all other races.
However, due to the harsh treatment of humans, many rebellions ensued, starting from over 80 years ago when a disgruntled human worker finally took up a stand against one of the wingly guards. Ever since then, winglys were now making more frequent rounds to Karsack as it was a major capital for rebellions for the past 8 decades.
Unfortunately, because of the strength the winglys possessed, together with their control over the Virages, they would easily terminate all human rebellions within the week. Through the 8 decades of this kind of domination, the old fire of freedom that once danced in the hearts and minds of all humans inhabiting Karsack, slowly died away to nothingness.
However, apparently it was not enough to simply demoralize the humans. The winglys wanted to make an example out of the humans insurrection. Thus the winglys now set up their watch system so that at the start and end of every month, their wingly agents would go selecting random houses and terminating a member of one of the local human families. Often time's it was the farther so as to strike fear and obedience in the younger children. Some of their victims would even be taken away to the central prison that was constructed at the very heart of Karsacks and there the winglys would take the pleasure of torturing their prisoners until death by pain or brutality. Either way it was a death sentence, for even if the humans did survive the harsh treatment, they would still spend the rest of their days wallowing in darkness.
Through all the torment humans had to face during the past few decades, human moral in general degenerated to a more docile state. All save a very small few, who still clung to the vestiges of what their ancestors once strove to accomplish.
This rare urge to revolt blazed most clearly in one particular boy in general; one who's fervent dream shines even now during these turbulent times, diligently overshadowing his own human fears.
****
The skies were particularly windy and dark this day, as if the wingly's cruelty had somehow manifest itself across every inch of the sky. Yet even still, this is where a young boy now stood, staring directly towards his objective with firm, unwavering eyes. Just like all other areas of the city, this one was covered with debris and charred remains of bodies and building structures alike. At the edge of this horrific, grave-like landscape, lay an overhang at the very edge of the cliff looking down into the biggest chasm ever known across all of Karsack; The Imperial Prison.
However, the young boy did not stand alone this day as he looked down into the very darkness, which all other humans feared. His companion stood not too far away from him, an anxious expression written all over his face. He had short, dark, raven black hair with a few strands falling over his eyes. His face was lean just like the rest of his body. His attire consisted of a simple tunic engrossed in a rundown leather armored vest. His leggings were slightly baggy, consisting of a dull black color. His boots too were of low quality but fastened to each were two combat knives.
The first young boy was a bit taller then his friend. He had honey brown hair which fell over his eyes in a mess of tangled locks. His stark blue eyes glistened brightly across a lean, handsome face. He wore a similar tan tunic with baggy sleeves. His slightly darker leggings were just as baggy as his companion's yet his boots were slightly lesser in quality. Like his friend, he also wore a knife strapped to his person, yet his was located on his left arm. He also had a somewhat large bag strapped in a cheap dirty cloth around his shoulder.
Suddenly a huge shape burst from the misty dark clouds as if it were a meteor bringing flames of death towards all below. Both boys quickly ducked towards cover as the huge beast continued to fly across the skies then disappeared into the distance, letting the misted clouds swallow it whole.
The brown haired boy smirked a bit then inched closer towards the mammoth structural prison. However, A firm hand quickly fastened around his shoulder before he could go any further.
"Zieg are you nuts!" The dark haired boy hissed in a quiet rant. "Wait up and think a minute will you!? This is the Imperial Prison! Do you know what those winglys will do if they catch us here? They'll either have their Virage tear us to shreds or they'll throw is in that prison themselves and then I'm sure you know what happens next. No human has ever left that structure alive!"
Zieg sighed in frustration as he turned around once more to regard his dark haired friend. "Flain, we've been over this before remember? Look, I've already told you what I've come here to do. If you can't respect my decision and help me, then leave!"
"You know I can't do that Zieg! You're part of our guild, and all guild members are united as family. We look out for our own."
"Then shut up and help me!"
"I 'AM' trying to help you 'brother'!" This place is evil man! If we stay here any longer we're bound to get caught!"
"I'll take the risk!" Zieg's face was now beaming with anxiety. "I've been waiting for this moment my whole life!"
"Damnit Zieg!" Flain seethed, shaking his fists in frustration and anger. "Give up these dreams of heroism and rebellion! They're all fantasies! Far fetched dreams that'll never come true! Come back to reality! You're one of the guild's best members brother. Your skill is nearly unparalleled. If we lost you to something stupid like this…"
Zieg's expression suddenly shifted from one of anxiety to one of unbridled anger. "Don't you DARE hold that guilt trip over me Flain! I may be good but you're way better then me. And besides that, everyone else in the guild is strong enough to look after themselves. They don't need me to baby sit them and bail them out of the fire anymore."
Flain gave Zieg an almost desperate look as he gripped his friend's shoulders. "Zieg listen to me! This is madness! To think you have the ability to go up against the winglys!?! It's insane!"
"NO!" Zieg said furiously, while shaking out of his friend's grasp. "You may be my best friend Flain but I'm not going to listen to you this time. I'm tired of living a life of fear! If I die, I want to die my way! I'm not going to be content with just waiting for some wingly nobody to come by one day and pick me off just to spite us humans! I'm going to make my own destiny!"
Flain sighed heavily, realizing there was nothing more he could do to change his friend's mind. He leaned back sagely into a pile of rubble, lowering his head towards the dirty earth. "So you've got this whole thing planned out then?" He asked in a voice devoid of emotion.
"Yes. I've been studying the prison layouts for 2 months now and I've finally figured out where he is and the best way to get to him unnoticed."
Flain raised his head to regard his friend once more, only this time with steady, unwavering eyes. "Nothing I can do will change your mind will it?"
"…No…"
"Fine… then I'm coming with you brother. If your going to risk your life against the winglys then you might as well have all the help you can get."
A warm smile slowly formed over Zieg's face as he regarded his best friend, the leader of the Dragons Guild. Whether he knew it or not, Zieg had looked up to Flain all of his life. When he was younger, everything he did, he did in hopes that Flain would be proud of him. Now, at the age of 15, that childhood admiration had lessened considerably yet the vestiges of it along with a load of respect were still there to this day.
Zieg's bright eyes flashed with a tiny glint of disbelief. "Flain… you would do this for me?"
The elder boy of 17 returned the smile with an even brighter one of his own. "What do you take me for? We're best friends right? It wouldn't be right of me to just leave you hanging like that. Besides, like I said before, we of the Dragons Guild look out for each other."
"Flain… thanks" Zieg clasped hands with his best friend and guild brother, still smiling anxiously.
"Just remember," Flain said, still keeping his hand clasped around his friend's. "You owe me big for this one."
"I always pay my debts. Well, we better get moving. We do have a time window ya know."
Flain shrugged slightly then rose to a crouching position. "I suspected as much."
Zieg lead the way, as he quickly dashed from their former cover, towards the ledge of the overhang. Flain followed, albeit a little more nervously. Zieg looked up towards the sky, checking the horizon for any signs of Virage patrol. Fortunately the sky was clear. The brown haired boy quickly turned towards his companion, giving him a thumbs up. Flain nodded then swiftly scaled along side his friend. The two boys had been working together long enough to know how to act like a team and throw signals without much interpretation.
Zieg quickly threw himself over the edge then caught the lip of the overhang at the last second. Once this was accomplished, he then secured his legs about the rocky surface to the side of the overhang wall and began scaling down carefully, yet with as much haste as he could muster. Flain mimicked his friend's movements perfectly and with a greater amount of skill.
Zieg couldn't deny the huge amount of awe he felt as he watched his friend scale down the wall faster then him with an even greater amount of ease. Nonetheless, Zieg kept his pace, as he could clearly remember the last time he had tried to compete with his friends skill, it had resulted in more then a few broken bones.
Soon enough both boys were at the bottom of the cliff and were now stealthily making their way along the prison territory. A wingly guard was standing only a few feet away from them. Fortunately, he was sound asleep, leaning on his uprooted spear with a vacant smile on his face.
Beads of sweat pulsated down Flain's face as he quickly scampered past the sleeping guard as quietly as he could. Zieg followed with equal silence.
"This is nuts!" Flain hissed once the two boys were behind another outcropping.
"It's too late to turn back now." Zieg retorted, breathing heavily.
"I know that already!" Flain huffed in a slight fit. Unfortunately, his friend wasn't paying much attention to him at the moment.
Zieg peered over the edge of the outcropping and noticed a wingly Guard making his way towards them. However, Zieg had studied their formation and knew the guard would pass them by without taking any notice of their concealed position. Breathing a silent sigh, Zieg turned his face back towards the center of their cover. The severity of their actions was finally sinking into his mind yet it only made him more determined then ever to accomplish what he came here for.
Zieg turned his head once more towards his friend; his face flushed of all its previous luster. Now he merely looked anxious and weary. "The wingly guard is making his way towards us but he won't spot us so long as we hold our positions."
Flain sighed lightly then looked up towards the sky. "Sounds like we've got a pinch of time then. So tell me, who exactly is this guy your searching for anyway?"
"You've never heard the tales?" Zieg was now regarding his friend with an astonished expression as if the Dragon Guild leader was supposed to know exactly what he was talking about.
"I can't say that I have." Flain replied directly. "Forgive me if I don't keep up on the times of who frequents the Imperial Prison but I'd rather not associate myself with that particular element."
Zieg sighed, annoyed at his friend's obvious disinterest. "The man I'm searching for is the hero of legend. He's said to have been the first and only creature ever to have actually killed a wingly. He was the leader of the first rebellion here on Karsack. It's because of him that our people have developed the will to fight."
"So I guess he's also the reason why our people now have to struggle to survive and live in fear of random death for the rest of their living days eh?" Flain added disdainfully.
Zieg glared at his friend. "Would you condemn him for wanting to save our people? He's a hero!"
"So you say… Look, are you sure this guy is even alive? The first rebellion was 8 decades ago right? Even if the guy could live to be that old, you still gotta take into consideration what the winglys do in those prisons. It wouldn't make sense for them to want to keep him alive."
"But that's just it!" Zieg returned anxiously. "He 'is' still alive! I've heard more then a few rumors of it. And if they did kill him, the winglys wouldn't hesitate to put his dead corps on display for the city to see. Look, I know he's alive!"
"And when you find him, then what? The guys an old geezer! Assuming he can still speak, what do you expect him to do? Lead a new rebellion? You'll be lucky if he can even lead himself to the bathroom!"
"That's not the point!" Zieg hissed. "If I free him, it would be a symbol to the rest of the people of Karsack that humans can fight back and that we wont go out simply lying down!"
"Are you looking to cause more pain and turmoil? What do you think the wingly's will do when they find out. They'll annihilate this city!"
"They can't! They need us for structural support."
"Even still, they won't hesitate to kill more of us off! I don't think this is such a wise idea!"
"If the humans fight back we wont have to worry about the consequences!"
"And if they don't?"
"…Then I'll find another way… In either case, I won't just sit idle anymore."
Flain grumbled angrily then leaned back against the surface of their cover. Zieg looked around the edge then gripped his comrade's shoulder. "Ok he's gone. Let's move quickly!"
Flain followed suit, albeit with less enthusiasm then before. It was as Zieg had said. The former guard was nowhere to be seen. However, Flain had not time to ponder this any further as Zieg quickly gripped his shoulder and ushered the two of them deeper into the dark fortress.
Zieg quickly darted right and left, keeping his eyes fastened on every nook and carny, in case anything came out at them. Subconsciously, free hand fastened tightly about his dirty clothed item. Flain pondered lightly on this but shook the thought from his mind just as quick.
Finally the two boys made it to a far off edge of the prison. The air was more humid here and stunk of a horrible odor. Flain didn't have to focus on much of his imagination to guess where they were now. Looking around he saw the huge piles of fecal matter and other more unsavory objects lying vacantly scattered about. A few feet higher he saw a long dark tube leading outwards and below it was a dirty smelly pit filled with liquid. Flain didn't want to even think about where some of that liquid came from. His throat soon became parch from disgust and a sudden urge to lose his lunch. He could almost feel the stench now as it assaulted his nostrils.
"Zieg… you can't be serious. You don't expect us to actually…?"
Zieg turned around to face his friend. The grim expression on his face confirmed that he too didn't think too highly of climbing through the smelly fecal shoot. Yet it also confirmed that that was indeed what he had in mind for them to do.
"Oh god! Zieg no! Man that's gross!"
"It's the only way we'll be able to get inside unnoticed!"
"Brother, once we're finished climbing through that rut, we'll be a hell of a lot more 'noticable' then before. We'll be smelling like $hit for crying out loud!"
"Don't worry." Zieg assured his comrade, gripping his shoulder. "The prison smells worse inside. Believe me, they won't notice."
"Oh, now that's just 'all' I needed to hear right now!" Flain hissed sarcastically.
"We don't have time for this." Zieg quickly jumped up onto the rim of the tube. The slimy substance from within made it troublesome for him to secure a grip but by sheer determination and skill, he was finally able to hoist himself inside. Once there, he reached down towards his companion. "It's now or never Flain."
He could see the indecision in his friend's eyes before Flain finally looked up towards him with a stern glare. " You are 'DEFINITLY' going to owe me big for this one."
Flain jumped up skillfully and caught hold of his friend's grasp. He grimaced slightly at the more horrid stench of the tunnel along with the wet slimy sensation he felt on his friend's grasp.
Zieg paid it no mind as he was still currently trying to clear his sense of the smells. Without another word, Zieg stealthily made his way up the tube with quiet resolve. The substances all around them made his trek difficult however he continued to scale the area nonetheless. Flain swiftly followed suit, trying to avoid touching anything as much as possible.
The two companions finally reached the top. Zieg carefully pulled up the lid of the shoot and noticed a hallway inside. He looked down towards a gagging Flain. "You ok down there?"
"Let's just get the hell out of here!" His friend replied, in between gasps.
Zieg skillfully hoisted himself out of the tube but held back the urge to cover his nose again. It was as he had said earlier. The smell was indeed worse inside. Flain carefully followed.
"Damn! You weren't kidding when you said the prison area smelled worse! Phew!"
"We better keep moving." Zieg said, ignoring his friend's antics. "I don't know where the guards are at in here."
"What?"
"Because we're in the trash area, they don't normally list posted guards on the layouts but the fact that people could do what you and I just did, says that is it quite possible they did indeed post guards."
"I can't see how anyone would ever do what we just did…" Flain grumbled nonchalantly but quickly followed his friend down the corridor nonetheless.
The area was worse then any other place the two boys had ever seen before. Plaster hung from the walls at every angle. Jutting spikes from metal wall screws veered outwards towards them making their journey down the corridor all the more hazardous. The floor was filled with more excrement and trash. Blood was the commanding factor however. Bodies lay strewn about as if they were throw to the side. Each one was going through various stages of decomposition. Some were so far gone as to be complete skeletons while others looked as if they were freshly killed. The hall was fairly wide yet because of the spikes, the two boys were forced to walk single file. The air felt humid and moist to the two young guild members. Obviously the stench of death, blood and decay added a certain quality and texture to the air.
This all made Flain's blood crawl seeing this all with his very own eyes. He had head some bad stories about the Imperial prison but in this case, a picture was definitely worth more then a thousand words.
Zieg carefully made his way down the hallway, silently and careful to avoid stepping on any shards or items which would draw attention to them. Flain, however, was a master at stealth and so he out maneuvered Zieg. Once he got to the corner of the hall, he could see another long hallway with three separate partitions jutting both left and right.
"Great…" Flain whispered. "Now where do we go?"
Zieg made his way alongside his dark haired friend and surveyed their options. "We go up." He replied simply, then turned his head upwards.
"What?" Flain looked up as well and sure enough they saw a ventilation shaft.
Zieg easily jumped onto the shaft edge and entered. Flain followed close behind. Zieg saw his friend's obvious distaste as the stench in the shaft was even worse if at all possible. Nonetheless Zieg made his way down the shaft and made a sharp right at the corner.
"Where are we going?" Flain finally asked from behind.
Zieg sighed in slight frustration. "Just wait." He replied. "You'll find out soon enough."
Finally Zieg saw a lowering pit out of the shaft. He quickly dropped down. Flain had a shocked expression on his face but quickly followed suit for fear Zieg was injured.
However, Zieg was far from it. The shaft had led to what seemed to be a cave-like tunnel. The brown haired boy was currently kneeling over the edge of the catwalk, dipping his hands into the stream that followed down a narrow path. Flain was overjoyed at seeing this. The smell had lessened greatly and it almost seemed as if this area were particularly kept in considerable condition.
Zieg vigorously washed the liquid over himself, cleaning as much of the foul smelling material off of him as possible. Flain followed him with equal intensity.
"It's about time!" The dark haired boy raved excitedly. "I couldn't stand that stuff being on me a second longer! Phew!"
Zieg smiled towards his friend. "Neither could I. Well at least we won't be smelling like our surroundings."
"How much further do we have to go anyway?" Flain asked curiously.
"Not much really. There's a door to the left of this catwalk. Only we won't be going through the door but the grate right next to it. It's kinda small in there but we'll fit through well enough."
"Ok… doesn't sound too bad." Flain replied, splashing a shower of water over his face and hair. " What's next after that?"
Zieg continued scrubbing his clothing to remove the stench from it. "After that, we'll eventually come across a metal ladder. We scale up that and once we're through, we'll have reached our target."
"Really?" Flain asked, dumbfounded. "That easy huh?"
"There's still the risk." Zieg reminded him. "It's just like you said, remember? Not many people would scale up a garbage shoot to break into the Imperial prison. And aside from that, Usually there should have been guards posted in that area. At least I suspected there would be…"
"Maybe they took a break?" Flain offered washing himself down further.
"… Maybe… Their security does seem more lax then usual though."
"Who knows." Flain replied nonchalantly. Zieg could tell the elder boy was momentarily content as he continued washing himself further in the stream. A soft smile played on the brown haired boy's lips. If there was anything Flain liked the most, it was a nice shower. He remembered how his friend would spend hours on end at the local water stream.
Zieg kept himself from chuckling and turned to face his friend. "We'll let's get going before our luck runs out eh?"
Flain nodded but Zieg still caught the slightly disappointed look in his eyes.
After an hour of shifting through the grate and climbing of the narrow ladder, the two boys finally made there way to the top of the ladder, now just inches from their destination. Zieg carefully hoisted the top lid open, having to ram his arm into it as the grate was locked securely. Fortunately for them, the rustic condition of it, made it much easier to open by sheer force alone. A stark light immediately filtered through the ladder area, momentarily blinding the two boys. Zieg could feel his whole body tense in anxiety and anticipation. He was just inches away from realizing his life dream.
Finally, the young boy worked up enough courage to climb out of the opening. He nimbly hopped to the ground and immediately scanned his surroundings for fear that some of the guards might be posted in the area. To his fortune, the room was practically devoid of anyone save one. Zieg almost reeled over in disgust. So far this was the worst smelling room of them all.
Flain quickly walked up along side his friend, covering his nose with the edge of his tunic. "I thought you said the smells would get better once we reached our target."
Zieg said nothing, still slightly mesmerized by his surroundings. All around, the room was solid stone. Various torture equipment lay strewn about to the side, blood caking the edges. On the walls, there were more blood stains along with a few area's chipped away as if attacked by weapons. Manacles hung limp from the upper regions, those too having blood stains. Practically the whole room stunk of it. Blood was not the only scent they smelled. The cloying scent of rust and coal mixed in together with the horrendous fumes of excrement and dried sweat filled their nostrils like a plague.
Flain was obviously displeased as he continued reeling as if he were going to pass out at any second. Zieg continued to look on into the empty room, walking even closer. To the right, he immediately saw a steel table, also endowed with blood and more various torture tools. So engrossed was he with these new items, he never noticed the shriveled, bony organism sitting directly behind him.
"What destiny pulls you to me young one…"
Zieg immediately spun around, gripping his dagger. His eyes suddenly fell upon the most horrible sight he had ever seen in his life. The old man sat a mere five inches away yet it was as if Zieg could see the very heart of the man's dying soul. Dressed only in rags, the man's once brown eyes were clouded with gray. They collected in a mass of wrinkled, swollen eyelids. His face was haggard from rickets and various forms of skin disease. The little hair he did have, fell in strands of white down his face and back. His whole body was thinned right to the bone and Zieg could nearly see every artery in the man's body as they continued to pump with life. The man's clothing was ragged and torn consisting of only a ripped shroud that covered his shoulders and a towel like wrapping around his waist.
Even though the man was the epitome of a wreck, Zieg still found himself draw to the old man's eyes. There was something within them that spoke louder that any appearance anyone could ever hope to maintain.
"You're him aren't you…?" Zieg said, almost in a whisper. "The great rebellion hero Arthose…"
The old man did not break his stare as he looked intently into Zieg's eyes. Nor did he bother to answer the young boy's question. "What destiny pulls you to me young one!" He repeated, this time with a hint of anger edged in his voice.
Zieg found himself fumbling for a response, still caught up in that intent glare. "I… well… That is, we're here to save you!"
"Why?" the old man asked immediately.
"What?"
"Why do you wish to rescue me? I am far in age and my end is shortly at hand. What could you possible do to save me?"
Zieg was speechless. Of all the responses he had prepared for, this one he hadn't suspected in the least. "What are you saying? You were once the leader of the first Rebellion of Karsack are you not? You were the hope of our people! You can lead them again!"
"How? It is impossible. The winglys have done their work well on me. I have nothing left to give young one. Why are you wasting your time and your life on me?"
Zieg could find no answer as he simply stared at the man with a touch of fear in his eyes. Flain watched from the distance with a mute expression on his face.
"Well? Answer me! What do you hope to accomplish by setting me free? Have you not realized that rebellion only leads to suffering amongst our people? Would you risk to endanger them once more as I have in my youth?"
"It won't be like that!" Zieg nearly screamed in anxiety. "I won't fail! I'll set our people towards the path of freedom! Even if it means my life!"
"Foolishness…"
"What?"
"FOOLISHNESS!! Going against the winglys is suicide! Why do you wish to throw your life away! You still have not fully answered my question!"
"…" Zieg found that he was too shocked even to respond anymore as he simply stared at the old man with astonished eyes.
"What is it you seek to gain!?!" the old man continued heedlessly. "Don't you know you will die boy? Is it not enough that you will die but that you have to risk the lives of countless other innocents as well? Would you have them suffer too for your mistakes!? Well would you???"
"NO!" Zieg nearly screamed finally. "No, I would never do that because I would never fail! I don't care if the wingly are powerful! I don't care if they can destroy entire cities on a singly whim! I don't care if I die fighting for what I believe in! What I do know is that I can't stand it anymore! I can't stand being forced to live my life in fear for the rest of my days! I can't stand having to live in the fear that my future will consist of enslavement for the rest of my life! And I can't stand that the winglys have so much control as to snuff out a single life simply on a whim! I'm telling you I can't stand it anymore! I can not live this way! Wingly be damned, I 'WILL' not live this way! EVER!"
Flain was completely baffled by Zieg's whole speech and now simply watched in open-mouthed awe.
The old man had a different reaction however. A soft smile traced his lips despite the wrinkles which tried to hide it. His eyes glinted with a far off light which neither boy could exactly place, yet it was still there nonetheless.
"I am relieved…" The old man replied finally. "I see the burning desire of freedom within your soul. I sense a great destiny within you…"
Zieg's former expression shifted from one of anger to one of sudden shock. "What… do you mean?"
"You, young boy, are of a dying breed. Your valor and determination is commendable. I sense a greater destiny within you. Never lose sight of your dreams. For if you hold tight enough, you will find the power you need to overthrow the wingly monarchs. All that is required is the will. The power will follow."
Zieg was completely baffled. "… Old man… I'm not sure I understand. What do you mean by me having a greater destiny?"
"You will know when the time is right… Listen to me… both of you… never lose sight of your objectives… and at the same time, never lose sight of the loyalty the both of you hold towards one another. For if you separate, a broken bond of friendship holds far greater pain then even the most sharp of blades. Stay united and together you can accomplish your goals. It is only through the loyalty companions hold towards each other that salvation and victory can truly be obtained…"
"You speak as if you're on your deathbed old man." Flain spoke for the first time, with only a slight shred of concern in his voice.
The old man regarded him now, his smile slowly fading a bit. "You… have many trials ahead before you can truly meet your final obstacles towards the path of glory. It would be wise to hold fast to your friends especially."
Flain squinted his eyes, giving the old man an odd look. "What?"
"It is as young Flain describes it." The old man suddenly continued, ignoring Flain entirely. "I speak as if I don't have any time left because that is exactly the case…"
"Don't say things like that!" Zieg quickly reiterated clasping the man's shoulders eagerly. "Hey you're going to make it! Trust me, we won't let you die!"
The man eased himself more comfortably onto the hard stone surface, smiling up proudly towards Zieg. "I thank you for giving me hope in my last moments of life young man. You have truly shown me that the path of the future is much brighter now… you have proven that my many years of suffering were not without merit."
Zieg was now looking on at the old man with raw anxiety and fear in his expression. Tears began to well up in his eyes. "B… but you can't die! We need you!"
The old man chuckled slightly, then inhaled the air into his lungs in one quick hiss as if forcing his lungs to continue functioning for just a while longer. "Zieg… y… you don't need me to become your… cornerstone of support…. The answer towards true strength lies from within… Search within your soul and find that drive that inspired you to come to my rescue… The will and the strength is there… within you… use your gifts wisely, herald of the red dragon… use your gifts and change our destiny…" Before he could do anything, the old man suddenly reached out his hand and placed a finger onto Zieg's forehead. "A gift…" The old man explained. Suddenly a burst of bright red light shot out from the man's fingertips illuminating him and Zieg for a split second. So fast was the entire action that it was questionable as to whether it ever truly happened if it was simply of fragmented imagination.
Zieg blinked a few times, as if suddenly coming out of a trance. The old man immediately went limp in his arms. Zieg was now becoming more flustered as he continued to clutch the old man's shoulders. The old man's body became weaker now as he had finally depleted the last of his energy. His eyes lulled back into his skull and his mouth parted slightly.
"I have shown you the way. Now…give…our people…free…dom…*"
"No!" Zieg nearly screamed. "Don't go! You can't leave…you can't…" The boy refused to accept the scene before him as he helplessly sank his face into the chest of the now dead hero of 80 years past. Flain watched on with morbid stoicism. He felt sorry for his friend yet at the same time, he hoped now that his good friend would realize the root of his error and forget his drastic ways.
"Zieg… It's time to go…"
Slowly, Zieg carefully lifted his head up from the dead man's chest, new determination shining brightly in his eyes. "Yes…" The young boy agreed. "It's time we left… But we're taking the body with us… We owe him that much at least."
Flain sighed but nodded his head. Bending low, he helped his friend carry the limp weight of the dead man down the way they had come. During their voyage back, the trip was slow and rather uneventful. However, in the mind of the young man known as Zieg, a new level of determinism etched its way into his soul. No longer would he fight for the glory of heroism or the satisfaction of revenge. The old man had shown him through example that sheer bravado and bravery were not all one needed to attain victory. A new goal etched its way into Zieg's heart and it wouldn't be accessed by acquiring figureheads to rally the masses. No, Zieg's vision became much clearer now. No longer was it a vision of selfish heroism or pride any more. Instead it was a vision of freedom and the preservation of all.
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's Note: I know the part about the way the entered the tunnel was pretty gross but please forgive me one that one. It was the best way I could describe the horrible setting the characters are living in this day and age. Hopefully things will get quite a bit more hectic as the story progresses and less gross. Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 2.