- 5 -
"This is Saith, huh?" Ash asked, walking out of the port house. May looked at Nimbus, Cirrus, and Heather, then at him.
"Yeah. This is Saith, on Caldor Isle," she said, "We have to go North, to Weird Woods, to reach Burg."
"Let's head out now, since it's early," Cirrus said.
"Yeah, we should make it to Burg by nightfall," Nimbus added. They all nodded, and started out of town.
"Hey, wait up!" Ash, May, Nimbus, Cirrus, and Heather turned and looked at the person who was calling them. She had long blue hair, and blue eyes.
"What? Who are you?" Heather asked.
"My name's Virginia." she said, "I'm from Tamur. I was on the ship with you."
"We didn't see you," Cirrus said.
"I stayed in my cabin the whole way here," Virginia said. She looked at them. "I overheard you talking about going to Burg.could I come?"
"Sure, you can come with us," Nimbus replied.
"I agree," May said.
"Thanks," she thanked them. They started walking again. "I didn't get your names."
"I'm Cirrus, the one in a black robe is Nimbus, and the one next to you is Heather," Cirrus said.
Nimbus finished the introduction by adding, "The one over there, that hasn't said a word through this whole conversation, is Ash. And the one that is practically hanging on him, is May."
"Nimbus, shut up! I am not!" May snapped playfully, laughing. Ash shook his head, and smiled.
"Can we try leaving for Weird Woods now?" he asked. They looked at him.
"That would be a good idea," Cirrus said. They tried once again to leave.
"Um, what exactly is in here.?" Virginia asked. Around three that afternoon, they were in Weird Woods.
"Oh, monsters, trees, weeds." Heather said. Virginia shuddered. They continued walking through the woods, stopping a couple times when monsters attacked them.
"Welcome to the village of Burg," the village greeter said.
"How weird! Someone just stands here and says 'Welcome to Burg!'" Heather commented.
"That's not nice, Heather," Cirrus said. Heather glared at her, but didn't say anything.
"Let's stay in an inn or something for the night, then we'll go to the White Dragon Cave tomorrow," May said to change the subject.
"Yeah," Nimbus agreed with her, frowning at Heather. They went in search of an inn.
- The next morning -
"You're insane!" the woman that ran the inn yelled, "You want to go to the White Dragon Cave?"
"Yeah," Ash said. She looked at them, and sighed.
"When you leave the village, go north, then head east, then south. It'll be easy to see the cave entrance." She told them, "Be careful, that cave is dangerous."
"Ok," they said. They left, and went to the entrance of Burg.
"We need a plan," Nimbus told them, "we can't just walk into that cave."
"No we don't!" May said, "Nall is the White Dragon. He knows what's going on, and is expecting us."
"Ok then!" Virginia squeaked, "Let's go!"
The group headed north, east, then south. In the shadow of the mountains, the Dragon Cave entrance was hidden. They entered the cave with caution.
"It's cold in here.!" Virginia whined. She frowned at them.
"Hm? Cold?" Ash asked, "It's a cave! It's suppose to be!"
"Oh!" she said.
"You've never been in a cave before?" Nimbus asked.
"Never," Virginia said. The conversation ended in abrupt silence. They slipped and slid across the icy floor.
"Aw-w-w!" Nall stretched his long neck, and looked at them from his resting- place. The White Dragon seemed groggy. "Ah!"
"Nall, how have you been?" May asked.
"Good!" he roared. "Let me see, you came because."
"We came to talk to you," Heather said.
"Heather!" Nimbus and Cirrus yelled, "Shut up!"
"Here's your chance, Sheriff Ketchum," May said.
"There you go again!" Ash sighed. He shook his head. "Nall, I want to become the Dragonmaster."
"Hmm?" Nall turned to him. "Dragonmaster?"
"Yes!" he said. Nall thought a moment, then sighed.
"It's been years since we've had a true Dragonmaster, and." Nall paused, "we need one. Dark times are coming, and the Goddess has awakened from her deep slumber."
"What?" they gasped.
"Yes. Althena fears the worst, but she is giving her all to protect her children for the moment." he said, "You must do the Trial, and find the chest with the Dragon Ring, and bring it back. I'll give you the Dragon Diamond afterwards."
"Let's go find that ring!" Virginia yelled.
"Ash, you're the one trying to be Dragonmaster, you lead the way!" Heather said. He shrugged, and didn't argue with her.
"What's the Dragon Ring do?" he asked.
"Nothing, really," May said.
"I see no point to it," Nimbus voiced.
"It's to test you! If you are able to retrieve it, you pass the Trial," Cirrus said. They went through room after room, deeper into the cave, until they reached a dead-end.
"There's nothing here." Ash yawned, looking around. May frowned at him.
"What's that? Over there?" Virginia asked.
"The chest!" Nimbus said, "Let's open it!"
"That would be a very good idea!" Heather muttered sarcastically. Ash pulled the latch open, and opened it. A White Dragon Ring sat in the bottom. He picked it up, and looked at it.
"Let's get back to Nall," Cirrus suggested. They were about to walk out, when ice started falling from the ceiling.
"What's going on?" Virginia asked, ducking behind a rock. Nimbus looked at her from another ice rock.
"We don't know," Nimbus yelled, brushing ice chips off her legs.
"Someone stop it!" Heather screamed. May crawled over to the ice block that Ash and Cirrus were behind.
"We need to melt the ice!" she said. He looked at her.
"Melt it? How?" Ash asked. May sighed, and hit him.
"Use crematorium is you still have it!" she said. He peered over the ice block, at the ceiling.
"Crematorium? OK," he replied. The cave was filled with fire; the icicles melted and formed water puddles on the ground, gray rock became visible on the ceiling and walls.
"That was dangerous!" Virginia said, standing up.
"Nall is going to be mad. You melted the cave!" Heather laughed. They suddenly frowned at each other.
"Was that part of the Trial?" Nimbus asked.
"It might have been," May stated.
Cirrus said, "Let's go see Nall."
- In Nall's Chamber's -
"Listen, the Red Dragon Cave is south West of Nanza. Meet her, and get the Dragon Shield from her. She'll tell you the rest," Nall said.
"Right!" they said.
- The next day -
"The Red Dragon Cave is here, so.hey! Wait a minute! Are you even paying attention to any of this?" May snapped. Ash glanced at her, a hurt look in his eyes.
"You said that the Red Dragon Cave is here, then accused me of not listening!" he said. May sighed.
"Never mind." She shook her head, "Ok, we have to go to Nanza."
Ash looked at the map laying spread out on the table. May was bent over the map, explaining the route they would take to the Red Dragon's Cave. He glanced up at her.
He said, "Ok, whatever you say."
"What's wrong, Ash?" she asked, frowning at him. He looked at her.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking that the Red Dragon is Ruby," Ash commented. May nodded.
"Yeah, so?" she said. He shrugged, and stood up.
"Ah, nothing." May shook her head.
"Is something else on your mind?" she inquired. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Would you leave me alone?!" he snapped, standing up. "You always ask that same question! 'What are you thinking about?' 'Something up?' 'Do you want to talk about it?'" He walked out, leaving behind a very confused May.
"This is Saith, huh?" Ash asked, walking out of the port house. May looked at Nimbus, Cirrus, and Heather, then at him.
"Yeah. This is Saith, on Caldor Isle," she said, "We have to go North, to Weird Woods, to reach Burg."
"Let's head out now, since it's early," Cirrus said.
"Yeah, we should make it to Burg by nightfall," Nimbus added. They all nodded, and started out of town.
"Hey, wait up!" Ash, May, Nimbus, Cirrus, and Heather turned and looked at the person who was calling them. She had long blue hair, and blue eyes.
"What? Who are you?" Heather asked.
"My name's Virginia." she said, "I'm from Tamur. I was on the ship with you."
"We didn't see you," Cirrus said.
"I stayed in my cabin the whole way here," Virginia said. She looked at them. "I overheard you talking about going to Burg.could I come?"
"Sure, you can come with us," Nimbus replied.
"I agree," May said.
"Thanks," she thanked them. They started walking again. "I didn't get your names."
"I'm Cirrus, the one in a black robe is Nimbus, and the one next to you is Heather," Cirrus said.
Nimbus finished the introduction by adding, "The one over there, that hasn't said a word through this whole conversation, is Ash. And the one that is practically hanging on him, is May."
"Nimbus, shut up! I am not!" May snapped playfully, laughing. Ash shook his head, and smiled.
"Can we try leaving for Weird Woods now?" he asked. They looked at him.
"That would be a good idea," Cirrus said. They tried once again to leave.
"Um, what exactly is in here.?" Virginia asked. Around three that afternoon, they were in Weird Woods.
"Oh, monsters, trees, weeds." Heather said. Virginia shuddered. They continued walking through the woods, stopping a couple times when monsters attacked them.
"Welcome to the village of Burg," the village greeter said.
"How weird! Someone just stands here and says 'Welcome to Burg!'" Heather commented.
"That's not nice, Heather," Cirrus said. Heather glared at her, but didn't say anything.
"Let's stay in an inn or something for the night, then we'll go to the White Dragon Cave tomorrow," May said to change the subject.
"Yeah," Nimbus agreed with her, frowning at Heather. They went in search of an inn.
- The next morning -
"You're insane!" the woman that ran the inn yelled, "You want to go to the White Dragon Cave?"
"Yeah," Ash said. She looked at them, and sighed.
"When you leave the village, go north, then head east, then south. It'll be easy to see the cave entrance." She told them, "Be careful, that cave is dangerous."
"Ok," they said. They left, and went to the entrance of Burg.
"We need a plan," Nimbus told them, "we can't just walk into that cave."
"No we don't!" May said, "Nall is the White Dragon. He knows what's going on, and is expecting us."
"Ok then!" Virginia squeaked, "Let's go!"
The group headed north, east, then south. In the shadow of the mountains, the Dragon Cave entrance was hidden. They entered the cave with caution.
"It's cold in here.!" Virginia whined. She frowned at them.
"Hm? Cold?" Ash asked, "It's a cave! It's suppose to be!"
"Oh!" she said.
"You've never been in a cave before?" Nimbus asked.
"Never," Virginia said. The conversation ended in abrupt silence. They slipped and slid across the icy floor.
"Aw-w-w!" Nall stretched his long neck, and looked at them from his resting- place. The White Dragon seemed groggy. "Ah!"
"Nall, how have you been?" May asked.
"Good!" he roared. "Let me see, you came because."
"We came to talk to you," Heather said.
"Heather!" Nimbus and Cirrus yelled, "Shut up!"
"Here's your chance, Sheriff Ketchum," May said.
"There you go again!" Ash sighed. He shook his head. "Nall, I want to become the Dragonmaster."
"Hmm?" Nall turned to him. "Dragonmaster?"
"Yes!" he said. Nall thought a moment, then sighed.
"It's been years since we've had a true Dragonmaster, and." Nall paused, "we need one. Dark times are coming, and the Goddess has awakened from her deep slumber."
"What?" they gasped.
"Yes. Althena fears the worst, but she is giving her all to protect her children for the moment." he said, "You must do the Trial, and find the chest with the Dragon Ring, and bring it back. I'll give you the Dragon Diamond afterwards."
"Let's go find that ring!" Virginia yelled.
"Ash, you're the one trying to be Dragonmaster, you lead the way!" Heather said. He shrugged, and didn't argue with her.
"What's the Dragon Ring do?" he asked.
"Nothing, really," May said.
"I see no point to it," Nimbus voiced.
"It's to test you! If you are able to retrieve it, you pass the Trial," Cirrus said. They went through room after room, deeper into the cave, until they reached a dead-end.
"There's nothing here." Ash yawned, looking around. May frowned at him.
"What's that? Over there?" Virginia asked.
"The chest!" Nimbus said, "Let's open it!"
"That would be a very good idea!" Heather muttered sarcastically. Ash pulled the latch open, and opened it. A White Dragon Ring sat in the bottom. He picked it up, and looked at it.
"Let's get back to Nall," Cirrus suggested. They were about to walk out, when ice started falling from the ceiling.
"What's going on?" Virginia asked, ducking behind a rock. Nimbus looked at her from another ice rock.
"We don't know," Nimbus yelled, brushing ice chips off her legs.
"Someone stop it!" Heather screamed. May crawled over to the ice block that Ash and Cirrus were behind.
"We need to melt the ice!" she said. He looked at her.
"Melt it? How?" Ash asked. May sighed, and hit him.
"Use crematorium is you still have it!" she said. He peered over the ice block, at the ceiling.
"Crematorium? OK," he replied. The cave was filled with fire; the icicles melted and formed water puddles on the ground, gray rock became visible on the ceiling and walls.
"That was dangerous!" Virginia said, standing up.
"Nall is going to be mad. You melted the cave!" Heather laughed. They suddenly frowned at each other.
"Was that part of the Trial?" Nimbus asked.
"It might have been," May stated.
Cirrus said, "Let's go see Nall."
- In Nall's Chamber's -
"Listen, the Red Dragon Cave is south West of Nanza. Meet her, and get the Dragon Shield from her. She'll tell you the rest," Nall said.
"Right!" they said.
- The next day -
"The Red Dragon Cave is here, so.hey! Wait a minute! Are you even paying attention to any of this?" May snapped. Ash glanced at her, a hurt look in his eyes.
"You said that the Red Dragon Cave is here, then accused me of not listening!" he said. May sighed.
"Never mind." She shook her head, "Ok, we have to go to Nanza."
Ash looked at the map laying spread out on the table. May was bent over the map, explaining the route they would take to the Red Dragon's Cave. He glanced up at her.
He said, "Ok, whatever you say."
"What's wrong, Ash?" she asked, frowning at him. He looked at her.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking that the Red Dragon is Ruby," Ash commented. May nodded.
"Yeah, so?" she said. He shrugged, and stood up.
"Ah, nothing." May shook her head.
"Is something else on your mind?" she inquired. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Would you leave me alone?!" he snapped, standing up. "You always ask that same question! 'What are you thinking about?' 'Something up?' 'Do you want to talk about it?'" He walked out, leaving behind a very confused May.