Diary ~
Again strange things happen. I believe I will most likely be writing to you about them every day.
Rose is…not quite a friendly person. She hasn't smiled or laughed or shown even a bit of emotion other than perhaps bloodlust and anger. However, she does speak with me. I am sure that I should be pleased to have this honor, as she rarely initiates conversation with anyone else, especially Shana. She speaks to me as if I am her equal, of little things, often Dart as well and I wonder if she takes an interest in him. She asks me of my family as well, and all I tell her is that my husband had died from the Black Monster. She flinches and when I asked her why she said that she too had lost somebody to the Black Monster.
She is a great warrior as well, rivaling and perhaps even surpassing Dart. He seems to look at her with a respectful awe. She commands that with people. Shana doesn't seem to like her and Lavitz seems more reserved to her. But something about her just seems off to me, wrong. Her aura…feels…different. And not just because of her Dragoon forms. When I look at her, I am reminded of times when cities could float and panthers were common pets. A feeling of age and mystery.
Ah, but I digress yet again! We needed to travel to the Marshlands to help the Knighthood. The Marshlands stank like dead corpses and rotting life, which is what it was made of. Dart gave me a few words of caution as if he was my protector before I stopped him.
"You forget, Dart, I was a very capable warrior before you were even born." How true that was. I still am a very capable and strong warrior but I have lost the soul of the warrior. I am not sure how to describe it but something is different…
Shana had her ankle stuck in quicksand and Dart doubled back to help her, but she pulled her ankle out all on her own. "I'm not a thirteen-year-old child anymore, Dart. Your mother has been training me. I don't want to be weak. I want to fight beside you. Even if I can't be as strong as Rose is" there was envy in her voice. "I want to help you and to struggle next to you."
He seemed surprised at her change in attitude. When he left her, she would have been the one screaming for help and weeping in pain and humiliation when he helped her out. Now she is capable of protecting herself, up to a point. She is still not a high-warrior by far, but she is working on it and I am proud of her for that.
By the time we reached the fort, the fighting was almost over. Dart and Rose scared off a good deal of the remaining soldiers by their Dragoons forms and we eliminated the enemies that were brave enough to remain. The rest that did remain were of course the dead ones. Our mission accomplished, we were about to leave when a soldier told us of the poisonous Dragon breath and begged us to help kill the Dragon. Of course Dart could not pass up this request. We were going to kill the Dragon, and we followed the soldier's directions to the Dragon's Nest, past the Volcano.
The Volcano Villude, Lavitz told us, is the pathway around the rim of a volcano, very dangerous and hot. Be sure not to fall into any lava pits.
Yeah sure, I'm just going to throw myself in there.
Yet a little part of me considers that. You will be with Zieg then, it says rationally.
I shake my head. No. No, I will not do that. As much as I had loved my husband, I love life more. I cannot leave my son here. I can't rush into death.
Halfway through the Villude, Shana began to act very strangely. She stopped walking and when I gently pushed her along, she was immovable. She stood there with her hands clenched by her hips and her eyes unfocused and far away. Her body swayed slightly.
"It's calling me. There's a voice calling me." She said and she leapt into the volcano.
She landed on the slope, scampering down with only a minimal amount of difficulty, as if she has traveled this path before. She knew the way, quickly disappearing from sight.
Yelling her name, the four of us descended with much more difficulty—aside from Rose, who seemed to welcome pain—and following Shana's path.
We found her poised at the edge of a cliff overlooking a lava pit. Dazed and upset, she was staring into it.
Well, she was staring at what was in it anyway.It was to a normal person a monster, gray and green, hideous and deformed, and enormous. But Zieg had studied the Dragon Campaign and he had told me many things about it so that I knew nearly as much as he did. I knew enough to know that this was a Virage.
I said so at the same time Rose did and she stared at me in what would be confusion for half a second before a grudging respect. "You know your history." She said.
"As do you." Where had she learned of such things to such a great extent?
"I am a scholar of the Dragon Campaign. The Virages were manipulated beings who fought alongside the Winglies. This one has been preserved in the lava for over eleven thousand years."
Lavitz said that it was impossible and Shana spoke again. "The voice stopped." She whimpered, reaching out a hand to the Virage. But when Dart started forward, she cautioned him back, screaming, "Don't go near it! It's dangerous!"
Dart backed away, looking at me. In gentle tones I managed to persuade Shana to come away from the edge of the cliff, but as she moved away the Virage awakened. It lumbered itself onto the edge of the cliff. Rose smirked and Dart steeled himself. The two most able warriors in the party.
Not that I mean the rest of us didn't fight as well. It must have been a rather weak Virage because it fell quite easily, and Dart kicked it back into the lava pit. The heat flared up and lava splattered onto the edges of the cliff. I pulled Shana away, reaching for Rose. She allowed herself to be dragged away from it, still glaring at the sinking body of the Virage.
"The Virages battled against the humans in the Dragon Campaign. This one must have awakened because he wanted revenge against humans—us." I told them, a bit out of breath.
"Mom, how do you know so much about the Dragon Campaign?" Dart asked me.
"Your father studied it all of his life. Every free moment that he had, he focused on studying the Dragon Campaign. He was obsessed with it. And he seemed to know it on a personal level too. He told me he had dreams about it."
I noticed that Rose frowned, opening her mouth to say something but the voice that rang through the air was a male's, screaming for help.
It ended up being a merchant from Lohan who thanked us all very graciously when we pulled him up from where he was dangling over a lava pit. He left saying that we would be welcome in Lohan.
Dragon's Nest finally appeared and the smell of blood and Dragons was in the air. Shana seemed troubled by the latter; as soon as she entered the forest she claimed a headache. Rose explained that it was because of the poison on the Dragon's breath. We needed to quickly accomplish the mission and head back.
When we were deeper into the forest, Shana's condition worsened, tripping many times though she kept claiming that she was fine. She was the only one affected by the Dragon poison. All of us except for Rose had headaches—or at least we were the ones who admitted to them—but Shana was the only one who was seriously disturbed. Dart needed to fight freely, so I guided Shana with an arm around her shoulders, knowing that Dart's fighting would be more powerful and effective than mine. I wonder what Father would say if he saw his grandson.
Rose pointed out the way, saying that she "smelled" Feyrbrand, the Dragon, that way.
"Shana, are you truly okay?"
"I must be strong. I'm okay." She insisted. I had raised her to be strong but in effect she refused help.
Dragon's Nest was through a web. We fell through and found our way through the corridors until we reached an empty room that reeked of Dragon poison. But on the throne sat not a Dragon but a human, with dark hair and a large build. Of course, I should have expected. Each Dragon had a master to command it.
Lavitz seemed to know this person. It turned out that this person was an ex-knight named Greham, who had betrayed Lavitz's father Servi and caused his death in some way. Greham transformed into Dragoon; his dark hair stood out against the pale jade of the armor.
Rose was outraged at this, demanded to know how he had gotten the armor. Greham told us that Emperor Doel of Sandora was acting under the orders of Emperor Diaz. Emperor Diaz! That's impossible! Zieg had told me that Diaz was commander of the human forces and had died during the Dragon Campaign. Eleven thousand years ago!
Shana worsened when the Dragon itself appeared, looking like stalks of hay and grass woven together. I stayed by her side, occasionally taking the blunt of attack items that Greham tossed at us. Dart, Lavitz, and Rose fought instead and when one of them became tired, he would come sit beside Shana and rest while I took his place. I felt a bit guilty at fighting a Dragon but it was self-defense and Father had told me never to have regrets.
When both Dragon and Dragoon had fallen, the Jade Dragoon Spirit was passed onto Lavitz, along with Greham's heartfelt apologies. The Dragon died, its body fading and its energy permanently becoming part of the Dragoon Spirit.
So now there are THREE Dragoons of the five humans in this party. Coincidence?
Shana fainted a few minutes after Lavitz accepted the Dragoon Spirit, so we had to head to Lohan, the closest town that had a doctor.
The doctor here is competent enough; he immediately deduced that it is Dragon poison. But there is no cure, he said. Dart smashed his fist against the wall before I snapped at him. He and Lavitz and Rose headed to see if Dabas could tell them anything. They returned saying that they had a lead and were going to check it out. I was to stay here and watch over Shana.
The doctor returned to his paperwork wisely, leaving me sitting by Shana's bedside, praying to Soa.
I write this now, at her bedside. I pray that she get better and fast. Shana was my daughter, for lack of better words. I had practically accepted her as my ward, despite the lack of paperwork. I shed a few tears over her, unashamed of my emotions.
Oh gods, a few moments ago a man walked by the clinic and I could have sworn that it was Father.
I jumped up, screaming, until the doctor told me that the stress had caused a hallucination. Accepting the mild wine he offered, I sat back down. Of course it must be a hallucination. What were the odds that I would meet Father again?
But then again, what if I DID meet him again? What…what would happen? Would he forgive me? Would I forgive him?
Dart has returned now, with a few bruises and another Dragoon Spirit! Good grief, I was told there was only seven in the world and yet we have four right now! It is as if they are drawn toward us. He holds the Dragoon Spirit over Shana's body to heal her, but instead it latches itself to her neck and she awakens perfectly healthy.
Well now I am the only one without a Dragoon Spirit. I feel a bit left out but I am not sure I would want one even if it were offered to me. By my studies it seemed to be both a gift and a curse. Dart carries it as a tool, using it to help him reach his goals. But within it, I see something strange, a different glow in his eyes, a look of age and understanding. Rose carries it with obligation, her face austere and stern. Lavitz carries it as a weapon to help him fight for Basil. He keeps saying that he will use it for justice, to help King Albert. Shana carries it as if it is a gift, but within her eyes too I see the strange light. I will have to ask them about it later.
The doctor informed us of the Hero Competition in town. Daredevils and fighters and warrior from all over came to compete in it.
"Mom, can I join?" Dart asked me, as if he is still ten years old asking my permission.
I laughed, hugged him to me. "Dart, you are past the age where you must ask my permission. Do what you want, I am just an old woman watching her son's journey."
"You're not old." He reminded me. "You're only—"
I hush him before he can say my age. I may be a mother but Soa had allowed me to keep my beauty. I think I look about the same as I did years ago, in Rouge. I look a lot like Rose, but without the austerity and age-old understanding in the eyes. But I know that I can still make men desire me if I want. But I don't.
"Are you going to join, Claire?" Shana asked. The Dragoon Spirit is tucked under her sleeveless tunic.
"No, my dear, I am not going to. I will not fight those decades younger than I am. I'll just get injured and embarrass myself. But let us get good seats. We can watch Dart win… Rose, are you fighting?"
She shook her head no. "I've no interest in something like this." She disappeared to find her own seat, which was fine with me and obviously with Shana.
Oh gods, as I walked back from getting refreshments for Shana and Lavitz, I crashed into a person. He caught the drinks before they fell and replaced them on my tray with a grace that could not be rivaled. He smiled, and that was the first thing I noticed. The second thing was that he had a strange aura. The third thing was that he had bewitching blood-colored eyes and silver-platinum hair.
"I'm sorry." He said. I have to write down the whole conversation because of a strange feeling I have. "Are you participating in the competition? No, I suppose not. It was a foolish question. If you were going to fight, you wouldn't be getting refreshments."
I laughed; I couldn't help it. "Very clever. You're right; I'm not fighting. Do I look like a fighter?"
He looked at me, musing, and I was embarrassed that I provoked such a question. But to my surprise he said, "Yes, you do. Not a crude one, furthermore. You have a fighting style."
I was flattered he could tell this—I didn't look like a fighter to most people—and impressed that he could analyze me. "Thank you." I tell him. "Obviously, you will be fighting." I gesture to a beautiful silver sword hanging loosely by his right hip. He was lean, but with well-toned muscles tightening his pale skin.
"Yes. I hope you'll be cheering for me." He had a bewitching smile as well. I wonder now if he was flirting with me. But I must be older than he by over a decade. It wouldn't be immoral but it would be very uncomfortable. Yet I remember that Winglies can halt their aging. What am I saying? I am speaking as if I have taken an interest in him.
I steadied my refreshments and smiled back. "I will. Good luck, Wingly."
His eyes flashed bright red for a moment and his smile was contagious. "You're perceptive. I'd be grateful if you didn't blurt it around."
"You have my word, sir. I don't purposefully persecute those of different species. Good luck in the tournament. I must be going now."
He inclined his head in respect and I smiled, then walked away. When I finally remembered where I had seen him before and turned around he was gone. He was the one in the black cloak at Indels Castle. I got the same strange feeling both times.
When I sat down beside Shana and she took the refreshments and handed them to Lavitz, she noticed my face. "Claire, are you all right? You look pale?" She said, but I waved it off.
The tournament started and I forgot about the Wingly. Dart was in the first battle and his opponent broke the rules by casting a poison spell. I saw Rose across the arena, practically leaning in, yelling something to Dart. He looked at her for a moment and used an item to cure his poison. Rose sat back, satisfied, and Dart defeated the opponent.
I watched as he breezed through battles easily. That's my son! I wanted to tell to the people in my pride, but would they care? No, humans cared only for themselves.
And then I began to pay attention to other battles and I nearly passed out. There was a man down there, with dark, dark hair and a large nose, dressed in violet, using his fists as weapons. He was a master of the Rouge martial arts, I could tell this even at my distance. I could also identify him.
Father.
I tried to stand, swayed. Shana and Lavitz caught me before I tripped over myself. "What's wrong, Claire?" Shana screamed.
"That's my father." I told her quietly and fainted.
It was rather embarrassing actually, now that I remember it. I was only out for a few seconds but when I came around, Father had already won. I sat shaking in my seat, praying that it wasn't him. I wasn't ready to see him yet. I wasn't sure if I ever would be.
I shut my eyes until Shana told me it was Dart's turn again. I looked up, saw that he was fighting Father and went back to hiding behind my hands. When it was over, I learned that my son had won over his grandfather and felt a brief swell of pride.
The Wingly I had spoken with was also fighting, defeating his enemies as if they were mere insects under his polished boots. He was a very talented fighter, dangerous. He moved too fast, faster than the wind. His sword moves as quickly as thought. No one stood a chance to him. I saw Rose's lips move from where I sat, she seemed to be cursing. I heard Shana speaking but I didn't hear her.
The Wingly defeated Father as well, so that now he was fighting Dart. I paused, not sure who to root for. I had promised to cheer for the Wingly but Dart was my son and blood-tie came first. I figured the rules of etiquette would forgive me.
But the fight was over just as quickly as the others were. The Wingly had won. His name was Lloyd. I tried the name. It came easily and carried power.
The hero tournament ended with Lloyd in first place, Dart in second place, and Father in third.
"Claire, are you coming?" Lavitz asked.
"I'm going to go hide by the monster conquest game, all right? Please make sure that he leaves before coming to fetch me." I ran, taking the long way around the arena so that I wouldn't have to see the winners. I stumbled into many people along the way, and one large man caused me to fall to the ground.
"You seem to have a habit of crashing into people." Lloyd said calmly, extending a hand to me. I took it, pulled myself to my feet.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you again." I said quickly, looking around. I didn't see Father anywhere. I relaxed slightly but not much, summing up the conversation. "Congratulations on winning, and thanks for your help. Please excuse me, but I need to go."
He followed my nervous gaze around the arena. "Are you being chased by someone?"
I laughed uneasily. It came out shrill. "You could say that."
"Are you in trouble with the authorities?"
"No. Someone else."
He paused. "Do you need protection?" He touched the hilt of his sword lightly.
I was surprised by his offer. "…Thank you, but no. I'm trying to avoid him."
"Ah, I see. Well then, I suggest climbing up there." He pointed to the rafters tacked high on the walls where boxes were usually stored and where little rat-like creatures had been racing. "It can't be seen from down here. I'll give you a hand up."
"Thank you." I told him gratefully as I stepped onto his cupped hands and leapt onto the rafters. "By the way, your last opponent was my son. That's why I cheered for him."
"You have a very strong son. You must be proud. Back up a little. Yes, now I can't see you. You can stay there until the arena is deserted."
"Thank you, Lloyd." I said. I wasn't sure if I had permission to use his name, but he didn't seem to mind. I could have sworn he chuckled.
"Since you know my name, what is yours?"
"My name is Claire. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome."
After a long while I looked over the edge. Lloyd was gone, along with many of the people but not enough. I scanned for Father, but couldn't see him. I relaxed, cradling my head in my elbows, returning my breathing to normal. It smelled of animal sweat up here, and I brush a rat away from me, returning to my hiding, calm.
So you can imagine, diary, how startled I was when a hand settled on my shoulder.
"There you are." Rose said, scowling as she sat beside me. "Dart had us hunting all over for you. Shana said you would be by some game but obviously you aren't."
I had forgotten what I had told Shana. "I'm sorry. I was—"
"Avoiding the old man. We know, Shana told us. Let's go, Claire." Her voice softened slightly, almost as if she was trying to comfort me. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Now let's go. I don't like this place."
I climbed to my feet with her, again marveling at how much she is like me. Every time I look at her I think I am looking into a mirror.
She leapt down from the rafters. I did the same, ending in a crouch because I am not as agile as she is. As I straightened, I knew he would be there. My eyes automatically found him.
Father.