Ch. 16: On The Road Again

The night took over as the battle faded. Nimbulo got up and leaned on the butt end of his spear. He had quite an injury on his shoulder. Jade came over to heal him.

"We should get inside before we have another fatality tonight" Nimbulo suggested "Good idea, the way this forest looks and sounds, I don't like it, it kinda feels like we're being watched." Dart agreed

They headed back to the house when Jade was all done. The light of the windows put comfort in their hearts. But the sound of rustling leaves frightened everyone out of the happy trance.

"What was that?" Lavitz held out his spear "I don't know, but let's get inside, now!" Dart demanded

Once inside, Dart shut all of the windows, locked the door and wanted everyone to go to bed. He wanted Nimbulo to stay with him. He took Nimbulo outside and had some private talk with him.

"I have a favor to ask of you" Dart started

"Sure, what is it?" Nimbulo agreed to his favor

"I would like you to teach me to use a spear, you see, my sword was destroyed in a battle, and now this is my temporary weapon. I'd like to know how to use it" Dart said

"Sure, I take up students all the time, I can teach you anything" Nimbulo allowed

"Thank you, can we start right now?" Dart questioned

"That's fine" Nimbulo answered

Dart and Nimbulo went on with the lessons all night long, not knowing a young boy who was about Meru's age was watching them. The boy was fascinated in watching these people fight. He was there when they fought the shadow both times. He wanted to go with them. His bag was packed and he was going to make his move when all of them had gone inside. He would barge in and demand he take him with them. That wasn't going to happen. The two had gone outside, so he'd wait until morning. He rubbed his Sais and went too sleep.

Morning came around and everyone was still jittery from last night. Nimbulo was already awake and had packed his essentials.

"Good morning everyone" he said in a kind tone

"Good morning" everyone said

"I guess we had better get going" Dart suggested

"I have a question, where ARE we going?" Jade asked

"And I have an answer" Lavitz spoke up "We are going to go see this Emperor Neen guy, he wants to fight us, he'll get a fight" Lavitz put on a cold face

"True, and I know where the palace is!" Jade put in

"Good so do I" Nimbulo added

The company went outside. The fresh smell of forest filled their noses until a boy jumped out from a bush carrying Sais. Lavitz approached him. He obviously wanted a battle to that's what he got. Lavitz was quick to block his slashes. All the boy could do was dodge when Lavitz tried to spear him.

"Who are you?" Lavitz asked

"My name is Bejong! I demand you take me with you!" Bejong shouted

"With us? With us where?" Lavitz grunted while taking a blow

"If you don't." Bejong started

He pulled out some metal claws out of his pocket and threw them into the air. He flipped over Lavitz while slipping them on.

".Then I'll have to seriously injure you!" he finished

Bejong jumped, landed, and rushed, at the same. Lavitz was not ready for this. Bejong's speed was incredible. He held the shiny claw out, and slashed Lavitz. He fell knee first to the ground. Bejong landed alongside him.

"Hmph." Bejong mumbled

Shana threw a blade at Bejong. The boy was quick to dodge it. He jumped out of its path. The blade landed itself in a tree, taking a good slice out of it. Bejong asked again.

"Will you take me with you?" he asked

"Why do you want to come with us?" Dart asked back

"It's because ever since you guys came into this forest, I've felt some weird connection to you, like our roads of fate had crossed paths get me?" Bejong retoted

Dart took the time to hold a small meeting while Jade healed Lavitz. Bejong stood there, anxiously awaiting their reply.

Nimbulo took his head out of the cluster of Dragoons and went to speak to him.

"You may come, on one condition" Nimbulo explained "You cannot get in the way of us when we battle, and when we do battle, you will know when you are needed get it?"

"Yes, I understand" Bejong agreed

The company set off again. They were not headed for Neen's Palace unfortunately. Nimbulo was taking them somewhere else. Dart showed some curiosity in the boy. He had two weapons. Where was he from that he needed them so bad? Bejong had black hair and brown eyes. You couldn't really see the brown that much, they were more like black. He wore good, plated armor under his clothes. Dart punched him to test it out. Bejong quickly took a liking to Jade, as did she. Bejong loved her beautiful blonde hair and her bold blue eyes. She loved his black hair and the fact that he liked her.

Shana and Nimbulo on the other hand, were a little suspicious of him.

"So Nimbulo, where are we headed exactly?" Shana asked

"Well, I don't want to go to Neen's palace right away, I don't think we're ready yet" Nimbulo answered " So I'm taking us north to Sonas village. It's a quiet little mountain town. Its neighbor is Sonor. If we were to go south the forest roots would block us off. Supposedly, there is a hidden sea called the Forbidden Sea. Across from it is a black tower. THE Black tower may I add."

"Wow, I wonder where the white one is though." Shana responded

"Well it's by the White Sea of course!" Nimbulo laughed " If we were to go east out of the forest, we would reach the East Mountains, but nobody has ever been there before, they say one of Neen's beasts lives in the valley right smack dab in the middle of them"

"So he has another beast, besides Omega I mean" Shana wondered "What is it's name?" she asked

"I don't know, it is in the tongue of evil, I don't know it" Nimbulo confessed'

"Aww man." Shana kicked the ground "But wait, how are we supposed to get to the Black tower if it lays across a sea we can't get to?"

"Easy, there is supposed to be a bride that goes all the way across" Nimbulo answered "Neen's palace is right by the Black Tower, going there would be suicidal, but knowing your quest, you'd probably do it"

Shana got quiet after that while Lavitz and Bejong started conversation. Lavitz liked Bejong like he was a son he never had. But, then again, he never got to get married because he died. Bejong saw this and knew that Lavitz saw him like that.

Jade was finally the one to notice that Nimbulo was not taking them to Neen's palace.

"Hey! We want to go to Neen's not Sonas!" Jade yelled at him

The company came to a halt to give him the evil eye.

"We are not ready Jade, you and I have not yet harnessed all of out magic power" Nimbulo yelled back

"What do ya mean you AND me?" Jade argued "I've got all the power I need right here!" Jade threw up her Spirit

It gave some weird reaction and Jade put it away.

"Well, maybe not, what was that anyway Dart?" she questioned

"I don't know, our Spirits have never done that before." Dart pondered

They kept on walking agreeing with Nimbulo's statement. What if Bejong was a Dragoon? What if that was the fate that bound them. If so what other Dragoon Spirit could this kid be?

DDX- Thank you thank you! For all the reviews. I'd like to thank LadyHarlequin for them and whoever Me is. Thanks again and thank you Striker!