------------------------------------------------Chapter 4-------------------------------------------------------
The Black Slayer
Dreams of Destiny
Jessica
dilly_freak7_7@hotmail.com
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(note: this is a dream sequence and i'll let u know when it's not)
*My child* I heard in my mind. *At last you have come*
Where am I?' I asked the disembodied voice.
*You are in the realm between the world of the living and that of the dead. In essence, limbo* it answered.
Who are you?'
*I'm surprised! I thought you would surely know me* As the voice spoke, a person matierialized in front of me. The woman was wearing flowing white gowns and was very tall. She had waist length black hair shot with red and white. Her eyes were a deep chocolate. What amazed me was not her stunning beauty, but the fact that I looked just like her, except my hair was light brown. *I am the one called the Dragon. I was given a great responsibility once, and it scared me. I shall not tell you of that for you must discover of it on your own. My name, as you ask, is Jesia* I gasped. *Here, let me look at you, child* As she stepped closer, I noticed that she was just about six inches taller than my 6'1. *Yes, the gods have done a marvelous job this time. Courage, authority, loalty, determintation, wisdom beyond your own age. Tis a pity it may be all to waste*
Why do you say that?' I asked.
*Your fate, my dear. It was laid out for you in my time, by myself and the High Council of Atlantis. It is not happy, and full of bloodshed. I was sad when the final descion was made. I was only a witness as a holder of my beautiful Iansha to see who she may be passed on to with time. Oh, how long it has been! Nearly three thousand years since our glorious city was destroyed by our own ingenuity* Sadness filled her eyes and treatened to overflow. *I thought I was strong then, but with the death of Atlantis I realized just how mortal I was. That was when I lost my faith. Iansha grew dim and my life lost its meaning beyond the next fight to protect the survivors. Cutthroats, bandits, murderers, thieves, and all kinds of scum seemed the only people we ever met. At last we created an uncorrupt world of our own and oh! how marvelous it felt to breathe the clean air and hear nothing but the birds singing! Even that was robbed of us with time. I was old then, even by Draconian standards. My world was fading and I could no longer escape death's grip that had been on my heart for a hundred years. So, I gave my wonderful sword to the one named Sara Fanel, to hold until the next worthy young woman appeared. Then, with my mind at ease, and my heart at rest, I let my body fall into the eternal sleep. But alas, even there my torture did not end. I was doomed to walk the middle world until the next dragon came along. And here is where you come in. I know your name is similar to mine, but even then, it is not your true name. You were told by your parents, when you could understand, that your name was Jessica Lynn De Mair. It is not true. Your real name, my child, is Rei. Rei Schican. But I warn you, use it sparingly and only with those you trust. If the wrong people should know your true name, then you would be doomed to walk this world as well. Your life may be cut short before you could complete your preordained task. You will receive the sword of dragons from Van Fanel, if I remember correctly. I must caution you though, you will be closer to a dragon of another kind, a dragon of hate. There have been many like him before, but none so strange. His name is Dilandau Albatou, and you must not let him corrupt you mind or your life. Do understand?*
I...I think so'
*Good. Then I must tell you of your task. But first, know this. You will long outlive any one person on Earth, even your family. Your life span could last up to six hundred years. If you fall in love, fall in love with someone who will never leave you* I was surprised at these words, but I took them to heart. I felt oddly close to this woman. *Now, your life-long task will be to protect the power of Atlantis from falling into the wrong hands. Only you can find who they are. At the end of your long life, I will see you then and instruct you on where to leave the sword. This is the last time it will fall into the hands of a Draconian. We are dying out because of the fear instilled in the hearts of men. But, on a higher note, you will bear children, I shan't say how many, and I have to help you name the first of them. Oh, you will fall in love. More than once in fact* She giggled and almost seemed childish. I grinned too.
Am I going to fall in love with Dilandau?' I asked curiously.
*If only I could tell! I have been sworn to secrecy! But I can tell you that he is kinder than he seems. I wish you did not have to suffer losing one for the other, but it is not my place to intervene*
How do you know all this?' I asked.
*Simply because I was taught. Alas, my time here is up* she sighed as she began to flicker.
No! Don't go yet! There's so much I want to ask you!'
*I know. Remember all that I have told you, child, and that none are stronger than those with faith. And remember this, De esnal liu de recti. Retchte, liu mila esilina, to live is to die, and to die is to live* She smiled lovingly at me as she placed a warm hand on my cheek. Then she faded. I felt as if I had just lost a best friend. I felt a small whole grow in my heart. I fell into a deeper sleep.
I was flying over the land, at first I thought I was just running but then I realized that I was really flying. Below me was an army, dressed in nothing but black. Their banner was a black falcon on a blood red background. I looked behind me and saw a great, white city in the distance. I turned midair and flew quickly toward it. When I got there, I saw more people, but they were in white and blue, and many of them had gold armor and carried gold and silver swords. I then realized that I was one of them. I heard a man with a rough voice shout an order and the armored flyers grouped under a very large, round tree. I followed. The general, as I assumed, wore black clothes, and carried a different sword than the other fighters. He had given the order. He started speaking to us, the fighters, about the battle strategy. We were to fly above the clouds with a scout below ready to give a signal. When this signal was given, a group of a hundred fighters were to plummet down, swords at the ready, into the enemy. Hopefully, this surprise tactic would work. More legions would follow afterward. We were divided into these legions. I was in the first. This told me that I was one of the better fighters. The general was in our group. Of the hundreds of fighters, about a sixth of them were women. Once again, I was one of them. We were told to be ready in fifteen minutes. The scene faded.
Now, I was flying over the clouds. A young man, about sixteen years old, flew through the clouds and told us now was the time. The legion turned around, then folded its many wings and plummeted through the clouds. We went silently to further surprise the enemy, but when we were almost upon them, a cry of alarm went up in the enemy ranks. The cry spread through the whole army, and they turned in confusion to meet us, but they were too slow. I found myself at the front of our lines, being faster, and my sword was plunging into the backs of the enemy, and hitting away instinctively thrust up swords. Again, the scene faded.
One of my wings was crumpled. My arm was bloody and I was surrounded by dead bodies. The faint sounds of war and the dying drifted to my ears. My sword trembled in response, but I had done enough. The weapon was covered in blood, along with my hands, but I didn't know if it was mine. I heard a moan to my left and turned my head to see what it was. A fallen Draconian lay mortally wounded. One of his wings had been hacked to a stub, and he was holding his stomach closed. Blood dripped from his mouth as his dying eyes gave a plea to mine. I limped over and knelt next to him. He pushed his sword toward me. Jesia.......' What I knew I had to do horrified me, but I would not let the old warrior down. I stood, and held up my sword to plunge it into his heart, but began to tremble. I sank down to my knees, but my sword still found its way to the fallen warrior's heart. His eyes looked almost satisfied, as if death was only a new game, as their color faded. I closed his eyes and stood. I looked closer and realized that his bloodstained tunic was black. I screamed.
(note: this is the end of the dream sequence)
I was still screaming when I sat blot upright in my bed. I was drenched in a cold sweat and my covers were on the floor. *What is happening to me??* Is that were I got my fighting instincts? Is that why I have wings? That must have been Atlantis. But was it here? Or on Earth? Maybe that's how the Atlantis on Earth was destroyed. But who had a battlement with a black falcon? I never read anything in history about an army with that symbol.* I glanced at my clock and it read four in the morning.*Great. Just what I need. Nightmares for a wake up call.* I decided not to sleep again and got dressed. I put on my armor from the waist down, and a halter top for a shirt. As I picked up my sword, I glanced out my window and noticed that it would probably rain today. The sky was dark and foreboding. Black storm clouds churned up the sky and made it darker than it already was.
I went to the guymelef hangar, since it was the biggest room in the place. I got on a level where I could drop out of the vione easily. I concentrated and heard the popping and cracking of my wings. The pain wasn't as bad as the first time, and my wings exploded from my back. I climbed over the rail and hung on as I started flapping my wings. I didn't want to over work them too fast. I flew over the rail and landed back on the platform. My wings didn't hurt yet. I smiled. I decided to try something a little more extensive, so I flew up and around the melef hangar until I found Dilandau's. His was the only Oreades in the place, so I decided to check it out. I opened the melef and climbed in. The cockpit was much roomier than with two people, but I was uncomfortable with my over-sized wings. I got back out and closed the cockpit. My wings still weren't sore, so I flew back to the platform where I first was and landed. I thought trying something that might really stress my wings wouldn't hurt. So I made sure my sword was securely in place, folded my wings, and jumped out of the vione.
When I thought I had gone far enough, I opened my wings to check my fall, and glided around for a little while. I looked up and there was another person with pure white wings flying toward me! He gestured that we should land so I followed him. We had landed near some sort of encampment because I could hear voices not too far away.
Who are you?' the guy asked.
My name's Re.....Jessica. And I'm a Dragon Slayer. Who are you?' I asked.
That's not what I meant' he said,'Why do you have wings?'
I guess because I have ancestors who are Draconians. I don't really know. I was trying them out.'
I'm Van, king of Fanelia, which was destroyed by Zaibach. My mother was a Draconian.' He looked sad when he answered. I guess I could understand.
You said you were with Zaibach?' he questioned.
I suppose. I was just made a Slayer yesterday.'
Well, I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions, but, why? You look like someone from the mystic moon.'
I really don't know. There isn't another girl in the group.'
I think I hear someone coming, lose the wings.' So I concentrated on losing the wings', I felt them lose all their feathers and melt into my back. Mine had just disappeared when another guy walked into the clearing. He was tall, about an inch over me, and had blonde hair to the middle of his back. He was wearing a uniform that looked a lot like a dress, but before I made the assumption that he was a cross dresser, I noticed his sword. No playboy here.
Van?' he asked looking worried as he noticed my Slayer uniform.
Hey, if you guys are worried about me telling them anything, don't. I wouldn't tell them jack shit about you guys or anything. Attack them for all I care. But I won't kill any of your guys, I'll just knock em' out so it looks real for Zaibach.' I hoped this would reassure them. Of course, half of it wasn't true.
Allen, she's a Draconian and dropped in'.' He looked sincere enough.
Um....Van? Could you tell only trustworthy people about me? I don't want all of Gaea to know about me.'
Allen's a knight of Asturia. He's very trustworthy, don't worry.' This didn't help much.
We'll make sure no one sees your wings' Allen said. Then he smiled thoughtfully. You said you wanted to fight someone to test your skill? Would you like to test your skill here?' I thought about this and realized he wanted to fight me.
I think so' I answered. I tested my sword, since I had only used it once or twice. As I did, I studied the length of his arm and decided that I had the advantage of reach. Yes.'
Van, if you'll step back...?' he asked. He pulled out his sword and we got ready to fight. I noticed that his sword was a little shorter than mine which could be considered long, and I had even more advantage of reach. He probably had the advantage of strength, and I couldn't tell about speed. The way had held the hilt of his sword as he had walked up suggested that he was always ready to fight. He probably thought he could beat me. He didn't know how good I really was, so I decided I had the advantage there, he would go soft until he had a feel for my strength and speed, and he wouldn't try too hard anyway because I'm a girl and I'm not supposed to have a sword anyway. Jerk.
We got into the fighting positions and I let him charge first, all the while having a worried look on my face. My judgment had been correct, he was going easy on me. I thought it best to give him a run for his money. I blocked the charge by putting my sword up just right to make the two swords lock at the hilt. He pushed, so I pushed. He pushed harder, so I pushed harder. Then I put out a burst of strength and made Allen take a step back. So while he was gaining his balance again, I used the trick Dilandau had and twisted my sword around and shoved his into the ground since I couldn't get it out of his hands. Then I put my foot on it to keep him from picking it up and neatly kicked him in the chin. His head snapped back but nothing more. I had used the foot holding down his sword, so he recovered. As soon as we were back in our fighting positions, I charged him and he blocked. I did a wide swinging attack, and he jumped back to avoid it, but he didn't move fast enough and I sliced open his shirt at the stomach, barely scratching the skin. He looked surprised. He attacked and I had a little trouble blocking. I guessed that he had stopped being nice and had used his usual strength. This went on for about five minutes before the deciding move.
Allen seemed to be tiring faster than I expected, but I still felt fresh. I thought another little Dilandau move would finish the fight. I was getting bored. So the next time he charged, I did the sword lock trick again and let his sword some very close to my face so he would think he was winning.
You know, you're pretty good' I said.
Pretty good?' he asked.
Yeah. But not good enough' I answered. And with that, I used another burst of strength to get him to trip. Well, the move went wrong. He stepped back first with the foot mine was behind and dragged my foot with his. He still fell, but my foot was still pulled forward, so I was forced to do a split. I pulled up out of the split and cart wheeled over to him and landed with my feet at his sides and the tip of my sword at his neck. It was so close, that if he had gulped, it would have pierced his skin. But the fight wasn't real, so I stood and offered a hand to help him up. He took it and let me haul him up.
You're good' I heard Van say. I had forgotten about him.
Why do you say that?' I asked.
Because no one has beaten me since my master Balgus' Allen said. This surprised me.
Well, you can go on being the best, I'll stick to trying to beat Dilandau. Shall we get back? Wherever back may be?' so we walked to the camp.
Most of the people in the camp were men, as I expected. I just hoped they would stay away from me. There were a few women and a girl that looked like a cat person. When she saw us she screamed Lord Vaaaan!', ran over and nearly tackled Van. Then when he managed to get her off, she eyed me suspiciously.
Lord Van? Who is she?' she asked rudely.
She's just a visitor. She won't be here for long. Jessica? This Merle.' I offered my hand for her to shake. Her eyes narrowed. I rolled mine and dropped my hand. Breakfast should be ready soon.' Van said.
We walked to a large open area where five collapsable tables had been set up for everyone to sit at. I thought the yawning men and the mention of breakfast was odd until I remembered how early I had waken up. I took a seat where I wanted and didn't really care who sat near me. A man with black hair, closer to blue, spoke with Allen for a few minutes, glancing at me a few times, and sat down next to me. He smiled at me in a friendly way, and took a gulp of whatever was in his goblet. I knew every move he made, but didn't let him know I was watching him. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he did, I heard an odd noise behind me. I put my gloved hand over his mouth to keep him quiet before I drew my sword.
I jumped up, spun around and blocked the attack that may have taken the man's head off. Everything seemed to stop as the other men heard the swords clang together. The attacker didn't draw back or try to attack again, so I just kept pushing him towards the edge of the camp. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Van take out his sword and prepare to charge.
Don't move' I told Dalet. I swung around and blocked Van's charge. He looked puzzled when I stopped him.
Stop. Don't attack. Go back to your breakfast and hold off your men. I will take care of the Slayer. He only attacked out of worry for me.' With that, I shoved him back and whirled back to Dalet. I grabbed the back of his collar and hauled him off to the woods. What took you so long??' I asked, infuriated.
Nobody looks for a commanding officer if they're late. but when you didn't show up after thirty minutes, I was sent to search for you' he answered helplessly.
Lead me to your guymelef. I really need to get back.' We walked for about ten minutes before we came to a clearing where Dalet's Alseides was.
Um.........there's not much room' he said, blushing the whole time.
S'okay. I've been through this before with less interesting people' I said. Not many people get duller than Dilandau. We got in the melef and prepared to fly back. I just hoped that I could get just as mad at Dilandau as he would be at me.
ok...........this one's longer. i think i may have over done the dream sequence. o well. sooooo, whadya think? hope you like. i got it finished faster than before, when I was stuck, and i think i have a really good idea 4 the next part. you know what? i never said what I look like! oki, here goes; 6'1, light brown eyes, light brown mid back length hair, red streaked silver wings (heh), fit, tanned (ooohhs form guys^^), pretty good looking, but hey, you can imagine. plz R&R!!
-Lil Pyro
