Dying of the Light
Ch8
"What!? No, that can't be possible!" Sage said in disbelief as he glanced over at Sian.
"Shocked? I thought that you would be. But I suppose that I should thank you, Halo, you've unknowingly helped me complete part one of my plan." Dante replied with a cruel smile.
"Dante, shouldn't we..?" Jakobe asked as he did a quick nod.
"Yes Jakobe, I think that it's time to collect what's ours." Dante replied with a cold grin.
"If you think that we're going to let you take Sian, then you have another think coming." Ryo warned as he and the others got into defensive positions.
"Who said anything about taking the boy? He'll be coming to us on his own." Dante replied as he started to change.
"Wha.? What is he doing?" Cye asked as they stepped back while Dante continued to change.
"What do you think? He's transforming into his true form," Jakobe replied with an evil laugh. "As of am I."
Dante leaned forward, grabbing onto his sides as a set of wings popped out from his shoulder blades. These wings were dark orange on top, while having a golden type of undertone. Then his body morphed from what passed as a human's to a very muscular and scaly dragon. His coloring was that pretty much as the same as his wings. The top of his body had the dark orange, while the underside was a golden type in color. Dante looked up into the sky and gave a loud and blood curdling roar. Then he looked towards them as they started to slowly move back, "what's the matter? You act like you haven't seen a dragon before." Dante asked as he looked at them with his emerald green eyes.
Jakobe also leaned forward, grabbing onto his sides as a pair of midnight black wings popped out from his shoulder blades. His body was a little smaller than Dante's, but it was still just as muscular and scaly. His body coloring was a midnight black. His neck and face were a charcoal gray. He also looked up to the sky and gave a roar into the sky that would make one's blood turn ice cold. Jakobe then looked down, "Did you actually think that we hunters were actually human?" Jakobe asked as he looked at them with his white eyes.
"This is so not good." Rowen said as they kept their eyes on the two dragons.
"Oh yea, genius, and what was your first clue? The fact that we're facing not one, but two dragons?" Kento asked as he stole a glance towards him.
"How the heck are we suppose to fight them? We never fought dragons before, or at least I haven't, I don't know about the rest of ya." Kaye asked back.
"Actually, Kaye, neither have we." Cye replied.
"I was afraid that you were going to say that." Kaye said.
"So then, since those two are hunters, and hunters are dragons, then, Sian..." Rowen mused to himself. "Shit!"
"Rowen, what is it?" Sage asked as he glanced over towards him.
"Humph, it looks like Strata has finally figured it out." Dante replied with a toothy grin.
"It sure took him long enough." Jakobe replied in annoyance.
"Rowen, what are they talking about," Ryo asked. "Rowen!"
"The poison that Dante administered to Sian when he chased after Dais, it's transforming him into a hunter, and a hunter is a dragon." Rowen replied as they quickly adverted their eyes towards Sian, as he seemed to be still fighting the effects.
"Ok, that's it, I've had enough. Thunder bolt cut!" Sage yelled as he delivered his sure-kill directly at the two dragons. Jakobe roared loudly as he turned his head from the bright light of Sage's attack, while Dante just stood there, laughing. "You'll pay for that, you annoying human!" Jakobe replied as he turned back to face him.
"Jakobe, calm yourself." Dante said calmly.
"But Dante, you know how..." Jakobe replied as he tried to object.
"Jakobe!" Dante said as he silenced him, not wanting the Ronins or Kaye to know the effect that Sage's attack had on him.
"So, they've finally revealed their true form. This is bad, hunters only transform from being humans to dragons when," Sian thought as he saw what was going on. "No! Get out of there, now!"
"Sian, wha," Ryo started to ask, and then noticed that the two dragons were about to advance towards them. "Scatter!"
The guys and Kaye jumped out of the way to avoid being stomped on. Just as Kaye was about to land, Jakobe grabbed her out of the air. "Let go!" Kaye yelled as she was trying to get out of his grip.
"Kaye! You heard the lady, let her go!" Kento yelled as he charged at Jakobe.
"Kento, watch out!" Cye yelled out to him as Dante grabbed him from behind.
"Get your scaly claw off of me!" Kento yelled angrily as he was trying to get free.
"The two of you can struggle all you want, but it'll do you no good." Dante said with a laugh as they continued to struggle.
"We've got what we've came for, may I suggest that we take our leave, Dante?" Jakobe asked with a grin.
"Yes let's, I'm starting to get bored with these humans. Besides, we have another pressing engagement. Jakobe, if you would." Dante replied.
"I thought that you would never ask." Jakobe said as he looked straight at them and then breathed a black cloud, surrounding them in complete darkness.
"What's going on? I can't see!" Ryo yelled out angrily as he and the others were rubbing their eyes.
"What did you do!?" Kaye asked in concern as she watched them from above.
"I've blinded them." Jakobe replied.
"You've what! You, monster, I'll make you pay for that!" Kento yelled angrily at him.
"Don't worry, it's only temporary, and besides, when they wake up they'll feel, well let's just say that they won't be at full strength." Jakobe replied as the Ronins and Sian fell to the ground unconscious.
"Guys, guys, wake up!" Kaye yelled down to them.
"Don't waste your breath, by the time that they wake up, we'll be long gone." Dante said as and Jakobe carried them away.
In Talpa's throne room...
"Badamon!" Talpa bellowed angrily.
"Yes, master Talpa, you called?" Badamon replied as he appeared before him.
"What were you doing when you were with the Ronins?" Talpa asked as he drummed his fingers on the armrest.
"I don't know what you mean, master. I wasn't anywhere..." Badamon replied.
"Don't lie to me, Badamon, I know that you were with them. Now let's try this again, what were you doing with the Ronins?" Talpa asked again.
"I gave them back their armors." Badamon replied.
"What!" Talpa said in pure anger as he sat straight up in his throne.
"I have foreseen something that could possibly threaten you and the Dynasty. My only motive was to keep your safety and the safety of the Dynasty in mind, master Talpa." Badamon replied.
"Is that so? Tell me, Badamon, what did you foresee that would suggest that you would act out like this?" Talpa asked as he settled back into his throne.
"It wasn't totally clear, but what I can tell you is this. Whatever you do, master Talpa, don't turn your back on Dante and Jakobe, not even for a second. I have a feeling that they're up to something." Badamon replied.
Talpa drummed his fingers onto the throne's armrest again, he looked like he was in deep thought until, "you may go, Badamon." Talpa said as he dismissed him.
"Yes my lord." Badamon replied as he disappeared.
Elsewhere...
"Oh man, my head," Ryo groaned as he started to slowly sit up. "Hey, is everyone all right?"
"A little weak, but fine," Cye replied as he held his hands up in front of his face. "Hey, I can see again."
"I'm glad that you're up and around, I was beginning to get worried." Sian said as he stayed in the shadows.
"Sian, why don't you come out of there?" Rowen asked as he squinted to try and get a better look.
"Ah no, I'd rather stay where I am." Sian replied as he backed a little further into the shadows.
"Sian, what's wrong? Why won't you come out?" Sage asked.
"I don't want you to see me like this." Sian replied.
"What do you mean? See you like what?" Ryo asked in concern.
"Like this." Sian replied as he stepped forward just a little bit so they could see barely a glimpse of his body.
"What the? Sian, that's not..." Cye asked in surprise as he saw that Sian had a pair of dragon's wings, but the rest of him as far as they could tell was human.
"Unfortunately, the transformation is starting to take its full effect. For some reason, it's taking longer on me than it did on the other Ronins from my time." Sian replied as he backed again into the shadows.
"So then, the hunters from your time, they hunt other Ronins like us and turn them into dragons?
Why?" Rowen asked as he and the others looked towards Sian for an explanation.
"Yes, no, kind of, it's kinda hard to explain." Sian replied.
"Try Sian, we have to know what we're up against, if we are to get Kento and Kaye back from those two." Sage said.
"At first Dante use to hunt just regular humans. The weak ones for food, and the strong ones he turned into dragons, but they didn't last very long. He then started to get bored, and then he found a few other people that were different than his usual prey." Sian replied as his anger started to rise a little bit.
"You mean that he found other armor wearers." Rowen said.
"Yea, he found out that there were major differences between regular humans and humans that wear mystical armors. Dante found out that the ones that wore armors had greater power than the ones that don't. So he started to hunt them instead, everyday it got harder and harder to fight off Dante's dragons. The more dragons Dante create, the less of a chance that anyone wearing mystical armor has of staying human." Sian replied as he finished his explanation.
"Sian, can you tell us about what kind of dragons Dante and Jakobe are?" Sage asked as he looked towards him.
"Dante is what's called a bronze dragon. He loves warfare; his kind will join any army depending on how much they would pay him to fight. Because they knew that having a hunter in their army was a definite sign of victory. He can read and control minds, he'll know what you intend to do even before you do it. Dante has two main attacks, one is he can breath out lightning, and the second is a loathing gas cloud. His type can also cast spells, and is a battle modify. But there's one more thing that you should know about Dante." Sian replied as he clutched his hands.
"Oh yea, and what's that?" Ryo asked.
"Dante is immune to electricity." Sian replied.
"Then that explains why Sage's sure-kill wouldn't work against Dante." Rowen said with realization.
"What about Jakobe? What kind is he?" Cye asked.
"Jakobe is what's called a shadow dragon. He's not exactly thrilled about bright light or the darkness. So his kind basically stays underground. He likes to use invisibility and the shadows to get behind his prey. They like to use illusions, or phantom spells to confuse or misdirect people. His main attack is what he just did when he breathed that black cloud that makes one temporarily blind, also it can make someone lose a good deal of their life energy." Sian explained.
"Well, that's one thing that we have for us." Rowen replied as he crossed his arms.
"What is, Rowen?" Ryo asked as he looked over to him with slight confusion.
"When Sage called upon his sure-kill, that it hurt Jakobe. He doesn't like the light, I think that it hurts his eyes." Rowen replied.
"Ok then, so we know how to fight Jakobe, but how do we fight Dante? He sounds like he's invincible?" Cye asked.
"Dante maybe be able to read human minds, but he can't read dragon minds." Sian replied as he turned his back on them.
"Sian, you're not saying what I think you're saying?" Ryo asked as his eyes went wide in realization.
"It's the only way." Sian replied quietly.
"What about your visions? If you go through with the transformation into a hunter, then you'll..." Cye said in concern.
"I know! But I can't stop it! It's too late for me," Sian replied. "It's too late!"
Sian started morph more towards the physical aspect of a dragon's body. A tail shot out from his tailbone, as the rest of his body started to generate dragon characteristics. Sian looked at his hands, they were almost fully transformed into claws, and then he started to run from them. As he started to pick up speed, his wings opened up and Sian was flying away. "Sian, come back, Sian!" Ryo yelled out to him.
Ch8
"What!? No, that can't be possible!" Sage said in disbelief as he glanced over at Sian.
"Shocked? I thought that you would be. But I suppose that I should thank you, Halo, you've unknowingly helped me complete part one of my plan." Dante replied with a cruel smile.
"Dante, shouldn't we..?" Jakobe asked as he did a quick nod.
"Yes Jakobe, I think that it's time to collect what's ours." Dante replied with a cold grin.
"If you think that we're going to let you take Sian, then you have another think coming." Ryo warned as he and the others got into defensive positions.
"Who said anything about taking the boy? He'll be coming to us on his own." Dante replied as he started to change.
"Wha.? What is he doing?" Cye asked as they stepped back while Dante continued to change.
"What do you think? He's transforming into his true form," Jakobe replied with an evil laugh. "As of am I."
Dante leaned forward, grabbing onto his sides as a set of wings popped out from his shoulder blades. These wings were dark orange on top, while having a golden type of undertone. Then his body morphed from what passed as a human's to a very muscular and scaly dragon. His coloring was that pretty much as the same as his wings. The top of his body had the dark orange, while the underside was a golden type in color. Dante looked up into the sky and gave a loud and blood curdling roar. Then he looked towards them as they started to slowly move back, "what's the matter? You act like you haven't seen a dragon before." Dante asked as he looked at them with his emerald green eyes.
Jakobe also leaned forward, grabbing onto his sides as a pair of midnight black wings popped out from his shoulder blades. His body was a little smaller than Dante's, but it was still just as muscular and scaly. His body coloring was a midnight black. His neck and face were a charcoal gray. He also looked up to the sky and gave a roar into the sky that would make one's blood turn ice cold. Jakobe then looked down, "Did you actually think that we hunters were actually human?" Jakobe asked as he looked at them with his white eyes.
"This is so not good." Rowen said as they kept their eyes on the two dragons.
"Oh yea, genius, and what was your first clue? The fact that we're facing not one, but two dragons?" Kento asked as he stole a glance towards him.
"How the heck are we suppose to fight them? We never fought dragons before, or at least I haven't, I don't know about the rest of ya." Kaye asked back.
"Actually, Kaye, neither have we." Cye replied.
"I was afraid that you were going to say that." Kaye said.
"So then, since those two are hunters, and hunters are dragons, then, Sian..." Rowen mused to himself. "Shit!"
"Rowen, what is it?" Sage asked as he glanced over towards him.
"Humph, it looks like Strata has finally figured it out." Dante replied with a toothy grin.
"It sure took him long enough." Jakobe replied in annoyance.
"Rowen, what are they talking about," Ryo asked. "Rowen!"
"The poison that Dante administered to Sian when he chased after Dais, it's transforming him into a hunter, and a hunter is a dragon." Rowen replied as they quickly adverted their eyes towards Sian, as he seemed to be still fighting the effects.
"Ok, that's it, I've had enough. Thunder bolt cut!" Sage yelled as he delivered his sure-kill directly at the two dragons. Jakobe roared loudly as he turned his head from the bright light of Sage's attack, while Dante just stood there, laughing. "You'll pay for that, you annoying human!" Jakobe replied as he turned back to face him.
"Jakobe, calm yourself." Dante said calmly.
"But Dante, you know how..." Jakobe replied as he tried to object.
"Jakobe!" Dante said as he silenced him, not wanting the Ronins or Kaye to know the effect that Sage's attack had on him.
"So, they've finally revealed their true form. This is bad, hunters only transform from being humans to dragons when," Sian thought as he saw what was going on. "No! Get out of there, now!"
"Sian, wha," Ryo started to ask, and then noticed that the two dragons were about to advance towards them. "Scatter!"
The guys and Kaye jumped out of the way to avoid being stomped on. Just as Kaye was about to land, Jakobe grabbed her out of the air. "Let go!" Kaye yelled as she was trying to get out of his grip.
"Kaye! You heard the lady, let her go!" Kento yelled as he charged at Jakobe.
"Kento, watch out!" Cye yelled out to him as Dante grabbed him from behind.
"Get your scaly claw off of me!" Kento yelled angrily as he was trying to get free.
"The two of you can struggle all you want, but it'll do you no good." Dante said with a laugh as they continued to struggle.
"We've got what we've came for, may I suggest that we take our leave, Dante?" Jakobe asked with a grin.
"Yes let's, I'm starting to get bored with these humans. Besides, we have another pressing engagement. Jakobe, if you would." Dante replied.
"I thought that you would never ask." Jakobe said as he looked straight at them and then breathed a black cloud, surrounding them in complete darkness.
"What's going on? I can't see!" Ryo yelled out angrily as he and the others were rubbing their eyes.
"What did you do!?" Kaye asked in concern as she watched them from above.
"I've blinded them." Jakobe replied.
"You've what! You, monster, I'll make you pay for that!" Kento yelled angrily at him.
"Don't worry, it's only temporary, and besides, when they wake up they'll feel, well let's just say that they won't be at full strength." Jakobe replied as the Ronins and Sian fell to the ground unconscious.
"Guys, guys, wake up!" Kaye yelled down to them.
"Don't waste your breath, by the time that they wake up, we'll be long gone." Dante said as and Jakobe carried them away.
In Talpa's throne room...
"Badamon!" Talpa bellowed angrily.
"Yes, master Talpa, you called?" Badamon replied as he appeared before him.
"What were you doing when you were with the Ronins?" Talpa asked as he drummed his fingers on the armrest.
"I don't know what you mean, master. I wasn't anywhere..." Badamon replied.
"Don't lie to me, Badamon, I know that you were with them. Now let's try this again, what were you doing with the Ronins?" Talpa asked again.
"I gave them back their armors." Badamon replied.
"What!" Talpa said in pure anger as he sat straight up in his throne.
"I have foreseen something that could possibly threaten you and the Dynasty. My only motive was to keep your safety and the safety of the Dynasty in mind, master Talpa." Badamon replied.
"Is that so? Tell me, Badamon, what did you foresee that would suggest that you would act out like this?" Talpa asked as he settled back into his throne.
"It wasn't totally clear, but what I can tell you is this. Whatever you do, master Talpa, don't turn your back on Dante and Jakobe, not even for a second. I have a feeling that they're up to something." Badamon replied.
Talpa drummed his fingers onto the throne's armrest again, he looked like he was in deep thought until, "you may go, Badamon." Talpa said as he dismissed him.
"Yes my lord." Badamon replied as he disappeared.
Elsewhere...
"Oh man, my head," Ryo groaned as he started to slowly sit up. "Hey, is everyone all right?"
"A little weak, but fine," Cye replied as he held his hands up in front of his face. "Hey, I can see again."
"I'm glad that you're up and around, I was beginning to get worried." Sian said as he stayed in the shadows.
"Sian, why don't you come out of there?" Rowen asked as he squinted to try and get a better look.
"Ah no, I'd rather stay where I am." Sian replied as he backed a little further into the shadows.
"Sian, what's wrong? Why won't you come out?" Sage asked.
"I don't want you to see me like this." Sian replied.
"What do you mean? See you like what?" Ryo asked in concern.
"Like this." Sian replied as he stepped forward just a little bit so they could see barely a glimpse of his body.
"What the? Sian, that's not..." Cye asked in surprise as he saw that Sian had a pair of dragon's wings, but the rest of him as far as they could tell was human.
"Unfortunately, the transformation is starting to take its full effect. For some reason, it's taking longer on me than it did on the other Ronins from my time." Sian replied as he backed again into the shadows.
"So then, the hunters from your time, they hunt other Ronins like us and turn them into dragons?
Why?" Rowen asked as he and the others looked towards Sian for an explanation.
"Yes, no, kind of, it's kinda hard to explain." Sian replied.
"Try Sian, we have to know what we're up against, if we are to get Kento and Kaye back from those two." Sage said.
"At first Dante use to hunt just regular humans. The weak ones for food, and the strong ones he turned into dragons, but they didn't last very long. He then started to get bored, and then he found a few other people that were different than his usual prey." Sian replied as his anger started to rise a little bit.
"You mean that he found other armor wearers." Rowen said.
"Yea, he found out that there were major differences between regular humans and humans that wear mystical armors. Dante found out that the ones that wore armors had greater power than the ones that don't. So he started to hunt them instead, everyday it got harder and harder to fight off Dante's dragons. The more dragons Dante create, the less of a chance that anyone wearing mystical armor has of staying human." Sian replied as he finished his explanation.
"Sian, can you tell us about what kind of dragons Dante and Jakobe are?" Sage asked as he looked towards him.
"Dante is what's called a bronze dragon. He loves warfare; his kind will join any army depending on how much they would pay him to fight. Because they knew that having a hunter in their army was a definite sign of victory. He can read and control minds, he'll know what you intend to do even before you do it. Dante has two main attacks, one is he can breath out lightning, and the second is a loathing gas cloud. His type can also cast spells, and is a battle modify. But there's one more thing that you should know about Dante." Sian replied as he clutched his hands.
"Oh yea, and what's that?" Ryo asked.
"Dante is immune to electricity." Sian replied.
"Then that explains why Sage's sure-kill wouldn't work against Dante." Rowen said with realization.
"What about Jakobe? What kind is he?" Cye asked.
"Jakobe is what's called a shadow dragon. He's not exactly thrilled about bright light or the darkness. So his kind basically stays underground. He likes to use invisibility and the shadows to get behind his prey. They like to use illusions, or phantom spells to confuse or misdirect people. His main attack is what he just did when he breathed that black cloud that makes one temporarily blind, also it can make someone lose a good deal of their life energy." Sian explained.
"Well, that's one thing that we have for us." Rowen replied as he crossed his arms.
"What is, Rowen?" Ryo asked as he looked over to him with slight confusion.
"When Sage called upon his sure-kill, that it hurt Jakobe. He doesn't like the light, I think that it hurts his eyes." Rowen replied.
"Ok then, so we know how to fight Jakobe, but how do we fight Dante? He sounds like he's invincible?" Cye asked.
"Dante maybe be able to read human minds, but he can't read dragon minds." Sian replied as he turned his back on them.
"Sian, you're not saying what I think you're saying?" Ryo asked as his eyes went wide in realization.
"It's the only way." Sian replied quietly.
"What about your visions? If you go through with the transformation into a hunter, then you'll..." Cye said in concern.
"I know! But I can't stop it! It's too late for me," Sian replied. "It's too late!"
Sian started morph more towards the physical aspect of a dragon's body. A tail shot out from his tailbone, as the rest of his body started to generate dragon characteristics. Sian looked at his hands, they were almost fully transformed into claws, and then he started to run from them. As he started to pick up speed, his wings opened up and Sian was flying away. "Sian, come back, Sian!" Ryo yelled out to him.
