I own nothing but my characters.
The trip through the Evergreen Forest was easy enough---in terms of combat, that is. Rose and Miranda had taken an instant dislike to each other. Miranda's sharp comments and Rose's cold responses at last began to grate on my nerves. I couldn't take any more.
"Will you two KNOCK IT OFF!?" I shouted. This brought some heads around; I don't normally scream at the top of my lungs. Fortunately, it had the desired effect; Rose and Miranda stopped arguing…for a while.
"A dead end," Dart said.
"The Winglies sealed themselves in here long ago," Meru said. She looked at the ground. "Maybe I'll get kicked out again."
Kicked out?
Suddenly, wings of light sprouted from Meru's back. At the same time, there was a brilliant flare from the "dead end". It resolved into a portal of some kind.
Dart's eyes widened. "Meru, are you…?"
She nodded. "Yep. I'm a Wingly."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Miranda asked.
"Would you have trusted me? Would you have considered me a friend?"
I stepped forward. "I would have. If we can trust Kongol, who was once the enemy, then we can trust a Wingly who has proved to be a loyal friend."
Rose nodded in agreement. "The Dragoon Spirit of the Blue Sea Dragon chose you. That is enough for me."
Meru smiled. "Thanks, everyone."
Dart waved us forward. "Let's go."
The Forest of Winglies was a strange place. The trees looked ordinary, and yet there was an odd feeling of depth, as if they were more than just trees. The green seemed unusually vibrant, probably due to Wingly magic. The stream near the bottom provided a soothing background.
I took all this in in an instant. My immediate attention was focused on a pair of Wingly guards. They didn't look happy to see us. To put it mildly.
"Humans!" one gasped. "Tell the Ancestor!" The other flew off, while the first glared at Meru. "Why did you bring them here!?" he demanded, charging a spell.
The other reappeared. "The Ancestor says he will meet with the Humans!"
The first guard relented. "Please be careful," he told us. "Most of us are ambiguous about Humans. Also, watch out for the Bardel brothers." He departed.
Once inside the town proper, Krista and I got a huge surprise. "Mom!? Dad!?"
Dart looked at us in surprise. "These are your parents?"
I nodded. "I don't know how they got here, though." I made introductions. "These are our friends: Dart, Rose, Haschel, Lavitz, Albert, Meru, Kongol, and Miranda." I returned my attention to my parents. "How did you get here, anyway?"
My mother looked grave. "We came here by the same magic gateway that sent you and Krista to this world. The same one that brought me to yours."
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
She sighed. "I am a Wingly." Rose inhaled sharply. "I came to Earth to prepare for events that I knew were coming. Your father and I sent you here because we knew that powerful warriors would be needed."
Krista gaped. "You mean we have magic power even without our Dragoon Spirits!?"
Mother nodded. "There's more. I had a son, a full-blooded Wingly, by a previous marriage."
My eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What's this guy's name?"
"Lloyd."
I exploded. "Lloyd!? That traitor-thief-murderer-who-knows-what-else is our brother!?"
She nodded. "Yes. I don't know what he's thinking, though. The Lloyd I reared would never have done what he has done."
I shook my head to clear it. "We don't have time for a reunion. We're here to see the Ancestor."
My father said, "Of course. We'll meet you in Bale when it's all over. Keep your blades sharp."
When we entered the main building, we ran into Meru's parents. They didn't seem very surprised.
"Humans, the Dragon is your ally. Why are you helping us?" her mother asked.
Dart responded, "We must all work together to win this fight."
I stepped forward. "Dragons are not just the allies of Humans any longer." I nodded to Meru. "Your daughter, Meru, is the Dragoon of the Blue Sea Dragon, the Dragoon of Water. I would trust her with my life."
After a few pleasantries, we went on our way. We took a warp plate to an upper level, only to encounter an irate Wingly.
"Bardel! What are you doing!?" Meru asked.
"My sister was killed by Humans after following your example and leaving the forest," he snarled. "I will avenge her death!" With that, he launched a fireball, only to have Dart transform and block it. "Is this the power of the legendary Dragoon!?" he gasped.
Rose strode past him. "Those who flaunt their power disappear when the truly powerful appear," she said.
We followed her into another teleporter and arrived in the Ancestor's room.
"Humans and Giganto, welcome," he said. "I am Blano, the Ancestor of the Forest."
Miranda knelt before him. "I am Miranda, the First Sacred Sister. I have come to ask for the Dragon Block Staff. Will you let us borrow it?"
Blano nodded. "Yes. We no longer have the Dragon Buster, so we must use the staff. It is in the Forbidden Land, once the Wingly capital Kadessa. I will have to send you there myself."
He led us to a giant teleporter. "This will take you to Kadessa." He activated it, sending us on our way.
Author's note: Short chapter, but I had to break it somewhere. D.S.
