CHAPTER 14
The Astral reaches the Rynntopian forests near mid-day, landing neatly in a clearing near Rynntopia Blue Lake. Sending scouts to locate the Trian forces, Ulysses' Astorian army is soon joined by Fenailia and Freyd's Gaimeleths and soldiers. Stepping out of her own Gaimeleth, The Sky Dragon, Nivani greets Ulysses with open arms.
By Ulysses' stern face, Nivani quickly realises something is wrong.
" What are you doing here Nivani?" The Astorian King begins, concerned.
" It is a risk for one Ruler to be here, but for you... No, I can't let you enter this battle also."
A hard frown appears on Nivani's face and she takes a step back from her friend.
" Oh no, I didn't come here to be lectured like a child, Ulysses. I am just as skilled with a Gaimeleth as you are. I'm not going to sit around, while Rynntopia is being attack for no good reason, you know that!"
" This is very different from Arena Battles Nivani. This is a WAR; it is too unpredictable! I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you!" Ulysses says sincerely, resting his hands on her shoulders. Nivani shakes them off angrily.
" Since when have I asked for your protection, Ulysses? Yes, war is unpredictable, that is why it is better off if we have all the firepower possible."
Nivani walks off before Ulysses can say anything else and heads back to her men, there she starts to talk with her General. Staring after her, Ulysses couldn't help feel an array of mixed feelings. He didn't want her to fight, but yet he knew she was right. He needed all the help he could get. His own General walks up to him, briefing him on their current situation. The scouts had come back telling him that Tria had stopped advancing on Rynntopia and was now in fact heading towards them!
" You are sure about this?" Ulysses demands, shocked at this news.
Nodding solemnly the General answers.
" It was a trap, thankfully we are far enough away from them to mobilise our troops. It looks like the declaration of attack on Rynntopia was a clever way to get us here."
Ulysses nods slowly; Tristen was cleaver.
Quickly, Ulysses assembles all his men together and carefully places them in formation. If Tristen wanted a fight, he was going to get exactly that. Climbing back into Shezarizard, Ulysses walks over to Nivani, watching her being lifted into her own Gaimeleth.
" Tristen's army is about to appear over that mountain ridge, are you sure you're ready for this?"
Sky Dragon's head closes behind her and she turns to look at her dear friend.
" I'll be fine. My father taught me well, so please don't let your mind wonder during battle, Ulysses."
Ulysses smiles to himself and turns his Gaimeleth to face the mountain ridge. Silence looms over the allied armies as they intently wait for the enemy to arrive.
Soon, one by one, Tria's army begins to show.
" There' so many! How did his army grow so big?" One of the soldiers whispers to his friend.
Where are you? Ulysses thinks impatiently to himself. Where are you Tristen? Suddenly, like an evil, nightmarish vision, a white Gaimeleth appears in front of the Trian army.
" That's impossible, isn't that an Espano Gaimeleth?" Nivani calls to
Ulysses.
" It's, It's Escaflowne! How did they get an Escaflowne?"
The Astorian King stares dumbstruck at the White Gaimeleth. Soon, the voice of Tristen fills the air.
" As you can see, I have the power of the Dragon on my side. If you wish, you can give up now, and I might spare your miserable lives!"
A sickening laugh fills the allied soldiers ears, and they all watch in horror as Escaflowne transforms into a Dragon. In it's place, two more Gaimeleths appear. The first everybody knew to be called Hades, Darken's Meleth, the other was new. Its shape is strange, too lean to look like an ordinary Gaimeleth. It's plating is Purple and silver, and in its hands is a staff, blades on each end.
Tristen's voice sounds again as Escaflowne launches itself into the air.
" You have the honour to meet my newest General and his new breed Gaimeleth!"
Ulysses frowns. New breed Gaimeleth? The new general's voice speaks.
" I am General Akuma of the Mystic Moon, and this is my Gaimeleth, Shadowbain!"
Nivani turns to Ulysses in panic.
"Did, did he just say the Mystic Moon?!"
Before Ulysses could reply his beloved friend, Tristen sounds the attack. Almost instantaneously the Trian army pours down from the mountain ridge, a tremendous war cry exploding into the air.
" STAY IN POSSISTION MEN!!" Ulysses cries to his army. Taking his sword out from his Gaimeleth's back, Ulysses waits for the enemy to come closer, a trickle of sweat travelling down his forehead. Suddenly like a bat out of hell, the Escaflowne zooms overhead, it's long sword cutting down 5 Gaimeleths as it passes the ground. The Sky Dragon runs up to Shezarizard and Nivani speaks to Ulysses, readying her own sword.
" We have to ground Escaflowne."
Ulysses agrees. Realising it is time, Ulysses charges his men at the enemy, the battle finally beginning. Escaflowne circles for another dive and watching it closely, Ulysses waits for it to attack once again. Seeing his chance, Shezarizard charges explosively towards the approaching Espano Gaimeleth, ducking from its sword and grabbing the tail as it hauls itself up into the air. Screaming with rage, Tristen is pulled down, and with an explosion of grit, is grounded, transforming back into its Gaimeleth form. The two General Gaimeleths watch intently at the battle below them. Seeing that their King had been grounded, Darken in Hades turns to Akuma.
" Looks like it is time to show them the power of Shadowbain."
Akuma smiles. It was finally his turn.
The Astral reaches the Rynntopian forests near mid-day, landing neatly in a clearing near Rynntopia Blue Lake. Sending scouts to locate the Trian forces, Ulysses' Astorian army is soon joined by Fenailia and Freyd's Gaimeleths and soldiers. Stepping out of her own Gaimeleth, The Sky Dragon, Nivani greets Ulysses with open arms.
By Ulysses' stern face, Nivani quickly realises something is wrong.
" What are you doing here Nivani?" The Astorian King begins, concerned.
" It is a risk for one Ruler to be here, but for you... No, I can't let you enter this battle also."
A hard frown appears on Nivani's face and she takes a step back from her friend.
" Oh no, I didn't come here to be lectured like a child, Ulysses. I am just as skilled with a Gaimeleth as you are. I'm not going to sit around, while Rynntopia is being attack for no good reason, you know that!"
" This is very different from Arena Battles Nivani. This is a WAR; it is too unpredictable! I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you!" Ulysses says sincerely, resting his hands on her shoulders. Nivani shakes them off angrily.
" Since when have I asked for your protection, Ulysses? Yes, war is unpredictable, that is why it is better off if we have all the firepower possible."
Nivani walks off before Ulysses can say anything else and heads back to her men, there she starts to talk with her General. Staring after her, Ulysses couldn't help feel an array of mixed feelings. He didn't want her to fight, but yet he knew she was right. He needed all the help he could get. His own General walks up to him, briefing him on their current situation. The scouts had come back telling him that Tria had stopped advancing on Rynntopia and was now in fact heading towards them!
" You are sure about this?" Ulysses demands, shocked at this news.
Nodding solemnly the General answers.
" It was a trap, thankfully we are far enough away from them to mobilise our troops. It looks like the declaration of attack on Rynntopia was a clever way to get us here."
Ulysses nods slowly; Tristen was cleaver.
Quickly, Ulysses assembles all his men together and carefully places them in formation. If Tristen wanted a fight, he was going to get exactly that. Climbing back into Shezarizard, Ulysses walks over to Nivani, watching her being lifted into her own Gaimeleth.
" Tristen's army is about to appear over that mountain ridge, are you sure you're ready for this?"
Sky Dragon's head closes behind her and she turns to look at her dear friend.
" I'll be fine. My father taught me well, so please don't let your mind wonder during battle, Ulysses."
Ulysses smiles to himself and turns his Gaimeleth to face the mountain ridge. Silence looms over the allied armies as they intently wait for the enemy to arrive.
Soon, one by one, Tria's army begins to show.
" There' so many! How did his army grow so big?" One of the soldiers whispers to his friend.
Where are you? Ulysses thinks impatiently to himself. Where are you Tristen? Suddenly, like an evil, nightmarish vision, a white Gaimeleth appears in front of the Trian army.
" That's impossible, isn't that an Espano Gaimeleth?" Nivani calls to
Ulysses.
" It's, It's Escaflowne! How did they get an Escaflowne?"
The Astorian King stares dumbstruck at the White Gaimeleth. Soon, the voice of Tristen fills the air.
" As you can see, I have the power of the Dragon on my side. If you wish, you can give up now, and I might spare your miserable lives!"
A sickening laugh fills the allied soldiers ears, and they all watch in horror as Escaflowne transforms into a Dragon. In it's place, two more Gaimeleths appear. The first everybody knew to be called Hades, Darken's Meleth, the other was new. Its shape is strange, too lean to look like an ordinary Gaimeleth. It's plating is Purple and silver, and in its hands is a staff, blades on each end.
Tristen's voice sounds again as Escaflowne launches itself into the air.
" You have the honour to meet my newest General and his new breed Gaimeleth!"
Ulysses frowns. New breed Gaimeleth? The new general's voice speaks.
" I am General Akuma of the Mystic Moon, and this is my Gaimeleth, Shadowbain!"
Nivani turns to Ulysses in panic.
"Did, did he just say the Mystic Moon?!"
Before Ulysses could reply his beloved friend, Tristen sounds the attack. Almost instantaneously the Trian army pours down from the mountain ridge, a tremendous war cry exploding into the air.
" STAY IN POSSISTION MEN!!" Ulysses cries to his army. Taking his sword out from his Gaimeleth's back, Ulysses waits for the enemy to come closer, a trickle of sweat travelling down his forehead. Suddenly like a bat out of hell, the Escaflowne zooms overhead, it's long sword cutting down 5 Gaimeleths as it passes the ground. The Sky Dragon runs up to Shezarizard and Nivani speaks to Ulysses, readying her own sword.
" We have to ground Escaflowne."
Ulysses agrees. Realising it is time, Ulysses charges his men at the enemy, the battle finally beginning. Escaflowne circles for another dive and watching it closely, Ulysses waits for it to attack once again. Seeing his chance, Shezarizard charges explosively towards the approaching Espano Gaimeleth, ducking from its sword and grabbing the tail as it hauls itself up into the air. Screaming with rage, Tristen is pulled down, and with an explosion of grit, is grounded, transforming back into its Gaimeleth form. The two General Gaimeleths watch intently at the battle below them. Seeing that their King had been grounded, Darken in Hades turns to Akuma.
" Looks like it is time to show them the power of Shadowbain."
Akuma smiles. It was finally his turn.
