Chapter 27
Rayen leapt from boulder to boulder on the almost impassable mountain path. Kyra floated in front of him on the wings of light that spread from her back.
"You getting tired yet?"
Rayen grinned.
"You kidding me? I could do this all day."
"Well, unfortunately, we don't have that much time. So if you don't mind, I'd like to reach the cave by New Year's."
Rayen responded by transforming into a Dragoon. His body glowed crimson for a moment, and then he rocketed up the mile long path in the span of about two seconds. He deactivated his armor, tossed his Spirit into the air, caught it again, and smiled wryly. Kyra warped to the space next to him.
"You were saying?"
Kyra made a gesture in his general direction.
"Last time I checked, using that finger was considered very impolite."
Kyra shrugged, and they both walked into the craggy cave. They walked down the slope for a few minutes, and then they reached the large chamber. Rayen was not as taken aback by the Dragons this time. He noticed some differences between the species, upon closer inspection. The Red-Eye Dragon looked more like what Rayen thought a Dragon would look like, what Dragoon Campaign artists had represented them as, with reptilian bodies, bat-like wings, and two pairs of clawed legs.
While the bodies of the Red-Eyes were sinuous, the Violets preferred a more angular body structure, right down to the ridge of spikes running down the Dragon's spine. Sharp points were all over the Thunder Dragon's body, to the effect that the creature almost seemed like a flying reptilian porcupine. Yet it had a strange grace all its own, that must have came from its bearing, or something else Rayen couldn't guess.
The Grand Violet Dragon regarded them with the same anciently wise gaze that the Red-Eye had given them. They both bowed, and Kyra spoke.
"We came to request..."
"I know. Samovar told all the other Grand Dragons telepathically of your coming. I understand he gave you an egg. We can't let the Red-Eyes outdo us, can we?"
The female nudged an amethyst egg towards them. Kyra scooped it up, and they bowed once again.
"OK, let's go see Sean. You can heal him, right?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"All right."
They appeared outside the hospital that Rayen had dropped Sean off at after the fight with the Sea Dragoon. They walked inside, and found Sean waiting for them in a motorized wheelchair. He pressed a button on the arm of the chair, and he moved towards them. Sean did not appear at all pleased to see Kyra with him.
"What's she doing here?"
"Don't worry, she's on our side now. She can help you."
Sean still seemed doubtful, but he came with them to the outside of the hospital. Kyra whispered a Wingly incantation, and Sean stood up.
"Wow."
"Time to join the club."
Rayen tossed Sean the Sea Spirit. He caught it, grinning.
Nothing happened. The Spirit remained blank. Sean looked up, disappointment etched on his face. Kyra looked regretful as well, knowing she had caused this injury.
"It appears the Spirit has moved on..."
Rayen had a sudden idea.
"Hey, Sean, how would you like to go live with my dad?"
Sean brightened a little.
"You'd have a home and everything. I know it's nothing like coming with us, but..."
"Hey, it's a step up from where I was before now, right?"
Rayen gave Sean a small sad smile.
"Yeah. Come on Kyra, let's go. I need to talk to him about it."
Kyra nodded, and the three disappeared.
Phil plowed through the underbrush, following the invisible call of the emerald. Dawn followed closely behind, using her berdiche to clear the path for Shade, who took up the rear.
"What the hell has gotten into him?"
Shade shrugged, even though Dawn couldn't see him do so. He respected the changes that had come over the Jade Dragoon since the release of the Dragons. He had become more assertive, more responsible. Shade was witnessing a callow recruit becoming a hardened veteran. Phil was not an aspiring fighter before the burden was thrust upon him, like Rayen. Shade supposed he hadn't given Rayen's friend enough credit for what he had done.
Phil charged through more shrubbery to an open clearing. The large hollow trunk of a long-dead redwood stood all alone in the knoll, and sure enough, at the base sat a gigantic Jade Dragon, the mating pair resting among the branches. Phil marveled at the Dragon, which looked almost exactly like the sketches made of the Green Tusked Dragon Feyrbrand more than a thousand years ago.
He looked like a gigantic praying mantis, his segmented legs supported a bulbous abdomen, with a triangular head and two long ivory tusks that were curved just enough so they resembled mandibles, giving the creature a decidedly insectoid appearance. The bat-like pair of wings was folded across the broad back, increasing the resemblance. There was no tail on this Dragon. Phil could not grasp how this creature could manage to fly, but those Dragons didn't get in the branches by climbing. Still, he could tell they preferred to stay on the ground. They approached the Dragons, and bowed.
"Greetings, Dragon Knights. I have received a telepathic message of your coming. Apparently a duo of your friends picked up a Red-Eye and a Violet egg. I suppose you came for one of ours as well."
Phil nodded.
"Well, as reluctant as we are to give up our own youth, we are more than happy to assist in the overthrowing of the tyrannical Divine Dragon. We will help you."
He moved to the side, revealing a nest with three eggs in the tree's hollow. Rearing back onto four legs, he grabbed an egg with his two free forelegs, and scuttled over to Phil, pressing the emerald egg firmly into his arms. The three Dragoons bowed once more, and left.
"Well, that's three down, two to go."
The Grand Jade Dragon watched the three comrades retreat from the grove. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl, and plopped onto the grass, his six legs folding beneath his round body. He had watched Endiness for his entire life, curious about the planet that had claimed his father, Feyrbrand. He had seen wars come and go, great warriors rise and fall, armies crushed and renewed again. Nothing was certain in life; he had learned that much. Esmer had probably four clutches of eggs left in her. Was that enough to continue the species? Was he sending one of their own to its death?
"Farewell, Dragoons. Let us hope that our faith has not been placed upon you in vain."
Rayen leapt from boulder to boulder on the almost impassable mountain path. Kyra floated in front of him on the wings of light that spread from her back.
"You getting tired yet?"
Rayen grinned.
"You kidding me? I could do this all day."
"Well, unfortunately, we don't have that much time. So if you don't mind, I'd like to reach the cave by New Year's."
Rayen responded by transforming into a Dragoon. His body glowed crimson for a moment, and then he rocketed up the mile long path in the span of about two seconds. He deactivated his armor, tossed his Spirit into the air, caught it again, and smiled wryly. Kyra warped to the space next to him.
"You were saying?"
Kyra made a gesture in his general direction.
"Last time I checked, using that finger was considered very impolite."
Kyra shrugged, and they both walked into the craggy cave. They walked down the slope for a few minutes, and then they reached the large chamber. Rayen was not as taken aback by the Dragons this time. He noticed some differences between the species, upon closer inspection. The Red-Eye Dragon looked more like what Rayen thought a Dragon would look like, what Dragoon Campaign artists had represented them as, with reptilian bodies, bat-like wings, and two pairs of clawed legs.
While the bodies of the Red-Eyes were sinuous, the Violets preferred a more angular body structure, right down to the ridge of spikes running down the Dragon's spine. Sharp points were all over the Thunder Dragon's body, to the effect that the creature almost seemed like a flying reptilian porcupine. Yet it had a strange grace all its own, that must have came from its bearing, or something else Rayen couldn't guess.
The Grand Violet Dragon regarded them with the same anciently wise gaze that the Red-Eye had given them. They both bowed, and Kyra spoke.
"We came to request..."
"I know. Samovar told all the other Grand Dragons telepathically of your coming. I understand he gave you an egg. We can't let the Red-Eyes outdo us, can we?"
The female nudged an amethyst egg towards them. Kyra scooped it up, and they bowed once again.
"OK, let's go see Sean. You can heal him, right?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"All right."
They appeared outside the hospital that Rayen had dropped Sean off at after the fight with the Sea Dragoon. They walked inside, and found Sean waiting for them in a motorized wheelchair. He pressed a button on the arm of the chair, and he moved towards them. Sean did not appear at all pleased to see Kyra with him.
"What's she doing here?"
"Don't worry, she's on our side now. She can help you."
Sean still seemed doubtful, but he came with them to the outside of the hospital. Kyra whispered a Wingly incantation, and Sean stood up.
"Wow."
"Time to join the club."
Rayen tossed Sean the Sea Spirit. He caught it, grinning.
Nothing happened. The Spirit remained blank. Sean looked up, disappointment etched on his face. Kyra looked regretful as well, knowing she had caused this injury.
"It appears the Spirit has moved on..."
Rayen had a sudden idea.
"Hey, Sean, how would you like to go live with my dad?"
Sean brightened a little.
"You'd have a home and everything. I know it's nothing like coming with us, but..."
"Hey, it's a step up from where I was before now, right?"
Rayen gave Sean a small sad smile.
"Yeah. Come on Kyra, let's go. I need to talk to him about it."
Kyra nodded, and the three disappeared.
Phil plowed through the underbrush, following the invisible call of the emerald. Dawn followed closely behind, using her berdiche to clear the path for Shade, who took up the rear.
"What the hell has gotten into him?"
Shade shrugged, even though Dawn couldn't see him do so. He respected the changes that had come over the Jade Dragoon since the release of the Dragons. He had become more assertive, more responsible. Shade was witnessing a callow recruit becoming a hardened veteran. Phil was not an aspiring fighter before the burden was thrust upon him, like Rayen. Shade supposed he hadn't given Rayen's friend enough credit for what he had done.
Phil charged through more shrubbery to an open clearing. The large hollow trunk of a long-dead redwood stood all alone in the knoll, and sure enough, at the base sat a gigantic Jade Dragon, the mating pair resting among the branches. Phil marveled at the Dragon, which looked almost exactly like the sketches made of the Green Tusked Dragon Feyrbrand more than a thousand years ago.
He looked like a gigantic praying mantis, his segmented legs supported a bulbous abdomen, with a triangular head and two long ivory tusks that were curved just enough so they resembled mandibles, giving the creature a decidedly insectoid appearance. The bat-like pair of wings was folded across the broad back, increasing the resemblance. There was no tail on this Dragon. Phil could not grasp how this creature could manage to fly, but those Dragons didn't get in the branches by climbing. Still, he could tell they preferred to stay on the ground. They approached the Dragons, and bowed.
"Greetings, Dragon Knights. I have received a telepathic message of your coming. Apparently a duo of your friends picked up a Red-Eye and a Violet egg. I suppose you came for one of ours as well."
Phil nodded.
"Well, as reluctant as we are to give up our own youth, we are more than happy to assist in the overthrowing of the tyrannical Divine Dragon. We will help you."
He moved to the side, revealing a nest with three eggs in the tree's hollow. Rearing back onto four legs, he grabbed an egg with his two free forelegs, and scuttled over to Phil, pressing the emerald egg firmly into his arms. The three Dragoons bowed once more, and left.
"Well, that's three down, two to go."
The Grand Jade Dragon watched the three comrades retreat from the grove. He let out a sigh that sounded more like a growl, and plopped onto the grass, his six legs folding beneath his round body. He had watched Endiness for his entire life, curious about the planet that had claimed his father, Feyrbrand. He had seen wars come and go, great warriors rise and fall, armies crushed and renewed again. Nothing was certain in life; he had learned that much. Esmer had probably four clutches of eggs left in her. Was that enough to continue the species? Was he sending one of their own to its death?
"Farewell, Dragoons. Let us hope that our faith has not been placed upon you in vain."