Author's Note: Well, I appear to have either confused or angered a great
deal of you with this last chapter, so some clarification is in order.
Rayen doesn't know anything about Kyra for sure, he just thinks she's been
acting weird lately, and let's face it, she has. She hardly spoke at all,
and she's becoming brooding and secretive. Of course, this is probably due
to grief over the loss of her homeland now that she's back in a Wingly
city, and Rayen is probably just tense because he's worried, which would
explain the bizarre dreams he's been having. But you never know...
Samovar is the Grand Red-Eye Dragon, as I mentioned in a few other chapters. I must not have made that clear enough. Basically what Rayen said is that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of Dragoons out there, and all they needed to do was get them together and form an army. Obviously, that won't be as easy as it sounds.
Don't burn the Rayen plushies! That's mean. I don't like being hated, I have self-esteem issues. But only when it's dark. O_o Don't ask. I'm weird.
Chapter 50
Dawn, Aquaria, and Nieva all stood on the tallest tower in Ulara, looking out at the portal, which was getting steadily larger by the day. The Silver Dragoon sighed, her weapon in hand, with the thrusting tip resting against the floor. "How long do you think we have left?"
Niece's rapier was resting safely on the battlement, where it could be retrieved in a moment's notice. "Judging by the rate it has been growing, and how big Rayen said it would be when it opens, I would guess less than a day. Maybe only a few hours."
Dawn stared out at the crackling anomaly in the sky. "So they're coming today."
Nieva nodded. "Most likely."
Aquaria piped up, her weapon leaning against the wall much farther away than the others, which showed that she was slightly less concerned about the approach of the dark horde than the others. "But Rayen said that the army was too big to fit through the portal all at once, right? So we won't be fighting that many. Plus, Rayen's got that new Spirit. Once we beat the crap out of the first wave, then we go gather the rest of the Dragoons. So there's nothing to worry about."
Nieva was not so enthusiastic; being more experienced in the ways of war. "We don't know exactly how powerful this new Spirit is, or how quickly we can put together a decent resistance. It's basically us against the unknown. Considering how huge the unknown is, I'm not liking those odds."
Aquaria looked slightly uncomfortable at that statement, but her high spirits were dimmed only momentarily. "But we've come through stuff we thought were impossible. How is this any different?"
Dawn didn't have the heart to bring the young girl back to the ground, so she remained silent. Besides, maybe Aquaria was right. Rayen's Spirit may be stronger than they expected, and maybe the people of Endiness would be more willing to unite once they saw the true danger. But they had to beat the first wave to convince the populace that there was a chance of victory. Dawn wondered what they would throw at them first.
************************************************************************
Back in the sparring room, another battle was raging. Phil and Oraeus, both in gleaming Dragoon armor, swiped and lunged at each other as they circled throughout the auditorium. Phil thrusted inwards, but the Golden Dragoon caught the wooden haft with his free hand and chopped downwards with his axe. Luckily, Phil rolled to his left, avoiding being cleaved in half. Yanking his weapon, he freed it from Oraeus's grasp, the blade making an eerie grating sound as it slipped through the metal gauntlets.
Rayen, however, was focusing on different matters. There were so many things that could go very wrong. Why was Kyra becoming so moody all of a sudden? How much of the horde could get through in the first attack? But there was one question that worried him most of all; what was this cryptic warning the Creator had given him about his new Spirit. Rayen ran his fingers over the crystal, and the shifting rainbow came to the surface as usual. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about that Spirit that the eye couldn't see. All of these questions desperately required answers, answers Rayen could not unearth, no matter how hard he searched.
Just then, Phil shoved his spear between the Golden Dragoon's legs. Twisting the weapon, he tripped Oraeus, sending him flailing to the floor, his weapon sliding from recovery. The half-Giganto sputtered as he got to his feet. "That was hardly honorable."
Phil grinned and shrugged his shoulders to show his indifference. "As long as it works."
Shade's eyes were closed, but he was aware of the situation. "Honor is a dated concept. An admirable excuse to get yourself killed."
"The Gigantos did not fear death."
"Ironically enough, they're all dead now. Funny how that works. Although I sure that wherever they are, they're damned pleased with themselves."
Oraeus clenched his fists at Shade's audacity, but he eventually relaxed, heaving a long sigh. "Perhaps you're right. But I wouldn't want to live in a world without honor anyway. To destroy honor is to destroy the last glimmering light of hope."
Shade's eyes opened, but he remained silent out of respect. Phil grinned at Rayen. "Hey, why don't you show us what your new armor looks like?"
Rayen's eyes opened wide, and he suddenly clutched the Spirit so hard the facets dug into his flesh. "NO! I... cannot."
The Jade Dragoon glanced in concern at his friend, who rarely got this worked up over anything, especially something this minor. "You OK, man?"
Rayen shook his head. "Yeah. Must be the stress getting to me."
Shade's eyes were still closed. "Liar."
Rayen let out a heavy sigh. "Caught me in the act. I was told never to use the Spirit unless I really need to."
A bemused expression crossed Phil's face. "Why?"
Rayen shrugged. "I didn't really understand what the Creator said. Something about frivolous usage of the Spirit would cause me to take its powers for granted." He suddenly sat bolt upright. "They're coming."
Phil nearly dropped his weapon in surprise. "What? Now? How do you know?"
Rayen raised an eyebrow at the Jade Dragoon.
Phil shrugged. "OK, stupid question. All right then, let's get going."
************************************************************************
Soon the Dragoons were soaring towards the portal at top speed. Rayen was still riding astride Balaeris, steadfastly refusing to activate his Spirit until the enemy showed itself.
He didn't have long to wait.
Just as they reached the Divine Tree, the dam holding back the black flood burst, and the dark legion spread forth. There were Dark Humans and Dark Winglies, but mostly just a gigantic horde of twisted animals, so mutilated that they looked more like monsters than animals. Thousands of demons soared through the portal, ready to wreak destruction on the helpless world of Endiness. Or so they thought.
Rayen stood on the Dragon's back, and lifted the Spirit above his head. The crystal orb burst into radiance, and buried itself in Rayen's chest, and the transformation began. Flames spread throughout his body, turning into crimson plates. Wind swirled around his right arm, while his left was consumed in crackling lightning. Water surged and froze around his right leg, while rock hardened into the armor on his left leg. Then his wings formed one from inky darkness, the other from silvery tendrils of light. Finally, the crested headband was created from the energies of the Divine Dragoon, and the armor changed, so that the colors were always shifting, and no color was always in the same place.
But the Spirit did not appear to be finished quite yet. His weapon left his hand, and as it hung suspended in the air, magic swirled around it, and it was transformed again. Rayen's eyes widened as he saw the result. The blade was at least four feet in length, and made of the finest steel Rayen had ever seen. The core of the blade was made of the same metal as his armor, like the armor it was constantly shifting color, and spidery golden runes Rayen couldn't decipher were inscribed on the core. The hilt was shining platinum, in the shape of two Dragon's intertwined. The twin necks and heads became the crosspieces, and each Dragon's eye was a fiery ruby. Its name flickered in and out of Rayen's mind. Birathion, the Protector.
Rayen felt the presence of all the elements within him, so he focused on one and brought it to the front. The gray streak of his armor grew larger, swallowing the others, and suddenly Rayen was dressed in the armor of the Divine Dragoon. He lifted his arm, focusing his power into the barrel of the cannon. "Divine Dragon..."
Phil raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Sean can do that..."
"...Cannon!" A gigantic white-blue beam sliced through the air, annihilating all of the aerial troops in one stroke.
"Never mind."
"I would advise staying up here while I take care of the rest." Rayen dropped to the ground, preparing to meet the onrushing ground troops. There were no spells he could draw on from the past, for he was the first of his kind, and maybe the only of his kind that would ever be. Very well, then. He would just have to make his own. This time, two colors dominated the armor, burning red and shining silver. He lifted his new blade high into the air, and began an incantation.
"With the searing light, scorch my foes beyond redemption. Disperse the shadows! Cleansing Flame!"
He thrust Birathion into the ground, and a brilliant sunbeam struck the sword. The Protector absorbed the light, pulsing with its radiance. The ruby eyes of the twin Dragons focused the power, and it burst forth. Two blood-red beams shot from the rubies, starting at their outermost point and slowly fanning towards each other, slicing through the amassed troops as they went. When the two rays met in the middle, a deafening explosion rocked the area, and when the smoke cleared, not one foe remained on the battlefield.
Rayen sighed as his armor faded. At least that was over with. Aquaria was dancing around, jumping in exultation and thrusting her hammer into the air. "Yeah! See I told you there would be no problem! Did you see the way he took those losers out?"
Rayen slid his blade back into its sheath. "That was the easy part. That was only a tiny fraction of their true size, and they will start releasing them in greater numbers now that they know what they're up against. Besides, I used nearly all my magic up just casting those two spells."
Aquaria's face fell, but Rayen smiled and continued. "But if we can assemble the rest of the Dragoons quickly enough, you can bet we can give them one hell of a fight. The Spirit's power, and my power, will grow as we move on. For now, we have given back Endiness its hope."
Hope, Rayen thought as looked at the ominous portal in the sky, was probably the best gift they could give, and one that the world would need desperately in times to come.
Author's Note: Well, that's the big Chapter 50. To think that when I started this fic I thought it would be done by now. How wrong I was. Don't worry, the ending is still a LONG way off.
I have been waiting forever to finally give Rayen that armor so I can do... this! *steals Birathion* Mwahahahaha! *waves his new extremely cool sharp pointy sword* *runs off to cause random chaos and destruction* Oh yeah, review!
Samovar is the Grand Red-Eye Dragon, as I mentioned in a few other chapters. I must not have made that clear enough. Basically what Rayen said is that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of Dragoons out there, and all they needed to do was get them together and form an army. Obviously, that won't be as easy as it sounds.
Don't burn the Rayen plushies! That's mean. I don't like being hated, I have self-esteem issues. But only when it's dark. O_o Don't ask. I'm weird.
Chapter 50
Dawn, Aquaria, and Nieva all stood on the tallest tower in Ulara, looking out at the portal, which was getting steadily larger by the day. The Silver Dragoon sighed, her weapon in hand, with the thrusting tip resting against the floor. "How long do you think we have left?"
Niece's rapier was resting safely on the battlement, where it could be retrieved in a moment's notice. "Judging by the rate it has been growing, and how big Rayen said it would be when it opens, I would guess less than a day. Maybe only a few hours."
Dawn stared out at the crackling anomaly in the sky. "So they're coming today."
Nieva nodded. "Most likely."
Aquaria piped up, her weapon leaning against the wall much farther away than the others, which showed that she was slightly less concerned about the approach of the dark horde than the others. "But Rayen said that the army was too big to fit through the portal all at once, right? So we won't be fighting that many. Plus, Rayen's got that new Spirit. Once we beat the crap out of the first wave, then we go gather the rest of the Dragoons. So there's nothing to worry about."
Nieva was not so enthusiastic; being more experienced in the ways of war. "We don't know exactly how powerful this new Spirit is, or how quickly we can put together a decent resistance. It's basically us against the unknown. Considering how huge the unknown is, I'm not liking those odds."
Aquaria looked slightly uncomfortable at that statement, but her high spirits were dimmed only momentarily. "But we've come through stuff we thought were impossible. How is this any different?"
Dawn didn't have the heart to bring the young girl back to the ground, so she remained silent. Besides, maybe Aquaria was right. Rayen's Spirit may be stronger than they expected, and maybe the people of Endiness would be more willing to unite once they saw the true danger. But they had to beat the first wave to convince the populace that there was a chance of victory. Dawn wondered what they would throw at them first.
************************************************************************
Back in the sparring room, another battle was raging. Phil and Oraeus, both in gleaming Dragoon armor, swiped and lunged at each other as they circled throughout the auditorium. Phil thrusted inwards, but the Golden Dragoon caught the wooden haft with his free hand and chopped downwards with his axe. Luckily, Phil rolled to his left, avoiding being cleaved in half. Yanking his weapon, he freed it from Oraeus's grasp, the blade making an eerie grating sound as it slipped through the metal gauntlets.
Rayen, however, was focusing on different matters. There were so many things that could go very wrong. Why was Kyra becoming so moody all of a sudden? How much of the horde could get through in the first attack? But there was one question that worried him most of all; what was this cryptic warning the Creator had given him about his new Spirit. Rayen ran his fingers over the crystal, and the shifting rainbow came to the surface as usual. Nothing appeared to be wrong with it. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about that Spirit that the eye couldn't see. All of these questions desperately required answers, answers Rayen could not unearth, no matter how hard he searched.
Just then, Phil shoved his spear between the Golden Dragoon's legs. Twisting the weapon, he tripped Oraeus, sending him flailing to the floor, his weapon sliding from recovery. The half-Giganto sputtered as he got to his feet. "That was hardly honorable."
Phil grinned and shrugged his shoulders to show his indifference. "As long as it works."
Shade's eyes were closed, but he was aware of the situation. "Honor is a dated concept. An admirable excuse to get yourself killed."
"The Gigantos did not fear death."
"Ironically enough, they're all dead now. Funny how that works. Although I sure that wherever they are, they're damned pleased with themselves."
Oraeus clenched his fists at Shade's audacity, but he eventually relaxed, heaving a long sigh. "Perhaps you're right. But I wouldn't want to live in a world without honor anyway. To destroy honor is to destroy the last glimmering light of hope."
Shade's eyes opened, but he remained silent out of respect. Phil grinned at Rayen. "Hey, why don't you show us what your new armor looks like?"
Rayen's eyes opened wide, and he suddenly clutched the Spirit so hard the facets dug into his flesh. "NO! I... cannot."
The Jade Dragoon glanced in concern at his friend, who rarely got this worked up over anything, especially something this minor. "You OK, man?"
Rayen shook his head. "Yeah. Must be the stress getting to me."
Shade's eyes were still closed. "Liar."
Rayen let out a heavy sigh. "Caught me in the act. I was told never to use the Spirit unless I really need to."
A bemused expression crossed Phil's face. "Why?"
Rayen shrugged. "I didn't really understand what the Creator said. Something about frivolous usage of the Spirit would cause me to take its powers for granted." He suddenly sat bolt upright. "They're coming."
Phil nearly dropped his weapon in surprise. "What? Now? How do you know?"
Rayen raised an eyebrow at the Jade Dragoon.
Phil shrugged. "OK, stupid question. All right then, let's get going."
************************************************************************
Soon the Dragoons were soaring towards the portal at top speed. Rayen was still riding astride Balaeris, steadfastly refusing to activate his Spirit until the enemy showed itself.
He didn't have long to wait.
Just as they reached the Divine Tree, the dam holding back the black flood burst, and the dark legion spread forth. There were Dark Humans and Dark Winglies, but mostly just a gigantic horde of twisted animals, so mutilated that they looked more like monsters than animals. Thousands of demons soared through the portal, ready to wreak destruction on the helpless world of Endiness. Or so they thought.
Rayen stood on the Dragon's back, and lifted the Spirit above his head. The crystal orb burst into radiance, and buried itself in Rayen's chest, and the transformation began. Flames spread throughout his body, turning into crimson plates. Wind swirled around his right arm, while his left was consumed in crackling lightning. Water surged and froze around his right leg, while rock hardened into the armor on his left leg. Then his wings formed one from inky darkness, the other from silvery tendrils of light. Finally, the crested headband was created from the energies of the Divine Dragoon, and the armor changed, so that the colors were always shifting, and no color was always in the same place.
But the Spirit did not appear to be finished quite yet. His weapon left his hand, and as it hung suspended in the air, magic swirled around it, and it was transformed again. Rayen's eyes widened as he saw the result. The blade was at least four feet in length, and made of the finest steel Rayen had ever seen. The core of the blade was made of the same metal as his armor, like the armor it was constantly shifting color, and spidery golden runes Rayen couldn't decipher were inscribed on the core. The hilt was shining platinum, in the shape of two Dragon's intertwined. The twin necks and heads became the crosspieces, and each Dragon's eye was a fiery ruby. Its name flickered in and out of Rayen's mind. Birathion, the Protector.
Rayen felt the presence of all the elements within him, so he focused on one and brought it to the front. The gray streak of his armor grew larger, swallowing the others, and suddenly Rayen was dressed in the armor of the Divine Dragoon. He lifted his arm, focusing his power into the barrel of the cannon. "Divine Dragon..."
Phil raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Sean can do that..."
"...Cannon!" A gigantic white-blue beam sliced through the air, annihilating all of the aerial troops in one stroke.
"Never mind."
"I would advise staying up here while I take care of the rest." Rayen dropped to the ground, preparing to meet the onrushing ground troops. There were no spells he could draw on from the past, for he was the first of his kind, and maybe the only of his kind that would ever be. Very well, then. He would just have to make his own. This time, two colors dominated the armor, burning red and shining silver. He lifted his new blade high into the air, and began an incantation.
"With the searing light, scorch my foes beyond redemption. Disperse the shadows! Cleansing Flame!"
He thrust Birathion into the ground, and a brilliant sunbeam struck the sword. The Protector absorbed the light, pulsing with its radiance. The ruby eyes of the twin Dragons focused the power, and it burst forth. Two blood-red beams shot from the rubies, starting at their outermost point and slowly fanning towards each other, slicing through the amassed troops as they went. When the two rays met in the middle, a deafening explosion rocked the area, and when the smoke cleared, not one foe remained on the battlefield.
Rayen sighed as his armor faded. At least that was over with. Aquaria was dancing around, jumping in exultation and thrusting her hammer into the air. "Yeah! See I told you there would be no problem! Did you see the way he took those losers out?"
Rayen slid his blade back into its sheath. "That was the easy part. That was only a tiny fraction of their true size, and they will start releasing them in greater numbers now that they know what they're up against. Besides, I used nearly all my magic up just casting those two spells."
Aquaria's face fell, but Rayen smiled and continued. "But if we can assemble the rest of the Dragoons quickly enough, you can bet we can give them one hell of a fight. The Spirit's power, and my power, will grow as we move on. For now, we have given back Endiness its hope."
Hope, Rayen thought as looked at the ominous portal in the sky, was probably the best gift they could give, and one that the world would need desperately in times to come.
Author's Note: Well, that's the big Chapter 50. To think that when I started this fic I thought it would be done by now. How wrong I was. Don't worry, the ending is still a LONG way off.
I have been waiting forever to finally give Rayen that armor so I can do... this! *steals Birathion* Mwahahahaha! *waves his new extremely cool sharp pointy sword* *runs off to cause random chaos and destruction* Oh yeah, review!