Author's Note: I don't really believe that it's the amount of reviews that
proves whether or not your story is good. Obviously, there are a lot of
people in this category that write better than I do, and the only reason
that I have more reviews than they do is because I have so many chapters.
51 chapters averaging at about six reviewers per chapter gets you a lot,
but just because my chapters are incredibly short doesn't mean my fic is
more successful than anybody else's. But that's just my personal opinion.
I'm not going to be able to go through the individual personalities of five hundred different Dragoons. Sorry. I'll make some of the more important ones major characters, but a lot of them will just have to duck under the radar.
Rayen's weakness? Trust me, Rayen has a weakness. It's a big one, too. Remember the warning the Creator gave Rayen about his Spirit?
The Divine Dragoon was the demon-possessed Chang. Chang was the man that built the machine that opened the portal that let the Dragons in. He was also Kyra's old boss. That's why she felt like she recognized him before the demon left his body. By the way, Rayen didn't kill him, Sean did. Rayen just gave him a nasty nick with the Dragon Buster so his Dragoon Spirit deactivated.
Chapter 52
That night, somewhere in the Serdian backcountry, a man heard a strange noise coming from somewhere outside. He lifted the blinds of his window to peek outside, and saw a strange black shape flitting through the tall grass. A grave expression passed over his face.
His wife was watching. "What is it?"
"I don't know. There's something outside."
"At this time?"
The man scooped up his rifle and headed for the door. "Yes. I had better go check it out."
The woman got to her feet and followed. The door eased open silently, but the figure heard it, and its head snapped around to stare at the two people emerging from the cottage. It appeared to be human, but the night was too dark to tell for sure.
The man shouted to the creature. "Hey! This here is private property! Please leave."
The black shape remained silent.
He tried again. "Look here, you need to get outta here, buddy. You can cut through the field if you need to, but you're trespassing on my land."
There was no reaction from the mysterious trespasser, who almost appeared to be contemplating its options.
The woman clutched her husband's arm. "I don't like this. What if it's one of those monsters that have been running around lately."
The man attempted one last time to parlay with the enigma, this time slightly less polite. "Get off of my property or I'll shoot!"
When the shadow did not respond for the third time, he leveled his rifle and fired a warning shot. Quick as a flash, the shadow disappeared into the foliage.
The woman's grip on his arm relaxed. "Did you get it?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what the hell that thing was. I'll go take a look."
Plowing his way through the grass, he searched for the creature, his gun at the ready. His wife watched anxiously. Suddenly, his body disappeared beneath the grass. The woman let out a shrill shriek, but it was cut short as she too, fell dead.
The shadowy enigma slunk through the field; a minor obstacle dealt with. By the time anyone found the bodies, it would be long gone. With the silvery moonlight as its only guide, it headed towards its secret destination. The beast was on the prowl.
************************************************************************
Rayen left the Crystal Palace into the streets of Deningrad the following morning. Aside from the six that had joined after the speech, forty more Dragoons had arrived in Deningrad overnight to bolster the defending forces. Rayen knew that he should be pleased with the way things were going, but he still had the feeling that there was something very wrong going on. Whatever it was, Rayen knew that it wasn't on the other side of that portal. It was much, much closer to home. But he couldn't place it.
"So, what now?"
Rayen turned around and saw Phil approaching from behind. "I don't know. The new recruits are being sent out to collect dormant Spirits and find their owners. We need all the help we can get. In the meantime... I guess we stay here and wait for the next wave."
"But what if they arrive before the others get back?"
Rayen shrugged. "Then we'll have to do some actual fighting. The last wave was hardly a battle."
"True. But you said you used all of your magic when you cast those spells. What happens if the next wave is larger?"
"That's what Sun Rhapsodies are for. We're just lucky Dawn figured out how to make them."
Phil sighed and gazed out towards the busy Deningrad streets. "Yeah..."
Rayen stared down at the Spirit in his hand, pulsing with its usual rainbow of colors. There was nothing wrong with it, but he still felt the nagging doubt. All of the signs pointed to it. The Creator's warning, Melbu Frahma's knife, the dream, and now these strange premonitions; they all pointed to the circular prism that rested in his palm. What was lurking inside that unassuming crystal, evading his notice?
************************************************************************
Nieva knelt on one knee before the Queen of Millie Seaseu. Dragoon or not, her first duty was Sacred Sister, and she would take the opportunity to report to the Queen while she was still in Deningrad. "I have returned, my liege."
The Queen frowned. As reassuring as it was to have the Second Sacred Sister back in the capital, her knight simply did not understand that she had more pressing tasks to take care of. However, she should humor Nieva, at least for the time being. "Very well. How goes the recruitment?"
"Forty-nine Dragoons have pledged their skills to our cause, Your Majesty."
It was now or never, the Queen decided. She had to set Nieva's mind on the more important situation at hand. "Nieva, I feel that you have not been paying enough attention to your new responsibilities as a Dragoon because you have been worrying too much about Millie Seaseu. Therefore, I am afraid I must relieve of your duties as Sacred Sister for the time being."
Nieva's eyes widened. Surely she wouldn't! "But Your Majesty! I can focus my energies on the war if you so desire."
"I do wish it, Nieva. Protecting Endiness is more important than simply protecting Millie Seaseu. If Serdio and Tiberoa fall, we shall not be far behind. Do not worry. Deningrad will still be standing when you return."
Nieva got to her feet and bowed. But as she left, she could not help but mutter bitterly to herself. "I would not be so sure of that if I were you."
************************************************************************
Shade sighed as he sat in one of the larger rooms of the Crystal Palace. A total of forty-nine Dragoons had joined since yesterday. Eight Red-Eyes, eight Jades, seven Darks, six Silvers, six Violets, eight Seas, and six Goldens rounded out the new recruits. There would probably even more arriving in Deningrad today. Shade hoped this was all going to be as easy as it had been, but he had a feeling that their problems would grow with the army.
A large man approached the attendant in charge of registering new soldiers. The attendant glanced upwards. "Please state your name and element for the record."
"I am not here to join your band. I wish to visit one of the Dragoons."
"The Dragoons are all out on assignment."
"Are the original Dragoons here?"
"Yes..."
"Then he's not out on assignment. Please direct me."
The assistant, taken aback by the visitor's brashness, gestured vaguely to where the Dragoons were assembled. All of them stared at the newcomer, not sure what to make of him. Oraeus knew instantly that this man was half- Giganto, it was apparent in his features. The arrival's face was scarred; the left side of his face bore a savage burn mark. Oraeus had a feeling he knew why this man was here. "Who are you?"
The visitor's face was grim. "Surely fifteen years hasn't changed me enough that you don't recognize me?"
Oraeus studied the man carefully. He couldn't have been older than his late twenties. He must have been a child during the incident. Surely it wasn't possible someone had survived? He had given up hope long ago someone had made it away from the hellhole that had once been his home. Could it be?
Oraeus's voice was weak as he stammered out the name of someone that he thought he had left behind fifteen years ago. "Ar... Artaeris?"
The man named Artaeris bowed his head. "It's been a long time... Father."
Author's Note: I was surprised Aerena noticed that I didn't mention that Oraeus found his son's body, and that was because his son isn't dead! Mwahahaha... plot twist-y-ness. I know this chapter was short, but I'm prepping the story for a very important event that will be coming up within the next few chapters.
I'm not going to be able to go through the individual personalities of five hundred different Dragoons. Sorry. I'll make some of the more important ones major characters, but a lot of them will just have to duck under the radar.
Rayen's weakness? Trust me, Rayen has a weakness. It's a big one, too. Remember the warning the Creator gave Rayen about his Spirit?
The Divine Dragoon was the demon-possessed Chang. Chang was the man that built the machine that opened the portal that let the Dragons in. He was also Kyra's old boss. That's why she felt like she recognized him before the demon left his body. By the way, Rayen didn't kill him, Sean did. Rayen just gave him a nasty nick with the Dragon Buster so his Dragoon Spirit deactivated.
Chapter 52
That night, somewhere in the Serdian backcountry, a man heard a strange noise coming from somewhere outside. He lifted the blinds of his window to peek outside, and saw a strange black shape flitting through the tall grass. A grave expression passed over his face.
His wife was watching. "What is it?"
"I don't know. There's something outside."
"At this time?"
The man scooped up his rifle and headed for the door. "Yes. I had better go check it out."
The woman got to her feet and followed. The door eased open silently, but the figure heard it, and its head snapped around to stare at the two people emerging from the cottage. It appeared to be human, but the night was too dark to tell for sure.
The man shouted to the creature. "Hey! This here is private property! Please leave."
The black shape remained silent.
He tried again. "Look here, you need to get outta here, buddy. You can cut through the field if you need to, but you're trespassing on my land."
There was no reaction from the mysterious trespasser, who almost appeared to be contemplating its options.
The woman clutched her husband's arm. "I don't like this. What if it's one of those monsters that have been running around lately."
The man attempted one last time to parlay with the enigma, this time slightly less polite. "Get off of my property or I'll shoot!"
When the shadow did not respond for the third time, he leveled his rifle and fired a warning shot. Quick as a flash, the shadow disappeared into the foliage.
The woman's grip on his arm relaxed. "Did you get it?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what the hell that thing was. I'll go take a look."
Plowing his way through the grass, he searched for the creature, his gun at the ready. His wife watched anxiously. Suddenly, his body disappeared beneath the grass. The woman let out a shrill shriek, but it was cut short as she too, fell dead.
The shadowy enigma slunk through the field; a minor obstacle dealt with. By the time anyone found the bodies, it would be long gone. With the silvery moonlight as its only guide, it headed towards its secret destination. The beast was on the prowl.
************************************************************************
Rayen left the Crystal Palace into the streets of Deningrad the following morning. Aside from the six that had joined after the speech, forty more Dragoons had arrived in Deningrad overnight to bolster the defending forces. Rayen knew that he should be pleased with the way things were going, but he still had the feeling that there was something very wrong going on. Whatever it was, Rayen knew that it wasn't on the other side of that portal. It was much, much closer to home. But he couldn't place it.
"So, what now?"
Rayen turned around and saw Phil approaching from behind. "I don't know. The new recruits are being sent out to collect dormant Spirits and find their owners. We need all the help we can get. In the meantime... I guess we stay here and wait for the next wave."
"But what if they arrive before the others get back?"
Rayen shrugged. "Then we'll have to do some actual fighting. The last wave was hardly a battle."
"True. But you said you used all of your magic when you cast those spells. What happens if the next wave is larger?"
"That's what Sun Rhapsodies are for. We're just lucky Dawn figured out how to make them."
Phil sighed and gazed out towards the busy Deningrad streets. "Yeah..."
Rayen stared down at the Spirit in his hand, pulsing with its usual rainbow of colors. There was nothing wrong with it, but he still felt the nagging doubt. All of the signs pointed to it. The Creator's warning, Melbu Frahma's knife, the dream, and now these strange premonitions; they all pointed to the circular prism that rested in his palm. What was lurking inside that unassuming crystal, evading his notice?
************************************************************************
Nieva knelt on one knee before the Queen of Millie Seaseu. Dragoon or not, her first duty was Sacred Sister, and she would take the opportunity to report to the Queen while she was still in Deningrad. "I have returned, my liege."
The Queen frowned. As reassuring as it was to have the Second Sacred Sister back in the capital, her knight simply did not understand that she had more pressing tasks to take care of. However, she should humor Nieva, at least for the time being. "Very well. How goes the recruitment?"
"Forty-nine Dragoons have pledged their skills to our cause, Your Majesty."
It was now or never, the Queen decided. She had to set Nieva's mind on the more important situation at hand. "Nieva, I feel that you have not been paying enough attention to your new responsibilities as a Dragoon because you have been worrying too much about Millie Seaseu. Therefore, I am afraid I must relieve of your duties as Sacred Sister for the time being."
Nieva's eyes widened. Surely she wouldn't! "But Your Majesty! I can focus my energies on the war if you so desire."
"I do wish it, Nieva. Protecting Endiness is more important than simply protecting Millie Seaseu. If Serdio and Tiberoa fall, we shall not be far behind. Do not worry. Deningrad will still be standing when you return."
Nieva got to her feet and bowed. But as she left, she could not help but mutter bitterly to herself. "I would not be so sure of that if I were you."
************************************************************************
Shade sighed as he sat in one of the larger rooms of the Crystal Palace. A total of forty-nine Dragoons had joined since yesterday. Eight Red-Eyes, eight Jades, seven Darks, six Silvers, six Violets, eight Seas, and six Goldens rounded out the new recruits. There would probably even more arriving in Deningrad today. Shade hoped this was all going to be as easy as it had been, but he had a feeling that their problems would grow with the army.
A large man approached the attendant in charge of registering new soldiers. The attendant glanced upwards. "Please state your name and element for the record."
"I am not here to join your band. I wish to visit one of the Dragoons."
"The Dragoons are all out on assignment."
"Are the original Dragoons here?"
"Yes..."
"Then he's not out on assignment. Please direct me."
The assistant, taken aback by the visitor's brashness, gestured vaguely to where the Dragoons were assembled. All of them stared at the newcomer, not sure what to make of him. Oraeus knew instantly that this man was half- Giganto, it was apparent in his features. The arrival's face was scarred; the left side of his face bore a savage burn mark. Oraeus had a feeling he knew why this man was here. "Who are you?"
The visitor's face was grim. "Surely fifteen years hasn't changed me enough that you don't recognize me?"
Oraeus studied the man carefully. He couldn't have been older than his late twenties. He must have been a child during the incident. Surely it wasn't possible someone had survived? He had given up hope long ago someone had made it away from the hellhole that had once been his home. Could it be?
Oraeus's voice was weak as he stammered out the name of someone that he thought he had left behind fifteen years ago. "Ar... Artaeris?"
The man named Artaeris bowed his head. "It's been a long time... Father."
Author's Note: I was surprised Aerena noticed that I didn't mention that Oraeus found his son's body, and that was because his son isn't dead! Mwahahaha... plot twist-y-ness. I know this chapter was short, but I'm prepping the story for a very important event that will be coming up within the next few chapters.