Author's Note: You people are acting like Shade's already dead. Eclipse
still has to find the Dragoons if they leave Deningrad, and when he finds
them, he's got to deal with nine angry Dragoons who aren't exactly enthused
(yes, that is a word) to see one of their number killed. Eclipse is a Dark
Dragoon, the scientists managed to find a Spirit that worked for him. If he
DID manage to kill Shade, then he'd replace them and fight in the war
alongside the others (if they let him), so when you think about it, the
entire purpose of his existance is to kill. That's why I kind of feel sorry
for Eclipse. As for Shade being cute before he was tortured, I'm really not
the person who can judge these things. I don't really get the whole bishie
thing.
Phil isn't a dumbass, he just has different... how should I put this... priorities than Rayen and the rest of the group. Besides, more often than not he's just joking around anyway.
Chapter 57
Shade and Nieva left the one of the smaller auditoriums of the Crystal Palace that had become a makeshift training stadium among the throng of recruits. Teaching hundreds of Dragoons to fight at once was no small task, but the two had managed well enough. Most of the Dragoons who had not just received their Spirits had a fair amount of training with their weapons, and some had already mastered the somewhat tricky art of magic. Thus Shade and Nieva stuck with the raw soldiers who had just arrived while the more experienced Dragoons taught each other finer points of magic use or sparred during the session.
Neither of the two spoke as they descended along a crystal staircase that glittered in the morning sun. It was not that there was any enmity between the pair, it was merely that neither really had anything to talk about that would be worth expending the breath required to say it. So silence reigned as they made their way towards where the others were waiting, at least vocally. Shade's padded boots made very little sound against the crystal, but Nieva's armored feet made up for that by making enough noise for both of them. They eventually reached the chamber where the group had agreed to meet in previously.
Rayen, Phil, and Sean were already waiting, as were Oraeus and Artaeris, who had just arrived from being off by themselves, most likely reminiscing about the fifteen years that they had been separated. Nieva noted that Kyra and Dawn were still gone, although the thought that those two near-polar opposites would want anything to do with each other amazed the Sacred Sister. Aquaria was missing as well, and Nieva marveled at the fact that the Sea Dragoon had not managed to bring the palace down around their ears. Give her a little time, the female knight mused darkly.
Rayen glanced up towards the new arrivals. "How did it go?"
"All right. Most have figured out how to use magic. Some need more training with their weapons, though."
Shade offered his own view. "Nothing will teach them how to fight more effectively than a dose of real battle."
Rayen's face was grim. "We may not have much longer to wait."
Sean nodded in agreement, while Shade and both half-Gigantos lapsed back into silence.
Phil spoke up somewhat awkwardly. "How much longer do you think we have left?"
Rayen folded his hands and rested his chin on them pensively. "A day, I'd guess. Maybe less. The group that they sent out two days ago didn't put much of a dent in their supplies, so it's almost like they've been stockpiling for their next deploys for nearly five days now. They should attack very soon, so we should be ready.
At this point, Kyra and Dawn returned from their excursion. They sat down almost immediately, and at that point the banter shifted to somewhat more lighthearted subjects. However, Nieva kept shooting nervous gazes towards the doorway. As much as she loathed admitting it, she was worried about Aquaria. Somewhat useless, she knew, for Aquaria probably found something that interested her much more than meeting back here. Still, it was far later than when they were all supposed to have come back from their individual tasks and Nieva couldn't help a twinge of apprehension in the back of her mind.
As if on cue, Aquaria came running in so quickly she was unable to regain traction and nearly skidded into the wall. Picking herself up, she dashed over to the group. Now Nieva remembered! Aquaria had been assigned to lookout. That did nothing to alleviate her fears, however.
"The next wave is coming," Aquaria panted breathlessly.
As usual Rayen was up on his feet before anyone else could react. "Shade, go get the recruits and tell them that their first chance at battle is here."
"They might not like it so recently after training."
"That's nice. Welcome them to the army, and tell them that if they aren't ready to fight in about three minutes, the people of Deningrad will be very unhappy with them."
"Spoken like a true commander."
"That goes for you too, Shade, so I suggest you get a move on."
"Yes, sir."
"One more thing, Shade. If you ever call me 'sir' again, you will not wake up the following morning."
So the Dark Dragoon left with a private smile nobody else could see.
Rayen and the others assembled outside of the city, facing the onrushing legion. It was only slightly larger than the first division, but of course 'slightly' was a relative term. Thousands of soldiers blotted out the white of the snow, choked the blue of the sky. Rayen drew forth his crystal Spirit. He made a brief metal assessment of the situation, then turned to the Dragoons waiting behind him, Shade and the new conscripts having just reached their position.
"Right. Tell everyone to go and take on the aerial troops. I realize that some of you may not be used to fighting airborne, but you'll get used to it. I'll stay here and deal with the ground troops."
Kyra glanced at him. "By yourself?"
Rayen raised an eyebrow, and the Wingly shrugged. The field was lit by hundreds of glittering gems, and wings of every color spread as the Dragoons took to the sky. As he watched them go, Rayen banished his fears from his mind and reached out to the crystal in his palm. Rayen breathed a sigh of immeasurable relief as the flames spread from the crystal, signifying that the Guardian Dragoon was in control.
His transformation completed just in time, the blade appearing in his hand as the malicious tide sought to drown him. Drawing Birathion back, he swept the blade across the front line, killing six with one stroke. The horde spread apart, seeking to encircle Rayen, but the Guardian Dragoon was hardly worried. There were only so many that could engage him at once, and he was more than capable of defending himself. Sure enough he struck down another half dozen, their bodies offering little resistance to the Protector's enchanted blade.
The aerial battle was a different story. Most of the new Dragoons were totally unaccustomed to fighting in three dimensions, for in the air an opponent could attack from above or below as well. So the Dragoons were forced to use their most precious advantage, magic. Fireballs, lightning, ice, and beams of light all shot through the air, taking down countless foes. The sky absorbed the spells as they went on their deadly path, raising the energy level in the air to an almost intoxicating level.
After more than two hundred lay dead from Rayen's blade, Rayen began to tire of holding back. No matter how long he could hold out physically, the only real way to permanently dispose of such a large number of enemies was with magic. He vaulted into the air, landing outside the ring of adversaries.
Oraeus happened to glance down at that point, and he immediately recognized what Rayen was planning. "You're going to use magic? What if more arrive?"
Rayen's reply was swift and determined. "If we don't deal with these now, there won't be anything left to greet the newcomers but dead bodies."
Oraeus nodded, and signaled to the fighting Dragoons. All thirty Jades, including Phil, split off from their individual battles and all congregated in the center. Raising their hands to the air, the winds picked up into a gigantic tornado that swept through the unfortunate opposition. The others picked off all that were not immediately destroyed. Just as they had planned.
Rayen nodded, and sheathed his own weapon. He wouldn't need it. Reaching into the shifting sea of the elements, he brought two to the forefront. The red and gold stripes of his armor grew, swallowing the other colors hungrily. Raising his gaze to the sky, he began the spell. "The fury of the earth, welling up beneath for eternity, bursts forth in punishing flame. Rage of Gaia."
Rayen did not strike the ground, or make any motion at all to initiate the magic. Endiness would do that task for him. The earth began to shake and split, enormous spiderwebs of cracks forming beneath the feet of Rayen's hapless foes. Pillars of flame shot from the cracks, consuming any fool unlucky enough to be standing above one. The flaming bodies spread the blaze with amazing speed, and soon all of the enemy soldiers were alight. When certain that none remained alive, Rayen lifted his hand, and the fire died.
Once again, the dying light of the Spirits glittered, and the Dragoons stood victorious. The new warriors gaped at their leader with undisguised awe. Rayen suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He hoped they would get used to it soon. But undue attention was the least of his numerous problems at the moment, and Rayen knew that very well.
Author's Note: There's some action for you guys. That Rage of Gaia spell is the first one with a name I actually like. I'm normally horrible at naming spells. Meh. Sorry it took so long for this chappy to get up, our DSL has been acting screwy lately. Okey dokey, chapter over!
Phil isn't a dumbass, he just has different... how should I put this... priorities than Rayen and the rest of the group. Besides, more often than not he's just joking around anyway.
Chapter 57
Shade and Nieva left the one of the smaller auditoriums of the Crystal Palace that had become a makeshift training stadium among the throng of recruits. Teaching hundreds of Dragoons to fight at once was no small task, but the two had managed well enough. Most of the Dragoons who had not just received their Spirits had a fair amount of training with their weapons, and some had already mastered the somewhat tricky art of magic. Thus Shade and Nieva stuck with the raw soldiers who had just arrived while the more experienced Dragoons taught each other finer points of magic use or sparred during the session.
Neither of the two spoke as they descended along a crystal staircase that glittered in the morning sun. It was not that there was any enmity between the pair, it was merely that neither really had anything to talk about that would be worth expending the breath required to say it. So silence reigned as they made their way towards where the others were waiting, at least vocally. Shade's padded boots made very little sound against the crystal, but Nieva's armored feet made up for that by making enough noise for both of them. They eventually reached the chamber where the group had agreed to meet in previously.
Rayen, Phil, and Sean were already waiting, as were Oraeus and Artaeris, who had just arrived from being off by themselves, most likely reminiscing about the fifteen years that they had been separated. Nieva noted that Kyra and Dawn were still gone, although the thought that those two near-polar opposites would want anything to do with each other amazed the Sacred Sister. Aquaria was missing as well, and Nieva marveled at the fact that the Sea Dragoon had not managed to bring the palace down around their ears. Give her a little time, the female knight mused darkly.
Rayen glanced up towards the new arrivals. "How did it go?"
"All right. Most have figured out how to use magic. Some need more training with their weapons, though."
Shade offered his own view. "Nothing will teach them how to fight more effectively than a dose of real battle."
Rayen's face was grim. "We may not have much longer to wait."
Sean nodded in agreement, while Shade and both half-Gigantos lapsed back into silence.
Phil spoke up somewhat awkwardly. "How much longer do you think we have left?"
Rayen folded his hands and rested his chin on them pensively. "A day, I'd guess. Maybe less. The group that they sent out two days ago didn't put much of a dent in their supplies, so it's almost like they've been stockpiling for their next deploys for nearly five days now. They should attack very soon, so we should be ready.
At this point, Kyra and Dawn returned from their excursion. They sat down almost immediately, and at that point the banter shifted to somewhat more lighthearted subjects. However, Nieva kept shooting nervous gazes towards the doorway. As much as she loathed admitting it, she was worried about Aquaria. Somewhat useless, she knew, for Aquaria probably found something that interested her much more than meeting back here. Still, it was far later than when they were all supposed to have come back from their individual tasks and Nieva couldn't help a twinge of apprehension in the back of her mind.
As if on cue, Aquaria came running in so quickly she was unable to regain traction and nearly skidded into the wall. Picking herself up, she dashed over to the group. Now Nieva remembered! Aquaria had been assigned to lookout. That did nothing to alleviate her fears, however.
"The next wave is coming," Aquaria panted breathlessly.
As usual Rayen was up on his feet before anyone else could react. "Shade, go get the recruits and tell them that their first chance at battle is here."
"They might not like it so recently after training."
"That's nice. Welcome them to the army, and tell them that if they aren't ready to fight in about three minutes, the people of Deningrad will be very unhappy with them."
"Spoken like a true commander."
"That goes for you too, Shade, so I suggest you get a move on."
"Yes, sir."
"One more thing, Shade. If you ever call me 'sir' again, you will not wake up the following morning."
So the Dark Dragoon left with a private smile nobody else could see.
Rayen and the others assembled outside of the city, facing the onrushing legion. It was only slightly larger than the first division, but of course 'slightly' was a relative term. Thousands of soldiers blotted out the white of the snow, choked the blue of the sky. Rayen drew forth his crystal Spirit. He made a brief metal assessment of the situation, then turned to the Dragoons waiting behind him, Shade and the new conscripts having just reached their position.
"Right. Tell everyone to go and take on the aerial troops. I realize that some of you may not be used to fighting airborne, but you'll get used to it. I'll stay here and deal with the ground troops."
Kyra glanced at him. "By yourself?"
Rayen raised an eyebrow, and the Wingly shrugged. The field was lit by hundreds of glittering gems, and wings of every color spread as the Dragoons took to the sky. As he watched them go, Rayen banished his fears from his mind and reached out to the crystal in his palm. Rayen breathed a sigh of immeasurable relief as the flames spread from the crystal, signifying that the Guardian Dragoon was in control.
His transformation completed just in time, the blade appearing in his hand as the malicious tide sought to drown him. Drawing Birathion back, he swept the blade across the front line, killing six with one stroke. The horde spread apart, seeking to encircle Rayen, but the Guardian Dragoon was hardly worried. There were only so many that could engage him at once, and he was more than capable of defending himself. Sure enough he struck down another half dozen, their bodies offering little resistance to the Protector's enchanted blade.
The aerial battle was a different story. Most of the new Dragoons were totally unaccustomed to fighting in three dimensions, for in the air an opponent could attack from above or below as well. So the Dragoons were forced to use their most precious advantage, magic. Fireballs, lightning, ice, and beams of light all shot through the air, taking down countless foes. The sky absorbed the spells as they went on their deadly path, raising the energy level in the air to an almost intoxicating level.
After more than two hundred lay dead from Rayen's blade, Rayen began to tire of holding back. No matter how long he could hold out physically, the only real way to permanently dispose of such a large number of enemies was with magic. He vaulted into the air, landing outside the ring of adversaries.
Oraeus happened to glance down at that point, and he immediately recognized what Rayen was planning. "You're going to use magic? What if more arrive?"
Rayen's reply was swift and determined. "If we don't deal with these now, there won't be anything left to greet the newcomers but dead bodies."
Oraeus nodded, and signaled to the fighting Dragoons. All thirty Jades, including Phil, split off from their individual battles and all congregated in the center. Raising their hands to the air, the winds picked up into a gigantic tornado that swept through the unfortunate opposition. The others picked off all that were not immediately destroyed. Just as they had planned.
Rayen nodded, and sheathed his own weapon. He wouldn't need it. Reaching into the shifting sea of the elements, he brought two to the forefront. The red and gold stripes of his armor grew, swallowing the other colors hungrily. Raising his gaze to the sky, he began the spell. "The fury of the earth, welling up beneath for eternity, bursts forth in punishing flame. Rage of Gaia."
Rayen did not strike the ground, or make any motion at all to initiate the magic. Endiness would do that task for him. The earth began to shake and split, enormous spiderwebs of cracks forming beneath the feet of Rayen's hapless foes. Pillars of flame shot from the cracks, consuming any fool unlucky enough to be standing above one. The flaming bodies spread the blaze with amazing speed, and soon all of the enemy soldiers were alight. When certain that none remained alive, Rayen lifted his hand, and the fire died.
Once again, the dying light of the Spirits glittered, and the Dragoons stood victorious. The new warriors gaped at their leader with undisguised awe. Rayen suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He hoped they would get used to it soon. But undue attention was the least of his numerous problems at the moment, and Rayen knew that very well.
Author's Note: There's some action for you guys. That Rage of Gaia spell is the first one with a name I actually like. I'm normally horrible at naming spells. Meh. Sorry it took so long for this chappy to get up, our DSL has been acting screwy lately. Okey dokey, chapter over!