Author's Note: It's not necessarily that Nieva and Aquaria don't get along,
it's just that Nieva hates feeling worried about Aquaria when she's in
trouble. I guess Nieva's not the kind of person who would be very in touch
with her maternal instincts.
I'm glad SOME people are starting to like Rayen. In the beginning nobody really liked him. But I like him. Not that anyone cares.
Yes, Shade is the incarnation of kick-ass. I slaved over him to make him that, and apparently it worked. Just wait until he gets a chance to use this spell I've got for him.
Yes, I liked the Rage of Gaia spell too. I've got another spell ready for Rayen. It's Wind/Water/Thunder. That's right, THREE elements. It's got a decent name too.
Chapter 58
Eclipse stood in the middle of Donau, gazing around at the sea of colors that stretched out before him. Despite the changes of modern society, the city of Donau had remained as unconformist as always, scorning the urban style of most of the Endiness metropolises over their gigantic flower gardens that had remained as part of Donau's history for millennia. Still, the winding river of time left no place unchanged, and Donau was hardly an exception. The humble port town had become one of the largest cities in Tiberoa due to its proximity to the sea and excellent position for trade with their neighbor, Millie Seaseu.
The cloying perfume of the flowers overpowered Eclipse as he made his way towards the port. This provided quite a dilemma for the determined Dark Dragoon. How would he get across the ocean to Deningrad? He could never get onto a plane with two swords and a Dragoon Spirit. He had no money or papers to get on a ship. His advisors hadn't given him instructions on this. He would have to improvise.
He weaved through the masses, headed for the docks, all the way contemplating his options. There was only one real solution to this mess. He would have to stow away on a boat headed for Millie Seaseu. How he could do so without being discovered was a different problem entirely. The ports yawned out before him; ships of all shapes and types bobbing in the surf like bathtub toys.
He spotted a boat that would serve his purpose best. It was a cargo ship, Eclipse guessed, for it was large, undecorated, and painted a dismal, depressing gray. That would work perfectly. There was plenty of space and cover for hiding with all the goods lying about. Judging by the amount of sailors entering the boat's hold, he guessed it would be departing soon. He would have to act fast.
Eclipse walked nonchalantly up the gangplank, doing his best to avoid attention. Taking a good survey of his surroundings, he noticed that the starboard side of the boat was better hidden from the public eye. Waiting until nobody was watching, he dropped off the gangplank, seizing hold of a line in the ship's plating. Making his way along the rivets, he waited until he was sure he was out of sight. Finally, he used his longer blade to pry open a porthole, making sure to catch it before it fell into the water below.
He peeked inside the opening. Excellent, he had found the cargo hold. Slipping inside, he replaced the porthole cover and took shelter behind a pyramid of boxes. This was far easier than he expected. However, now he had a nine-hour boat ride ahead of him.
Eclipse was just about to settle down into his temporary home when he heard footsteps echoing through the steel corridor. He cursed mentally as he saw the silhouettes of sailors fill the hallway leading to the cargo hold. They must be doing a routine check of the supplies. Eclipse racked his brain for a solution. Although he wasn't able to transform for obvious reasons, he could still use the limited amount of magic he could access outside of Dragoon armor. He reached deep into the pool of darkness within himself, shrouding himself in it, melding with the shadows that surrounded him.
The sailors made a quick count of the boxes in the hold before tromping back out of the hold. Eclipse risked breathing a heavy sigh of relief once they were well out of sight. The could of shadows parted, and he was left alone with two hundred and sixty eight boxes of fruit headed for Fueno. He was very glad he had several magic-restoring potions stashed away for later use. He had no idea how many times they might check back in the hold, and he hoped he would have enough to hold out until they reached Millie Seaseu and he could head for Deningrad uninhibited.
For most of the nine-hour trip, Eclipse was left only with his thoughts. Although his mission seemed perfectly logical at first glance, but when he mulled it over in his mind, there was something decidedly twisted about killing a living thing just to replace it. But he shook those thoughts away. Obedience was his single driving instinct. The simple idea of going against orders was beyond him. The scientists had made sure to program that out of him.
After questioning his own motives for nearly half a day, with occasional breaks to place him out of the crew's sight, Eclipse finally reached Fueno. Prying open a porthole once more, he slipped into the water, swimming to the shore. He was soaking wet when he pulled himself from the ocean, but that did not bother him. His clothes would dry once he got away from the sea breeze. He trudged through the gloomy city, still in mourning over the tragic destruction of its neighbor Funri by the now-deceased Divine Dragon.
Once he exited the port town, the sun beat down on the Dark Dragoon. Sure enough, he felt his clothes began to dry. It was hard for Eclipse's spirits to remain buried in gloom when the sun was shining and Deningrad was such a short distance away. He would arrive within a day or two, about four days earlier than expected. Soon, his purpose would be fufilled.
************************************************************************
Rayen, Phil, and Shade sat in their usual meeting place in the Crystal Palace, relaxing after the previous day's battle. Each had spent the day in various places of Deningrad, kicking back after the rigorous work of training and maintaining an army of Dragon Warriors.
Phil grinned at Rayen when he arrived. "So, what did you do in Deningrad? Get a chance to sample the local color?"
Rayen didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what he meant. The Jade Dragoon was hardly difficult to predict. He rolled his eyes, reached over, and rapped his knuckles against the back of Phil's head. "I think we have slightly more important things to worry about..."
Phil cut him off. "See, that's the problem with you. There's always something more important, always something to worry about. Wake up and smell the roses, man. You only live once, and we're not getting any younger."
To hear that coming from the Wind Dragon Knight was almost comical. "We're seventeen, Phil."
Phil gave the sort of overly dramatic sigh exasperated adults gave children. "You're hopeless, you know that?"
Rayen said nothing. Phil sighed again and got up, walking away while shaking his head. Rayen was not paying attention, however, his eyes on the other person in the room. Shade sat motionless, silent as usual. Rayen wondered what the Dark Dragoon was thinking. Certainly it wouldn't be what he was thinking about. He had no idea what was approaching Deningrad at this very moment.
What could it possibly be like to be faced with yourself? Not just yourself, but the person you used to be, the person you would give anything to become again? Then you learn that your copy's only purpose is to kill and replace you... Rayen couldn't imagine how much Shade would be devastated by Eclipse's appearance, because nobody really knew exactly what the Dark Dragoon had been through. Rayen doubted anyone ever would. Rayen could practically feel the pressure contained inside Shade, and he wondered if it would ever become so intense that the Dark Dragoon would burst, unable to stand it any longer.
Dark forces were pressing in from all sides, but the Dragoons maintained a close ring around the world of Endiness. The question was; who would crack first?
Author's Note: Mwahahahaha... chapter over. Yes, I know it was short and it took me forever to update, but I wrote the first chapter of Crimson Wings and I had to finish my essay on gun control and the Second Amendment for History class, so gimme a break. Anyway, next chappy Eclipse comes knocking! Actually, 'knocking' probably wouldn't be the correct word. More like 'kicking the damn door down'. But I digress.
I'm glad SOME people are starting to like Rayen. In the beginning nobody really liked him. But I like him. Not that anyone cares.
Yes, Shade is the incarnation of kick-ass. I slaved over him to make him that, and apparently it worked. Just wait until he gets a chance to use this spell I've got for him.
Yes, I liked the Rage of Gaia spell too. I've got another spell ready for Rayen. It's Wind/Water/Thunder. That's right, THREE elements. It's got a decent name too.
Chapter 58
Eclipse stood in the middle of Donau, gazing around at the sea of colors that stretched out before him. Despite the changes of modern society, the city of Donau had remained as unconformist as always, scorning the urban style of most of the Endiness metropolises over their gigantic flower gardens that had remained as part of Donau's history for millennia. Still, the winding river of time left no place unchanged, and Donau was hardly an exception. The humble port town had become one of the largest cities in Tiberoa due to its proximity to the sea and excellent position for trade with their neighbor, Millie Seaseu.
The cloying perfume of the flowers overpowered Eclipse as he made his way towards the port. This provided quite a dilemma for the determined Dark Dragoon. How would he get across the ocean to Deningrad? He could never get onto a plane with two swords and a Dragoon Spirit. He had no money or papers to get on a ship. His advisors hadn't given him instructions on this. He would have to improvise.
He weaved through the masses, headed for the docks, all the way contemplating his options. There was only one real solution to this mess. He would have to stow away on a boat headed for Millie Seaseu. How he could do so without being discovered was a different problem entirely. The ports yawned out before him; ships of all shapes and types bobbing in the surf like bathtub toys.
He spotted a boat that would serve his purpose best. It was a cargo ship, Eclipse guessed, for it was large, undecorated, and painted a dismal, depressing gray. That would work perfectly. There was plenty of space and cover for hiding with all the goods lying about. Judging by the amount of sailors entering the boat's hold, he guessed it would be departing soon. He would have to act fast.
Eclipse walked nonchalantly up the gangplank, doing his best to avoid attention. Taking a good survey of his surroundings, he noticed that the starboard side of the boat was better hidden from the public eye. Waiting until nobody was watching, he dropped off the gangplank, seizing hold of a line in the ship's plating. Making his way along the rivets, he waited until he was sure he was out of sight. Finally, he used his longer blade to pry open a porthole, making sure to catch it before it fell into the water below.
He peeked inside the opening. Excellent, he had found the cargo hold. Slipping inside, he replaced the porthole cover and took shelter behind a pyramid of boxes. This was far easier than he expected. However, now he had a nine-hour boat ride ahead of him.
Eclipse was just about to settle down into his temporary home when he heard footsteps echoing through the steel corridor. He cursed mentally as he saw the silhouettes of sailors fill the hallway leading to the cargo hold. They must be doing a routine check of the supplies. Eclipse racked his brain for a solution. Although he wasn't able to transform for obvious reasons, he could still use the limited amount of magic he could access outside of Dragoon armor. He reached deep into the pool of darkness within himself, shrouding himself in it, melding with the shadows that surrounded him.
The sailors made a quick count of the boxes in the hold before tromping back out of the hold. Eclipse risked breathing a heavy sigh of relief once they were well out of sight. The could of shadows parted, and he was left alone with two hundred and sixty eight boxes of fruit headed for Fueno. He was very glad he had several magic-restoring potions stashed away for later use. He had no idea how many times they might check back in the hold, and he hoped he would have enough to hold out until they reached Millie Seaseu and he could head for Deningrad uninhibited.
For most of the nine-hour trip, Eclipse was left only with his thoughts. Although his mission seemed perfectly logical at first glance, but when he mulled it over in his mind, there was something decidedly twisted about killing a living thing just to replace it. But he shook those thoughts away. Obedience was his single driving instinct. The simple idea of going against orders was beyond him. The scientists had made sure to program that out of him.
After questioning his own motives for nearly half a day, with occasional breaks to place him out of the crew's sight, Eclipse finally reached Fueno. Prying open a porthole once more, he slipped into the water, swimming to the shore. He was soaking wet when he pulled himself from the ocean, but that did not bother him. His clothes would dry once he got away from the sea breeze. He trudged through the gloomy city, still in mourning over the tragic destruction of its neighbor Funri by the now-deceased Divine Dragon.
Once he exited the port town, the sun beat down on the Dark Dragoon. Sure enough, he felt his clothes began to dry. It was hard for Eclipse's spirits to remain buried in gloom when the sun was shining and Deningrad was such a short distance away. He would arrive within a day or two, about four days earlier than expected. Soon, his purpose would be fufilled.
************************************************************************
Rayen, Phil, and Shade sat in their usual meeting place in the Crystal Palace, relaxing after the previous day's battle. Each had spent the day in various places of Deningrad, kicking back after the rigorous work of training and maintaining an army of Dragon Warriors.
Phil grinned at Rayen when he arrived. "So, what did you do in Deningrad? Get a chance to sample the local color?"
Rayen didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what he meant. The Jade Dragoon was hardly difficult to predict. He rolled his eyes, reached over, and rapped his knuckles against the back of Phil's head. "I think we have slightly more important things to worry about..."
Phil cut him off. "See, that's the problem with you. There's always something more important, always something to worry about. Wake up and smell the roses, man. You only live once, and we're not getting any younger."
To hear that coming from the Wind Dragon Knight was almost comical. "We're seventeen, Phil."
Phil gave the sort of overly dramatic sigh exasperated adults gave children. "You're hopeless, you know that?"
Rayen said nothing. Phil sighed again and got up, walking away while shaking his head. Rayen was not paying attention, however, his eyes on the other person in the room. Shade sat motionless, silent as usual. Rayen wondered what the Dark Dragoon was thinking. Certainly it wouldn't be what he was thinking about. He had no idea what was approaching Deningrad at this very moment.
What could it possibly be like to be faced with yourself? Not just yourself, but the person you used to be, the person you would give anything to become again? Then you learn that your copy's only purpose is to kill and replace you... Rayen couldn't imagine how much Shade would be devastated by Eclipse's appearance, because nobody really knew exactly what the Dark Dragoon had been through. Rayen doubted anyone ever would. Rayen could practically feel the pressure contained inside Shade, and he wondered if it would ever become so intense that the Dark Dragoon would burst, unable to stand it any longer.
Dark forces were pressing in from all sides, but the Dragoons maintained a close ring around the world of Endiness. The question was; who would crack first?
Author's Note: Mwahahahaha... chapter over. Yes, I know it was short and it took me forever to update, but I wrote the first chapter of Crimson Wings and I had to finish my essay on gun control and the Second Amendment for History class, so gimme a break. Anyway, next chappy Eclipse comes knocking! Actually, 'knocking' probably wouldn't be the correct word. More like 'kicking the damn door down'. But I digress.