Author's Note: Yeah, Rayen is becoming quite bitter and sarcastic, but you
have to cut the guy a little slack. He's commanding an army, saving the
world, being manipulated by two gods who are constantly fighting over him
because he's the key to winning the war, and on top of everything else, he
has to come to terms with himself because if he doesn't, everything will
blow up in their faces. Besides, Rayen's always been a little sarcastic, if
only in his arguments with Phil. But even though he's being manipulated,
he's made it clear he doesn't like it. DDX, he tried to destroy the Prism
Spirit, but the gods repaired it, because they both need him to tilt the
scales in their favor. Oh, and by the way, I'm not gonna send out any
emails or IMs or anything like that. If there's anything you want to say,
you're gonna have to say it in the review. Security issues and all that.
Yes, Nieva means snow in Spanish. I needed a name, and it seemed appropriate, so I stuck with it.
Chapter 66
The enigmatic master of the demon army looked deep into the magical orb that levitated lazily before his throne. Within its glass depths, the evil lord could see anything he desired, and probably some things he didn't, although he had never reached to that extent of its powers. Now, he was merely keeping studious watch of his enemies. One in particular, to be exact.
"Humans. How tempestuous, how easily broken they are. Already I can sense him feeling the strain. Soon, he will cave under the pressure, and the doom of all life will be sealed."
A shuddering knock came through the enormous door of ebony. The master looked up. "Enter."
The door edged open, and the sniveling face of the messenger popped in. "The troops have been dispatched, master. They are heading towards the portal at this very moment."
"Excellent."
The courier hesitated before speaking again. "Can they win, sire?"
"Win? Of course they can win. I fully intend for them to win. But when they win, it will cement our ultimate victory."
The messenger bobbed his head along with that horrible fanged grin, and left in silence, except for the gentle thud of the door closing behind him.
The shadowy king watched as the boy attempted to shirk his responsibility by destroying the Spirit. Of course, he failed, and received a painful reminder to stay in line. A sneer of contempt crossed the demon's face. He was even closer to falling than he had thought. They would not have to wait much longer.
************************************************************************
As Phil branched off to go learn what he could about the strange ownerless Spirits, Rayen was immediately intercepted by Shade. The Dark Dragoon's face was grim. "They're here."
A spasm of confusion crossed Rayen's face, for his mind was on other things. "What? Who?"
"Well, I wasn't aware we were expecting any guests," Shade remarked dryly.
Rayen swore. "Phil! You're gonna need to deal with that later. The next wave has arrived."
The Jade Dragoon swiveled around. "What, already? It's only been two days."
Rayen shrugged. "I guess they got tired of waiting."
"Damn. All right, maybe you should speak to the rookies before we go."
Rayen turned to his friend, disbelief etched all over him. "What, like a pep talk? What the hell for? This isn't a damn high school football game!"
For the first, and possibly only time in his life, Phil had nothing to say.
Sick disgust flooded through Rayen, and he put his hand to his forehead, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry. I know I've been an ass. But, hell, this isn't easy."
"No one ever said it would be, but that doesn't mean you can sit back and let the enemy win."
Phil and Rayen both looked at him with questioning expressions. The Dark Dragoon shook his head. "No, I don't mean military-wise. We've done fine in that field so far, but what I'm talking about is you. As soon as you break, we're all dead, pure and simple. The fate of the whole planet lasts only as long as you do."
Rayen shrugged again. "Well, whatever. We'll deal with this later."
"Damn straight. Now, if you three are finished, we have a battle to fight."
All three turned to the newcomer. It was Victor Bates, the grizzled forty- year-old Red-Eye Highlander. Victor was hardly a typical Dragoon, if such a thing truly existed. Growing up in the harsh climates of the highlands had made him tough and determined. A lit cigarette smoldered in his mouth, a jagged scar ran beneath his left eye, and his dark brown hair was ruffled and untidy. Possibly the oddest thing about him, however, was his weapon. A highly ornamented handgun was clenched firmly in his crimson-gloved fist, and when he shot the weapon in Dragoon form, it was not a bullet, but a speeding bolt of flame that flew from the chamber. Although most Dragoon Spirits had bestowed their candidates with older, more traditional weapons, swords, polearms, bows, and the like, the Dragon who rested inside Victor's ruby did not appear to go by conventional means. Because he required no training with his gun, except the occasional target practice to maintain his aim, he focused his studies entirely on magic, and had become quite formidable with the skill indeed. He was highly respected for his skills, and a valuable asset to the team. If only he were slightly easier to work with.
"Yeah, yeah, we're going."
Rayen, Shade, and Phil all headed to the snowy fields of Deningrad, where the black tide was slowly pouring forth from the gateway in the sky. Rayen peered at it. "Seems like an awfully small surprise attack."
Shade nodded grimly. "My thoughts exactly."
Phil agreed. "Yeah, but remember, the last time they had a small group on a sneak attack..."
His voice trailed off. Rayen gripped his Spirit unconsciously. They all knew what had happened. Rayen sighed, and spoke again. "Yeah, but it's not that small. This just seems small to what we've been fighting lately, the other group was so small it was suicidal."
Which, in retrospect, it actually was. The entire purpose of that attack to release the Apocalypse Dragoon, to inform Rayen of its existence, and unnerve him as he tried to avoid releasing it again. So far, one would say it was working.
Shade folded his arms. "Still, something doesn't seem right."
"It doesn't matter. We need to get rid of them anyway. Let's go."
The trio transformed simultaneously, and kicked off the crystal parapet, heading for the cloud of wings below them, where the rest of the Dragoons were already headed towards battle. The flying mass of red, green, blue, violet, black, silver, and gold moved as one, unified in times of danger. The sight moved something within Rayen, and he watched Phil and Shade accelerated to join the others. Rayen stayed behind, although he wasn't exactly sure why. But he had learned to stop questioning his instincts.
The distance shrunk, and suddenly, several Dragoons in the front let loose. Beams of crackling fire and sizzling light cut through the air like a knife, connecting with the enemy in showers of sparks and deafening explosions. Weapons that weren't already drawn were unsheathed, and the sun glinted off of the shimmering waves of steel. Then, the two divisions collided, and the fight began.
Eclipse's two blades spun through the onyx gauntlets that encased his hands in protective metal with a grace that seemed almost mechanical in its fluidity. His left hand tightened, halting the sword's motion, and he drove it through the chest of a nearby demon, his other blade streaming down to lop off its head. Turning to a new target, he swung the same sword methodically, slicing of an arm, and his right arm curled inward, only to lash out again as he drove the serrated weapon through the creature's forehead, finishing it off. Although the transfer of Shade's memories to his own mind had taught the Dark Dragoon compassion, he felt no pity for these monsters he felled in battle. They were heartless machinations, as he had once been, and he knew it was a tortured existence, one he was more than happy to free them off.
A tiny bolt of fire punched its way through a shadowy body, and the demon let out a shriek of pain. Victor squeezed the trigger another time, making sure the thing was dead before raising his handgun back to the enemy lines. He fired off several more blasts in rapid succession, each finding its own mark. In Dragoon form, his gun did not require reloading, the blazing projectiles produced from the magic imbued in the weapon by the transformation, so he sent bullets flying into the crowd almost haphazardly, but all of them found a target, because of the Highlander's exceptional aim.
Both anxiety and the rush of battle caused Victor to grit his teeth, forgetting that his cigarette was still in his mouth. As the bitter taste of tobacco fouled his tongue, he swore in his native language and spat it out in irritation. He focused his energies into the chamber of his weapon. A red glow slowly seeped from the barrel, and his finger pushed the trigger back, releasing a gout of flame that blew a sizeable hole through the stomach of the nearest foe and kept going, taking out about half a dozen others before it faded into smoke. Bates snarled as he risked a glance back at Rayen, who remained behind, watching the warriors from afar. What the hell was he just sitting around for?
Rayen was actually in the process of wondering that himself when they all found out. A rocking tremor shook the earth. That in itself was ominous enough, for the last time such a quake had come to Deningrad, the Shadow Virage had pulled itself from the portal. But nothing could have prepared them for what came this time. Rayen had suspected all along that this would happen eventually, but he had never foreseen it like this.
A gigantic head pulled itself through the portal, eyes gleaming down on the pathetic insects that cowered before it. Row upon row of countless wickedly sharp teeth sat in a jaw that looked powerful enough to crush an elephant into a helpless bleeding mass if it so desired. Crests sprouted in a strange fringe around the neck, dancing and waving in the wind. The body followed, long, sinuous, and with deadly serpentine grace. Finally the spiked tail of the beast floated through the gateway, and the behemoth curled its snake-like body into an enormous coil, a grin filled with malevolence across its reptilian face.
It was undoubtedly a Sea Dragon, corrupted and blackened by the rage within its living counterpart's heart. Rayen knew they would come across Dragons eventually, and he had seen full-grown Dragons before, but this was different. This thing was pure awe-inspiring terror incarnate, perverted by evil and turned into a vicious killing monster. The others would be forced to deal with the remaining demons; he would have to do this alone. This was why the group was so small, to keep the others busy while he fought this atrocity. Rayen's hand clutched Birathion's platinum hilt, determined not to lose hope.
But he couldn't help wondering, as he watched the titanic Dragon before him, how the hell could someone fight something like this?
Author's Note: I was planning on putting the Dragon fight into this chapter, but it was already pretty long (by my standards, of course) by the time I got there, so I decided to put it off until next chapter. Because I love leaving you people in suspense, and watching as you squirm and writhe for the next update! *laughs maniacally*
*cough* Yes, well, enough of that. In case you're wondering, Victor is indeed the first of the major rookie characters. I like him, 'cause he's got that gruff, cigarette-smoking, I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone, Cid Highwind type attitude. But I had one hell of a time naming him. My dad wanted to name him Elvis or Bubba. *sigh* I don't know why I even bothered coming to him. But he did come up with Dawn's name, so... *realizes he's rambling again* Sorry. Review and I'll shut up.
Yes, Nieva means snow in Spanish. I needed a name, and it seemed appropriate, so I stuck with it.
Chapter 66
The enigmatic master of the demon army looked deep into the magical orb that levitated lazily before his throne. Within its glass depths, the evil lord could see anything he desired, and probably some things he didn't, although he had never reached to that extent of its powers. Now, he was merely keeping studious watch of his enemies. One in particular, to be exact.
"Humans. How tempestuous, how easily broken they are. Already I can sense him feeling the strain. Soon, he will cave under the pressure, and the doom of all life will be sealed."
A shuddering knock came through the enormous door of ebony. The master looked up. "Enter."
The door edged open, and the sniveling face of the messenger popped in. "The troops have been dispatched, master. They are heading towards the portal at this very moment."
"Excellent."
The courier hesitated before speaking again. "Can they win, sire?"
"Win? Of course they can win. I fully intend for them to win. But when they win, it will cement our ultimate victory."
The messenger bobbed his head along with that horrible fanged grin, and left in silence, except for the gentle thud of the door closing behind him.
The shadowy king watched as the boy attempted to shirk his responsibility by destroying the Spirit. Of course, he failed, and received a painful reminder to stay in line. A sneer of contempt crossed the demon's face. He was even closer to falling than he had thought. They would not have to wait much longer.
************************************************************************
As Phil branched off to go learn what he could about the strange ownerless Spirits, Rayen was immediately intercepted by Shade. The Dark Dragoon's face was grim. "They're here."
A spasm of confusion crossed Rayen's face, for his mind was on other things. "What? Who?"
"Well, I wasn't aware we were expecting any guests," Shade remarked dryly.
Rayen swore. "Phil! You're gonna need to deal with that later. The next wave has arrived."
The Jade Dragoon swiveled around. "What, already? It's only been two days."
Rayen shrugged. "I guess they got tired of waiting."
"Damn. All right, maybe you should speak to the rookies before we go."
Rayen turned to his friend, disbelief etched all over him. "What, like a pep talk? What the hell for? This isn't a damn high school football game!"
For the first, and possibly only time in his life, Phil had nothing to say.
Sick disgust flooded through Rayen, and he put his hand to his forehead, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry. I know I've been an ass. But, hell, this isn't easy."
"No one ever said it would be, but that doesn't mean you can sit back and let the enemy win."
Phil and Rayen both looked at him with questioning expressions. The Dark Dragoon shook his head. "No, I don't mean military-wise. We've done fine in that field so far, but what I'm talking about is you. As soon as you break, we're all dead, pure and simple. The fate of the whole planet lasts only as long as you do."
Rayen shrugged again. "Well, whatever. We'll deal with this later."
"Damn straight. Now, if you three are finished, we have a battle to fight."
All three turned to the newcomer. It was Victor Bates, the grizzled forty- year-old Red-Eye Highlander. Victor was hardly a typical Dragoon, if such a thing truly existed. Growing up in the harsh climates of the highlands had made him tough and determined. A lit cigarette smoldered in his mouth, a jagged scar ran beneath his left eye, and his dark brown hair was ruffled and untidy. Possibly the oddest thing about him, however, was his weapon. A highly ornamented handgun was clenched firmly in his crimson-gloved fist, and when he shot the weapon in Dragoon form, it was not a bullet, but a speeding bolt of flame that flew from the chamber. Although most Dragoon Spirits had bestowed their candidates with older, more traditional weapons, swords, polearms, bows, and the like, the Dragon who rested inside Victor's ruby did not appear to go by conventional means. Because he required no training with his gun, except the occasional target practice to maintain his aim, he focused his studies entirely on magic, and had become quite formidable with the skill indeed. He was highly respected for his skills, and a valuable asset to the team. If only he were slightly easier to work with.
"Yeah, yeah, we're going."
Rayen, Shade, and Phil all headed to the snowy fields of Deningrad, where the black tide was slowly pouring forth from the gateway in the sky. Rayen peered at it. "Seems like an awfully small surprise attack."
Shade nodded grimly. "My thoughts exactly."
Phil agreed. "Yeah, but remember, the last time they had a small group on a sneak attack..."
His voice trailed off. Rayen gripped his Spirit unconsciously. They all knew what had happened. Rayen sighed, and spoke again. "Yeah, but it's not that small. This just seems small to what we've been fighting lately, the other group was so small it was suicidal."
Which, in retrospect, it actually was. The entire purpose of that attack to release the Apocalypse Dragoon, to inform Rayen of its existence, and unnerve him as he tried to avoid releasing it again. So far, one would say it was working.
Shade folded his arms. "Still, something doesn't seem right."
"It doesn't matter. We need to get rid of them anyway. Let's go."
The trio transformed simultaneously, and kicked off the crystal parapet, heading for the cloud of wings below them, where the rest of the Dragoons were already headed towards battle. The flying mass of red, green, blue, violet, black, silver, and gold moved as one, unified in times of danger. The sight moved something within Rayen, and he watched Phil and Shade accelerated to join the others. Rayen stayed behind, although he wasn't exactly sure why. But he had learned to stop questioning his instincts.
The distance shrunk, and suddenly, several Dragoons in the front let loose. Beams of crackling fire and sizzling light cut through the air like a knife, connecting with the enemy in showers of sparks and deafening explosions. Weapons that weren't already drawn were unsheathed, and the sun glinted off of the shimmering waves of steel. Then, the two divisions collided, and the fight began.
Eclipse's two blades spun through the onyx gauntlets that encased his hands in protective metal with a grace that seemed almost mechanical in its fluidity. His left hand tightened, halting the sword's motion, and he drove it through the chest of a nearby demon, his other blade streaming down to lop off its head. Turning to a new target, he swung the same sword methodically, slicing of an arm, and his right arm curled inward, only to lash out again as he drove the serrated weapon through the creature's forehead, finishing it off. Although the transfer of Shade's memories to his own mind had taught the Dark Dragoon compassion, he felt no pity for these monsters he felled in battle. They were heartless machinations, as he had once been, and he knew it was a tortured existence, one he was more than happy to free them off.
A tiny bolt of fire punched its way through a shadowy body, and the demon let out a shriek of pain. Victor squeezed the trigger another time, making sure the thing was dead before raising his handgun back to the enemy lines. He fired off several more blasts in rapid succession, each finding its own mark. In Dragoon form, his gun did not require reloading, the blazing projectiles produced from the magic imbued in the weapon by the transformation, so he sent bullets flying into the crowd almost haphazardly, but all of them found a target, because of the Highlander's exceptional aim.
Both anxiety and the rush of battle caused Victor to grit his teeth, forgetting that his cigarette was still in his mouth. As the bitter taste of tobacco fouled his tongue, he swore in his native language and spat it out in irritation. He focused his energies into the chamber of his weapon. A red glow slowly seeped from the barrel, and his finger pushed the trigger back, releasing a gout of flame that blew a sizeable hole through the stomach of the nearest foe and kept going, taking out about half a dozen others before it faded into smoke. Bates snarled as he risked a glance back at Rayen, who remained behind, watching the warriors from afar. What the hell was he just sitting around for?
Rayen was actually in the process of wondering that himself when they all found out. A rocking tremor shook the earth. That in itself was ominous enough, for the last time such a quake had come to Deningrad, the Shadow Virage had pulled itself from the portal. But nothing could have prepared them for what came this time. Rayen had suspected all along that this would happen eventually, but he had never foreseen it like this.
A gigantic head pulled itself through the portal, eyes gleaming down on the pathetic insects that cowered before it. Row upon row of countless wickedly sharp teeth sat in a jaw that looked powerful enough to crush an elephant into a helpless bleeding mass if it so desired. Crests sprouted in a strange fringe around the neck, dancing and waving in the wind. The body followed, long, sinuous, and with deadly serpentine grace. Finally the spiked tail of the beast floated through the gateway, and the behemoth curled its snake-like body into an enormous coil, a grin filled with malevolence across its reptilian face.
It was undoubtedly a Sea Dragon, corrupted and blackened by the rage within its living counterpart's heart. Rayen knew they would come across Dragons eventually, and he had seen full-grown Dragons before, but this was different. This thing was pure awe-inspiring terror incarnate, perverted by evil and turned into a vicious killing monster. The others would be forced to deal with the remaining demons; he would have to do this alone. This was why the group was so small, to keep the others busy while he fought this atrocity. Rayen's hand clutched Birathion's platinum hilt, determined not to lose hope.
But he couldn't help wondering, as he watched the titanic Dragon before him, how the hell could someone fight something like this?
Author's Note: I was planning on putting the Dragon fight into this chapter, but it was already pretty long (by my standards, of course) by the time I got there, so I decided to put it off until next chapter. Because I love leaving you people in suspense, and watching as you squirm and writhe for the next update! *laughs maniacally*
*cough* Yes, well, enough of that. In case you're wondering, Victor is indeed the first of the major rookie characters. I like him, 'cause he's got that gruff, cigarette-smoking, I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone, Cid Highwind type attitude. But I had one hell of a time naming him. My dad wanted to name him Elvis or Bubba. *sigh* I don't know why I even bothered coming to him. But he did come up with Dawn's name, so... *realizes he's rambling again* Sorry. Review and I'll shut up.