Author's Note: I'm back! Just when you thought it was safe...
Me? Steal weaponry? *shocked look* Nah, I didn't steal anything, mostly because those supposed cases of confiscated stuff from terrorists never existed. Although there were a couple of pistols disguised as weird things like lipstick tubes, a car with those tire-slashing blades and machine guns, and a few ninja swords, so I wasn't totally disappointed.
Striker do too think! No Apoccy for Shike! *sticks tongue out at Shike*
And who says there won't be any epic battles and whatnot? We may be getting closer to the end, but it's still at least 7 or 8 chapters off or so... It's funny, because I only expected this fic to go for about 50 chapters. Guess that idea was shot straight to hell, right?
Chapter 78
Rayen did not sleep well that night. He awoke in a cold sweat, but he could not remember what he had dreamt that had caused him such terror. Unless it wasn't a dream that made his insides squirm like this. This was supposed to have gone away. Of course, the Murderer was probably just toying with his mind, just to goad him into making a mistake.
Not even gods could predict the future, could they? If the two celestial entities already knew the outcome of this war before the end, then why would the loser continue to fight? No, this was just another sick mind game. But it felt just as real, no matter how much logic convinced him to the contrary. This premonition hung above him like a dark cloud, or like a thick blanket, smothering...
Death. After Shade's unexpected return, Rayen thought that the constant weight of the visions would alleviate. But he had not been so lucky. If it had not been Shade's death he had foreseen, then whose was it? Rayen mentally shook himself. He was being stupid, this was just the crystal getting to his head. He couldn't let the stone's whisperings preoccupy him so much that he lost track of his true objectives. By the Divine Creator, he had come to far to lose it all now.
Rayen detected footsteps echoing off the stone floor, along with a strange ringing clank that Rayen was sure came from metal. Suspecting an attack, he whirled around, only to be faced with Oraeus. The half-Giganto had his axe in hand, propped against his shoulder. Beside him was Phil, who also had his weapon in his grasp, the point held toward the floor, which explained the odd clanging. The Jade Dragoon folded his arms impatiently, glaring at Rayen. "Well? Are you coming or what?"
Rayen blinked for a moment. His vision seemed clouded, but by what he could not guess. "Hmm? Oh... yeah, of course. Come on."
Rayen set out for the roof of the fortress, the two other Dragoons in tow. Atop the squat mountain citadel, his army stood assembled before him, albeit somewhat untidily. Rayen looked out upon them, and he was suddenly struck by how small the crowd seemed, less than two hundred. Perhaps he should have continued on with their gathering of reinforcements, at least then they would have a decent force to stand up to those hordes. But no, it wouldn't have made a difference. These new portals put a whole new spin on things, and Rayen had to seize hold of the opportunity before they could find a way around it.
That is, if the insane plan he had concocted would even work.
But second-guessing would only sow seeds of doubt, seeds that would make him vulnerable. If he was vulnerable, the Murderer would have no qualms in exploiting that for his own gains, maybe even releasing the terrible power within the gem he held. He wasn't sure what the Apocalypse Dragoon could do when unleashed with no other targets to draw his eye. Even if the casualties were only minor, he was not sure how many his already meager band could afford to lose.
By this point, Rayen realized that everyone was staring at him, waiting. He took out the Prism Spirit, but before he could activate it, his eyes began to cloud over again, and he felt them rolling back into his head. Dimly, he wondered if the visions were in a particularly strong insurgence, causing him to go into some sort of fit. Several of the Dragoons looked over at him in concern. Phil, who was standing next to Rayen, displayed an unusual aptitude in perception, noticing that things were quickly going downhill. Nudging the Guardian Dragoon in the ribs, he whispered harshly. "Get a grip, Sleeping Beauty!"
Rayen's gaze refocused, and he blinked a few times. Regaining control, he glanced quickly around and suppressed an urge to ask Phil where they were. Judging by the anxious manner in which many of his warriors were gazing at him, they were afraid that he might be unwell. Rayen didn't want the mission aborted in fear of him collapsing or some ridiculous idea like that. There was no chance he was going to blow their only chance before they even got off base. He poured his mind into the gem in his palm, and breathed a deep inward sigh of relief, as the stream of magical energy remained in the usual myriad of colors, rather than turning to the seething mass of black and gray.
The fighters before him quickly followed suit and the last bastion of hope for Endiness, and quite possibly all of Creation took flight from a small granite castle nestled in a mountain range in a world which served as a breeding ground for an unnatural swarm bent on the destruction of all life. Rayen's plan was simple; by travelling through the holes, it should allow them to cross a great distance in mere seconds, where they would engage in hit-and-run guerilla tactics when the enemy wasn't expecting to be attack for weeks. Of course, a number of things could go very wrong, one of the many reasons Rayen wanted to test this theory as soon as possible. For instance, each portal could correspond to a particular area on another world, which of course would render the whole plan useless. It was also dangerous to believe that they could pass through a portal and expect to appear on the world that they wanted, even after several tries. There was no telling how many of these alternate worlds existed, and they might be wandering forever before they found the correct planet, and by then, it would naturally be too late. Besides, there was no insurance that the worlds they intruded upon would be friendly towards their cause. They had to be ready for outside resistance as well.
Rayen approached the nearest portal, a door-sized gateway shifting between black, white, and an odd iridescent silver-like color, making it impossible to see what world awaited them. Regardless, Rayen plowed through without hesitation. He felt a peculiar sensation, as if there was a wave rippling beneath his skin. Then, he reemerged, looking down at the landscape before. He recognized it with an odd pang. He had seen this before, even from above in planes. Phil, who had remained just behind Rayen, gasped at the sight. "It's Serdio... look, there's Bale, and Indels Castle. We could probably see home if we went a bit farther..."
Rayen shook his head sadly. "No, Phil. At least not unless the portals in our direct path don't lead to the right place. Besides, it's not like our parents could see us from here."
"I wouldn't bet on it. As soon as a stray traffic copter gets a glimpse of us, we'll be all over the news. That clip will be repeated at least a thousand times in twenty different languages before tonight is over."
Rayen couldn't resist a grin at that. "True enough."
Once he was sure the entire mass of Dragoons could see him, Rayen dived sharply, casting his gaze about for another portal. He found a dark spot among the sky, that quickly faded away, now inconspicuous against the clouds. Rayen could have just imagined it, but he suspected it had just phased into a color that blended in with the sky. Sure enough, soon the same area turned white against the dark and foreboding storm clouds that hung over the Serdian capital. Beating his bat-like wings to gain altitude, Rayen waved his arm above his head to indicate his direction.
Rayen felt the same shivering sensation beneath his skin again, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar land, blanketed in snow, with the strange violet diamonds in the sky. He shouted loudly, hoping his voice would carry over the rush of the wind. "I need Abrian and Selari!"
The two natives powered to the head of the group, falling in next to Rayen. "Do either of you know this scenery?"
Selari shook her head furiously, her red mane tossing haphazardly in the wind. "No. Do you, Abe?"
"No, but we've never been out of the valley before, and this is definitely our planet."
Rayen wasn't as convinced. "Could another world have those diamonds?"
Abrian seemed more confident in his response to this inquiry. "No. Those only appeared when they came."
"How do you know that? They appeared a thousand years ago, right?"
"Yeah, but there have been all sorts of stories about our world before the demons came. They're supposed to make us confident that it won't last forever. Of course it didn't work, but we appreciated the effort," Abrian said, with a sardonic smile.
Rayen nodded, satisfied. "All right, then, as long as we know we're in the right place."
Keeping his eyes focused along the ground, he flew lower to escape the obstructing clouds. Selari pointed down. "Speak of the devil. Or devils, if you want to get technical."
Once the mist no longer obscured his vision, Rayen quickly spotted a large black mass making its way along the snow-blanketed landscape. As the Guardian Dragoon glided lower, he could pick out individual rows in the throng. They obviously did not notice the Dragoons above, for they continued along the monotonous course instead of scattering. Rayen nodded. "Right. Selari, since you saw them first, why don't you announce us?"
Selari's grin looked almost demonic itself. "Gladly. I've been waiting for this."
Rayen felt the energy in the air, the clouds, and indeed each of them, being sucked toward Selari's outstretched arm. He felt slightly lightheaded, but he knew from his experiences with Sean that the feeling would pass after the discharge. He saw the trademark blue-white glow out of the corner of his eye. When Selari shouted, he detected a hint of actual glee. Apparently, she really was eager for revenge. "Divine Dragon Cannon!"
The beam sliced through the black columns, and the survivors ran in every direction in hope that they would provide a smaller target. But there was to be no escape. The Dragoons descended on them like a flock of multicolored, glittering falcons, bearing swift death in their claws. The battle was quick and almost totally free of injury, with only a few clumsy counterstrikes, easily mended afterwards. This was going as well as Rayen had dared to hope. Everything seemed to fall into place at once.
Rayen could not remember being happier since they had passed through the portal above the Divine Tree. Shortly after the fight, Phil approached him, also wearing a grin, although he rarely was seen without one. "So, what now?"
"We do it again. It has been approximately seventeen minutes since we left the fortress. We repeat the pattern until we run out of Spirit. Then we rest, and do it again tomorrow. Hopefully we can get rid of as many divisions as possible before they can figure out what's going on and pull back."
"Sounds good to me. Speaking of which, Sean already found another portal over there. Should we use that one?"
"One is as good as another, I suppose. But let's go. Every second's worth of Spirit counts."
"Right."
************************************************************************
"The human is more resourceful than even I predicted. He has turned the portals to an end that I had not foreseen."
"What should we do, lord?"
"Inform all divisions within a day's march to retreat. In the meantime, find that infernal boy and tell him to get his troops in line. If he refuses, have him brought to me. Forcefully, if need be."
The messenger choked. "Forcefully? Can that even be done?"
"You were not given this post to question my orders. Now carry them out. Unless you would prefer to go back to your original position in a fighting division."
The courier's cowardice came first and foremost in his actions, so he saw no further need to inquire into his master's motives. He hurried out, the massive obsidian doors slamming shut behind him.
Author's Note: X_x Long chapter, by Rebirth's standards. I've been back since Saturday, but it took me a while. In any case, if anybody wants to know what I'm going to take up after Rebirth's done, I've got fics I'm planning on starting listed in my profile, I'll maybe add a bit more detail if I feel it won't give away the plots.
Me? Steal weaponry? *shocked look* Nah, I didn't steal anything, mostly because those supposed cases of confiscated stuff from terrorists never existed. Although there were a couple of pistols disguised as weird things like lipstick tubes, a car with those tire-slashing blades and machine guns, and a few ninja swords, so I wasn't totally disappointed.
Striker do too think! No Apoccy for Shike! *sticks tongue out at Shike*
And who says there won't be any epic battles and whatnot? We may be getting closer to the end, but it's still at least 7 or 8 chapters off or so... It's funny, because I only expected this fic to go for about 50 chapters. Guess that idea was shot straight to hell, right?
Chapter 78
Rayen did not sleep well that night. He awoke in a cold sweat, but he could not remember what he had dreamt that had caused him such terror. Unless it wasn't a dream that made his insides squirm like this. This was supposed to have gone away. Of course, the Murderer was probably just toying with his mind, just to goad him into making a mistake.
Not even gods could predict the future, could they? If the two celestial entities already knew the outcome of this war before the end, then why would the loser continue to fight? No, this was just another sick mind game. But it felt just as real, no matter how much logic convinced him to the contrary. This premonition hung above him like a dark cloud, or like a thick blanket, smothering...
Death. After Shade's unexpected return, Rayen thought that the constant weight of the visions would alleviate. But he had not been so lucky. If it had not been Shade's death he had foreseen, then whose was it? Rayen mentally shook himself. He was being stupid, this was just the crystal getting to his head. He couldn't let the stone's whisperings preoccupy him so much that he lost track of his true objectives. By the Divine Creator, he had come to far to lose it all now.
Rayen detected footsteps echoing off the stone floor, along with a strange ringing clank that Rayen was sure came from metal. Suspecting an attack, he whirled around, only to be faced with Oraeus. The half-Giganto had his axe in hand, propped against his shoulder. Beside him was Phil, who also had his weapon in his grasp, the point held toward the floor, which explained the odd clanging. The Jade Dragoon folded his arms impatiently, glaring at Rayen. "Well? Are you coming or what?"
Rayen blinked for a moment. His vision seemed clouded, but by what he could not guess. "Hmm? Oh... yeah, of course. Come on."
Rayen set out for the roof of the fortress, the two other Dragoons in tow. Atop the squat mountain citadel, his army stood assembled before him, albeit somewhat untidily. Rayen looked out upon them, and he was suddenly struck by how small the crowd seemed, less than two hundred. Perhaps he should have continued on with their gathering of reinforcements, at least then they would have a decent force to stand up to those hordes. But no, it wouldn't have made a difference. These new portals put a whole new spin on things, and Rayen had to seize hold of the opportunity before they could find a way around it.
That is, if the insane plan he had concocted would even work.
But second-guessing would only sow seeds of doubt, seeds that would make him vulnerable. If he was vulnerable, the Murderer would have no qualms in exploiting that for his own gains, maybe even releasing the terrible power within the gem he held. He wasn't sure what the Apocalypse Dragoon could do when unleashed with no other targets to draw his eye. Even if the casualties were only minor, he was not sure how many his already meager band could afford to lose.
By this point, Rayen realized that everyone was staring at him, waiting. He took out the Prism Spirit, but before he could activate it, his eyes began to cloud over again, and he felt them rolling back into his head. Dimly, he wondered if the visions were in a particularly strong insurgence, causing him to go into some sort of fit. Several of the Dragoons looked over at him in concern. Phil, who was standing next to Rayen, displayed an unusual aptitude in perception, noticing that things were quickly going downhill. Nudging the Guardian Dragoon in the ribs, he whispered harshly. "Get a grip, Sleeping Beauty!"
Rayen's gaze refocused, and he blinked a few times. Regaining control, he glanced quickly around and suppressed an urge to ask Phil where they were. Judging by the anxious manner in which many of his warriors were gazing at him, they were afraid that he might be unwell. Rayen didn't want the mission aborted in fear of him collapsing or some ridiculous idea like that. There was no chance he was going to blow their only chance before they even got off base. He poured his mind into the gem in his palm, and breathed a deep inward sigh of relief, as the stream of magical energy remained in the usual myriad of colors, rather than turning to the seething mass of black and gray.
The fighters before him quickly followed suit and the last bastion of hope for Endiness, and quite possibly all of Creation took flight from a small granite castle nestled in a mountain range in a world which served as a breeding ground for an unnatural swarm bent on the destruction of all life. Rayen's plan was simple; by travelling through the holes, it should allow them to cross a great distance in mere seconds, where they would engage in hit-and-run guerilla tactics when the enemy wasn't expecting to be attack for weeks. Of course, a number of things could go very wrong, one of the many reasons Rayen wanted to test this theory as soon as possible. For instance, each portal could correspond to a particular area on another world, which of course would render the whole plan useless. It was also dangerous to believe that they could pass through a portal and expect to appear on the world that they wanted, even after several tries. There was no telling how many of these alternate worlds existed, and they might be wandering forever before they found the correct planet, and by then, it would naturally be too late. Besides, there was no insurance that the worlds they intruded upon would be friendly towards their cause. They had to be ready for outside resistance as well.
Rayen approached the nearest portal, a door-sized gateway shifting between black, white, and an odd iridescent silver-like color, making it impossible to see what world awaited them. Regardless, Rayen plowed through without hesitation. He felt a peculiar sensation, as if there was a wave rippling beneath his skin. Then, he reemerged, looking down at the landscape before. He recognized it with an odd pang. He had seen this before, even from above in planes. Phil, who had remained just behind Rayen, gasped at the sight. "It's Serdio... look, there's Bale, and Indels Castle. We could probably see home if we went a bit farther..."
Rayen shook his head sadly. "No, Phil. At least not unless the portals in our direct path don't lead to the right place. Besides, it's not like our parents could see us from here."
"I wouldn't bet on it. As soon as a stray traffic copter gets a glimpse of us, we'll be all over the news. That clip will be repeated at least a thousand times in twenty different languages before tonight is over."
Rayen couldn't resist a grin at that. "True enough."
Once he was sure the entire mass of Dragoons could see him, Rayen dived sharply, casting his gaze about for another portal. He found a dark spot among the sky, that quickly faded away, now inconspicuous against the clouds. Rayen could have just imagined it, but he suspected it had just phased into a color that blended in with the sky. Sure enough, soon the same area turned white against the dark and foreboding storm clouds that hung over the Serdian capital. Beating his bat-like wings to gain altitude, Rayen waved his arm above his head to indicate his direction.
Rayen felt the same shivering sensation beneath his skin again, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar land, blanketed in snow, with the strange violet diamonds in the sky. He shouted loudly, hoping his voice would carry over the rush of the wind. "I need Abrian and Selari!"
The two natives powered to the head of the group, falling in next to Rayen. "Do either of you know this scenery?"
Selari shook her head furiously, her red mane tossing haphazardly in the wind. "No. Do you, Abe?"
"No, but we've never been out of the valley before, and this is definitely our planet."
Rayen wasn't as convinced. "Could another world have those diamonds?"
Abrian seemed more confident in his response to this inquiry. "No. Those only appeared when they came."
"How do you know that? They appeared a thousand years ago, right?"
"Yeah, but there have been all sorts of stories about our world before the demons came. They're supposed to make us confident that it won't last forever. Of course it didn't work, but we appreciated the effort," Abrian said, with a sardonic smile.
Rayen nodded, satisfied. "All right, then, as long as we know we're in the right place."
Keeping his eyes focused along the ground, he flew lower to escape the obstructing clouds. Selari pointed down. "Speak of the devil. Or devils, if you want to get technical."
Once the mist no longer obscured his vision, Rayen quickly spotted a large black mass making its way along the snow-blanketed landscape. As the Guardian Dragoon glided lower, he could pick out individual rows in the throng. They obviously did not notice the Dragoons above, for they continued along the monotonous course instead of scattering. Rayen nodded. "Right. Selari, since you saw them first, why don't you announce us?"
Selari's grin looked almost demonic itself. "Gladly. I've been waiting for this."
Rayen felt the energy in the air, the clouds, and indeed each of them, being sucked toward Selari's outstretched arm. He felt slightly lightheaded, but he knew from his experiences with Sean that the feeling would pass after the discharge. He saw the trademark blue-white glow out of the corner of his eye. When Selari shouted, he detected a hint of actual glee. Apparently, she really was eager for revenge. "Divine Dragon Cannon!"
The beam sliced through the black columns, and the survivors ran in every direction in hope that they would provide a smaller target. But there was to be no escape. The Dragoons descended on them like a flock of multicolored, glittering falcons, bearing swift death in their claws. The battle was quick and almost totally free of injury, with only a few clumsy counterstrikes, easily mended afterwards. This was going as well as Rayen had dared to hope. Everything seemed to fall into place at once.
Rayen could not remember being happier since they had passed through the portal above the Divine Tree. Shortly after the fight, Phil approached him, also wearing a grin, although he rarely was seen without one. "So, what now?"
"We do it again. It has been approximately seventeen minutes since we left the fortress. We repeat the pattern until we run out of Spirit. Then we rest, and do it again tomorrow. Hopefully we can get rid of as many divisions as possible before they can figure out what's going on and pull back."
"Sounds good to me. Speaking of which, Sean already found another portal over there. Should we use that one?"
"One is as good as another, I suppose. But let's go. Every second's worth of Spirit counts."
"Right."
************************************************************************
"The human is more resourceful than even I predicted. He has turned the portals to an end that I had not foreseen."
"What should we do, lord?"
"Inform all divisions within a day's march to retreat. In the meantime, find that infernal boy and tell him to get his troops in line. If he refuses, have him brought to me. Forcefully, if need be."
The messenger choked. "Forcefully? Can that even be done?"
"You were not given this post to question my orders. Now carry them out. Unless you would prefer to go back to your original position in a fighting division."
The courier's cowardice came first and foremost in his actions, so he saw no further need to inquire into his master's motives. He hurried out, the massive obsidian doors slamming shut behind him.
Author's Note: X_x Long chapter, by Rebirth's standards. I've been back since Saturday, but it took me a while. In any case, if anybody wants to know what I'm going to take up after Rebirth's done, I've got fics I'm planning on starting listed in my profile, I'll maybe add a bit more detail if I feel it won't give away the plots.