The Aftermath
Ch. 1 The Return
Ryu removed his impervious Dragon Sword from Jade's body. Ryu finally got his revenge on the man who took his sister Sara away from him. Falling to his knees, Jade still somehow found the strength to laugh tremendously, "Ha! Are you happy now that you've beaten me? Don't let it go to your head. You didn't really defeat me. It was my destiny to lose. I knew it when I released the goddess. Enjoy meeting Tyr, the goddess of destruction!" Wheezing hard, Jade took his last breath and collapsed, staining the tiled floor with his remains.
"Let me at her!" anxiously exclaimed Karn, the thief from Bleak. "Tyr? Where is she?"
The group was puzzled, so they decided to search the throne room, but they didn't really find much.
Ryu searched the throne itself and found the Emperor Sword, the most powerful sword ever created. Taking the sword and scabbard for himself, Ryu continued to explore the immediate vicinity.
"Aaah!" Gobi, a salesman from the underwater city of Prima, cried. Suddenly, the floor beneath them shook slightly, and they all turned towards Gobi.
"This must be what Jade was talking about," Gobi said, rather proud of himself for his investigative success. A depression of a square around Gobi was now visible, and the eight by eight foot square gradually started to descend. "There were two crested tiles here, so I stepped on them." The platform increased in speed. "Hurry! Get on!"
Quickly jumping onto the elevator in front of Jade's throne, the heroes descended into the depths of Obelisk, searching for the planet's scourge. When the elevator stopped, Ryu noticed the figure of a little girl at the end of a narrow path of tiles.
With Ryu leading them, the eight walked over to the young girl. "What do you want?" she asked sweetly. "Did you come here to have a wish granted?"
"Not really," Ryu answered.
The little girl looked saddened and confused. "You didn't come for a wish? Then, why are you here? Why do you have your sword out? Are you ready to fight?"
"Yeah, I am." Ryu raised his newly acquired Emperor Sword and prepared to strike her down.
Instead of preparing for the blow, however, she put her arms over her head for protection and screamed. "I haven't done anything. Don't hurt me." After a short pause, she began again, "I'll do anything for you. Please be my friend?"
Hearing shouts of "don't do it" in the background, Ryu politely replied, "In your dreams."
"Why are you treating me like this?"
Her behavior and innocent appearance was actually starting to make Ryu feel guilty. Unexpectedly, as Ryu was about to change his response, a spirit materialized behind the little girl. It was Sara. She had come to warn and assist Ryu one last time, "Ryu, use the magic of Agni! She'll reveal her true self!" Ryu's seven companions were dumbfounded at the sight of Ryu's deceased sister.
"I am not. I've done nothing!" the little girl pleaded.
"She'll fool you with her innocent looks. She's evil, but she'll hide it. Don't be fooled!" With that statement, the apparition vanished. At last the little girl prepared to attack, and the eight could feel energy being emitted from her small body. Deciding to obey his sister's ghost, Ryu used the power of Agni, instantly fusing all of the companions into one monstrous being. The girl started throwing spherical energy waves at the great merger, but they dissipated as they struck its thick armored hide.
Breathing heavily, the little girl angrily yelled, "You can't challenge me to a fight! You're only humans. I'll destroy you all." Agni launched its first wave of attack, a devastating lightning shower. "I.don't believe this!" The little girl began to change. Multiple sets of tentacles and mouths erupted from her delicate body. Tyr's true form, a hideous beast of destruction, had finally been drawn out.
The battle raged on within the dark depths of Obelisk between the two forces, and the victor would decide the fate of the entire world. Tyr, the force of evil, fought with all her might with energy balls, meteorite attacks, claws, and dozens of rows of teeth in order to fulfill her desire to destroy the world. Agni, the force of good, showered lightning, fire, and ice blasts on its foe to save the world from a plunge into eternal darkness. The battle raged for hours, both sides attaining the advantage at different points in the battle. At last, however, Tyr was defeated.
"You can't win, humans. This is only temporary. I shall return." Engulfed in flame, Tyr's body disappeared without a trace, setting off a chain reaction that caused the floor to cave from beneath them. The heroes narrowly escaped with the help of the Great Bird, otherwise known as Nina.
Upon returning to Winlan, the heroes, especially Ryu, were praised by the spirit of Sara for their accomplishment. Although she looked a little sad, Sara said, "I'm proud of you, Ryu. You turned the tables on the goddess of destruction. You and your companions completed the mission of the legendary warriors. This is the beginning of a new legend. I have watched you succeed. So, I have no regrets in leaving you."
"Wait!" Ryu shouted. He didn't want her to leave him again.
"Goodbye, Ryu. You made me proud. You are a true warrior." With these final words, the companions watched her as she drifted effortlessly until she faded away in the blue sky.
As suddenly as Sara had disappeared, the Dragon Lord appeared in front of them in order to congratulate them. "You have done well. I'll remember that you saved the world. This is the beginning of a new legend!"
After hugging each other and cheering for the hopeful return of peace, Nina, princess of Winlan, commented, "It is finally over."
Karn jumped into the air and swung his fist as if punching an invisible enemy. "It's about time!"
The Dragon Lord sighed, gently shaking his head. "There is still much work for you. You must help those who lost much during the war."
Karn lamented in grief, "Can't we take a break?"
Bo, a noble wolf archer from Tantar, looked at Karn as if he was a fool and lectured, "A real hero doesn't quit until the job is done."
"We are making history!" Nina joined in. "We will all be legends some day."
"That's right. Oh, don't forget, you still owe me money," Gobi reminded, referring to the million gold pieces the seven owed him for giving them gills, an underwater apparatus used for filtering oxygen from water.
Laughing, Karn said, "Again with the money! Is he worthy of hero status?" The entire party laughed wholeheartedly.
About to return all of the heroes to their respective towns, Nina stopped after hearing a shout to halt. Turning around, Nina gazed at one of Winlan's soldiers rushing to deliver a message. Out of breath, the soldier said, "Nina, we should return to the castle. The king is waiting."
Shaking her head, Nina replied reluctantly, "There's still a lot of work left to be done. Tell the king that I'll return when I'm ready."
With peace again present in the land, the companions decided it best to return to their native villages, living their lives without further discord. The fellowship disbanded, and they all started their new lives. Although Nina offered him a room at the palace, Ryu felt that he was obligated to return to Drogen, his hometown. After waving goodbye to Nina, the last of the seven, Ryu realized that he was alone. He knew he had his old friends in Drogen, but after losing his sister Sara and parting with his friends, this did not comfort him. After all, why did Sara, his only true family member, have to be taken from him?
A year passed.
Once the repairs from the Dark Dragon's assault had been completely finished, life settled down and was again peaceful in Drogen, and the town bustled as a small farming community once more. Easily making new friends due to his inherent charm and new hero status, Ryu was content with his life. He had become especially close friends with Tura, the local blacksmith, although Tura could not even slightly comprehend the complexities of Ryu's awesome Emperor or Dragon Swords. He lived on plot of land just outside of town and made a good living growing crops such as wheat to be sold at the market and making repairs on the homes of the villagers. In fact, that was how he had met Tura. Due to an unfortunate incident involving a horse and a red-hot horseshoe, a new window was placed in the side of his barn. Ryu repaired the damage, and the two have been good friends ever since. Frankly, after traveling around the world, the day-to-day chores and routine trips into town were becoming monotonous, however, not to mention the fact that he had not even left Drogen since his return.
One day, Ryu had just finished planting his seeds for the next season when he decided to take a small trip into town to check up on the current prices for a bushel of wheat. As he strolled up to the market square, which was where all of the merchant stalls resided, Ryu noticed that Tura was struggling with the design of an iron shield.
Upon wandering into Blazing Metal, the blacksmith's shop, to aid his friend, Tura immediately stopped his work to greet him and said, "Hey Ryu. I heard that a Wind Courier dropped off a letter for you. It should be at the Town Hall. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something. Are you still having those dreams about your sister?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. I still feel guilty I guess.after all this time," responded Ryu gloomily. "Do you think there is something wrong with me?"
"No. I know you still feel bad about what happened, having to finish off your own sister like that, but she was under Jade's mind control. You had no choice. I mean even she wanted you to do it. Besides, according to your story, she was proud of you for what you did even after the fact. Correct?"
"I know, but still.why did she have to stand up to Jade alone? We would have fought with her. I know she was only looking out for us by turning us to stone to shield us from the flames, but I knew she could not defeat Jade on her own. I'm sorry. I'll try to think about something less distressing. What were you saying? Did you say that a letter arrived for me?"
Tura, replying with excitement, "Yeah. I think it's from King Fordan of Camlon Castle! You're so lucky! It must be your official invitation to the Grand Tournament. You'll surely win, Ryu! You're one of the greatest swordsmen I've ever seen."
"Great. I'll go get it right away. Thanks Tura." Silently nodding, Tura waved goodbye with an envious look on his face.
Leaving Blazing Metal, Ryu passed dozens of other townspeople, selling wares and gossiping about the upcoming tournament in Camlon. After about ten minutes, Ryu finally made it to the Town Hall, the largest and most important building in Drogen.
Upon opening the large wooden door, the village elder, Gorle, greeted him, "Ahh Ryu. Just the man I wanted to see. I have a letter for you. It has an imprint Camlon's royal crest on it. Perhaps it's your invitation." Gorle walked slowly, as old men tend to do, over to a small table in the corner of the room, while Ryu patiently waited by the front door. After some meticulous and tedious searching, he came back with a puzzled look on his face.
"I'm sure I put it on the table with these other documents. I wonder where it went," he said regretfully. "Although I can't find it, I remember seeing it, so don't be discouraged. I guess you'll have to go to the Grand Tournament without it. You saved Fordan and his people from the evil frog that enslaved his castle. I'm sure he'll understand."
"This incident is unfortunate, but I suppose you're right. I'll leave immediately," Ryu responded sadly. After waving goodbye to Gorle, Ryu closed the door and marched toward the square again.
Before venturing onward to Camlon Castle, Ryu stopped by Blazing Metal in order to ask a favor of Tura. However, only Tura's wife Reyna was present. "Tura left to buy some supplies at one of the stalls in the square around here, but he didn't mention which one. There's no need to worry, though. I'm sure he'll look after your farm while you're gone." Smiling, Ryu thanked her and left the shop to search for Tura in the market square. Unfortunately, after exploring each and every stall, Ryu found no trace of his friend, so he sighed and returned to his farm. Although saddened by the fact that he could not say farewell to Tura, Ryu looked around for items to bring on his trip. After placing all of the necessary equipment and items into his pack, Ryu journeyed forth to Camlon.
Ch. 1 The Return
Ryu removed his impervious Dragon Sword from Jade's body. Ryu finally got his revenge on the man who took his sister Sara away from him. Falling to his knees, Jade still somehow found the strength to laugh tremendously, "Ha! Are you happy now that you've beaten me? Don't let it go to your head. You didn't really defeat me. It was my destiny to lose. I knew it when I released the goddess. Enjoy meeting Tyr, the goddess of destruction!" Wheezing hard, Jade took his last breath and collapsed, staining the tiled floor with his remains.
"Let me at her!" anxiously exclaimed Karn, the thief from Bleak. "Tyr? Where is she?"
The group was puzzled, so they decided to search the throne room, but they didn't really find much.
Ryu searched the throne itself and found the Emperor Sword, the most powerful sword ever created. Taking the sword and scabbard for himself, Ryu continued to explore the immediate vicinity.
"Aaah!" Gobi, a salesman from the underwater city of Prima, cried. Suddenly, the floor beneath them shook slightly, and they all turned towards Gobi.
"This must be what Jade was talking about," Gobi said, rather proud of himself for his investigative success. A depression of a square around Gobi was now visible, and the eight by eight foot square gradually started to descend. "There were two crested tiles here, so I stepped on them." The platform increased in speed. "Hurry! Get on!"
Quickly jumping onto the elevator in front of Jade's throne, the heroes descended into the depths of Obelisk, searching for the planet's scourge. When the elevator stopped, Ryu noticed the figure of a little girl at the end of a narrow path of tiles.
With Ryu leading them, the eight walked over to the young girl. "What do you want?" she asked sweetly. "Did you come here to have a wish granted?"
"Not really," Ryu answered.
The little girl looked saddened and confused. "You didn't come for a wish? Then, why are you here? Why do you have your sword out? Are you ready to fight?"
"Yeah, I am." Ryu raised his newly acquired Emperor Sword and prepared to strike her down.
Instead of preparing for the blow, however, she put her arms over her head for protection and screamed. "I haven't done anything. Don't hurt me." After a short pause, she began again, "I'll do anything for you. Please be my friend?"
Hearing shouts of "don't do it" in the background, Ryu politely replied, "In your dreams."
"Why are you treating me like this?"
Her behavior and innocent appearance was actually starting to make Ryu feel guilty. Unexpectedly, as Ryu was about to change his response, a spirit materialized behind the little girl. It was Sara. She had come to warn and assist Ryu one last time, "Ryu, use the magic of Agni! She'll reveal her true self!" Ryu's seven companions were dumbfounded at the sight of Ryu's deceased sister.
"I am not. I've done nothing!" the little girl pleaded.
"She'll fool you with her innocent looks. She's evil, but she'll hide it. Don't be fooled!" With that statement, the apparition vanished. At last the little girl prepared to attack, and the eight could feel energy being emitted from her small body. Deciding to obey his sister's ghost, Ryu used the power of Agni, instantly fusing all of the companions into one monstrous being. The girl started throwing spherical energy waves at the great merger, but they dissipated as they struck its thick armored hide.
Breathing heavily, the little girl angrily yelled, "You can't challenge me to a fight! You're only humans. I'll destroy you all." Agni launched its first wave of attack, a devastating lightning shower. "I.don't believe this!" The little girl began to change. Multiple sets of tentacles and mouths erupted from her delicate body. Tyr's true form, a hideous beast of destruction, had finally been drawn out.
The battle raged on within the dark depths of Obelisk between the two forces, and the victor would decide the fate of the entire world. Tyr, the force of evil, fought with all her might with energy balls, meteorite attacks, claws, and dozens of rows of teeth in order to fulfill her desire to destroy the world. Agni, the force of good, showered lightning, fire, and ice blasts on its foe to save the world from a plunge into eternal darkness. The battle raged for hours, both sides attaining the advantage at different points in the battle. At last, however, Tyr was defeated.
"You can't win, humans. This is only temporary. I shall return." Engulfed in flame, Tyr's body disappeared without a trace, setting off a chain reaction that caused the floor to cave from beneath them. The heroes narrowly escaped with the help of the Great Bird, otherwise known as Nina.
Upon returning to Winlan, the heroes, especially Ryu, were praised by the spirit of Sara for their accomplishment. Although she looked a little sad, Sara said, "I'm proud of you, Ryu. You turned the tables on the goddess of destruction. You and your companions completed the mission of the legendary warriors. This is the beginning of a new legend. I have watched you succeed. So, I have no regrets in leaving you."
"Wait!" Ryu shouted. He didn't want her to leave him again.
"Goodbye, Ryu. You made me proud. You are a true warrior." With these final words, the companions watched her as she drifted effortlessly until she faded away in the blue sky.
As suddenly as Sara had disappeared, the Dragon Lord appeared in front of them in order to congratulate them. "You have done well. I'll remember that you saved the world. This is the beginning of a new legend!"
After hugging each other and cheering for the hopeful return of peace, Nina, princess of Winlan, commented, "It is finally over."
Karn jumped into the air and swung his fist as if punching an invisible enemy. "It's about time!"
The Dragon Lord sighed, gently shaking his head. "There is still much work for you. You must help those who lost much during the war."
Karn lamented in grief, "Can't we take a break?"
Bo, a noble wolf archer from Tantar, looked at Karn as if he was a fool and lectured, "A real hero doesn't quit until the job is done."
"We are making history!" Nina joined in. "We will all be legends some day."
"That's right. Oh, don't forget, you still owe me money," Gobi reminded, referring to the million gold pieces the seven owed him for giving them gills, an underwater apparatus used for filtering oxygen from water.
Laughing, Karn said, "Again with the money! Is he worthy of hero status?" The entire party laughed wholeheartedly.
About to return all of the heroes to their respective towns, Nina stopped after hearing a shout to halt. Turning around, Nina gazed at one of Winlan's soldiers rushing to deliver a message. Out of breath, the soldier said, "Nina, we should return to the castle. The king is waiting."
Shaking her head, Nina replied reluctantly, "There's still a lot of work left to be done. Tell the king that I'll return when I'm ready."
With peace again present in the land, the companions decided it best to return to their native villages, living their lives without further discord. The fellowship disbanded, and they all started their new lives. Although Nina offered him a room at the palace, Ryu felt that he was obligated to return to Drogen, his hometown. After waving goodbye to Nina, the last of the seven, Ryu realized that he was alone. He knew he had his old friends in Drogen, but after losing his sister Sara and parting with his friends, this did not comfort him. After all, why did Sara, his only true family member, have to be taken from him?
A year passed.
Once the repairs from the Dark Dragon's assault had been completely finished, life settled down and was again peaceful in Drogen, and the town bustled as a small farming community once more. Easily making new friends due to his inherent charm and new hero status, Ryu was content with his life. He had become especially close friends with Tura, the local blacksmith, although Tura could not even slightly comprehend the complexities of Ryu's awesome Emperor or Dragon Swords. He lived on plot of land just outside of town and made a good living growing crops such as wheat to be sold at the market and making repairs on the homes of the villagers. In fact, that was how he had met Tura. Due to an unfortunate incident involving a horse and a red-hot horseshoe, a new window was placed in the side of his barn. Ryu repaired the damage, and the two have been good friends ever since. Frankly, after traveling around the world, the day-to-day chores and routine trips into town were becoming monotonous, however, not to mention the fact that he had not even left Drogen since his return.
One day, Ryu had just finished planting his seeds for the next season when he decided to take a small trip into town to check up on the current prices for a bushel of wheat. As he strolled up to the market square, which was where all of the merchant stalls resided, Ryu noticed that Tura was struggling with the design of an iron shield.
Upon wandering into Blazing Metal, the blacksmith's shop, to aid his friend, Tura immediately stopped his work to greet him and said, "Hey Ryu. I heard that a Wind Courier dropped off a letter for you. It should be at the Town Hall. By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something. Are you still having those dreams about your sister?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. I still feel guilty I guess.after all this time," responded Ryu gloomily. "Do you think there is something wrong with me?"
"No. I know you still feel bad about what happened, having to finish off your own sister like that, but she was under Jade's mind control. You had no choice. I mean even she wanted you to do it. Besides, according to your story, she was proud of you for what you did even after the fact. Correct?"
"I know, but still.why did she have to stand up to Jade alone? We would have fought with her. I know she was only looking out for us by turning us to stone to shield us from the flames, but I knew she could not defeat Jade on her own. I'm sorry. I'll try to think about something less distressing. What were you saying? Did you say that a letter arrived for me?"
Tura, replying with excitement, "Yeah. I think it's from King Fordan of Camlon Castle! You're so lucky! It must be your official invitation to the Grand Tournament. You'll surely win, Ryu! You're one of the greatest swordsmen I've ever seen."
"Great. I'll go get it right away. Thanks Tura." Silently nodding, Tura waved goodbye with an envious look on his face.
Leaving Blazing Metal, Ryu passed dozens of other townspeople, selling wares and gossiping about the upcoming tournament in Camlon. After about ten minutes, Ryu finally made it to the Town Hall, the largest and most important building in Drogen.
Upon opening the large wooden door, the village elder, Gorle, greeted him, "Ahh Ryu. Just the man I wanted to see. I have a letter for you. It has an imprint Camlon's royal crest on it. Perhaps it's your invitation." Gorle walked slowly, as old men tend to do, over to a small table in the corner of the room, while Ryu patiently waited by the front door. After some meticulous and tedious searching, he came back with a puzzled look on his face.
"I'm sure I put it on the table with these other documents. I wonder where it went," he said regretfully. "Although I can't find it, I remember seeing it, so don't be discouraged. I guess you'll have to go to the Grand Tournament without it. You saved Fordan and his people from the evil frog that enslaved his castle. I'm sure he'll understand."
"This incident is unfortunate, but I suppose you're right. I'll leave immediately," Ryu responded sadly. After waving goodbye to Gorle, Ryu closed the door and marched toward the square again.
Before venturing onward to Camlon Castle, Ryu stopped by Blazing Metal in order to ask a favor of Tura. However, only Tura's wife Reyna was present. "Tura left to buy some supplies at one of the stalls in the square around here, but he didn't mention which one. There's no need to worry, though. I'm sure he'll look after your farm while you're gone." Smiling, Ryu thanked her and left the shop to search for Tura in the market square. Unfortunately, after exploring each and every stall, Ryu found no trace of his friend, so he sighed and returned to his farm. Although saddened by the fact that he could not say farewell to Tura, Ryu looked around for items to bring on his trip. After placing all of the necessary equipment and items into his pack, Ryu journeyed forth to Camlon.