The Aftermath
Ch. 5 A Surprise Meeting
When Ryu, Bandir, and the remaining troops arrived at the outer gates of Camlon, Bandir introduced and acquainted himself with the guards, whom he had not met yet. After these pleasantries, the six rode through the outer gates of Camlon and arrived at Camlon Castle, where they were surprised to find hordes of people clustered around the main entrance, especially since it was so early in the morning. Ryu ran up to the doors first, but the guards, who were so kind to him the first time he arrived, now blocked any access inside.
As Bandir and Ryu made their way up the steps, the soldiers saluted and said sycophantically, "General Bandir, sir. We were not expecting you back so soon. Welcome back from your quest to the mines."
With an unfriendly tone, Bandir asked, "What is happening here? Why is the castle entrance being blocked?"
"The king has special guests at the moment, but access to the castle is only being withheld from normal citizens. Of course you, Ryu, and the soldiers may enter." one of the guards replied.
"I see. Thanks for informing me of the visitors. You are doing your duties well," Bandir said, complimenting the guards. With an appreciative expression on their faces, the guards opened the doors wide for the heroes of the mines.
As the six made their way through the enormous castle to the throne room, they passed dozens of nobles, gossiping quietly about the visitors. "Who could they be?" thought Bandir to himself.
Finally reaching the doors of the throne room, Ryu was surprised to discover that he recognized one of several voices coming from inside. The six entered. The room was filled with winged men and one woman, dressed up in the diplomat garb common of the day. Luckily, stressful negotiations for military aid and more trivial subjects had just been completed, leaving the six free to disclose the occurrences at the mines.
The woman, in particular, turned around, her face glowing with happiness. "Ryu!" she exclaimed. "It's been far too long!"
"Indeed it has, Nina," Ryu greeted, hugging her. "Why have you come to Camlon?"
A handsome young man answered for her. "We have come to negotiate a military treaty, one explaining the exact terms of our alliance and obligations towards our countries should there be a great war."
Nodding in approval of his description, Nina opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could make a sound. "Where are the others?" King Fordan asked Bandir, disappointed.
With a countenance of dismay, Bandir answered, "Clavius and Melith were- struck down in battle. So were all the miners. Although we have destroyed the evil ruffians at Nanai, we have failed in our true mission, which was to rescue the miners and restore production levels in the mine." Kneeling apologetically to the king, Bandir begged his forgiveness.
"Indeed this is great misfortune on our kingdom's behalf, as we have relatively no other trained miners to take their places. Camlon will surely be a less prosperous nation, since our main source of income has now been threatened and perhaps cut off."
Rising up from his lowly stance, Bandir offered, "Maybe I can ask King Orin of Hizan for possible aid in this predicament. Hizan's laborers are highly skilled in every area, and I'm sure our gracious king will assist you. Should I ask him, King Fordan?"
Fordan considered his pride. Meanwhile, not interested in the current conversation, Nina and the others started conversing quietly amongst themselves about recent events. Ryu, however, pondered the shattering of his Emperor Sword. Why would it break on just any shield? It surely could not have been the real sword. That thieving Peridon must have passed it on and switched it with a duplicate sword of obviously less quality. Or maybe the quality of his enemy's shield was too great for even the Emperor Sword to bear, though this scenario is very unlikely. Although he was angry about the loss, he decided to keep his feelings to himself, especially since it would do no good to question a tongue-less man to see if his original suspicions were true.
"Yes," replied King Fordan with authority. "You may leave whenever you're ready."
"As you wish."
"Now back to your rewards," Fordan said, eyes glimmering. "Ryu, Bandir, Hilk, Rion, Xaver, and Gelu. You will each get your pick of five diamonds from the next shipment from Nanai if Bandir's plan is a success, and we actually have a next shipment. Any five can be yours, despite the size." The remaining members of the Royal Guard gleefully smiled at each other and then left the throne room.
"You're rich, Ryu. How does it feel?" asked Nina semi-earnestly.
"You've got more money than anyone," whispered Ryu, shaking his head. They both chuckled. "Besides, I'm not really big on material possessions. You know that already. If I was, I wouldn't have become a farmer."
"That's true. I guess that's why you turned down my offer of living in the castle at home, or was it because you had other reasons?"
His mood suddenly changing to a melancholic one, Ryu commented, "I had obligations to my clan, and although I couldn't save my sister, I wanted to honor her memory by helping rebuild Drogen. She would have wanted me to help rebuild our home."
"I guess so. Look, I'm sorry I got into that, but you have to let your sister go. She was brave, and from your description of the incident, she saved your whole village from the Dark Dragons." Ryu and Nina continued on talking about Ryu's recent dreams, what they could possibly mean, and feelings about them.
Listening intently, the young man's piercing gaze became fixed on Ryu, along with a face filled with contempt.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation," said Bandir, "but we should get going, Ryu."
"We?"
"Yes. I was going to offer you a trip to visit Hizan, and since I have business there now anyway, I would like it if you came along."
"Of course, Bandir. It would be great seeing a floating kingdom, particularly after all of the magnificent stories Sara and Gorle used to tell me when I was younger."
"May I come as well?" Nina asked politely. "I am finished with my business here, and I am not expected to return to Winlan until tomorrow. I have never been to Hizan, and I've heard only compliments about King Orin."
Taking a while to consider this request, Bandir finally gave an answer. "As you wish, Princess Nina. Shall we go?"
After saying farewell to Fordan for the time being, Nina told the other ambassadors that they could depart for Winlan and tell her father that she would return home soon. It was not often that you would get a chance to visit a city soaring with the clouds. The young man and the others nodded reluctantly, respecting the princess's wishes. The three then left the glorious throne room and set out for the castle courtyard.
While walking down the hall, Bandir described the location of the soaring city. "Do you two know where we are going exactly? I'll explain it then. We must travel to the northeast, slightly northeast of Ryng Lake. Then we must go to the great north until we get to Hizan."
"Sounds good," they answered.
Finally arriving in the courtyard, Nina offered a ride to Bandir, since he seemed to be lacking any mode of transportation.
"What? Why? I have my own transportation."
With that, Ryu transformed into a dragon, Nina transformed into the Great Bird, and Bandir transformed into what appeared to be a giant snake-like creature with two sets of wings but no appendages. Flapping their wings speedily, they all took off on their journey to Hizan.
The trip would take about eight hours, so they soared amongst the clouds, silently looking on and off at the beautiful scenery below. While enjoying the pleasant terrestrial view from above, the three were suddenly startled when they heard a fifth set of wings beating in the background. Turning instinctively to check for danger, they realized that it was another colossal bird like Nina. Flying over to the bird, Nina chirped, the noise sounding like a sweet song. The other bird answered with a similar but faintly deeper pitch. Nina gave a nod, and the three, along with their new companion, resumed the flight to Hizan. Unlike most days, no wildlife soared through the sky. Other birds in the sky avoided the travelers, as they were afraid of being eaten or at least attacked, so the only motion came from the slowly drifting clouds. After flying for about seven hours, Hizan came into view, and they arrived there soon after. As Bandir directed them towards the castle courtyard, Ryu noticed how advanced the civilization looked, at least from an aerial perspective. There were ornate stone pillars and statues everywhere (especially a large one of a dragon in the town square), the streets were cleanly paved, the houses were ultramodern, and most importantly, the few people outside seemed to relish and enjoy their city. He also noticed a large palace in the center of the city, which was where Bandir appeared to be leading them.
Landing in the courtyard of the castle, they all reverted to their original forms, and Ryu turned to the new man in the party. "I recognize you. You were in the throne room with Nina."
"Yes I was," the young man said. "I couldn't just let you take Nina away. I am her bodyguard, and she is under my protection."
"Settle down, Risinger," interjected Nina, angry with her bodyguard and friend. "I am in Ryu's hands, and he has been more than capable of protecting me in the past."
With the dispute now settled, Bandir said, "Let's go meet King Orin."
Entering one of the many doors leading out of the courtyard, Ryu, Nina, and Risinger passed into a hallway with unparalleled beauty. The tiled floor was unlike any seen before, since even the most advanced kingdoms were stuck with stone bricks as the floor. Dark purple arrases lined the walls all through the castle. The order was only disturbed by the occasional painting or unknotted wooden doors. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a pair of solid gold double-doors leading to the throne room, guarded by a set of heavily armed sentries.
Politely motioning to the guards to let the group in, Bandir entered the throne room first. A refined man sitting on the throne greeted them, "Welcome back Bandir. I have unfortunate news for you. Before I tell you, however, would like to introduce to me these guests?"
After telling their three names and titles as he pointed to them respectively, Bandir asked, "King Orin. I would like to take these guests on a tour of our fair kingdom. Ryu, here, especially, has been a great companion in my recent quest to flush out the bandits at the Nanai Mines, and I would like to return the favor by perhaps teaching him about Hizan."
"Nonsense," argued Orin. "I will not let you accompany these three alone in the tour."
"I see. May I ask why not, your majesty?" wondered Bandir, perplexed.
"Because I will be giving the tours around here." Orin started to laugh. "Let's go." More agile than he seemed, Orin immediately hopped out of the throne and began to guide them. Led by Orin, the five left the throne room. On the way to their destination, they passed several doors marked with two letters each. S.M. and W.C. were on the first two doors, but they walked until they came to a large red door with the letters T.R.
"What do all of these letters mean?" asked Nina, curious about Hizan's customs.
"SM stands for "Supplied Materials" and we all know what WC stands for. If not, then you'll be in trouble after dinner." Laughing, he continued, "Now TR stands for "Training Room," which is where I'd like to take you first."
Bandir opened the door, and Ryu suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. The training room was one of the largest rooms he had ever seen. It even rivaled the size of the courtyard outside, which alone took a couple of minutes to cross. Hundreds and hundreds of soldiers were practicing their fighting skills, with several teachers instructing them on how to properly use certain weapons and techniques. Their combat skills were incredible, as any one of them appeared as if he could take on the greatest members of the Royal Guard.
Risinger, first to shake himself out of the daze, praised the army, "Nice army you have here. It surely rivals even the great army of Winlan."
"Be more respectful to the king, and this is only a portion of Hizan's army, the militia," said Bandir, smiling at Risinger's naiveté. "The real soldiers train in the battle room."
Shocked, Nina yelled, "Are you serious? These are only the common peasants?"
Bandir corrected, "Don't act like they are lower than you, princess, for even peasants can seize the day in numbers."
"That's right, Princess Nina," said Orin. "The entire populous has seen the inside of this room at one time or another. We like to call it the "Battle Cycle," which is where a fifth of the citizens train in here at a time, and there are always people training in here. All citizens here know how to fight as well as the best warriors elsewhere."
"I have an idea," grinned Bandir. "Ryu, how about you fight a practice battle against one of the instructors. You came so close to defeating me at the Grand Tournament, so your prowess with the sword will surely teach new tricks and tactics to those in here. I'm sure they would find it entertaining as well. Well, what do you say?"
Ryu paused. Nina elbowed him, also giving him a strange look. Although Ryu did not like to be made a spectacle, he finally responded, "I accept."
"Great."
Upon hearing this challenge, Orin walked across the training room to a tall and imposing figure, which appeared to be in his thirties. After a few words, Orin strolled back to the tour group, and the tall man ordered all of the people in the room to gather together on the east side of the room for the upcoming battle.
Orin said with disbelief, "Ryu, that is General Seamus, and although he has agreed to allow you to battle today, he insisted on his lieutenant fighting the bout."
Five minutes later, the room was clearly cut into two sections by the crowd: the spectators watched from the eastern half of the room, while the fight would be carried out in the empty western half. Ryu, unsure of who he was fighting, made his way to the arena, while a female pushed through the crowd into the empty space as well.
As the mass cheered for their beloved lieutenant-instructor, General Seamus rose his hand in the air, which caused the noise to cease. Looking at Ryu and the woman, the general started to speak, "Here are the rules and victory conditions of this battle. It will be a one-on-one fight with a precise scoring system. The first combatant to achieve a total of five points wins the match. A clean hit to the chest is one point, and knocking one's opponent to the ground is two points. Although hitting the opponent in the head or anywhere else gives no points, it may cause him/her to fall to the ground, which will be awarded points. Also, if either of you knock out your opponent, you receive five points, meaning an automatic victory. You will both use the quarterstaffs provided by the kingdom, and no powers will be allowed." With that, another instructor passed out staffs to both of the warriors, wishing each of them luck. However, he whispered a few more words into the lieutenant's ear. Ryu thought that they were probably extra words of encouragement. "Good luck to both of you," said Seamus, grinning slightly at Ryu. "The match will now begin between Ryu Dragonedge of Drogen and Lieutenant Quince of our own Hizan!"
As soon as Seamus finished that sentence, Quince charged Ryu and initiated the first attack with an overhead strike. Holding the staff horizontally, Ryu blocked this strike, but he was slightly discouraged by a tiny cracking sound. Ignoring the sound for the time being, Ryu quickly swung his staff around to try to catch her head, but she moved the staff in unison with his. Multiple blows were exchanged, blocked, and countered, but neither landed a hit for a long period of time. Finally, Ryu used his staff to sweep Quince off her feet. Reacting poorly to this maneuver, Quince fell backward to the ground. The battle paused.
"Two points for Ryu," announced Seamus, spectators hissing at Ryu in the background.
Quince stood up, embarrassed to be seen tumbling in front of her fellow countrymen. Thrusting a few times but being deflected each time by Ryu, she tried another overhead strike. This time, Ryu wasn't so lucky. His staff broke into two pieces, not to mention that it did not block her blow for that same reason. Hearing the snap ring in his ears, his lightning- fast reflexes allowed him to bend his head back in an attempt to dodge damage. Although he saved himself a blow in the head, he was bludgeoned in the chest, causing him to fall to his knees. The battle paused.
"One point for chest contact and two points for knockdown for Lieutenant Quince!" exclaimed Seamus very excitedly. The booing from the crowd changed to an applause and cheer, and Quince's pride seemed to have been restored.
Strengthened by the fact that she was winning, Quince started a relentless barrage of swings and jabs, barely being blocked by Ryu's twin sticks. Her superior range was becoming too much for him. All he could do was block her flurry.
During his defensive maneuvers, Nina yelled from the sideline, "You can do it, Ryu, but not if you don't attack!" Risinger shook his head ashamedly.
Quince tried to sweep Ryu as he had earlier accomplished with her, but he jumped, completely avoiding her attack. She swept again, and again he jumped. Beginning the motions of a third sweep, Ryu jumped yet again, but this time he lunged forward in the air with one of his small pieces of staff. Unfortunately for him, Quince did not sweep. Originally aiming at his head for a potential knockout, Quince thrusted the quarterstaff into Ryu's chest, pushing him a few feet away from her. Landing on his feet, the battle paused for the third time.
"One point for Lieutenant Quince," acknowledged Seamus. The crowd had quieted down somewhat, but the roar picked up.
Furious, Ryu now acted as if the two halves were swords, keeping Quince from fully using her staff correctly. Attacking fast and often, Quince had trouble blocking his attacks with the cumbersome staff. Almost cleanly hitting her chest, Quince dodged just before impact, and then counterattacked. She succeeded in hitting Ryu's left hand, sending a half flying into the crowd. She spun and attacked again; however, Ryu grabbed with his free hand and held onto her staff. She struggled for control, but Ryu was too strong for her. Pulling on the staff with his left hand, she stumbled towards him and into the extended piece of his staff, effectively getting clothes lined. The battle paused, with Quince's nose bleeding heavily.
"Two points for Ryu-wait a second. Quince is not standing up," worried Seamus. Disappointed, he concluded the match. "Five points for Ryu. This match is over. The newcomer has defeated our own Lieutenant Quince!"
At first, only Nina, Risinger, and Bandir cheered, but then Orin started to clap, causing the spectators to clap as well. After two or three minutes, Orin walked over to Ryu and asked, "Shall we continue our tour?"
Some of the other instructors scurried over to tend to Quince's head wound, but the militia returned to training. As Risinger, Nina, Ryu, Bandir, and Orin were leaving the training room, Risinger complimented Ryu on his most excellent fight. While again walking down the expansive corridor, Orin said, "Now we will leave the castle and take a tour of the rest of Hizan. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Before long, they arrived at Hizan's town square, where there existed a giant statue of a dragon, a couple of shops, and a stone pillar or two.
"That statue has remarkable craftsmanship," remarked Nina.
"Yes," agreed Risinger. "The detail in the scales and wings are unequaled by any statue I have ever seen, and the with the size of the piece, who could have the time and patience to create it? King Orin, may I ask who the sculptor was who created this masterpiece?"
"The creator was a woman by the name of Berylla Counte," replied Orin. "She created most of the statues found here in the streets of Hizan. Unfortunately, her expertise and talents were lost forever when she passed away a few months ago. It's a real shame."
"Indeed it is," said Bandir.
The group strolled through the streets, but Ryu was confused by the fact that he did not see many citizens gossiping or even standing in the streets. He mustered up the courage to ask. "Where are all the people, King Orin? In my journeys, I have noticed that the streets are usually bustling with activity."
With a serious look on his face, Orin responded, "Well. Hizan is not like most kingdoms. Although it is not law because that would infringe on individual liberties, the majority of the people here, including me, believe that there is no reason to be idle and waste time doing nothing. It is sort of an unwritten code, one we value very highly. We are wealthy because of this value. People work hard in order to increase their work output as much as possible and become the best they can be for the betterment of society as a whole. Besides, one fifth of my subjects train in the castle at all times." Everyone laughed at this small joke.
The tour was pleasant for two reasons. First, everyone liked the king's descriptions of the city. They were explicit, in depth, and very detailed. Orin answered any and all questions and showed them the highlights of the city. Second, the city was so modern and diverse that it was a delight to explore it.
After about an hour, they had finished circling through the city to the east of the palace, so they began to explore the west side. The buildings and statues were an awe-inspiring site, but Ryu only noticed the stone pillars. There were too many of them throughout the city; one existed about every half-mile in every direction, seeming to be almost perfectly in unison.
"Why are there so many pillars throughout the city?" asked Ryu. "Are they there for pure decoration like the statues?"
Somewhat disturbed by this question, Orin thought for a few seconds before answering. "These stone obelisks are here to comfort Hizan's citizens and always remind them that something is watching over them to protect them from harm. And yes, they are also there for aesthetic purposes."
Ryu paid little attention to the rest of the tour, as the west side of Hizan was less opulent and diverse than the east side, making it similar to the other cities of the world. Only occasional questions about the agriculture and water system were asked until the tour ended, and the five soon arrived back at the castle. It was now pretty late, and after a small banquet with Orin and Bandir, Bandir escorted the three guests to their living quarters, which Ryu believed to be even more extravagant than the guestroom at Camlon. The three guests parted at the hallway and each entered their respective rooms. Still a little excited about the tour, Ryu discovered that day that all of Sara and Gorle's stories were true. Making himself comfortable in his rooms, he drifted off in no time at all.
Ch. 5 A Surprise Meeting
When Ryu, Bandir, and the remaining troops arrived at the outer gates of Camlon, Bandir introduced and acquainted himself with the guards, whom he had not met yet. After these pleasantries, the six rode through the outer gates of Camlon and arrived at Camlon Castle, where they were surprised to find hordes of people clustered around the main entrance, especially since it was so early in the morning. Ryu ran up to the doors first, but the guards, who were so kind to him the first time he arrived, now blocked any access inside.
As Bandir and Ryu made their way up the steps, the soldiers saluted and said sycophantically, "General Bandir, sir. We were not expecting you back so soon. Welcome back from your quest to the mines."
With an unfriendly tone, Bandir asked, "What is happening here? Why is the castle entrance being blocked?"
"The king has special guests at the moment, but access to the castle is only being withheld from normal citizens. Of course you, Ryu, and the soldiers may enter." one of the guards replied.
"I see. Thanks for informing me of the visitors. You are doing your duties well," Bandir said, complimenting the guards. With an appreciative expression on their faces, the guards opened the doors wide for the heroes of the mines.
As the six made their way through the enormous castle to the throne room, they passed dozens of nobles, gossiping quietly about the visitors. "Who could they be?" thought Bandir to himself.
Finally reaching the doors of the throne room, Ryu was surprised to discover that he recognized one of several voices coming from inside. The six entered. The room was filled with winged men and one woman, dressed up in the diplomat garb common of the day. Luckily, stressful negotiations for military aid and more trivial subjects had just been completed, leaving the six free to disclose the occurrences at the mines.
The woman, in particular, turned around, her face glowing with happiness. "Ryu!" she exclaimed. "It's been far too long!"
"Indeed it has, Nina," Ryu greeted, hugging her. "Why have you come to Camlon?"
A handsome young man answered for her. "We have come to negotiate a military treaty, one explaining the exact terms of our alliance and obligations towards our countries should there be a great war."
Nodding in approval of his description, Nina opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could make a sound. "Where are the others?" King Fordan asked Bandir, disappointed.
With a countenance of dismay, Bandir answered, "Clavius and Melith were- struck down in battle. So were all the miners. Although we have destroyed the evil ruffians at Nanai, we have failed in our true mission, which was to rescue the miners and restore production levels in the mine." Kneeling apologetically to the king, Bandir begged his forgiveness.
"Indeed this is great misfortune on our kingdom's behalf, as we have relatively no other trained miners to take their places. Camlon will surely be a less prosperous nation, since our main source of income has now been threatened and perhaps cut off."
Rising up from his lowly stance, Bandir offered, "Maybe I can ask King Orin of Hizan for possible aid in this predicament. Hizan's laborers are highly skilled in every area, and I'm sure our gracious king will assist you. Should I ask him, King Fordan?"
Fordan considered his pride. Meanwhile, not interested in the current conversation, Nina and the others started conversing quietly amongst themselves about recent events. Ryu, however, pondered the shattering of his Emperor Sword. Why would it break on just any shield? It surely could not have been the real sword. That thieving Peridon must have passed it on and switched it with a duplicate sword of obviously less quality. Or maybe the quality of his enemy's shield was too great for even the Emperor Sword to bear, though this scenario is very unlikely. Although he was angry about the loss, he decided to keep his feelings to himself, especially since it would do no good to question a tongue-less man to see if his original suspicions were true.
"Yes," replied King Fordan with authority. "You may leave whenever you're ready."
"As you wish."
"Now back to your rewards," Fordan said, eyes glimmering. "Ryu, Bandir, Hilk, Rion, Xaver, and Gelu. You will each get your pick of five diamonds from the next shipment from Nanai if Bandir's plan is a success, and we actually have a next shipment. Any five can be yours, despite the size." The remaining members of the Royal Guard gleefully smiled at each other and then left the throne room.
"You're rich, Ryu. How does it feel?" asked Nina semi-earnestly.
"You've got more money than anyone," whispered Ryu, shaking his head. They both chuckled. "Besides, I'm not really big on material possessions. You know that already. If I was, I wouldn't have become a farmer."
"That's true. I guess that's why you turned down my offer of living in the castle at home, or was it because you had other reasons?"
His mood suddenly changing to a melancholic one, Ryu commented, "I had obligations to my clan, and although I couldn't save my sister, I wanted to honor her memory by helping rebuild Drogen. She would have wanted me to help rebuild our home."
"I guess so. Look, I'm sorry I got into that, but you have to let your sister go. She was brave, and from your description of the incident, she saved your whole village from the Dark Dragons." Ryu and Nina continued on talking about Ryu's recent dreams, what they could possibly mean, and feelings about them.
Listening intently, the young man's piercing gaze became fixed on Ryu, along with a face filled with contempt.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation," said Bandir, "but we should get going, Ryu."
"We?"
"Yes. I was going to offer you a trip to visit Hizan, and since I have business there now anyway, I would like it if you came along."
"Of course, Bandir. It would be great seeing a floating kingdom, particularly after all of the magnificent stories Sara and Gorle used to tell me when I was younger."
"May I come as well?" Nina asked politely. "I am finished with my business here, and I am not expected to return to Winlan until tomorrow. I have never been to Hizan, and I've heard only compliments about King Orin."
Taking a while to consider this request, Bandir finally gave an answer. "As you wish, Princess Nina. Shall we go?"
After saying farewell to Fordan for the time being, Nina told the other ambassadors that they could depart for Winlan and tell her father that she would return home soon. It was not often that you would get a chance to visit a city soaring with the clouds. The young man and the others nodded reluctantly, respecting the princess's wishes. The three then left the glorious throne room and set out for the castle courtyard.
While walking down the hall, Bandir described the location of the soaring city. "Do you two know where we are going exactly? I'll explain it then. We must travel to the northeast, slightly northeast of Ryng Lake. Then we must go to the great north until we get to Hizan."
"Sounds good," they answered.
Finally arriving in the courtyard, Nina offered a ride to Bandir, since he seemed to be lacking any mode of transportation.
"What? Why? I have my own transportation."
With that, Ryu transformed into a dragon, Nina transformed into the Great Bird, and Bandir transformed into what appeared to be a giant snake-like creature with two sets of wings but no appendages. Flapping their wings speedily, they all took off on their journey to Hizan.
The trip would take about eight hours, so they soared amongst the clouds, silently looking on and off at the beautiful scenery below. While enjoying the pleasant terrestrial view from above, the three were suddenly startled when they heard a fifth set of wings beating in the background. Turning instinctively to check for danger, they realized that it was another colossal bird like Nina. Flying over to the bird, Nina chirped, the noise sounding like a sweet song. The other bird answered with a similar but faintly deeper pitch. Nina gave a nod, and the three, along with their new companion, resumed the flight to Hizan. Unlike most days, no wildlife soared through the sky. Other birds in the sky avoided the travelers, as they were afraid of being eaten or at least attacked, so the only motion came from the slowly drifting clouds. After flying for about seven hours, Hizan came into view, and they arrived there soon after. As Bandir directed them towards the castle courtyard, Ryu noticed how advanced the civilization looked, at least from an aerial perspective. There were ornate stone pillars and statues everywhere (especially a large one of a dragon in the town square), the streets were cleanly paved, the houses were ultramodern, and most importantly, the few people outside seemed to relish and enjoy their city. He also noticed a large palace in the center of the city, which was where Bandir appeared to be leading them.
Landing in the courtyard of the castle, they all reverted to their original forms, and Ryu turned to the new man in the party. "I recognize you. You were in the throne room with Nina."
"Yes I was," the young man said. "I couldn't just let you take Nina away. I am her bodyguard, and she is under my protection."
"Settle down, Risinger," interjected Nina, angry with her bodyguard and friend. "I am in Ryu's hands, and he has been more than capable of protecting me in the past."
With the dispute now settled, Bandir said, "Let's go meet King Orin."
Entering one of the many doors leading out of the courtyard, Ryu, Nina, and Risinger passed into a hallway with unparalleled beauty. The tiled floor was unlike any seen before, since even the most advanced kingdoms were stuck with stone bricks as the floor. Dark purple arrases lined the walls all through the castle. The order was only disturbed by the occasional painting or unknotted wooden doors. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a pair of solid gold double-doors leading to the throne room, guarded by a set of heavily armed sentries.
Politely motioning to the guards to let the group in, Bandir entered the throne room first. A refined man sitting on the throne greeted them, "Welcome back Bandir. I have unfortunate news for you. Before I tell you, however, would like to introduce to me these guests?"
After telling their three names and titles as he pointed to them respectively, Bandir asked, "King Orin. I would like to take these guests on a tour of our fair kingdom. Ryu, here, especially, has been a great companion in my recent quest to flush out the bandits at the Nanai Mines, and I would like to return the favor by perhaps teaching him about Hizan."
"Nonsense," argued Orin. "I will not let you accompany these three alone in the tour."
"I see. May I ask why not, your majesty?" wondered Bandir, perplexed.
"Because I will be giving the tours around here." Orin started to laugh. "Let's go." More agile than he seemed, Orin immediately hopped out of the throne and began to guide them. Led by Orin, the five left the throne room. On the way to their destination, they passed several doors marked with two letters each. S.M. and W.C. were on the first two doors, but they walked until they came to a large red door with the letters T.R.
"What do all of these letters mean?" asked Nina, curious about Hizan's customs.
"SM stands for "Supplied Materials" and we all know what WC stands for. If not, then you'll be in trouble after dinner." Laughing, he continued, "Now TR stands for "Training Room," which is where I'd like to take you first."
Bandir opened the door, and Ryu suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. The training room was one of the largest rooms he had ever seen. It even rivaled the size of the courtyard outside, which alone took a couple of minutes to cross. Hundreds and hundreds of soldiers were practicing their fighting skills, with several teachers instructing them on how to properly use certain weapons and techniques. Their combat skills were incredible, as any one of them appeared as if he could take on the greatest members of the Royal Guard.
Risinger, first to shake himself out of the daze, praised the army, "Nice army you have here. It surely rivals even the great army of Winlan."
"Be more respectful to the king, and this is only a portion of Hizan's army, the militia," said Bandir, smiling at Risinger's naiveté. "The real soldiers train in the battle room."
Shocked, Nina yelled, "Are you serious? These are only the common peasants?"
Bandir corrected, "Don't act like they are lower than you, princess, for even peasants can seize the day in numbers."
"That's right, Princess Nina," said Orin. "The entire populous has seen the inside of this room at one time or another. We like to call it the "Battle Cycle," which is where a fifth of the citizens train in here at a time, and there are always people training in here. All citizens here know how to fight as well as the best warriors elsewhere."
"I have an idea," grinned Bandir. "Ryu, how about you fight a practice battle against one of the instructors. You came so close to defeating me at the Grand Tournament, so your prowess with the sword will surely teach new tricks and tactics to those in here. I'm sure they would find it entertaining as well. Well, what do you say?"
Ryu paused. Nina elbowed him, also giving him a strange look. Although Ryu did not like to be made a spectacle, he finally responded, "I accept."
"Great."
Upon hearing this challenge, Orin walked across the training room to a tall and imposing figure, which appeared to be in his thirties. After a few words, Orin strolled back to the tour group, and the tall man ordered all of the people in the room to gather together on the east side of the room for the upcoming battle.
Orin said with disbelief, "Ryu, that is General Seamus, and although he has agreed to allow you to battle today, he insisted on his lieutenant fighting the bout."
Five minutes later, the room was clearly cut into two sections by the crowd: the spectators watched from the eastern half of the room, while the fight would be carried out in the empty western half. Ryu, unsure of who he was fighting, made his way to the arena, while a female pushed through the crowd into the empty space as well.
As the mass cheered for their beloved lieutenant-instructor, General Seamus rose his hand in the air, which caused the noise to cease. Looking at Ryu and the woman, the general started to speak, "Here are the rules and victory conditions of this battle. It will be a one-on-one fight with a precise scoring system. The first combatant to achieve a total of five points wins the match. A clean hit to the chest is one point, and knocking one's opponent to the ground is two points. Although hitting the opponent in the head or anywhere else gives no points, it may cause him/her to fall to the ground, which will be awarded points. Also, if either of you knock out your opponent, you receive five points, meaning an automatic victory. You will both use the quarterstaffs provided by the kingdom, and no powers will be allowed." With that, another instructor passed out staffs to both of the warriors, wishing each of them luck. However, he whispered a few more words into the lieutenant's ear. Ryu thought that they were probably extra words of encouragement. "Good luck to both of you," said Seamus, grinning slightly at Ryu. "The match will now begin between Ryu Dragonedge of Drogen and Lieutenant Quince of our own Hizan!"
As soon as Seamus finished that sentence, Quince charged Ryu and initiated the first attack with an overhead strike. Holding the staff horizontally, Ryu blocked this strike, but he was slightly discouraged by a tiny cracking sound. Ignoring the sound for the time being, Ryu quickly swung his staff around to try to catch her head, but she moved the staff in unison with his. Multiple blows were exchanged, blocked, and countered, but neither landed a hit for a long period of time. Finally, Ryu used his staff to sweep Quince off her feet. Reacting poorly to this maneuver, Quince fell backward to the ground. The battle paused.
"Two points for Ryu," announced Seamus, spectators hissing at Ryu in the background.
Quince stood up, embarrassed to be seen tumbling in front of her fellow countrymen. Thrusting a few times but being deflected each time by Ryu, she tried another overhead strike. This time, Ryu wasn't so lucky. His staff broke into two pieces, not to mention that it did not block her blow for that same reason. Hearing the snap ring in his ears, his lightning- fast reflexes allowed him to bend his head back in an attempt to dodge damage. Although he saved himself a blow in the head, he was bludgeoned in the chest, causing him to fall to his knees. The battle paused.
"One point for chest contact and two points for knockdown for Lieutenant Quince!" exclaimed Seamus very excitedly. The booing from the crowd changed to an applause and cheer, and Quince's pride seemed to have been restored.
Strengthened by the fact that she was winning, Quince started a relentless barrage of swings and jabs, barely being blocked by Ryu's twin sticks. Her superior range was becoming too much for him. All he could do was block her flurry.
During his defensive maneuvers, Nina yelled from the sideline, "You can do it, Ryu, but not if you don't attack!" Risinger shook his head ashamedly.
Quince tried to sweep Ryu as he had earlier accomplished with her, but he jumped, completely avoiding her attack. She swept again, and again he jumped. Beginning the motions of a third sweep, Ryu jumped yet again, but this time he lunged forward in the air with one of his small pieces of staff. Unfortunately for him, Quince did not sweep. Originally aiming at his head for a potential knockout, Quince thrusted the quarterstaff into Ryu's chest, pushing him a few feet away from her. Landing on his feet, the battle paused for the third time.
"One point for Lieutenant Quince," acknowledged Seamus. The crowd had quieted down somewhat, but the roar picked up.
Furious, Ryu now acted as if the two halves were swords, keeping Quince from fully using her staff correctly. Attacking fast and often, Quince had trouble blocking his attacks with the cumbersome staff. Almost cleanly hitting her chest, Quince dodged just before impact, and then counterattacked. She succeeded in hitting Ryu's left hand, sending a half flying into the crowd. She spun and attacked again; however, Ryu grabbed with his free hand and held onto her staff. She struggled for control, but Ryu was too strong for her. Pulling on the staff with his left hand, she stumbled towards him and into the extended piece of his staff, effectively getting clothes lined. The battle paused, with Quince's nose bleeding heavily.
"Two points for Ryu-wait a second. Quince is not standing up," worried Seamus. Disappointed, he concluded the match. "Five points for Ryu. This match is over. The newcomer has defeated our own Lieutenant Quince!"
At first, only Nina, Risinger, and Bandir cheered, but then Orin started to clap, causing the spectators to clap as well. After two or three minutes, Orin walked over to Ryu and asked, "Shall we continue our tour?"
Some of the other instructors scurried over to tend to Quince's head wound, but the militia returned to training. As Risinger, Nina, Ryu, Bandir, and Orin were leaving the training room, Risinger complimented Ryu on his most excellent fight. While again walking down the expansive corridor, Orin said, "Now we will leave the castle and take a tour of the rest of Hizan. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Before long, they arrived at Hizan's town square, where there existed a giant statue of a dragon, a couple of shops, and a stone pillar or two.
"That statue has remarkable craftsmanship," remarked Nina.
"Yes," agreed Risinger. "The detail in the scales and wings are unequaled by any statue I have ever seen, and the with the size of the piece, who could have the time and patience to create it? King Orin, may I ask who the sculptor was who created this masterpiece?"
"The creator was a woman by the name of Berylla Counte," replied Orin. "She created most of the statues found here in the streets of Hizan. Unfortunately, her expertise and talents were lost forever when she passed away a few months ago. It's a real shame."
"Indeed it is," said Bandir.
The group strolled through the streets, but Ryu was confused by the fact that he did not see many citizens gossiping or even standing in the streets. He mustered up the courage to ask. "Where are all the people, King Orin? In my journeys, I have noticed that the streets are usually bustling with activity."
With a serious look on his face, Orin responded, "Well. Hizan is not like most kingdoms. Although it is not law because that would infringe on individual liberties, the majority of the people here, including me, believe that there is no reason to be idle and waste time doing nothing. It is sort of an unwritten code, one we value very highly. We are wealthy because of this value. People work hard in order to increase their work output as much as possible and become the best they can be for the betterment of society as a whole. Besides, one fifth of my subjects train in the castle at all times." Everyone laughed at this small joke.
The tour was pleasant for two reasons. First, everyone liked the king's descriptions of the city. They were explicit, in depth, and very detailed. Orin answered any and all questions and showed them the highlights of the city. Second, the city was so modern and diverse that it was a delight to explore it.
After about an hour, they had finished circling through the city to the east of the palace, so they began to explore the west side. The buildings and statues were an awe-inspiring site, but Ryu only noticed the stone pillars. There were too many of them throughout the city; one existed about every half-mile in every direction, seeming to be almost perfectly in unison.
"Why are there so many pillars throughout the city?" asked Ryu. "Are they there for pure decoration like the statues?"
Somewhat disturbed by this question, Orin thought for a few seconds before answering. "These stone obelisks are here to comfort Hizan's citizens and always remind them that something is watching over them to protect them from harm. And yes, they are also there for aesthetic purposes."
Ryu paid little attention to the rest of the tour, as the west side of Hizan was less opulent and diverse than the east side, making it similar to the other cities of the world. Only occasional questions about the agriculture and water system were asked until the tour ended, and the five soon arrived back at the castle. It was now pretty late, and after a small banquet with Orin and Bandir, Bandir escorted the three guests to their living quarters, which Ryu believed to be even more extravagant than the guestroom at Camlon. The three guests parted at the hallway and each entered their respective rooms. Still a little excited about the tour, Ryu discovered that day that all of Sara and Gorle's stories were true. Making himself comfortable in his rooms, he drifted off in no time at all.