Chapter 15: Dying Flames
*coughs* Sorry for the VERY late update… (last updated on the 15!!!) x_X Er, sorry loyal readers @_@ one: writer's block; two: been playing Grandia Xtreme . GOOD GAME O_o if you like to battle that is . Which I do enjoy so much ) Anyway…what's happening now? The battle is heating up, literally! So who will win, the dragons or the yokais? O.o Find out for yourself! Oooh…I got a BRAND NEW idea for the fic…mwahaha well this changes things a bit, but I hope for the better ^^ Now my fic will NOT resemble the real DK story D Hence the Alternate Dimension name =D New characters arise and all of them are mine unless noted. SO NO COMPLAINTS IF SOMETHING IS OUT OF STORY LINE GOT IT?! *huffs* READ ON!
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It hurts…
The flames kept coming.
Why does it hurt so much…?
Cesia cringed and pressed her back against the invisible wall within her mind as the tongues of flames flickered around her. They seemed to want to burn her, to smolder her in the ash and smoke they were creating. She coughed and slid down to her knees. When she reached out to place her hand on the invisible wall, it was not there and she now found herself totally surrounded by a sea of fire.
Wind won't work here, she thought helplessly as she went into another coughing fit, the smoke now choking her. I'm done for… She closed her eyes in attempt to block out the smoke from entering them, but it was to no avail. She could feel the ash and smoke stinging her eyes and they started to tear.
A shadow loomed over her and she suddenly felt a light breeze against her face. She slowly looked up and saw the back of a person standing in front of her, a glowing white sword visible. Wind was now surrounding both of them as the flames immediately began to recede, not wanting to be near the new intruder. Cesia, now able to breathe easier, stared up at the stranger in wonder. At first she had thought he was Rath, but now she can see that it was not but some other person. His dark, olive green hair blew wildly as the wind picked up speed.
Raising the brilliant white sword with one arm and the other outstretched in front of him, he now stared at the giant fiery monster that had formed from the flames. In a calm voice yet forceful voice, he yelled, "WIND BLADES!"
Cesia wondered how wind would affect fire, but she soon found to her great surprise how powerful his wind magic was. The winds that had been swirling around them instantly flew up and formed multitudes of razor sharp rings. Spinning at a lightning fast pace, the blades sliced through the monster like a shredder slices a piece of paper. After one last piercing shriek, the monster disappeared, taking the sea of fire with him. Blackness suddenly surrounded the both of them as Cesia looked around in astonishment.
"Lady Cesia…are you all right?"
She blinked and looked up to see the person now looking down at her, his light, steel blue eyes filled with concern. His blood red jacket flapped in the wall of wind still swirling around them. His pants were also a dark blood red and wore a black vest over a dark blue shirt, a dark gray sash wrapped around his waist. Hanging from his pants was his sword, now in the elaborately decorated sheathe, and was connected by two silver chains. "Y-Yes…" Who is he?
The stranger brushed back his long bangs away from his face, the movement making the pair of golden cross earrings sway a little. "I am relieved…I was afraid I would have been stopped before I came here."
Cesia stood up. "Who are you?"
He suddenly kneeled down onto one knee, one arm across his chest. "I am your guardian, Shizuken, sworn to protect my Master or Mistress, whoever is deemed fit." He looked up at her. "Though, Lady Cesia, I am also known as Kaze, or the Dragon of the Winds."
"The…the Wind Dragon?!" she repeated in disbelief. "B-But I'm not a Dragon Knight! And you don't look like a dragon," she added skeptically.
Shizuken blinked. "You do not have to consider yourself a Dragon Knight, but one who controls one of the five main dragons. As for your other statement, would you rather see me in my dragon form?"
"Ah, er, no that's okay! You can also stand up now," she added, a sweat bead forming on her head. She sighed and looked around as Shizuken straightened. "Where are we anyway? Definitely not Draqueen…"
"We're inside your mind," he responded. "You had been driven deep within your sub-conscious, which was rather difficult to get through. Here is where all of your memories rest, be it good or bad." He stopped and turned slightly. "In either case," he said slowly, "it would be best if we leave this place. You are vulnerable here."
Cesia blinked. "Leave? How do I leave? I was trying to do that when the flames erupted around me. And how did they get here anyway?"
"It was one of your memories," he said in the same calm voice as he walked forward. "Follow close to the winds and they will not attack."
She hurried after him and walked behind the Dragon, still in utter disbelief and awe. "Attack? My memories attack?"
"It is simple. They take form of the memory itself and if it is a bad memory, they attack. If it is good, it will either leave you alone or help you."
"I see…" They walked in silence for a while. Everything was pitch black to Cesia and she wondered how Shizuken could see his way through. She also suddenly realized that they were both emitting light. This is just too much, she thought as she placed a weary hand on her forehead. I wonder how Rath is… She suddenly ran into Shizuken and rubbed her head. "Ow…sorry about that, Shizuken…but next time, give me a warning or something."
"We are at the border between your conscious and your sub-conscious," he said unfazed, motioning to the bright white light that acted as a door. He turned and gave her a gentle smile. "If you need me, just call my name, be it Shizuken, Kaze, or Wind. I will always answer." He turned back around. "But now, it would be best if you returned to your friends," he said, a hint of uncertainty and worry in his voice. "Danger is approaching."
Cesia shielded her face with her arm as a giant burst of wind suddenly erupted between them. "But where will you be?"
"I'll be waiting where I have always been waiting." Without another word, the wind surrounded him and he disappeared.
She blinked. "'Where I have always been waiting?'" she repeated. "That doesn't answer my question!" she twitched, then sighed. "Oh well…Shizuken, huh? Wonder what it means…" She turned to the door of light and took a deep breath as she stepped through.
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"Thatz look out!" Rune yelled.
"I see it!" Thatz said as he jumped to the side, dodging the slab of rock that had been aimed at his head. "Rune, do something other than just jump around and yelling!!" he yelled, a vein popping.
"I'd be glad to do that," Rune said slowly, anger dripping in his voice as he narrowly missed the ice dagger, "if my own element wasn't attacking me!!!"
Kitchel stood in front of the still unconscious Cesia, a small dagger in her hands. "Erg, I'm no fighter!" she wailed as she deflected a flying piece of rock.
Nadil watched them all dodging the attacks, an amused look on his fight. "This is going far more easier than I thought," he mused and walked toward Kitchel. "So, young lady, if you would like me to stop the attacks, step aside."
"Yeah right!" she yelled and glared at him. Ack what am I going to do?! she thought sweatdropping slightly. I don't have powers like the others!!
Thatz saw Nadil from the corner of his eyes and swiftly turned. "Nadil get away from there!" he yelled as he ran forward, zigzagging as stalagmites suddenly erupted from beneath him. He stopped abruptly as a wall of rock suddenly rose up in front of him. "Damn!" He blinked as a jet of ice blasted through the wall and turned to see Rune panting behind him.
Rune hunched over, gasping for breath. "I've…been…running…from that thing…for…the past…ten…minutes…" he gasped.
Thatz cocked an eyebrow. "You need to get more shape, eh pretty boy?" He quickly raised his hands in surrender as Rune's sword suddenly came very close to his neck. "JOKING!!!"
Rune sighed. "At any rate…DUCK!" he yelled.
Thatz blinked and turned. "Huh?" He was suddenly hit with the giant piece of rock that had been hurtling toward them. He walked around dizzily. "Oi…Mommy is it time for dinner yet…?"
Rune groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead. "MORON!" he yelled then watched in amazement as Thatz managed to avoid all of the flying shards of rock and ice that were hurtling at him as he continued to walk around drunkenly. Only him… Rune thought sweatdropping. He blinked as a voice suddenly called out from behind Kitchel.
"Rune behind you!!"
The Water Dragon Knight swiftly turned and deflected the barrage of ice daggers with his sword. After seeing everything was all clear he turned back to see Cesia now standing behind Kitchel, wind forming a barrier around them.
Nadil cringed as he held up an arm, shielding his face from the razor sharp blades of the wind that circled the two girls. "So, you have awakened now?"
Cesia glared at the Yokai Lord. "Nadil! You have overstayed your welcome here for far too long!" she yelled angrily. "LEAVE!"
He stepped back slightly as he braced himself from the giant burst of wind that blew at him. He felt a small trickle of blood run down his face and grinned. "So you managed to cut even me…impressive."
Kitchel turned to Cesia and hugged her. "Oh Cesia! You're all right!!"
Cesia blinked and hugged back. "Yeah…thanks for protecting me, K-chan," she said smiling. "But now you have to find somewhere else safer," she said in a hard voice, making Kitchel blink.
"You're going to fight him one on one?!" the human thief cried. "He's too powerful!"
"I have to, Kitchel," she said as she gently, but firmly pushed her friend away to the side. "You'll be safe by my wind protection." She gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine. This has been going on for far too long."
"Cesia, no!" Kitchel cried as she watched her friend walking toward certain doom.
Nadil raised an eyebrow as he watched Cesia step forward, sheer determination etched on her face. "Do you have any idea what you are asking for? You are just making easier for me to accomplish what I have set to do."
"Cesia stop!" Rune yelled as he helped Thatz back up to his feet. "Damn, you way a ton, Thatz!" he yelled as he struggled to lift the Earth Dragon Knight. "You really need to cut back on the food," he grumbled.
"FOOD?! DOKO?!" Thatz yelled as he jumped up and looked around wildly. To his disappointment, and slight horror, all he found was a very annoyed Rune glaring at him. "Ah, er, haha!" I'm dead, he thought sweatdropping as he saw several veins pop on Rune's head.
"Will…you…CUT THAT OUT!!" Rune yelled as he slammed the flat end of his sword down on Thatz's head. "Oh shoot," he groaned as Thatz once gain walked around dizzily.
"Whee! Can we go on the ride again, Mommy?" Thatz said dizzily.
Rune sighed and decided it would be better if he just ignored him as he turned back around. He was about to run forward to try and stop Cesia when the earth shook beneath him and split the ground between him and Nadil, forming a giant chasm. He gulped. Well…looks like she's on her own…
Cesia kept her eyes on Nadil's. The wind picked up around her, blowing her long, golden hair around her. This one is for thanks, Shizuken, she thought as she yelled. "WIND BLADES!"
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Rath blinked and stepped to the side as Bierrez charged right past him. He turned to where the others were. "Cesia? Was that Cesia I just heard?!"
"SHUT UP AND FIGHT!" Bierrez yelled angrily as he ran forward and slashed at Rath.
The Dragon Knight parried it. "You are way too slow for me," he said as he pushed Bierrez off his sword and swiftly slashed the side of his left arm.
Cringing, the yokai glared at Rath. "You'll regret that, Rath!" he yelled as he fired a dark ball of black energy from his right hand at him.
"What, resorting to magic now?" Rath said with disgust as he dodged and slashed it, cutting it in half. He stopped abruptly when he heard a piercing scream. "What the hell?!"
Bierrez stopped as well and turned to where Nadil was holding Cesia aloft by the neck. Nadil…
The wall of fire that had once surrounded the two fighters now disappeared as Rath ran forward. "Let her go you bastard!" he yelled angrily as he fired a wave of fire at the Yokai Lord.
Nadil merely lifted his head and the flames extinguished. "You still underestimate my power, Rath," he said as he turned back to Cesia, who was trying to pry herself free form his hold. "As well as you, my dear Cesia. You have made it extremely easy for me to finally achieve my goal."
She gritted her teeth and glanced over at Rath. "Rath…" Turn back…
Rath yelled as he ran toward Nadil and leaped, ready to slice the yokai's arm in two when he suddenly felt something go right through him. Everything seemed to shatter and break apart as he slowly turned to see a triumphant looking Bierrez looking up at him. The yokai had extended his right arm and stabbed Rath from the back, holding the Dragon Knight high in the air, the blood streaming down like a river.
"This is for that time back on Earth, Rath," he heard Bierrez say. His voice seemed to be miles away.
Rune looked up at Rath horrified. "RATH!"
Rath coughed, blood splattering from his mouth. His arm shaking, he grabbed the mutated hand that protruded from the right side of his chest. His…right arm… With his vision fading and mind slowing, he watched as both Thatz and Rune finally summon their dragons. But Nadil laughed as black winds surrounded both him and Cesia, muttering words Rath could not hear but he could see. He could not make them out and quickly gave up trying. He no longer felt Bierrez presence and could sense he was falling. As he fell, he felt swirls of flame and wind surround him and saw two different forms on both sides of him. For an instant, he caught a glimpse of a red dragon. Fire… He finally closed his weary eyes and sighed. Cesia…gomen… And everything turned black.
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Yatta! ^^ Well, Shizuken is MINE! And he's not the only new face in this fic ^^ As stated before, this is now going OFF storyline, but with some similar events occurring. But, anywho, this new idea of the dragons having human forms is really changing what I had intended to do, but it's all for the better right? ~.^ Anyway, I actually drew a picture of Shizuken before I did this. I hadn't originally planned on him being in here, but I thought 'what the heck?' and tossed him . His name has no specific meaning, but shizuka means calm/tranquil and ken can mean protector, sword, and a bunch of other stuff. I looked it up AFTER I thought of the name o.O so calm protector? . lol XD Well, anyway, just check my profile to get the link to my pic ^^ And tell me what you think either by e-mail or by review. Hrm…hope what I'm doing isn't illegal…o.o