*sighs* only two reviews last chapter… I guess that's what I should expect, not updating for so long. Anyhoo, I plan to update more frequently now that my busy season is almost over. Mind you, I say almost…
AER! I'm so glad you're back! I miss your little funny comments, even if you are a little funny in the head. Don't worry, that's not meant as an insult. I'm a little funny in the head too!
Chozen, chozen, chozen… what can I say…? Read this chappy, and you shall see what I have to say! Mwahahaha! Oh the art of making you read…
Ookami! YAY! You finally read this story! *dances happy dance* YAY! For all of you who do not know Ookami, she is one of my personal muses. Especially with the new Gundam Wing fic I'm writing. Don't worry, it won't get in the way of this one, I swear it.
Well, I'm sure you're all waiting in tense anticipation for the next chapter, so I shall give it to thee! Read on, oh readers…
The GuardianThe creature had the body of a tiger, the legs (or tentacles) of an octopus, wings of an eagle, and the head of a woman.
"Why are you here, filthy half-breed?! Your kind are not fit even to walk these halls, let alone touch the Oracle! You shall not leave this room!" it, well…she, said in a raspy voice. Right before she pounced.
Faster than Sil-alia could pull her Shurikama, the Guardian was right in front of her. Retractable claws slid out of the tentacles. The first flew at Sil-alia, and she only had just enough time to twist away. But the claw still brushed its target: her neck. The razor sharp claw sliced through the fabric of Sil-alia's choker, and it was flung away, far off across the hall. Another tentacle was flying through the air before Sil-alia had formed a coherent thought. She was able to turn, so her back took the blow meant to disembowel her, slicing through her skin from right shoulder to left hip. A cry of pain escaped her lips. A red-hot pain burned through her left leg. She looked down to see muscle and bone. One of those clawed tentacles had sliced through her leg, and she hadn't even seen it coming. A flash of black, and blood sprayed across her face, the thick red substance in her eyes blinding her. Weak and dizzy from loss of blood, she could do nothing else but pass out, knowing that her end was near.
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Sonari gazed about in awe. He had walked through some sort of portal, and was now walking through some place made entirely of a crystalline, glowing substance. He ran his hand down the side of the wall, and found it smooth as glass, and cool to the touch. He heard a scream of pain from somewhere down the hall. Pulling his Shotel, he followed the cry to its source.
He found himself in a cavernous room, still made of the shiny substance. Gazing about, he saw the source of the scream: that Wingly girl, Sil-alia. She was out cold on the floor, and there was a great monstrous thing standing over her. Well, floating was more accurate. It seemed to be going in for the kill. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, knowing that he was going to have to save her. It wasn't that he cared what happened to her, it was just that Yani seemed to like those two Winglies, and he would kill him, or otherwise maim and torture him, if he didn't do something.
"Well, if you aren't the ugliest thing I've ever seen," Sonari said, trying to bait the thing. Yani would have come up with something funnier, but Sonari spent his time sharpening his blade, not his wit. "Why don't you take on someone your own size? Well, closer than that pint-sized Wingly, at any rate," he amended.
The beast slowly turned to face Sonari. It seemed ready for the challenge that Sonari posed.
"Come and get me, vile fiend."
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
"Where are we?" Rigana looked around at the walls. "This looks the same as everywhere else."
"I have absolutely no idea. I'm just as lost as you are," Yani replied.
"It was your genius idea. 'Let's follow Sonari! We can find our way out again!' " Rigana said, mocking Yani. "Do you even remember which way we came in?"
"Nope. Not in particular." Yani looked closer at some of the carvings on the walls. "Wow! These are amazing. Come and look at this one here. It's a woman of some sort. It looks like she should be holding something…that's not there. That's pretty weird, don't you think?"
"Yani, would you shut up for…" Rigana's voice trailed off as what Yani said registered in her brain. "Wait! Let me see that." She playfully pushed Yani away from the carving. "This is it! This is the carving of the Oracle!"
"What!" Yani exclaimed, shocked. "I thought you said the Oracle was a glowing sphere thingy, not some hot Wingly chick!"
"Yani!" Rigana scolded. "First of all, it's a carving. Get over it. Secondly, she's the Tahoan that created the Oracle. That's why she's called the Oracle. Thirdly, she can help us!"
Yani turned away as Rigana started conversing with the carving in the tongue of the Winglies. "Excuse me, ma'am. Could you possibly help us?"
Yani started and turned back around when he heard another voice answer. He couldn't understand the words, but he wanted to see a carving talking, anyway. "What do you wish to know?"
"I wish to see my friends. They both have probably passed by here. One Tahoan and one…"
"Oh! You wish to know what is happening to the Dragon Warriors?"
Yani didn't understand why Rigana had such a shocked expression on her face. "Yes. That is what I wish."
He elbowed Rigana in the ribs. "What did she say? What did she say?"
Rigana hissed the answer back at Yani. "She knows we're Dragoons."
"Oh." Yani paused a moment, still confused. "Is that bad?"
Rigana turned back to the carving. The wall where the carving was swung inwards. "Through this passage is what you seek to find."
Rigana thanked the carving, then pulled Yani through the doorway and down the hall.
"Where are we going?" Yani asked.
"To go see what Sonari and Sil-alia are up to. The Oracle said that we can find them through this hallway. Now come on, O Questioning One. I don't want to stay stuck in this place much longer."
When the hallway ended abruptly, Rigana stopped stock-still and stared at the room. Yani halted beside her and looked around in the same wide-eyed amazement.
"Rigana, what is this place?"
"No idea. But whatever it is, I don't see Sonari or Si."
The room was octagonal in shape. The walls were covered with carvings. There was a platform in the middle of the room, bereft of carvings, runes, or any other decoration. It glowed slightly, the ethereal light pulsing, almost like a heartbeat.
Rigana found herself drawn to a wall on her left. She walked slowly over to it and ran her hand down the lower carvings as she observed the higher ones. The carvings at the top were of a middle-aged man. Her eyes widened as she saw a carving that depicted him in Dragoon armor, almost identical to hers. In the middle of the wall were carvings of an old man, akin in age to Grandfather. He was also depicted in the same Dragoon armor. There were myriad scenes of the two men in battle, and they seemed to be fighting against roughly the same foe. Rigana could recognize Winglies and Virage among both the men's enemies. As she let her eyes glide farther down, she was shocked to see the bottom few carvings. They depicted a Wingly woman wielding a pair of twin knives, helping to slay a Dragon. She gasped as she realized the woman was her.
She turned around to see Yani staring at a similar wall across the room. He turned around suddenly to look at her, and she could see the same expression she knew was on her face: shock and amazement.
"Rigana, am I going insane, or is this real?"
"I…I think it's real…"
"These walls," Yani started, slowly moving across the room. "Each is dedicated to a single Dragoon. And somehow, we ended up carved on the right walls." He stood speechless for a moment before continuing. "How could this have happened? We haven't been Dragoons for very long…right? How could someone have gotten in here and made these carvings before we got here?"
"It must be magic. This room must be very old… Those Dragoons at the top were alive 16,000 years ago. The Wingly mages of old were so much more powerful than they are today. I'm sure they would be capable of such magic. They would have to tie it in with the Dragon Spirits, somehow, but they could do it…probably." Rigana waited for a response she didn't receive. She looked around to find Yani enthralled with the glowing platform.
"Rigana, look over here. I'm sure this is what that Oracle lady sent us in to see…"
Rigana walked over to the platform and looked on the surface. The top of the platform appeared to be made of some liquid akin to water, apart from she could see images through it. She gasped when she saw what was in the liquid. It was Sonari, facing some horrendous beast. She saw Sil-alia lying unconscious by the side.
"By the Gods…"
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Shotel already out, Sonari dropped into a defensive position, waiting for the thing's attack. It came, quick as lightning. A tentacle, sharp spikes extended, came at Sonari's face. He ducked, and swung the bladeless end of the Shotel around behind him. He heard an unearthly squeal, and knew that he had hit his target. Two tentacles came from out of nowhere, threatening to crush Sonari between them, but he quickly grasped his Shotel in the middle of the handle, and spun it around it two quick circles, severing both tentacles. The creature screamed, black blood pouring out from the severed ends of its appendages. The thing took to the air, flying above Sonari. It came closer for the attack, another tentacle coming Sonari's way. He jumped over it, swinging his Shotel high in the air. It sliced through the soft underside of the creature. However, Sonari's strike wasn't fast enough to stop the tentacle he had dodged from coming back at him, striking his side. He could feel blood oozing from the wound, but didn't think about it. The creature was now limp on the ground, a large puddle of black blood quickly growing larger. He didn't have time to put it out of its misery. It would die soon enough anyway.
He quickly crossed over to Sil-alia, ignoring the searing pain in his side. The wound was deep, but not fatal. He rolled Sil-alia over so she was lying on her back, eliciting a soft moan of pain as the floor came in contact with the wound on her back. Her breathing was fast and shallow. He checked her pulse. It was very slow. Sonari cursed, knowing that he couldn't do anything for her. Her wounds were too much. He racked his mind for an answer. There had to be one.
He looked her up and down again. Then he noticed something: she wasn't wearing her choker. Her choker was what held her Dragon Spirit.
"Her Dragon Spirit!" he cried out loud, talking to himself to try and clear his mind. "The White-Silver Dragoon Spirit was supposed to be endowed with the power of healing! Maybe, if I can find her spirit…" He moved away and started searching the room for her Dragon Spirit.
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Rigana had watched, amazed, when Sonari fought the beast, and beat it fairly easily. By the look of it, the thing had nearly killed Sil-alia. And now he was on his hands and knees.
"Yani, what's he doing?"
"No idea. My guess is that he's trying to help Sil-alia."
"Why would he do that? I didn't think he liked her."
Yani chuckled to himself. "You didn't see the way he was looking at her."
Rigana looked up from the liquid…stuff in shock. "What?"
"You heard me. Details later. It looks like he's found whatever it was he was looking for."
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Sonari gently held Sil-alia as he looked at the stone. It appeared to be glowing slightly, but it wasn't doing anything. He tried putting the stone on her neck, about where it would have been held by the choker. Still nothing. He placed it in the middle of her chest, where his stone went when he turned into a Dragoon. Again…nothing. He stifled a yell of frustration and looked to the heavens. "What do I do now?" He closed his eyes in silent irritation. He opened them again when he felt a soft warmth against his chest. He looked down to see his own Dragon Sprit glowing. Curiosity piqued, he took out his Spirit and held it next to Sil-alia's.
He wasn't prepared for the blinding flash of white light. Or the warm, slightly tingly feeling that accompanied it. When the light vanished, the Wingly in Sonari's grasp moaned softly and stirred. She opened her eyes to find them staring into a pair of cold hazel ones. She knew those eyes all too well.
"What are you doing here?" She stood up slowly, unable to believe that she was still alive. She was certain that he wouldn't be in bliss in the afterlife. "And what were you doing to me?"
Sonari stood up and stepped closer, towering over Sil-alia. "Is that a nice way to greet your savior?" Sil-alia couldn't help but laugh aloud. The idea that he willingly saved her was preposterous to her.
Sonari smirked and tossed her Dragon Spirit to her. "You might want this. It will probably come in handy with your poor fighting skills." Sil-alia still looked doubtful. "Look over there." Sonari pointed to the Guardian of the Oracle, blood still oozing out of its ruined form. It stirred slightly.
Sil-alia gasped and ran to its side. "It's still alive!"
Sonari rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I didn't have time to kill it. I was too busy trying to save your ungrateful ass."
"It was only doing its job! I was the one who came here, looking for information I had no right to know. I should be the one that's suffering right now." Her gaze snapped back to Sonari. "You healed me! Tell me how you did it!"
"Why does it matter? That thing tried to kill you."
"Tell me!" Sil-alia's voice was halfway between a demand and a plea.
"It was that Dragon Spirit of yours. The White-Silver Dragoon has powers of healing. Happy now?" he asked sarcastically.
Ignoring Sonari's caustic comments, Sil-alia held her Dragon Spirit over the Guardian. She did feel genuinely sorry for it. She prayed silently for guidance to heal it. Her prayers were answered in the form of a blinding flash of white light. The Guardian shook its head slowly, recovering from its ordeal, then rose slowly to its feet. Sil-alia noticed a monstrous scar running down its underside. She guessed that, though the Spirit's healing was effective, it was not able to close gashes such as that cleanly. A sudden thought struck her. She ran her fingers down the side of her face. She found what she was searching for: a scar running down the right side of her face from temple to jaw line.
"Thank you, child," said the Guardian's raspy voice. "Indeed, I fear I underestimated your compassion and love of life. You have proved yourself worthy of passage to the Oracle, when you so desire it. And your friend," the Guardian turned to face Sonari, "has the same right also, for his strength had given him a place in these halls."
"That will not be necessary," a soft voice, ringing like bells, came from Sil-alia's back. She had heard the voice before; Sonari hadn't. His eyes darted around the room, not suspecting the source of the voice to be the prism of pale, iridescent orange in front of him. "Tahoan, come close, for there is something of great importance that I must do."
Sil-alia walked next to the Oracle without hesitation. Sonari watched with raised eyebrows as her eyes slid shut, as if listening to some invisible conscience. The torn, black, band of fabric that once held her Dragon Spirit flew across the room, wrapped itself around her neck, and seemed to sew itself back together. The White Silver Spirit took its place once again at her neck. Sil-alia's eyes opened suddenly, filled with pain and something akin to panic. She floated into the air a few inches off the ground before the Spirit removed itself from her choker. She squeezed her eyes shut. Sonari took a step forward, hand on scythe handle, not knowing quite what to do. The Dragon Spirit, as well as the Oracle, whirled around each other above Sil-alia's head, before coming together in a blinding flash of light. When the light died down, Sonari could se the result: a white sphere marbled through with light orange. This new sphere affixed itself to Sil-alia's choker.
Her eyes opened suddenly, but this time they were out of focus. Her hair was torn from the piece of cloth that tied it back, and whipped freely about her. The general impression was that she was caught in the middle of a cyclone. She opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that issued forth was not hers. "This place is not safe for me anymore." It was the mysterious voice that Sonari had heard earlier, soon after Sil-alia had healed the Guardian. "You must protect me, chosen ones of Archangel. You must stop this darkness before it spreads too far, and the damage is irrevocable. If you do not, Endiness will be destroyed… Return to Lahrin. Begin your quest. Before it is too late…" Sil-alia's eyes slid closed, and she fell to the floor. Sonari stood stunned.
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
"Rigana, what the hell just happened?" Yani was just as stunned as Sonari.
"I'm not entirely sure. I do know one thing, though. I was right. It was a trap. Something's going to be waiting in Lahrin for us…" Rigana's voice trailed off. She didn't want to think about what might be waiting for them.
"Then what are we waiting for? We have to get the hell out of here!" Yani grabbed Rigana's wrist and pulled her out of the room, backtracking their way through the Shrine.
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Next to no time had passed before Sil-alia stirred. Her eyes opened. Sonari hadn't moved. She pushed herself up to her feet, then remembered what the Oracle had told her. She grabbed Sonari's wrist as she ran back to the Shrine.
He pulled his wrist free right as they crossed through the doorway of light. "Where are we going?"
"Back to Lahrin. You heard the Oracle, didn't you? We have to get back!" Sil-alia ran down the corridor, not waiting for him. Sonari sighed, then followed.
/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/*-*/
Rigana and Yani were waiting for Sil-alia and Sonari when they came out. With only a nod, all four of them took to the air in their shining Dragoon armor, and raced back to the town.
Author's Note: Well, there ya have it, all I promised in the last chapter. Why, why oh gods? Why must Chozen always guess? Meh. He wasn't 100% right, so it doesn't count. But you were close…again. How are you always able to predict what happens? Meh…
Newayz, in store for the next chapter…
- a nasty…thing awaits in Lahrin
- death and depression…of a sorts
- a soaked Sonari
- Yani's poking fun at Sonari again
- Some of Sonari's past revealed? What?
- Sil-alia and Sonari have a civil conversation? Dear Soa, what is this story coming to?
I think that's just about all… Don't forget to tune in to the next exciting installment of 'The Warrior's Way!'