Welcome to Dragon Quest Ch 14! I'm sorry this is just totally overdue, but I swear I have a good excuse! I had been computerless for over two months now! T-T You send it to clean and you end up having to change the whole keyboard! Anyway, I've decided to break the Chaos Shrine on three pieces, aren't I a devil. Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimers: *FD looks at readers and then at her closet* Ehem, I do not own Sailor Moon nor Gundam Wing. *Looks again at her closet as somebody pounds on the door* Big companies do and I don't have them in any form *pound* or kind so you can't do anything to me *The pounding subsides as the door breaks revealing the G boys inside gagged and bound with thick ropes.* FD: Oh, so there you where *chuckles nervously* Quatre: Help! FD: Well, that's a very good way of 'coming out of the closet' Wufei: Shut up onna and get us out of here!
Dragon Quest
Ch 14
The Chaos Realm
"Let's see if I get it this time." Rei rubbed her forehead. "We have to go into the Silence Forrest, enter the Forbidden City, and then find the Chaos Shrine." She repeated after Janus.
"Aye." The man nodded.
"Not to mention that we have to fight the amazons who guard the Shrine." Duo added.
"Don't even remind me." Rei shook her head.
"C'mon, if we have come this far we can do it." Usagi smiled.
"Yeah, we can't give up now." Quatre nodded.
"Of course we can't give up. We promised Cyaran that we would help, and we will do all we can." Mamoru said.
"Right, well said." Makoto and Heero nodded.
"Fine, then it's settled. We move in the ASAP." Wufei stroked Nataku's head while the dragonling chirped contently at the caress.
"We might as well get going, Keno is the last town before getting there, I say we park there and have an R&R session before we enter the Silence Forrest." Talon smiled as he moved his horse near Ishtar's and winked at her while Ishtar and Lluvia rolled their eyes.
"Sounds good to me." Minako smiled.
"Ditto!" Usagi giggled.
"Well, Keno it is." Mamoru nodded.
~~~$@~~~$@~~~$@
"Say…isn't supposed to be people on a town?" Makoto raised her eyebrow.
"This looks like a ghost town." Quatre breathed.
"There is people." Usagi pointed towards the town's square as she moved her horse next to Mamoru's.
They turned to see as only a hand full of people stood where the market was supposed to be.
"Excuse me," Trowa dismounted his horse. "Can you tell us where the Inn is?" He asked a boy who carried a basket, half expecting the boy to cower away.
"The Inn? Are you really gonna stay?" The boy smiled while looking at the group. "It has been so long since travelers came to this town that I think old Keichi closed the thing." The boy scratched his head.
"So that means that we don't have a place to sleep." Duo groaned.
"Nah, I'm sure he'll open it up for you guys, here, I'll take you there." The boy put down the basket and beckoned them to the other side of the town. "I'm sure mama will be glad you came too!" He smiled.
"Your mom? Why?" Minako blinked.
"Because she was the Inn's cook, but when people stopped coming, old Keichi couldn't pay her anymore. But now that you're here, he'll need somebody to cook for you." He smiled again. "See, there it is!" He ran towards a big building and knocked the door not too gently.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" They heard say coming from inside, followed by several clicks until finally the door opened, revealing an old man drying his hands on a towel.
"Shinji? What are you doing here? Keichi, they supposed, asked the boy.
"I've brought you customers!" Shinji's smile broaden.
"Really?" The old man smiled and opened the doors wider, "But please come in! Shinji, go and tell your ma that-"
"Way ahead of you man!" Shinji sprinted towards the door.
"Welcome to Black Stallion Inn!" Keichi smiled. "you are the first customers that I had had in months so you can have the best rooms."
"We'll need stables for our horses too." Trowa said.
"Of course, I'll tell Shinji when he comes back. So, how many rooms do you want?" Keichi asked.
"I would say about 7." Heero made a quick head count.
"Say Ishtar, want to bunk with me tonight? I promise I'll make it interesting." Talon winked at her.
"I would rather sleep with the horses." Ishtar said while the others snickered.
"Please, this way." Keichi showed them to their rooms.
Once they had unpacked and settled, they went down to the mess hall where the smell of roasted meat welcomed them.
"Wow, that smells amazing!" Usagi exclaimed.
"I hadn't noticed how hungry I was until now." Ami told them.
"Well, dig in!" Shinji appeared from the kitchen carrying a plate.
"Ummm, this tastes even than it smells!" Quatre cut another piece of the meat.
"Why thank you. I'm glad you liked it." A woman entered carrying another bowl.
"All that for us?" Wufei blinked.
"Ah, I hadn't cooked for a long time so feel yourself lucky!" She smiled.
"Oh, you must be Shinji's mother!" Minako smiled too.
"Yep, I'm Jun." She bowed.
"She's the finest cook I've ever had." Keichi entered.
"I'm the only cook you've ever had." Jun said.
"Yum, you have to give me the recipe, this is delicious!" Makoto sighed contently.
"I must say that this is really good." Mamoru nodded (FD: even I'm getting a little hungry).
"Gods, it would look as if you had starved all this time." Janus snorted (FD: -).
"Aw, c'mon man, they're just thankful for the food!" Talon smiled at the grumpy man.
"Excuse me." Everybody turned to see Wufei as they finished eating. "But, why is that there is no many people on this town?" He asked while everybody nodded, not missing the hurt look that passed on the three town's people's faces.
"Everybody ran scared when the forrest started growing and the amazons began raiding the town." Shinji frowned. "Nobody stood to try to defend it."
"Hush boy, they just did what they thought was good for them." Keichi looked down at the boy.
"How can a forrest just start growing?" Rei frowned.
"'Cause 'tis alive child." Janus said.
"But it is unnatural for it to grow half a league every day…even if it is the Silence Forrest." Jun shot back.
"Why do you call it the Silence Forrest?" Ami asked.
"Well, have you ever heard of 'if a tree falls and nobody is there, does it make any sound? Well, on this forrest it didn't, even if you were right next to where it fell." Shinji said.
"How is that possible?" Usagi blinked.
"The forrest has magic." Keichi said. "It's heavy foliage stops almost all light, just leaving small patches of light come thru while never ending silence surrounds you." He closed his eyes.
"It sounds like being in space." Trowa said quietly.
"Centuries ago, the people said that priests of the Light Dragon came to this forrest, looking for enlightenment. They found the serenity of the Silence Forrest good for meditation." Jun said while serving them water. "However, one day, the priestesses of the Chaos Shrine killed not only the Light priests, but their own." She shuddered. "Legend says that they cut the heads and hung them at the edge of the forrest, and since then they have been the Amazons." Jun finished, making them wince with the description.
"Why would they do such an act?" Mamoru asked.
"It doesn't make any sense, why kill their own man?" Quatre rubbed his own neck.
"Nobody knows." Keichi shrugged. "But some say that there are records of everything written on a wall in the old Chaos Shrine."
"Some?" Heero raised an eyebrow. (FD: My, aren't we the eloquent one.)
"Yes, explorers and scholars that entering trying to unfold the mysteries of the Amazons and managed to come out of the forrest alive. They said that it was written in an ancient language, unfortunately, that was the last thing that they said before dying from the Amazons' poison." Keichi sighed.
"I bet we can read it." Wufei whispered.
"Uh, I love this, going into a cursed forrest to find a group of lovely woman who haven't seen a man in all their lives." Talon smirked. "I like those odds." He chucked before doubling in pain as Ishtar elbowed him.
"What, don't tell me that you are here to look for the Chaos Shrine?!" Shinji's eyes widened.
"I'm afraid so." Wufei nodded curtly.
"But don't sweat it kid, we'll make it." Duo grinned while ruffling Shinji's hair.
"It is a very dangerous trip, and although you look able to fight, you will be defenseless against the Amazons' poison." Keichi shook his head.
"Then we will have to risk it." Heero said.
"Wow, this is the first time that I hear Heero let something to chance." Duo blinked.
"I can improvise too." Heero said a little miffed, although not caring much as the braided boy leaned into him.
"Sure you can Hee-chan." Said boy grinned.
"Well, since you are very much determined," Jun looked at them, "I would suggest you to go to the northwest of the forrest first. There is a small temple where priest of the Light Dragon reside; they are said to have a cure for the Amazons' poison so you'll want to have some, just in case." She said.
"Thank you for the tip." Usagi smiled. "We'll make sure to pass by there."
"Well, I guess it would be good if we went to our rooms now." Ami stood up. "It will be a long trip tomorrow and we want to be rested by then."
"Good idea." Lluvia yawned. "I'm exhausted!"
"I hope you have a good sleep." Keichi said. "And don't worry about the horses, we'll take good care of them." He looked at Trowa while he nudged Shinji towards the door.
"Let's go then." Wufei said as he picked up a plate with some leftovers while Jun raised her eyebrow. "Umm…midnight cravings?" He said quickly before disappearing thru the door while Duo and Quatre snickered.
"I just hope Nataku doesn't bit him because he was late with the food." Minako smirked.
"So, gorgeous, what about my proposition?" Talon winked at Ishtar.
"I'm sorry but I think that it would be bad for your health." Lluvia said as she restrained Ishtar while the former tried to choke the Wind Dragon, settling only on a death glare as Lluvia held her in place.
"Ah, my heart swells with grief as I can not spend the night with you, but fear not my dear lady for one day we'll be free as birds to love each other regardless of our company." Talon gave her a flourishing bow while Ishtar's eyebrow twitched and a vein on her forehead was ready to pop.
"That's enough for one day with you." Minako and Makoto grabbed Talon by the arms and dragged him away.
"Well old man," Talon looked at Janus "It seems that is only you and me now." He smiled.
"Ye wish, I'm sleepin' with them horses!" Janus snorted before turning around and leaving.
"Well, I'm sure Wufei won't mind sharing with me." Talon shrugged before entering the room where Wufei was feeding Nataku. Rapidly, Trowa and Minako shut the door behind Talon.
"Do you think he'll kill Talon?" Ami blinked.
"Nah, Wufei has a lot of self control." Quatre smiled.
"I think we'll find out how much self control he can exercise until morning." Heero shook his head.
"Morning will come really slowly for him tonight." Mamoru chuckled.
"Oh well, I guess it will come to early for me though." Duo shrugged.
"Ditto." Makoto rubbed her neck.
"Let's go to sleep then. Tomorrow's gonna be one hectic day." Ami said as everybody turned to their rooms.
~~~$@~~~$@~~~$@
FD: I finally finished this, I had a horrendous case of writers block -.-!
Heero: Hey, why do I only have only three lines on the story.
FD: *looking nervously at the gun pointed at her head* Umm…Heero, baby, is the acting that counts! *swallows audibly*
Heero: I'm not buying it.
Duo: Hey, does this chapter has a purpose?
FD . of course it does! I'm preparing ground!
Trowa: Ground? Are you going to plant anything?
FD: No baka!
Trowa: ///.# ouch!
Quatre: Since when have you become so violent?
Wufei: The onna's never been too sane anyway.
FD: Oh, shut up, I'm like this since I lost my Advil bottle and the whole deal with my laptop.
Heero: What about my lines?
FD: Right, umm…How about if I give you a big monologue on the next chapter?
Heero: …Good enough. *Makes his gun disappear into thin air yet again.*
FD: Well, I hope you liked it. Now stay tuned for the next chapter, same time, same place! Ja ne.
