Last Sunday, to shut my friend up, I agreed to finally go out and buy The Legend of Dragoon. I began playing it, and have been hooked. While I am early in the story, it is very intriguing, and I think it would be a good game to novelize. So I am ready to try it. I DO have two other fics to write, so I do not know how much this will be updated, but I will try to be constant.
Some people, such as the knight in the beginning of the game, had no name. I invented some for them. It's better than calling him "random nameless high-ranking knight" for the whole fic, right?
I do not own The Legend of Dragoon. The characters, places, game, and whole story belongs to… whoever invented it… _ I am responsible for modifying the story, and wasting my time to write it out. _
*Prologue*
The fires burned wickedly, sparing nothing as it lit up the night sky. All of the buildings in the small village were collapsing into ash, only the sturdiest managing to stay upright.
Villagers were cut down by the soldiers. Being unused to fighting, they stood no chance as they were slain. Screams of pain echoed through the air as blood splattered on the ground.
It was a massacre. And Dane was hating every minute of it.
He was a high ranking knight, and normally would have been helping with the slaughter. But to his relief, he had a job to do, and was spared of it.
"So she is that important?" he asked his companion, who was quietly following him.
Dane didn't trust him at all. His structure looked like a humans, but how could he tell? This whole body was cloaked by black clothes, including a hood. He had never seen what the man looked like. The nickname for him was Man in the Black Hood, but they did not know anything else about the mysterious figure.
"Very."
"But vital enough to destroy a whole village for?"
"It is not of your concern." The man then halted, silently advancing on a sleeping form of a girl. She wore a white short-sleeved shirt, along with white shorts. The sleeves and such were outlined with blue. Around her middle was a bronze belt of sorts, and she had light shoulder armor, the same color as the belt. She wore casual brown boots, and brown fingerless gloves. Her long brown hair was done back in a ponytail. Her eyes were closed in sleep at the moment, hiding the soft brown color they were.
"You have to be kidding me," Dane said in disbelief. "That's the girl?"
"Indeed." The Man in the Black Hood reached into his cloak, and brought out a beautiful white orb. He held it up to her forehead. As he did so, it began to glow with intense light, which her skin seemed to react to, glowing on its own accord.
"Perfect." He turned to Dane. "We're taking her with us. She cannot die. No matter what." Then he walked away.
Still unsure, Dane called over to some of his soldiers.
"Bring the girl! We're taking her alive!"
"Yes sir!"
He then went to tell the rest of his army to finish the killing. It was time to go back.
The sooner the better, he thought.
While he did not trust the Man in the Black Hood, he knew he would have to follow his orders. It did not make him any happier.
*Chapter 1: To Save A Friend*
The woman examined the forest from her high view point. Soon, she saw what she had been searching for.
"There it is… the Green Tusked Dragon, Feyrbrand." She leapt down, into the forest, to try and meet it on land.
*****
The sun's rays beamed down into the forest, lighting up the beautiful green forest. Birds twittered, and the trees swayed softly in the wind. Besides that, it was quiet, a place that defined peace.
Dart had no desire to get up. A man at age twenty-three, he was a traveler. He had a short-sleeved black shirt and black pants. Over his upper torso was old red armor. It looked well-used, but was still holding up well. It covered his left arm, and he had brown, finger-less gloves on both hands. There were also red knee guards, made from the same armor. He had a brown belt, and common brown boots. His light brown hair was spiked up, and refused to settle. He had a bright red headband to keep it out of his black eyes. He also carried a silver sword with a gold and red handle.
He was currently thinking about the rumors he had recently heard. People had claimed that war would be coming, and this concerned him. While he could defend himself easily enough, you never knew what would happen in times of bloodshed. That's why he wanted to visit his old hometown, Seles, for the first time in five years.
"Best not to take risks…" he muttered to himself as he reluctantly stood. "I guess I can't sit around all day… Seles should be nearby." He began to walk through the forest, following a used path.
That was when he heard a noise. It sounded like several horses racing.
"An army…?" Dart kept his hand near his sword as he went to investigate.
Sure enough, there were many, many soldiers on horses. They were running in a different direction from Dart, and did not seem concerned with anything but reaching their goal. That gave him the opportunity to sneak up and watch the procession.
"What's with these guys?" he wondered. "Well, there's only one way to find out…"
He waited until almost all of the soldiers were gone, except for two stranglers at the back. They were going slower than the others, which was exactly what Dart wanted.
He leapt in front of them as they approached. Their horses bucked in panic, causing them to grab the reins with some swearing.
"Who are you?!" one demanded.
The other one lifted his spear to Dart's throat. "Are you a mercenary from Basil?"
"Answer!" the first one ordered.
Although he was outnumbered, Dart wasn't concerned. He was well skilled in fighting, and could easily defeat them if needed. But he wanted information, so killing them would have been pointless. He calmly drew his sword, causing the two soldiers to back off a little.
"What are you doing?!" the second one said in disbelief.
The first one lifted his own spear. "You dare draw steel against us?
Before Dart could answer, a crash sounded throughout the forest. The horses whinnied in terror, and Dart had to jump out of the way as they suddenly bolted, ignoring their master's cries to halt. Soon they were gone.
Dart cursed himself mentally at letting the opportunity slide, but soon forgot that as another crash was heard. The source then emerged.
It was a huge, green beast. It was covered with scales, and had very big wings. Its teeth were more like tusks than anything, and its claws spelled doom for any human that would be foolish enough to fight it.
"What is that thing?!" Dart exclaimed.
The monster hissed at him.
He drew his sword, knowing that it would be pointless to fight. Holding it in front of him, he slowly backed away, and then ran for his life. Behind him, he could hear the beast pursuing, but the trees were hampering it. That was the only reason Dart made it as far as he did, a reasonable distance. But soon, they were in a clearing.
"No way I can outrun it now…" Dart groaned as he saw the creature emerge. He lifted his sword. "I might as well die honorably…"
That was when somebody grabbed him around the waist. He felt himself being dragged along as the person jumped and landed behind a large rock nearby.
"What?" He looked over at his savior. She wore purple armor, outlined in gold. Her left leg was uncovered, but her right leg had the same armor on it. Her shoes matched the outfit. On her forehead was a purple band-like item, and above her ears were purple things that were almost like horns. She had a sword strapped to her side as well. Her hair was long and black, and her purple eyes were an interesting site to behold.
"Who are you?!" he asked.
"If you value your life, shut up," she whispered to him, nodding towards the beast.
Dart saw her point. The monster was examining the clearing, wondering where they had gone, roaring in frustration. Soon it gave up however, and left, its loud steps fading into the distance.
When it was safe, Dart stood. "Thank you for saving me." He looked in the direction the creature had left. "What was that?"
"A Dragon," the woman stated.
"Dragon?!" Dart said, shocked.
"Still, it is odd… why would they bring a Dragon? That village could have been destroyed easily enough without it…" the woman pondered.
"Village? No… you don't mean Seles?! Then those soldiers… they were coming from Seles!" Dart began to run in the direction of Seles.
"It's far too late," the woman warned.
He turned back to her. "It doesn't matter! Seles is my hometown!" He ran on, soon vanishing from the woman's sight.
She watched him leave, and then took out an orb. Normally, it was a deep purple, but now it was glowing with a soft light. She looked at it in astonishment.
God… could that man be…? No. There is no way…
*****
Even when fleeing from the Dragon, Dart was sure that he had never run as quickly as he did now. He finally made it to the top of a hill overlooking Seles. What he saw was not comforting. Smoke was still rising from the burnt buildings, even though they had been blackened long ago.
"My God! What happened to everyone?!" He charged down the hill, not pausing, even when he arrived at the fence bordering the area. He easily leapt over it, and saw a soldier attacking an innocent man.
"So you did not slay enough for your own satisfaction?!" the man growled. He was leaning against a ruined house, unable to rise due to the wound on his chest, delivered by a sword stroke.
The soldier snickered. "Just maybe it will be… if you are added to the list of the dead." He lifted his sword to deliver a finishing blow.
"Stop!" Dart demanded, halting a short distance away from the soldier.
"So… a mercenary?" The soldier turned to him with a smirk. "You're a little late."
"Shut up!" Dart snarled, drawing his sword. "What are you doing here?!"
"Can't you tell? We are taking over these weaklings's territory."
"You're occupying the village? Wait… that's it! You were sent by the Imperial Army, weren't you?!" Dart accused.
"Even if we were, that is none of your business!" the soldier declared, suddenly lunging at him, sword bared.
Dart was ready though. He neatly dodged the clumsy swing, and slashed the soldier's back. The soldier screamed in pain, and turning around, charged again. This time, when Dart sidestepped, he buried his blade into the soldier's right arm. The soldier immediately dropped his own sword, and stumbled back, trying to hold back the bleeding from the deep cut.
"Argh… you've gotten lucky!" the soldier growled, stumbling off. Dart let him go, choosing to look over the wounded villager instead, a man he recognized who went by the name Brad.
"Brad! Are you alright? Say something!"
The man's eyes fluttered open slowly. "Is… that… you… Dart…?"
"Yes, it's me! What's going on?
"War… Imperial Sandora… attacked us…"
"But why? What about the truce?" Dart inquired.
"I know… never… did I… think… they… would… attack… such a… random location…" Brad replied.
"Damn it!" Dart snarled, slamming his fist into the ground. "If only I had returned sooner!"
"Please… do something… for us. Rescue… Shana… you are… the… only… one… who… can…"
"Shana?! What do you mean?!" Dart touched Brad's shoulder lightly, and sighed heavily. "Too late… he's dead… why did I have to be so slow?!" He got up, kicking a wooden chest in anger. To his surprise, it exploded, due to the ferocity he had used on it. A bottle filled with blue liquid landed on the ground, having been previously in the box.
"A Healing Potion…" Dart realized. "It wouldn't have mattered, but still…" He picked it up anyway. Healing Potions were great for small injuries, but they couldn't cure serious ones, like Brad's.
"I've got to find out more information," he decided, moving towards the heart of the village.
When arriving, he saw another man who was still alive, and instantly ran up to him.
"Plos! Hang on!"
Plos rose slowly. "Dart?"
"Yeah." Dart helped him over to another building, and helped him lean against it. "You'll be ok… it's a light wound."
"It looks like I was lucky…" Plos responded. "But the village… if only you had come sooner…"
"…" Dart stared at the ground.
"Oh… there's something else you must know. It concerns Shana."
"Shana? What about her?" Dart inquired.
"They wanted her, Dart, and took her away. She was the reason they came..." Plos said sadly.
"Where did they go?"
"I'm not sure…"
The birds nearby had been examining the area curiously, poking their beaks at the ash of the houses. All of a sudden, they bolted, as someone else approached. It was a commander, and two soldiers.
"It doesn't matter… I'll make him confess!" Dart snarled, running up to them.
The commander raised an eyebrow. "You may have bested a private, but that is no reason to get cocky."
Dart ignored that. "Where did you take Shana?!"
"Shana… is that the girl? Don't worry… she will already be in Hellena Prison by now."
"What?! Hellena?!"
"Surprised?" the commander smirked. "She's quite special, and is the only one who got an invitation there."
"Are you serious? You destroyed this village only to get to Shana?!"
"That's exactly right. Don't worry though… you'll soon be joining your friends… in Hell!" Then they attacked without warning.
Dart ducked a sword swing from the first soldier, and then thrust it into the man's chest. He collapsed, dead. The other soldier paled, and hastily retreated.
"You think you're clever now?" The commander attacked, but was parried. Dart proceeded to thrust him backwards, and lunged, swinging his sword twice, crying out, "Double Slash!"
Both strokes hit, as the commander had been knocked off balance when he was blocked. That error proved to be fatal as he collapsed, and did not rise.
Dart sheathed his sword with a sigh. "At least I know where Shana is now…"
"So you are going to rescue her?" Plos asked.
Dart nodded.
"I will make no move to stop you, but please be careful. You're journey… is not over yet, is it?"
"…No."
"Just remember that all of us in Seles will always be willing to help. Come at any time; many of us survived. Enough to assist, anyway."
"Thanks…" Dart stood up, and walked by the door of the house. He was almost immediately knocked over by two kids, who rushed at him.
"Whoa, calm down!" he commanded, as they stood up guiltily. "You're Ishe and Lowe, aren't you?"
They nodded. The one called Lowe said, "We just wanted to protect our village from the bad guys…"
"I see… well, if you really wish to help, try to assist those that still are alive. You are brave enough to do that, right?"
Ishe nodded. "Thanks…" They left to help.
As Dart walked towards the exit of the town, he saw many grave stones, showing who had died in the fire.
"Rest in peace…" he murmured, running his hand over the middle one. Then he encountered something else.
"What is this?" he wondered, looking at the material he held in his hand. It was a small, clear orb. Inside it was glimmering dust that shined as the light reflected off of it.
Dart shrugged, and pocketed it. "I'll figure it out later…" He then rose to leave, when he saw a familiar face.
"Are you sure you are ok, Mr. Tasman?" a knight asked another man.
"It's a minor injury; I'll be fine," Tasman assured.
Dart approached him.
"Dart! It's been a long time."
"Yes Master," Dart nodded. Tasman had been the one who had taught him how to fight.
"I'm glad to see you... even though it is a little too late for that. I held off many of them, but it would have been much better if you had been here. Oh well, what's done is done. Do you want to train with me a little before leaving?"
Dart shook his head. "I wouldn't want to injure you any more Master. Besides, I can't delay."
"I could beat you, even when injured," Tasman grumbled. "Alright, go ahead. Be cautious though."
"Of course." Dart waved farewell, then left. Soon he had arrived at the path to his destination; the nearby forest.
*****
A Hellena Warden shoved Shana into the small cell, locking the door afterwards. "Be good in there!" he ordered before leaving.
Shana looked around the prison. It was a small area with a tiny window, which was much too small for her to get through, even if the bars in it had been gone. The cell door was much too sturdy to break through, and she had no way to get the key for the door anyway.
She sat down, gazing around. She knew that this wasn't like a noble story where a hero would come and rescue her. Nobody would even know that she was here, since all of the villagers-her friends-had probably been slain. And the only one who could have helped was long gone. She never forgot about him, always wondered where he was, and knew that he would probably not care about her, even if he had known where she was.
Shana was too slow to stop one tear from escaping her eye.
*****
Fruegel was not happy at this moment.
He was a large guy, mainly around the waist, who wore brown pants and a belt of the same color strapped over his shoulder. A big, black cape was the only thing that was even like a shirt to him. He also wore silver gauntlets, and carried a huge mace over his shoulder. The most bizarre thing was that he had two devilish horns. His appearance was purely wicked.
He appeared even more violent when angry, which is what he certainly was at the moment.
"Who the heck is that girl?!" he shouted at the Man in the Black Hood, who was calmly watching him. "I out of all people should know!"
"The world's future rests on her," the Man stated simply.
Fruegel stared at him. "That's it?!"
"That is all you need to know. Those who do not understand should just follow orders."
"I'm not taking your orders!" Fruegel snarled. "Only His Majesty, Doel, can order me around!"
"…Remember this," the Man said in a level tone, bringing out a sword and pointing it at Fruegel, who backed away swiftly. "More than your head will be at risk if that girl is even scratched. That is a message from Emperor Doel himself." Then he walked off.
"Argh!" Fruegel yelled in rage. He walked away, off the bridge he had been standing on. As he passed a soldier, he pushed the man into the chasm.
The soldier's scream echoed throughout the cavern.
*****
Dart entered the beautiful green forest and saw a merchant on the road.
"Hi! Want to buy something? If you want, I can even teach you how to use the items I have!" He showed Dart the things he carried.
Dart was not interested at first, but then something caught his eye. It was a jar with fire trapped inside.
"A Burn Out…" he realized. Items with magic trapped inside were not uncommon to find, but were expensive all the same. They were very useful, able to do much damage when used correctly.
"I'll take that," he said, handing over some gold.
"Thanks! You know how to activate it?"
"I've used them before."
"Very well. Have a safe journey!"
Dart began to travel down the road. It was very quiet, and he was absorbed in his thoughts. He almost had a heart attack when something jumped in front of him, and angrily hacked away the Berserk Mouse that had dared to mess with him. Along the road, he found more of the weak creatures, and beat them all easily. The Assassin Cocks, Goblins, and Trents that came didn't stand a chance either.
Eventually, he came upon a maze of bushes. When he walked through one, he emerged from another location. Along the way, he found another Burn Out, and a Healing Potion, that traveler's had dropped. Collecting them as he went, he was soon leaving the area, and was in another. It was a small river, which Dart jumped over. When he landed, a stray dog ran up, snarling.
"Go away! I don't have the time to mess with you!" The dog ran off whimpering.
"That reminds me… of a time a while back…" Dart recalled.
FLASHBACK
Shana and Dart, much younger than today, were exploring the river. Shana had jumped onto the bank where Dart was now standing.
"Over here!" she called.
Suddenly, a vicious dog leapt out at her. She stumbled backwards with a cry of shock. Dart immediately leapt over in front of the dog.
"Cut it out! Leave Shana alone!" he yelled at the dog. Growling, the dog ran off.
END FLASHBACK
"Leave Shana alone…" he muttered, remembering what had happened. "Don't worry… I'll get you out of there! I swear it!" he said aloud, clenching his hand into a fist.
To be continued…