Same disclaimer as last time.

I was very glad to leave Toto behind. The events of the past few days had left me with a profound dislike for ghost towns. Jowy and Nanami were unusually quiet; Pilika had apparently gone mute from grief. I myself was alternating between disbelief and fury. Two villages destroyed and a bunch of kids massacred. Why is this happening!?

Kinnison jarred me out of my gloomy thoughts. "There's Muse up ahead."

I nodded. "I hope Viktor made it."

We reached the gate to Muse, only to be stopped by armed guards. "Do you have a pass?" one demanded.

Jowy frowned. "What are you talking about? Viktor told us to come here."

"That doesn't matter!" the guard snapped. "You can't get into Muse without a pass. Now get lost!"

I slammed my fist against my palm. "Now what!? Where are we supposed to go!?"

Gengen spoke up. "Gengen saw an inn to the east. Maybe we can rest there."

"Good idea, Gengen." We set off for White Deer Inn, due east from Muse. I had heard of it before; Captain Rowd had described it as a "boring, stupid place". As far as I was concerned, that was a glowing recommendation. Anything Rowd hated, I was bound to like.

The innkeeper smiled as I walked up to the counter. "Welcome to White Deer Inn. My name is Hilda. How can I help you?"

"Rooms for eight, please. Six humans, one wolf, and one Kobold." I waved at Shiro. "The wolf is only a danger to our enemies."

"Alright." Hilda nodded. "Rooms right up the stairs."

We thanked her and headed upstairs to our rooms. We split into three groups: Nanami, Hanna, and Pilika took one room, Gengen, Kinnison, and Shiro had the second, and I shared the third with Jowy.

Jowy sat down on his bed. "This is getting worse by the minute. What else can go wrong?"

I shook my head. "I have a feeling that we don't want to know."

My friend clenched his hands. "The Unicorn Brigade, Toto, and Ryube. Why kill all those people!?"

"I don't know, but Luca has expert help." Jowy looked a question at me. "I saw General Kiba in Ryube," I explained.

Jowy's jaw dropped. "Kiba!? Now we're in really big trouble."

"Perhaps, but we have a trump card, or rather, two of them." I held up my right hand. "The Bright Shield Rune and the Black Sword Rune. With these runes, we have a chance to make a difference in this fight." I gripped Jowy's hand. "We'll see this through together, my friend."

He gripped back. "Thanks, Julian. Good night."

The next morning, we went downstairs and almost collided with Hilda's husband Alex. He seemed to be agitated about something. His hair was disheveled, and he had a wild look in his eyes.

"What's with him?" I asked Hilda.

"Alex is obsessed with treasure hunting," she replied. "He just found a way into the Sindar Ruins."

After a few pleasantries, Hilda persuaded us to accompany Alex on his latest treasure hunt, probably to keep him from getting himself killed. In return, he agreed to lend us his pass to Muse. I was glad for the change; for a few, hours, at least, I could forget about the war and relax. I was wrong.

The Sindar Ruins were far from relaxing. It seemed that every few feet we'd run into a new menace, each nastier than the last. Jowy and I were constantly using our team-up attack just to keep from being overwhelmed. Jowy finally got fed up and cast a spell with his new rune; I didn't catch what he said, but the effect was devastating. He cleared something like an acre with that one spell.

I thought our troubles were ended when we got to the last door. "How do we get in here, Alex?"

Alex pulled and oddly shaped plate out of his pocket. "I found this a few rooms back. It should fit."

It did indeed fit, and the door opened with a loud grinding noise. We slowly moved in, constantly alert for traps. It appeared safe, at first, but then….

Jowy spotted it first. "We've got company!"
"Company" was a large, two-headed snake. It was mostly green in color, with a yellow belly and red stripes on its back. I had the distinct impression that it wasn't friendly. It glared at us unblinkingly.

"Alex, stay back! You're not a fighter!" I yelled. "Everyone else, take your positions!" I raised my right hand. "Battle Oath!"

I felt incredible strength flowing from the spell. A glance at the others confirmed that it had affected them as well. Indeed, the effect on Gengen was profound: he literally went berserk, attacking the snake in a wild rage. Meanwhile, Jowy cast another mega-spell, this one even more powerful than the last. Kinnison pelted the snake with arrows, Shiro following through. Hanna and Nanami double-teamed one head, nearly severing it.

Suddenly, a dark-haired woman appeared out of nowhere. She surveyed the battle, her violet eyes coming to rest on Jowy and me. She sung a sword in a huge arc. "Dragoon Spirits, come forth!"

"What the!?" I looked down in disbelief as the gem I had picked up in North Sparrow Pass began to glow. The glow brightened, and lightning hit repeatedly. The effect died down, revealing violet armor, stronger and lighter than any I had yet worn. What startled me most was that I was no longer on the ground. I looked back, and saw dragon wings attached to my shoulders. To top it off, my tonfa had also morphed, looking much deadlier.

Across the room, Jowy had undergone a similar transformation. His armor was jade green, as were the veins of his wings, and his staff had turned into a wicked looking spear. The look on his face was a mixture of fear and exhilaration. I knew exactly how he felt.

I forced my voice to remain steady. "Hanna, Gengen, Kinnison, Shiro, escort Alex to the treasure room. Jowy, Nanami, stay here." While the others left, I turned to the mysterious woman. "Who are you, and what did you just do!?"

She smiled slightly. "My name is Rose, and what I did was show you your power."

"Our power?" Jowy repeated. He would have been skeptical, but he was hovering ten feet off the ground.

"Yes. You are Dragoons, or Dragon Knights. You are heirs to a power that dates back eleven millennia." Rose paused. "You, Julian, are the Dragoon of Thunder, while your friend is the Dragoon of Wind."

"Why did you do this?" I asked.

"Evil is gathering once again, just as it did centuries ago, when we fought."

"You mean you're dead!?" Nanami burst out.

Rose nodded. "Yes. But with your power, we can live again."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You will need a great deal of help in the coming battles. You must find the remaining Dragoons: Light, Darkness, Fire, Earth, Water, and the Divine, or Void." Rose smiled. "Once this is done, the two previous generations of Dragoons will return to life. We will, of course, come to your aid."

I grinned. "Thanks. I look forward to meeting you in the flesh."

"As do I." She vanished.

Jowy and I returned to human form, grinning ear to ear. "This is great!" Jowy said. "With our runes and Dragoon Spirits, even Luca Blight is no match for us!"

"Maybe. But remember, single combat doesn't win wars." I sighed. "We still have a long way to go."

At that moment, Alex and the others rejoined us, Alex looking very annoyed.

"I came all this way to find treasure," he growled. "And what do I find? An herb. Nothing more."

"I wonder." With that, we made our way back to the inn.

The first thing we met was Hilda, unconscious, with their son Pete crying next to her.

"Hilda! Hilda, are you alright!?" Alex yelled.

"Try the herb, Alex," Jowy said. "Maybe it's a medicine."

Alex complied, and Hilda revived almost at once. After thanking us profusely, Alex gave us his pass. We picked up Pilika, said our goodbyes, and hit the road to Muse.

The scene at the gate was too embarrassing to describe; suffice it to say that we wound up spending the night in jail, and were released in the morning thanks to Viktor and Flik. We told them of our adventures in Sindar, and especially of our new Dragoon powers. Those powers and the True Runes excited Viktor.

"Excellent!" he said. "Maybe now we can start winning battles."

Flik was more serious. "There's going to be an important meeting at city hall today, Julian," he said. "I want you and Jowy to attend."

"Right." Jowy and I followed Flik to city hall. Inside was quite an odd assortment; first and foremost was Lady Annabelle, mayor of Muse, flanked by Jess, her chamberlain. Next was Lord Gorudo, head of the Knighthood of Matilda, with a knight named Miklotov. The only other person whose name I caught was a young man named Fitcher.

I don't remember the specifics of what was said, but the gist if it was that the City-State would give what help it could.. Gorudo was inexcusably rude, though Miklotov's expression fairly shouted his contempt for his lord. Jowy kept squirming, as though he wanted to slap Gorudo in the face. I sympathized.

As Jowy and I got ready to leave, Jess stopped us. "Can you do us a favor?"

"What do you want?" I asked warily.

"We want you to infiltrate the Highland camp and find out how long their supplies will hold out," he replied. "We can provide uniforms so you can blend in."

We agreed, though Viktor was opposed. He considered it too dangerous. Jowy brushed him off, saying we could handle it. I backed him up.

"All right," Viktor said at last. "Be careful."

Jowy and I left and got our gear together. We thought we were in for a milk run. We couldn't have been more wrong.

We reached the Highland camp easily enough, but that was the easy part. I knew all too well what Luca would do if we were caught. From the look on Jowy's face, he did too.

"All right Jowy," I said, pulling on my uniform. "It's show time."

The Highland soldiers were a remarkably unsuspicious lot. Aside from the initial questioning when we arrived, we were basically ignored. We were able to see the supply tent up close…at first. Only two weeks' worth. That means an operation is imminent. I looked around. Boneheads. They wouldn't recognize us if we were wearing nametags that said I'M A SPY.

"Julian! We've been found out!"

"Blast it!!" We dashed into the nearest tent…Princess Jillia's tent. She spilled her wine when she saw us. Jowy calmed her down while I hid under a table.

"You should not be here," Jillia said when the soldiers left.

"If you think that, why didn't you turn us over to that sadistic brother of yours?" I sneered.

She didn't answer. Jowy resumed the conversation while I considered our options. There weren't many. We're toast. Luca will find us, and then we're dead meat. I won't be taken alive.

Jowy shook me. "Come on. Jillia will help us escape."

We got as far as the edge of the camp, only to be cornered by a whole company. It's over.

Jowy jumped forward. "Julian, go!! I'll take care of them!!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran, and didn't stop running until I was at the gate to Muse. Exhausted, I slumped against the wall, gasping for breath. Jowy, be careful. I don't want to lose you, too. It would kill me…Brother.

Nanami found me an hour later. "Julian, what happened!? Where's Jowy!?"

I gave her a brief account. "Jowy stayed behind to cover my retreat. I hope he's alright." I pushed upright. "You wait for Jowy here. I have to report in."

"Okay."

I trudged wearily to city hall, staggering occasionally. The populace, geared for war, ignored me. I didn't care; I was too worried about Jowy. I hoped he got away. Be safe, my friend.

At city hall, I was met by Viktor and Flik. "What happened!?" Viktor asked.

"We were discovered…Jowy stayed behind…told me to run…" I gasped.

Flik slammed his fist against the wall. "Blast it!! If only Jess hadn't sent you there."

Jess came in as Flik finished. "You're back. Well?"

Normally, his attitude irritated me, but now I was too tired to care. "Two weeks' worth of supplies, no more."

Jess smiled sardonically. "Good work. Now…"

I tuned him out. Truth be told, I was just as angry as Flik. Thanks to this idiot, my best friend was in mortal danger, and there was nothing I could do about it. It was unbelievably frustrating.

"Come on, Julian," Viktor murmured. "You need some rest." I nodded gratefully.

Later that night, a familiar figure burst into my room. "Julian!"

I sprang up, grinning with delight. "Jowy!! You made it!!"

He shook his head. "We don't have time for greetings. Annabelle's in danger!!"

"What!?" We ran for Annabelle's office, hoping we were in time. We weren't; I wrenched the door open just as the killer was leaving. "@#^$!"

Jowy swore viciously. "That was Kage, Luca Blight's favorite assassin. He always gets the job done."

Jess skidded into the room. "Did you do this!?"

"No…it wasn't them," Annabelle groaned. "It was…a Highland assassin."

"Here!?" Jess gasped.

"Yes. It's too late…for me, Jess. Go with Julian…help him…fight…."

Jess closed her eyes. "Rest in peace, Lady Annabelle." He turned to me. "Alright, I'm on your team now. I just wish circumstances were different."

"Likewise." I looked away. "She was going to tell me…about my adoptive father, Genkaku. Now, I'll never know." I spun and headed for the door. "Let's go."

The first person we met was Viktor. "Annabelle's dead, Viktor. A highland assassin named Kage did her in. The only silver lining that I can see is that Jess is on our side now."

Viktor nodded somberly. "Alright. The Highland Army is on its way here. I want Dragon Company out there ASAP. Jess, I'm placing you with them for now." Jess nodded. "Do your best."

I put one hand on Jess's shoulder. "Come on, Jess, I'll introduce you to Dragon Company."

Jess fit right in with his new comrades. He seemed invigorated by the prospect of avenging Annabelle's death on the battlefield. Jowy and I were the only ones as infuriated. I looked forward to personally killing Luca Blight.

I felt someone tug my elbow. "A very large Highland force is nearing the gate," said Jess.

"Alright." I lowered my binoculars. "I think this will be little more than a holding action. It would take a miracle to take that force. We'll have to delay them."

Kinnison, on lookout, spotted the enemy troops. "Here they come."

I drew my weapons. "Here we go, people! Let's show them what it means to mess with Dragon Company! Everyone forward!!" Matching action to words, Jowy and I transformed and took to the air. Our wings gleamed in the sunlight, and streaks of light trailed us.

Jowy spread his arms wide, creating a barrier of wind. "Rose Storm!"

I charged lightning in my fist, aiming at a Highland officer. "Atomic Mind!"

"Julian!" Flik shouted. "Enemy reinforcements! Retreat!"

"Got it! Good luck, Flik!" Jowy and I rejoined our own party after sending our troops off to find safety. "We'll head for Coronet," I said, morphing out of my armor, "and from there to Kuskus. That's outside of Highland control."

We got to Coronet without any further trouble, only to find a shortage of boats. No one seemed willing to give us a ride. In desperation, I headed to the bar. There, I ran into some familiar faces.

"Hey, Julian!"

I sped over, grinning. "Eilie! Rina! Bolgan! What are you doing here?"

Eilie grinned back. "We're on tour, remember? We're on our way to Kuskus. What are you up to?"

My grin faded. "I joined Viktor's army just after we split up. Luca Blight framed us for espionage, but Viktor and Flik saved us. We're on the run from the Highland Army."

The circus trio talked among themselves for a moment, then Eilie turned to me. "We'll help, too. We can't just sit around."

"Thanks. We need all the help we can get." I smiled. "Viktor and Flik should be here shortly."

I got up to leave; Eilie rose as well. "I'll go with you. Rina and Bolgan will meet us later."

"Good idea. I know from experience that you're lethal with a knife."

After hours of searching, we finally found someone who would take us: Tai Ho and his brother Yam Koo. There was a catch, however: I had to beat Tai Ho at Chichirorin, a dice game. If I won 5000 potch, we could ride the boat. I won 6000, so we were home free.

We stayed in Kuskus long enough to sharpen our weapons and grab a feisty young woman named Oulan. Then we started on the road to South Window. Our party was strong enough that we had little to fear from the local monsters. None could withstand us.

Our party arrived in South Window three days after the battle at Muse. Nanami wanted to see the sights, but Viktor insisted (rightly, in my opinion) that we go straight to city hall and talk to Mayor Granmeyer. This was no time to be fooling around.

The mayor promised to help if he could, but first he wanted us to investigate strange events in North Window. From the look on Viktor's face, this wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. It had something to do with the undead.

Flik stayed behind with Rina, Bolgan, Pilika, and Oulan, while Viktor took Eilie, Nanami, Jowy, a young man named Freed Y, and me to North Window. Along the way, I caught up with Viktor. "Viktor, what's so nasty about North Window?"

He looked away. "North Window was my hometown. Years ago, it was attacked by a vampire named Neclord. Most of the people were killed, including an old friend. I was able to kill Neclord, just barely. The few of us who were left abandoned North Window. It's nothing but a ghost town now."

"Great. Just great." Jowy shuddered.

We got to North Window without incident, and found it in exactly the condition Viktor had described. Dead trees, graves, and ruined buildings dotted the landscape. The dreariest part was a nearby castle; presumably, Neclord had moved in before Viktor killed him.

Jowy drew his staff. "I have a bad feeling about this."

His fears were confirmed, in a big way. A demonic-looking person in a black cape appeared out of thin air. His red eyes gleamed when he saw Viktor. "Ah, Viktor. We meet again."

Viktor gaped. "No way. I killed you!!"

Neclord laughed. "You thought you did. Fortunately, what you destroyed wasn't really me."

Viktor drew his sword. "Then I'll finish the job!!"

That was our strangest battle yet. Us, versus a vampire and five zombies. Viktor, clutching his sword in white-knuckled hands; Nanami, weapon held in a very old stance; Freed Y, his electrified blade sizzling with power; Eilie, a knife in each hand, ready to throw; and Jowy and myself, hovering in Dragoon form.

I made the first move. "Shining Light!" That took care of the zombies. Unfortunately, no matter what we did, Neclord was unharmed. Viktor hacked at him with increasing frustration, but to no avail. He simply laughed.

"Viktor, it's no good!" Jowy yelled. "We have to retreat!"

Outside, we thought over the recent fight. The zombies had fallen easily, but Neclord was unaffected.

"I need the Star Dragon Sword," Viktor said at last. "That's how I beat Neclord last time. The question is, will it allow me to wield it again?"

"Where is it?" I asked.

"In the Cave of Wind, southwest of here. We'd better get moving."

The Cave of Wind was even creepier than North Sparrow Pass, and that's saying a lot. Monsters everywhere meant a lot of headaches for the casual spelunker. I had never had a worse day…maybe.

Much to my surprise, we met someone after taking a wrong turn. He was a man dressed mostly in leather, with the look of a skilled mage. What he was doing in a cave I don't know, but he was very interested when we told him we were after Neclord.

"My name is Kahn." he said. "I'm a vampire hunter."

"Just what we need," said Viktor. "We're here to pick up the Star Dragon Sword."

Kahn got even more interested. "So, may I travel with you? After all, our goal is the same."

The vampire hunter proved to be a major asset in our trek through the cave. His magic was immensely powerful, and he showed no sign of fear. This would be very important soon.

At the end of the cave, Viktor exchanged words with the sword, A talking sword!? and then we did battle. The sword's strength was no match for our combined power. Our victory was inevitable.

I prepared the final blow. "Eat this, smart mouth! Thunder God Attack!!" After that little move, the Star Dragon Sword agreed to help us. Viktor retrieved it with a relieved expression.

He smiled. "Let's take it to Neclord!"

We got back to North Window as fast as we could, and headed right for the castle. Neclord had some zombies standing guard, but they didn't last long; Khan's Charm Arrow spell worked wonders on the undead. We made it to Neclord's room within minutes.

He started to laugh, then caught sight of Viktor's sword. "What!? The Star Dragon Sword!?" Neclord stood, a girl named Daisy at his side. "Give up the sword, Viktor, and you may have her."

"Don't do it, Viktor!" Jowy urged. "She's already dead!"

Viktor stepped forward…and cut off Daisy's head. "When somebody dies, they're gone!" he snarled. "There's no way to bring her back, so shut up!"

Neclord laughed. "I have to leave, now, so deal with this instead!" He disappeared.

His idea of a substitute was a hideous, five-headed monster about the size of an elephant. It looked like something a mad scientist might cook up in his spare time. Still, seven on one with this thing looked about even odds.

"Charm Arrow!" Kahn barked.

I followed up. "Shining Light! Battle Oath!" The second spell made Freed Y go berserk.

"Rose Storm!" That was Jowy, making sure we got out alive.

"Dancing Flames!" Nanami had bought a fire rune in South Window.

After nearly five hours of combat, the thing fell in defeat. Neclord's castle was ours.

Author's note: As I said, I haven't played the game in nine months, so some things are a little vague. Note that Jowy stays with the Hero; his defection is the only story element I saw that I disliked. The reason I know some things from later on despite not having gotten far enough is simple: I read an Expert Gamer strategy guide several months before I became interested in RPG's at all. Thanks for the reviews. D.S.