Chapter 4: Hearts Aflame

"Okay! I am the author of this fanfic and I just want to thank the Water Goddess for her reviews. I'm so Happy and I appreciate it very much!" Luthein bows her head and then looks back up. "So here's the fourth chapter where there is some actual plot building!" the crowd gasps! "Yes, that was my surprise. You're probably wondering why the heck this fanfic has . . . . ORCS! Well, you'll find out as soon as I do. . . ."

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Okay, so antagonizing guards in an extremely uptight fortress wasn't so smart. It was not just the best way to escape. Or save Dart. Even though I was doing this for a good reason, right? Right. Even though the perverts that took me groped me in places that I hadn't really wanted to acknowledge just quite yet . . .

They took me up to the tower. And immediately I noticed it. The sky was dusky, setting off the deep red clay of the walls and an altar on which Albert was once placed. And a dark red spot where a Dragoon's blood had been spilt. Lavitz. . . .

I shook my head to this. I had no right to mourn him. He never knew me. I never knew him. Not personally anyway. But what really got me mad was how Dart was being treated. In the back of the room his arms and legs were tied to the wall. A man in a cloak(gee how redundant) stood beneath him, and was tossing the divine dragoon spirit in his hand.

"Put her down, gentlemen" he said. His voice was silky. It had a musical flow that made my head sway. I didn't like it all that much. I noticed how he moved, his body tall and lithe. I was plopped down in front of him. He tilted my chin up with a gloved hand. I could feel him smile.

"Rose. Or the reincarnation of her," he said simply. My breath caught as he held a dagger to my throat. "So tell me girl with resemblance to my Rose, what world did you come from?"

He was waiting patiently for my answer that I wasn't quite ready to give. I had to think. What would happen if I told him? Why was my body feeling like faded jeans? I could barely tell if it was all a dream. His breath was sucked in and he retreated.

"We can't force her to tell. It matters not. Take the dragoon stone away." He said.

"No! You can't! It's mine you jack-off!" I yelled. Cool. I felt superior! He had no idea what "jack-off " meant! 5W337.

He turned back to me and stuck his hand down my shirt.

"You friggin' perv! Get your hands off my—"

"Shut up. Like I would want to feel your menial breasts. The original Rose had much better ones anyway." He said, pulling out the Dragoon Stone. Yes. That comment hurt me quite badly.(sniff)

He clutched them in his hands and laughed. True he had a sexy laugh, maybe that's what made him so evil. The fact that he could be so sexy in the process. Just like Lloyd! But he had an evil type of darkness as his mistress. No earthly woman could ever satisfy his needs or wants. He was clutching the Dragon Stones in his palm, almost as if he was crushing them together. I watched him with angry eyes as he laughed maniacally.

"Finally, I have. it. I'll be the most powerful being in the world of Endiness!" He yelled. I stared. Okay now he was losing me.

"Oh, yeah, as long as you're alive, Rose, You're gonna be in my way, so I might as well make this quick." He said. I didn't have time to react. He was as fast as Lloyd except faster! The time had slowed for me, which was really strange.

He rammed a long curved dagger into my torso. What was really bad was, I couldn't feel it. Well, not the pain anyhow. It was warm and fuzzy. It spread through my entire body, but came from my wound. I felt like my muscles were having spasms all over and as if I was looking up from water. But then something happened. My heart started to flame with a madness, a dark madness that spread to my eyes or expression because I could hear the man's breath catch. I grabbed the dagger, felt my skin cut against the sharp edge. I tore it from my own body and launched it at the man. It hit his cloak and out spilled the stones, cracked, but shining with an incredible light.

"Did you feel what it was like to almost not exist?" he asked.

"Did you feel what it was like to see into my eyes and watch my soul change?" I asked. I couldn't control it. My voice was low. I felt along my shoes for the daggers. Found none there. Great. Guess my first level martial arts training would have to do. And what I learned off of Soul Calibur and Tekken.

The stones were between us, cracking more every second forced between us. I went into my position, he slightly maneuvered his feet. And then we went at it. My fists flew with more grace than I thought I had. My legs kicked at his face, but none prevailed. He had tossed me to the ground like a friggin' rag doll. Oh yeah. Suave, Rose, really. He was on top of me and I felt the stones beneath my back. AND IT HURT!!!!! I felt something start to crack I tried to fight the guy and his hands which were wound tightly around my neck. And then something went Squish.

"Uh, what was that?" he asked me.

"Yo, doofus ya had me on the friggin' Dragon stones. . . . uh oh." I said.

"Do you know what happens when you break the Dragoon Stones?"

"No, always wondered, but no . . ." I replied. We both gulped.

And then I felt real pain for the first time in my life. It was like a spear of hot pain was being plunged into and through my chest. I screamed in pain, tears ran down my cheeks. The guy did too. There was black light protruding through his eyes and mouth and nose as well as his hands. Then bright silver light flew through us both hitting us with full force. After whatever it was passed, he was cowering to the corner as I was trying to get up.

"Men," his voice was uneven,"Stop production of the orcs. "

Production?

"We must leave Hellena. Go back to our castle in. . . ."

In where?

"Elision."

What?

"What?" I mouthed. Wow, capable of speech. That was a good sign. Maybe now I could cuss him out for doin' that! I moved and felt my ribs hurt. Or not.

"We'll see each other at the makers' door." he said, all of everything leaving and going except for the bound Dart and I. Oh man.

I walked slowly up to him, grasping my sides. Dart looked up to me and hung his head.

"You did all this to save me?" he asked.

"Yeah, I love your daughter and wife. I always thought you were cool, too. I couldn't help it." I replied.

An explosion was heard in the distance. I could here steam being emitted in high pitched squeals. There was a smell of fire in the distance.

"Oh no. The factory was unattended. Thus comes forth an EXPLOSION!" I yelled. I bit at Dart's ropes and scratched, but It didn't work. Crap, man. This isn't good. I searched the floor for a dagger and there was the black one that that dude had used. Okay, that would work. I truck the ropes with one swing and they all just disappeared. And so did the dagger. Okay! That was new.

I helped Drat onto my shoulder, but we basically were supporting each other. Well, okay, he carried me half way and then at the gate we were thrown out. We coughed as we hit the ground, the feeling bliss and pain corrupted our view. We walked slowly to the edge of the road, where Zeek, Shana, and Wink were standing. They rushed to Dart's aid, checking to see if he was okay. I smiled as I watched them. I felt the dirt that was clinging to me. And Shana was lovingly wiping it off of Dart's face. I smiled and started back and then suddenly a male's hand whirled me around.

"What happened?!" Zeek asked infuriated. I saw him with the fiery background of Hellena's death and felt my heart stop. I smiled with weary eyes and touched his face.

"See, you could trust me. Dart is alive." I said, with a strange intake of breath. He caught my hand and stared at the blood red palm and wiped my blood from his face. His large brown eyes were staring at me with ire. Was it ire? Or horror?