Chapter One: If Witches were Horses
"How can you three sit around stuffing food into your faces at a time like this?!?" an enraged male voice screeched. It was another typical day for the Dragon Knights and their tagalong Dragon Officer. Rath, Red Dragon Officer, Thatz, Dragon Knight of Earth, and Gil, Dragon Knight of Fire, were sitting around a café table, eating lunch; all the while with an infuriated Water Dragon Knight named Rune screaming at them.
"What's the matter?" Rath asked, as he set down his drumstick.
"Don't you like your pickles?" Thatz queried, his attention finally on Rune. Gil sighed; he was the elder of the four and sometimes the voice of reason, and yet it was still hard to talk to the high-strung Elvish Dragon Knight.
"Relax and tell the readers what is going on, Rune." Gil murmured, quietly, from around his chopsticks. At first Rune gave him a confused look, then nodded in understanding.
"We were on a mission from the Dragon Lord to retrieve the head of our dreadful enemy, Nadil. Now that the mission's accomplished we should………!" Rune said, then was cut off by two overly enthusiastic voices.
"Eat local delicacies in the country!" Thatz shouted, gleefully.
"And kick some youkai butt on the frontier!" Rath added.
"No comment." Gil muttered, in exasperation, knowing what was coming next.
"NO! We're going back to Draqueen! The Dragon Lord is waiting for us!" Rune insisted, with fangs bared and hackles raised. Gil again sighed when more arguing came from the three younger members of his group (well, Rune can't really be classified as being truly young, but I think you get the idea). He would have found the situation humorous, had it not been for the fact that this happened almost every single day since the time they had recovered the severed head of their enemy.
"Shut up and listen to me!" Rune screeched, almost ready to kill his companions.
"Put the sword down, Rune." Gil ordered, patiently, as he stood and placed a hand on the Water Knight's shoulder.
"Sorry, Gil." Rune muttered, as he tried to calm down.
"Why are ya so pissed off, man? The Dragon Lord told us to go fight youkai." Rath panted, recovering his cool after having been threatened by an enraged Rune.
"The Dragon Lord also told us to get back soon." Rune growled, impatiently.
"You're such a brown-noser, Rune. It's not like the boss man can see us now." Thatz said, dryly, as he snacked on some pastries.
"What would you call me, Thatz? I also am in agreement with Rune that we should be making all speed to get back to Draqueen." Gil murmured, his voice as always soft and patient.
"Yet, you also get all gung-ho when we're fighting youkai. What's up with that?" Thatz asked, curiously.
"Something in my past. That's all I will tell you, for now." Gil replied, coolly.
"Eesh, okay………..It's just a job, Rune. Relax or you'll snap. Sit down and eat. We still have plenty of time to make it to the next town before dark." Thatz reassured, getting an approving look from Gil for helping to diffuse the situation.
"Okay. But if we let our guard down, the enemy might come and eat us." Rune muttered, crossly, as he sat down and started to finish his lunch.
"What?!" Rath yelped, surprised by what Rune had just said. Gil looked heavenwards; he knew that it was going to be a long day just by watching Rath and Rune. Even though Rath was a Dragon Officer, he was one of the best fighters in Draqueen and was the resident youkai expert. Nobody knew more about youkai than Rath. At least, that is what most people thought; Gil knew quite a bit as well, and he hated youkai with a passion.
"I was almost made into a monster by those bastards! I intend to make them pay with every ounce of my strength! The Youkai will learn to fear my name, as they have with Rath." Gil thought, unaware that he and his group were being watched.
"Master, they look delicious. They haven't noticed that they are in an illusionary town." A woman's voice murmured, as the owner of the voice talked into her crystal ball.
"A meat dinner after so long……You must be excited, Cesia." The witch on the other end said, with a slight smile.
"We could make them into a hot and spicy Chinese soup!" Cesia added, practically making the witch drool at the thought.
"Lure them into the house in Misty Valley. I'll fire up the cauldron." The witch snickered, then added, "Use the one-eyed monster."
"But you ate it the other day!" Cesia retorted.
"Ehh………….so I did. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something!" the witch cackled, before the crystal ball went dark.
"I'll use an illusion. After all, I am a witch's foster child." Cesia mused, before leaving the crystal ball to attend to her would-be meal.
"COME ON! TELL ME!" Rath shouted, at the tops of his lungs. Gil flinched when Rune and Rath started on yet another shouting match.
"Here we go again." Gil thought, as he rolled his eye and shook his head. Rune had tied Rath up and put him in a sack to prevent him from going out and finding more youkai to kill.
"You're always thinking with your sword!" Rune snapped, furiously.
"What's wrong with that?!" Rath replied, then added, "There is something, isn't there?! Eh? Tell me!"
"Don't tell him, Rune!" Thatz shouted, from the other end of the restaurant (where he assumed he was safest).
"Don't worry! I won't tell him about the man-eating witch!" Rune answered, unwittingly revealing what he had wanted to keep hidden from Rath.
"A man-eating witch!" Rath sang, as he bounced off, gleefully. Not far behind him was Gil.
"Gil! Don't you start!" Rune snarled.
"Start what?" Gil asked, innocently.
"You're all gung-ho again, Gil." Thatz muttered.
"Oh………….that………………it's just that I like killing youkai as much as Rath does. That's all." Gil explained.
"All the more reason for you not to start." Rune growled, impatiently.
"Aw, C'mon Rune! Let's go kick some witchy butt!" Rath said, giddy with excitement to go out and kill the witch.
"You can't. She's dead." The waitress (who happened to be Cesia) said, matter-of-factly. All activity ceased as the news sank into the three Dragon Knights and the Dragon Officer.
"Did someone get her already?!" Rath asked, practically in tears from hearing the news.
"Damn. And I haven't even had the chance to test my newly learned fire magic yet." Gil grumbled, equally as disappointed.
"A one-eyed monster ate her. Here's your bill!" Cesia said, as she handed Rath the bill.
"Did you just say a one-eyed monster ate her?!" Rune asked, in disbelief. Cesia nodded.
"It's a terrible monster in Misty Valley. I need a few brave, handsome, and strong warriors to get rid of it. I'm in a lot of trouble, won't you help me?" Cesia asked, playing up to the role of damsel in distress almost naturally.
"Kicking youkai butt? You bet I'm in! Guys?" Rath asked, now happy about having a youkai to kill again.
"Naturally, I'm with you, Rath." Gil replied, with an eager grin.
"All right. Let's get this over with." Rune muttered, resigned to his fate.
"Count me out. It's a waste of time. Unless it's an order from the Dragon Lord." Thatz mumbled, as he sat down on the couch.
"Aw, c'mon Thatz." Gil said, his tone denoting some displeasure at having Thatz refuse to come along.
"Wake me up when you're done." Thatz retorted, as he turned his back to his compatriots and proceeded to try and take a nap.
"THATZ!" Rune shouted, angrily.
"If you help me, I'll pay you." Cesia added. This got Thatz's attention.
"Well, why didn't you say so? Let's get going!" Thatz said, cheerfully, as his companions rolled their eyes in exasperation.
Just as the four companions set foot outside of the door, the entire town vanished. They found themselves right in the midst of the Misty Valley itself.
"Where did the town go?" Rune asked, confusedly.
"And why is Misty Valley right outside?" Rath asked, in turn, just as befuddled as his friends were about the sudden change of scenery. Unbeknownst to them, Cesia still watched them from nearby.
"I won't let them get away!" Cesia thought, then whispered, "Wind!" Almost immediately, a strong wind kicked up around the four companions.
"Where'd all that wind come from?" Rath again asked.
"Good question." Gil muttered, even though he had his suspicions.
"It's all good. Saves us time." Thatz said, seeing that the wind had cleared the mists for the moment. All of them were unaware of the huge beast that was just appearing beyond their clearing.
"Something doesn't feel right……..Where are we?" Rune murmured, now a little uneasy about his surroundings. He turned just as something disappeared from view.
"What's wrong, Rune? You look a little spooked." Gil said, noticing when he saw the Elvish Dragon Knight jump.
"Did you feel that? I felt something weird." Rune replied.
"I did, but I don't think it was a youkai." Gil said, trying to ease Rune's uneasiness a little.
"Is it the one-eyed monster?!" Rath asked, eagerly.
"Where's the money?!?" Thatz asked, equally as eagerly.
"Whatever it is, let's finish it up and go home!" Rune said, once again becoming impatient.
"Shut up!" Rath snapped.
"Rune, Thatz, let's bring out the dragons. We might be able to get a better view from the air." Gil suggested. This got an agreement from his fellow Dragon Knights. They were still unaware that Cesia was nearby, though this time she clung for dear life to a tree branch (she'd slipped from the top of it when she heard the word 'dragons')
"Fire Dragon!" Gil called, as flames erupted from the sword he held in his hands and a red dragon materialized behind him.
"Water Dragon!" Rune shouted, as water flowed from his sword and its namesake dragon took shape behind him.
"Earth Dragon!" Thatz cried, as his dragon erupted from the ground behind him. From her tree, Cesia watched in stunned silence.
"Are they………………knights?" Cesia muttered, as she watched the three Dragon Knights.
"Rath, come on!" Gil called, as the young Red Dragon Officer jumped onto Fire Dragon's back and wrapped his arms securely around Gil's waist (not in a loving way, people!).
"Thanks for letting me ride, Gil!" Rath said, with a grin.
"No problem, Rath. After all, I can't very well leave you behind while we go youkai hunting, now, could I?" Gil asked. He got a hug from Rath.
"You're the greatest, Gil!" Rath said, enthusiastically. Gil chuckled.
"You still remind me of my younger brother, Rath." Gil murmured, mostly to himself, as his thoughts turned to the only family he'd left behind from his former life.
"Gil! Do you see the monster?" Rune asked, startling Gil from his thoughts.
"No, unfortunately enough!" Gil replied, then looked when Thatz started shouting at them.
"Rath! Rune! Gil! I think I see it!" Thatz shouted, as he pointed down at something on the ground. When they had landed, they were again confused by what they found.
"Is this our guy?" Rath asked.
"Well, it is one-eyed." Gil muttered, as he stared at the tiny monster Thatz held in his hand.
"And it looks like a monster, but I don't know." Rune added, equally as confused as his compatriots.
"It's gotta be big enough to eat a witch. Not this guy." Rath said, then turned when something caught his attention. There, standing before them, was a much larger version of the creature that Thatz held in his hand.
"Whoa…….." Gil muttered, summing up what his companions were thinking with just that one word.
"That's it!" Rath shouted, overjoyed that the monster had showed itself.
"Yup, it sure looks like it could eat a witch!" Thatz agreed.
"Where's the mouth?" Rune asked, having noticed what the monster was lacking.
"A big guy's got to have something to eat with! Go, Fire!" Gil commanded, as the dragon charged forward and he gracefully mounted while it was moving.
"Let's go, Earth!" Thatz shouted, not willing to be left behind.
"We'll go home after this, Water." Rune said, as he reassured his dragon.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Rath shouted, as he ran after them and jumped onto Fire's back.
"Sorry about that, Rath." Gil apologized.
"No prob, Gil. Just warn me next time!" Rath replied, as they all took to the air to face the monster. Meanwhile, Cesia was gearing up her wind powers again.
"I can't forsake the master. I have to lure them into the house." Cesia thought, as she used her power to strengthen the hide of the monster. At the same time, Gil threw his sword at the monster, and was shocked and just a little annoyed when it bounced off of the recently toughened skin of the beast.
"It didn't work?!" Rune yelped in disbelief.
"Hmm….." Thatz mused, not liking the looks of this.
"What's this monster made out of, anyway?!" Gil asked, as Rath growled basically the same thing under his breath.
"All right……….take this!" Gil shouted, as he charged up an attack spell.
"Gil! Rath! I have an idea! Don't waste your energy. Let's try this!" Thatz suggested, as he got what appeared to be a satchel from his travel bag.
"Try what?" Rath asked, voicing his and Gil's confusion in that moment.
"Nadil's head!" Thatz replied.
"They say Nadil's powerful dead or alive." Rune murmured, catching on fairly quickly to what Thatz wanted to do.
"You want to see if that is true?" Gil asked, incredulously. Thatz nodded, and tossed the satchel to Rath.
"Catch, Rath!" Thatz shouted, as he lightly tossed the bundle to him.
"Why're you throwing this thing at me?!" Rath asked, looking a little perturbed about that.
"You're the one that killed the guy, so I should think you should get the honors." Thatz stated. Rath gave Gil an uncertain look, to which Gil could only shrug in response.
"Why not? Might as well give it a whirl, Rath. The worst Nadil can do now is bite you on the nose." Gil joked, getting a slight chuckle from Thatz and Rune, and a deadpan look from Rath.
"Oh sure, give me something to look forward to, Gil." Rath muttered, then unraveled the cord that held the satchel together.
"Behold the power of Nadil's head!" Rath shouted, as he grabbed a fistful of hair and unveiled the head itself. Nothing happened.
"Huh?!" Rath muttered, in utter confusion.
"It didn't work?" Thatz mumbled.
"Rath! Don't look! It's dangerous!" Rune shouted. Then, abruptly, a strong wind kicked up around them (courtesy of Cesia) and did the unthinkable……….it opened the late youkai lord's eyes!
"What's happening?!" Gil yelped, as lightning leaped from Nadil's eyes, obliterating all within sight, including the monster and (to Cesia's shock) the witch's house!
"Rath! Put that thing away!" Rune shouted, as Thatz and Earth Dragon tumbled end over end behind him.
"You got the monster. Stop before you blow up the whole valley!" Gil cried, as he held onto Fire Dragon's mane for dear life.
"Sorry……..I think this guy's more powerful dead." Rath muttered, as he quickly got Nadil's head back under wraps. Later that day found the four adventurers in yet another town. All around them they could hear the gossip of the townsfolk.
"I heard that the Dragon Knights and a single Dragon Officer defeated a man-eating witch." One said.
"You don't say!" another said, enthralled.
"Yeah." the first speaker said.
"They're Lykouleon's top warriors, right?" another asked. The first two nodded.
"They've been busy lately, though. I wonder who they are?" the first mused. The others sighed and shook their heads. They certainly didn't know.
"A man-eating witch?" Rath asked.
"But I thought we killed the one-eyed monster……." Thatz said, confusedly.
"I thought that too." Gil murmured in agreement.
"By the way, where did the girl go?" Rune, in turn asked.
"We didn't get paid!" Thatz growled, realizing the one point he'd forgotten. Gil sighed, another interesting day with his companions. What more could he ask for?