Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Dragoon, the plot of LOD, or the characters from LOD. OKAY????? I only own the stuff that I created; plot included.

Chapter VI: Unexpected Surprises

"Um........." I looked up at Hajeri. "You begin first."

"Fine. We are on a mission to find our friends, the Dragoon Judges. I am one of those Judges. The Queen of all Dragoons is the one who sent us on this mission. We are supposed to find the Judges because we are supposed to find out why and who is making the Dragon attack." Hajeri raised his hand when Selistia opened her mouth to say something. "And yes, Dragoons still exist even today."

"How'd you-never mind. So, let me get this straight, Dragoons are back and, um, are you two Dragoons?" Selistia pointed at me, then at Phirala.

"I am another one of those Dragoon Judges, and she is not a Dragoon." Phirala looked over at me, then back at Selistia. "Us Dragoon Judges, well, we are older than you think. Hajeri here, is, um, how old again?"

"Forget about my age and tell her yours. She does not need to know my age." Hajeri stared coldly at Phirala.

Phirala nodded quickly, obviously not wanting to make Hajeri mad. "Well, I am...um, thirteen thousand and eight years old."

"Whoa......" Selistia had the same reaction as I did when I found out how old she was. "So, um, if Crystal's not a Dragoon, then why is she helping the Dragoons try to save the world?"

"Well, because I am stronger than a Dragoon and my magical abilities and skills will be useful during the journey." I suddenly remembered all those times that I had either found someone that wanted to kidnap me or did kidnap me. 'And I'm gonna have a blast on this journey......'

"Oh......so, should I really be traveling with you? I mean, I'm okay with the 'save the world' thing, but, um, how would I be any help?"

"I...I don't know really. It still won't hurt for you to come along. I doubt we'll get into any more trouble." I said.

"Then what was that-that-that creature?" Selistia asked.

"I...I don't know. Hajeri?" I looked back up at him.

"It's an Octosia. It has to stay in special water for its special ability to work. I'm guessing that this area around us is that special water because I couldn't use my sword underneath the water. Its special ability disables anything that has to do with magic; and since our swords were made out of magic, we couldn't use them properly." Hajeri explained.

"Ooooooooooohh. That explains a lot." I just now noticed that we had arrived at Furni. "Well, we're here."

I stretched once we stepped off of the Queen Fury. "Hopefully one of the Judges are here." I mainly talking amongst myself, considering Selistia and Phirala had ran ahead to check out the place and Hajeri had just......wandered off. Again. I decided to go look for Hajeri and try and ask him about that dream that he had the other night. I knew he wouldn't tell me, but it was worth a shot.

I had wandered around Furni for the past hour.

'Man, I need a beeper for that guy.' I sighed as I stepped into the Inn. Hajeri was sitting in a chair, staring at nothing in particular. 'At least I've found him.' I walked up to a chair that was sitting in front of him and sat down in it. "So...um...can ya tell me 'bout that dream that you had?"

"What dream?"

"Ya know, the dream that you had while we were at Seles."

"Sorry. Don't remember." His stare was blank. I couldn't tell if he was lying. His face was just......emotionless.

I tapped my fingers on the arm of the chair. "Can you just-"

"She's coming."

"Who's coming?"

"You'll see...you'll see." Hajeri's face stayed emotionless.

Just then, the Inn doors swung open and I gasped. There was a tall, black haired, violet-eyed woman standing in the doorway. She was wearing dark, dark blue armor and uneven boots. Her black and blue rapier was sheathed on her side. Her pale skin and dark pink lips went perfectly with her black hair. She also was wearing a strange black headband with black and orange 'demon horns' attached to it. The 'demon horns' ended in a sharp point.

"I thought I'd find you here." The woman smiled.

"Rose! Why are you here?!" I was really surprised to find Rose......without Zieg. "Where's Zieg?"

"He had to stay behind. I have talked with the Dragoon Queen." Rose walked over to us. "She asked me to help you, so, that's why I'm here."

"Oh......well, would you happen to know where the Judges are?" I asked the female warrior.

"Only one." She relied.

"Who?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Milro."

"Then, where is he?" I leaned forward, elbows on knees and chin in hands.

"Oh, you are so going to hate what I'm about to say." She rested her right hand on her hip.

"Try me." I stared at her.

"He's in Deningrad."

"WHAT??!!!" I stood up quickly. 'He just HAD to be THERE!!'

Hajeri stared at me. "What's wrong with Deningrad?"

"Let's just say that I'm not really the most liked person there. I'm more than likely famous, but not liked." I shook my head. "We still hafta go there to get Milro."

Hours, and hours, and hours later, we had already traveled to Evergreen Forest.

"So, this Milro guy, how old is he? I mean, he's one of these Dragoon Judges, right?" Selistia asked.

"He's thirteen thousand and eighteen, right?" I looked at Phirala. "I remember the Queen tellin' me about him being ten years older than you."

"He is thirteen thousand and eighteen. So, let's just say I'm eight, Hajeri's twenty-eight, and Milro's eighteen." Phirala stared up at the clouds as she walked.

"Hey, Hajeri, how did you know that Rose was coming?" I slowed down so I could walk beside Hajeri.

"I could sense her Dragoon spirit." Hajeri went back to being quiet.

"Oh......" I stopped for a second, then sighed. Just then, I heard something move in the bushes. I turned to face some trees and bushes and just stared. 'I wonder what that was......" For some unknown reason, I began walking towards the bushes. I had already wandered deep into the forest before I realized what I was doing. "Great! Now I'm lost!" I shouted as I looked around and saw no one. 'I guess I could just walk a bit more and hope to find a town......' I didn't know what I was thinking, but I continued to walk; I was headed towards.........um, I......don't know.

So I continued walking for a good five minutes, but I finally stopped......but only because I had reached a town.....................and it was the town, Neet.

"OH THIS IS JUST PERFECT!!!!" I yelled. I started muttering curses beneath my breath as I stomped inside Neet. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME??!! I'M ALWAYS THE ONE TO GET LOST!!" I finally sat down on a giant stone that was once part of a building.

"Why, hello there, Wingly."

I jumped to my feet and drew my sword. "Who are you?!"

The guy in the black cloak was standing just feet away from me. "That I cannot tell you." He took three steps closer to me.

"STAY BACK!! I WON'T HESITATE TO ATTACK!!" I yelled at the guy.

"Oh, I know you won't." He took three more steps.

I held my sword tightly in my right hand, and an energy ball in the other. It wasn't really my style to give warnings before I attacked. 'I've already given this guy a warning, now I ATTACK!!' I raised my hand and shot the energy ball at him. A shield formed around the guy and my attack disintegrated.

"You'll have to do better than that!" He charged at me. And so the battle had begun.

I jumped to the right as I dodged the punch that was thrown at me. I swung my sword, and he ducked. His leg swung out and tripped me. I curved backwards on my hands, doing a back-flip to avoid landing on my butt. As I landed my on my feet, a kick was thrown at me. I quickly reacted and jumped. I landed, and crouched just in time to dodge another kick. I ended up doing five back-flips to dodge the energy blasts that he began throwing at me. On the fifth back-flip, instead of continuing, I lunged at him.

With a single movement of his arm, I was thrown sharply to the right; skidding along the dirt after a few seconds of 'flying'. I rolled onto my back to avoid getting hit my another energy ball. I continued rolling as he continued throwing energy balls.

As I was rolling, and now pushing myself to my feet, I kept wondering the same question over and over again: WHY WON'T THAT STUPID HOOD ON HIS STUPID CLOAK JUST FLY OFF??!! Yes, stupid question to be thinking at a time like this, but...that was just...me. I stood up straight and twisted out of the way as another one of those stupid energy balls came zooming past me. My right side was cut in the process.

I was now face to face with the guy. I couldn't quite see his face, although he was uncomfortably close to me.

BAM!! He punched me in my left cheek before I could even do anything. I, once more, flew a bit, then skidded along the ground on my right side.

I stood up slowly, and managed to duck as another fist flew above my head. I tackled him; not really thinking at all. We both fell to the ground and the guy's hood fell off. But ya know what? Before I even got a chance to look at his face, he PULLED THE STUPID HOOD BACK ON!! Then, he pushed me off of him and pinned me down.

"This is the end of your life." His voice was low, but strong.

Only one word ran through my head: Dagger. I immediately drew my dagger out from its sheath and shoved it into the guy's gut. He quickly stood up and backed off, holding his stomach. I still held the bloody dagger in my hand as I lunged at him again.

I would have made a direct hit if he hadn't had moved that stupid arm of his and flung me to the side. I flew to the right side sharply, but just for a second or two. I twisted and landed on my hands, then pushed myself off of the ground and flipped to land on my feet. I ducked the next punches that were thrown at me.

'This guy sure as guts to continue fighting.' I thought as I ducked a kick. The next attack I wasn't so lucky.

He had formed an energy ball the size of a lion's head and hurled it at me. I was thrown backwards and my back collided with a rock. I fell to my knees, then slowly fell onto my stomach. I tried to push myself back up, but, besides the pain in my back, a foot was on my back making the pain worse than it already was. I bit my bottom lip to keep from screaming out in pain 'cause it hurt. I could sense him charging up another one of those stupid lion-sized energy balls.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" A man's voice shouted.

Suddenly, the guy that was previously stepping on my back, was thrown off by a fist slamming into his face.

'How do you like THAT, buddy?!' I wanted to shout that stupid remark, but I was more interested in finding out who had just saved me. I tried to push myself up, but pain ran through my body as I did so. 'Okay. So I'm gonna be here a while......' I decided to stay where I was. I heard footsteps coming close to me.

"You need to stand up so you can drink this Healing Potion." The man's voice was close to me.

"My...back...it hurts......" I managed to spit out.

"I'll help you." Strong arms gently helped me stand.

I looked up. "Hajeri......"

"Here. Drink." Hajeri handed me a Healing Potion.

I obeyed and drank it. The pain in my body quickly went away. "But......how did you find me?"

"When I noticed that you were gone, I told the others to go ahead without me and that I would catch up with them later once I found you. And, well, I found you." He quickly stared down at the ground.

"Wh-" I decided to keep my question unspoken. "Thanks."

"No prob." He said, still staring at the ground. "We should go back towards Deningrad." He finally said after a several seconds of silence. This time, he wasn't staring at the ground, but at me.

"Okay. Let's go then before that maniac comes back." I just then noticed my sword was missing. "OH NO!!" I quickly began looking for it.

"What is it?"

"AHA!!" I shouted once I found it lying on the ground yards away from us. I put it back in its sheath. "Just had to get my sword, that's all. We can leave now."

A/N: I worked really hard on that battle, so please tell me how it was. I'm trying to get my battle scenes perfect. Ya know, perfect as in 'picture it as you're reading it' perfect. Yep, Milro is finally gonna be in here starting in the next chapter. I wonder how Queen Theresa is gonna act once I arrive at Deningrad...... [evil smile] She'll probably wanna kick me out again. Anyhow, there'll be a lot more action in here in the future chapters, especially with monsters and Couran. And Couran is not supposed to have a 's' on the end of it to make it plural. It just doesn't sound right to me. Don't ya like the Octosia? It'll pop up again later on in the story so I'll be able to give a better description of it since it really couldn't be seen underwater that well. But there will defiantly be plenty of new monsters to fight. Some cute, some ugly, and some just plan HIDEOUS. Just don't forget to review and I'll update as soon as I can.