The Legend of Dragoon: The Next Generation
By Spike and Archangel
Chapter One: The Move
So, have you got a plan?
"I always do."
Other than hit-and-run?
"'Course not!"
The dragon sighed in his mind. Can't you be more creative?
"This isn't the time for creativity." Sean pointed out. "If I spend too much time trying to be fancy, I'll botch the mission. You know I like to improvise anyway!"
Quite true. Alright. Here he comes. Go for it.
Sean looked down from his hidden perch. He hid in the corner shadows of the rafters of a large room. It was filled with many people, most dressed in black armor. They looked like humans, but they weren't humans. They were vile creatures, bent on killing, with black skin and glowing green eyes. Sean had been watching them for a little while now and discovered one extreme weakness.
They were all linked, mentally. They were all mentally controlled by one man: their leader. Take him out and the whole race (how small it was) would fall. That was his mission: take out the head honcho.
The leader came into the building, draped in black garments and a black cape, filled with glee. He walked up to the other end of the room, the side Sean was on, and sat down on his throne.
"My people, this is it, our last night in hiding!!"
It's your last night, period. Sean said to himself.
"Tomorrow, we will rise, we will march to the human lands, and we will TEAR THEM APART!!"
The creatures cheered for their leader. Sean had to smile. This was the part about his job that he loved: shattering an enemy's, right at the peak of their hope.
"Nothing will stop us!" The leader continued. He went on for a little while, saying how they were going to take over the human race. Sean was sick of this guy, but he had to wait for the opportune moment to attack. He had to run from his corner, across the rafters, jump down and strike, all without being seen. "Tonight," the leader said, wrapping everything up, "We celebrate!!" Everyone cheered again.
"C'mon." Sean whispered. "Start the party." Once they were all having their fun, they'd be distracted, giving Sean the chance. One of the leader's mistresses came over and handed him what looked like a champagne bottle. He toyed with the cork, trying to open it. Sean had to chuckle. "All that talk about his power and he can't open a bottle."
Finally, the cork cracked off and flew…right into Sean. It hit him a fraction of an inch above his eye, but the impact startled him.
"Ah!" He shouted, checking his eye for damage. Of course, everyone heard that. They all looked up at the shadowy corner. Sean froze. Maybe they'd look away. But then, the leader fired a fireball from his hands right to where he was sitting.
Sean reacted quickly. He pushed off hard; jumping off the rafter, clear over the fireball. He flipped through the air, over the heads of surprised spectators, and landed right in the isle between them, not far from the leader. He quickly drew his sword, a Claymore, and started to run for his target, but several long, jagged spears stopped him short. Sean looked around. He was surrounded.
"A human?" The leader asked, looking closer. Sean remained silent. "How did you get in here?" Once more, he said nothing. "Will you not speak?" Still nothing. "Perhaps you will tell me exactly why you are here."
"I represent the human race." Sean said. "I don't particularly like your idea of destroying us all. Perhaps we can negotiate something?"
The leader chuckled. "I do not negotiate."
"Good." Sean said. "I can proceed with my plan, then."
"And what plan is that?"
"To kill you and all your followers."
Everyone in the room laughed.
"Now, look here, young human." The leader said through his chuckles. "You're only proving the stupidity of your species. There are many, many of my kind and only one of you."
"But all I have to kill is one person, right?" Sean returned. The leader's smile vanished.
"Kill him!"
Sean ducked at light speed to get below all the spears as they struck, then rolled away before they could resituate themselves. Sean stabbed a soldier with his sword, then jumped up and struck his belly. The soldier fell and Sean spun to block another two strikes. Then, he killed a guard and took his spear to spin and block a few more strikes, then stab another guard in the neck. Sean killed two more with this weapon, and then threw it into a guard standing closest to the leader.
Sean was an unbelievable fighter. He blocked or avoided every strike against him and killed the guards who stood in his way. Sean soon got tired of the attacks against him and decided to end it. He pulled something out of his pocket, a small, round object. Sean pushed something on it and threw it into the larger end of the crowd, then jumped away and ducked down.
A loud explosion rang throughout the room, killing many soldiers. Once it was over, Sean jumped up, and then jumped away to avoid a fireball from the leader. He fired again and again, but Sean was too fast for him. Finally, Sean picked up a spear and threw it at him. The leader burned it too and quickly fired one more flame at Sean. This time, he couldn't dodge it. So, instead, he held his hand up.
The whole time, Sean had a necklace. It was a simple thin chain with a gray orb in the front. It had a long, thin, vertical, black line in the front, like a reptile's pupil. The whole thing looked like a reptilian eye. When that flame was launched, Sean held his hand up and the orb glowed. The flamed connected with Sean's hand and did no damage whatsoever.
The leader's eyes shot open. "Impossible! Humans do not wield such powers!"
"That wasn't my power. It was the power of my comrade: a dragon."
"A dragon?" Suddenly, he let out a sharp gasp of terror. "You cannot be!!"
"But I am." Sean said.
"You're one of the legendary humans that wield a dragon's powers! You're…a Dragoon!!"
Sean nodded. "Yep."
The leader was in disbelief. "DYAH!!" He shouted, firing long flames from his hands. Sean held his own hands up, blocking the blast. Then, they surged with power. A white blast fired from his hands, overcoming the fire and blasting a hole in the leader's stomach.
He gasped in vain and stumbled back, catching himself on his throne. "Dragoon…" He said. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. "If I am to die…I will take you with me!!" He pressed the detonator.
The last thing Sean saw before blacking out was his necklace orb glowing brighter.
Sean's body finally washed up on the shore. He was still unconscious, with blood seeping through his wounds. He needed to wake up and heal himself quickly. Sean's necklace glowed once more. A light emerged from the orb and swirled together, taking on a very large form, the form of a dragon. The large dragon nudged Sean.
"Get up." Sean didn't stir. "Get up." Sean's eyes barely fluttered. "I said get up!" The dragon boomed. Sean's eyes opened more. "Are you just gonna lie there forever? Get up! NOW!!" Sean obeyed. He pushed with his hands, making this the hardest push-up he'd ever done. He forced himself up onto his knees and took a breather.
"I'm up." He wheezed. Sean looked himself over. "Man, I'm a mess." He pulled something out of an item pouch tied to his side and pulled out a glass vial. He shattered the glass and a blue fog surrounded him. Sean breathed in deep several times. The item was called a Healing Fog. It completely restored his body, though he still felt the pain. Sean was used to it.
When he'd rested, Sean looked back in the direction from which the sea had taken him. "I should've guessed that he'd have a desperate resort. But, hey, they're gone and I'm alive." He forced himself to stand. "Don't mess with this." Then, he looked at his watch. "You know, I just don't get this. I travel around, destroying evil, keeping this world safe, and risking my life in the process. Then, I spend the most energy getting home to meet my curfew. Something just ain't right about that."
"I'll fly you." The dragon said. He pulled Sean onto his back and flew.
As you could tell, Sean isn't the average human. With all he does, you'd assume he was an adult. You'd be wrong. He was sixteen. That's right. Sixteen. Barely had his license and he was saving the world. He had no choice. If he didn't do it, no one would.
Sean was a warrior, and a Dragoon. A dragoon was a person who used a dragon's power to fight. That orb around his neck was a Dragoon Spirit, the tangible soul of a dead dragon. The dragon was still conscious, however, and aided Sean often. They were a symbiotic team. Sean would fall without the powers and the dragon couldn't work without a vessel.
Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Sean had to use these powers to defeat whatever forces threatened the human race. He alone was in charge of annihilating armies of vile beings of all sorts.
Why was such a burden placed upon a teenager instead of an adult? There's a story behind that which we'll get to later. As of now, Sean had gotten pretty good from his years of fighting and was used to his task. However, there was a reason he'd started. He had to find the others, the other Dragoons. There were eight total, including him. So far, he'd been unsuccessful in finding even one other. He wouldn't quit, though. He'd need them.
As Sean said, it was quite ironic that he dealt with so much danger, then had to get home by midnight or else. The dragon flew Sean as close to civilization as he could, then Sean had to run. He looked at his watch as he ran, counting down the minutes. Soon enough, he made it home. He walked in the door and through the house to find his father watching TV.
"11:59 as usual." He said.
Sean shrugged. "I made it, didn't I?"
"Yeah, as usual. Still don't know what you do 'til the last minute."
"Just stuff." Sean said. He always said that. His father didn't know about his being a Dragoon. Nobody knew. Sean rubbed his eyes. "Look, I'm really tired, so I'm going to bed."
"Hold up there, son." His father said. "I gotta talk to ya."
Sean reluctantly turned back around. "Yeah?"
"Sit down." He did so. "Look, uh…I don't know how to say this, but…I just got transferred today. We're moving."
Sean's brow rose. "Moving?"
"Yep."
"To where?" His father told him. "Wow. That's pretty far."
"They're starting a new group out there and wanted me to help 'em out, you know?"
"I guess."
"So…what's your take on this?"
Sean didn't know how to react, really. "Look, dad." He said, rubbing his eyes. "I'm really tired, so why don't you let me sleep on it and I'll tell you what I think in the morning, okay?"
His dad nodded. "Alright. G'night."
"Night." Sean responded, already down the hall. He turned into his room, closed the door, kicked his shoes off, pulled his shirt away and collapsed on the bed. He was asleep in seconds.
However, his dragon friend never slept. A minute or so later, when he was sure Sean was asleep, the dragon reacted again, its spirit glowing only slightly.
Sean's eyes fluttered open. He wasn't in his room. His conscious mind had been pulled into the Dragoon Spirit. It was an endless realm filled with many colors all swirling around a gray environment. He'd been here before, so he knew what to expect. Sean sat up and saw the dragon standing there.
"Moving, eh?" It said.
Sean nodded. "Yep."
"You think it's a good idea?"
"I don't know."
"Where would we be going?" Sean told him and the dragon considered it. Suddenly, a sort of map appeared in the air for both of them to see. "That's a ways away from the perimeter we've been circling."
"I know." Sean said. "That means it's full of places we haven't checked. The other Dragoons might be around there."
"Possibly. But what of enemies?"
"The only real threats we just took out. Things look pretty calm here."
The dragon nodded. "This could be quite advantageous. New places to look for either friend or foe. Sounds like a good idea to me."
"Me too. So, it's settled. We're outta here." Sean summed up.
"When?"
"I don't know. The sooner, the better."
"Indeed."
"Alright, now I have a little human duty to attend to called sleep, so if you don't mind…"
The next thing Sean knew, he was back in his bed. This move would be good. He only hoped he was right about there being Dragoons somewhere around. Sean's mind got to wandering. He looked at his nightstand drawer. For the longest time, he contemplated opening it.
Finally, he hand reached over, grabbed the handle and opened it. Once it was halfway open, Sean stopped and thought some more. He shut it again and rolled over, attempting to get back to sleep.
In two weeks, everything was packed and ready to go. His dad started up the car and pulled from the driveway and the moving truck followed. Sean's arm hung lazily out the passenger window. His head turned to take one last look at his home. He wasn't too hurt by this move. Most teens would think about the friends they'd made and the good times they'd had. Sean didn't have friends, and all he had were bad memories for the past eight years.
He had nothing to look back at. He could only look forward. A small smile began to slide onto his face. He was going as far away from this forsaken place, into a new town, a new life, and a new start. He couldn't wait.
Eighteen hours in a car is enough to make anyone go mad. Thankfully, Sean had been taught patience over and over until it was a natural thing. Still, he was glad to be out of the car. Before stepping inside, Sean looked around his new environment. It was a suburban area, small and quiet. He liked that. He took a moment to stretch and crack various joints, just for the feel of it. He got a look around his new house. It was pretty good, and his room was bigger, so he was satisfied.
They got to work moving things from the truck into the house. Many people came around that day to greet them. They consisted of adults and young children, but no one Sean's age, not that he'd interact anyway. He'd just nod hello and say little else. Sean wasn't a talkative person. He really didn't want to get involved in these conversations, but his father would always point him out and they'd ask about him.
But the question he hated the most was the one everyone wanted to know. Where was "the Mrs.?" And they were always given the same, simple answer: "No longer here."
Their unpacking continued for hours. Sean was unloading boxes of his own stuff and finding places for them in his room. He didn't own much, so this didn't take much time. In the midst of all the other junk, Sean picked up a picture. He quickly stood up and put it in his new nightstand drawer and shut it, more forcefully than intended.
"So you don't even look at her picture anymore?" His father asked from the doorway. Sean didn't look at him.
"I have it memorized, so what's the point?"
His dad sighed and shook his head. "That's no way to deal with it, son."
"Deal with what?" Sean winced.
"Nothing." His father withdrew. Sean shook his head. He didn't need the picture. So…why did he still have it?
Sean went back out a little later to help his dad again when he came. Sean's dad had just gone off with something heavy, assuring Sean, "I got it…I got it!" Once he went in, Sean went to go look for more things to carry. Then, he came. Sean had seen him coming up on his bike, but turned back to the truck before he got there. He didn't think he'd stop, but he did.
"Hey, there." He called. Sean turned around to look at him. He looked about his age. He wasn't as tall as Sean was, but not many teens were. He had a kinda large frame and black hair. He still sat on his bike with one foot supporting him. "Movin' in?"
"Yeah." Sean said, trying to get back to what he was doing. The newcomer got off his bike and walked up to him.
"Need some help there?"
"Nope."
"What's your name?"
"Sean." He still wasn't looking at him.
"I'm Ben." Sean saw his hand in the corner of his eye, wanting to shake. Reluctantly, Sean turned to shake his hand, but when he did, his eyes shot open. There it was, on a necklace around his neck: a Dragoon Spirit. Before either one could say anything, the spirits went nuts. At the sight of each other, they shone with a greater light than Sean had ever seen. They wrapped their hands about their spirits and the light slowly died down.
"Wow." Ben said, rubbing his eyes. "Never done that before. You've got one of those crazy necklaces too?"
"Uh, yeah." Sean said, too amazed to speak.
"They must have some sorta…sensor or something to detect each other."
"WH-what?"
"Hey, speaking of which, do you have any idea as to why these things glow?"
He didn't know?! He finally found a Dragoon and he DIDN'T KNOW?!
"You, uh, don't know?" Sean asked.
"Nah, you?" Ben said, shaking his head.
"Uh, no. I, uh, hoped you did."
Ben sighed. "Guess we'll never know, huh?"
Sean had to stop himself from shouting in frustration. "We might." Was all he said.
"You said your name was Sean, right?"
"Yeah." They shook hands again.
"If ya need me, I live over there." He pointed to a house just a little ways down the street.
"Well," Sean said, trying to think of something. "You could show me around the town."
"Alright, I can do that. Tomorrow? Noon?"
"Sure."
"Cool. Look, I gotta go now, so, welcome to the neighborhood and see ya tomorrow."
"Bye." Sean said. Once he'd gone, Sean turned, trying to get his thoughts back on track, and saw his father standing there.
"Holy cow, you actually talked to someone."
Sean rolled his eyes and picked up a heavy box to carry in. "Sure." He walked past him. When he got to his room, Sean collapsed onto his bed. "Just great."
Pull it together already!! The dragon commanded in his mind. You're acting like you've already lost the war! We're far from it!! So what if he doesn't know?! You can tell him!
"How?" Sean muttered loud enough for the dragon to hear, but not anyone else.
I thought that's what you mean tomorrow for.
"Sorta, but I'm not sure exactly how."
You'll have to think of something, but make it quick!!
"You seem anxious."
Ever since we got here, I feel that something's stirring.
"Did you sense the Dragoon Spirit?"
No, that wasn't it. It was something else.
"Here? In this town?"
Not quite. It's more like…someone's watching it.
"Watching? From where?"
I cannot tell, but, Sean? Be cautious. Whoever is watching, they're not on our side.
Author's Note: Hi y'all. Archangel here. Spike and I decided to redo our old story because…well…it sucked and we had better ideas, so some major changes and some good keepers. We hope you like this new and improved version. If you're looking for our old versions, you won't find 'em, sorry. But do you like this version better? Please review and tell us!
