Chapter Seven: Tying the Knot/First Strike

It is virtually impossible for a group as small as eight to stay together for two months and its members not get to know each other. Everyone got to know one another very well, for they would train in various ways; individually, pairs, or mixed groups. They trained together, but then they had to learn their own abilities as well.

Each element had its own special properties and each Dragon had their own unique moves. Even so, Dragoons could not be triumphant unless they learned to fight together. They would perform chain attacks and combination moves that would try their limits, but it was the only way they could learn.

As mentioned before, this training caused everybody to get to know each other very well. Sean kept his eyes peeled to learn everything about them that he could. He put them in teams, but tried to concentrate on one-on-one training for each member, as to discover them best. He learned their abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and their personalities. And he concentrated hard on drawing out their greatest traits.

This boy, this Mike Edwards character, was unnaturally strong. Sean concluded that, yes, the Golden Dragon had seeped some of its power into Mike's own body. It wasn't too long before he could hold the enormous axe in his hands without falling. He could swing the weapon all around with some ease. The axe slowed him down to speeds he wasn't used to, but he wasn't meant for speed. Sean told Mike to concentrate on his greatest gift, strength, so he did. His body changed a pretty good deal. He became visibly tougher; his muscles began bulging more and his skin was thicker. His element was quite useful; he was able to shift the earth around him if needed, but if the enemy was flying, his magic would be useless.

It was hard to imagine that this beast of a man could have the soul that he did underneath it all. Brittany called him a "soft giant", much to his embarrassment. Sean also noted that he had a strong will. Most of his strength seemed to come from his instinct to protect his sister.

Melissa didn't really need too much help, though. Sean had to admit that the girl had skill. Not long after the rapier was in her hands, she was a deadly warrior. A rapier is long and thin, so it's used primarily for quick thrusts, but Sean taught her how to use it better. Melissa was soon swinging and slashing at everything and anything that Sean threw at her. She had to rely on skill and speed to strike the foe down quickly, for the rapier could not defend her too well. If a bigger sword clashed with hers, it would easily overpower her, so she had to learn to be light on her feet in order to stay alive. Melissa's magic was very unique. She could drain an enemy of their energy and give it to herself, or open a gate that would suck in all enemies, unless they were too strong.

Melissa was tough all around. In her eyes, Sean saw no weakness. It intrigued him. He still could not think of where he'd seen those eyes before and it irked him, but he had no time to toy with it right now. He had work to do.

Robert was another incredible fighter. His lanky stature made him perfect for managing the spear. It takes a lot of talent to move the spear in such a way as Robert could. The speed at which he spun the spear would make one unsure of where it actually was. Sean could still tell, of course. Robert learned how to use the spear to create a sort of shield by spinning the spear around himself as to deflect weapons and strike the enemy. Such speed and skill caused him to be a very deadly fighter. Robert's element, wind, was highly useful, seeing as it was all around him. He could change the wind current in his favor, which helped flying, or create at shield with an outward wind force. His best skill was the ability to trap an opponent inside an air bubble and increase the air pressure inside, crushing his foe.

Robert was powerful and he knew it. He could be arrogant at times, but Sean did have to note that he was very confident. He never worried about failing, so he had a bright outlook.

Brad was a little harder to work with than the previous three. He had never fought before, so he was completely inexperienced. He had to use his fists and feet in combat, so he was at a slight disadvantage. He couldn't block weapons like everyone else could, so he had to concentrate on evasion, which seemed to be a forte for him. Brad grew to love his fighting style. Every single move flowed together perfectly; it was like a dance…where everybody got hurt. His greater attacks required perfect rhythm and movement, but he could nail them all soon enough. The electric element was very useful to the team, as it was so powerful. He could grant a quick strike with a bolt or make a wide electrical current with ease. His stronger moves required more energy, though. Therein lay a small problem. The electricity effected Brad's mind. If he used too much power, he'd be left with a severe headache that halted all actions from him. That being said, Brad stayed with low power.

Brad really got into his new life. As he said, he was glad to escape his boring home life and now, he was living a much better one, not only because it was more interesting, but he finally felt he was actually doing something, something worthwhile. And no matter how hard his training was, Brad would not stop until he got it just right. Sean had to admire that.

Brittany was fast, and I mean FAST. Sean quickly discovered this and did what he could to extract her speed to be used in battle, which didn't take much. First of all, if she needed to flee, there was no problem. Not only could she outrun the rest of the dragoons by a long shot, but her flying speed was greater than anyone's, except perhaps Sean's. No one knew that. Brittany also learned to use her speed to enhance her attacks. She wasn't very physically strong, but she could lay a greater number of hits the faster she was, as well as block and dodge easier. Her physical strength wasn't too good, but her magical power was great. Her element was water, which was rather forceful in itself, but she could also freeze the water and use ice to her advantage.

The girl had a lot of spirit, to say the least. She could dive right into any exercise without complaint. She really wanted to do this, which was good. And when the other members were down, Brittany would lift their spirits back up by spreading her spirit about them. Brittany was the kind of person who made you smile with every word.

Christie was a lot like Brittany when it came to battle style. She had the same thin frame as Brittany did, so she wasn't too strong, but she didn't need that kind of strength too much. Her weapon was the bow and she only really needed two key aspects: accuracy and speed. Christie seemed to be a born archer, as she could soon hit every target Sean threw at her-and I do mean threw, and she got to the point where she could whip out and arrow, aim, fire, and get ready to fire again in the blink of an eye, a skill she'd need when it came to masses of enemies. If they got up close, Sean showed her how to use the arrows as makeshift daggers, as well as a few speedy body attacks. Christie's light element was good for eliminating dark foes, but it wasn't really meant for attacking. Christie's magic could heal her and her comrades if they were harmed, an ability everyone much appreciated.

Christie was another girl with spirit, although she didn't broadcast it as much as Brittany. Just about every time someone looked at her, she was smiling, or encouraging someone. She loved to help people, which was the main reason she'd joined in the first place. Christie was someone who could make you feel better just by being near her. Sean had to admire her spirit and her longing to help.

But the Dragoon Sean had to admire the most was Ben. It was as if Sean had awoken more than the Dragoon Spirit in Ben. Most of the Dragoons had known Ben, but they never knew he had this side to him. Even though Ben was supposed to be ranked amongst the lower Dragoons, he seemed to excel a bit. Ben was a great fighter, second only to Sean. He had an unnatural skill with his blade and was quickly able to attack anyone or anything that opposed him. Sean personally challenged him a number of times, and always won, but they were always difficult ones. Ben's element, fire, was naturally powerful, so Ben was one destructive Dragoon. A simply flick of his wrist would release a deadly fireball, or small explosive, whichever he chose. Ben's skill with a blade, the natural destructive power of fire, and the power he added with his element combined created the deadliest Dragoon Sean had ever seen other than himself.

Ben was a powerful fighter, but a real goof as well. Sean couldn't believe the transformation Ben always underwent from Dragoon to human, or vice-versa. When he was just hanging out with his friends, he was just like them, laughing along and talking like any human would. But when he was in battle, he was someone else. When in battle, the dragon seemed to manifest itself in Ben's body. When in battle, he was a valiant warrior.

When in battle, he reminded Sean of himself.

As Sean was watching the Dragoons, they, too, were watching him. Sean was an incredible fighter. The other Dragoons knew it, though he didn't display it. Sean would invite the Dragoons into personal challenges and win them all. He barely did anything while the Dragoons did everything they could. They all wondered what he be like at full strength. One thing that the Dragoons couldn't help but notice was that Sean NEVER transformed into a Dragoon. The most he ever did was stay on low power, and even then, he was powerful. They wondered if they could stay on low power like him and Sean advised them not to. He told them his Dragoon was much more powerful than theirs, so low power was still something. Low power for them would be highly ineffective. They were curious to see his full Dragoon form.

Another question perked the Dragoons' interests. How did Sean know all he did? He'd told them that someone taught him about the Dragoons, but Sean knew how to fight with any weapon. He seemed abnormally intelligent, like his brain was a size bigger than any one else's. They asked him about it, but Sean wouldn't give a straight answer. In a sense, Sean was quiet, meaning he only spoke what needed to be spoken, which was usually only in battle. When it came to common conversation, he never volunteered anything. When the other Dragoons would ask him a question, he would answer it simply and plainly, and then silence himself again. Sean was harder than steel. He always kept the same serious expression on his face and only smiled when fight plans went as he wished and even that was only a small grin. This question bothered the Dragoons the most: why was Sean so serious? If they ever brought it up, he'd brush the question off or give an answer that wouldn't satisfy them. While the other Dragoons had dozens of stories, Sean never spoke of his past other than the battles he'd faced. He didn't tell of family trips, or funny moments, or fantastic experiences, which everyone else spoke of and more. He only spoke of his experience in battle. And while the other Dragoons formed a tight bond, Sean seemed to go out of his way to stay away from that bond. He always seemed uninterested when the group would talk at night. He'd either go off to train by himself or he would stand against a tree and remain silent.

What had happened to Sean to make him so grim?

It was rather difficult to teach the Dragoons everything from the clearing. There just wasn't enough experience. That being known, Sean decided to take them on a "field trip". It was a long way away, so they all flew. Even so, Sean didn't use his full Dragoon powers. His spirit glowed and six wings-not two-emerged from his back and just glowed, not taking full form. The others were fascinated by this, but Sean still acted casual.

They flew for many hours, stopping here and there to rest. Then, as they were flying over a desert, Sean told them to land. They did so gratefully, as they were tired again. They landed on rocks and sand and took a breather, but choked on desert sand.

"How much…further?" Christie panted.

"No further." Sean explained. "We're here."

"Here!" Robert exclaimed. "We're…we're in the middle of nowhere!"

"Correction, we're in the middle of the Death Frontier."

"How inviting." Melissa grumbled.

"True, it's not a pretty place. People get lost in this desert for hours and many die."

"Well," Ben said, "We've got Brittany, so thirst won't be a problem for us."

"Actually," Sean said. "Thirst isn't the reason most people die out here, though it is a factor. You see, many creatures have made this place their home."

"Creatures?" Robert asked. "What kind of creatures?"

"Monsters."

"Monsters?" Brittany asked. "You're just…exaggerating, right?" At that moment, a large, brown, whale-like monster leapt from the sand, grabbed Brittany in its jaws and dragged her under.

"BRITTANY!" Several exclaimed.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" Robert exploded.

"A sandworm." Sean said; too calm for the situation, though a bit anxious.

"What do we do!" Christie demanded.

"Mike, you're the Earth Dragoon. Go get her before she suffocates!"

"Oh, uh, right." He said. He jumped up and dove into the sand as if it were water. The other Dragoons could only watch and wait. They paced back and forth nervously. Sean watched the ground, but showed no signs of fear.

"So are you even worried about her?" Melissa suddenly demanded of him.

"Of course not."

Melissa's eyes burned. "And why not!"

"Because I know Mike will retrieve her." No sooner had he said that, Mike burst back out of the ground with Brittany in his arm and blood on his axe. He brought her down and she was instantly on her feet. She had a few scratches, but not much else.

"You should have more faith in your own brother." Sean said to Melissa, walking past her.

"You okay?" Christie asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. My armor protected me." Brittany turned. "Thanks, Mike."

"No problem."

"What happened to the Sandworm?" Brad asked. Right as he spoke, the monster jumped back up, angry about losing its meal. Mike swung the flat side of his axe and knocked the large creature away. It hit the ground and tried to burrow under, but Mike got it with his axe before it could.

"Alright." Sean said. "Nice job, Mike. Was it difficult defeating that creature?"

"It was kinda hard prying Brit. from its jaws, but killing it was pretty easy."

"I sure hope so because that is exactly what you guys will be doing all day long. Have fun."

Sean really meant what he said. There were few resting points because monsters kept coming. When one was killed, another took its place. The Dragoons really showed what they were made of that day, swinging, slicing, hacking, and blasting away. Sean kept track of them, watching how they worked, and they all did rather well. But something perked his interest more. The Dragoons all tried to look out for each other. When Brad saw an enemy that Ben didn't, he'd warn him, or just strike it down himself and Ben would thank him later. They all kept that pattern going when they could.

But their eyes couldn't be everywhere at once. Sean was observing, but every now and then, he'd give himself the pleasure of defeating an enemy or two on his own. As he swung a powerful side kick to knock away a monster, he saw something. Melissa was in a bit of a bind; many enemies were attacking her at once. Even so, Melissa looked like she could get through it, but that wasn't the problem. A Crystal Golem, a giant made of crystal had slowly snuck up behind Melissa and was raising its hands. Sean recognized this attack: Trans Light. It was a strong light-based attack that was strongest on dark foes, like Melissa.

Surely, she would see it. How could she miss it? But the monsters kept coming at her front, distracting her. The golem powered up. The attack might not kill her, but she'd be greatly weakened and the monsters would surely devour her. Sean kept waiting for Melissa to turn and look, but she never did; she just kept fighting as the Golem grew stronger and its hands began to glow.

In that moment, Sean felt a great sense of déjà vu. A memory! It flashed before his eyes. What memory, though? He knew he'd seen this before, but where? A scene was playing before his eyes again. She was fighting for her life, but would not survive. Something told him no. It could not happen again.

Filled with sudden unknown fear and foresight, Sean ran. His Dragoon spirit glowed and its energy went straight to his legs and wings. Together, they boosted his speed tenfold. He ran to the side and slid in the sand, but quickly got going again as the Golem fired its attack.

NO!

Sean dove and tackled Melissa hard. The Golem attacked the other monsters by accident. Sean and Melissa rolled a good ways from the impact, but soon came to a rough stop. Sean was still clinging onto her when they stopped, so they ended up with Sean lying atop Melissa. Although the position was rather awkward, neither was affected by it; each was concentrated on something else. Sean and Melissa's eyes were locked.

Melissa saw something in his eyes, but she didn't know what. All she knew was it was different from the stern, piercing gaze he always had. It almost looked…normal.

Sean was contemplating another problem. Those eyes haunted him yet again. Where had he seen them before? Just before she was attacked, he'd had a blind memory; he knew he'd seen something like that, but what? And why did he now feel such relief, looking into her eyes?

Finally, they both clicked and Sean quickly got up and helped her stand.

"Ow…" Melissa groaned.

Sean took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"What did you hit me for?"

He pointed back at the Crystal Golem.

"Where did that thing come from?"

"It was behind you." Sean said, returning to his calm state. "It was going to attack you with a light attack which would've surely resulted in your demise."

"It was going to kill me?"

"One way or another."

"Well, then," Melissa said. She pointed her sword outward and a thin, black ray shot from it, going right through the Crystal Golem, killing it. Then, she rubbed her side. "Did you have to hit me so hard?"

"Would you prefer to be dead?" With that, Melissa knew that Sean was back to his old self again.

"Right." She said with a sigh. For a moment, it looked like the fierceness of Sean had lifted, but she was wrong. It could not be lifted.

Sean turned and put two fingers in his mouth and whistled, then motioned everyone to follow him. He led everyone to a safe spot on a nearby mountain and they all rested.

"You guys alright?" Brad asked.

"Yeah," Melissa said a little glum, "We're fine."

"What happened?" Mike asked.

"Melissa almost got blasted by a crystal giant thing, but Sean shot in and saved her." Ben told them. He looked at Sean. "You hit her pretty hard, though."

"I had to be quick." Sean replied.

"Yeah," Robert said, needing to get his two cents in, "but you weren't quick in getting off her."

Melissa looked down at the ground, embarrassed, but Sean kept his gazed fixed upon Rob.

"Careful." He said, toying with the hilt of his blade. "Alright, everyone can change back now. We're done for the day."

"But shouldn't we fly back?" Brittany asked.

"Why? We're going somewhere else tomorrow."

"Oh…"

"We'll be training like this for a while. Each day we'll try to go somewhere different."

"Yaaaaay." Robert grumbled.

The summer was quickly coming to a close. August was slipping through their fingers and school would start soon, so Sean decided to end "camp" exactly one week before then. Today was their last day, but Sean said that they would be coming here still, whether it be after school, during the weekend or whenever he felt like calling a meeting.

Before they left, Sean decided to give them one last challenge.

"Fight me."

"Are you crazy?" Ben asked.

"Sometimes I wonder." Sean replied.

Robert looked at Ben. "I think he's serious."

"Sean, we can't fight you." Christie said.

Sean drew his sword. "Then defend yourself!" He ran at them and jumped. Ben could barely get out the way and draw his sword again to block. He ducked under Sean's swipe and swung himself. Sean ducked and kicked out his leg, but as soon as he fell, Brad jumped clear over him and his foot connected with Sean's face. Sean went with it, rolling, then spun back onto his feet in time to block a few kicks.

He felt Brittany come on and ducked. Her mallet swung right over him, but he had to instantly jump over it and block Brad's kick. He blocked another swipe, then kicked Brad down and grabbed Brittany and threw him over his head and into Brad's chest. Then, he started to ram his blade through them both, but stopped.

"Both dead." He said, and then turned to fight again. "Five to go."

An arrow struck his arm and stuck there. Sean ignored the pain and blocked the next one, then ran at her. She pulled out an arrow and swiped at his face. He dodged it, then swung his leg, tripping her, and then put his blade to her throat. "You're dead."

He removed the arrow just as the other four came at all sides, each striking a different way. Sean deflected Ben's blade, dodged Melissa's, ducked under Mike's attack and jumped away from Robert. But Rob wouldn't let him go so easily. He chased after him, swinging every way he could. Finally, Sean got a block and held it, then spun inward, catching Rob's stomach with his elbow and then swung his blade, but stopped at Robert's throat. "Dead."

Sean jumped back from Mike's swing and almost connected with Melissa's sword. She swiped again and Sean took the hit on his arm, and then pushed her back. He would've done more, but Mike was right on him, followed by Ben. He avoided both strikes and got a hit on Mike's leg, causing him to stumble. Sean jumped and kicked his head, knocking him to the ground and pointed the tip of his Claymore at his head. "You're dead."

Sean straightened up and looked at his last two opponents. Sean's sword itched in his hand, waiting for the right moment. Ben and Melissa came at different sides. Melissa was faster, so Sean got ready to block, but suddenly, she stopped. Ben jumped and kicked, knocking Sean back. This he hadn't expected. Melissa shot forward and struck his leg. Sean fell back onto his free hand and swung his other leg and kicked her head, then rolled with the kick away from Ben's sword and kicked him in the back of his knee, buckling his legs. He swung his arm over and bashed Ben's head with the hilt of his sword.

Melissa tried to strike again, but Sean rolled away and got another kick on her head, then rolled to her and put his blade to her neck. "Dead."

Both remaining opponents stood to their feet. Ben's head hurt like crazy and Sean's leg was getting to him, but neither man let it stop them.

They ran at each other, full-force. Their swords clashed in a shower of sparks and deflected off each other. They struck again and each held their weapon where it was, pushing against the other.

Sean quickly pushed Ben back and swung low. Ben swung his blade around and blocked it, then spun the other way to get a strike, but Sean blocked it and kicked at him. Ben avoided it and spun, giving him a back fist to the head. Sean used it and spun awkwardly, swinging his leg up and connecting with the back of Ben's head.

Both fighters fell to the ground and rolled away to stand and ran at each other again. Ben swung low and Sean jumped right over him. They both spun and clashed again. Sean had had enough of this. He pushed Ben's blade away, then struck it again to ensure the effect and spun, kicking Ben's stomach, then swung his leg back, knocking Ben onto his back.

Sean raised his blade and swung it down to finish him off, but something unexpected happened. Ben swung his leg up and kicked the blade away and rolled backwards, then kicked the flat side of the blade again and spun around, slashing Sean's stomach.

Sean stumbled back in surprise. He looked at his stomach and the blood seeping from it, then up at Ben with anger. He ran at once and swung. Ben blocked, but the swing was way too powerful and knocked the katana away. Sean spun and kicked the blade from his hand, then continued spinning and slammed the sole of his other foot into Ben's chest, slamming him into a tree behind him and held him there. Next, Sean jumped up and swung his leg up and kicked Ben's head, knocking him to the ground.

Sean kicked Ben's sword away before he could get it and walked over to him. Ben looked up at him.

"Give yet?"

Sean stared at him and shook his head. He raised his sword.

Lightning-quick, Ben whipped out a dagger he had with him and struck Sean's leg. Sean fell and Ben ran over to grab his sword. Sean yanked out the dagger and threw it at him. Ben grabbed his sword and swung, deflecting the dagger. Sean got up and both foes stared each other down.

At that moment, their Dragoon spirits glowed, but it wasn't for transformation. Each dragon transmitted the same information to their Dragoon: something was coming.

"We'll finish this later." Sean promised. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass vial. He shattered it and light blue gales surrounded everyone, going through them and healing them of their wounds. Then, he reached into his pack and got some binoculars to search the area that the dragon had told him of.

"What do you see?" Christie asked.

Sean slowly lowered his binoculars. "Trouble."

"What?" Brittany asked. "What is it?"

Sean looked at them. "Virages."

"Virages?" Robert spoke up. "You mean like that thing we fought a while back?"

"Yeah, but there are many more now."

"No problem." Rob said, cracking his knuckles.

"Maybe." Sean said. "Just don't get cocky. Dragons are the archrivals of virages, so they'll have a grudge. Let's do it."

Everyone's Dragoon spirits glowed, transforming them from typical teens to Dragoon Warriors. Sean still stayed on low power, though. They all flew up into the sky and saw the cloud of virages drawing near.

"This is gonna attract people's attention." Brad noted.

"Point noted." Sean replied. He flew forward, but above the flock and fired a few blasts into the air. The virages looked up and chased after him. Sean flew away and they chased him far from the city. The Dragoons followed close behind.

Once they were over a large plain, far from the city, Sean turned back.

"Alright, people, this is it!" Sean called. "This is the real thing! Make me proud! GO!"

The Dragoons attacked from behind and the battle began.

Ben sliced through the head of one, killing quickly, and then swiped twice at another. It struck back, but Ben stabbed its head. Another virage came at him and Ben took a different approach. He tossed his sword into the air and a fireball formed in front of him.

"Flameshot!" He punched the fireball into the virages face. Then, he caught his sword and spun it around the stab the eye of a virage sneaking up behind him. It let out an ear-piercing wail and fell to the ground.

Christie fired two arrows, killing two virages, but didn't see the third one in time. She started for an arrow, but was too late. The virage grabbed her in its powerful hand and squeezed tightly. Her windpipe was shut, so she couldn't even cry out as her spine snapped in two. The virage then threw her to the ground. The pain was unbearable and Christie could hardly move. She looked up as the virage loomed over her. Christie slowly and painfully put an arrow to the string and pointed it straight up.

"Moon Light." She muttered and released the arrow. It flew at great speed and struck the moon (believe it). A thin ray of light shone from where the arrow struck and beamed down on Christie. She felt her spine reconnect painlessly and all of her wounds went away. She jumped back up and shot the virage in the face.

Robert was having virtually no trouble at all. A virage swung at him, but he dodged and stabbed its hand. He then saw two more virages coming, so he decided to kill three birds with one stone. He held his spear up and the wind picked up violently. It all flew into Robert's spear, causing it to glow green.

"Wing Blaster!" He shoved the spear forward and a green bird made of wind gales shot out, striking all three virages.

Brad was really enjoying the battle. He backflipped, kicking a virage in its "jaw" and fired a thin electrical blast to knock it back. Brad flew over and laid several punches to a virage's face, then kicked away to strike down another. To finish them off, Brad raised his hand as his Dragoon spirit glowed a bright violet hue. The sky suddenly grew dark and sparked a bit.

"Atomic Mind!" He declared. Three thunderbolts shot down and struck the virages, holding them there for a minute, and then a larger bolt struck down in the middle of them, knocking them down."I love my job!" Brad laughed.

Brittany was a total speed demon. She flew way too fast for the virages to cope. Brittany dazed a virage with a seemingly endless flurry of mallet strikes, and then lay a powerful one on its face to defeat it. A couple more came at her and she just smiled. This was going to be fun. Brittany extended her mallet and spun lightly. Thick chunks of blue ice surrounded her, and then flew around the virages. She raised her mallet up and the ice chunks spun faster.

"Freezing Ring!" She swung her hand down and the ice chunks suddenly expanded, shoving jagged spears of ice into the virages' bodies.

Melissa swung her rapier several times across a virages face, soon killing it. She was doing well, but she'd taken her share of beatings and then some. She looked and saw another virage coming at her. She flew up high and raised her sword.

"Astral Drain!" She threw her sword and it stuck in the virage's head. She pulled back her hand and the virage's life was sapped from it and given to Melissa. Her wounds healed before her eyes and transferred to the virage, only much worse. She extended her hand and the rapier flew back into it. The virage fell down, dead.

Mike had little trouble. A virage smacked him and he rolled in the air a little, but barely felt it. The virage swung again and Mike swung his axe at it. The hand swung away and Mike flew in to pound its head. More were coming, so Mike stepped it up a notch.

"Grand Stream!" He slammed his axe into the ground and it began to rumble. A long fissure ran down underneath the virages and stopped. Mike pulled back on the axe and a "stream" of earth rushed in and covered the virages.

Sean had been longing for a real battle and this was his second one today. He was having a good time. Sean floated around, planting quick and lethal strikes on virages here and there. He sliced off a head and stabbed a brain, then turned and extended his hand. A white ball formed in his hand and separated into five smaller blasts each which went forward and attacked a virage, killing it. He lowered his hand.

"Far too easy."

The virages were being picked off one by one fairly easily. The Dragoons' training was paying off. But then, Sean spotted something else.

It was large, but stubby and a nasty brown color. It only had one arm that seemed to have no joints, as it stuck up at an angle like a giant lever. On its left shoulder, it had a strange organ. It was long with many holes, like the barrels of a gun. Its tiny head was lined with seven green eyes which glared at the Dragoons.

"Aw, great." Sean groaned. He flew in to attack it on his own. He wasn't too sure if he could do it on low power, but he'd try. He swiped at it, but its skin was too thick to have any real effect. Sean swiped twice more, aiming for the head, then flew up and came down, slamming his sword into its back.

The new monster only got angry. Sean thought he saw a tiny red glow coming from the virage's center eye. A feeling ran over Sean and he looked down. Sure enough, there was a little red dot like a laser pen. His eyes shot open and he flew away just as the monster fired and enormous beam. Sean felt the heat graze his back as the blast tore through a number of virages.

The other Dragoons were still striking virages left and right when a giant blast suddenly killed several of them. They all looked at where the blast had come from and saw Sean attack a strange and ugly monster.

"What is THAT!" Robert exclaimed.

A Super Virage! The Jade Dragon exclaimed. The other Dragoons were hearing the same message.

"Super Virage?"

A virage sub-species. It's much more powerful than the regular kind. I doubt Sean can handle it on his own.

The Dragoons all looked at each other.

"So what do we do?" Christie asked to no one in particular.

"We have to help him." Ben said.

"But what about the other virages?" Mike asked. The Dragoons all received the same message from the dragons.

Let us handle that. The Dragoons' spirits glowed brighter than ever as seven colored portals suddenly opened in the sky. Through each portal, a different dragon emerged, ready to fight.

"Wh…what!" Ben exclaimed.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" The wispy voice of the Jade Dragon said.

"It's a special ability of ours." Said the piercing voice of the Dark Dragoon. "We can fight on our own for a time."

"We'll handle the virages." The deep voice of the Golden Dragon said. "You guys help Sean." The Dragoons looked at each other, and then flew over to help their comrade.

Sean stabbed again, but his blade still had little effect on the beast. It swung, but missed and Sean got ready to strike. Suddenly, a fireball blasted the Super Virage and a lightning bolt struck it. Sean turned and saw the others coming towards him as the dragons fought behind them.

"This thing just keeps on ticking." Sean said.

"I'll get it." Mike said. He flew forward at full speed and pounded the Super Virage's face. It finally seemed to take a hit and groaned. He spun around and struck its side and the virage groaned again.

"Alright." Sean said. He looked around at the Dragoons. "Melissa, you go. Your weapon is thinner, so it can probably pierce its skin. Melissa nodded and flew up to the virage, then stabbed its back.

"Brad, your magic should have some effect. Everyone else stay back." Brad flew up and powered up for a greater attack. Melissa dove for the virage's head and stabbed it deep. Mike slammed its head as well with his axe as hard as he could. Brad released a great bolt of electricity with gave the monster the shock of its life just as Mike and Melissa pulled back.

The Super Virage thrashed a little from the electricity, and then finally slumped down. The three of them flew back.

"Nice work." Sean said with a small grin.

But then, the virage shuddered and stood again.

"It's alive!" Mike exclaimed. Sean's Dragoon spirit suddenly blared a warning.

"Oh, man!" Sean said. "It's using its finishing move!"

The Super Virage shook violently, undergoing constant spasms; the monster looked highly unstable. The gun barrels began to glow.

"Defend!" Sean ordered.

"Rose Storm!" Robert shouted. Green bubbles surrounded the group. It wasn't much, but it may help.

The Super Virage's spasms grew increasingly violent until it finally fired. A flurry of powerful purple rays fired from the gun barrels in rapid motion, blasting each and every Dragoon many times. Then, it blew up. The explosion was very large and very loud.

When it was all over, the Dragoons were scattered about the ground and the dragons and virages were gone. One by one, they stood to their feet again.

"Whoa…" Brittany said.

"Yeah." Christie concurred.

"Ow." Brad groaned.

"Man." Ben grunted.

Sean stood to his feet. "Well, that was unexpected." He put his sword away.

"Nothing phases you, does it?" Melissa asked.

"Nah, not really. Everyone alright?" Everyone was. "Nice job with the Rose Storm, Rob. It probably saved our lives.

"No…prob." Robert was winded from trying to hold up the shield for so long.

"So, what did you all think?" Sean asked.

"Exhilarating." Brittany said.

"That would be the perfect word for it." Mike agreed.

"That's just a small taste of the battlefield, my friends. Things will get a lot tougher. So I'll ask you all once more: Are you up to it?"

"You kidding?" Ben asked. "You think that just because we had one tough battle we're going to quit? No way! We're here all the way!" The other Dragoons agreed.

"Good." Sean said. "Now let's head back to camp and get ready to leave. Oh, and one more thing. Once we leave, I won't treat you guys like beginners any more. I'll look to you as true, mature Dragoons. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright, then. Let's go."

AUTHORS' NOTE: We loved the reviews you gave us, so we got this one in early. Thanks a lot , you guys! The Dragoons will finally move out into the real world, but Sean still remains a mystery. What's his secret? That answer to be revealed in the next chapter. Stay tuned and review for now, please. Ciao!