Roki: And thanks to you for making my day:) I suggest not reading my first DQ fic: I was kinda possessed while writing it, and it's really bad. I mean, really bad. And with Barda: I wrote him exactly as Emily Rodda wrote him – it's what everyone does, isn't it?

I know I wrote really slowly and I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry about it...But I'm here with the next chapter! -Claps herself on the back- great job; just gotta get the timing right... and the length... Sorry about my writing; I've been sucked dry of imagination, writing my story and these two fanfictions... and my poems. Phew!

Cry Of The Pyralis – Chapter 1:

The sun shone unrelentingly upon the trio, illuminating their differentiating figures in golden light.

"Three attacks so far... Kree, the man and the girl..." Jasmine mused, staring out at the sparkling sea. "Is it not suspicious? Somebody wants us to do something, or somebody wants to do something to us..." her raven hair flicked teasing strands at her face, reaching nonexistent hands into the nothingness. "I suspect it's the latter. A warning, perhaps?"

"It isn't likely," Barda commented, seating himself on the dusty grass. "There may be other clues that we haven't noticed yet..."

"They were both locals?" Lief interrupted. "They were of varying ages, and they were of both genders. What information can we get from that?" he snapped, obviously frustrated. "Here my subjects are dying in agony and I can't even do anything about it!"

Jasmine glanced at him, then padded to his side, placing cool hands on his temples to soothe him. "At least these attacks are nowhere near a repetition of the Toran Plague," she reasoned, trying to calm him down. "Look at the silver lining in the cloud, Lief. We'll be able to figure this out; we've faced much worse things before."

"What will happen if we cannot?"

"We can, and we will," promised Barda grimly. "If one of us is attacked, the rest will stand up against the foe; I'll make sure of that."

"See, Lief? Everyone is on your side; they are as scared of it –"

"I'm not scared of it. All I want to do is defeat it."

"The Shadow Lord, perhaps?" Jasmine mused out loud, playing finger-paw tag with a chattering Filli. "But would he not attack the land so that many people die at once?"

"I suggest we go back to the Palace and search for more information, or travel to the marketplace for supplies – it will be best if we search for the culprits quickly."

"And what of those who want the Belt?" Jasmine asked, voice quivering uncertainly. "Would they not lie in wait at the marketplace?" Filli squeaked in alarm, chasing her hair up to her shoulder and back down her shirt.

"We'll be ready for them," muttered Barda grimly, standing up. His height commanded submission from most around him... and that included his two best comrades.

They walked up to the palace together, feet marching exactly in rhythm.


The unidentified substance has been neutralized – placed in molten lava at the core of the volcano,> one declared, hovering uncertainly at the mouth of the dark, crimson tunnel. Anything else you request for, Almighty?>

Nothing, save this: Make sure it is under lock and key at all times: this could prove fatal to the bearer.> The voice rang with authority and power, and the Pyralis trembled under his gaze, a thin, high-pitched cry leeching itself out of their nonexistent throats.

We will make sure of it, high Vulcan. >

Good – make sure the entrance is blocked afterwards.>

As soon as humanly possible?>

As soon as inhumanly possible.> The voice smirked. Go now. >


"We leave now," Lief muttered to the pair, snapping the cord with a pocketknife. "Jasmine, you take this." He handed her the parcel, half unwrapped. "Make sure you divide it between all three of us – they're named so that we get all that we need." His hands jittered with the late autumn's frosty breath, and he almost dropped the precious items as the young woman took them from him.

"You're crazy," Barda breathed. "You expect all that to go into our packs?"

"It needs to – I bought only the necessities, you made sure of that. Some of them are compressible – make good use of it. We meet out here in five minutes." Lief smiled, and soon only the whistling winds danced upon the steps of the grand palace.


All right guys, I know that was really unbearably short... and I'm really, really sorry! I can't get any inspiration, all right? I'll leave this chapter and move onto the next one... any ideas? I can't update until I get ideas! Maybe I should move onto the Pyralis...And I'll explain more about them in the following chapters. Vous sont contente, non?