Chapter16: Unwritten words
Faster than Megufu could have imagined that old man shot a fist forward and knocked Cain clean off his feet. There was a click of guns but Lagnok was prepared throwing a flashing item down on the floor. Pellets were fired at him but they bounced off of an invisible shield. Taking out two flashing spells from a bag he flung them on either side. They were gravity grabbers a powerful earth magic. The ground where the surrounding men were standing crumpled and up heaved itself many of them shattering on the spot.
"Who are you?" said Cain getting to his feet.
"My name is Lagnok a martial artist. I have come here to ask you why you have defiled the grave of Haschal and dishonored Styx"
"A martial artist?" said Cain, "Lets see how long you last against me old man"
Cain spat on the grass and took his white gloves off. Dropping his cane he ran forward and shouted, "Summon Four Gods!"
There was a blur of action as he dodged aside round Lagnok several times. Thrusting forward he found the air empty. Lagnok had moved himself.
"You are nothing compared to Haschal," said the old man head a shoulders above him in height.
"How did you do that?" said Cain in amazement, "How did you avoid that? Nobody should be able to avoid that technique. The sensei who taught me that move was the last person in the world who knew it"
"Your Sensei was an idiot and taught you the move too slow," replied Lagnok
"Who are you really?" choked Megufu on the ground.
"Who are you old man?"
The old man walked across the grass towards Cain. Cain tried to defend himself but Lagnok simply pushed through and grabbed him by the neck lifting him up high. With his other hand he plucked the black stone from him and threw it to Megufu.
Dropping Cain in a crumpled heap Lagnok turned to look at Megufu, "Somehow I always knew that you were a dragoon from the moment I met you. You had that same thing that the others had… that special destiny, you knew where you were going"
"You're name backwards!" whispered Megufu, "It's K… Kongal! You were…"
"Yes I was," he replied, "I was there in the second dragon campaign. I was there when the god of destruction fell. I was there when Doel declared war on Albert the 1st. It was I who with Haschal wrote the book"
"Why are you still alive after all this time?"
Kongal sighed and looked up at the giant statue above him, "I am Gigantos. I am the last of the Gigantos. Gigantos live for a long time"
Cain turned in fear and ran over to a man in a white lab coat, "Give me the device"
"But it hasn't been tested yet!" he pleaded
"Give it to me now!" he ordered and snatched a purple arm band from the person.
"The Purple Dragoon spirit may not recognize me… but Lloyd the wingly made the divine spirit recognize him. Thus with this I can make the thunder dragoon recognize me!"
Holding the purple stone in his hand there was a flash of lightning and Cain transformed. Lagnok walked over to Megufu calm as the earth and helped him to his feet.
"Can you turn into a dragoon one more time?" asked Kongal as if the ocean itself were calm and still as ice. There was no flutter of a heart beat or worry in his face as if he had known that all of this would come to pass.
"Maybe," choked Megufu tightening his grip around the darkness dragoon spirit, "Maybe I can to put this git out of his misery"
"That ring will probably give him power to control that spirit which he should have earned not gained. He will however have no knowledge of how to use his power. He is not in truth a dragoon – but a clown wrapped up in powers that don't recognize him. He has not been chosen like we have. Stay close to me – if he glows with lightning then scatter as he will cast a spell – if he knows how"
The old man held out a dark yellowy stone. There was a rumbling from deep within the earth and his old hand shaking with the power he transformed yellow armour surrounding him as he became the dragoon of the earth. Megufu looked up angrily at Cain and forced the darkness spirit to obey him. There was a flash of dark purple and he too transformed black armour surrounding his body. Their wings stretched back behind him. Compared to the large experienced presence of Kongal Megufu felt week and frail in comparison.
"Take this!" roared Cain. His hands glowed with electricity and he fired a bolt of energy directly towards them.
"Scatter!" said Kongal firmly and both of them flew to the skies. Megufu knew he couldn't do much as weak as he was but what he could do was threaten. Continually he flew round Cain as if he were about to attack. The ploy worked as Cain tried to block Megufu's blow which never came. Kongal went straight for the kill with a roar he slammed into Cain fists glowing with strength. The two of them struggled flying through the air. Cain screamed as he felt himself losing control as they went higher and higher. Taking his hands he grabbled Kongal round the neck and began coursing electricity through his body. Kongal roared at the height of the sky and started a vertical plummet towards the ground.
The earth below came up faster and faster. Megufu felt he was helpless as he watched. The gehrich men below watched in amazement as the battle took place. There was an earth shattering crash as the two of them smashed into the ground debris going everywhere. The shock caused the huge statue to sink and lean.
Kongal emerged from the hole in the ground but Cain didn't. Megufu came forward to hover by Kongal who waited above. A moment later the purple dragoon shot up clearly wounded from the blow. One leg hung limp as he hovered in the air and his flying seemed erratic. Megufu charged him closely followed by Kongal. Megufu sparred with Cain who seemed unfamiliar with how to fight in the air. Even so Megufu was halted and kicked back as Kongal once again entered the frame. Kongal grabbed the dragoon by the feet and swinging him round three times flung him into the giant statue. There was a bang as the huge black statue broke in the center. Crumbling it crashed slowly to the ground Cain staggering from the wreckage and trying not to be caught in the blocks. Below the Gehrich tried desperately to protect the teleport-pad. Cain was powerful with that armband but he was nothing compared to the experienced Kongal.
Megufu charged him and sped forward through the air. Cain only just responded with a series of kicks and punches. Cain managed even so to stop Megufu and sent him hurtling down towards the ground. He collapsed on the grass. Kongal charged him next and Cain tried to flee.
"Catch!" shouted one of the men below and flung up something small and black. Cain grabbed it mid flight and flew as fast as he could away from Kongal who was hot in pursuit. They crashed against the walls and passed round the museum smashing windows and trashing trees in the gardens. Megufu saw it from afar with shock and horror as they passed over a circular fountain near the center. Cain turned suddenly and stabbed Kongal fiercely with a yellow flaming sword.
Kongal faltered in mid air and sank slowly in mid air.
"You didn't count on that did you big fella?" laughed Cain and releasing the sword flew away towards the teleport.
"Get the port ready!" he shouted and the men below began flicking switches. Megufu slammed into him mid flight.
"You bastard!" he shouted the two of them rolling across the ground. They stopped and Cain emerged on top pinning Megufu to the ground their wings sprawled out around them. Hands glowing with electricity Cain began punching Megufu over and over again. Megufu felt the pain hurting more and more and screamed out in agony. Over and over again Cain punched him anger and pleasure in his face.
"Take that you smug little brat"
The pain suddenly stopped and Cain faltered.
The same blade now stuck out of his own chest. He touched it slowly at first not quite sure what it was. The flames disappeared as the black handle dropped to the floor. Kongal was behind him as a dragoon blood dripping down his mouth.
"I'm dead," said Cain slumping to the side. There was a flash of purple and he was human again blood staining his white suit but no mark on his body. It was as if the wound had penetrated from within killing him. Kongal coughed kneeling down on the ground.
"You've killed me," whispered Cain, "I didn't think I'd die like this"
Kongal smiled looking down at him, "I knew a man who died like this – except I didn't really know him. His name was Lavitz a knight of Serdio. The dragon buster pierced his heart too. They tell me he was a good man"
"I am not a good man," said Cain softly, "At least you have that old man"
"You did your best," chuckled Kongal in pain, "you should have practiced more"
Cain slumped slowly to the ground his chest slowing. He stopped moving the dragoon spirit in his curled hand, "I did my best," he whispered. His fingers released. Megufu shone purple and was normal unable to maintain the spirit any longer. His face was covered in blood and bruises as he crawled forward to meet with Kongal.
"What happened?" he pleaded, "What happened back there?"
"He…" said Kongal slowly and in pain, "He stabbed me with the buster. I too am dead. The only reason I've lasted this long is because of my strength. You can be strong too"
"You are the last of the dragoons…" said Megufu tears coming to his eye, "You can't die!"
"I can die and I will die…" said Kongal blood dripping down his mouth, "It is my right to die grant me that… I have lived this long. The last Gigantos I am but I am not the last dragoon… there is another one. Her name is Meru… you must find her in Demingrad… the forest. She is the last wingly in Endiness – only she can show you how to become a true dragoon"
"What about you? You can live on! You are strong!"
"I am dead already. I should have died a long time ago"
There was a soft glow of earthy light and the old man was normal again blood staining his chest. He sank to the ground and Megufu moved in to support him, "You can't die! I won't have you die – not now! You are an amazing… amazing…"
"They… think they know how things work. They don't know anything… they don't know what its like to look at things without considering their worth. I was with him when Haschal died. I was there at his funeral and yet I lived on – and on. I was there and they would have kept me like an antique – a possession and look at me for my worth. I had to move on. I had to disappear like in the legend. Dragoons only appear when history needs them so I went away. I forgot myself. I am Lagnok…"
"No… no you are Kongal! You are the greatest of the dragoons!"
"I was the weakest of the dragoons," he laughed, "They always knew what they were doing – I never did. I never had a purpose – I learned that with time. I learned through others how to talk – how to speak how to understand. I learned the Rouge way. I watched my friends die from old age. I had friends… now I have no more freinds"
"I am your friend old man!" said Megufu now tears coming steadily from his eyes blood soaking his hands.
"I have friends?" said the old man his eyes closed, "Meru was friend. You must seek Meru… Kongal have friends. Kongal have friends now"
"You have me… you have your past!"
"What would Doel have thought? What would Doel say… when I… Kongal have friends – it seems like"
The wind howled.
"It seems like old time again"
Most of the men had escaped through the teleporter. There was only silence in the wake. The old hero's hand released the stone and Megufu's head sank to the ground. It felt like there was nothing for him now. There was only silence.
