Disclaimer: Don't own anyone in the game. You should know that by now.
Author's note: Bwahahaha. Third chapter. Poor Albert's going to lose some weight in this one.
Chapter Three: Calling For HelpHe was hungry. And bored.
He had been in the dungeon for two days. He began to make small tally marks on the wall. Two days of nothing but sitting and waiting. He tried talking to the guards, but they followed their orders and kept silent. There was nothing to do besides count the stones in the walls and pieces of hay. They could at least give him a book or something!
Although the guard outside his cell door didn't seem to be doing much better. The man shifted every once in a while, and yawned often. Despite his situation, Albert felt sorry for him. No doubt guard duty was just as bad as being a prisoner. He may be able to leave halfway through the day, but he had to stand the entire time.
But he would still prefer taking a watch around a campfire. At least there it was only for an hour or two, and there were people and things to look at. Usually Dart would wake up early and talk to him for a little bit before taking his turn at watch. Occasionally Meru would wake up and- as she called it- "bug" him for a little while.
Albert sighed and let his head rest back against the wall. His mind was wandering. He was starting to weaken. If he didn't do something soon he would waste away here. It wouldn't have been so bad normally, but with the refusal to give him food…
When was the last time he had a good meal? Ah yes; that's right… In Seles, when he stayed with Dart and Shana for the night before returning to Bale. Shana was so happy to return home after all that time…
He needed to do something soon. If only there was some way he could get someone to listen to him… But who would? Certainly none of the knights, and hardly any maids came down to the dungeon. He needed someone who knew him well, like Noish or…
A hand came to his chest as he felt to the stone glow faintly.
… Or one of the Dragoons.
Would it work? He wouldn't know until he tried it. It would take Dart- no doubt Shana would come with him- about a day to come to Bale from Seles. Perhaps a week or so for the others to arrive, giving him a little less than two weeks left. If he could convince them that he truly was the King of Serdia, maybe- just maybe- they would be able to convince Noish. Then he would be released and would retake the throne. And then…
He would go right for the kitchens.
Keeping his hand over the Dragoon Spirit, he closed his eyes. He felt his mind connect with it, but didn't transform. That would take more energy that he needed to live.
'Spirit of the Jade Dragon, lend me your strength…'
He felt it begin to pulse.
'Dart, Kongol, Hashel, Miranda, Meru…'
He tightened his hold on the stone.
'… Help me…'
Meanwhile…The Divine Dragoon let his forearms rest on the wood, letting the sea air blow back his blonde spikes. He was wearing his trademark red armor; he would never get rid of it, it's been with him through so much. His ice-blue eyes watched out in the distance. He was waiting for the island of Rouge to appear on the horizon. He and Shana had left Seles again to visit Hashel and Kongol. Mostly, though, because he figured his grandfather would want to be one of the first to know of his engagement.
Shana was so surprised when he asked her. For a few moments, he thought her eyes were going to pop out off her head. Then she laughed and cried, and couldn't seem to hug him enough. Or say "yes" enough times either. The entire village had watched on and he could have sworn he had heard the applause echo from the Limestone Caves.
"There you are!"
The words made him turn to look over his shoulder, but he already knew who it was by the sound of the voice.
Long brown hair trailed behind her as the wind brushed the strands back. Amber-hued eyes as bright as the sun watched him as she smiled gently. A pale yellow dress- one of the dressier of the clothes she had brought, as they expected to arrive that day- billowed behind her. She stepped up next to him, and they smiled at each other.
"Thinking again?" she asked, and he put an arm around her.
"We'll be arriving soon. I still don't know how I'm going to tell him."
She leaned into him and closed her eyes. A gust of wind passed by and he closed his eyes as well, just enjoying her presence.
Help me…He suddenly stiffened and opened his eyes. What was that, and where did it come from?…
Shana opened her eyes, feeling him move. His brow had furrowed, and a frown had come to his face. "Dart? What is it?"
He glanced at her before letting his eyes scan the sea before him. "I think I just heard someone call for help…"
Suddenly, a momentary burst of light erupted from inside his armor, taking them both by surprise. Dart quickly reached in through his collar and pulled out the Divine Dragoon Spirit.
The gem was pulsing it's multi-hued light urgently in his hand, and showed no signs of slowing down or stopping.
Meanwhile…"Come ON Guaraha! Let's GO!"
Meru tapped her foot as she waited impatiently outside his door. She was wearing her usual outfit- ribbons included- as well as her Dragoon Spirit around her neck.
"I'm coming!" called his voice through the door, slightly muffled. "Just give me a few more minutes!"
She sighed and rolled her eyes. Her fiancé finally agreed to let her show him around the world she had come to love. She was just so excited; there were so many things she wanted to show him! Bale, Albert's castle, the Crystal Palace, Lohan, Fletz, Rouge, Seles… If only he wasn't taking so long just to get ready to go!…
After a few more minutes, the door opened and Guaraha came out, a pack over his shoulders. His silver hair was a bit disheveled from rushing around to pack quickly, despite the red headband. "Okay. I'm ready now."
Meru grinned. "Great!" She suddenly grabbed his right wrist and started pulling him out the door that lead outside. "You're gonna love it! First we'll go to the Crystal Palace and visit Miranda! Then we'll go to Tiberoa and see Fletz! And then…!"
She continued on, outlining her plans for his tour of the world and almost dragging him to the edge of the forest. She even talked through the teleporters, and had almost reached the barrier. A breeze blew past them.
"… We'll go to Seles and visit Dart an' Shana and we-!"
Help me…She was suddenly cut off as the gem around her neck erupted with blue light, taking the pair by surprise. They both abruptly stopped and Guaraha gasped. Meru stood shocked, her ruby eyes wide. The light faded and began to pulse at a steady rate. Several moments passed before either of them moved.
"What was that?" he asked.
"I… I think one of my friends needs help…"
"Can you tell who?"
She shook her head. "I… I gotta go-!" She moved towards the barrier, but felt something grab her left wrist. She turned to see Guaraha staring into her eyes intently. His expression was dead serious.
"I'm coming with you."
Meru stared for a few moments, her eyes still wide. She swallowed hard, then nodded.
Meanwhile…"Okay everyone; let's take a break!"
With a collective sigh, the numerous students simply sat down on the wooden platform, some actually sprawling themselves out to rest their tired limbs. The breeze from the nearby ocean, although a bit warm, helped immensely.
The Master of the Rouge School looked out at his array of pupils, most groaning about aching muscles. He grinned through his black mustache.
"Heh. Amateurs."
Still grinning, he put both hands behind his back and casually walked to the edge of the platform. He then sat himself down and let his legs dangle over the side, his hands on the edges of the wood. It was good to be back in Rouge. There were always students to teach and fish to eat. Nothing ever seemed to change here, but that was fine with him. Everyone that goes on a journey needs something to come back to, even if it was just a simple fishing village.
The boards underneath him vibrated and he looked up to see a Giganto sit beside him. Ah yes. Kongol, the newest and by far largest of Hashel's students, caused quite a stir in Rouge. At first, the younger residents seemed to be wary of him, if not afraid. But soon they began to warm up to the giant. Now the kids all loved him, and Hashel could tell he enjoyed the attention. Despite his rather huge frame, the children have proven that behind the armor and muscles, Kongol was a teddy bear. More often than not he could be found napping with numerous young ones during the noon break, being used as a pillow by as many as ten small heads at once. Parents were no longer concerned when their children played around the jungle; as long as "Mr. Kongol" was nearby, no harm would befall a single child.
Apparently Kongol and that Belzac fellow had more in common than being the Earth Dragoons.
"So, got the kids to leave you alone today, hmm?"
He shrugged his huge shoulders. "Kongol not mind. What Hashel thinking?"
"Oh, not much. Letting my mind wander, really." He looked back out into the ocean. "Although I do wonder what everyone else is doing."
"Kongol wonder that too." A rather strong gust of wind blew past them, this one a little cooler than usual.
Help me…Both of them started, then looked at each other, surprised and somewhat alarmed.
"You hear that?"
The elder man nodded. "But who…?
Simultaneously their Dragoon Spirits around their necks burst to life, golden and violet lights alarming the students behind them. The two Dragoons both pulled their Spirits from around their necks, holding them as they began to pulse in a synchronized manner.
Hashel looked out towards the ocean. "What…"
Kongol gripped the golden gem tighter. "Something happening…"
Meanwhile…"How do you feel?"
The blonde in the bed smiled at her sister, despite the pain in her back. "Better. The doctor says I will make a full recovery."
Blue eyes shot from the woman to the window. "Good." The First Sacred Sister, with one hand on her hip, walked to the window and opened it. The snow outside made the cold air crisp and fresh, a rather shocking but still nice change from the stuffy air inside. The ground outdoors quite literally glittered as the sunlight reflected off the snowflake-covered ground, the snowfall from just hours before covering everything in a layer of white.
After observing the world outside, Miranda tossed her head a bit to move some blonde strands from her face, then turned back to Wink in the bed. As much as she hated to admit it, she had been worrying about the Third Sacred Sister as much as Queen Theresa and the others. Being abandoned and then orphaned in her younger years had not only made her bitter and aloof, but also made her come to highly value the family she had now. An oddity in itself, but she wasn't going to be the one to question the outcome. As she had once heard Dart tell Rose: let the past be in the past, and think about the future.
"You're still not eating, are you?" A pointed glance at the mostly full tray at the bedside accentuated her question.
Wink looked away and her eyes lowered to her hands in her lap. She couldn't stand those glares that appeared in Miranda's eyes when she was worried or concerned. "I ate a little…" she admitted quietly.
A disgusted sound escaped her throat as she rolled her eyes. "I still don't understand what you saw in him."
"He saved my life twice," the younger woman reasoned softly. "He wasn't an entirely bad person."
Miranda bit back a tart curse, but not the rest of it. "He killed countless people by giving Emperor Doel those Dragoon Spirits and the control of a dragon with them! He murdered King Albert of Serdia's best friend with his own sword! He used you to get to Queen Theresa! And you're telling me he wasn't an entirely bad person?"
Wink suddenly looked up at her and their eyes locked, intense and infuriated to calm and, hidden deep in them, sad. Her voice remained level and composed.
"He was willing to make amends for the mistakes he had made. He himself put down his sword and subjugated himself to Dart's wrath. You may think he attacked Melbu Frahma for his own selfish idea, but I know- I know- he knew it was the right thing to do. He knew the chances of him surviving a frontal assault were slim. He…" Her voice shook then, and she inhaled a slow breath. "… He knew."
The standoff continued for several more moments before Miranda huffed angrily and turned her back towards Wink. She swiped away the hair that was blown into her face by the wind that had blown in through the window.
Help me…The White-Silver Dragoon Spirit, which she considered too important to just leave lying around and thus had put on a necklace, suddenly exploded a bright light. A startled "Oh!" escaped the woman behind her as the Dragoon took a step back in surprise, looking down at the gem. After a moment it began to pulse at an urgent and continuous pace.
'Oh no. Nonononono. No! I JUST got HOME!'
To Be Continued…Author's Note: So not only is Miranda on the way, but she's rather ticked off as well. Anyone else sense Noish's imminent doom?
And does anyone else find the "Edit/Preview" a pain to use?