Chapter Two: The Bottle's Interruption

Another brown glass bottle was thrown into the trash can, joining the building amount. The hand that had cast it then reached for another bottle, and its mirrored twin pulled it open. Sean Mcmann took a few swigs, and staggered back to his ragged sofa. He'd pulled it up from the basement storage room. He realized just after she'd left that she owned most of their furniture. He'd rid himself of the pictures, there'd never be a use for any of them anymore.

He tried to find something on the television, but it was as though there wasn't meant to be anything more than commercials, nothing was supposed to happen except Sean being left alone with his doubt, with his sadness. The memory came back again, and no matter how many bottles he'd downed, it only came back stronger.

He laid his head back, there was no use in resisting any longer. He saw Melissa's eyes, angry, and he didn't care. All the times he'd said he'd loved her he'd wasted, his pride, his stupid, foolish pride, that's what it had been.

Across the room on the shelf, the Divine Dragon's spirit shimmered, but Sean waved it off. He was also to blame, he'd molded Sean. He'd made him grow so proud, so strong, and now, everything that he TRULY held dear was gone, leaving footprints all across his broken heart. But he wouldn't say anything to anyone; just hopefully his liver would quit.

The Dragoons had separated. There was no more use, a few years after Adam's incident, most of the evils of the world had just seemed to quit, there was nothing left for them to defend the humans against. They'd gone their separate ways, exactly what was to be expected.

Sean and Melissa had been so happy, why did it get screwed up? Why did his pride and strength have to be the one thing that caused him his pain? Here he was, yet again confessing to himself that it was his fault she was gone. Yet he knew that he couldn't ever tell anyone that.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he was sure to lay his head down before they spilled over his cheeks. He turned his face and bellowed into the pillow, as loud as he could.

His chest was completely hollow. And it ached so much. Some part of Sean knew it would never stop, never. He would spend the rest of his life spending his nights like this. He would not have the luck of his friends, Ben and Brad, nor his father, oh, and not to mention Robert and Mike, Robert married his high school sweetheart Marian, the Wingly who'd knocked him a good one, and Mike was almost ready to propose to his college girlfriend, Jennifer Coelly.

Sean was happy for them, but at times when his pain was so intense he merely thought it spiteful. Hadn't he earned happiness? Had he not risked his life so many times to save the human race? Was there no hidden player that no one could see that rewarded the great deeds of the world's heroes? He finished the bottle, and stood up again when the next commercial came on. The picture he'd seen so many times before this night alone was different.

Standing in the way of his alcohol, his only pain numbing substance, was a cloaked figure, standing in the middle of his room, Sean hadn't heard him even come in. Had he been there when Sean had broken down and screamed? "Who are you?" Sean demanded, in a stupid, slurred voice. Suddenly, he realized he'd drank too much, his balance shifted, and his vision blurred.

"My name is Darteth, Dragoon, and I am the instrument of your humiliation. Call your friends to you, call them to their dooms, at my hands," Darteth said. Sean was drunk, he was fairly certain these words would anger him.

Sean was dumbfounded, this man was talking as though he were completely superior, what arrogance! "Look! Get out of my home, before I make you eat those words, slowly."

Darteth chuckled. His cloak was over his eyes, so all Sean could see was his ghostly pale-blue lower face. His wings were wrapped about him, giving the illusion of a raincoat stretching down to his knees. His golden shin guards were exposed, but it made no difference, Sean didn't seem to notice at all.

Sean took one unbalanced step forward. "Get….out…of my house."

Darteth laughed openly now, Sean's frown grew from ignorantly annoyed to furious. "What are you laughing at?" He started running at Darteth, but he merely staggered, and Darteth used no effort in avoiding several punches from the inebriated man. Sean grew angrier and angrier as his punches missed more and more. Finally Darteth grew tired and caught Sean's fist.

"Without your power you are nothing but a human, no match for me," he said, and squeezed. Sean screamed as the bones in his hands struggled to stay together. "Call your friends, and come find me in the Death Frontier." He threw Sean's fist away and struck him in the face with the back of his hand, Sean was lifted from the ground and spun with the force, his eyes last sight saw Darteth leaving through the front door, and then blackness as his head struck the wooden floor.

Now they come to me, Darteth thought. He took to the skies and headed for the Death Frontier.

Sean's eyes fluttered open, and the light from the open windows nearly blinded him, not to mention worsened the throbbing headache that erupted when he was fully conscious. He crawled to the bathroom, and looked at himself in the mirror. There was a dark bruise forming on his right cheek, only half hidden by his brown hair that now stretched to just under his jaw. His eyes had bags under them, he looked miserable. But now he was sober, and fully aware of what was going on.

He picked up the phone and looked to the list of his comrade's names. And began dialing.

Ben Freeman and his beautiful wife Christie were wrapped in their warm covers, and held each other in their arms, leaning their foreheads together as they slept peacefully. After their son Mark Freeman had finally stopped crying every night they had learned how to fully appreciated sleep. They were doing just this as the phone rang.

Once, then twice the ring went off, Ben and Christie opened their eyes in unison. "I'd better get that," Ben said, and began to roll over. However, Christie held her grip tighter, and pulled him back.

"No, let the machine get it," she said. Ben smiled, and peered into his eyes, wondering yet again how he could be so lucky. He leaned in and gave Christie another kiss, the kiss he would never grow tired of. It filled him with a warmth, such a full feeling of love for his wife that the ringing of the phone seemed to just drown away.

They pulled closer together, as the answering machine caught it.

"Hi there! This is Ben Freeman."

"And Christie Freeman!"

"And we're not here right now! Sorry to disappoint you, but we will get back to you if you leave a short message and your name and number, talk to you soon!" Click.

"Ben?" Came Sean's tired voice. "Ben are you there?"

Ben and Christie's eyes shot open, they hadn't talked to Sean in ages. Ben threw off the covers and this time Christie made no move to stop him, they both got out of bed and turned on the speaker phone.

"Sean! Man! How long has it been?" Ben asked happily.

"It's good to hear from you, what's up?" Christie said.

"…"

"…Sean?" Ben said, feeling the reluctance in the silence.

"Guys, last night I was attacked by something, something powerful, and he knocked me a good one. But he wasn't even trying. Please come to my house. I think we all need to talk."

Ben and Christie looked to each other in shock. They hadn't expected anything else to pose a problem for the rest of their lives. Was this really happening?

"Sure Sean, we'll be over in a few minutes," Ben said.

"Thanks, oh and Ben?" Sean asked.

"Yeah?"

"Could you….call Melissa for me?" Sean asked, sounding defeated.

"…Yeah, sure pal," Ben said, lowering his eyes, saying goodbye, and shutting off the phone. Christie called a babysitter, and while they were waiting, Ben called Melissa's new home.

"… ... … Hello?"

"Melissa?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, it's Ben."

"Oh! Hey! How are you?"

"I'm fine, so are Christie and Mark, and yourself?"

"Oh, I'm okay."

"That's good," Ben said, now unsure of what to say.

"So why'd you call?"

"Um, well to be blunt, Sean was attacked by something last night, and he says he packed a wallop, he wants us to go to his house and have a meeting," Ben said. He heard Melissa gasp.

"Um, okay, I'll go… is he okay?"

"Yeah, he just called us a minute ago," Ben said.

"Oh, I see, well figures he wouldn't call me himself."

"Hey now, let's not start something, he needs us," Ben said. After a moment of silence, Melissa spoke up again.

"Yeah, you're right, I'll come, bring my spirit and sword right?"

"I'm guessing."

"Okay, see you soon."

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

"… … Yeah?" Came Robert's voice, panting.

"Rob? It's Sean."

"HEY!"

"There's been an incident, I need our group to come to my house for an emergency meeting, can you get away from your wife for a while?" Sean said.

"Um….I think so, I'll be over in a few minutes, is everything okay?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit, bye."

"Bring your things, bye."

"… Hello?"

"Brittany?"

"Sean?"

"Yeah, is Brad with you?"

"Yeah, he's right here….why?"

"I need you both to come to my home right now, can you get here?"

"Yeah, I think so, what's wrong?"

"…I got attacked last night, by something powerful, and I need your help, please bring your spirits and gear."

"Okay, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Sean said quickly.

"Okay, see you in a bit."

"Bye."

"… … … … …Hey! Mike Edwards here to say, I'm either not here or I don't wanna talk to you, so leave a message and maybe I'll get back to you later."

Sean rolled his eyes when the beep came, Mike had gotten caller I.D. a few weeks earlier and since the fight with Melissa, Mike pretty much refused to acknowledge Sean's existence.

"Mike I know you're there, you don't have to pick up if you don't want to, but last night I was attacked by something, something powerful, and I've been calling everyone to come here to my house for a meeting. I know you're angry at me but you'd better put that aside, we need you for this enemy. He wasn't even trying and he creamed me. So bring your spirit and axe to my home, its reunion time."

Sean hung up and the message ended with a beep. Mike uncrossed his arms, deleted the message, put on his shoes and gathered his gear. He hopped into his car, and took off for Sean's house.

Sean hung up the phone, glad to be done with that phone call. He turned to the bookshelf on which he'd placed his television, a few pictures, hundreds of old books, and his Divine Dragoon Spirit.

He picked it up and instantly the Divine Dragon's voice was in his head. Stop this! You are being pathetic! My bearer cannot fall into a pit of self-loathing. Sean, she's gone, you must take responsibility.

"I cant, mind your own business," Sean said.

Fine, fine. You'll realize it eventually on your own. You did do the right thing in calling your friends, this enemy is incredibly powerful. You'll need all their help, you'd better hope and pray that they all come.

"I'll think about doing that," Sean said dismissively.

Sean, you think I don't know how you feel, but our bond is stronger than you know, just because I am on this bookshelf doesn't mean I don't know what goes on in your heart and mind. You love her, you know that right?

"Stop, just….Stop okay?" Sean said, choking, his tears blurred his vision and his face strained to keep from crying.

…Alright, but you wont be able to run from your heart forever. And then the Divine Dragon was silent. Sean sat down on the recliner and rubbed his eyes and temples until the first ring of the doorbell came.

Author's Note: And so the Dragoons are called together again, but what happened that set them all so far apart? Find out…..eventually….as the story continues to unfold. Thank you so much for all the reviews, please keep it up! Until next chapter, Later!