Chapter 23

The Dragon's Maze

Long moments would pass as the others watched him. It had taken all he had to get this far and his exhaustion was now plain. He had pushed himself to the Super Saiyan form which had sapped him more. When the blade took the energy, he simply had no energy left for even standing his golden hair and green eyes faded to black. Blue had been brought to the Lair while he was resting and as she was assured, the golden dragon stayed by Vegeta's side.

Silently, the dragon laid beside the weary Saiyan as he kept a guard over him. Hunters had come out and about hunting for the Lair and for them. For the first time in such a long span of time, he was safe from their vicious ways, and he rested even more. Vegeta had been nestled up to the dragon as the mighty creature would carefully wrap his front arms around him and lay the thick neck over the Saiyan to keep him warm.

When he woke at last, he stood up and the sword lay upon the ground, sheathed with a thin belt fastened to it for easier carrying. His coal eyes moved to the blade resting upon the floor and the dragon allowed him up and with a bit of hesitation he picked it up. It was perfectly balanced, light, yet strong. Fastening it around his waist, he looked to the golden dragon. Soon the creature lifted to his full height of 300 feet tall.

Vegeta stood there for a moment before finally gazing back at the surrounding maze. "How do I find my way out?"

The dragon grinned, and then began teaching him the ways of the maze, of the Lair. This alone would take several months. Every shift, every pitfall, trap, and dead end was shown to him to the point where he had it memorized so thoroughly there was no questioning. During the times he wasn't eating, resting, or learning the maze, he practiced with the blade, becoming more and more proficient at the art of sword fighting. It was now to the point where it was second nature of where to go, how to get there, and what to do. He also knew the other creatures of which resided in the Lair.

Vegeta had spent countless hours in study and training in the ways of the Lair and its many creatures, how to approach each and stealth unsurpassed. Finally the golden dragon grinned after nine months of intense training and study. He learned secrets untold and unknown by any other than the dragon clans and when the golden dragon nodded, he gave a grin. "Go now Vegeta and use your gifts wisely. Your state of neutrality is your greatest weapon. If ever you have need of the services of a dragon, you will be granted that which you most desire. My name is Drython, the eldest of the Gold Dragon Clan. You must be off now, your wife awaits in the entrance of the Lair."

Quickly, the Prince turned on heel and ran for the maze, his eyes adjusting quickly to the dark passages of the labrynth. He soon found his way back and found that she was indeed there and waiting for his return. When they were reunited, she gave him a hug and presented their child to him, Vegerain was what Blue had named the child. In a way he liked it, but in a way, he wished the child to be named in the same manner he had been, after a world that once was strong and proud.

Holding his son in his arms, he knew deep down that the fight he had been in was just beginning. The fight to keep a family would be intense and his coal eyes looked up to her quietly, the fear and joy of being a father in this City was evident upon his brow. He gave a moment of peace to them. For once he was again proud of being a father and now knew how his own father must have felt. The Saiyan Prince would grin silently as he became lost in the feeling of the moment wishing it could forever stay this way.

Several more months would pass going on the second year. By this time, Vegeta had gained a knowledge of the Southern Forest that was as yet unmatched. He knew the paths, the shortcuts, the dead end trails, the dangerous pits which if one wasn't careful would catch the unwary traveler. His footfalls were completely silent, his prints no longer showed if he didn't want them to and he became more and more like a ghost.

However their life was anything but simple during the months that followed. Hunters set traps and nets hoping to snare the elusive slaves that seemed to disappear without trace. Vegeta had made it a point to take the lead out of the Lair first. He could easily lose the hunters in the forest without much trouble. He knew how to escape without problem and his senses were always alert. Skittish as a deer and unable to be caught, the rumors soon turned to legend in the City of Jronia and the Southern Forest would become dubbed as Ghost's Domain.

Sitting in the Lair quietly, he had taken the time to make a mural of life in Jronia, all aspects of what had gone on. Often he would disappear into the depths of the Lair to take time away from the pressures that had settled upon him. It was his time of being able to plot, plan, or just to simply relax. However, he enjoyed a good hunt out in the forest, the open fresh air was a great tension releaser. He would stalk his prey silently so as not to alert the animal he hunted, always trying to pick off the weakest. He knew the importance of making his resources last as long as possible. With a single deer, he could live for a few weeks in the forest with enough to eat and drink.

It was only about three years in that the hunts upon him and his family grew more intense. The trackers were trained expertly and Vegeta had to make sure that nothing shown sign that he was there. Twigs had to be left unscathed, the forest floor had to be untouched, and animals couldn't be spooked. Ever alert, he was always listening for when his hunts turned into being hunted and he was always quick on his feet. Several times he was chased, and each time Vegeta would seem to vanish without trace, he never went out in a normal state. His hair was always gold and his eyes green. He had the power to kill them with ease and yet he would play their little game until they camped out for the night.

In the darkness of the shadowy night, he would go from tree to tree, landing silently on the branch above them. He would watch them, waiting for when they were about to bed down for the night before he would take the canteen he had and place it upon a branch. Lashing it securely to the stick, he then moved to yet another tree and there he pulled on the slender vine that would tip the canteen and pour the water out, ultimately putting out the flame quickly. Wherever the water was poured from, they fired wasting arrows on empty air. Vegeta grinned upon this and watched as they scanned above for him.

Huddled together beneath him, he would tie old beer bottles to a couple of the branches and let the wind whistle over them. The result was an eerie sound that made the hunters themselves very jumpy. The Dark Prince would jump to a tree some distance away before he jumped down and powered into his Super Saiyan form, allowing the ground itself to quiver under the raw strength. Then silently he would walk upon the camp and stand at the edge while the now frightened hunters gazed in fear at him.

Pointing one finger like a gun toward the lead hunter he only spoke softly just barely above a whisper. "Bang."

A split second later the lead hunter lay dead, shot through his chest with a ki blast. He gazed to the others who stood there in horror and then finally powering a small ball in his hand he launched it. No one would survive his attack that night, and with it, the hunts started to slow down once more. Once back at the Lair he found out one thing, he had been followed. He intended to lose them in the labryinth and from there, let nature take its course.