Chapter 1-The Meeting

I still remember that day, almost two years ago. It was a windy and dusty

day in Valkurm Dunes. The sun was shining down like it was about to release a giant beam. I was on my way to Selbina, off to go fish in the cool water. It was the middle of the day, and I hoped no one was attacked by the goblins. I wasn't in that good of a mood to save anyone. I guess today wasn't my day, because in the corner of my eye, I see someone being chased by a goblin. Being the nice person I am, I quickly rush over. I run over and leaped into the air, landing on the monster with my lance. A few swings of my lance, and it fell to the ground, giving a last shout, landing on its rear end and slumping forward. I looked at the mithra I had saved. She seemed tired, almost fainting from the exhaustion from that goblins's chase. I looked at her, and noticed she was a black mage. After such a long time, I can tell that kind of stuff. She bowed at me, and then kneeled. I just gave her a gentle smile, and bowed back. She waved goodbye. She rose her hands into the air, and colored spheres flew out of the ground. In a couple seconds, a black portal came up, and sucked her in. I didn't even catch her name. That's the last time I ever saw her…till now.

Chapter 2-Reunion

I was running in Jueno. The clouds covered the sky. Everyone was near the auction house. You could see everything from the room of the auction house. Galkas, mithra, elvaan, humes, and the ever wonderful tarutaru. Everyone was trying to sell something. So many people in such a small place made it hard to get through the crowd. Too much pushing and shoving for me. It's a good thing Jeuno bans fighting in the street. It's amazing how many fights would break out. I had to get out of this. I was running back to my mog house, about to go to sleep. I start going back. Something to the left near the fountain catches my eye. It's the mithra. The one from 2 years ago. I could see her in her brown hat, with the tip curved off. I knew it was her. I don't know how, but it was her. She looked in my direction, and we made eye contact. We smiled at each other. Suddenly a galka ran into me. He pushed me straight off my feet. I got up, cleaned the dust of my purple armor, and looked back near the fountain. She was gone. The first chance I had in two years to meet her again, and the stupid galka ran into me… Oh well…maybe next time. I sighed, and continued on my way.

I slammed the door on my mog house, frustrated by that galka. I really wanted to know that mithra's name. I walked up to my mog to give him my weapons and armor so I could just fall asleep and forget my day. Taking off my lance, the moogle said I had a message. From the archduke of Jeuno. "God, not again…"

Chapter 3-Mission

I ran over to the magnificent Ru' Lude Gardens. The white marble floor was a good change from the yellow brick walls from the other parts of Jueno. I ran to the balcony straight ahead. The great pillars shot out of the ground. Ahead I saw the mighty castle, where the archduke resides. I made my way around the center square, and to the castle. I ran up the stairs to the guards. I looked from one to the other. They both nodded and opened the giant brown doors. I walked in, and there I stood in front of the archduke, face to face.

"Nice to see you face to face Laramie. I've heard good things of you"

"Thank you your majesty. Nice to meet u as well."

"I need to ask for a favor of you."

"Which would be…?"

The archduke gave a gentle laugh.

"Haha, such young energy. Always getting ahead of yourselves."

I was starting to think if this was a waste of my time, when the archduke interrupted my thoughts.

"Anyways, my point. In the recent days, I have fallen sick to an atrocious disease. This disease is very severe, and I could fall dead in mere days. So my mission to you is to travel to the land known as Xarcabard, and defeat the shadow dragon. I, and all of the Dutchy of Jeuno, would be very thankful."

"Sure, I have nothing else to do anyways," I said with a slight grin.

The archduke gave a hearty laugh. "Thank you for your bravery! We also have a partner for accompany you, just for some back up, which I doubt a great dragoon like you should need! You can come in now Cayu."

I could believe it. It was her. The mithra I had seen in dunes two years ago, and again earlier today.

"Cayu, meet Laramie. Laramie, Cayu."

We both smiled at each other.

"Hey again! Long time no see!" I said in a cheerful manner.

"Hello! Sure has been a long time. Thanks for your help that one day, I sure appreciate it!" she replied, almost as happy as me.

"Seems like you two have met before. That'll make this a lot easier" the archduke said with a slight grin. "You both can leave now, and thank you for agreeing to do this. My life is in your hands."

We walked out standing side by side. No one talked. I occasionally looked at her in the corner of my eye. I noticed her white medium length wisp through the wind. She didn't have her hat brown hat on, which was the first thing I noticed.

"So, how's life been going the last two years," I said, finally breaking the silence. We both remained looking at our feet as we kept walking.

"Not bad actually. I've made some new friends, and done some exploring. But the only thing I've been able to think about is you. Maybe its your blue eyes that get me lost. Like a deep blue ocean surrounded by millions of sun rays. Or maybe its because I never really got to say thank you. Who knows?" Cayu replied, with a little giggle, and finally looking up from the ground. "Glad to get that off my mind."

"Me too actually. I forgot to ask your name, and you warped before I could ask…and when I saw you earlier today, well…the stupid galka got in my way," I said, followed by a slight sigh. "Guess we should head to Xarcabard…Teleport-Vazhl?"

"Fine with me!" She replied.

Chapter 4-Xarcabard

Pretty quickly, we found a nice white mage to teleport us. Shortly after we arrived at Xarcabard, we bowed to the white mage, who bowed back and then warped.

"Stay here," I said softly, almost like a whisper. Cayu nodded. I summoned my wyvern, and ran off into the distance, like I didn't have a worry in the world.

The ground was covered with heavy snow, and it was hard to run. In the snow filled air, a shadow dragon emerges from being a rock. I run in front of it so it sees me, and run back to where Cayu is. I jumped into the air, and landed on the dragons head. Cayu continued to stand back near the telepoint, and black magic the crap out of the dragon, while I went up in its face and stabbed it with my lance. After a while, the dragon fell to the ground, and evaporated into thin air. The only thing left was a small vial of a blackish blue liquid, which I quickly grabbed and tucked it away safely.

"Easy. Let's go. I hate this place," I muttered in Cayu's direction. She nodded, and began casting warp on us.

We arrived in Ru Lude Gardens. We head up the stairs once again, and the guards let us in. The duke looked up from his throne, and smiled warmly.

Chapter 5-Accomplished

"Aahh! I see you two have arrived! With great haste as well!" the archduke stood from his throne, but I could tell he was in great pain from the virus. He sat back down, and motioned to the guards, who approached and took the vial from me.

"Thank you Laramie and Cayu, I am in your debt."

"No problem," we both said at the same time. Hearing someone say the same exact thing at the same time sent a tingle down my spine. My right arm started shaking, so I quickly grabbed it with my left arm and held it tight to my side. Almost everyone looked at me, grabbing my arm like a wild freak. I even heard some laughs in the back of the room. Apparently it was funny to have a hint of panic in the air. It didn't affect me really, but it still felt weird.

"Good day adventurers!" the duke said, standing up and saluting. Me and Cayu saluted back. Once again, we walked out of the door.

This time no one said anything at all. At the balcony, we each took separate paths…until we would meet again.

Chapter 6-Celebration

Running through Jeuno the next day, I noticed a tarutaru standing near the fountain where I had seen Cayu just yesterday. I saw he was passing out gold fliers to all the nearby wanderers and adventurers. People were surrounding him and talking to each other. A little hume child look at me, just standing there, with a confused look on my face. She turned back around. I hurried through the crowd to the taru, wanting to get on with my everyday boring day. Finally, reaching the crowded center, the taru gave me a flier. My picture was on it, along with Cayu's. I carefully read the words…

Feast of Heroes

In Honor of Cayu and Laramie

Lightsday 19:00

Oh fun…I thought in my head. I might as well go. It IS for me, and I have nothing else to do. Tossing the paper in the trash, I ran out to Rolanberry Fields, off to find something to do…

Finally, it was Lightsday. Almost time for the "feast". According to my mog, it was nearly 18:30. Since I was in Port Jeuno, I ran off to Ru Lude Gardens. I knew I would still be there early, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get this over with.

I took my last turn into the white marbled area.

The sky lit up with fireworks. Down in the lowered center, there were chorus' and sing-a-longs, and all the dancing going on. They danced in circles, and I could just stare at them forever. The paladins in their gallant armor, and white mages in their healer's doublets. Even dark knights and black mages joined in on the fun.

Back on the top floor, near the auction house, which were closed for the night, the royal alchemists, specially hired by the archduke, made the grand sparkling fireworks. A little father down, the honorary black mages ignited them, sending them off into the sky, exploding into a million colors.

Near the sides not taken up with the events, there were rows of catered food lined up on tables lined with silk cloths. The tables never ran out, with chief cookers, crafting up food with the magic at their hands. This looked like it could all be fun. I turned around to head down to the area, when I rammed into a galka who somehow appeared behind me.

"Sir Laramie, please follow me. The archduke has an urgent matter for you."

Chapter 7-Attack

The galka led me back up the marble stairs I had ascended before. This time Cayu was with me. We didn't look at each other. We didn't even wave to each other when we saw one another. Something was different from last time…just…something.

Once again, the big brown doors opened, and we stepped into the throne room, greeted by the arch duke.

"A very urgent event has just happened," the archduke said sternly, not a hint of humor in his voice. "As you know, Castle Zvahl is under Jueno's control, after we took it from the demons."

I knew all this. I wanted him to get to the point…

"Well…," he gave out a sigh, "the Shadow Lord has returned…and he's going to regain Zvahl for the beast men…"

My heart stopped for a second. If this was according to the old fable, the world would be destroyed. A hundred years ago, the shadow lord had been destroyed. Throughout the last hundred years, he had no absolute body, but lived in the air, in the ocean and the sky, the earth and the moon. He harnessed power from the beast men for his own power. If he absorbed too much power so quickly, he would bring back his physical form, and be too strong to defeat. We all wished that day would never come. It would mean the end of the world…but now its here, and we aren't ready to face the greatest fight in all of Vana Diel…

"And you want us to help you in the fight?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

He gave a slight nod.

"We can't make you help us. But just know that you're our last hope…everyone's last hope. Take care." He turned around, and walked slowly to his throne. His guards escorted us out.

Chapter 8-Zvahl

We were back outside, with the festivals just as loud as before. We both sat on the bottom step of the white stairs.

"So...are we gonna risk out lives for the world? Or just sit back like cowards?" I was the first to speak.

"Hmm…" she took a second to think, then stood up. "Let's go!" she exclaimed. She turned around and stuck her hand out to help me up. I quickly grabbed her hand to get up. The second I touched her hand, mine turned warm. Not warm like sitting out in the sun. Warm like jumping into the ocean, and waiting till your body gets used to the water. Getting my mind back on track, I got up and walked with Cayu, down to Lower Jeuno, then to Xarcabard again…then the infamous Castle Zvahl.

We hurried across the snow-covered ground, west to the castle. We reached there faster than expected, since the mountains were destroyed by the shadow lord, we could run straight, without running around them. Heading up the giant slopes, we saw that the right side of the gate was under attack already, so we decided to pass by that for now, and head up the left. The right was getting swarmed. Almost all the races of beast men were there. The gigas, yagudo, orcs, quadavs, demons, and goblins. Even the tonberry were there, surprisingly leaving the Temple of Ugglapih, for such a cause.

And across from the beast men, the swarms of the archduke's army came in. Almost all the classes had come in to join the fight for life, except the dragoons. Even if we won this fight, many lives would be lost…

Finally reaching the top, Cayu and I took a breather, from all the fast running. The armies general, General Fatalis, was too busy commanding troops to worry about us. Cayu was resting from the run, but I was just warming up. I saw a mage tonberry that had wandered off. I took off my lance, and rushed him from behind. I swung. He vanished. Into mid air. I could believe it…he had just…disappeared. Then a giant flash came. And another. And lo and behold, up came the shadow lord from the bottom of the enormous pits, now set ablaze. This form of the Shadow Lord was a lot bigger than the last time. My lance was as big as his finger…we had no chance of survival.

Suddenly, he picked up a giant stone, and hurled it at us, sitting on top of the hill. I couldn't risk it hitting us, even if it meant me the great lance I had inherited from dragoons past. I launched my lance at the giant stone, piercing it in half, and causing it to lose momentum and fall at the ground. Then out of no where, my lance came back. It disappeared after hitting the rock, and appeared back on my back. I then remembered an old saying I had heard when I first obtained this lance from my grandfather. "Banish the evil, pierce thy stone, vanquish your fears, and crush thy bones. The end shall come, but not just yet. Fear nothing, not even death." Maybe this had something to do with the stone…but what about the rest of the saying…

The Shadow Lord swung his giant hand straight at me. I was in the front, and he was just out of reach of everyone else. I jumped onto his hand, and stabbed my lance straight down. I heard a snap, and pulled my lance out. Coming out with my lance, was slices of his bones. Peeling off my lance, like a piece of pie, slid down a window, then sprayed with water. He let out a scream, and his hand fell to the ground. I leaped off and went back to the others. 1 more phrase…

His next attack was probably the worst of everything I had ever seen before…ever. He lit his fists a blaze. Then, looking like he had leaped from his spot, he smashed down on the ground. The snow jumped off the ground, and the castle shook. I looked around at the sky, and noticed the dull black marble looking walls crashing down. I looked down where the ceiling was falling, and noticed Cayu, standing off to the side, not by the gate. I hurried over and noticed her foot was stuck, and she couldn't move. The ceiling was collapsing, and I had to protect her. I pulled her out of the high snow that had trapped her, but we didn't have enough time to move. I quickly grabbed her, like a hug. We were so close I could hear her heavy breathing. I could tell her she was scared. "Don't be afraid," I quietly whispered, "Everything's going to be all right…" I didn't believe this myself. Whenever anything said it, I never trusted them, and what I thought would happen always was the outcome. But today I had to trust in myself. In my grandfather. In the honor of the dragoon.

"The end shall come, but not just yet. Fear nothing…not even death…" I whispered one last time.

"Ok…" Cayu whispered back. I was relieved to hear that she could trust me enough.

I heard the ceiling break. I heard it fall down to us.

It's not here. The end. We can't fear death. If we fear it, it'll absorb us into a nonreversible fate.

I grabbed Cayu tighter, and I could feel her grabbing me back.

I blacked out.