Part 9: Summoning the Dragon
I landed a couple of miles from Fanelia. To avoid any more run-ins with dragons I sprung into the trees. Moving stealthy and swiftly I quickly swung through the trees swinging on vines, surfing on branches, etc. I passed out halfway there, collapsing in the trees, too tired to go on. I woke up at dawn and continued my journey to the castle. When I got to the castle it was high noon I quickly climbed the high wall to be greeted by the guards stationed there. They blew their trumpets with me roaring announcing my return and success. A royal horse was brought to my position I slid down a ladder to the ground and mounted the white horse that took me to the castle. When I got to the castle Van, Hitomi, Allen, Celena, and the greatest swordsmen on Gaia, greeted me.
"Well did you complete your task?" The leader, Balgus asked. I held up the drag-energist for all of Fanelia to see.
"Well let's head to the shrine." Van said gesturing me to follow. I followed him and the rest of the group, except for the swordsmen, followed me. When we arrived I saw two huge platforms one was for Escaflowne and the other is for Celes, because it had egg over it. Just like the one Escaflowne was sealed in.
"There's Celes." Van said pointing to the egg.
"Well here we go." I said stepping onto the platform standing in the center, activating my sub-armor, underneath the egg. I extended the one claw and cut my left thumb letting the plasma flow into crevices of the energist. The energist started to glow holding the glowing energist high I said.
"I, Sage, samurai of Fanelia. Bond myself by blood pact to thee Celes. Thou sleeping dragon awaken!"
The ring around the platform I was standing on started to turn counter clockwise while another ring on the outside of the first started to spin clockwise. They sped up and emitted a strong light pink wind alongside the rings that blew up my hair. Blue electricity started to swirl alongside the rings and pick up, as the pink light got brighter and brighter turning white. Then the electricity shot up striking the glowing egg, coating it knocking a couple little pieces off. The electricity continued to strike to egg until it suddenly cracked no make that shattered! Big ol' chunks burst off and fell to the ground exposing the forming guymelef inside.
"Celes." The guymelef finished materializing, the rings slowly stopped turning, and the wind died. I backed off the platform as Celes dropped onto the platform in front of me crouching on his right knee.
"Whoa." I said my eyes glittering with excitement. Celes looked a lot like Escaflowne, but he was sea blue, its shoulders are a little more rounded rather than diamond, and a long tail with a 3-prong claw. It also had fangs alongside his "face" and had no cape. I jumped up onto his left knee and pushed my hand holding the energist through the open red "heart" letting go of the energist as I pulled my hand out making a slight ripple. Celes' heart flashed white then died and hard covering closed over it to protect it. BUN-BUM, BUN-BUM, BUN-BUM. The energist started beating like a heart, then flat lined.
"Yes!" SSSSSSS! With an organic ripping noise Celes' chest split down the middle and the 2 sections split into 4, 2 large, and 2 small. The two large sections slid up to the left or right, while the 2 bottom sections slid down to the left of the right, revealing the compartment I would be in. The ribs. The ribs split into 4 pieces, the 2 sides slid to the side, the head raised up the 2 large sections of the outside door rising up to the side of the head the bottom piece sliding down revealing the cockpit.
"Sage!" Allen shouted.
"What?"
"Van and I will meet you in the coliseum."
"For what?"
"A battle."
"Bring it."
"Take it easy on him, okay?" Hitomi told Van and Allen.
"We will." Van assured her as they left to prepare their guymelefs for battle. I jumped into the cockpit and roared looking up towards the head.
"Celes, you may take my blood now!" The inside of the head glowed and the ribs slid shut, the outside doors sliding back into place.
"Sage!" Celena. I was quickly encased in a tight fitting shell, which came from the inside of the cockpit, that covered my entire body except my head. My feet were elevated to simulate real walking. I roared as four huge drills bored into the neck of my sub-armor. 4 on each side of my neck which shrunk into a cone shape, and started to pump out a blue-silver liquid almost plasma from my sub-armor. Lubrication for the gears and gizmos in Celes. BUN-BUM, BUN-BUM, BUN-BUM. His heart started beating in sync with mine. Moreover, I could see through his face.
"Sage! Are you okay?" Celena said.
"Yea! I'm fine." I learned in my research that when your bloody energist enters Celes, you are permanently bonded until death. This means whatever damage inflicted into Celes occurs to the pilot and cannot be healed until Celes is repaired. So I figured that it would be different because the drills are in my sub-armor, so if Celes is damaged, my sub-armor will take the damage. In addition, when I change out of the sub-armor the damage will be repaired. Cool huh? Let's hope that works. He sprouted glowing tendrils that coalesced into a flowing cape blue on top, red on the bottom that was underneath the shoulder blades. Videomaboroshismall.mpg (00:02:10)
"Good just like the old texts said. Kinda claustrophobic, but kinda cozy in creepy way." I stood up and slowly headed out. My first couple of steps was awkward then more casual. I walked into the coliseum and saw Escaflowne, Scherazad, and all of the people of Fanelia.
"So Sage are you ready to go?" Van asked his faceplate open.
"Bring it on! RRROOOAAR!" I roared, Escaflowne's faceplate closed and he and Scherazad drew their swords. I instinctively extended my claws I looked at them they looked like my cat claws except they were much larger, like scythes! I retracted them. I reached behind my head and bone-like protrusion sprung up I had found my sword's hilt. I grabbed it and a large amount of plasma flowed out as I ripped it free and held it front of my chest. Chunt. The hilt opened up. SHING! The small blade I pulled out extended and has it did it curved to become tachi or daito.
"Who's first?"
"I am." Van said stepping forward. "If you get past me you'll face Allen."
The crowd fell silent as Van and I circled each other waiting to see who will make the first move.
"HHHyyaahh!" Van charged at me coming at me as if he was trying to kill me.
"Hyah!" I blocked his attack that would have cut me in half. We fought as if one of us would leave the coliseum breathing. A fierce battle raged between us for several minutes until all of a sudden our guymelefs froze.
"What! I can't budge!" I roared I felt the drills pop out of my sub-armor, my sub-armor healing itself.
"Uh-oh." Celes' chest split open and I was shot out of Celes' cockpit.
"Aaah! Oooff!" The interfacing shell detaching flying back into Celes his chest sealing shut.
I landed on the ground on my feet and looked at Van who was ejected as well. We looked at our guymelefs who put away their swords and crouched down on one knee facing us. In sync with each other.
"What happened?" I asked Van and just as confused as I was.
"I don't know I think Escaflowne and Celes are blood brothers." Van responded.
"They are, I remember reading something about Escaflowne while I was studying Celes it says: "the brothers will not shed each others blood." Or something like to that effect anyway."
"Ladies and gentlemen Sage is the winner!" Van said.
"Let's just hope you beat Allen." He whispered in my ear. He jumped into Escaflowne and left the coliseum.
"Yeah." I sprung into Celes' leg and laid my hand on his heart, which flashed white, the chest opening. I jumped in, sealed inside, and was interfaced as Allen in Scherazad entered. I drew my sword and prepared for him to charge.
"HYAH!" Me no patent so I charged him rather aggressively. Allen blocked my attack and struck downward hoping to end this in one blow.
"Not today." I roared as I blocked his attack knocking it to the side. He swung again aiming for my side. Ching! Blocked it as well. I jumped back and charged aiming for his energist. He sidestepped me and tripped me. I hit the ground on my stomach, my sword sliding away from me.
"Crap." I said slamming my fist on the ground as I rolled over and sprung back onto my feet like a ninja.
"Whoa, I have never seen a guymelef do that. Oh well. " Allen said has he charged again. I blocked it with my claws. I backpedaled and I saw my sword on the other side of Allen. I ran toward him and went sky-high, doing a jump kick! But Allen moved out of the way and I just flew by him landing behind him. I spun around, my tail blades hooking onto a piece of my sword I lifted my sword with my tail to my hand I grabbed it blade down. I removed my tail from it, swung it around blocking Allen's attack, and charged in deeper ramming him with shoulder, knocking him backwards. I attacked him ferociously with my sword or with my body (fists, claws, feet, tail blades, shoulder, etc..) or both. I wasn't restricted like Scherazad. I could jump higher, run faster, and so be able to strike harder than any other guymelef or at least that's what I learned from the schematics in the research on Celes. Allen is the more skilled fighter, but he is limited in movement. On the other hand I am skilled but aggressive fighter not limited in movement.
"Man he won't stay put so I can attack him." Allen as he spun around to counter another one of my attacks. The crowd was going nuts; they have never seen a guymelef move like Celes.
"Time to make my final move."
"What does that mean?" Allen asked as the battle ceased just long enough for me to spot my opening.
"Hyah!" I roared as I struck at him with my tachi. Allen blocked it one-handed, easily.
"That's was your final attack?"
"No this is. Surprise!" I yelled as I made a swift low kick knocking Scherazad of its feet.
"Oh-no. Not again!" Allen yelled as his guymelef crashed to the ground. I pointed my sword at his cockpit of Scherazad.
"Game over. You lose." I moved Scherazad to the side of the coliseum so I would have plenty of room so I started twirling my sword doing an exhibition of what I could do in Celes and by myself. You would probably call me a show-off, but I don't care. After I was finished I retracted my sword twirling it some, faster this time over my hand into the air and back into the sheath behind my head with a clank. The crowd was on their feet as Escaflowne came in and rose up my arm declaring me the champion. Escaflowne and I helped Scherazad up and putting one arm underneath Scherazad's shoulder positioning his arms over our shoulders and leading Scherazad out of the coliseum and to the repair docks. We set him down gently in a chair and exited our guymelefs after sitting in our designated docking points.
"Allen!" Van yelled into the cockpit. No reply.
"Hello." I stared through the vents into his cockpit Allen laid there unconscious.
"He's knocked out." I told Van.
"This'll wake him up, but you might want to cover your ears." Everybody covered their ears.
"TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTsssseeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeee!" I screamed like a falcon as loud and as high as my voice box could muster. When silence resumed everybody was shaking their heads trying to get the ringing out. I heard a low soft moaning from inside Scherazad.
"He's awake!" Van yelled.
"Allen! Wake up!" I roared.
"Ooh. What happened?" Allen asked after he exited Scherazad's cockpit his head bleeding.
"You got knocked out after Sage tripped you and you hit the ground." Van explained as he and Gaddes helped him to the infirmary.
"Van!"
"Yes."
"It there any way you teach me how to transform Celes into a dragon?"
"Yes. After we get Allen to the infirmary. Meet me in the coliseum."
"Thank you." I jumped back into Celes, hooked up, and made my way to the coliseum.
"Man I hope he's okay." I said to no one.
"He suffered a mild concussion, but he will live." Van as he entered the coliseum in Escaflowne.
"When transforming Celes to a dragon. It can be done with the mind." He explained.
"Like this watch." He said he transformed Escaflowne into a dragon.
"You try." He yelled from Escaflowne's back.
"Okay." I can do this. I concentrated and said to Celes in thought transform to dragon mode. Nothing.
"Concentrate harder, focus." Van said. I closed my eyes, focused, and concentrated harder. Celes! Beast Mode! I ask of you. Please. The energist glowed brightly and I felt the drills pop out of my neck and the body suit retract. I felt my cape retract and my tail blades folded back into my tail and my tail retract. At the end of my shoulder joints, my wings folded out from my back, the last joint folding out from the middle joint. Which dislocated the shoulders blades from the body so the beginning of Celes' wings are a little below his arms, the right wing came first, the left wing not far behind. The shoulder blades stretched open a little bit and the leather stretched from the shoulder blade to the wingtip forming a pair of dragon wings. My sword hilt slid down into its sheath the 2 protrusions on the side of it hooking onto 2 hooks and 2 hooks on the top folded down locking it in place. The plate closed diagonally changing it into a neck bone.
The chest that was the dragon's head pulled up which made the humanoid head slid down into it the two outside horns making the dragon's bottom jaw. When the H.head did this it pulled up a neck bone that connected to the bone on his back pulling it forward to where the H. head was completing the dragon's neck. As the dragon reared back, the ribs in view the chest pushed and sealed together the energist sliding to the bottom of the sealed dragon's chest. Squirting a large amount of plasma. The hand retracted as the joint on the inside of the forearm folded out and connected with the long joint on the other side of the forearm which turned 45 degrees to face the ground which extended three claws two in front one in back completing the front legs. Celes' upper body was full dragon and he crashed onto the ground landing on his front legs. The top part of his legs folded out on joints at the hips and extended three toes two forward one backward his back legs, which lifted him up. The remainder of his legs stretched, turned so inside edges faced each other, and his feet flat connected together with a crunching sound. The plate right behind neck and a little above the wings hissed out steam as it up and forward and up a little more. It folded up and out revealing a spot where I'm suppose to stand, behind me was flat section with 2 long curved sections on the top of the flat part, and 2 short section on the bottom of it. I grabbed a set of reins and held them tightly.
Transformation Complete.
"Awesome!" My dragon is smaller than Escaflowne.
"Tomorrow you will learn how to fly Celes." Van said.
"Ok."
"Now let's transform back."
"Righty-o! Celes Maximize!" Reverse directions. His tail split in half, his legs turned to face the ground, Celes' back dragon legs retracted his talons as they reconnected to the top of my legs. His legs shrunk to meet the upper parts and he lifted himself off the ground, I dropped down into the cockpit, the plate sealing shut behind me. The front claws folded in as the front arms turned 45 degrees the opposite direction so they were facing outward as the long joint folding back and the smaller joint folding back his hand extended out. The chest separated his ribs in view his energist sliding over to its original position; his dragonhead disconnected from his H. head, the dragonhead sliding down becoming the chest, the H.head sliding down into position, the first neck joint moved onto his back, the second neck joint with H.head on it slid into position over the cockpit. His shoulder blades shrunk back to normal as the shoulder blades reconnected to my shoulder as his wings folded back into his back. I was interfaced, Celes' cape coalesced, and my tail extended my tail blades springing out and locking like a steel trap. Escaflowne and I left the coliseum and docked in the shrine. We exited our guymelefs and went to bed.