I do not own Legend of Dragoon or any of the characters.


Gehrich

Cade leaned out carefully from behind the pillar and looked around. He couldn't see anyone, but as soon as they'd reached the Home of Giganto, the hideout of the Gehrich Gang, archers had begun to fire at them. They'd made it across one street with three people almost getting shot, so they'd taken cover in a building.

"Four days of travelling from Fletz, three hours travelling through the Valley of Corrupted Gravity, and a fight with a Virage, just to have to hide from a bunch of bandits with bows," Cade said. "This sucks."

"We've travelled longer," Dart said from off to the side where he, Albert, and Shana had been inspecting a Giganto skeleton that was seated against the wall with a dozen spears through its chest, all of them seeming almost like arrows in the massive skeleton.

"You would think the Gehrichs could at least come out and face us like men rather than shooting us from the top of the wall," Cade said. "I'd say we earned at least that after dealing with that Virage."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Rose said. "Unless you know an invisibility spell."

"I wish," Cade said. "I suppose I could fly up and blast them with magic."

"Better not," Dart said. "We should try to keep our actual abilities hidden as much as we can."

"So we're just going to sprint for it, then?" Cade asked.

"We'll have to," Albert said. "Everyone up for it?"

"I'm ready!" Meru nodded.

"I can go too," Shana nodded.

"I'll manage," Haschel said.

"Alright," Dart nodded, seeing Rose and Cade both preparing to take off. "Go!"

Everyone sprinted out of the building and the arrows began to fall almost instantly. They were being fired in sets of four. However, just as they neared a massive set of stairs, which had had wooden beams set in between them for non-Gigantos to use to climb them easier, the arrows suddenly stopped before a large, powerfully built man stepped out from behind a giant, broken-off head from a statue above them. He was bald on top of his head with messy brown hair around the sides and hanging down his back, a black chestplate, gold boots and a gold belt over an a pair of animal skin underpants, had massive, jagged scars over his arms and legs, and he held a pair of enormous cleavers. He grinned as he saw them, exposing his rotting teeth, several missing, and raised his right sword, licking along the blunt back edge of the blade, eyes quite obviously travelling over Rose and Shana's bodies.

"I'm only warning you once," Cade said, stepping forward and drawing his sword. "Get the fuck out of our way."

The man laughed. "Puny man with puny sword!"

The man charged, roaring, and Cade moved to meet his charge. The man slashed both blades downward at Cade, and Cade grabbed his sword with both hands, moving so fast he left an afterimage, slashing the man three times before passing him and slowing to a stop, everyone behind him staring in surprise as the man dropped his swords and collapsed.

"Wow!" Meru cheered. "That was awesome!"

"That was just like what Lloyd did!" Dart said.

"Yeah," Cade said, standing and slashing his sword once to sling the blood off of it. "Come on. We should keep moving before they start shooting again."

The others all nodded and they began to jog again, not sprinting, but moving quickly. After a few minutes, they were passing between two walls of debris, Dart taking the lead, and a pair of bandits leapt at him. He spun, slashing one and the other moved to stab him, only for Shana to shoot it, killing it. As Dart turned to thank her, a human-pig hybrid wearing armor and holding a shield and a pickaxe squealed loudly from above them as it leapt off the wall at them. Haschel jumped off a chunk of stone and slammed a kick into the pig, hurling it into the ground in front of Rose, who killed it instantly. Then, they continued again. They climbed a massive set of stairs and reached a gate, only to stop as the four archers at the top fired into the ground in front of them. Cade narrowed his eyes at them.

"I don't know what you want, but how the hell did you manage to get all the way here!?" one of the bandits demanded.

"We should play with them a little!" another laughed.

"The boss said not to kill 'em," a third said. "But..."

"Why don't we stomp 'em til they hair being alive?" the last cackled.

"Let's make a break for it!" Dart said.

Everyone sprinted forward, dodging around the next volley of arrows, barely, only for a massive circle of stone to suddenly roll into the gate, sealing it. They all backed away as the bandits cackled.

"You thought it would be that easy, huh!?" one of the bandits laughed.

Cade turned to the way they came, but another bandit landed behind them, drawing his dagger, and one of the higher-level ones, from what he could tell, landed beside him, adopting a martial arts pose, this one looking nearly identical to the shirtless one Meru had punched in Donau.

"Where ya going?" the bandit with the knife asked.

"Cade, watch out!" Rose said, grabbing Cade and yanking him aside, just in time for an arrow to hit her in the arm.

"That's it!" Cade snarled.

"No, don't!" Rose said, snapping the arrowhead off and pulling it out. "It's fine!"

The bandits pulled their bows back, only for one of them to dive out of the way of Shana's own arrow. The other three fired and Cade stepped forward, slashing all three arrows out of the air, once again leaving afterimages, making it seem like he and his afterimages were all solid and slashed together.

"I've had enough of this!" Cade growled. "I'm killing them all."

The bandits all began to laugh.

"Yo, brother, teach them some respect, will ya?" one of the bandits asked, all four archers turning to the side.

After a moment, another of the shirtless ones walked over from on the wall, the bandits cheering as he did. "Yeah, I got 'em." He jumped to a statue's face on the wall below himself, then flipped onto the path in front of the gate. "It's been a while. I'm aching to get 'em." He began to crack his neck and fingers as a pair of bandits joined him, drawing their knives.

"Let us meet with your boss!" Dart said. "We have to talk!"

"There will be no talking," the man said. "You already ruined our territory." He adopted a martial arts stance, then began to alternate between his right foot out to his side, crossed behind his left, and raised in front of himself with his knee bent, never standing still.

"That pose!" Haschel gasped. "It's from the Rogue School!"

"What!?" the man asked, dropping out of his stance to glare at Haschel. "How do you know about that!?"

"That's my question!" Haschel snapped. "How did you find out about the Rogue School!?"

The man snorted. "Who cares? If you really want to find out about it, tussle with me!"

Without waiting for an answer, the man and the two bandits all leapt at them. Haschel moved to meet the man, blocking a kick with his forearms and throwing the man backward. At the same time, Rose and Cade slashed one of the bandits as he moved to land, and Dart slashed the other as he ran at Shana. They turned back to Haschel and the martial artist that challenged him, watching as Haschel deflected several strikes, then ducked under a kick before slamming a single punch into the man, sending him crashing backward into the gate. Cade looked toward the bandits behind them in time to see the shirtless one fleeing from Meru while Albert pulled his spear out of the other.

"The Rogue School of Martial Arts is a tradition found only in my village," Haschel said to the man he'd beaten so easily. "All the people who use the Rogue Style from outside my village must have a connection there." He stepped forward, the bandit pressing himself back against the gate. "Do you know a woman fighter named Claire?"

I-I don't know any woman named Claire!" the man stammered. "I learned it from my boss, Gehrich!"

"Gehrich," Haschel mused.

"My boss used to study it, seriously, but he was kicked out twenty years ago!" the man said. "Then he became a bandit!"

"Kicked out..." Haschel thought for a moment before his eyes widened. "Now I remember! That Gehrich! He must be the man who was once my disciple!"

"He's through that gate, right?" Dart asked.

"Y-Yeah!" the bandit nodded, before suddenly seeming to feel brave. "But you can't defeat my boss! My boss is ten times as strong as me!"

"It is my fist that decides if I can defeat him or not!" Haschel said, holding his fist up, the bandit shrinking back in fear again.

After a moment, the bandit scrambled over the low wall to his right and fled. Haschel huffed and turned to the gate.

"Time to be on our way," Haschel said, walking over to the gate.

"What are you doing?" Dart asked.

"I'll show you what the real Rogue School is like," Haschel said.

He crouched for a moment, concentrating, yelling with effort, then punched the gate. After a moment of nothing happening, cracks began to spread across the gate, spreading rapidly before deepening. Then, the gate crumbled, being reduced to a pile of rubble. Haschel dusted his hands off and folded them behind himself again, turning to the others.

"Shall we?" Haschel asked.

"Damn," Cade said. "You sure you're human?"

Haschel chuckled as they continued to walk. "That's what someone who mastered the Rogue School can do."

Cade nodded and they all slowed to a stop as they reached a doorway to their right, a short stairway leading down to a small chunk of stone on the left with a cliff around it and a tall stone head on one side, then a very long stairway leading up to the last structure in the Home of Giganto, one carved into the side of a mountain.

"It seems obvious that there are bandits hiding somewhere," Albert said.

"Let's look in here," Dart said, gesturing at the door.

Cade nodded and drew his sword, walking into the door first, Rose following after him, then Albert, then Shana and Dart, Haschel and Meru waiting outside, Cade catching something about Haschel's back hurting. He ignored it, walking into the partially-collapsed stone tunnel quietly, only to stop as he reached the premature end of the tunnel where it had collapsed and blocked it off. There were Rock Fireflies, fireflies with the ability to heal people with their light, drifting through the air along the tunnel, and as Cade reached the end, their thoraxes shone blindingly, Cade feeling his fatigue fading. As the light faded, he looked back, seeing Rose inspecting her arm, which had been healed.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine now," Rose said. "I have to fix my sleeve again, though."

"I'm sorry," Cade said. "You got hurt because I got careless."

"It's alright," Rose said. "I don't hold it against you. Just try to stay focused next time."

Cade nodded and they all headed back outside, only to find Meru unconscious on the ground and Haschel gone. "Meru!"

He knelt beside her, gently shaking her shoulder. She stirred and groaned, holding a hand to her head, and stood.

"What happened?" Dart asked.

"Ouch," Meru groaned. "Um...something bumped into me, and..." she trailed off, looking around, eyes widening quickly. "Oh boy! Where's Haschel!?"

"He knocked you out and went to face Gehrich alone," Cade guessed. "As his former master, he feels responsible."

"You're probably right," Dart nodded. "We need to go and help him."

"Well, we're down to only one building, so I think we know where he went," Cade said, looking up at the fortress before them.

The others all nodded and they all turned, hurrying up the stairs and into the massive doorway inside. They arrived just in time for Dart to slash at Mappi as he leapt at Haschel. Mappi deflected it with his claws and kicked off Dart's chest, hurling himself back to the throne where a tall man with a mustache, a red bandanna around his forehead, a loose green muscle shirt, black pants and shoes, and a dagger in his hand was standing, watching Haschel. Cade assumed that was Gehrich.

"Did we keep you waiting?" Dart asked Haschel.

"It's not fair leaving me like that!" Meru said as the others joined them.

"You..." Haschel trailed off, then sighed turning back to the pair of bandits ahead of them as Mappi put on a second set of claws.

"We'll deal with the shrimp," Cade said. "He's quick, so he'll be annoying. We'll keep him out of your hair while you teach your old student a lesson."

Haschel nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm not running away this time," Mappi grinned. "This time, I'll slice you all up real good!"

"We'll see about that," Cade said.

"Mappi, go!" Gehrich said, sprinting at Haschel.

Cade stepped forward as Mappi streaked toward them. He slashed in an upward arc, but Mappi spun around it, slashing at him, only for Rose to block his claws. Shana sent an arrow at Mappi and he leapt backward. Just as he landed, Meru's mallet crashed into him, hurling him away. Cade sprinted after him and Mappi shot forward, slashing. Cade spun around his claws, but when he turned to slash Mappi from behind, Mappi hurled himself forward at Rose. He spun in the air, his left arm's blades knocking her sword aside before his right arm's blades tore across her abdomen. She shouted in pain, staggering away and Mappi dodged several arrows, then flipped over Dart's sword. His claws crashed down on Dart's left shoulder, failing to damage his armor or hurt him but knocking him to his knees. Mappi jumped off his back at Shana, slashing an arrow out of the air, only for Cade to catch him by the ponytail. He shouted in anger and effort, swinging Mappi vertically over himself and smashed him down onto the ground hard enough to crack it before Punting him at Meru. Meru's mallet swung around, crashing into Mappi and sent him crashing into a pillar off to the side, shattering it. Mappi shouted in pain, dropping to the ground as Cade ripped his sword's blade out of the ground and walked toward him, an aura of power and danger radiating from him, fury and hate shining from his eyes.

"This bullshit is over!" Cade snarled.

"That's what you think!" Mappi smirked, shoving himself up just as Haschel bounced past Cade.

Cade spun, his sword blocking Gehrich's dagger before Gehrich swept his feet out from under him and kicked him into the air. He hurled his dagger into the air before his fists began to blast into Cade from behind in a blur at the same time as Mappi began to rapidly stomp on him just as quickly from above, at the same time as his claws tore across Cade's torso again and again. Finally, Mappi leapt backward and Gehrich flipped, slamming a kick into Cade's head, flipping him before kicking him away.

Cade bounced and rolled to a stop, then pushed himself up just as Haschel slammed a fist into Gehrich's jaw, launching him and chasing after him. Mappi shot toward Cade, passing his sword on the way, but as he moved to slash him, Rose stepped into the way, blocking his claws and knocking them away. She blocked his other claws as well before Mappi leapt into the air, flipping over her and moving to slash her up the back.

"Cade!" Dart shouted, hurling his sword.

Cade caught it and spun, slashing upward at Mappi. He twisted to block it, but the blade smashed through his left arm's claws entirely and split Mappi's torso open as it hurled him away. A moment later, Dart reached Cade with Cade's sword and they swapped back. Mappi stood unsteadily, only for an arrow to stab into his thigh, then Albert's spearhead to slash him across the back. he staggered forward before Meru's mallet crashed into him, sending him flying at Cade. Mappi pulled his remaining claws back as he neared him, but Cade once again slashed so fast that he formed an afterimage, shattering Mappi's claws and splitting his right side wide open as he passed. Mappi crashed to the ground in a heap and stayed there, blood rapidly pooling under him. They all turned to Haschel and Gehrich just as Haschel slammed a devastating punch into Gehrich's chest, sending him exploding backward into the base of his throne.

"That was annoying," Cade said as Rose drank a healing potion.

"I'll...smash you!" Mappi's voice said suddenly, everyone spinning toward him, only for him to collapse again.

However, as he did, one hand pressed a concealed switch on the ground and the ground began to rumble and shake. Everyone looked around in confusion, preparing themselves for a fight.

"Please run!" Gehrich shouted suddenly. "Master!"

A crash suddenly sounded from above them and they looked up, seeing the hand of a gigantic statue above them break free and fall. The hand was holding a halberd, and was more than big enough to crush them all. Cade grit his teeth, crouching and extending his wings, preparing himself to try and catch it.

"It's too late!" Albert shouted, crouching and covering his head as Meru hugged Shana.

Then, just before Cade could launch himself up into the hand, Kongol stopped beside him, catching it. Everyone stared at him as he roared in effort and hurled the massive stone hand away. The ground below his feet shattered as he threw it, and the hand sailed off the edge of the platform they'd been fighting on, falling into the pit from which the statue rose.

"Kongol!?" Dart asked, eyes wide as he took a step away from the Giganto.

Cade turned to Mappi, ripping his sword free of the ground again before walking over to the wounded bandit, driving his sword down into his head. Then, he ripped it back out again and used Mappi's pants to clean the blade before sheathing it. He walked over to Rose, who was trying to bandage her abdomen and took the bandages, quickly bandaging it for her while Haschel and Gehrich said their goodbyes.

"Will he make it?" Dart asked.

"Barely, at least for now," Haschel said. "But if the Giganto over there hadn't saved us, he would be dead, and all of us along with him."

"Cade would have caught it," Rose said.

"I would have tried," Cade said. "I'm not sure I could have. Maybe slowed it down enough for you all to have escaped. Kongol actually did save our lives."

"Kongol, what are you doing here?" Dart asked. "And why did you save us?"

"It's a strange way to get revenge on us," Rose said as Cade tied off the bandages. "What's going on in your mind?"

"You enemy no more," Kongol said. "Here holy place of Gigantos. Me survivor."

"What about the other Gigantos?" Shana asked.

"They were slaughtered by humans," Cade said.

"Yes," Kongol nodded. "Humans killed us. They stole Giganto's treasure. Human think other species can die. Human selfish creature."

Shana backed away, staring at the ground in shame.

"That was the reason why you joined the human's war?" Albert asked.

"It's for Emperor Doel," Kongol said. "Me still small and ran. He saved Kongol. He fought against bad people." He turned to Dart. "Kongol comes with you. So Kongol is here."

Everyone looked around at each other in confusion.

"Emperor Doel say he make word where every species equal," Kongol said. "World needs strong leader." He stepped forward, standing in front of Dart. "Whether you can be leader, Kongol will watch to the end. Giganto's sadness should not be repeated."

"There is no such world where equal exists," Rose said. "What we have is killing and being killed. That's it."

Kongol folded his arms across his chest and turned to glare at her, Cade stepping in front of her instantly, levelling the glare right back.

"Wait!" Dart said, stepping between the two, then turning to Kongol. "I have my own objectives. I am just continuing my journey toward them. I don't think I make a good leader."

"You defeat Emperor Doel. Strong, strong power," Kongol said. "Stronger than Emperor Doel. Kongol wants to see where the power goes."

Rose huffed, turning away from the conversation.

"That sounds okay, doesn't it?" Meru asked. "Because more people makes us feel more secure. Besides...I understand how he feels to be attracted to you, Dart. Wherever you go, there must be something there. I still don't know what it is, but...I wanna be with you and do something. Don't you guys feel the same?"

Dart was silent for a long while as most of the others, minus Rose, nodded their agreement. Finally, he sighed. "Okay. We're friends now."

"Friend," Kongol repeated, frowning, then nodded, crossing his arms. "It sounds good."

"We did it!" Meru cheered.

"You have forgotten the most important thing," Rose said.

"Lynn and the Dragoon Spirit," Cade said.

"Right!" Meru said.

"What you are looking for may be down there," Kongol said, pointing to the edge of the platform, then the throne. "You push the thing up there."

Dart walked over to the throne and looked around, frowning. "Is this it?"

He pressed something and the throne suddenly began to descend. He jumped off of it and they all watched as it sank until a several-tiered section at the top became a set of stairs leading down into a passageway below the platform they were on. Just as it did, Gehrich groaned, stirring.

"Gehrich, you have come around," Haschel said, still kneeling beside him.

"I'm glad...to receive your fist...Master," Gehrich said weakly.

"Shut up," Haschel said. "Save your strength, or you'll die."

I gotta tell you...this, or...I'll die...a real fool," Gehrich said. "It's about the Princess Emille in the castle. She's...a fake. That woman...was switched." He groaned, face contorting in pain.

"Stop talking!" Haschel snapped.

"The real one is hidden in...the castle!" Gehrich forced out, growing weaker by the second, but as he opened his mouth to tell them more, his head fell to the side.

Haschel remained there for a moment before standing and lifting him. "I will rejoin you later. I have to entomb him."

He turned and walked out of the building with Gehrich and Cade looked tot he stairs again.

"Me wait here," Kongol said. "Bandits may come again."

The others all nodded and they headed down the stairs quickly. As soon as they were at the bottom, Meru shoved past Cade.

"Lynn!" Meru shouted. "Where are you!?"

"Meru!" A voice said from a cell off to the right. "Are you here to rescue me?"

"Of course!" Meru said. "Kate's totally worried about ya!" She tried to lift the gate blocking off the cell, then pounded on it when that failed. "Oh no!"

"Relax," Cade said, walking to a lever off to Meru's left. "A little brain over a little brawn."

"A little!?" Meru said, hands on her hips. "I'm super strong!"

Cade rolled his eyes, pulling the lever down and the gate rose.

"Thank you so much, Meru!" Lynn said. "Do you know these people?"

"These are my pals!" Meru smiled. "We're travelling together for a variety of reasons."

"You came all the way to such a dangerous place...what amazing people!" Lynn said, bowing to each of them. "Thank you! I'm so happy there are still people with courage in their hearts!"

"You showed it yourself," Dart said.

"But why did you come alone?" Meru asked. "I had lots of things to say to the gang too!"

"I wanted to solve this by myself," Lynn said. "Besides, I thought I might be able to talk to Gehrich if he hadn't changed. But something had changed. Probably the person who joined half a year ago changed Gehrich."

"And that person is now assuming the form of Princess Emille," Albert said. "We need to go back to the castle quickly."

"That's after we find the stolen Dragoon Spirit," Rose said.

"Any stolen goods should be around here," Lynn said. "They were throwing all the stolen items in here."

"Alright," Shana nodded. "Let's split up and look for it!"

They all spread out into the room, Cade taking a moment to inspect his armor from Mappi's claws earlier. The armor had kept him from being hurt, but it was mangled. However, thanks to his magic, it was already starting to repair itself, so he didn't have to buy anything new. Just as he let his poncho fall, Dart announced he'd found the Dragoon Spirit. With that done, they all hurried back up out of the treasure room, collected Haschel and Kongol, and began to make their way back to Fletz as fast as they could.


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