Sorry for taking so long to update. I was on vacation for a week and now school has started and...well you know how it goes. Anyway, here is my chapter on the dragon knight as promised. Suggestions and requests are welcome.


Disclaimer: I do not own Suikoden in any way shape or form. If I did, the tactics game would be based on Suikoden III.


The Dragon and His Knight

The sun had just begun to rise at Budehuc castle when a strange entourage teleported to the grounds. She checked to make sure everyone had arrived in one piece and then put the blinking mirror into the brown travel pack on Her back.

"May I ask how you got that blinking mirror?" Percival whispered, raising an eyebrow, as he, Fred and She walked down to the basement of the castle.

She blinked innocently. "You can ask."

Percival waited.

She smiled at him sweetly.

He sighed. "Please tell me you did NOT steal it from the Flame Champion."

She stopped at the first floor of the basement and looked at Percy, still smiling. "I can say for an absolute fact that I did not steal this blinking mirror from the Flame Champion."

Percival fingered his chin, eyeing Her suspiciously. It was not like Her to be blatantly honest. "What did you steal from the Flame Champion?"

She started walking again and grinned mischievously. "His blinking mirror." She shrugged, the cocked her head to one side thoughtfully. "Well…I wouldn't exactly call it stealing. It's more like I borrowed it from him."

Fred looked at Her, furrowing his brows in confusion. "But I thought you just said that wasn't his mirror."

"It isn't," She stated matter-of-factly.

Percival closed his eyes and sighed, summoning patience.

Her mouth quirked in a half smile of amusement.

Percival shook his head at Her antics but couldn't help returning the smile. "Please explain."

She smiled at the calm tone of his voice. One of the many qualities She liked about Percival was that he rarely appeared frazzled over anything. "I borrowed the Flame Champion's blinking mirror as a model for this one." She signaled towards the pack on Her back.

"I see." Percival raised an eyebrow, another quality She found quite endearing.

Fred looked at Her with questioning eyes. "So, you gave the original back to the Flame Champion?"

She sighed and rubbed her temple. "Yes Fred. That would be what borrowing is all about."

Fred gave Her a blank stare. "Why are you rubbing your head? Do you have a headache?"

She sighed and looked towards Percival with expressionless eyes. "Why do I bring him along again?"

Percival smirked. "Because you need two helpers for this job and as of now, the alternative is far worse."

She rolled Her eyes and looked pointedly at the knight. "I'm still not sure putting a shock collar on Borus was a good idea…"

Percival looked at Her in feigned shock. "What do you mean? It was a fantastic idea! It stopped him from trying to escape, didn't it?"

She looked at Percival doubtfully. "Well…yes, but that was because it knocked him unconscious."

"Hmmm…" Percival fingered his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps the voltage was set a bit too high…You'll have to remember to set it lower when we get back"

"You're the one who set the voltage in the first place!" She yelled.

"Shhh," Percival put a finger to his lips. "You'll wake everyone up and ruin your plan."

She ignored Percival's warning and continued. "One minute he was flying across the yard and the next he was flat on his back and not breathing. I told you it would be too much for him." She folded Her arms and stared accusingly at the knight.

Percival smiled at her in amusement. "You got to give him CPR, didn't you?"

She shifted Her eyes uncomfortably. "Well, yes…but…that's not the point."

Percival smirked and shrugged. "I really don't see what the problem is here."

She rolled Her eyes and gave the Swordsman of Gale an impish look. "Of course you don't...Percy."

"Please don't call me that." he returned with a grimace. "Anyway, back to the mirror…"

She sighed again. "Not that again. I thought we were all past that."

He gave Her a half grin. "I know for a fact that that particular mirror is enchanted. How were you able to replicate that?"

"I have my sources." She smiled smugly.

Percival raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon my asking," Fred interrupted, wanting to end the 'complicated' discussion. "But you haven't exactly told us how we are going to catch this dragon knight."

"Ahhh yes." She nodded Her head. "That's right. We're here to catch Futch, aren't we?" She bit Her lip in thought.

Both knights stopped and stared at Her in disbelief.

"Well, I guess we could just keep circling around the castle all day." Percival rolled his eyes with sarcasm.

She grinned. "Okay, okay. Here's the plan." The knights focused there eyes on Her. "The most difficult thing about Futch is going to be his dragon."

The knights grimaced.

Percival shut his eyes in thought. "Him and Bright practically destroyed the water dragon on their own. He looked at Her doubtfully. "You actually have a plan to get past the dragon?"

She smirked slyly. "We're not going to get past him." She noted Percival's look of piqued interest. "I think our best strategy would be to gain the dragon as our ally and then use him to catch Futch."

Fred's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to contemplate that task.

Percival looked at Her sardonically. "You really think you can make good enough friends with Bright so that he allows you to take Futch?"

"Well…That's why we have my animals here." She looked to the bird on her left shoulder and then to the gecko on her right. "When Bright realizes what good care I take of them and how they trust me he's sure to go along with my suggestion."

Percival glanced at the gecko entrusted to him on his shoulder. "Suggestion?" Percival gave Her a wry grin at the wording. "It's more like you're going to try to con the dragon into helping you catch Futch."

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey. Whatever works."

"Hey," Fred interrupted again. The two other members of the entourage turned to him. "Why's my gecko on a leash?"

"She's actually MY gecko," She corrected Fred tersely. "and it's because she's temporarily in your care." She sighed and rolled Her eyes. "Isn't that reason enough?"

He looked at Her cluelessly.

She shook her head. "Never mind. Let's just get going okay? Everyone's going to wake up soon."

The entourage carefully made their way up to the main deck of the ship and over to where Futch and Bright took up residence. They tiptoed over to the still sleeping pair and stopped.

"Now what?" Percival whispered.

She tapped the white dragon on the nose, earning a sleepy-eyed snort from the creature.

"Shhh." She put a finger to Her lips.

The dragon's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Hi Bright," She whispered cheerfully, waving a greeting.

The dragon looked at Her quizzically before noticing the shapes on Her and Her companions' shoulders.

"These are my friends," She explained to Bright. "On my left shoulder is my parrot Cosmo, who, I can assure you, is at least as obnoxious as Waurenhyte. Then I've got my geckos. The big gecko on my right shoulder is Zelda. That one on Percival's shoulder is Zoe and the albino gecko with the leash that Fred is..." She glanced at Fred. "Currently trying to dislodge from his face...?" She paused briefly to give Fred a bewildered look before returning to Her speech. "…is Xena…All females, of course, except perhaps the bird. I think he is a male."

Bright snorted in surprise and put his nose up to the bird.

"How are you doing?" the bird asked. "Wanna come out?"

The dragon jerked his head back and regarded the bird cautiously.

She cast a worried glance at Futch but he was still snoring, oblivious to the bird's rather loud questions. She sighed in relief.

"Cosmo just mimics," She explained to Bright. "Anyway, we're visiting because we have a favor to ask of you."

Bright considered for a moment and She felt Herself tense anxiously. Finally, She felt the dragon's nod signaling for Her to continue.

"You see," She started reluctantly. "I'm collecting bishounen for my training facility…"

Percival snorted.

She shot a dirty look in the knight's general direction before quickly turning back to the dragon and continuing plaintively. "But, you see, we have no capable fighters in our ranks." She struggled to keep a straight face.

Percival glared at her.

Fred was still busy contending with the lizard on his face and didn't hear the comment.

Her eyes assumed a begging puppy dog expression. "So we could really use the help of your dragon knight," She nodded towards the sleeping Futch. "…and you as well, of course, should you choose to come," She trailed off hopefully.

Bright cocked his head to one side for a moment, considering her proposition. He looked to each of Her animals, lingering quizzically on Fred's charge for a while.

"Well, what do you say?" She continued anxiously. "Do we have an agreement?"

The dragon gave a snort of amusement in Fred's general direction before settling his whirling eyes back on Her. Finally, he made a soft sound of acquiescence.

She smiled in triumph, then quickly assumed a serious look. "There is one thing though." She held up a finger.

Bright eyed her suspiciously.

She averted her eyes to the ground mournfully. "I don't think I can convince him to come to my ran-training facility on my own and you certainly can't convey something that complex so…"

Later that morning

"Briiiiight! Briiiight!" The NPC's all stared as Futch ran frantically across the castle grounds calling for his dragon. Finally he stopped near the lake, scratching his head in puzzlement. Sharon came running up to him from the other direction. He looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Any sign of him?"

She shrugged apologetically. "Sorry Futch. I got nothin'."

Futch sighed in frustration. Suddenly, he heard a piteous squealing sound coming from the stable grounds.

"Bright!" He quickly sprinted towards the direction of the sound. "Hold on! I'm coming Bright!"

"Hey! Wait for me Futch!" Sharon shouted, scrambling after the panicking dragon knight.

As Futch rounded the corner to the stables he gasped in shock. There was his dragon, stomach down, struggling against the half dozen ropes that held him to the ground.

"I'll get you free, buddy!" Futch shouted, drawing his sword while running to Bright's side. He raised his sword to cut the first rope. His strategy proved to be pointless however, as Bright suddenly gave a ferocious roar and heaved himself off the ground, escaping the ropes with ease.

"Wha…" a startled Futch dropped his sword as he was forced a half step backwards. "Briiight!" Futch's eyes widened as Bright's tail wrapped around him, pinning the dragon knight to the dragon's white body. "What are you doing? Come on now! What kind of a game is this?"

"Bright!" Sharon rushed over and started pounding on the dragon's tail. "Stupid dragon! Let him out!"

She and her entourage stepped out from the shadows of the barn and approached the dragon knight team.

"Nice work, Bright." She affectionately rubbed Bright's nose. He nuzzled Her in return.

Sharon stopped pounding on Bright's tail to survey the scene.

"Bright!" Futch cried out. The dragon turned to look at his knight.

She assumed a reasurring smile as Her eyes turned to Futch. "Oh, don't worry. You won't be hurt. I'm just going to add you to my collection."

Bright turned quickly towards Her and tensed.

"Of fighters," She added rapidly. The dragon to relaxed.

She sighed in annoyance at Her slip up. "That could've been bad." She mumbled.

"I've been betrayed by my own dragon," Futch moaned.

Sharon smiled knowingly at him. "You can be sure that when I get MY own dragon, he won't sell me out for a pair of pretty eyes."

Percival covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, his eyes glittering with amusement.

Fred cleared his throat, looking annoyed.

Futch scowled at his charge. "I don't suppose you're going to try to help me out of this."

"Hmmm. I could help you." Sharon looked at Her. "But I think I'll join Her instead. She seems to have a lot more fun than anyone at this dinky old castle."

Futch sighed resignedly.

She shrugged. "The more the merrier!"

Fred cleared his throat insistently.

"What, Fred?" She turned an annoyed look at him.

"Will someone please get this thing out of my hair!" Everyone turned to see Xena nestled comfortable in the middle of Fred's hair.

Percival's eyes sparkled with malice. "You know, I think she likes you Fred."

Fred scowled at Percival.

"You guys are extremely…unique. Ya know?" She remarked fondly.

"Yeah…We know." Percival shrugged.

She turned back to the dragon and his captured knight beseechingly. "Bright. Could you carry Futch to the door of the castle?"

"Hey! What about this?" Fred pointed to the gecko on his head.

She sighed in exasperation and turned to Percival. "You know, I think I really would rather have Borus here right now."

He shook his head. "Trust me. You don't."

"What was that?" Fred shouted.

She turned to Fred and smiled sweetly. "What I said was that I don't see the problem here. Xena looks pretty comfortable to me. I think you're doing a wonderful job!" She gestured towards the lizard.

Fred sighed uncertainly, torn between pleasure at Her praise and annoyance at the creature messing up his hair.

"Bright?" She turned to the dragon pleadingly.

Bright compliantly stood up, tail still curled gently around Futch and proceeded to follow Her, Sharon, and the two knights back to the castle.

She opened the doors to the main entrance and approached the teleportress near the wall slowly. "Now Viki…I need you to teleport me, Fred, Percival, Sharon, Bright and Futch…" She pointed to each person as she spoke his or her name and then pointed to the coordinates on her map. "to this spot. Can…you…do…that."

"That wasn't phrased as a question," quipped Percival.

Viki looked at the Swordsman of Gale, puzzled.

She sighed, mustering her patience. "Percival. Be quiet. You're confusing her."

Percival smirked sardonically. "Well that was difficult."

She sighed and tried again. "Viki?" Viki turned to Her. "Very good. Keep your eyes on me." Viki stared into Her eyes. "This spot, okay?" She pointed at the correct spot on the map again.

Viki nodded. "Sure. I can do that!"

Blink.

"Oops." Viki scratched her head. "Hmmm…Maybe I should be practicing this a little more."


Again, requests are more than welcome although I have next chapter sort of planned out. Thanks for reading!