I used to make disclaimers saying that I do not own Capcom's Dragon's Dogma, then I took an arrow to the knee. Okay, who did not see that coming?

Correction notice: it's "cypher", not "cipher".

Chapter 5: The Cypher

The scene: the Noble Quarters of Gran Soren. The cathedral and the houses of the nobility are obvious standing testaments of great, unnamed architects. In front of the gates to the duke's demesne stands a soldier who is waiting for something…or someone. Approaching him now are three pawns who are led by the Smartass Slacker of Cassardis, mankind's last hope against the dragon.

"Ah, Arisen." The soldier gave a single nod. "My men have told me much of you. I have expected your visit."

"Ser Maximilian, I assume?" I asked.

"You assume correctly. I am Ser Maximilian Eizenstern, Captain of the Hunt, so named by his Grace Duke Edmun Dragonsbane. I beg your forbearance whilst I detail what is expected of you in the Hunt. The Wyrm Hunt license you carry permits the bearer to undertake the most vital of tasks-."

"Find and kill the dragon, I know." I didn't see how this could have been more obvious.

Ser Maximilian paused before saying, "Aye. Of late, all our will is focused on the learning of, and defending against, the wicked dragon. A weighty task, to be sure, but one which the fate of the realm and its people rests upon. I am under order to lend the Arisen all reasonable aid as they might require."

"Good." I smiled. I think this little dragon hunt is finally getting somewhere. I said, "Okay, I'm going to need an army to accompany me to find and kill the dragon."

"An army? But all our forces are either guarding Gran Soren, the posts up north, or Cassardis."

Having seen the guards of Cassardis hide in barrels during the dragon attack firsthand, I was compelled to say, "Guarding Cassardis my arse!", but I didn't. Instead, I asked, "So…there is no army?"

"I am afraid not, Arisen." Ser Maximilian shook his head.

"Well… does anyone know where we can find the dragon?"

"No one knows where the beast rests."

Well, so much for getting somewhere. Ser Maximilian said, "Either way, I would pray you to return this assistance in kind. Many hopes are pinned upon you, ser, and it would be my honor to show you the ready charges for the Wrym Hunt. Now," the captain held up a hand and started to count his fingers, "what work would fancy you first: decypher a text, rout a monster infestation, investigate a cult, or aid a research team?"

My jaw felt like dropping. I gave a small laugh and asked, "Sorry, but can you repeat those tasks again?"

Ser Maximilian did just that, and the dropping feeling in my jaw did not lessen any. I asked slowly, "This is…the Wyrm Hunt, is it not?"

"That is what I said, Arisen."

"And… how will these tasks help us find and kill the dragon?"

"If you really want the details: the text that needs deciphering may have something to do with the dragon, the research team is investigating for clues regarding the dragon, the cult worships the dragon, and the monster infestation…has naught to do with finding the dragon."

"I…ah…okay…"

In truth, I was doing my best to suppress an outburst. I wanted to scream, "But this is the Wyrm Hunt! What good is a Wyrm Hunt if you don't find and kill a wyrm?" Instead, I asked, "So…you mentioned something that needs deciphering?"

"Aye," Ser Maximilian gave a single nod, "though this task is of a less urgent nature. I came upon this slate; I know not its origin, nor its age, but the writing it bears is old."

Ser Maximilian reached into a pouch he kept at his waist and pulled out a stone slab, almost perfectly rectangular in shape. He handed it to me and I found it to be heavy as a common paperweight. Ser Maximilian noted, "Tis so old, our men could only read a few words: "dragon", "scar", "Arisen", and "heart"… What little we know all points to you, ser. Best you should have it."

I stared at the writing on the slab and, true enough, it was in a language that was unknown to me. However, for some unknown reason, the words "dragon", "scar", "Arisen", and "heart" were written in our language. I said, "I guess your men didn't have any problems making out those words, but what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Your task is to find out what it reads. Maybe you ought to ask around the city."

"Aye, I'll do just that."

With the slab still in my hands, I turned around and walked several yards away from Ser Maximilian. When I was out of his earshot, I asked no one in particular, "Just who are we supposed to ask about this?"

Sam spoke up, "A man in the fields west of Gran Soren knows of the Dragonforged."

"The what?" I turned to the pawn.

"It's this way, Arisen."

Just like Rook from two days ago, Sam suddenly bolted off. Wondering what he was up to, I ran after him, followed by Aiken and Rook. We arrived back at the west side of the city, where the pawns resided, and Sam continued running until he was standing in the middle of a field of wheat.

Aside from our merry little group, there was a lone farmer with a hoe in his hand, wandering the fields with a bored look on his face. He quickly noticed our presence and he turned to face us. He asked, "Can I help you?"

"Ah…" I glanced at Sam, then back at the farmer. I said, "Sam thinks you might know something about this old slab."

I could tell that the farmer was just as confused as I was. He peered closely at the slab in my hands and he asked, "What do I know of these old writings?"

Before I could say or ask something, he answered his own question, "Less than I know of modern script, and I never learned me letters! Ask a scrivener, or a counterfeiter."

Once again, Sam ran off, saying, "This way."

Again, the pawns and I ran after our newest recruit. I wondered just how Sam knew what to do and where to go. Well, I was going to ask the moment we take a breather.

The next thing I knew, we were running through a maze of alleyways. We came to a dead end and Sam stopped where he was. At this end of the alley was a shady looking store with the sign "The Black Cat" hanging above the counter. The man behind the counter gave a crooked smile and said, "I have not seen you here before. Welcome to 'The Black Cat'. Now, what is it I can do for you?"

I set the slab on the counter and asked, "Know anything about this?"

The proprietor narrowed his eyes as he looked at the writing on the slab. He nodded and said, "Ancient writings? Aye, that's simple enough, if you've the coin, that is."

Temporarily forgetting that I was broke on coin, I asked eagerly, "You can read this?"

"What?" The man frowned. "You just want aught read? Let's have a look, then…"

Again, he peered closely at the writing on the slab. After a few seconds, he said, "Simple enough. That's 'dragon', there, then 'scar', 'Arisen', and 'heart' there."

"I know those words are written there," I gave a frustrated sigh, "but what about the rest of the text?"

"The rest is no script, friend, it's all flourish." The proprietor handed the slab back to me.

"Flourish? So, aside from these four words…the rest is gibberish?"

"That is correct. This is no text; it's a cypher. Like it as not, it holds some secret meaning to folk those words relate to, and I'm not one of them. I fear that is all I can say, friend."

I gave my thanks to the man and walked off. I told my pawns, "If the rest is gibberish, then what can we make out of 'dragon', 'scar', 'Arisen', and 'heart'?"

"We know it relates to you, master." Rook said.

"Thank you for that fantastic clue, Rook."

"I am always glad to help."

Great, so now these pawns don't know sarcasm. Looking at the slab once more, I asked, "What now?"

"I know who to talk to next." Sam said as he bolted off for the third time.

"Wait a minute!" I called after Sam. "How do you know who to talk to?"

"It is because I have done this quest before." Sam answered without stopping.

"How?"

"I have done this quest before with my original master."

"The exact same quest?"

"Aye."

I remembered the small talk about the other worlds. Sam had said that the worlds were almost exactly identical, and now I see that he wasn't kidding. A thought crossed my mind and I asked, "Then why don't you tell me what the cypher says, if you've already done this before?"

"That is not the way quests work, master." Sam said.

"But that would save us a lot of time!"

"I am sorry, but that is not the way things work."

I swear, I'll never understand pawns.

We arrived back at the square and Sam stopped next to a man who was sitting on the rim of a fountain. We approached the man and he was about to open his mouth to say something when I shoved the slab into his hands and said, "Cypher. Help. Please."

"Cypher?" The man asked. He looked at the slab in his hands and scanned the writing with his eyes. He asked, "You want me to read this to you?"

"No, I need clues to find out the meaning behind the cypher."

"Hm, 'dragon', 'scar', 'Arisen', and 'heart', is it? Does it have aught to do with the drawing?"

"What drawing?" I felt like we were finally getting somewhere.

"The figure of Hillfigure Knoll. The man drawn upon the hill north of the capital. He bears a scar across the heart, or the chest at least." He handed back the slab and asked, "Does that help you?"

"Tis something to go by." I said as I took back the slab. "Thank you."

I turned to Sam and asked, "I assume you know where Hillfigure Knoll is, right?"

"You are correct, Arisen." Sam gave a single nod.

"Lead on, then."

Sam did just that. We quickly left the capital and took the road north. Along the way, we fought groups of bandits, goblins, and wolves, even on the roads ("Tis safer on the roads." Rook said.). With all these enemies about, it's a wonder that people still travel.

An hour of fighting later, I could see a hill up ahead with stone arches on it. On one side of the hill, I could see lines of barren earth form some sort of shape, though I couldn't clearly make out what it was. Maybe that form was the man with the scar that the man at the fountain mentioned. As we drew closer to the hill, we came across a flock of harpies picking at the remains of some people like vultures.

Here, I was glad I had bought the magic bow. If I just pointed at a harpy with my nocked arrow, even if just for a split second, the arrow would fly towards it once released. Aside from target-seeking arrows, I knew the bow had other powers, but I did not know what they were. Well, either way, we made quick work of those harpies because of that bow.

Up ahead, the path split, and we took the smaller path leading up the hill. At this point, I now took the lead. We slowly made our way upwards and we came to one of the stone arches. Sitting on top of the arch was a young man with light brown hair. Without looking down at us, he said, "Him who knows that I know what he seeks to know, knows it well, while he who knows not, knows not what I know, or know not."

As I was trying to comprehend what he just said, he turned his head and looked at me. The moment his eyes locked onto mine, my chest began to ache. Through the clothing that I had on, I could see a yellow glow. I placed a hand over my chest and, to my surprise, I did not hear the dragon's message. The glow was warm against my hand and I could once again feel that phantom heartbeat.

A second later, both the ache and the glow vanished, along with the phantom heartbeat. Why did that glow appear now? Why did my chest ache just then? I stared back at the man on the stone arch and asked, "Who are you?"

The man, however, was no longer looking at me, but at the ground. I lowered my head and saw another figure present. It was an older man with somewhat dark skin wearing a white sheet for a robe. There were two things about this man that stood out to me: the dead look in his eyes and the large scar across his chest.

"You see me, yes?" The man asked.

"Yes…" I answered cautiously. I then jokingly asked, "Why do you ask? Are you a ghost or something?"

The man had a grave look on his face. My eyes widened and I said, "You…are kidding me." I looked to my companions and asked, "You can see him, right?"

Each of my party members slowly shook his head. I turned back to the man in the white sheet and gave a nervous laugh before asking, "You're…not really a ghost…are you?"

After a moment's pause, the man said, "My form can only be discerned by the true Arisen. I believe congratulations are due. You have found the man you seek." He slowly approached me, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

"Don't come any closer," I slowly backed away, "I don't talk to ghosts." I looked at the scar on the man's chest again and I stopped where I was. A sudden thought crossed my mind and I asked, "You're a dead Arisen?"

"I am," the man stopped his approach, "or was, perhaps, like you." He gave a slight bow for some reason before continuing, "A child of man, bound to the dragon."

The man on the arch stood up and jumped down next to the older man's side. The man with the scar on his chest said, "Well met, young Arisen. I am he who was forged by the dragon."

I now remembered Sam mentioning a "Dragonforged" back at Gran Soren. The man motioned me to follow him, and me and my pawns did so. We went into a cave on the side of the hill and we were greeted by the dim glow of candlelight in the darkness. Set up all over the place were lit candles and miscellaneous junk, varying from tables to parchments to urns. The man, who I assumed to be the Dragonforged, sat in a stone throne while the young man stood beside him.

Before I could speak up, the Dragonforged said, "Arisen of the present day, new-forged link in the grand chain, you have come seeking meaning for that slate and the words it bears-."

"Yes." I beckoned to Rook, who I had carry the slab the whole trip. He approached me and I took the slab out of his hands. I showed it to the Dragonforged and said, "Please tell me you know what this means."

"There is none."

I nearly dropped the slab upon hearing this. I shouted, "So this was gibberish! This whole time, we've been on some wild duck chase!"

"Not necessarily. It fulfilled its purpose by bringing you to me. I am the Dragonforged."

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down and said, "Well, I'm here now. What is it you want?"

"Tell him that gave you the cypher of what you heard here."

"Heard what, that I've met the ghost of an Arisen? But there's got to be a better reason than that! I mean, just who are you? Why have me come here just to send me away the moment we meet?"

"What questions you have will wait until the time comes."

"What time?" My temper rose.

"You will know when that time comes."

I gritted my teeth and shoved the slab into Aiken's arms. I stormed out of the cave and back down the hill. First the voices, then the pawns, and now the Dragonforged. Why won't anyone ever give me a clear answer?

"Master!" Aiken called after me.

I stopped and let the rest of my party catch up to me. Without turning around, I said in a low voice, "Until we get back to Gran Soren, no one talk to me."

"I have gained quest knowledge." Rook piped up.

I glared up at the sky and gave a frustrated scream.

The first thing I did when we got back to Gran Soren was visit the Riftstone in the Pawn Guild. Between Rook's stupidity and Sam's withheld knowledge on things, I was tired of those two. When we inside the Pawn Guild, I approached the Riftstone and knocked on it, saying, "Hey, voices! I don't like the pawns I'm working with!"

I now found myself once again in the Rift, with both Rook and Sam at my side. I turned to both of them and asked, "You know what I'm going to say, aren't you?"

"You want us to leave." Rook said.

"Here's why. Rook," I stared at him in the eyes, "when we first met, you just ran off without any real explanation. Also, back at the Everfall, you didn't run when I told you to. You could have been killed if you stayed behind a few seconds longer."

"Pawns never really die, master. If we should, we would just return to the Rift."

"But that doesn't mean you should let yourself die! I know you were trying to heal yourself at the time, but when I say 'run', I mean 'run'." I now turned to Sam and said, "Sam, you were very helpful with that one quest, but we really could have saved a lot of time if you just told us the cypher meant nothing in the end."

"Again," Sam said, "that is not how quests work."

"Oh, and I'll add stubbornness to the list of bad qualities about you." I now looked at both pawns and said, "You were both great members of the team, but I'll start growing gray hairs if I don't do something. I'm sorry, Rook, OneBigFurby, but I'm afraid I'll have to let you both go."

"If that is what you wish, Arisen." Rook said before he walked off to the edge of the Rift and vanished.

"Until we meet again." Sam said before he followed Rook.

I sighed and turned to the pawns that were now appearing out of the edges of the Rift. I needed a healing mage and one other before I returned. I saw a thin man with gray hair standing off to the side and I approached him. I asked, "Are you a mage?"

"Nay, Arisen," the pawn shook his head, "I am a sorcerer."

"What's the difference?"

"Sorcerers cast deadlier spells."

"Okay…can you cast healing spells?"

"Sorcerers cannot perform recovery spells."

"Goodbye."

I now approached a…well rounded woman in robes. I asked her, "Are you a sorcerer?"

"Nay, Arisen," she answered, "I am a mage."

"So you can cast healing spells?"

"Aye, along with ice and thunder spells."

I fished out the Rift Crystals from my pocket and handed them to the pawn. She took several crystals and said, "I am honored to serve you, Arisen. I am known as HelgaSoprano."

I placed a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter. What kind of Arisen would give their pawns such ridiculous names? After taking a deep breath, I asked, "What's your nickname?"

"Sam."

I placed a hand over my forehead and shook my head. What were the odds that this pawn would have the same nickname as my previous pawn? I suggested, "How about I call you Helga?"

"If you so wish, Arisen." Helga said.

Great, just one more to hire. I looked around and spotted a bald, lean strider with a black beard. I approached him and quickly noticed that he had a longbow on his back. I asked, "You good with that bow?"

"Aye," the pawn nodded, "I've taken out many a goblin with this bow."

I showed the Rift Crystals and he took half of what I had left. He said, "I am glad to accompany you, Arisen. I am called-."

"Wait a moment." I interrupted. I held my breath and covered my mouth. I thought it would be a good idea to brace myself before hearing this pawn's name. I said between my fingers, "Okay, say it."

The pawn blinked and said, "John."

That was the first normal sounding name I've heard from a pawn in a while. I exhaled and lowered my hand. Out of curiosity, I asked, "What's your nickname?"

"Johnny."

A somewhat cute nickname for a pawn with a beard, but it was not enough for me to laugh at. I said, "Hope you are good as you say you are, John."

With two new pawns at hand, I went back to the Riftstone and told it, "I want to leave now."

In a flash, we were back in the guild. I quickly introduced the two new pawns to my main pawn, Aiken, before we went back to Ser Maximilian. When we arrived back at the front gate of the duke's demesne, Ser Maximilian approached us and asked, "Were you able to figure out the text, Ser Arisen?"

I had Aiken pass me the slab, which I now handed back to the captain of the Hunt. Remembering what I had been through almost an hour ago, I said, "It wasn't a text. It was a cypher meant to lead me to the Dragonforged, whom I learned nothing from."

"I see." Ser Maximilian folded his arms.

"All he told me was that he would tell me something once the time comes"

"Then it will do you well for you to meet him when that time comes. With luck, he will lead you to certain victory."

"So…am I done with this quest?"

"Aye," Ser Maximilian lifted his head and saw that the sun was starting to set, "but maybe you ought to rest before taking on your next assignment."

I now noticed the setting sun and I was quick to agree with him. After receiving payment, I gave my farewells and I went back to the square to sell the harpy pinions, wolf pelts, and goblin horns that my pawns managed to scavenge on the way to Hillfigure Knoll and back. While I was in the process of selling these things, I heard a loud splashing noise behind me and I turned around.

Wading in the fountain was John, who was picking up coins from the bottom. He jumped out of the fountain and held out a handful of wet gold to me. He said, "Here is some gold, Arisen."

I gaped at him and shouted, "Idiot! You can't steal from a wishing fountain! Put them back!"

John looked somewhat confused, but he did go back to the fountain and drop the gold back in. When I was done with my transactions, I also approached the fountain and took a single gold piece out of my money pouch.

Back at Cassardis, there used to be a wishing fountain, but a hurricane destroyed it years ago, and no one rebuilt it since then. Nowadays, kids would throw gold into the well and make their wishes there. Of course, because of the Saurians that lived down there, no one was ever foolish enough to go to the bottom of the well and try to steal the gold. Standing in front of the fountain now, I thought of a wish to make. Well, here goes…

I wish I can slay the dragon, get my heart back, and live a long life afterwards.

I tossed the coin into the fountain and it landed in the water with a soft "plop". I went to the inn and paid five hundred gold pieces for the four of us to sleep for the night. After all that running around, I had no problems falling asleep that night.

Intermission 1

The scene: A space above the clouds, between the sunrise and the sunset. There is only a stone throne present, along with a robed figure cloaked in light sitting in it. With a wave of its hand, the figure parted the clouds below and looked down on the world. It peered down at Gran Soren, specifically, the wishing fountain in the square.

In my reminiscing, I couldn't help but think back to my wish, and I now wondered if I had any power over wishes. Well, being the Right Hand of God, I doubt I had that kind of power. Did God grant my wish, or was it a coincidence?

"'I wish I can slay the dragon, get my heart back, and live a long life afterwards.'" I said to myself.

Well, the first two-thirds of the wish came true. The last third…I'm now debating if it really came true or not. Well, I guess I better get my head out of the clouds (I laughed at this thought) and see if anything new is going on before I go back to my thoughts.

I'm particularly worried about the apes.

Yes, this is the first of several intermissions of this story. Next time, I'll skip over the goblin raid quest and cover the infiltration into a cult's secret meeting place.

When I played this game, my pawns almost always take gold out of that fountain, and I always thought it was considered stealing.

Chapter 6: The Salvation (excerpt)

"The dragon is the force by which the world will right itself, and we are duty bound to cede our souls unto it." The creep's voice echoed in the room.

"Turn off your lanterns." I whispered to the pawns.

They all nodded and did as I told them to. I turned off my own lantern and crouched down. I could make out a stone walkway looking over the gathering below and I slowly crawled towards it, with the others following behind me. As we crept onto the walkway, Aiken whispered, "Be careful not to step on any stray bones."

CRACK!

I stiffened and turned my head to see what made that noise. Out of all the people to step on a dry bone, it was Aiken, the very one who gave the warning not to step on any bones, who gave our position away. I peeked over the railing of the walkway to see if the people below heard us. Unfortunately, they did, as the creep was now staring at me.

"Come to join our flock, Arisen?" The creep smiled, showing his rotting teeth.

With a wave of his arm, a wave of pure force flew at us and hit the walkway. The walkway crumbled and we all fell to the gathering hall below. The first thing I did when I stood up was to glare at Aiken. As he stood up with the rest of the pawns, I gritted my teeth and told him, "Brilliant, Aiken, just fucking brilliant."