Chapter Nineteen

The Divine Dragoon

David had returned later with Cory in his hands. He was sure that Cory had only passed out, but realized that he was wrong when Cory wasn't breathing or moving at all. He buried him in silence.

"Come on David," Candice said softly. "We can't stand here forever…" She had to tug on David until he finally moved.

"Yeah," David mumbled. "I think I'm alright now." His voice grew stronger. "We need to head to Mille Seseau!"

"Alright," Lance said strongly. "To Mille Seseau!" They started traveling onwards through the Dead Forest, with nothing but trees ahead. But suddenly…

"Hey, look," Cameron yelled, "there's an opening!" She pointed to a bright light, telling them that it was at least noon. They all started to run towards the blinding light. They ran right through it to see what was ahead. A town! This town, however, had destroyed houses and buildings, small pieces of debris had caught fire, and the whole place looked like a wasteland. There were dead bodies here and there, very few survivors, and blood. Blood on the dead bodies and ground, blood in the bay; blood was basically everywhere you looked. The team made their way slowly from the forest exit, to the entrance of the almost deserted village.

"Wh-who are you," asked the guardsman.

"I am Lance, Lord of Serdio," Lance said courageously. "My father, King Allen was brutally murdered by the hand of a vile being."

"What brings you down here, Lord Lance," asked the guardsman.

"We seek passage to the deadliest country of them all," Lance said slower this time, "to the Death Frontier." Many remaining villagers stopped and watched Lance, as he spoke.

"Why," the guardsman wondered. "What's your reason for going to a place with 'Death' in its name?"

"We are the ones who will stop darkness from reigning in this world," Lance said in an annoyed tone. "Do you have a boat?"

"No boat'll pass through those currents of Illisa Bay," said a tall, fattish, muscular man dressed like a pirate's captain. "Only a ship'll. But if ya wanna get to the Death Frontier that bad, wait a couple days fer me ship. Me name's Fargus. Me ship's in need of repair, so me crew's workin' on it. Don't worry 'bout anythin'. The hotel is the only place in town where travelers are wanted. Please stay there while you're here. I'll pay fer ya'll. Oh, before I ferget, ya'll should visit the shrine. Surprisin'ly it wasn' damaged at all. By the way, I ain't no pirate no more. I jus' look like one because of the clothin'." Lance and the others had their mouths wide open in shock. Was this man really going to let complete strangers board his ship, for free? Then, Fargus walked back from where he came, into a building that had the top ripped off.

When the feeling of shock had faded, Jack asked, "Could we go see that shrine first? I want to see what they honor." They all agreed and set off again. Already at the shrine, was a man with platinum colored hair and he was wearing a silvery-grey shirt with a black vest and black pants. He was standing right in front of the shrine, and mumbled, "Yes, it's here…" When the man heard voices slowly inch their way towards the shrine, he turned to face them.

"…and that is why I want to see many popular sights while we're here," Jack was telling Lance, Vallen and David, while Alexis, Cameron and Candice were talking about girlish stuff. When they made it to the shrine, they stopped in their tracks. There was a dim light shining through the thickness of trees surrounding the area.

"Hello," Lance said politely. "I'm Lance, and this is Vallen, Alexis, Jack, Cameron, Candice and David."

"I'm Lloyd," he said with a deep teenage voice. "Where are you all going? You travel in a pack, basically, so…?" He shifted oddly to make sure they couldn't see the shrine or whatever was on it.

"Well, right now, we would like to see the shrine," Lance said, trying to see passed Lloyd, although Lloyd was moving so Lance couldn't see. "What are you hiding, Lloyd?"

"Ergh," Lloyd flinched, "n-nothing! Nothing at all! I-I gotta go!" He suddenly jumped, and disappeared into the low hanging trees that surround the area.

"That guy's got issues," Alexis said with a frown. "I don't trust him."

"Hey guys," Jack called. He was already next to the shrine. "You won't believe this!" He pointed at a shining, greenish silver plaque that read: The Divine Dragoon Spirit. Not only will the world be in chaos, but if the Divine Spirit is to be taken, the Divine God will awaken from Eternal Slumber. Dragoon of Divine strength shall be in total control of, the Divine Dragon.

"Whoa," Vallen whispered.

"Well, are we done," Lance asked yawning. "I would really like to go to bed now."

"God, you are sooo annoying," Candice said with a frown.

"It is getting late, though," Cameron said to her. "I would like to sleep too. We all haven't had a decent night of sleep lately."

"Let's go," Lance called. He was already halfway down the pathway. Then, the rest of them followed with a grin on their faces. When they got back into town, Lloyd was standing in the middle of the town square, and was shaking slightly. At the sight of them, Lloyd fled so fast that it seemed that he had disappeared on the spot.

"What the hell was that," David asked, as he and the rest of them jumped.

"He must have an ability to stop time, or something," Vallen told them. "I've honestly never seen anything like that before."

"Look," Alexis called, "there's that hotel Fargus was telling us about! It seems to be in perfect condition!" The hotel had a fine polished door, two boarded windows, and a few dents and scratches. The warriors entered and were surprised. There was a sitting room with fine leather couches and chairs, the front desk was polished wood, like the door, the staircase had polished, wooden handles, and the stairs, including the floor, was carpeted with a design of the four countries, and a treaty with the four kings' signatures. The ceiling had many diamond chandeliers, with lights shining from them, making the room sparkle and shine. There was no sign of dust anywhere. Lance walked up to the front desk.

"We would like our rooms please, we–" but he was cut off.

"Yes," said the female clerk, "Fargus has told us that you were coming. He has generously paid for your stay here. Please go up to room numbers twenty-three through twenty-six. Have a nice stay." She handed them three room keys, all with separate numbers on them. Lance handed one to Jack, one to David and one to Vallen. Then, Lance and Alexis, hand in hand, went to room twenty-three, Jack and Cameron in twenty-four, David and Candice in twenty-five, and Vallen and Snapper in twenty-six. After they were settled in, they had a satisfying meal and then they all said goodnight and went to sleep.

The next morning, they split up again. Lance and Alexis decided to try and help the villagers rebuild their homeland. Jack and Cameron visited the shrine again, thinking that they could try to figure out why Lloyd was acting strange. David and Candice went to the edge of the ocean, remembering all of whom had lost their lives. King Allen, Lawson, his son, Shadow Jack, Phantom Zeig, Cory, the four countries citizens and soldiers. Even the dragons, Feyrbrand and Regole. Vallen went to the library, even though there were damaged walls and the ceiling had fairly large holes on it. They all had a wonderful day with no fighting or anything like that. Lloyd had appeared a few times, but never did he speak with any of them.

The next day, Fargus had told them that the ship would be ready in only a day. After hearing this, they all went to their rooms to start gathering up their supplies again. Suddenly, a shockwave blasted through the nearly constructed town! Lance and Alexis grabbed their own chest and then realized that something was making them short of breath. They made their way across the room, and looked out into the hall. Jack, Vallen, and David had also started to feel pain, but Candice and Cameron didn't.

"Goddamn," David coughed while kneeling down also holding his chest.

"What's going on," Lance barely said, now that the pain was slowly lifting out of their bodies.

"Ugh," Vallen breathed, "this is…pow…er of…Div-vine…" The pain had left their bodies and the Dragoons breathed in gulps of the ocean air that was drifting in. There are windows on both sides of the hallway, and the wind was blowing towards ocean. "That's not normal. The wind is in a different direction." Vallen could sense it faster than anyone else, due to the fact that he was the Dragoon of Wind.

"You said, 'Divine' if I heard you right," Jack said as they got to their feet.

"Yes," Vallen said in a half whisper.

"We should head for the shrine," Lance said, as he and the others rushed out of the hotel. At the shrine, there was a male that had so much thick armor that was even way bigger than the normal Dragoon armor. You could just barely see the top of his hair that was platinum colored. The armor was greenish silver, and the elbows, along with the knees were armed with pointed silver spikes. Around his right hand looked like four long and thin daggers that were in every corner of his hand, and his left was normal except that he had thicker armor, and the arm on that side was like a shield with more pointed spikes. The wings on his back were incredibly large, that he could slash at opponents with the silver spikes attached.

"Lloyd," Lance yelled, transforming into the Dragoon of Fire. The others, except for Candice and Cameron, had also transformed.

"Well," Lloyd said calmly in his deep teenage voice, "I was wondering when you'd show up." He turned slowly to face them, and, rising slowly inches from the ground, he said, "Do you honestly think that you can take me down with those wimpy Spirits? You also have a Sniper I see." Cameron had loaded her bow and aimed at Lloyd. Candice pulled out her Hatchet Axe, Vallen, who left snapper behind, still, had his Power Spear, Alexis had her Kashadou sword out, Jack readied, Lightning Strike, David had the Light Sword drawn, and Lance had Scorcher out since they had gotten there. "You dare to stand against the Divine Dragoon? Heh, heh, heh. You've got to be kidding! No? Well prepare to fall!" Lloyd disappeared on the spot and, while Lance and the others looked around cautiously, suddenly reappeared in the middle of them, yelling, "Divine Dragon Ball!" With both hands outstretched, he started twirling on the spot, and he blasted greenish silver balls of destructive energy from his hands that obliterated trees, made massive holes in the ground, and hit every one of Lance's team, Lance included. Puffs of dust and the noise of explosions were all over the place. Just as suddenly, the attack concluded, and when the dust cleared, Lloyd was nowhere to be seen. The Dragoons had reverted to their human form. Unconscious on the stony and shattered ground, our heroes have been utterly defeated.