Author's note: I don't own Dragon Quest IV. Certain dungeons will not be to canon!

Battle For Glory

Chapter 2: Betrayal?

With his friends and family tucked away safely in the confines of Endor, and Meena along with Maya having the same spangled dress that Airlia wore, the quartet left the town. Richard looked at the others, "I want to go with them. They have an untrained girl with them, she will be a burden until such a time when she is able to fight on her own."

Cedric nodded, "Then hurry. Last I saw, they were heading towards the tunnel."

He hurried on his way to the group and luckily caught up with them just before they could leave the tunnel. "Alistair wait! I'm coming with you all. I know Airlia can't fight and want to help ease things until she learns."

The green haired man nodded. Richard was a welcomed addition to the group, being a master swordsman. He handed Airlia a long pole. "I'll train you in how to use this, and you will eventually be able to use all forms of poles and spears as they're not very different from one another."

She took the pole gratefully, "Thank you Richard… Truly."

They took almost a day to reach the castle town of Casabranca. Night was falling as the flowers and plants scent drifted to them. Richard began to work diligently with Airlia. Thus far they hadn't had cause to fight, but he didn't want her being used against the group. He was surprised though that she was seemingly adept. "I thought you didn't know how to fight?"

She shook her head. "I don't. I don't know what I'm doing honestly, or how. All I know is I don't want you to hurt me."

He stopped with a frown. "Perhaps someone taught you something once and it was long ago, so this is merely a refresher…"

Airlia nodded, "Maybe, but it's been so long and I don't like fighting, but I understand I have to learn again."

Richard nodded as they continued, he began to correct her stance so it would have more power behind it and that her agility would rise. "The best stances will allow us to move quickly and attack with all of our weight behind it."

She nodded as they continued to practice while Alistair, Meena and Maya got some rest at the inn. When it was time for them to retire, they did such – going into their separate rooms quietly so that they didn't wake the sleeping people.

Morning came quickly as the already large group readied themselves to leave. Airlia sighed heavily as she looked at Alistair. "We need to keep going west, but it's about another two days travel to the cave that we have to go into."

The green haired man frowned. "Why would we need to go to a cave AIrlia?"

Airlia sighed. "We can't cross the desert without a horse and wagon. However, the man there won't lend us a horse and wagon without proof of our group's unity and belief in one another. He was betrayed in that cave you see, and left all alone. So we must go there to get the symbol of faith, then he will lend us the horse and wagon." She didn't want to say that he would merely give it to them, they could find that out on their own.

They travelled east, surprisingly not really running into any battles. Airlia frowned as they reached the inn just as the sun was beginning to set. Airlia tried to hide a yawn but Alistair shook his head, "Let's go and stay the night at the inn over here."

They walked into the area as the heat of the desert immediate hit the group hard. Airlia instantly understood why you needed a wagon, so that you can rotate who is out in the heat, and who is resting for a bit in the desert. She led them past the corral where there was grass and water while the wagon was off to the side. Just at the start of the desert was a longer house with an inn attached to it. She saw halfway down the building out in the desert was a small well as they walked to the door. Going inside, a man with dark brown hair and tanned skin smiled at them. "Welcome, it's rare to get travelers so late… It's going to be thirty gold pieces to stay the night. Are you okay with that?"

Meena nodded as she paid the sum named. Everyone settled into their beds as dreams took Airlia's mind…

A woman with long pink hair and pointed ears wearing a white dress pleaded with a man whose face wasn't visible… "Psaro… why? Why do you want to kill the humans?" The plaintive voice pleaded. Her ruby red eyes immediately watered. "Please, just stay here with me and forget this stupid war!"

Her melodic voice was a major contrast to the thick, masculine voice that cut in. "Rose… I'm doing this so no one ever tries to hurt you again. If they were to find you and find themselves unable to take your ruby tears… they'll kill you… I can't let that happen my darling." He vanished as the woman looked up in prayer.

"Please… if anyone can hear my prayer… please stop Psaro before he can't come back from the path he is treading towards… Please stop my love." She collapsed to the stool and began to sob piteously into the seat as ruby tears coursed down her cheeks.

Airlia awoke, gasping for air as she felt the weight of that plea. Funny thing was that she wasn't in Strathbaile… What does it mean if I can see it? Surely it's because I've seen it so many times that I'm just imagining something. Still it felt so real to her.

Getting up, she stretched as she said a soft prayer. "Master Dragon… Goddess… please… please tell me… why am I fluent in staff strikes? Why am I having these dreams? Please watch over us… I know who is behind all of this… I must protect her… Please help me to save her life as I saved that village…"

She sat next to a small table as she awaited the others to wake up. Meena was the first one to awaken as she came over to Airlia. "Are you alright?"

The brunette shook her head, "I'm okay, just confusing dreams… A place I haven't been to… a woman pleading for help… I'm… I'm scared."

Meena put a comforting hand on her arm. "It'll be alright. Now that we have the hero who is to take on the world's evil…"

Airlia frowned, "What if the evil isn't as obvious as everyone thinks it is?"

Meena didn't know what to say to it and thankfully let it drop as the others woke and joined them. Alistair looked at Airlia sadly when he saw the exhaustion weighing on her. Once the group was ready, Airlia led them back out to the edge of the mountain range. "From here we cross two bridges and go into the Cave of Betrayal… It's a series of tests to see how much we all trust each other."

Richard frowned as he looked at the brunette. "What kind of tests?"

Airlia only shook her head. "I don't know… it doesn't show me… It's just… I know… It's different for everyone…"

They crossed the bridges as she took in lungful after lungful of clean air. Her body was rejoicing internally at being in the once place that could have such a difference made by the actions of one person. Going inside the cave, they were surprised to find it lit and clean. Approaching the metal frame, there was an inscription. "Only three may go in. Any others must remain here. Do you have enough trust to proceed?" Alistair read aloud as he instantly put his hand in the first of three left handed markings. Airlia put her hand in the second marking. Meena was the last one, putting her hand on the last slot.

The gate opened, allowing them inside, shutting immediately after their feet left the pedestals. Inside the cave, the path was narrow, and forced them to go north, then east and finally south past another metal gate requiring three right hands this time. Once the gate opened, Airlia reached for Alistair's hand and for Meena's hand. However, it solved nothing as the ground opened up, swallowing all three – the thick walls of the cave silencing their cries.

When Airlia landed, she was in a strange room, and before her were four darker versions of her friends. "Freak!" 'Meena' spat.

"Go back to where you come from! I don't need you here slowing me down!" 'Alistair' grumbled.

"You worthless girl will get Alistair killed!" 'Richard' vocalized his hatred for the brunette.

'Maya' growled out, her brown eyes flashing with hatred, "You aren't a real seer! Not like my sister! Go back you lying girl!"

Tears filled her grey eyes, "That's not true! I'm useful! I can to see things that others can't!" However her mind regained itself as she realized it was a test of the cave. "I'm right, I am useful! Sure I may not be a real seer, I might not be much of a warrior! But I'm here for a reason! I must be able to help Rose and Psaro somehow to overcome the dangers that threaten to swallow them alive! And with that, it'll save Alistair and everyone else!"

The four figures vanished as one appeared. She couldn't make out who it was though her voice was melodic. "You were brought here to try and save everyone! You must use your knowledge from what you saw in your world, to try to save the innocent lives here. Doing so, it will save countless lives from being needlessly lost. If you do save this world… you may end up finding out your true heritage that one did not want you to know of…" The figure vanished as Airlia ran towards it.

"True heritage? That's a grand scale!" She scoffed as she began to explore the area, and slowly found herself descending down to where Meena was. Seeing her own tears, Airlia knew that Meena had been through the test. The two said nothing as they rejoined, but going on their trust in one another was what would keep them together.

"Meena, whatever that test said from me, I'm sorry, it's not true." The brunette explained as the purple haired woman nodded.

"Likewise Airlia. It said some pretty nasty things… didn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes it did. Let's go find Alistair and get the symbol of faith and get the hell out of here."

The pair descended down to the bottom to find him still confronting his test. They knew they had to wait it out as he screamed into the room. "That's not true! Airlia's a good person! They all are! But Airlia's pure and gentle! She hasn't lied about any of that! I trust her and I trust all of them!"

Airlia frowned as she shared a look with Meena. Apparently their tests had nothing on poor Alistair. However after a moment the spirits vanished and he saw them sitting there with sad, knowing smiles on their faces. "Alistair, whatever my test said to you, I'm sorry…"

"Me too Alistair. Those tests were brutal… They really hit you where you hurt most." Meena said as he nodded.

"Yeah, let's get that thing and get the hell out of here. I hope there aren't any more tests." Alistair said as they found the stairs to go back up to the main floor, and followed the path further along to find another set of metal doors with hand molds for all three of them using both of their hands. The gate opened to reveal a treasure chest. Airlia smiled as Alistair went to open it to find a stone goblet of sorts with a shimmering purple gem inside.

She lifted it up and her fears were erased with the determination to do what she had to do to save Psaro and Rose.