Author's note: I don't own Dragon Quest IV!

Battle For Glory

Chapter 6: Ragnar McRyan

The trip to Parthenia had been made through a singular chimaera wing that Alena had once the Tsaravina had gotten everyone out of the frosty pantry. It was a simpler kingdom as the silver eyed brunette looked around in unabashed amazement of the town before her. The princess retrieved the seed from Borya before running to find the king whom was out tilling the fields, begging for his feverfew crop to arise once more.

"Sire, here's the seed... Please..." The auburn haired princess said as she gave him the seed that Borya had given her.

He looked at the small seed in surprise and excitement. "Yes dear princess. Come let's set it immediately in the field. Like the fever it tames, it grows at a rapid pace. Thank you for saving my kingdom!" He set it in one of the holes amongst the many dead rows of soil and instantly it began to grow into full bloom. Once ready, he reached up and plucked one of the top of the crops before him and gave it to her. "Make this into a paste and feed it to your ill companion. It will restore him to his former vigor."

Nodding, she took it and put it gently in her bag. "Thank you so much Sire. Thank you!" She was practically crying as she ran back to the others. "Now we have to go Kyril and save him. Please!"

Alistair nodded as he pulled out the last chimaera wing that Taloon had held onto. Flinging it into the air, he murmured, "Take us to Mintos, please!"

When they arrived, Borya and Alena quickly pushed through the group, hurrying to the inn as Meena took Airlia's hand and ran with them. The seer had healing powers, so she wanted to be sure if they needed her help. But the purple haired woman wasn't about to leave the poor amnesiac woman alone to their whims for even a moment. "Come Airlia. Let's see if they need our help alright?"

The brunette merely nodded as they raced inside the small castle and back up the left stairs to see Alena and Borya leaning over the man as the elder wizard sent the paste down his friend's throat. "We can only wait now Tsaravina."

The man slowly moaned before his eyes opened as his brow no longer felt feverish. "Alena? What?"

Borya smiled, "You're better now thanks to our new friends." He turned to draw the two who had run after them closer. "This is Meena and this is Airlia. Both are seers. Airlia's powers aren't so good right now though. Poor dear had a terrible accident and lost her memory. Without her memory to understand what she's already seen, it's hard for her to be a seer."

Kyril raised an eyebrow, "One would think you wouldn't need your memory to be able to use your powers."

Meena smiled as she explained, "Ah but you must understand. The mind is linked to the powers. If her mind is cloudy she can't see how to use them. Much like you with your magic. If your mind was cloudy and unable to remember, would your powers work?"

Kyril nodded, "I see. I didn't know that it was much like how we use our powers. I could try healing magic, but it only heals wounds, not the memory itself."

The others arrived as Meena kept Airlia at a safe distance from the others. "Airlia said we have to find our last companion to the west, where Maya and I come from. If he is facing off with the old foe, then we must gain entry. To do so, we must go to my father's old workshop near our home village. Come."

The guided the ship to be just east of her old home. Airlia blinked as she saw the small town and put a hand to her head. "Familiar… What is this?"

Maya smiled, "That is Aubout de Monde. We need to go north and west over a bridge and into the Gupta Gupha. It's a fairly easy cave to enter, no steps and lifts, the wagon should be able to come in with us."

Airlia stayed close as they crossed a series of two bridges before arriving to a large mouth cave descending into the earth. The cave was wide, but well paved as brick laid on the floor. She looked around uneasily, "Something tells me I should know this… about what's going to happen…" She grabbed at her head uneasily. An image flashed as she murmured… "A chest… a button…"

Meena looked at her with unabashed amazement, "I know what you're talking about unbelievably. I'm impressed you even know of it."

She looked at the others, "Follow me. We need to go to the bottom floor. Everything will make sense then." She led them through the corridors. "You see, our father was into alchemy and he made a special key… a magical key that got into most doors, just not prison doors. His lab is at the bottom of this place." She took them to a lift, "Everyone on, but avoid the stone. That's the trigger." Once everyone was on, the purple haired seer stepped onto the stone and the lift began to descend down.

When the lift stopped, she led them north first to a wider area that had four columns, some water surrounding the room and a path to their right. "Follow the path straight." The brown eyed woman directed as they once again went on the lift. When they were at the bottom of the cave, they found it spilled out into a giant open area as Airlia grabbed at her head.

"What are you doing to me?! Get out of my head!" She screamed as she sank to the ground in pain as she saw more images. Ruby tears. A gentle woman with red hair and pointed ears who cried ruby tears. A song… The images faded as she tried to stand again. "I don't know what to make of what I saw just now… what I heard… a song… tears that aren't possible…" She leaned on Kyril who quickly came to her aid.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to doubt you before Airlia… Were they always this painful?" He asked softly.

"They didn't seem so before… I don't know if it's the fall she took with the bad hit to her head that took her memory that resulted in them becoming more painful. I almost wish she didn't have the gift of sight if it meant this pain." Meena responded as she casted a light healing magic to try and comfort the brunette.

Alistair continued to look at Airlia with a dark glare as Borya looked at him. "So what the hell is your problem? You've been giving her dark looks for most of the trip that I've seen. I'm so sick of it. The poor girl has put herself in danger to help you all and some of you don't trust her? Really?"

The green haired man looked away, "Why should I trust her when she doesn't trust me?"

Meena looked at Airlia, "It'll be okay, I'll tell them what I know and protect you from them if need be." She explained what she knew of the woman's past as Alistair gaped.

"From another world? Why should I swallow that?" He spat.

Airlia screamed as she had another image… a man beating her… "Because I was abused and ran away. I wished to come here. Prayed desperately to the Goddess and to the Master Dragon. Next thing I knew, I was here. I had to help you." Her memory was finally intact after hearing Meena. "Thank you Meena." She looked at the others, "And your exact reaction Alistair was why I didn't tell you." She saw the chest across the way. "There's the way down."

Meena nodded, "Exactly right. And the other reason she didn't want to say it yet was we needed our final friend, the one here… right Airlia?"

She nodded, "Ragnar McRyan, finest soldier in Burland who is seeking to protect Alistair." They continued along the path and across the bridge as she found the chest that had been opened already. "The night lamp." She murmured as she found the button and pressed it. A small area halfway between the chest and the edge of the water to the west vanished and became stairs descending downwards.

Meena and Maya hurried into the lab and were only gone moments before they returned with the key in Maya's hand. They quickly left the cave before Airlia looked over the land. "Now we go back to a place of horrors for Meena and Maya… Palais de Leon."

They headed east directly back over the bridges to reach the giant castle just as the sun was setting. Airlia recognized one of the men wandering around. "That's Healie… formerly a healing slime who tagged along with Ragnar to help him while trying to become human." She spoke to them before running over to him. "Where is Ragnar? Is he inside?"

The man nodded, "Goo know who I am?"

She smiled, "That I do. We're here to help him friend."

He sighed in relief before hanging her a bag. "Take these herbs. I hope they can help goo…"

She nodded, "Thank you. We'll take care of Ragnar. I promise." She looked at the others before going to the eastern door. Meena came over to unlock the door as Airlia gripped her staff.

Once the door was open, the brunette led the way as she could see in her mind Ragnar being dragged along the long hallway to the Marquis de Leon. They hurried down the short hallway and turned left to see him being dragged as she threw her staff like a javelin and landed between one soldier's legs, making him twist and fall as Ragnar took the moment of distraction to begin fighting his other jailor. Airlia hurried as she launched herself bodily at the next guard who was rounding the corner. With the men quickly dispatched as Ragnar knocked the one she had tripped with her bostaff unconscious, he looked at the group. He grinned widely as he spoke in his thick scottish accent, "Thank you kindly. The name's Ragnar McRyan. I heard about the people of this land being under a tyrant's thumb. But the only way to see him was to create a struggle."

Meena smiled before grabbing the hilt of her sword, "We know where to find that asshole. We took on our father's killer when he showed up and nearly killed us!" The purple haired seer led the way down to the end of the hall then counted her steps along the wall before pushing a small hidden button. "Ready everyone? Here comes trouble…"

Going inside, they saw a few guards and the giant lion with six legs. Airlia instantly felt a sense of dread fill her being. "He's huge…" She whispered.

Meena nodded, "Stay behind me. We'll kill him this time. I know it!" She looked up at the Marquis. "Time for you to die! Time to free my people!" She drew her blade and sliced at the monster while Airlia parried the attacks coming at the seer.

Alistair focused deep within himself as he called forth his lightning magic, "Zap!" The thick bolts struck the creature.

Airlia saw he was going to swipe harshly at the green haired man and pushed him out of the way. "Look out!" She screamed as he hit her harshly at her stomach, sending her flying backwards against the wall. She fell limply to the floor, her body unmoving.

Alistair saw her laying there and growled deeply. He didn't know what had come over him to be so cruel to the woman who obviously just wanted to help them as he looked at Richard to see a sickening grin as the man neared her. "What the fuck is your problem Richard!" He spoke as he drew near and turned the man around.

"The little bitch who threatens the plans of our Lord Psaro will die and then…" He muttered as Alistair didn't think twice and cleaved the head clean off his former friend, revealing that he wasn't truly a human… but a green flickering flame.

"What in the hell was that?!" Alistair screamed as he turned to the Marquis and glared at him, launching himself and delivering the final blow, slicing the neck of the lion as he backed up and immediately fled to Airlia who was just starting to stir.

She looked up to see Alistair coming to her as she paled and stood painfully as she fled to find the wall directly behind her. "What now Alistair? What did I do now?"

He came over and saw darkness staining her waist. The green haired man gently touched the fabric to see blood. "Oh no… I'm… I'm so sorry Airlia… Hang on." He focused on his healing magic. "Heal."

She nodded as she went to go towards Meena when he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. "What do you want Alistair… Why do you do this to me?"

Alistair shook his head as he whispered. "I'm sorry… I don't know what happened to me. But seeing you push me out of the way of that hit… it ended whatever spell was on me. Something that fake Richard did." He held her tightly to him. "I'll never let you get hurt again. I promise. I'm so sorry…" He stroked her hair gently as she began crying into his chest.