IV- DRAGON HEART

Artemicion wasn´t so cheerful and brimming with energy to fly and deliver letters as before. In fact, the main representative of Mognet System started to get tired right after passing by Treno.

-Oh- he whispered- I´m hungry...I don´t remember that delivering letters was so exhausting, kupo...I wish I had an airship...or at least have Stiltizkin´s guts...there it is! North Gate! Burmecia is just a little walk after it!

South and North Gate were, originally, a symbol of friendship between the two great nations of Mist Continent. People from the northern area, ruled by Alexandria, asked for a Gate Pass at South Gate to get to Cid´s territory, in the South. However, until some years ago, Queen Brahne´s selfish acts turned those gates into symbols of war and rivalry. Nowadays, Brahne´s daughter, Garnet, became a fine queen and North Gate got back to normal little by little; lots of people were seem passing by, landing airships and coming from the cable Berkmea cable cars run from the top of the mountain range down to cliffs on either side. On the Alexandrian side, the cable car station can be exited going toward Dali in one direction and Treno in another. They´re working again since when Cid applied his steam engine on them, just like he did with the latest airships, and this was helpful and turned people life easier, especially for who can´t buy an airship. Kids were running everywhere with their parents and throwing pieces of Gysahl Greens to the chocobos.

-I wonder if all these people are going to Lindblum...-the moogle said- Or maybe they´re going to that beautiful circus at South Gate.

He kept watching everybody until reach to the other side, but he was surprised by an unmistakable smell

-This is...Kupo Nut!!!-he exclaimed

Kupo Nut was nothing but an ordinary nut to the humans, but, for moogles, it was the greatest delicacy ever!

So, the purple moogle happily headed towards a cave in the plains aside from the Gate.

-Sure is dark here, kupo...-he thought- What so? All I need to find the Kupo Nut is its smell...

The hungry moogle searched the whole cave and, finnaly, he found the Kupo Nut lying on the ground.

-I found it! I´m really lucky today! Think about it, kupo...I was starving, then what did I find? My favorite food!- and he was ready to eat it, but...

-GRRRROOAAAAAAAARRRRGHHHHHH...- a strange sound came from deep in the cave

-What was that, kupo?!- Artemicion screamed

He went carefully to the other side, and there he could see a small blue dragon being surrounded by an angry Grand Dragon.

-Oh no, he´s in danger, kupo! I gotta do something!

The poor thing was so scared that couldn´t even open his Grand Dragon´s claws started to create sparks as it started to roar again.

-Leave him alone!!!- Artemicion screamed, throwing his nut on the monster´s back

-GRRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARGHHHH- the huge dragon turned its scary red eyes back to the moogle

-It´s your chance, kupo!- Artemicion said to the blue dragon, while flying quickly to the cave entrance- I´ll take the monster outside, then you run away from here!

Artemicion managed to get out from the cave but a vicious lightning came right after him as the huge dragon went out as well.

-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I´M DEAD!-screamed the moogle

-I got you!- a woman's voice said, grabbing the astonished moogle in the air.

Artemicion looked under the woman's red hood and recognized the face. She was also wearing a red cape over her white vest. Thanks to her, they were able to evade the dragon´s attack.

-FREYA!- he exclaimed, when she got him to the plains again-OH NO, IT´S COMING AGAIN, KUPO!!!

The monster was still angry and came after them again. But, this time, the burmecian jumped high to the sky while the dragon went towards Artemicion.

-Hey, are you leaving me here!!?- the moogle cried, in surprise

Then, suddenly, something fell from the sky and hit the dragon, creating a dazzling light. Righ after it, Freya appeared on the monster´s back pulling a bloody spear out from its skin and jumping again to the plains. Once she got there, she fixed her sharp-pointed spear in the ground.

-Freya, what are you doing!?- asked Artemicion- The monster is gonna attack us, kupo!

-Do not worry- she replied- The Grand Dragon won´t do anything to us, it was just scared.

The two moved away from there. Artemicion always looked at back to have sure the monster won´t follow them anymore until he saw it coming back to the cave.

-I wonder if that blue dragon was able to escape, kupo...

-He´s fine- Freya said- Actually, it was because of him that I came here. Seems like he got lost.

-Where´s he?

-I don´t know, but I saw he´s flying away from the cave right after the Grand Dragon.

-Grand Dragons are so dangerous monsters, kupo!- he said, angry

-Not at all- Freya replied- Usually, they don´t attack unless they feel frightned. That one was a female and I´ve been watching it for several days; they used to be more hostile in the period of laying eggs so some dragon knights must watch them and keep everybody away from their nests.

-I´m sorry, kupo...I was so hungry that I didn´t even notice where I got myself into...

-It´s ok, you´re not the only one. That moogle called Moguta went there other day for the same reasons...

-Er...I´m really tired of flying all the way to here...oh, yeah, this is for you- he said, giving the invitation to her.

-There will be a party in Lindblum in one week-Artemicion continued- Eiko asked me to deliver an invitation to you.

-Eiko! How I miss her...-the dragon knight said

-She made seven invitations and I´ve delivered yours, Vivi´s and Amarant´s. Now I´m going to Alexandria ´cause everybody else must be there, but I´m still so tired...

-Hey, look!- Freya exclaimed, sighting something

The small blue dragon came flying to them. It looked really cheerful.

-Why did he come back?- Artemicion asked

-Maybe he wants to thank you.

-HIEEEEEEEAAARRR- the creature cried, throwing Artemicion at his back

-Hey!

-I got it, he´s saying he will take you to Alexandria- Freya said

-Really!?- the moogle was surprised- Are you really gonna take me there? Thanks buddy!

-Try to be more careful from now on- Freya suggested

-Ok! Now let´s get going.

So, the small dragon and his new friend flew towards Aerbs Mountains at great speed. Aerbs Mountains are a long chain of branching peaks on the Mist Continent. Their altitude effectively separates the continent into three distinct areas. From Burmecia, Alexandria is right after that mountain.

"It´s been a long time since I saw everybody...the restoration of Burmecia and Cleyra have taken over my mind..."

Burmecia is a walled, multi-leveled, and warren-like city-state in the northwestern part of the Mist Continent. It is Freya´s hometown. Inhabited by the Burmecians, Burmecia is showered by a constant rain, which gave it the title of "Realm of Eternal Rain". Just like Cleyra and Lindblum, it was harmed by Queen Brahne in the past, who looked incessantly for the four jewels.

But, with everybody help, the city is being restored.

When Freya got back to Burmecia, a man came after her:

-Freya- he said- The kids told me they saw a dragon right now.

-It´s ok Gray- Freya spoke to her old friend- Just another careless moogle...

-Hmm...Freya, I also heard you´re leading Cleyra´s restoration...

-Yeah, by the way, I was looking for Mylan, Satrea and the others

-Freya- Gray said a little serious- You´ve been working so hard to restore Burmecia, and you´ve been watching the Grand Dragons too and still trains everyday...be careful or you´re gonna overload yourself with all these responsabilities and...

-Gray- she interrupted him- You shouldn´t think like this...look to Doyle and the others kids...we must give them a better future. I´ll make them know the same Burmecia and Cleyra that I used to know years ago no matter what.

-I understand- he replied- But...actually, there are also people who say that you´re doing this to forget that Fratley went to another journey.

-Don´t be ridiculous! He promised that he´d come back so I have nothing to worry about- then she looked at the sky, the rain kept falling at her face while she talked- This time, I have no doubts that he will be back...but what about me? I just couldn´t do anything for Burmecia and Cleyra like I promised. My friends died one by one and I couldn´t help them because I wasn´t strong enough- Somehow, Gray was able to identify a tear coming from her green eyes among that raindrops on her face.

-Freya- he said- You´re the strongest person I ever know. Unfortunately, sometimes we can´t keep the promises we do, but it´s not your fault.

-Gray...

-WOW! AN INVITATION TO A PARTY!!! I´M GOING WITH YOU OK!?-someone said after reading the invitation on her hand.

-Puck!- she exclaimed

-Lord Puck!- Gray said

-Just call me "Puck"- the little boy answered

-His Majesty is worried about you.

-Why doesn´t he leave me alone?- Puck complained- I´m gonna leave this place again this way...

-Don´t say that...-Gray said- He just cares about you.

-I know, I know...

-That´s true, Puck- Freya said, watching the far cave where Artemicion and the blue dragon were before-We, Burmecians, are like this. Just like a Grand Dragon that protects its eggs from everything...we too...we sacrifice ourselves for the ones we love. We have a dragon heart so we´re going to work hard and get back everything we lost, and we´ll never give up or get discouraged...never.

***IX***

I know I suck at writing, but please, take it easy on me, I´m still not good enough^^

- Preview of Chapter 5 -

Artemicion got to Alexandria, but someone there is really upset about Tantalus new play…and seems like Ruby´s hiding some secret; who´s going to find it out first?