Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Seven: The Power to Protect
Written by Estrelita Farr
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Once again caught, Ryu and Nina were carted off to a place far, far away from Wyndia… so far away that it took them over three days to reach it. It might have taken them less time to cross the bridges and move around a mountain to a town, if it were not for the brothers' horse and cart. At the end of the fourth day, they passed a road sign that said "This way to Arena Town Genmel", so Ryu assumed that Genmel was the name of this place.
But what a strange town it was.
The ground was barren, covered in dirt, as though something was keeping the grass from growing. A strong stone wall, carved with strange patterns, protected the cluster of flimsy tents that replaced houses in this town. However, the landmark that caught his attention most was the great stone building at the end of the town, a fortress-like place that was a battle arena.
It was certainly a busy town, but Ryu noticed that, unlike the peaceful people of McNeil Village and the happy, busy people of Wyndia, the residents of Genmel had one thing in common between them – a look of purpose on their faces, accompanied by greediness and evil.
That made sense. After all, Nina had said this was a town famous for having a black market and battle arena, with the residents consisting of mainly thieves and criminals.
Ryu felt nervous.
Nina, sitting beside him, tried to look brave.
Would they be safe here?
The cart moved among the shady people and smelly tents, entering a narrow alley in between. After several twists and turns, it abruptly stopped in a more open area, right in front of a particular tent that had a gaudy, dirty sign outside that said "Fahl's Pub". Before Ryu could even start wondering where he was, Sunder grabbed them and roughly but nonchalantly threw them in.
"Hey, Fahl!" he shouted. "I brought the troublemakers!"
Inside the tent, there were tables and benches lined up around what little space it had, complete with a counter on the left side. There were only two occupants here – one was a short, round and snoozing half-horse man shorter than the half-unicorn brothers, with a small head, muscular arms, blue skin and brown mane.
This other person was so tall that Ryu would only reach his waist, and looked surprisingly like a humanoid Dragon, which shook Ryu when he saw him. He had brown skin and muscular arms, and he wore what seemed an oriental uniform made of purple and red cloth, as well as huge blue beads around his neck. But what made him truly similar to a Dragon were his Dragon-like head, complete with great red horns, a large pair of bat-like wings folded neatly behind him, and shoeless Dragon-like claws on his feet. He had an air of calm seriousness around him, and yet there was something eerie about him that made Ryu shiver in fear…
"Hey! Fahl!" Sunder shouted again, louder this time, forcing the azure-haired boy's attention from the winged man.
The half-horse snorted as he awoke, then stared at the brothers. "Whadya want?" The moment the words were out of his mouth, a look of realisation came to his face. "Oh yeah… the kids." He shook his head. "I just gotta keep an eye on 'em, right?"
"Yeah, just keep your eyes on them…" Balio gazed harshly at the numerous bottles on the counter. "…and your hands off the bottle, Fahl."
He nodded. "Sure will. Yer can count on me."
"Thanks, Fahl. Now, you brats…" Balio grabbed the two of them and threw them behind the cloth barrier at the end of the pub, out of sight from customers who would enter. "Just stay here and behave yourselves." With that, he turned and left, his tail swishing behind him.
"You'd better take it easy too, Garr," Sunder's voice spoke from the main area of the tent. "The Contest's coming up, y'know."
A low grunt was his reply, and the clip clops that followed indicated that the half-unicorn left as well. Ryu assumed that he had spoken to that Dragon-like man he saw earlier, and that his name was Garr. The boy shivered once again at the thought of him…
Nina shook her head, struggling slightly beside him, and whispered, "We've got to get out of here… now's our chance!" She sighed softly. "Darn, if only we could get out of these ropes…"
Ryu, who felt determined to escape, nodded. "I'll chew through them."
She looked doubtful. "I don't think so, they're too thick–"
Without waiting for a reply, the boy bit the rope hard, chewing rapidly as though he was already in his Dragon form. The rope tasted rather bitter in his mouth, but he didn't care – he simply had to escape from the captors and at least bring the princess back to her home.
"Wow!" Nina exclaimed softly when he was done. "You bit all the way through them! That's amazing, Ryu! Now maybe we can get out of here!"
He turned red again. "T-thanks…"
As with his own rope, he bit through Nina's and freed her, and after he checked that his weapon was still with him (they didn't bother taking it off him), they moved as quietly as they could to the side of the cloth barrier. Only Fahl and Garr were there, with the half-horse constantly drinking bottle after bottle while the other was silently contemplating.
"Looks like they're gone…" the girl whispered, referring to their captors. "That guy named Fahl's here, but it looks like he's had too much to drink…"
"Had too much to drink?" Ryu asked, confused.
"Those drinks, they call them beer, I think," she answered, pointing at the numerous bottles by their guard's side. "Some adults like drinking them, though it messes with your head if you have too much of it…"
"It messes with your head?" he echoed. "Why would anyone drink that?"
"I don't know either," she admitted, an embarrassed smile on her face. "But anyway, if we're quiet, he might not notice us. Let's go!"
He nodded and pondered no further about head-messing drinks.
Slowly, step by step, the two children tiptoed towards the entrance of the tent, careful not to make a single sound with their feet. Garr, the winged man, opened an eye to look at them, but then closed it again as he ignored them – it looked like he was unconcerned with them sneaking out.
So far, so good.
However, the moment they were just two steps away from the exit, they jumped when a loud voice came from behind them.
"Hey! Where d'you think you're going?"
"Uh oh…" Nina muttered as they spun around slowly to face the half-horse.
"Where d'you think you're going?" Fahl repeated.
"Uh… nowhere!" she stated, taking a chance. "We're not going anywhere!"
Her companion stared at her; she was suddenly so bold…
Fahl seemed to be thinking deeply, as though she had said something difficult. "Nowhere… hic!" He relaxed, a dopey expression washed over his face.
"That's right…" The princess began to back away. "We'll be seeing you then!"
Both of them fled outside and around it, stopping only in the hidden shadows of the tent. Flattening themselves as close to the tent as possible, they waited to see if their guard would chase after them… but even after a few minutes, there hadn't been any commotion.
"Phew, we made it, Ryu!" Nina cried, laughing. "I knew we could do it!"
Ryu nodded, grinning. "You were a bit bold there… but at least we got out!"
She smiled sheepishly. "Well, we should escape from this town before he wakes up!"
"You're right, let's go!"
Coming out from the shadows, they joined the crowds. Along the street they were on, there were many stalls and tents with gaudy signs, with people yelling about how great and cheap their items were. Ryu tensed up, as they drew attention from some of the people; his electric blue hair and Nina's expensive-looking dress were not exactly helping them to blend into the crowd.
Nina, a little afraid, took Ryu's hand. Startled, he turned a bright shade of crimson, but otherwise did not turn around to face her. Holding her hand firmly, he led her through the crowd and made sure she stayed behind him.
When they neared Genmel's gates, they overheard part of the conversation between two very frustrated-looking travellers.
"Damn it!" one of them cursed. "Some idiot's cargo fell on the bridge at Maekyss Gorge! Now we can't get an early start to Wyndia!"
"Yeah, that sucks," the other agreed. "I guess if we want to leave now, we'll have to detour around through Mt. Boumore to the east instead…"
The first traveller shrugged. "But who's mad enough to climb that steep mountain anyway?"
When the two children walked away, Nina seemed thoughtful. "Looks like we'll have to go through Mt. Boumore instead of the way we took…" She smiled. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all!"
Her partner stared at her. "Climbing mountains, not a bad idea?"
"Yes, it might help give us some time to escape. They might think we're going through the bridge, so if they took that way and found it blocked, it'll be some time before they find us on the mountain. We might be able to get away!"
"You're right…" He returned the smile. "C'mon, let's go."
As they passed the gates, it was only then when Ryu realised that they hadn't any supplies with them. His backpack was lost when he was captured in Wyndia, and all he was left with was his short sword that Rei had given him; his only memento of his friends. There was no way he would risk going back to the criminal-infested crowd with Nina, nor did he had money, anyway.
They would have to climb the mountain the hard way.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Mt. Boumore had similar geographical terrain as Mt. Mynerg – dry, barren ground of rock – but it was even steeper and harder to climb. While the latter's roads were worn and well-used, Mt. Boumore's roads looked as though they had not been used for a long time. Apparently it was because the bridge was a shortcut to Wyndia.
The princess, being in the wilderness on her own for the first time, was excited. She watched the mud monsters slithering around like a snake with arms and the large birds soaring in the sky, and felt as though she was making a great discovery that no one had seen before. Yes, she knew she shouldn't be feeling that way, since they were on the run from these bad guys, but she couldn't help it.
Despite the situation, she felt safe with Ryu's presence, as safe as when she was back home at the castle. From the first time they had met, she knew from her heart that he was a strong, dependable, even wonderful person, although all she could see then was a scared little boy.
Why? She had no explanation for the strong gut feeling she felt.
The journey on Mt. Boumore proved her feelings right; Ryu would protect her from anything that attacked her – pushing her out of the way of a strike, standing in between her and the monsters, making sure that none of them touched her, and even stopped as frequently as they could afford to let her rest. Nina was filled with adoration for him, and she trusted him more than anyone she had trusted before.
Before long, the sun began to set, the sky turning a deep golden-orange colour. They weren't even a quarter-way through the mountain, but luckily, they could see a cabin not too far away from them. As they approached the building, they saw that there was a huge machine behind it, with cables that stretched all the way to the other side of the mountain.
A slightly overweighed middle-aged man was standing outside the cabin, watching the beautiful sunset as he puffed on his pipe. His balding head and brown moustache shone orange in the light, and his brown overalls over white shirt and brown boots indicated that he was a worker of some sort.
The moment he caught sight of them, a look of surprise came to his face. "What're you kids doing up here in the mountain like this?" He paused for a moment, then shook his head. "Well, save that for later, it's getting dark, so come on inside."
Bewildered, both of them followed him inside without a word.
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"…so, Mr. Mason, we're trying to get away from the bad men chasing us," Nina concluded, looking across the table in side the cabin at the middle-aged man called Mason first, then at an older man who seemed to be his assistant.
"Hm…" Mason shook his head, still smoking his pipe. "Who exactly is chasing you now, little girl?"
"Um…" She thought for a moment. "Someone named… Ba-something and… and…"
"Balio and Sunder," Ryu helped. He wouldn't forget those two names for a while – they were the one who got him separated from Rei and Teepo.
"Yeah, that's it…" The princess nodded. "Balio and Sunder, those bad men are the one chasing us."
However, Mason and his assistant jumped a little upon hearing the names. The older assistant began to shake a little. At that moment, Ryu immediately knew the names were not new to them.
The princess had noticed it as well. "Do you… know them?"
Mason recomposed himself, shaking his head. "I wouldn't worry about them… whoever they are, they won't come this far, now will they?"
The boy did not trust him. There was just something about the way the man moved that he felt this way, but he could not say it in front of them.
"Tomorrow, we'll use the lift and take you where you'll be safe. For now, you should get some sleep," the worker continued, and gestured towards the door other than the entrance. "You can use the room over there."
Nina nodded. "Thank you very much, Mr. Mason."
"Goodnight, you two."
The two children entered the door, though Ryu first glanced over his shoulder at Mason, who did not bat an eyelid. The room beyond the door was just a storage room filled with boxes of coal, but it was dry and clean enough to sleep in.
"We're lucky we found some nice people, didn't we, Ryu?" Nina started, smiling.
Ryu definitely did not think so, but he did not want to worry her for now. "Yeah, we sure are…" He shook his head. "Well, let's get some sleep now, okay?"
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Once Mason knew that they were asleep, however, he spoke to his assistant in a soft voice.
"…you know what to do," was all he said.
"Yes, sir," the older man replied. "I should be back in the morning."
With that, he left through the door and into the dark night, letting in a slight gust of wind before the door was closed.
Mason watched him until he disappeared from sight, and then sighed slightly. "Forgive me, children, I just don't want any trouble…"
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When she woke up, Nina blinked slightly in the sunlight that shone through the nearby window, then yawned and stretched her aching limbs. Birds chirped happily outside, reflecting her own gladness from meeting nice people.
However, her partner didn't seem to share that feeling.
Ryu was standing at the door, his eye glued to the keyhole. He had a serious expression on his face, as though there was something he didn't quite trust. Come to think of it, he weren't as relieved as her last night as well.
"Ryu?" she called uncertainly, walking to his side.
"Shh," he whispered without turning. "That guy… he's acting suspicious." Turning away from the keyhole, he rubbed his tired eye lightly. "He looks like he's waiting for something, and the other guy disappeared, too…"
"Why don't we just go and ask what's going on?" She smiled. "We need to properly thank them and–"
Then, a loud creak from the next room – presumably the front door – cut their conversation short, followed by heavy clip clops on the wooden floor.
The voice that followed made them freeze in fear.
"You got them?" Sunder's bored voice said loudly.
Nina's eyes widened, horrified. "Oh no! They're here!" She shook her head, concerned. "What about Mr. Mason?"
Taking her hand, he threw a hurried reply, "Forget him, he told them we're here!"
"B-but–"
Sunder's voice came through the door. "So, where are they?"
"C'mon, we've got to get out from here!" Ryu quickly led his companion through another door that led outside.
The first thing they saw was a great lift, which was basically a square wooden platform rigged with machinery that hung it from the thick cables, and a wooden path leading to the other side of the lift with a panel on it, presumably the lift's controls.
Knowing that the only way out was to use the lift, Nina quickly inspected the PANEL. She had just a little bit of knowledge on machinery, and it was enough to tell her what she needed.
She turned towards him. "Ryu! Get in the lift!"
"What? What about you?" Ryu protested immediately.
"Don't worry! It'll be all right… I think…" She shook her head, inspecting the panel again. "It looks like it uses chrysm energy, and chrysm energy is like magic. So if I hit this with magic…"
"There you are, you pipsqueaks!" Sunder yelled from the entrance, making both of them jump. A big grin washed over his face as he glanced across the platform. "Ah, princess, there you are… you're first!"
He started towards Nina, moving along the wooden path around the lift, but Ryu, determined to protect her, rushed forward and slashed with his sword, forcing him back.
"OWWW!" the half-unicorn shouted. "You brat! I'm gonna kill you, Dragon or not!"
The girl heard the noise as Ryu stalled for time, and became flustered. She had to get it to work, she had to!
"C'mon, move!" she cried, working her magic on the console. "It'll move… I say MOVE!" With all of her might, she threw all the magic forward, willing the machinery to move.
At first nothing happened, as though they had failed to escape this time… then, a cloud of steam came from the panel with a loud hiss. Abruptly, a beam of light shot out from within the panel, blinding the princess for a brief moment, and, to her joy, the hum of machinery filled the air as the lift began edging outwards the other side of the mountain.
With a last slash, Ryu quickly retreated from Sunder's furious strike and leaped onto the lift. Turning around to his companion, he called anxiously, "C'mon, Nina!"
After the momentary joy of successfully making the lift work passed, panic took over her as she saw Sunder moving quickly towards her. She ran to the other side of the lift and jumped, but tripped instead. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly ran along the wooden platform in order to catch up with the lift and jump again, but to her dismay, she missed.
"No!" she exclaimed, feeling tears forming in her eyes. She could literally feel Sunder right behind her, waiting to get his hands on her.
"Nina!" Ryu cried, reaching out as far as he could to catch her.
With her at the edge of the platform, she had only one more chance to jump.
Her eyes flaring with determination, with the will to survive, she ran a short distance along the platform. Just as the lift left the platform, she pushed herself from the edge as far as she could, her hand reaching out for Ryu…
Sunder growled and made a grab at her.
His hand narrowly missed the hem of her skirt.
But, she realised that she was too far. Too far to reach Ryu's stretched hands…
I… won't make it…
Tears slid down her cheek.
At that very moment, there was a sudden flash of memory in her mind. A fuzzy memory of a man, with gleaming cerulean blue eyes.
"I'll always protect you, Nina."
Then it was gone. Just as suddenly as it came.
Reality flooded back into her mind, panic filling her heart.
And almost immediately, Ryu caught her hand.
"Nina!" he cried again.
She gazed up at him, tremendously relieved.
"I'm… saved…"
And, as the lift travelled merrily in the air, she could hear their captor's frustrated voice in the back. "I can't believe it! Not again!"
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Both of them collapsed onto the floor of the lift, breathing heavily from the adrenaline and fear. Nina felt shaky, as though she could not stand, and her heart was banging rapidly against her chest. She thought she wouldn't have made it…
But she did. And they were here together, safe and sound.
She sat up straight, beaming. "See? I told you it'll work!"
Ryu turned away slightly, trying to hide the tears that had formed in his eyes.
Her heart fell. "Were… you worried about me?"
"Of course I was…" He sniffed slightly. "I thought… I thought it was going to fail and I was going to lose… another friend…"
"I… I'm sorry, Ryu…" Nina sat beside him, and said truthfully, "I thought it wouldn't work out either…"
"You did…?"
"I was scared too, I didn't want to give you another reason to be sad for…" She turned towards him. "But I somehow know that if something went wrong…" She grinned. "…you'll do something to protect me, Ryu!"
His face turned a bright shade of red immediately, and he stayed silent.
As Nina gazed at the clear blue sky, her mind went back to the strange flashback she had earlier…
"I'll always protect you, Nina."
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It took over an hour for the slow-moving lift to cross the huge space between two sides of Mt. Boumore. As its passengers took some much needed relaxation, they enjoyed just sitting in silence, with nothing but the sounds of birds chirping filling the air, and watching the spectacular scenery before them.
All around them was a mountain range, blocking everything else from sight. However, in the far distance to the north, they could see the faint scene of Wyndia, past the barren ground of Mt. Boumore.
Ryu gazed at Wyndia, and his fist tightened as his resolve strengthened.
Some time later, the lift eventually reached the other station, giving a loud clank and hiss as it slowed into a stationary position. Even when it stopped, the machinery continued to hum in the background, signalling that the lift could still move.
"I don't know where we are, but…" Nina shook her head. "We should be okay once we get off the mountain."
Ryu nodded. "Let's go then."
Stepping off the lift and the wooden platform that was the station, they walked down a staircase that led outside. Around them was the familiar scene of brown barren land, and some distance away, about a five-minutes' walk, was a huge bronze gate with cliffs as walls.
The boy tried opening the gate, but it was locked. It seemed sturdy too, much sturdier than the Wyndian prison door… he didn't think he could force it to open without breaking his bones.
Turning to Nina, he shook his head, and spied a mountain path leading away from the gate. It would take them upwards, towards the peak, but there could be a way to exit the mountain from there.
"Look, there's another road," he told his companion. "Let's try going there."
"Okay," the princess agreed.
The path that they took was long, but rather straightforward. It bent here and there, constantly making them walk in a large zigzag manner, but it did not branch out to other paths, making it easy to follow. They continued to climb for two hours, occasionally taking short rests and fending off monsters that came for them.
Then, they stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide in disbelief.
It was a dead end.
"It's no use, we can't get down either way…" the princess muttered, sinking to her knees.
He had no answer, and he felt equally dejected.
Were they fated to be caught again?
Was he fated to be unable to protect what mattered to him most?
Apparently it was so.
"BINGO!" a loud voice shouted from behind, making them jump.
To their horror, it was Sunder again, with a big satisfied grin on his face.
Dejection quickly turning to determination, Ryu stepped forward and put himself in front of his friend, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He said nothing, only glaring at his enemy.
"Always playing the hero, eh, Dragon boy?" the half-unicorn laughed. "Give it up! I've got all my men blocking the trails down! There's nowhere left to run!"
Anger rose inside him.
"You can try to run, but we always get our way in the end!" He pointed a finger at the two children. "Face it, kids, that's life… get used to it!"
His cerulean blue eyes flared, like a beast ready to strike. He felt the familiar surge of energy inside him, from a mild sensation to burning hot flames. His skin tingled, ready to be turned into scales.
He didn't care if she saw him in that form. He would protect her no matter what.
"Oh yeah? That's what you think!" Nina suddenly retorted, taking her companion's hand.
Ryu, startled, felt the energy ebb away from him. Looking at her, he saw the determination within her, a determination that rivalled his.
She turned towards him, no trace of fear on her face. "C'mon, Ryu, let's just jump down the mountain!"
He was shocked. "J-jump?" he cried at first. Once he got over his initial reaction, the same determination washed over him as he nodded. "It's our only chance!"
"W-what?" Sunder exclaimed, but they paid him no heed as they ran to the edge of the mountain.
The girl gave one arrogant look at their captor and stuck out her tongue at him, as though to say, "Serves you right!"
Beginning to panic, he began running towards them. "Oh no! No no no NO NO!"
But it was too late.
Ryu, his arm around Nina, gave one last gaze at the clear blue sky before they leaped into the great ravine.
Yes, he knew he wouldn't be able to fly. Not even in his Dragon form.
They knew fully well the dangers of the choice.
Determination.
Ryu cried out in pain as he struck the side of the mountain, an audible crack resonating through his leg. Yet, his arm held Nina protectively, desperate to keep her unharmed, while pain stabbed through his body again and again.
Pain.
To survive.
Pain.
No, to protect.
Pain.
To protect.
That was all in his mind now. The pain took a backseat to his desire to protect, a desire greater than that to survive.
Burning energy surged in his veins at lightning speed, filling every inch of his body.
With a loud sound, a blast of white light shone.
His skin, tingling with power, turned into diamond hard scales.
To protect.
Growling, he places his now-clawed feet firmly on the ground, oblivious of the pain and blood, and leaped high into the air. His small wings spread in a futile attempt to fly, his front claws held the girl in a protective hug.
Then, with a loud crash, he yelped in pain as he landed hard on the ground, an audible crack in his back.
Pain.
To protect.
She was safe. That was all that mattered.
And everything became black.
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Birds chirping merrily in the trees. That was what she noticed first.
Groaning softly, Nina opened her eyes, but quickly shut them once more against the bright afternoon sun. Holding a stiff hand over her eyes, she opened them again and slowly sat up.
Her whole body ached, and she had new bruises and cuts along her arms and legs.
But she was fine.
Slowly, her mind wandered back to what happened before. They were on the lift, and they tried to escape from Sunder by jumping down the mountain…
She gasped, quickly getting to her feet as she realised her partner wasn't with her.
"Ryu!" she shouted, looking around frantically.
Just a few steps away, there was something on the ground she had never laid her eyes on before.
A Dragon.
It was just a small one, but a Dragon nonetheless.
And Nina knew who it was immediately.
"Oh, Ryu…!" she muttered, tears forming in her eyes as she sank to her knees.
The whelp was lying in a pool of blood, jagged wounds caused by rocks all over its body. Its eyes were closed, its wings limp. And it seemed to be not breathing.
"Ryu... what… what have I done to you…?" she sobbed, the tears sliding down her cheeks. She tried shaking him awake. "Ryu… please…"
There was no response.
"Please wake up…"
Still nothing.
"No…"
She refused to believe it. If it had meant getting caught once more, she would have rather jumped, but now Ryu… Ryu who tried his hardest to keep her safe…
Ryu, who died protecting her.
"NO! RYU!" she screamed, sobbing uncontrollably.
Then, there was the faint thud. The beat of a heart. Softly, weakly, like a creature that struggled to live.
It came from the Dragon.
Nina, sniffing, heard it.
Another beat.
"Ryu…?" she called softly.
The sound of a heart beating came again and again, growing louder, stronger with each beat. Then, suddenly, a bright light engulfed the whelp's battered body, blinding the girl for a moment.
When the light faded away, the Dragon was gone… and in its place was an azure-haired boy.
"Ryu…?" Nina breathed, unable to belief her eyes.
Ryu looked rather dazed and confused, but otherwise perfectly normal and fine. "Nina…?"
"Oh, Ryu!" she cried, throwing herself at him.
He was surprised. "N-Nina?"
"Thank goodness… I thought… I thought you…" She sniffed.
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about me, I'm okay." A concerned expression washed over his face. "What about you? Are you okay?"
Still sniffing, she slowly pulled away and nodded. "I'm all right, because you turned into a Dragon and broke my fall…"
Ryu froze, his eyes wide. "You… found out…"
"Yes, but…" Shaking her head, the princess continued, "I know you're a good Dragon. You saved me so many times, so how can I be afraid of you?" She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Ryu. I don't know how, but someday I'll repay you…"
He turned red. "Y-you're welcome."
Giggling lightly, her spirits lifted, she leaped to her feet. "Let's go! We don't want them to catch us again, right?"
Ryu got to his feet as well, grinning. "Right!"
And, as they left the mountainside, they knew that from this one event, they had gotten even closer to each other.
A strong bond, growing even stronger than before.
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Against the darkness of the night, the mist was like a transparent white curtain, billowing between the trees. It blanketed everyone's sight, even the creatures that came out during the night to hunt. It was silent.
Ryu knew they were terribly lost in the mist. There was no way for him to know where they were and where to go.
But, ever since they left Mt. Boumore behind them, there was this strong feeling. A feeling that something was calling him… that something was beckoning him.
He came to a large rock, one that was at least thrice his height. To the normal traveller, there may be nothing out of ordinary on it… but to Ryu, this was what beckoning him. Following his instincts, his hand felt about the surface at the base of the rock.
"What is it, Ryu?" Nina asked, curious.
He didn't reply. At first, all he felt was the rough surface of the rock… then the cold, smooth surface of a small crystal.
A chrysm.
What?
Instantly, a great burst of light engulfed everything nearby, following by a strong wind that nearly threw him away from the rock. Nina shrieked in surprise, pressing down on her skirt, but Ryu didn't hear her.
Strong thoughts filled his head, thoughts that didn't belong to him. Strong emotions filled his heart, fuelled by the thoughts.
A feeling of pain, of losing loved ones.
A feeling of sadness, of being unable to protect them.
A feeling of inadequate fulfilment and regret, of being unable to fulfil his heart's desires.
Ryu understood.
His brethren, who had lost all that was important to him. Forcefully taken from him in an unforeseen circumstance.
A tear slid down his cheek, his heart overwhelmed with emotion.
All these years… you've been suffering like this…?
He shook his head, grasping the chrysm crystal close to his heart.
I'll free you. You don't have to suffer like this anymore.
Words stirred in his mind, words belonging to the crystal.
"Thank you, my lord… seeing you appeased my mind," a calm male voice spoke in his mind, filled with utmost respect yet with a tinge of sadness. "My time may have been over a long time ago, but I still have some remaining power left in me. Please take it. As I fight alongside you, may it fulfil your desire to protect… as it failed to fulfil mine."
Within the bright light that still continued to engulf him, Ryu suddenly felt a burning energy from the crystal entering his veins; a power greater than his whelp form. The energy surged faster and faster, growing hotter with each circulation, until finally, Ryu could no longer hold it all in.
He screamed and threw his head upward, the energy exploding out of him. A roar of a great Dragon rang through the foggy forest, scattering birds from their nests in fright, and a strong force, unleashed from his body, shook the nearby trees.
As everything calmed, the light finally faded.
In its place was a fully grown Dragon, thrice as tall as Ryu's human form.
This Dragon looked like the adult version of Ryu's original young Dragon form, with a long serpentine neck and great big body with hard green scales. His legs seemed powerful, as though one stomp from it could demolish even the sturdiest house, and his great bat-like wings were built for speed in air. Even his tail looked strong enough to do a lot of damage.
The form of his brethren who had failed to protect his loved ones.
The Force Dragon.
Nina stared, surprise evident on her face, but there were no trace of fear as she called, "Ryu…?"
The Dragon turned slowly, unused to his body. He felt strong, more versatile than his whelp Dragon form, yet he felt another presence inside him. His brethren, who had sworn his power to him. Guiding him like a master would with his student.
He was glad.
Thank you… I'll use this form well.
He began to glow again, allowing the energy to escape from his body. His body shrunk, the scales transforming to skin, and soon he was in his human form again, moving towards Nina.
"Ryu, what happened?" she asked, curious.
At first he did not answer, as though trying to find the right words to say, but eventually he did. "I found a piece of chrysm… it held a Dragon's spirit, and I borrowed his power while I find a way to free him."
"I see…" She looked up at him. "But you managed to turn into a bigger Dragon this time, is it his power?"
Ryu nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He gazed at one of his hand. "Somehow I can turn into another Dragon like this, changing into their form…" He smiled at her. "With the power of this Force Dragon, I'll be able to protect you better, Nina."
She smiled as well. "Thank you."
"Well…" He looked up at the sky, which was completely covered by the thick fog. "It looks like we can't go any further because of the fog, so I guess we'll just have to camp here until it goes out.
"Wow, we're really camping out?" Nina said excitedly. "I've never camped outside before!"
He laughed a little. "If you want a true taste of camping, why don't you help me collect some branches for fire and fruits to eat?"
"Okay!"
As they left the rock in search of wood and food, Ryu missed the serene male voice whispered in a soft wind.
"Heh, glad to see you the same as ever, Ryu."
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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The winged woman continued to gaze into her magical mirror, smiling sweetly as her finger ran up and down the smooth surface of the mirror. The recent events amused her, made her rejoice.
After all, he seemed as strong as ever. Even as a child.
"I said let me go!" a high voice yelled from somewhere outside the room, making her turn.
In the darkness, a huge figure entered, silently giving a bow while holding a smaller, squirming figure firmly.
"Ah, you brought him," the winged woman stated, satisfied. "Thank you."
"Let me go!" the smaller person shouted, a voice belonging to a young boy, struggling hard. "Let me GO!"
She smiled as she waved a hand lightly. "Do as he says."
The larger figure obeyed immediately, and the boy fell onto the hard floor.
"Ow! Watch it!" he cried, evidently irritated.
"Did you have a good journey here?" the woman asked.
"No, of course not! D'you think you'd be happy being dragged everywhere like a damned rag doll?" He spat the last three words.
"No, I wouldn't…" She remained smiling, undisturbed by his violence. "But I do hope that you'll enjoy your time here."
"Bah, I know I won't! I've got someone to find, so I'm leaving!" He turned to leave, but the large person refused to let him go away.
"Unfortunately, this is a place where visitors can't leave…" Her voice was still sweet, but now had a dangerous tinge.
The boy turned around, angry. "What kind of a stupid place is this?"
"Oh, you'll definitely find out soon enough…" She gestured towards the door. "Show him our best guest room, won't you?"
The large figure nodded, grabbed the boy roughly and dragged him out of the room.
"Let me go!" the prisoner cried, struggling once again. "LET ME GO, DAMMIT!"
Just as they passed a dim lamp, there was a flash of purple hair, which then disappeared back into the darkness.
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End of Chapter Seven.
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Author's Note:
And don't mind the extra forest I put, too. xP
Oh, and the Force Dragon thing? I find it awkward when the race is called Dragon but that Dragon form is also called a… well, Dragon. So I decided to rename it myself. And I decided that getting Dragon forms like in BoF4 is better for storytelling than getting Dragon genes… I mean, it's a little awkward to describe sometimes, imagine typing, "He put the Flame and Defender gene together and poof! He became a Flame Dragon!"
So yeah. Force Dragon sounds cool… even though the Force Gene gives you the Warrior Dragon form. Ah well, as long as it goes well!
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Review Replies for Chapter Six:
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To BaneHaven:
Thanks! I doubt that my novelisation is one of the best, but I'm glad you think so. :D
Well, I just think that the other people are pretty busy with their own lives, especially with the new (school) year and stuff. Even I'm going to start classes soon, it feels depressing. T_T
Thanks for the review!
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To Airess Byrd:
Glad that you find Nina cute! I heard from a friend who mentioned that lots of people portray Nina as… annoying. ZOMGLOLBBQANNOYING? I didn't like the idea of portraying her as an annoying girl like a comedy anime (or more like it didn't really occur to me), so I made her encouraging to Ryu. It's good that it went well. :D
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Nina Windia:
Great to know you like Nina's personality! Do many people really make her the whiny / crazy type? I prefer her to be less of a tomboy and more of the shy type, for some reason; maybe I'm just the sort who likes her female characters to be shyer. xP
Yeah, apparently it's possible to beat Balio and Sunder, especially if you use Influence on Sunder. I didn't have Influence on me (the dark pink goblin refuses to teach me…), so after around ten times of dying, I gave up and used the game script. The game script is useful. :D
Thanks for the review!
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To Omega Gilgamesh:
The part on Ryu's childhood is slightly less than half of the whole game, actually… maybe about 2/5 or 3/7, if my estimation isn't way off. For my novelisation, it's more or less half of the chapters. o_o