Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Ten: End of the Stallion Saga
Written by Estrelita Farr
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"Ladies and gentlemen!" the commentator roared. "In Round Two, Battle Four, it's Team Ryu versus Team Emitai!"
The boy sighed as he stepped out of the waiting room and into the Null Magic Hall, dreading this battle ever since he had spoken to Emitai. He was to fight someone who was trying to save his daughter, all to protect another… why, why must it turn out like this?
Nina and Momo looked at him in concern, not knowing about the conversation the day before as Ryu did not tell them about it. What was the point of telling them about it and making them worry? He felt that if they actually emerged victorious in this round, only one of them would need to feel bad…
"Say, what happened to Emitai? He's not out yet!" the announcer remarked. "Mr. Emitai! Please come to the ring!"
"All right!" the familiar voice called from the other gate. "I'm coming!"
Suddenly, the ground started shaking and rumbling as though there was an earthquake, forcing everyone to try to balance themselves, and in the midst of it, three figures appeared in the opposite side of the Null Magic Hall. The one at the back was Emitai, looking determined, and his two team mates were…
The commentator gave a loud gasp. "Oh my god! Monsters?"
True enough, Emitai had chosen two giant monsters as his companions. They looked rather like trolls, huge, green and muscled, with heads of a green bat. They had golden chains around their wrists, clothes that covered the lower parts of their body, and their fists that were much bigger than Ryu's head looked as though they could break through walls easily.
Emitai shook his head as he stood behind the two monsters. "Just like I said, I can't do anything in this hall, so I'll just have to let my boys do the fighting for me."
Ryu stared at the monsters. Those two… not the golem boys that he summoned yesterday?
"B-boys? W-well, I suppose that's not against the rules, so…" Abruptly the commentator raised his voice, making everyone jump. "Team Ryu versus Team Emitai, ready! Aaaaaaaand… FIGHT!"
The golems roared and made way for Nina first, but however, Ryu immediately put himself between them and her, drawing out his sword. He charged forward, right in between the fists of the two monsters, attempting to lead them away from her. He was successful, for they pursued him immediately, though they kept missing him because he was fast enough to dodge their painful punches.
For a long time he led them all over the battlefield in a wild goose chase, occasionally striking back, while Emitai stood back and watched warily. As time passed, however, Ryu knew that he could not battle both golems at once, and he began to think frantically of a way to defeat them.
Nina could not do anything to help as she was unable to use any of her spells, but Momo had been trying to aim properly with her inaccurate bazooka, though she managed to hit twice.
"Oh, for chrysm's sake, I need to improve the accuracy on this thing!" the scientist declared as she fired another, hoping hard that it would hit.
The chrysm pellet missed the golems completely, but however, Emitai gave a loud cry as it blasted right in his face and, being physically weak, he was down immediately. Then, the golems were unexpectedly out of control; they no longer pursued Ryu, but struck each other instead!
"W-what?" the boy said, as he backed away.
These two monsters took turns punching the other, as though they were boxers in a ring instead of partners in a team. The children winced when they saw how strong each punch looked, and they stayed back in fear of being hit as well, though it did not take long for the green creatures to knock each other out, leaving their master on the battlefield.
"Ugh…" Emitai groaned as he attempted to get up, but fell back down to the ground. "Oh… Lyla… I'm sorry…" After that, he fell unconscious.
There was silence for a long time as the audience remained shocked, not quite believing that mere children were able to defeat such huge monsters. Then, the commentator's loud voice boomed again.
"Wow! That was amazing! Let's give Team Ryu a great round of applause!"
As though a valve had been released, a roar of cheers and applause burst from the spectators after their initial surprise. It took a long time before they would calm down enough for the next round to start, and by then Ryu and the other two were already in the waiting room.
"I'm so glad we won!" the princess stated, smiling. "That's two rounds so far, I hope we'll be able to win all of it!"
"I guess it was a good idea to make Ryu here our leader, wasn't it?" Momo said, grinning.
The boy simply could not say a word, for guilt and remorse weighed heavily on his heart.
Nina immediately looked concerned. "Ryu? You've been really quiet since yesterday…"
He tried to smile and only just managed. "Don't worry about me, I just feel a little drained. I'll be okay with just a little rest."
"Are you sure…?" Her concerned expression did not change.
He nodded. "I'm sure. Why don't you go take Peco for a walk or something? I'll just rest here a moment longer and I'll join you somewhere later."
She smiled slightly and nodded. "Okay, but don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"I won't, don't worry."
He gave a wave with one hand as they left, then sighed as he leaned against the cold stone wall, sitting on the bed. Feelings of guilt and remorse continued to whirl inside him, enough to even make him feel a little nauseous, and it reminded him of the time when he killed the Nue and the mutant plant…
Was it because he was a Dragon that trouble followed him?
"No!" Nina would say. "You're not a bad Dragon!"
Ryu chuckled lightly at the thought, which made him feel slightly better, and jumped off the bed. He was ready for the day's training, though he had one thing to do first…
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"Dammit!" Emitai cursed. "I didn't expect it to end so quickly!"
He was sitting up in bed, a bandage around his head, and the two little boys that the golems had transformed into upon defeat stood by the foot of the bed. His purple-haired daughter lay by his side, worried for him, and his wife treated his wounds.
"Shame on you!" his wife scolded. "Didn't you say this would be an easy win? Only the second round and you already lost! And to some unknown kids, no less!"
"It's not my fault I got put into the Null Magic Hall!" the sorcerer retaliated. "I tried giving them the same sob story, but they didn't take the bait; they said something about their friend being a hostage!"
"Stop making excuses!" she shrieked. "Because of you, we won't have any money this month!"
The moment she finished her sentence, they heard a clatter by the door and turned sharply. Then, their eyes widened in shock.
Ryu was standing there. A small pouch lay on the floor by his foot, with several zenny coins falling out.
Had he heard everything?
By the grim expression on his face and the glare in his eyes, he had.
"Oh, h-hi there, Ryu," Emitai greeted nervously, hoping it was his imagination. "Why are you here?"
Ryu did not immediately reply. He took a few steps into the room, his eyes focused on Emitai, and he spoke in a low voice.
"You were… lying?"
The sorcerer jumped. "N-no! Of course not! Why would I l-lie to you?"
"…you're the same. You're just like all the people out there." His eyes flashed with anger, as a burst of light came from him. "Do you like seeing people SUFFER?"
"W-what?" Emitai exclaimed, backing up into the wall.
"S-save us!" his wife shrieked, running into a corner.
Ryu glared at the couple, his eyes flashing a great golden colour, white light circling his body. From the ends of his hair, a golden colour grew like the sun rising above the horizon.
Emitai's daughter sobbed loudly, clinging onto her father in fear.
Surprised, Ryu stopped, the light around him fading away, the golden colour disappearing from his eyes and hair. At first, he watched as the girl buried her face in her father's shirt, the anger drained from him as quickly as water pouring from a jug. For a fleeting moment, pity washed over his face, then he turned away.
Picking up the bag of coins that might have been intended for the family, he left quietly.
Emitai gave a huge sigh of relief, and his wife sank weakly to her knees.
They were saved.
The Contest of Champions was definitely a dangerous business.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Ryu said nothing about ever meeting Emitai and his family to his companions at all, preferring to keep it a secret from them. Watching the girls laughing and giggling together as though they were on a field trip rather than training for their upcoming battles, he had not the heart to remind them of the corruption that stood strong in Genmel. It only helped to strengthen his determination to get them out of this mess.
The Contest of Champions continued for days, and the battles grew exceedingly harder with each round, but they were able to emerge victorious against all odds all the way to Round Seven. It was Ryu who did the most damage, however, for constant training had made him as fast and powerful as a grown warrior could be. That, and the fact that he had the blood of the Dragon flowing in his veins.
Just one more battle and they would be free.
Right after their victory in Round Six, the semi-finals, Sunder barged into their waiting room with a huge grin and a loud greeting.
"Hey, brats! Pretty impressive! You actually made it into the finals!" He spoke triumphantly, as though it had been him who had won.
"We don't need your compliments," Ryu said quietly, tired of him. "We just want you to keep your promise."
He laughed, as though the boy had said a joke. "Well, that depends whether you can beat Garr in the finals or not, see? Don't look so glum! Gotta please your fans, you know!" He turned to leave, his green tail swishing, but then stopped to glance over one shoulder at them. "Make sure you do well in tomorrow's fight, Dragon boy… it might be your last!" He cackled loudly as he left, his voice echoing down the hall.
The remaining three stayed quiet for a moment, then Nina broke the silence.
"Ryu… will we be able to win?" she asked uncertainly. "Will we finally be free?"
The boy smiled, defying the heavy weight in his heart. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to give it my all… no matter what, I'll protect you, Nina."
But in his heart, all the negative feelings raged, and even he doubted himself.
Can I… do it…?
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Balio smirked as he strode along the hall towards the waiting room of the Hall of Kings, thinking gleefully of how much money he made from entering that Dragon brat in the Contest. Sure, he had given a lot of trouble ever since the brothers had dragged him to Wyndia to show him the King, but in the end they were able to show him how the world, where the strong prevailed, worked. Once the Contest was over, though, they would have to get rid of him…
Sunder came up behind his brother just as they arrived at the waiting room, and they grinned as they pushed the door. Inside, the massive form belonging to Garr was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed and his halberd leaning silently against the wall – meditating, perhaps. He did not look up when they entered, nor did he react when they started speaking to him.
"So, Garr!" Sunder started in his usually loud voice. "Feeling excited about winning this fight?"
"…this battle is naught but training to fulfil my goal," Garr's deep voice replied as he opened his eyes. "Is my answer your only purpose?"
He was taken aback. "Uh…"
"That's not it, Garr," Balio quickly answered, shaking his head. "We came to see how you are before the battle…" He forced a grin. "It looks like you're confident as ever, huh?"
"Perhaps so." The winged man slowly stood up, his form towering over the half-unicorns as he reached for his halberd. "But do tell me about this boy I am to do battle…" He turned towards them. "From whence did he come? Is he not rather young to be so strong a warrior?"
"Well, it's like this…" Balio stood nearer, as though he did not want anyone to hear. "He looks like any other kid… but he's really a Dragon."
"…a Dragon?" There was a hint of interest in his voice.
Sunder waved a hand nonchalantly. "Hey, he's nothing for you to worry about, right? I mean, he's just a kid!"
At that moment, the commentator's voice boomed all over the hall outside, followed by a great cheer from the audience.
"Well, it's starting. C'mon, Sunder." The blue-haired brother went to the door. "Be careful, Garr, but like we said, it's nothing for you to worry about, right?"
Once both half-unicorns had gone out of the room, Garr shut his eyes.
"A Dragon… mayhap my last…"
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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"Ladiiiiiieeesss aaaaaaand gentlemeeeeeen!" the announcer yelled at the top of his lungs, clearly excited about the finals. "This is the moment you've all been waiting for; the BIG event! The final round of the world-famous Contest of Champions!" He took a breath and continued. "Believe it or not, one of our challengers is a child! Everyone, please welcome our superboy… RYU!"
There was uproar when the boy slowly stepped into the Hall of Kings, with the audience yelling and cheering and whistling, and it made him feel even more nervous than he did before. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
One more fight… just one more fight and we'll be free…
"And in this corner, the one and only!" the commentator resumed shouting, growing more and more excited with each word. "The Wings of Death! The master of the blade! The champion of champions! Mister Dynamite… GARR!"
It was just as Ryu had feared – the Dragon-like man strode out of the gate before him, calm and composed.
Of all battles to fight him…
"He's the Champion for years and years now! The champion of champions!" the voice roared again. "But without further ado, allow me to present you the final match of the Contest of Champions! Readyyyyy… aaaaaaand… FIIIIIIGHT!"
Both Ryu and Garr did not immediately engage each other, gazing at each other as tension brewed up between them. The boy shivered as he felt dangerous air around this person, and feelings of sorrow and anguish grew in his heart just from being near him…
The winged man twirled his spear once and pointed it at him. "Though you are but a young boy, I shall withhold not my strength. If you give not your utmost, I shall strike you down."
Ryu narrowed his eyes, holding his short sword bravely in front of him. "I didn't think of holding back at all."
The crowd cheered at this exchange of words.
Very suddenly Garr lunged with a speed that defied his size and weight, and Ryu scrambled out of the way in fear. As he moved quickly as far as he could, he stopped himself and reminded himself what he was here for.
I'm here to fight for freedom!
With a yell, he charged with his sword raised, focusing hard on dodging the spear, and then lashed out with his own weapon. He was able to hit once, twice, thrice before he was forced to back away when a burst of a fire spell was thrown at him. But he was relentless, taking the offensive and soon charging forward again, with the crowd oohed and ahhed each time he was nearly hit.
All the while, Garr never did show any expression other than calm seriousness, not even a wince when the short sword cut him on the torso and drew a little blood from his hard brown skin. No, he went on blocking and throwing fire spells continually at his small target, as though this was as normal as having dinner each day…
But was he mocking his opponent with these weak spells of his? Or was it because he pitied him? Why would he not use his blade, his strength that earned him a great name in this Contest of Champions?
The boy hesitated, suddenly wondering if continuing to fight was the right thing to do. All his fiery determination was gone in a flash.
Is it… right to hurt someone to get what I want…?
The crowd then gave an extra loud and excited cheer, shaking him out of his thoughts and pulling him back to reality, but it was already too late – Garr, having already raised his halberd, swung it at him with one muscular arm.
There was no time for him to avoid it.
Ryu gasped in pain as the blunt end of the halberd struck him at the side of his head, immediately forcing him to the ground. His wide cerulean eyes staring at his opponent, his mind already began to slip into unconsciousness as tears of anguish slid down his cheek.
Not from losing the battle.
But from losing his companions' freedom.
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"Not to worry," the healer stated, smiling at Nina and Momo as he stood up from the chair. "He's strong, he'll come around soon, though he'll be a bit dazed for a bit."
The princess, who had been crying and sniffing for a while, nodded as she wiped her eyes. "Thank you so much, sir."
"Don't mention it, it's my job after all." He picked up his bag and left, after giving one last kind smile to her to reassure her.
Momo beamed as she patted Nina's shoulder. "I told you he'll be fine! It's not even a bad concussion!"
"I'm sorry… I was so scared when I saw him fell…" The princess sniffed slightly as she gazed at the still figure of the unconscious Ryu.
Suddenly, Nina realised that the crowd was silent; no cheer, no boos… nothing. What could have quietened the enthusiastic people? Curious, she walked to the door of the waiting room that led outside into Hall of Kings and peeped out.
"Garr! Are you CRAZY?" Balio exclaimed loudly, in the midst of the silence of the crowd.
"Am I mistaken?" Garr asked calmly. "Would the victorious not be granted his desire?"
"Yes, but this is ridiculous!" The half-unicorn snarled. "That's not what we agreed on!"
He gazed at him with his gleaming golden eyes. "Then would you rather forfeit your life?"
For the first time, Nina saw Balio shrinking back in fear. "Grr…"
"Um…" the announcer started. "To the champion Garr, we award… Ryu and his friends?"
What? We're his prize?
There was a loud chorus of boos from the crowd, all dissatisfied on this unexpected downturn of events, but Garr ignored them as he headed towards the waiting room where the two girls were. Nina frowned as she stood between him and the bed where her male companion was sleeping, with a firm determination on her face that indicated that she would fight to protect, just as Ryu always did for her.
To her surprise, however, Garr's gaze turned from harsh to soft, kind and warm.
"You need not worry, I wish you no harm." He lowered his head. "I held back for fear of injuring him."
The princess continued to glare at him, for she find herself being unable to forgive him for hurting Ryu and put him into this stage, even if he did hold back. And for him to ask for them as his prize… it was ridiculous.
"Uh, thank you very much, Garr…" Momo started. "But why did you–"
It was just that very moment when a soft groan came from the direction of the bed, making everyone turn towards it. Ryu, who had been unconscious all this while, stirred and slowly sat up with a hand held to his head – he was finally awake.
"Ryu!" Nina exclaimed, rushing to his side and startling him. "You're awake!"
He blinked. "Yeah, I am, but what exactly…" He trailed off when he finally realised that Garr was there. His eyes widened, he raised a hand to his sheath, only to find that it missing, and paled in fear.
"Ryu…?" the princess called, wondering why he was that afraid of this man. After all, being knocked out by Balio and Sunder did not make him that terrified of them…
Almost as suddenly as it had started, he snapped out of it, as though it was only that instant that he realised what he was doing.
"What's wrong?" Momo asked.
"Oh… it's… nothing." The boy reddened as he slowly slid off the bed, though he still appeared a little dazed.
"My apologies for the pain I delivered," the winged man said sincerely, his gaze on the boy half his size softened. "I am glad to see you all right."
He shook his head, looking up at him a little nervously. "I-it's okay, after all, it was a contest of champions…"
"Thank you." He nodded, giving a faint smile. "Now, you are all under my care. There is naught to worry from Balio and Sunder."
There was a gasp coming from Momo. "You mean… we're free?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"All right!" She turned to the other two. "C'mon! Let's get out of here before those two decides to get nasty and come here!"
"Definitely," Ryu agreed. "I really don't want to see their reaction after they found out that I lost the competition for th–"
Nina gave an abrupt shriek. "Peco! We forgot all about Peco!"
"Hm, so one still remains in their midst…" Garr said, appearing to be talking to himself, and abruptly left the room.
Bewildered, they quickly went after him – though Ryu first stopped to pick up his sheathed sword – and they strode briskly along the hallway all the back to the main entrance before turning left towards Balio's office.
The moment they entered the little room, Balio and Sunder yelped as they leaped straight off their seats. Garr held his blade towards them, silently threatening them with his glare, and jerked his head in the direction of the cage.
Sunder growled, but grudgingly pulled a ring of keys off a hook at the back of the room and released the onion, who was wild with the joy of being free. Peco bounced up and down excitedly, like a ball thrown against the floor with force, but Nina quickly grabbed him and ran back to join the others, watching the brothers warily.
Balio and Sunder glared, but did not make a move towards them.
"A prudent move," Garr stated, keeping his eyes focused unblinkingly on the brothers. "These children are under my care… I will not repeat myself again." Then he turned around. "Let us go."
Silently the three youngsters and one onion obeyed, and then he himself left after them.
For a moment, the brothers stood there in silence, then Sunder kicked a chair angrily. "Dammit! What's gotten into Garr?"
Balio shook his head, his expression harsh. "I don't know, who knows what he's thinking…"
He shook his head. "Do you think he turned on us, bro?"
"From the looks of it, he just did." He growled. "We can't just let them go… not after what they put us through."
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Ryu could not believe it. After so many days of capture and escape ever since they left Wyndia, they had finally been able to be free from their captors.
Free!
The word had a nice ring to it, and he could not help but to smile to himself. He felt relieved, knowing that he could finally send Nina back to her home now, and that he was free to continue his search for his old friends.
But then, as he remembered that Garr was with them now, he started thinking deeply… why had Garr helped them? Why was it that he made him feel nervous, even though from a glance he seemed like a dependable strong person?
When they were finally out of the dreaded Arena and rushed past the Genmel town gates, they stopped next to the walls, the girls and Ryu panting from the run. Peco seemed too excited to even feel tired, and Garr did not even break a sweat.
"Whew… finally!" Nina cried once she had gained her breath. "We got away from those bad men!"
"Yeah!" Momo agreed heartily, grinning. "And it's all thanks to Garr!"
"Pukyu!" Peco piped up.
Ryu didn't say anything for a while, then he gazed up at the tall form of the Dragon-like man and spoke in a soft voice, "Why did you help us?" The suspicious tone in his voice showed without him meaning to.
The other three grew quiet, watching Garr to see what he would answer.
Garr stared off into the sky, a faraway look in his eyes. "I seek an ancient race that possesses an indomitable power, a fearsome race called the Brood. The purpose for my assistance…" His gazed lowered slowly to the boy. "…you, Ryu. You are part of the Brood."
The… Brood…?
Ryu stared blankly at him, confused. The name sounded so familiar, and yet…
"The Brood…" The red-haired girl shook her head. "You mean the Dragons?"
Nina gasped. "How did you find out? He didn't show his powers at all!"
Garr nodded. "It was Balio who told me. I praise you for concealing it well." He shook his head. "Ryu… I will ask naught in return, but if you wish to know about the Dragonkin, the Brood… there is but one place to go." He turned, pointing a finger towards the east, past the mountains. "To the east lies Angel Tower. Go thither, where I shall await your coming."
With that, he strode off, heading towards some tents in Genmel, and left them there.
Ryu continued to say nothing, staring at the ground, and it took a long time before he finally spoke, "The Brood… I can finally learn about myself…"
Nina smiled. "I'm glad, Ryu!"
He smiled as well, clearly happier. "Yeah, I'm glad too. But let's get you back to Wyndia first, okay?"
Momo beamed. "All right then! I'll bring you to the city just like I promised!"
"Pukyuuuu!" Peco shouted.
Feeling new enthusiasm now, all four of them cheered and then, first buying new supplies with whatever money they had left, started their journey to the City of Winds.
Life had never felt better.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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It took about half a day to arrive at a huge wooden bridge across a deep gorge, with a signpost next to it that said, "Maekyss Gorge – do not lean too far over the side of the bridge!"
Unlike the barren ground where Genmel was situated, Maekyss Gorge was a place filled with greenery and trees, complete with a rushing stream flowing a long ways below the bridge. It was rather peaceful here, heightening the group's feelings of being free.
"C'mon! Let's go!" Nina said excitedly and ran first onto the bridge, with Peco following enthusiastically behind.
However, just as he stepped on the first plank of wood on the bridge, Ryu immediately felt that there was something wrong. He sped forward, overtaking his two companions, and stepped right in front of them, forcing them to stop abruptly.
And it turned out that he was right.
Before them, there were a huge group of thugs, with both Balio and Sunder leading them.
Ryu glared as he drew out his sword, remaining in a protective stance in front of the other two, a deep feeling of hatred building up inside him.
"Ryu, I've got to hand it to you… you're one hell of a kid," Balio started, no longer smirking as he usually did. "I never would've thought you'd give us so much trouble."
"Guys!" Momo cried from behind the children and onion, running towards them. "There are some bad guys right behind u–" She blinked as she realised that there were a whole horde of men in front of them too. "Oh… um, I guess you already know."
Honey, who was perched atop her shoulder, slapped her forehead in exasperation.
The boy shook his head slowly, his eyes harsh. "We're stuck here, unless we can get past them…" In the midst of the hatred, a feeling of nervousness and fear rose; he had never fought and truly won against them before, so what difference would it make now?
"We've called in all our men from around here… you won't get away this time!" Sunder snarled. "Get him!"
Uttering a battle cry like soldiers in war, all the thugs charged with their respective weapons raised, then they skidded to a stop when a bright flash of light came from Ryu. There was a great roar as the light blinded everyone, and when it dimmed, the boy was no longer there, but the large form of the Force Dragon, which gave a roar as though warning them to stay away.
Some of the men fled screaming, while the braver ones stayed. There were a lot of them, but they were no match for him, even though he held back – some were knocked out the moment he bashed them, while some others required a swift grapple followed by a powerful swing to the trees. It did not take long for every one of the men to be knocked out or to escape from the scene.
"These Dragons are really something, eh, Sunder?" Balio remarked harshly, unsmilingly.
"But of course, he can't keep it up forever…" the other brother stated, grinning evilly at the Dragon. "We still have plenty of men behind you!"
It was just that moment when Garr, with his usual composed self, came from behind the girls. His expression grew grim when he saw the half-unicorns again.
Garr gestured behind him. "…it appears I was right to believe it was not a mere joy for fishing that summoned these men here."
Sure enough, the remaining men behind them were all unconscious on the ground, as a result of Garr's strength.
Sunder's grin instantly disappeared. "W-what?"
"Garr!" the blue-haired brother growled. "What do you think you're doing? Why did you betray us to help these kids?"
"I do recall telling you they are in my care…" He stepped up towards them, stopping beside Ryu with a short glance at his Dragon form, and then focused his eyes on them. "It would seem the first betrayal was yours."
"Grr…" Sunder snarled.
Balio shook his head. "Garr, the boss isn't going to let you get away with this…"
Garr crossed his arms. "I care not for the threats you carry."
"…I see…" He straightened, clenching his fists. "All right then, we'll settle this here and now." He glanced at Sunder. "Looks like the time has come to show them our true power, my brother."
At first Sunder looked horrified, then his face twisted into a look of dangerous confidence as he glared at Ryu and Garr. "You're all DEAD!"
The two brothers stepped closer to each other, a gleam of light coming from both of them, and they screamed as a bright pillar of light engulfed them. Ryu drew back, growling – were they able to transform as well?
Almost as suddenly as it had started, the light disappeared away in a flash. But now, the Dragon stared at the single huge form that was now there instead of the two brothers. It retained their half-unicorn form, large enough to tower over even Garr, with white and red marks all over its body. Its mane looked as though it was made of a curved metal and there was a blue crystal on each of its shoulder, which glowed as it roared loudly.
"Stallion Metamorphosis!" the voices of Balio and Sunder cried together. "No one has seen us in this form and lived to tell the tale!"
Stallion lunged forward with the combined speed of two horses and punched Garr hard, its strength so great that it even knocked the heavy winged man a few feet away. Ryu charged, bashing his huge Dragon form into Stallion, and he jumped away just in time for Momo to shoot her bazooka (which struck the ground instead of her target) and the princess to throw an Iceblast spell at it. Garr recovered quickly and struck hard with his halberd, creating a huge cut wound right across its white chest.
But despite the relentless attacks, Stallion showed no signs of going down but instead struck just as relentlessly, and it showed no mercy even to the two girls and onion. It kicked Peco around like a ball mercilessly, slapping Momo out of the way each time she tried to fire her weapon at it, and it only shrugged at Nina's attempts to bring it down with her spells.
All of a sudden, it made a grab for Nina with a sinister dual laughter, holding her up by the scruff of her neck, and it cried, "Let's see how well you can protect her like THIS!"
NO! Ryu cried in his mind, a high snarl of panic escaping from his lips.
Stallion, with a loud yell, flung Nina right over the edge, her scream echoing off the walls of the gorge.
NINA!
Ryu roared, yelling her name in the Dragon's tongue, and threw himself down the gorge after her, determined to protect her. His mind oblivious to his enemy's evil laughter, he dived downwards faster than she was falling. The rushing rapids of the river through Maekyss Gorge came nearer and nearer.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered – would he be able to make it?
With a determined roar, he dived with an abrupt burst of speed, passed her, and allowed her to land safely on his back. Then, just as his hind legs brushed against the surface of the river, he spread his great wings that stretched across the river.
And a moment later, he burst out from the gorge and into the great blue sky.
Nina held on tightly, her eyes closed tightly against the strong wind, but there was no fear in her little heart. She trusted him completely with her life.
As he set her safely down on the ground again, far enough from the battle, she looked up at him, smiling. "Thank you, Ryu, you saved me again…"
Being in his Dragon form, Ryu was unable to speak, but he gave a soft growl in reply before rejoining Momo and Garr in the fray. Just as he arrived, however, suddenly Stallion drew back, howling loudly. Garr stepped in front of Momo, protecting her, and the Dragon, sensing that something dangerous would happen soon, snarled as he charged forward.
But before he was even near enough to attack, Stallion formed a cross with its glowing arms and sent a ray of rainbow lasers towards all three of them, so powerful that it made him fall in pain immediately.
W-what is this?
He snarled as he tried to force himself up, tried to ignore the pain, but his body felt numb, his pain-filled limbs refusing to obey.
"Ryu!" Nina cried, with tears in her eyes. She had to help him!
But how?
When Ryu roared in pain, fear struck her like a thunderbolt, and she foolishly threw herself at him, screaming when the laser rays touched her.
"R-Ryu…" she breathed out.
He stared at her in dismay, his eyes wide in fear.
Stallion laughed, a long, triumphant laugh. "Now you see? The strong prevail over the weak!"
The Dragon switched his gaze to Stallion.
His hated enemy. Laughing mockingly at him.
Taking everything from him, as though he had no right to be happy.
Just because they were strong?
Just because they had power?
Rage burned in Ryu's heart. Every part of him screamed in hatred.
…then I ask for POWER!
He roared into the sky, a great roar that shook the earth.
Stallion drew back, surprised.
The Dragon charged forward once again, wings spread wide at his sides. His mind numbed to the pain, his eyes focused on his hated enemy.
Pain. Give them pain!
He lashed out with his fangs and suddenly, three large magical claw marks, burning with crimson flames, slashed across Stallion with a great flash of light. Instantly Stallion was thrown back against a great cliff, three new bleeding, burning wounds forming on his chest.
But he didn't stop there. He continued lashing out with the Flame Claw, relentlessly, again and again.
He didn't stop when deep cuts appeared on Stallion.
He didn't stop when a large pool of blood gathered at its feet.
He didn't stop even when it had fallen back, reverting to two half-unicorns in a great burst of light.
And he didn't stop even when they were covered in blood.
Hate.
Hatred for the evil half-unicorns for taking his friends away from him. For taking his peaceful life away.
For hurting Nina.
He snarled.
The Flame Claw struck them again.
Balio and Sunder's eyes widened in fear – was this truly the power of a Dragon? Was this the reason why Dragons were feared?
But Ryu wasn't satisfied. Seeing them covered in blood, cowering in fear… didn't make him satisfied.
Give them more pain!
He turned heavenward and roared, a ferocious roar that sounded like the clap of thunder. A roar filled with determination. A roar filled with hatred.
Energy burned in his throat.
Glowing in his open jaws.
He gazed forward, at his hateful, pitiful targets.
Die.
A burst of light came from his jaws.
Then, everything slowed down drastically, as though Time had stopped. Ryu felt angry; he wanted to incinerate his hateful enemies this very instant. He didn't want to wait any longer.
"You fool… letting his Dragon power overwhelm your mind."
It was that male voice again. Ryu growled.
I hate them.
"Do you remember your purpose in this battle? Do you really want to hurt them to this extent?"
…my purpose…?
He realised with a start.
Nina…
The rage and hatred washed away, as quickly as they had come. Remorse and regret filled his heart instead.
…why… have I…
"You have to remember, Ryu; too much power is not good. You will go berserk, as you did earlier, if you lose control of your emotions."
He lowered his head, tears filling his eyes.
I'm… sorry…
The voice chuckled. "You're still such a child…"
Ryu could almost see the silhouette of a man in his mind, a hand reached out to pat his head reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Ryu, just remember what's important to you. Do what you know is right."
Time suddenly resumed, and he found himself gazing at the bloody forms of the half-unicorns. Huddled together. Trembling in fear.
He almost pitied them.
The light in his jaws disappeared away.
"What…?" Balio muttered.
Ryu gave a low growl as he stepped back, reverting back to his small human form, with a look of quiet sadness on his face.
Part of him still wanted these two to be dead, still wanted revenge, yet he knew now that it was wrong. Now, even as he stood there, watching the bloody duo, he knew it was pointless to continue like this, pointless to hurt them any further.
"…killing you won't being Rei and Teepo back," he merely said, slowly turning his back to them.
Yes, doing this is the right thing.
He began to walk away, but an angry yell from Sunder made him stop.
"You BRAT!" Sunder shouted, pulling out a dagger with a bloody hand. "Don't think you've already won because of this!"
"No one messes with us and gets away with it!" Balio yelled. "Heeaaaargh!"
He lunged forward swiftly with the last of his strength, and his brother followed suit. Together, they took the form of Stallion once again, carrying a large dagger in one hand.
"Take THIS!" it cried, stabbing at him.
"RYU!" Nina screamed, covering her eyes with her hands.
The boy spun around quickly, his eyes wide with fear, but it was too late – there was no time to react.
He shut his eyes tightly, awaiting the stab that would eventually end his life.
But it never came.
Garr, with his great strength, bashed into Stallion.
And sheer force knocked it right over the edge of the bridge.
Ryu rushed to the side and looked down. There, he saw the half-unicorn brothers, now separated, hanging dangerously high above the rushing river. Balio was holding on tightly to Sunder's leg, and the latter had one hand on the bridge while the other still on the dagger.
In their injured state, they would not last long.
A strange feeling rose within Ryu, overpowering his hatred.
No! I can't just leave them like this!
He held out a hand, ignoring the fear he felt inside him, and shouted, "Give me your other hand!"
Balio looked up, stunned. "What?"
"I said, give me your other hand!" He shook his head. "Quickly! Before it's too late!"
Sunder snarled. "Damn you! We don't need your help! Now stay the HELL away!"
He raised the dagger and swung it hard at the boy, who fell backwards into a sitting position.
It was a costly move.
Almost immediately, his hand that held the edge of the bridge slipped. With a loud, piercing scream, the brothers then fell towards the rapid river in Maekyss Gorge, like a rock thrown from a high position.
Plunging right to their death.
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End of Chapter Ten.
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Author's Note:
You may find that I've changed Garr's manner of speech completely from how he speaks in the game. I feel that according to his character, Garr tends to speak more formally than others, rather than the casual, modern manner he does in the game. Originally I followed his manner of speech as in the game, except that I broke up all the short forms (don't, won't, shouldn't, etc) into their original form (do not, would not, should not, etc). After I started playing Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, though, I thought that it'll be interesting to follow its – Shakespearean / Elizabethan / Early Modern English? – manner of speech!
So I used the FFT: WotL game script as reference, as well as reading some (boring) English articles that may help, and reworked on his speeches. It's a lot of work and took a long time, since I've no experience with this sort of English. I'm pretty sure my sentences don't quite come out right most of the time, but it was fun. :D Though I decided to omit the thou, thee, thy and stuff… that's still way out of my league. o_o
Problem is, when I reread the original manner of speech I gave him (I saved them just in case), now I find them boring. xP
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Review Replies for Chapter Nine:
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To RedemptionWarrior:
Glad that you liked the OHKO battle! I, too, like it, and I thought it was fun to make the first round super easy for them! Though of course, the original reason I did that was because I was lazy to go through the battle one character at a time. xP
And oh, Ryu will be surprised all right… maybe more than we think. :D
Thanks for the review!
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To Rogue Kaiser:
I'm glad to see that you like the battle! It's rather silly. xP
The thoughts that Ryu has are all his, not a third party influence. The game made him a very strong person the moment he has Nina to protect, but I felt that the change is too sudden. Just like the last scene with Bunyan before he left for Wyndia, I'd like him to learn things as he goes. As a quiet child easily influenced by Rei and Teepo when they were together, wouldn't he be easily affected by the events that he witnesses?
It's great that you like my personal tweaks to the game, and thanks for reviewing! :D
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To Jonathan Priest:
Thanks for the compliments! I don't think my writing is as great as you put it, but it's still a heart-warming thing to hear. :D
I like silent protagonists; they allow us writers to give them a life of their own, to shape his personality however we like. Ryu's personality wasn't too hard because it's something I can relate most to. Riou's personality in Suikoden 2 (I mentioned I was going to write a novelisation for it, did I?), however, is very much harder. Until now, I still can't relate to / shape his personality properly, and I find scenes very awkward between him and Jowy. Sadly, that's why I'm still stuck with the beginning. T_T
But thanks for the review!
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To Windscreen Wipers:
Thanks!
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To Zero:
Thanks, glad that you like it!
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To Nina Windia:
Thanks! I like Peco too, he's so cute and round. xP
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To Airess Byrd:
Thanks! Peco is a cute bouncing onion (I'm still not quite sure to call him intelligent or animal-like at this point… or rather, vegetable-like o_o) and Momo is just… being your typical scatterbrained scientist. Emitai is… well, being just Emitai. xP
Thanks for the review!