Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Sixteen: For Old Friends
Written by Estrelita Farr
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The terrain around Dauna Mine was rocky and dry, giving a dull, gloomy feel to the scenery compared to the greenery of Wyndia. As they moved south, however, the dull colour turned into eye-pleasing green, with rabbits bounding all over the fields and around the occasional trees.
Further south was a lush forest, where travellers were greeted by the cheerful chirping of birds and the mysterious hushing of the trees. Sunlight streamed between the thick leaves of the trees, giving the forest a serene, peaceful feel.
This was Ogre Road, perhaps? It seemed to be too peaceful to warrant such a name.
Glad to have a chance for respite, Ryu raised his head and closed his eyes, listening to the rustling of the leaves each time a gust of wind blew.
Ever since he had woken up in Dauna Mine two days ago, he constantly felt worn out, as though there was something sapping his energy. He blamed the recurring nightmares of flames and death at night, which somehow always ended with him getting stabbed in the chest, and constant remembrance of them during the day. He often walked with a heavy feeling in his heart, dreading each moment of the day.
But here, the peacefulness of the forest helped him to relax. Even if only a little.
Like other parts of the wilderness, however, monsters roamed the forest in search of food, gigantic silver birds with sharp claws that could shut like a trap. They were fast, but not fast enough to compete with the combine strength of the two travellers.
Ryu and Garr even became targets of bandits, who had assessed their next victims poorly and were easily trashed, fleeing between the trees and yelling, "HELP!"
Certainly, the peacefulness was short-lived.
As they neared the exit, two hours later, Ryu's ears picked up the sound of rustling from one side of the road, followed by silence. Just as he thought he had imagined it, there was another rustle. And another.
His eyes narrowed, focused towards the front, he called in a low voice, "Garr."
The winged man did not turn to face him. "Did you sense it as well?"
He nodded, hearing another rustle between the trees. "Something's following us."
"We should alert it not. Let us wait for it to strike and ambush it."
"All right."
They continued on, as though they were unaware of the creature stalking them, but their ears caught each sound it made, focused on its presence. Ryu's muscles tensed up, ready for action if it attacked…
And then, it struck.
With a loud snarl, a large creature charged out of the bushes, its sharp claws gleaming in the rays of the sun as it prepared to strike… but the young man had already expected an attack. In one swift motion, he spun around and simultaneously drew his sword out in a diagonal slash.
A loud roar pierced the sky, startling him, and the creature retaliated.
Ryu, his reaction still slower than his best, could do nothing but to raise his sword horizontally as a shield.
Clang!
Like another blade, its sharp claws hit his sword, aiming for his neck if it weren't for the interruption. Its strength was incredible; Ryu gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold the blade in place, trying to keep it away from his neck.
But as his gaze fell onto the golden eyes of the creature, his own blue ones widened.
Golden eyes he had never seen before, but golden eyes he found familiar.
Before he had the chance to ponder further, Garr charged towards the monster and swung his heavy halberd in a downward motion, which the monster was able to dodge nimbly, growling as it leaped back.
The momentary pause allowed them a chance to see what it was – a weretiger.
Stripes covered its golden fur in regular intervals, across its head, back, legs and tail, and fiery crimson mane stood on the back of its neck and upper half of its back. Other than the fact that it stood taller than Garr on its hind legs, it was similar to an ordinary tiger, with even more ferocity than one. A deep cut stood out from its chest, oozing with blood.
It was a creature Ryu hadn't seen before… yet why had he found its eyes so familiar…?
Dissatisfied with its failed surprise attack, the weretiger snarled and rushed at him once more, unleashing a furious volley of claw swipes. Ryu, no longer as sluggish as the time in Dauna Mine, was able to deflect each strike with his blade, moving backwards to allow himself more space to react. He still hadn't regained his agile movements, which was why he didn't try to evade, but his swordplay had certainly improved.
Seeing its attacks easily deflected, the monster briefly lost its confidence and hesitated.
It was a short period of time, but it was enough.
It was an opening.
But Ryu felt unable to raise his sword to strike. A heavy feeling filled his heart, not wanting to hurt this weretiger.
Why?
He didn't know.
The creature recovered its composure and roared, its claws raised to strike.
It was then when Garr moved behind it, both his hands gripping the handle of his halberd, and swung hard at its back.
The weretiger roared, clutching at its wounds, and leaped high into the air to escape from the pincer attack. It landed a short distance from them, growling as it gazed at them, then turned heel and escaped into the forest.
"…it's gone." Ryu sheathed his sword, his eyes still focused in the direction the weretiger had disappeared to.
The Guardian turned towards him, lowering his halberd. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, don't worry." Where… have I seen those golden eyes before…?
"Your abilities seem to have mostly returned," he commented, arriving at his side.
He smiled a little. "Thanks. I'm glad I'm not going to be a burden to you any longer."
"You are no burden to me; I have naught but gratitude to you for sparing my life." Garr bowed humbly. "I will do aught and all to ensure no harm befalls you, in atonement for my sins."
He reddened. "You don't have to do that… I'm not your master or anything; I'm your friend." Shaking his head, he continued, "We'll work together and cover each other's backs. Isn't that what friends do?"
"There is certainly truth in your words." Chuckling, the Guardian straightened. "Mayhap I have been thoughtless to your feelings… what a friend does not, does he?"
Ryu laughed. "You're getting it. Come on, let's get going."
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Once the forest had been left far behind, the rocky terrain returned, filling most of the scenery with a rocky beige colour, and mountains soon loomed into view in the distance. Mt. Levett, which took two days to reach from Ogre Road, sat right in the middle of the mountain range, with a winding path around it that did not require much climbing. Within the same day they began their ascent on Mt. Levett, the small farming village of McNeil came into view.
Standing on a high ledge, Ryu gazed downwards at the place he had used to visit with Rei and Teepo… the memories still fresh in his mind. Watching the villagers at work, the cows grazing lazily in the fields, he felt rather nostalgic, and it seemed nothing had changed since he left for Wyndia ten years ago.
Had ten years really passed? Would he just wake up from this nightmare, find himself still a child lying down on his makeshift bed in the cabin next to Rei and Teepo and laughing at the absurdity of it?
No, it hadn't been a dream. He had lost his first two friends by being weak, and betrayed the others by succumbing to madness.
And he had lost ten years, just like that.
He felt a dull ache in his chest. He placed a hand on it, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes.
It… hurt.
"Have you been here before?" Garr inquired as he stopped beside him, startling him. "It would seem this place is not a mere village to you."
"Yeah…" Ryu's eyes wandered towards Cedar Woods to the north. "I used to live in the woods near this village with Rei and Teepo, years ago before I left for Wyndia searching for them…"
"I see." Interested, he looked around the village. "Peace seems to be a common commodity here."
"Yes, it's a peaceful place, and I was happy here…" He closed his eyes. "At least I didn't know about my destructive powers then…"
"Power, in itself, is destructive not." He turned to his companion. "Ultimately it depends on you, does it not?"
He nodded, but unable to answer beyond that.
The Guardian suddenly cleared his throat, making Ryu jump. "Mayhap we should pay a visit for supplies?"
"A-ah, yes, we should."
After less than an hour of descending the cliffs, they arrived at the wide wooden bridge that connected the Yraall and Dauna regions, which Ryu vaguely recalled was broken the last time he was here. However, when they reached the junction in the centre of the road, they were surprised to see Wyndian guards there, with barricades blocking the Dauna and Wyndia exits of Yrall Road.
"Hey, what's this?" the azure-haired man asked no one in particular. "This wasn't here ten years ago…"
"Perchance something is happening here… pardon us, sir." Garr stopped a passing guard. "May I ask what event has transpired here?"
The guard blinked for a moment, focused on his odd manner of speech, before he answered, "Oh, we're investigating rumours that someone from McNeil Village has been smuggling foodstuffs into the black market, and no one is allowed to leave until our investigation is finished." He shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, sirs, but I'll have to ask you to wait here in this village."
"No, it's fine," Ryu said. "We understand."
The soldier saluted and continued on his way.
Garr folded his arms across his chest. "Our luck is ill, that we should be delayed just as we are in a bit of a hurry." He turned towards his companion. "Shall we go to the village?"
The young man nodded, though reluctantly. "Okay, but I hope no one recognises me…"
Luckily for Ryu, no one paid any heed to him or his partner. There was a definite gloom that hung in the village air, and each villager trudged through their tasks as though the day was a drag. Investigators in uniforms were everywhere, each one interrogating a separate villager, who either had a miserable expression or a frustrated one.
Ryu sighed in relief as he walked by, unrecognised as an adult – his last memory of the villagers was not exactly happy.
"Hm, this does not bode well," the winged man commented. "Let us hope this will not be long."
"I hope so." The younger of the two shook his head. "Having too much free time doesn't really suit me." Because I'll keep remembering things that I don't want to…
"We can only hope, can we not?" He stretched his wings. "Perhaps it would be nice to sleep in a bed for a change… is there an inn here?"
"Yeah, there is." He pointed towards a medium-sized building with a sign that said McNeil Inn.
Stepping into the inn, a cheerful old woman greeted from behind a counter. "Welcome, travellers! Looking for a room for the night?" It was the same innkeeper as the one Ryu vaguely remembered, this time with greying hair and more wrinkles.
Garr nodded, approaching the counter. "How much zenny will a night require?"
"Just thirty zenny for both of you, good sirs! There are only two of you, aren't there?" She looked first at him, then at Ryu, but when she caught sight of the electric blue hair, she blinked and asked, "…sir, is this your first time in the village?"
The young man was taken aback. "H-huh? W-well…" He hesitated, and then proceeded to lie, "Um, y-yeah…"
"Hm…" She seemed a little unconvinced. "Well, sonny, you're the second person with blue hair I saw in my life. The first was a boy who used live with two thieves in Cedar Woods."
"Is that so?" There was a hint of interest in the Guardian's voice.
She nodded. "He looked like a good quiet boy, a real angel, but when he came to live with those rascals Rei and Teepo one day, he followed their bad ways; those two often stole things from the village. They stopped it once they defeated the monster in the mountain, but soon after, they ended up stealing money from the mayor and putting them on every house's doorstep for no apparent reason…"
By now, Ryu's face was a bright red colour. The innkeeper did not notice it, but Garr, seeing how uncomfortable his friend was, cleared his throat and changed the subject, "Madam, perhaps a more recent event?"
The woman gave a cry. "Oh, of course! Mind you, my husband always tells me I talk too much for my own good!" She laughed a little before continuing, "Well, I'm sure you can see all these soldiers outside. She gestured towards a nearby window. "The mayor's under investigation for wrong-doing, and there's a wild tiger on the loose…"
"A tiger?" Ryu echoed. "I wonder if that's the same one that escaped from us on Ogre Road three days ago?"
"Escaped?" The woman gasped, flabbergasted. "You mean you didn't kill it?"
"No…" There's… something about that tiger that I…
"That tiger just showed up last night, wounded, and it ran up into Cedar Woods north of here! I'm not blaming you or anything, but…" She shook her head. "It'll do you good if you stay away from the forest, there's nothing worse than hunting a wounded animal!"
"Perhaps the blame falls not on us." The Dragon-like man crossed his arms. "Though mayhap we could rectify this problem?"
"Would you?" The innkeeper's eyes lit up with happiness. "Oh, that would be wonderful! As thanks, I'll let you stay here, on the house!" She took out a key and gave it to Garr. "Here, your room's on the second floor, the first one on the left. Thank you so much!"
He nodded as he took the key. "Thank you."
As the two travellers climbed the staircase to their rooms, Ryu fell silent.
A sudden thought had come to his mind during the talk about the weretiger, and he dared not hope for it.
Could… could it be…?
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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"Ryu…? Teepo…?"
It was a dark, rainy night in the forest. Thunder roared like a great furious creature and lightning tore the sky into two. The rain worked hard to put out the fire on the burning cabin, but the flames were adamant, refusing to go down without a fight.
Rei pulled himself weakly out of the water and onto a river bank, coughing and spluttering terribly, and collapsed heavily onto the ground. Pain shot through his body at the slightest movements, and he shut his eyes tightly as he tried not to scream, his hand clutching at the bleeding wound on his chest.
He lay there for a moment, exhausted.
Suddenly, he quickly glanced up at the dark sky, which was then no longer orange with fire.
It made his blood run cold.
Forcing himself to stand despite his wounds, he limped as fast as he could in the direction of his home, gritting his teeth in pain as he walked, his hand pressed painfully onto his chest.
"Ryu! Teepo!" he cried anxiously, looking all over for his companions.
Then, he froze in his tracks. His eyes wide open, his jaw dropped in utter horror.
A wooden fence, without a cabin to protect.
That was all that remained of his home; the fire had reduced most of it to mere ashes, and it was distorted out of recognition.
With the destroyed cabin went his destroyed hope.
"Ryu? Teepo?"
Filled with a sudden burst of energy, his heart filled with fear, he leaped onto a tree, high enough to see quite a distance away. From there, he searched frantically for his two young companions.
But soon, even he had to give up.
"No…"
He had to accept that his friends were dead.
Dead. All because he couldn't protect them.
He shut his eyes tightly, covering them with his hands as he sobbed.
Then, abruptly, he threw his head up towards the sky, screaming into the storm.
"NOOOOOOO!"
But instead of his voice, what came from him was a ferocious roar that echoed loudly through the forest, accompanied by the crash of thunder.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Ryu strode along the familiar forest path with heavy steps, despair weighing on his heart. His mind screamed at him to run away and never turn back, to leave this all behind him as a forgotten memory, but he pushed on, knowing he had to confirm his suspicions, knowing he had to face his painful past once again. He had spent the whole night convincing himself to come, unable to sleep, and there was no way he would turn away now.
Yet, his heart throbbed with pain as he sliced the Eye Goo monsters he encountered… the very first type of monster he had fought here years ago.
It was Rei who taught him swordplay.
It was Teepo who taught him magic.
Yet, it was he who had been helpless, who had been unable to help them when they needed it most.
Why? Why would fate be so cruel?
Garr said nothing as he followed Ryu's lead, only grunting as he easily silenced the monsters that attacked them. He knew there was something tormenting his companion's mind, yet he knew there was nothing he could say to make him feel better.
"Remember when I told you about staying here before I left for Wyndia… in this forest…?" the young man asked as he walked, his voice so soft that it was almost a whisper.
"I remember." The winged man turned towards him. "Are you heading there?"
"Yes… yes, I am." Quiet sadness showed plainly on his face. "This is where I used to live with Rei and Teepo… and where I was separated from them…"
"I see…"
He abruptly stopped in his tracks, his head lowered. "I'm sorry, Garr… I…" He closed his eyes tightly. "I need to go… alone…"
"I understand. I shall await your return here." He turned away, but glanced over a shoulder at him. "…be careful."
"I will, don't worry."
And, from there on, Ryu strode on alone.
His ears picked up a deep growl from somewhere nearby, and it grew louder and more ferocious as he approached the crumbled cabin that used to be his home. He tried to keep his senses heightened in preparation of an attack from the weretiger, as he did in Ogre Road, but he found it difficult.
Memories of the past came rushing into his mind…
"Well, I'm no doctor so I can't tell you anything about memories…" Rei had said then. "But you're welcome to stay as long as you like, yeah?"
"Okay, Ryu!" Teepo flashed his cheeky grin. "Show us what you're made of!"
He chuckled sadly at the old memories.
Rei and Teepo… they accepted me so easily… and yet I…
A sudden growl from above him startled him out of his thoughts, indicating that its owner was very near. It sounded rather ferocious, terrifying enough to scare a grown man away instantly, but Ryu stood his ground. Without turning, he spoke quietly.
"…it's you… isn't it…?"
The growl stopped immediately, and then there was a long silence. The soft thud behind the young man told him that something jumped from what was left of the high fence and landed on the ground some distance behind him – but it was not the weretiger.
It was a man, perhaps in his late twenties, with stripes covering the golden fur on his skin. His ears were pointed and had a tinge of black at its end, and his hair was long, rather spiky and as golden as his fur, with a white bandanna around his forehead. He wore a sleeveless red vest that exposed his chest, red pants with a black belt, white gloves on his hands and red and white footwear that exposed the claws on his feet. At the back of his waist were two sheathed daggers strapped together, forming a cross, and beneath that was a swishing stripped tail.
And a new slash wound could be seen, a deep red line across his chest.
"…Ryu?" his voice called out uncertainly, slightly hoarse but extremely familiar. "Is that you…?"
The azure-haired man faced him with a slight smile on his face, a smile tinged with relief, joy and sadness. "It's been a while… Rei."
"So it's really you…" Rei shook his head, stepping nearer to him as he gazed at him disbelievingly. "I… really don't believe it… look at you… you're no longer a kid…"
He chuckled softly. "Time certainly has passed, hasn't it, Rei? To think that our lives would end up like this…"
"Yeah…" He grinned. "You've grown really strong, Ryu, you're not at all like what you were so long ago. I mean, you beat me on Ogre Road!" He then started laughing, as though he had found it exceedingly funny. "Hahaha! Doesn't that beat all? I never imagined I'd get beaten by you, Ryu! Especially since I didn't hold back at all! Hahaha! This kid who couldn't say 'boo' to a goose so many years ago has grown this strong?"
And he continued laughing uncontrollably at the irony of it.
Ryu's heart fell, and he averted his eyes. He was the one who taught me how to fight too…
The half-tiger continued to laugh for a long time, but soon he gradually calmed down. "Still… I mean…" He smiled. "It's nice to know that you're okay, Ryu. I feel a little better now, knowing that you're alive and well."
"That's good, I'm glad…" Ryu then looked up at him, hesitating. "Rei, have you… heard anything from Teepo?"
He shook his head, a little despaired. "No, not at all… I thought I was the only one who survived, since I couldn't find both of you after years of searching…"
"I… see…"
"Ryu." Rei's voice suddenly hardened, drawing his attention. "On the far end of Ogre Road, there's a black market."
"A black market…" The younger man thought for a moment, trying to remember what Garr had told him before. "…you mean Syn City?"
"Think so. I don't remember the name too well." The kind gleam in his eyes that Ryu used to know had disappeared. "The guys who tried to kill us – the ones working with McNeil – came from there." He shook his head. "It took me a long time, but I finally tracked them down to that black market, and I kept an eye on who went in and out from the road. I kept on attacking them…"
"But… why…?" He shook his head. "You never liked hurting people…"
He closed his eyes. "I… thought I'd avenge you and Teepo… but look how I ended up… an uncontrollable monster…"
"Rei…" He took a step closer to him, his eyes pleading. "Rei, please stop, you don't have to do this anymore…"
"I can't stop!" he suddenly snarled, looking up with eyes flashing with violent anger. "Not until I teach them not to mess with me, or MY FAMILY!"
Before Ryu could stop him, he leaped high into the air and disappeared among the trees, a ferocious roar echoing through the forest.
The young man closed his eyes, feeling like a child ready to cry. "…Rei… I…"
He had left in search of them ten years ago in hopes of returning to his happy life, but now… even if he had found one of them, they had changed too much, unable to return to how they were before…
He stood there for a long time, his eyes shut, but soon he took a deep breath and headed back to his companion who was still waiting for him as he had promised.
"Hm?" Garr turned towards him. "You came alone. What of the tiger?"
"I think he went to the village…" he replied quietly, lowering his eyes. "He's… really Rei… one of my friends whom I've been looking for so long…"
"I see."
"He's different now… he only wants to get revenge on those people who… ruined our lives…" He closed his eyes again. "I'm glad to see him alive, but this…"
"Time does change one… sometimes for the worse." He nodded. "Now, let us hurry to McNeil Village. I fear your friend may do the unthinkable there."
He nodded silently.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Just as they had taken an hour to reach the burnt cabin in Cedar Woods from the village, it took just as long for them to return there. When they did, however, they saw that a crowd had gathered in the centre of McNeil village, indicating that something had just happened.
"It had to be Rei!" an old man cried. "He's come for revenge on us!"
"No…" Ryu muttered and slowly made his way through the crowd, trying to find out what Rei had done.
…and wished that he hadn't.
A thin man was screaming, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, his clothes torn and exposing the bleeding flesh beneath them. The partially shredded green cloak that hid his face told Ryu who it was immediately – Loki, the first person who had ruined the trio's lives.
"H-help me!" Loki screamed. "It hurts! IT HURTS!"
At first, the young man only stood there, unable to help but to feel glad that the cloaked man was paying for what he had done years ago… after all, he had used three innocent people – two of them mere children – to fuel his desires, which in turn destroyed their lives.
He deserved it.
But pity and sadness soon washed over Ryu, overwhelming his sadistic satisfaction. He stepped forward, sighing softly, and knelt beside Loki, whose eyes widened in fear.
"T-that blue hair…!" he stammered. "Y-you're that…!"
Ryu did not reply as his hand began to glow, with sparkles circling Loki and healing his wounds.
Even if this man had brought forth destruction to his life… he still could not bear to kill him.
Just like how he had felt towards Balio and Sunder.
"W-why…?" Loki muttered disbelievingly.
Once the wounds had healed enough for the cloaked man to be out of danger, Ryu straightened and turned away… after all, he had no desire to heal the man completely. After a moment's silence, he repeated what he had said to the half-unicorn brothers.
"…killing you will not bring my friends back."
And he began to step away.
The crowd quickly parted to let him through, afraid that he would hurt them the way Rei had done to Loki.
And he didn't once turn back to face the residents of the village. He could no longer face them, not after they recognised him.
He could feel their eyes on him. The stares were beginning to burn into his back, like fireballs falling from the sky.
He walked on briskly, wanting to get out of their line of sight quickly.
He hated the feeling of their eyes on his back… as though he was still a child, unable to accept the looks they had for him after the mayor's money had been stolen.
He hated it. It reminded him of his ineptness as a child.
Garr followed behind silently, allowing Ryu the chance to deal with the emotional turmoil inside him. He said nothing as they walked all the way to the farming side of the village, where a tiny shack sat at the fork in the road, but he knew he had to snap his friend out of his internal conflict.
"Ryu, where do you intend to run?" he asked, a little too demandingly.
The young man froze in his tracks, stunned, then spun around to face his companion as though he had suddenly realised he was there.
"I know not the pain you carried from this place," Garr continued, watching his friend intently. "But do remember what the past is, and what the present is. Forget not that we are in the present.
The cerulean blue eyes appeared confused, then realisation flickered in them.
Ryu lowered his head, ashamed. "I'm sorry…"
"I understand your mind has yet recovered not from your ten-year ordeal…" Garr shifted uncomfortably at the mention of it, knowing the madness was his fault, but he continued on, "But know the past cannot be changed. Let not the past influence you deeply now."
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself, and looked up, more cheerful. "Thanks, Garr… thanks for reminding me."
He smiled a little as well. "It is good we have come to an understanding." He crossed his arms. "Though I begin to realise why Rei has such hate for these people."
He turned away, not quite knowing what to say.
"Perhaps this is for me to mention not, but…" He shook his head, his golden eyes fixed on his azure-haired companion. "Are you concerned not with revenge? Like Rei?"
"Sometimes I don't know…" Sighing, Ryu turned towards the sky. "Part of me really wants to hurt them, yet another part of me doesn't…" He faced the Guardian again, smiling. "But don't worry, I won't hurt them. Even if I do, it won't accomplish anything, right?"
He nodded approvingly. "That is the Ryu I know."
Then, the young man's expression grew serious. "We should head up to the mayor's manor; he was the one who called Balio and Sunder to deal with us… so Rei might go there."
"All right."
Just as they neared the manor, however, they saw several Wyndian soldiers escorting – or rather, half-dragging – the mayor, all tied up, along the road to the village. He seemed to be in distress, shouting and pleading to be released, but the guards paid no heed to him as they stopped before a girl that stood some distance away from the front gates of the manor.
The young girl, perhaps in her late teens, had short blond hair that framed her pretty face, decorated with a red hair band, and she wore a short red dress with short sleeves, complete with high red boots. She seemed like a high ranking person from the way she spoke to the soldiers, yet the only jewellery she wore were golden bracelets around her wrists and a purple crystal brooch between her collarbones.
However, the most notable thing about her was her pair of wings on her back. Those wings, with white feathers, were a little small for her to fly, for they were only as long as her arms at full length. In addition to that, two large white ribbon-like plumes flowed around her ankles from her back, and they, together with the wings, spread in four different directions like the wings of a butterfly.
"Mr. McNeil, you have been found guilty of smuggling foodstuff into the black market!" she spoke in a clear, formal tone, the sweetest voice Ryu had heard. "In the name of the King of Wyndia, I hereby arrest you!"
"N-n-n-no!" the mayor whimpered, shaking his head in terror. "You've g-got it all wrong! It w-wasn't me! I swear i-it!"
The girl stood with her arms akimbo, appearing a little tomboyish. "It's no use trying to lie, Mr. McNeil, we know a thing a two about your friends Balio and Sunder, the ones who work for the organisation you told us about!" She shook her head. "Unfortunately, they–"
"–are dead, are they not, Princess Nina?" Garr completed her sentence, approaching her.
Ryu's eyes widened. N-Nina?
Everyone in the large group turned, started.
"Garr? What are you doing here?" the girl called out, gazing at him, and then at his companion behind. The moment she set her eyes on the young man, she gasped, her eyes widening in surprise. "Ryu?"
Ryu blushed when she stared at him, not even noticing that the soldiers had started to whisper among themselves. He wanted to say something to her, at least a word of greeting, but he found that he was suddenly quite tongue-tied…
The winged man nodded, smiling a little. "'It has been a while, princess. So… this is the infamous mayor?" He glanced at McNeil, who flinched as though he had been hit, then back at the princess. "Mayhap our limited information on that organisation can be of help… but first, I believe he should be sent to Wyndia without delay."
Nina seemed a little puzzled, but nonetheless, she nodded. "All right." Whirling around to face the Wyndian guards, her plumes floating by her legs, she spoke in her formal voice again, "Return to the castle at once, and take Mr. McNeil with you!"
At first the guards did not move, looking as though they wanted to ask questions, but with a loud 'Ahem!' from her, they quickly saluted. "Y-yes, Your Highness!"
Obediently, they marched along the path to Yraall Road, with the whimpering mayor between them.
As the remaining three watched the solemn possession march out of sight, the princess stayed silent. Ryu began to feel nervous… was she angry at him? Furious with him for disappearing for ten years? She seemed to be waiting for something…
The soldiers disappeared from sight.
Then, abruptly, Nina gave a shriek of delight that made the young man jump in fright and threw herself at him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Oh, Ryu!" she cried, laughing and crying at the same time. "I'm so glad you're all right!"
Ryu turned a bright shade of red at this sudden display of happiness. "I-I'm glad you're all right too, Nina…"
She held him in that embarrassing position for a while, then let him go with a big smile on her face. "Wow, you're so tall now! I can hardly believe I'm only up to your chin! And your hair! It's even messier than usual! What have you been doing to it all these years?"
The more she chattered, the redder he became. He had already forgotten what her last sentence was.
Garr cleared his throat, amused. "Nina, his head shall explode if you further continue your rapid speech…"
"Oh!" She stopped hurriedly, gazing at Ryu's face, and laughed. "Ryu! I swear I've never seen you this red before!"
And, if it was even possible, Ryu grew even redder.
The winged man chuckled. "Let us deflect our attention from him for a moment…" He eyed the wings on Nina's back. "I had thought wings are no longer a Wyndian's trait."
Nina beamed, waving the said wings a little. "Didn't I tell you? Members of the Wyndian royal family have wings… and I'm one of them, aren't I?" At Ryu's dumbfounded look, she giggled. "We royal Wyndians have something called Wing Day on our twelfth birthday, which is the day our wings grow. I was too young the last time I saw you, that's why you didn't see any wings on me!"
"Fascinating," Garr commented. "Are you able to take flight?"
"Well…" She grinned sheepishly. "I can only hover for five seconds."
"At least it's something," Ryu remarked and smiled, no longer embarrassed in her presence. He was fond of her, even during their travels all those years ago.
"But what happened to you, Ryu?" Nina asked, shaking her head. "Where were you? Garr refused to tell us anything after we left Angel Tower. He just sent us all home and went to search for you all by himself…"
"…I…" He focused his eyes on the ground, despair overwhelming him. "I'm sorry, Nina… I'm sorry that I didn't come back for so long…"
She smiled, putting a hand on his. "I know you did your best to keep your promise, so don't worry about it, okay?"
He nodded, attempting to smile. "Okay."
Garr shook his head, his eyes dull with remorse. "I fear this will take long. Mayhap a place where we can discuss undisturbed?"
The girl looked thoughtful. "Hm… there should be one somewhere here."
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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They soon found a quiet spot under a tree in a pasture, where there were only cows to listen to their conversation. It was a warm afternoon, with the sun shining merrily in the sky and the cows grazing happily as though without a care for the world, and a peaceful atmosphere filled the place.
As the Guardian related everything that had happened starting from Angel Tower years ago, Ryu lay on the grass, his head hidden in the shade of the tree, only partially listening to the story. The warmth and peacefulness, not to mention the princess' presence itself, helped him to relax as he gazed at the clouds lazily floating about in the sky. But soon lack of sleep began to take a toll on him…
"…that was all," Garr concluded quietly some time later.
"I see… the power of the Brood…" Nina shook her head slowly. "I really don't know what to say, Garr, it all seems so big…" She kept her eyes on the ground. "Poor Ryu…"
Guilt washed over his face. "…I apologise…"
She looked up, trying to smile. "But it wasn't really your fault… you did do your best to bring Ryu back, after all."
"Unfortunately, it is insufficient to pay for my actions." He closed his eyes. "…only now do I realise; despite being at war with the Dragonkin, I know naught about them beyond a mere drop of the sea…"
She sighed softly, resting her head on her knees. "And to think… I never knew how much you were suffering in the last ten years, Ryu…"
There was no reply from the azure-haired man.
She raised her head again, turning towards him. "Ryu, I… huh?" She blinked in surprise.
Ryu was fast asleep.
Lying on the grass, his head in the shade of the nearest tree, he dozed peacefully without the slightest snore – it turned out that he hadn't heard a single word at all.
Garr chuckled softly.
"Wow." Nina giggled. "This is the first time I'm seeing him sleep during the day."
"As with mine. But he has a good reason." Concern showed on the Guardian's face. "He has had known naught but troubled sleep at night ever since I brought him out of Dauna Mine." He shook his head. "He said naught of it, but I heard his cries…"
Her eyes narrowed with worry. "Poor Ryu…"
He stood up slowly. "Let him have a moment's sleep, it will do him good." He stretched his wings. "I shall meet you here in a while."
She nodded. "Okay."
With that, he strode off.
Nina rested her head on her knees once more, watching her sleeping companion's chest rise and fall steadily as he dozed on.
A fond smile crept onto her face.
Although already a young adult, he still carried an air of innocence around him, just like the child she had known ten years ago. Even as he lay on the grass, he seemed very vulnerable, quite unlike the strong Dragon she had seen in battle.
It raised feelings of protectiveness in her.
I wonder… is this how you felt each time you protected me…?
That was how they stayed, until Ryu finally awoke. At first he glanced around sleepily, not quite remembering where he was… then he realised with a start and sat up abruptly.
"Oh no! I fell asleep!" Flustered, he leaped to his feet in a panic.
The princess giggled, pulling at his hand to make him sit again. "Calm down, Ryu, it's only been two hours!"
His eyes grew wide in horror. "T-two hours?"
"It's not like we're going to leave you behind when you sleep anyway!" She pulled at his hand again, grinning. "Now sit down and calm down!"
He obeyed, gazing at her with such a worried look that she laughed.
"Gosh, Ryu, don't give me that silly look! You're making me laugh!"
Her laughter was infectious, and soon Ryu began laughing as well.
"You find that funny? What about this?" He scrunched his face with his hands.
Nina squealed with laughter.
They continued that way for a while, constantly making faces at each other and bursting into laughter that caused many pairs of eyes to turn in their direction. They were too wrapped up in their fun, however, to notice any of it.
After a few minutes, though, they eventually calmed down.
"Feeling better, Ryu?" the girl asked.
Ryu gave a nod. "Very much better. I haven't had such a good laugh in a long time." He smiled at her. "Nina, thank you."
"Hm? What for?"
"All this about the Brood… and my past in this village…" He stared into the sky. "I felt like I couldn't face anything at all, and I wanted to just run away…" He gazed at her, once again smiling. "You helped me to relax, you made me feel better. Now I feel like I can face them all over again."
She returned the smile, putting a hand on his. "I'm glad, Ryu. You've always protected me before, so I'm glad I could help you somehow, even if it's something as small as this."
He shook his head slowly. "It's not that small a thing, believe me."
"I'm glad." She paused for a while, as though thinking of something, and continued, "You know, Ryu…"
"What is it?"
"I know that you're often sad about your family and everything, so I want you to know… I've always believed in you, that you're not like the Dragons I've learned about, and…" She squeezed his hand lightly. "I care about you, so if you're sad, or in pain, I want you to share it with me, okay?"
Uncertain, he asked, "Are you… sure…?"
She beamed. "I'm sure."
Indecision flickered in his eyes, but after that he nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Nina."
At that moment, the Guardian's amused voice said, "If you two lovebirds are done… perhaps it is time to leave?"
At the statement, the two of them jumped up immediately, their faces flushed.
"W-what are you saying, Garr?" the young man exclaimed loudly.
"Garr! Stop joking!" Nina cried, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.
Garr laughed heartily, walking from the entrance of the pasture towards them. "So, Ryu, are you better now?"
Ryu nodded, stretching. "Definitely. I feel so refreshed after that short nap that I'm ready for anything."
The winged girl beamed. "I'm glad."
"But Garr…" He rubbed the back of his head. "What do we do now? I think the soldiers are still blocking the road."
"Hm…" The winged man held his chin with one hand.
"Well, going to Angel Tower can wait," Nina said. "Let's focus on more urgent matters now, okay?"
Garr raised an eyebrow.
She shook her head. "Don't give me that look! What if Syn City really IS the headquarters of that gang? We should go check it out!"
"B-but…" Ryu started.
She waved a finger at him. "No matter how hard we think about it, we're not going to figure anything about the Brood out by just standing here! So we should take care of the business at hand – the investigation!"
"…um… I guess…" There seemed to be no use arguing with her; she seemed intent on finishing the investigation.
She grinned as she ushered them out of the cow pasture. "So let's get going!"
Ryu and Garr glanced at each other – the princess certainly had grown more forceful over the years… so very different from her past naïve self.
"Oh yeah, by the way…" Nina turned towards them. "Don't worry about McNeil. No matter how strong that tiger is, he won't be able to break into the castle!"
The young man nodded, relieved. "That's good news."
She perked up. "Well, let's go!"
As they left the cow pasture, however, they did not notice the shadow in a nearby tree.
The shadow of a large creature that darted to the ground, growling.
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End of Chapter Sixteen.
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Author's Notes:
I named this chapter after the song that was played while meeting Rei at the burnt cabin in Cedar Woods. It's so… sad. T_T
Oh, and I renamed Sin City as Syn City; apparently that was its original name in Japanese… if I'm not wrong, that is. Anyhow, Syn City looks better to me!
Also, hopefully Ryu's emotional turmoil, the reunions and Ryu-Nina scene are good enough. And I hope it's not out of character somehow. x_x
Thanks to Ferane, who mentioned Ryu wouldn't have attacked the weretiger when he found its eyes familiar (that was truly a mistake on my part… silly me x_x), I've already fixed it. Hopefully it makes better sense now. o_o
Oh, one last thing; after rereading the scene where Ryu and Nina were having fun making faces at each other (which I hope isn't too out of character), I suddenly recalled what Lord Kain mentioned in a review for Chapter 8 some time ago; he asked why, when Ryu, Nina and Momo stopped at the coffee shop to have a drink, I skipped over the part when the two children were having fun making faces at each other. I should've realised it earlier, but I suddenly feel like changing the scene a bit to include a game of rock-paper-scissors, which is better than the face-making fun, I feel.
Except I'm a little tied with my project at the moment (I'm not even halfway done and it's due on Tuesday T_T), so I'll have to leave that Chapter 8 update for next week. o_o
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Review Replies for Chapter Fifteen:
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To eddy:
Thanks! I'm glad you think so!
At first it never occurred to me that the owner of the voice at the beginning (the first time Ryu wandered Dauna Mine as a Dragon whelp in the prologue) and this woman could be the same person… Lord Kain put me on the right track on that. Still, I decided to stick to the voice at the beginning being Ladon's (the voice that keeps telling him things), and turned this woman into Sara. Nothing like a big blunder to mess up your train of thoughts. x_x
So I'm glad you like the fact that the woman is Sara. Another six more chapters and you'll see the connection between the first three BoF games. Hopefully it works well enough for you. xP
Somehow, in a video game, I never really liked volcano places. It just makes me lazy to write… maybe I'm also affected (psychologically) by the heat? In this case, I skipped it due to the length of the chapter (I have this tendency to go overboard T_T), but good thing that's fine with you too!
Thanks for the review. :D
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To RedemptionWarrior:
Good to see that you like the chapter!
In the game, Ryu got the Shadow and Fusion Genes after the Dragon Zombie's fight. In this case, I gave him the Tiamat form, but as for the Hybrid Dragon… originally I left out this Dragon form, so I'm now looking into how to put it in. o_o
As for the Stallion brothers… well, a dream doesn't have to be real, right? True, having them in his dream seems rather odd, but they're really the only enemies who know, detest and had a taste his Dragon form, as well as the fact that they played a big role in his childhood saga. Since dreams are products of the subconscious mind, it shows he's certainly affected by the whole Stallion saga, even though it's already been over long ago. I guess I'm just trying to intensify his nightmare. xP
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Ferane:
Thanks! I like the fact Ryu slowly regains his coordination and movements again, and I like how he keeps stumbling too. I'd feel just as clumsy trying to control a big robot. xP
Oh yeah, the Kyrie spell… I complete forgot about it, until you reminded me. I wrote this chapter as I played the game, and I fought the Dragon Zombie without Kyrie; Nina didn't quite go to Hondara in my game until later. But you're right, it would've been incredible if he used Kyrie instead of Restore… but judging from Ryu's character I portrayed in this novelisation, it doesn't feel right to let him gain a new inspiration for a new offensive spell (uh, that's how game characters learn skills, don't they? x_x). It makes sense to me to give him inspirations for healing spells, since he's the type to fiercely protect those important to him, but a strong spell such as Kyrie… it doesn't feel right, especially since he's not really that much of a spell caster. What do you think? o_o
Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and glad you like the chapter!
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To Vergil 69:
Thanks! :D
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To Airess Byrd:
Yep, I changed a bit on the beginning to incorporate how much time has passed… I mean, wouldn't Ryu want to know exactly how long has passed? The game is being really elusive on the timeframe. x_x I'm glad you like the scenes though!
Haha, when I wrote about how Ryu and Garr fought the Dragon Zombie, I actually took the easy way out and use Ryu's Dragon form instead of using healing spells and Garr's fire spells… I didn't even test if the healing spell works on the Dragon Zombie, which is bad on my part! But I'm glad to see someone actually uses the fighting style I added in the novelisation's Dragon Zombie battle. :D
Thanks for the review!
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To Nina Windia:
Thanks, glad you think so! Though I've a little confession to make… I've actually never gone far in BoF1. xP I decided to ignore all spoilers and read a novelisation on it… not accurate, but it gave me a general idea of the story. Of course, I'll play the game if I want to write a novelisation for it, but I probably won't for a while. That's why you see Sara only has a small part in here. o_o
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Gabrielle3:
Thanks for your compliments; I'm glad you like it! For me, although this game may not be the best, I'm one of those who like playing games for the nostalgic feeling; this game was the first BoF game I've ever played (and it's one of the first games on the PSX I've ever played). I love the game, but I may be biased. xP
None of us knows who that Dragon lady in the mines was; she could have been his mother who was slain in the war, or it could have been Sara or Valerie from BoF1 or BoF2. We'll never know, but I decided to go for Sara in my take. o_o
And on your comment on Ryu's memories, I'm not sure if you're referring to the Ryu from the game, or the Ryu from my novelisation. If you mean the latter, well, read on and you'll find out. :D
Thanks for the review!