.
Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Twenty: Another Guardian
Written by Estrelita Farr
.
A day and a half later, as the high wooden walls of the eastern checkpoint loomed into view, the feeling of déjà vu rose inside Ryu once again. Compared to the time ten years ago, however, now Nina had a pair of white wings visible to everyone's eyes, so it would be harder this time to sneak her across the border.
Absent-minded as she is, though, it was Momo who had solved the problem with a simple solution.
"Why can't she wear a cloak or something to hide her wings?" the engineer had suggested, looking thoughtful. "I mean, there are lots of travellers who wear cloaks to protect against the weather, right?"
"Momo, I'm sure you already know it, but you're brilliant!" Nina declared, much happier now.
So that problem was settled. Once the princess hid her wings and plumes beneath a thick, deep red cloak draped around her shoulders, she appeared as an ordinary travelling magician, and they were allowed to pass the moment Garr produced the passport for the border guards to examine.
"Y-your daughter's looking as lovely as ever, s-sir!" one of the guards commented; evidently he was the same guard stationed here ten years ago, and he had not forgotten what had happened.
Rei seemed puzzled, but did not question his companions as they all crossed the bridge into the rocky and sandy region of Rhapala.
Rhapala was still as busy as ever, Ryu observed when they arrived at the port town three days later. There were still seagulls shrieking loudly in the sky, sailors running up and down moving goods, fisherman either waiting for fishes to bite their lines or struggling to reel one in, women busily cleaning their houses and children running about the town square.
Upon watching the fishermen, the azure-haired man once again felt the urge to go fishing again, though since his rod was lost ten years ago, he would have to get a new one. However, the higher priority now was to head on to Angel Tower to meet the Goddess and learn the truth, so fishing would have to wait.
"I wonder how Beyd and Shadis are now," Nina wondered aloud, no longer wearing her thick cloak in the hot Rhapalan sun, as they passed the town square in the middle of Rhapala.
"Why don't we go and check up on them?" Momo proposed.
She nodded. "Yeah, we should!"
As soon as they arrived at Beyd and Shadis' usual spot, however, they were surprised to see Zig the huge burly man and his monkey sidekick Iggy cheering loudly. As the group neared, they learned that they were encouraging a small baby dressed in blue overalls to walk towards Shadis, still looking as pretty despite the fact that she was older now.
"This way, Shayd!" she called to the child, smiling fondly. "C'mon, walk to Mommy!"
"Ooh, is she your baby?" Nina exclaimed, approaching her. "She's so cute!"
"Huh?" Shadis looked up, appearing puzzled for a moment, but soon she recognised her. "Goodness! Is it you, Nina?!" She glanced at the others. "And Ryu and Momo are here too?!"
She beamed. "Yes! How've you been, Shadis?"
"Great!" She grinned. "Ever since you helped us with the lighthouse problems, things have been going pretty well!"
Forgotten for a moment, the baby suddenly fell on her bottom, and Shadis immediately went to her.
"Oh no, Shayd, are you okay?" she cooed, kneeling in front of her. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Apparently Shayd was not hurt, for after a while, she was up and walking about again, with a cheerful baby grin on her face.
The mother sighed in relief and turned back towards the group, smiling. "So what can I do for you this time?"
"We came to ask about the ship," Momo stated, a hopeful look on her face.
Much to their disappointment, Shadis shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't done any Guild work since I had the baby, so I don't know much… so you'll have to ask Beyd about it."
"Speaking of which," Ryu spoke, "Where's Beyd?"
"Beyd? He just left for Junk Town yesterday to talk to the Machinist's Guild when our ship didn't come back again." She appeared apologetic. "Sorry, if you want to go on the ship, you'll have to wait like before…"
He felt disappointed – would he have to wait again, just like before?
"Worry not," Garr said unexpectedly. "Our path around Mt. Zublo lays unobstructed. It had long been cleared."
"Oh, you're going to the east again?" Shadis nodded. "If that's the case, then yes, you can use the road now!"
Ryu's spirit lifted. "Really? That's great!"
"But why don't you stay here for the night?" she said, beaming. "We haven't even repaid you for your help before, so I'll get you free rooms at the inn!"
"And free food?" Rei asked hopefully.
She laughed. "Yes, and free food!"
"Oh boy!" he cried, grinning. "Thanks, lady!"
Nina knelt next to the baby, smiling all over her face. "Your baby's really cute, Shadis! Can I play with her? Can I?"
Everyone else laughed in amusement at her eagerness – who would have known that the princess was actually fond of children?
"Well, you can play with Shayd now, while I go and get rooms at the inn for you!" Shadis laughed lightly. "Be careful with her, all right?"
Nina nodded happily. "Of course I would!"
"I'll be back soon!"
As she left, Momo, Garr, Rei and Peco followed her, and Ryu sat on a nearby crate, enjoying the sea breeze. Without realising it, a fond smile spread on his face while he watched the princess play with the small child, especially noting how gentle and loving she seemed when she handled Shayd.
She'll… make a great mother…
The moment the thought entered his mind, his cheeks immediately grew a bright shade of red, and he turned away towards the sea.
…and I'm starting to get really weird thoughts lately… I wonder what's wrong with me…
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
Like their past journey, the group needed a day and a half to reach the stone staircase that lay by the entrance to Mt. Zublo, but instead of entering it, they turned left towards another set of staircase, which led to the stone road around the volcano.
As they ascended the second staircase, Ryu lagged behind and paused for a moment before the double doors at the top of the staircase. The double doors that led into a small chamber with Ladon's statue, where he had once gotten a flashback of Deis and Ladon's voices.
Until today, he had no idea what they meant.
A dull ache formed in his head the moment he recalled the vague memory, and he raised a hand to his head to ease it. A feeling of longing rose in his heart, a deep longing for the answers to his questions.
Lady Deis… holds the answer to this mystery… I just have to hold out a little longer…
By now, his companions noticed that he had stopped. He shook his head, told them that it was nothing, and rejoined them, dismissing the thoughts.
By the end of the day, they reached the steps at the end of the stone road and found that they were at the eastern base of Mt. Zublo, with a stone path leading towards Urkan Tapa and Angel Tower.
Knowing that they would soon meet the Goddess, however, the group fell into prolonged silence as they walked. Ryu was nervous, and the Guardian only grunted in reply when spoken to. The others did not try to strike up a conversation with both of them, though Nina tried to reassure the azure-haired man the best she could, and she was rewarded with an occasional smile from him.
A day after they descended from the stone road around Mt. Zublo, they reached Urkan Tapa. Garr strode in alone, in order to meet with the Patriarch for permission to enter the tower, and before long he came back out. Like a silent procession, they made their way towards their destination, despite the setting sun.
Angel Tower soon loomed into view, an elegant pyramid in the golden colour of sunset. Ryu thought ruefully that it certainly seemed like a place for the dreaded meeting with the Goddess who had commanded the massacre of his brethrens.
"Are you going to the tower, Guardian Garr?" one of the tower watchmen asked when the group approached.
"Yes…" There was a heavy tone in the Dragon-like man's voice. "The time has but come, to return what the Goddess has given me…"
Both the watchmen jumped in surprise.
"Guardian!" the first one exclaimed. "Do you mean…?!"
"We thank you, Guardian," the other spoke. "Thank you for your protection all these many years!" He smiled. "Rest well, Guardian Garr… go with the Goddess!"
Garr merely nodded in reply and led his companions up the long stairway towards the top of the tower.
They walked in silence, a foreboding feeling looming over them… why did the watchmen bid farewell to him? As though he was going to go away and never return? It sent a chill down their backs.
The scenery from the top of the tower was sorrowfully beautiful. A vast land of brown rocks, of magnificent mountains in the distance, shining with the orange-golden colour of the setting sun. It was as though they were gazing at the aftermath of a great war, the resting place of fallen warriors, from the tower that played the key role in the battle.
Was this tower… the very place the Guardians had gained their powers from the Goddess?
Everyone cast their gaze onto the winged man, who stood facing the large stone slab with unknown carved characters. For the longest time, the thick silence hung in the air, until Garr started speaking in a quiet voice; a voice filled with doubt, regret and sorrow.
"Once they have prevailed over the Dragonkin… once they see their mission completed, the Guardians return here to offer their victory to the Goddess." He turned his eyes upwards, the sky that had grown a bright orange colour. "…and she shall descend upon them, to reward them for their sacrifices and victory over evil."
Ryu merely nodded, not quite knowing what to say.
"Thereafter, their power shall be returned to the Goddess, and a deep sleep befalls them…" He clenched his fist for a moment, then released it. "…the Sleep of Stone."
"The… Sleep of Stone…?" Nina shook her head. "You mean, you'll turn into stone?!"
He nodded slowly. "Yes… deprived of the power granted by the Goddess, we shall be naught but mere stone."
Rei shook his head. "Geez, that sounds so unfair…"
Abruptly Garr turned, facing Ryu. "Before I enter the Sleep of Stone, Ryu, I will do aught and all to bring you to meet the Goddess…" Firm resolution appeared on his usually serious face as he knelt before the stone slab, putting his large hands together in prayer. "And together, we shall learn the truth of the Goddess' intentions, I swear it!"
All of the sudden, the area around them grew dark, as though dark clouds had covered the golden sky. The foreboding feeling in the atmosphere growing even stronger, Ryu looked around nervously, his muscles tensed as though he was expecting an attack.
A lightning bolt flashed in the air right above the stone slab.
Then, a female voice, a soft one, echoed.
"Guardian…"
Ryu froze.
T-that… that voice…!
"Guardian… the Goddess… will not come here…" the voice came again.
Surprise washed over Garr's face, as though he knew who it was. Still, he asked loudly, "Who are you?"
He was replied by an abrupt flash of light, so bright that it made all of them wince, then a huge spinning pyramid of purple light formed in midair, just above the stone slab. Within the semi-transparent sides of the pyramid, the faded image of a woman appeared, though her features were too blurry to tell exactly who it was.
Ryu, however, found her blue hair and eyes rather familiar, as with the shape of her face.
Who was it? Someone he had met before? He knew her in the past, he knew that much… but her name stayed beyond the reach of his mind, as though mocking him.
I… I know it's not Sara… but I can't remember who…
"If you want to meet the Goddess… Guardian…" the female voice spoke once more, though the woman's mouth did not move. "…you must release me…"
"Release you…?" Garr shook his head slowly, gazing up at her. "Are you… Deis?"
And the name he spoke sent a spark of realisation through Ryu, stunning him. His eyes widened, he stared at the woman in shock.
It's Lady Deis! The one with Lord Ladon!
An image of a blue-haired woman flashed across his mind, a gifted and wise sorceress who had helped him countless times in the past. A person Ladon placed much trust in.
Ryu thought harder, trying to recall even more memories, but as he pushed himself further, pain shot through his head, like the ferocious monster guardian guarding the gates to the memories. He shut his eyes tightly, placing a hand on his head.
Why…? Why do I feel pain whenever I remember things…?!
He looked up slowly with his narrowed eyes, gritting his teeth as he endured the pain.
Lady Deis… I…!
However, the image of her did not seem to notice him as she spoke again to Garr, "…the key you must seek… Guardian Gaist…"
Her body was beginning to fade away.
"Deis, wait!" the Dragon-like man exclaimed, taking a step. "Gaist is…!"
In an instant, all six of them found themselves looking up, only to find that everything had returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
"Was that… just a dream?" Momo wondered.
The half-tiger shrugged. "Beats me… I don't even understand a bit of it!"
Garr shook his head as he turned towards his companions. "The Goddess will not come. We shall have to free the woman – Deis is her name – and to do so, we have no choice but to seek Gaist." He closed his eyes. "Like me… he is a Guardian."
"A Guardian?" Nina blinked. "You mean just like you, Garr?"
He nodded. "Yes." He sighed. "I know not what we are to do, but perhaps we should return to Urkan Tapa and inquire about Gaist.
"All right." Rei rubbed the back of his head. "I still don't get it though."
"Pukyu…" Peco said.
They began their descent down the stairway, towards the exit. Nina glanced over a shoulder at Ryu and saw that he was lagging behind, a hand on his head, a pained look on his face.
"What's wrong, Ryu?" she asked softly, walking to his side. "You look pale…" Concerned, she pushed his shoulders gently to make him sit on the steps to rest, and sat beside him.
"Nina… I…" Indecision flickered in his eyes, hesitation halting his words, but soon he continued, "I don't think I've told you this before, but…"
"What is it…?"
He hesitated for a moment further. "…there were a few times when I had… flashbacks, I guess you could call it that… but the problem is…" He shook his head slowly. "They don't add up at all…"
She felt puzzled. "What do you mean?"
He gazed upward at the sky, a faraway look in his eyes. "I remember I once stayed in a village as a teenager, with an older sister called Sara…" He lowered his head and sighed. "But I was in Dauna Mine all those years, until Garr found me… so how did I get this memory…?"
"It's really strange…" She placed a hand gently on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
He rubbed his forehead furiously, trying to ease the pain. "On top of that, each time I remember something like that, I start getting a headache whether I like it or not… like now…"
"You mean… you know who the woman earlier was?"
Sighing again, he shook his head slowly. "No, not really… all I know is she's someone who helped me a lot in the past…"
"I see…" She didn't know what to say to cheer him up, and she felt just as confused as he was.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, slowly standing up. "I'm feeling better now, so let's catch up to the others."
She got to her feet as well. "Are you sure? Do you want to rest some more?"
He smiled slightly. "I'm sure. Don't worry about me, okay?"
Relieved now, she returned his smile. "Okay."
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
The very next morning, Garr strode purposefully into the Urkan Patriarch's chamber, with the group following quietly behind him, and knelt respectfully before the meditating old man.
"…Guardian Garr?" Sudama called, his blind eyes gazing forward. "What is it? Your mission is over, there is no longer evil in this world."
"Venerable Patriarch…" The winged man paused, as though finding the right words to say. "…the Goddess appeared not before me…"
"That is because you still have doubt in your heart!" Sudama cried, waving a hand. "You must free yourself from your doubts!" He shook his head slowly, sadly. "Unless you wish to become like Gaist…"
"Oh Venerable One… where does Gaist dwell now?" When the elder gave him a strange look, he quickly said, "Pray tell, oh Patriarch! I must meet with Gaist before I can release myself of any doubts!"
He didn't answer, looking thoughtful, but soon parted with the answer reluctantly. "…beyond the cave by the sea to the west, there lies a forsaken village. There lives a Guardian who has given up fighting…"
"A cave to the west?"
He nodded. "But you cannot allow yourself to become like Gaist, Guardian Garr, keep your faith! Do not doubt the wisdom of the Goddess!"
"Yes… certainly, Patriarch Sudama…" Despite giving that reply, he still seemed rather doubtful, but nonetheless, he got to his feet and bowed in respect before leaving the chamber.
"A cave by the sea…" Rei swished his tail as he thought, once they had left Urkan Tapa behind them. "Do you know where it is?"
Garr nodded. "I once received directions to the cave before, though I have travelled there not."
"At least it's something!" Momo remarked. "Let's go then, while it's still daylight!"
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
Unlike Rhapala's golden beaches, the southern Urkan coast had rocky cliffs, with large silver birds filling the skies with screeches as they flew around the cliffs. The Guardian led the group along the rocky southern coast, towards the west, though halfway through the day, they had to stop and wait two hours for the tide to subside before they could cross a particular part of the cliffs. By the time they had arrived at the aforementioned village, it was already late evening.
The village – which was simply called Cliff – was, unexpectedly, just a series of small caves by the sea, with only two cabins in the centre. Every man and woman there, as Ryu observed, had a rough, cunning look on their faces, like those of criminals… which reminded him of Genmel. Garr explained that this so-called village was home to outcasts, runaway criminals and other people who didn't fit elsewhere.
As they stepped into the village, they encountered a shabbily dressed man, and the Guardian asked about Gaist's whereabouts. The man answered and pointed towards the small cave at the end of the village… but Ryu, however, didn't like how his beady eyes kept staring at Nina with a cunning, hungry look. Still, in order not to cause any trouble, Ryu refrained himself from the urge to withdraw his weapon and strike him down, no matter how much he disliked the thought.
Some time later, they arrived at the small cave that they were directed to, which they found to be barely decorated – a pair of braziers stood several feet from each other next to a thin brown mat that covered the centre of the floor, a furnace stood on one end of the cave and a table leaned against the wall on the other.
Sitting on the mat was a thin man, with features unmistakably similar to Garr's. He had light brown skin, the same Dragon-like head with four blue horns on his head, small bat-like wings and similar clawed feet. He was much smaller than Garr, only taller than Ryu by an inch or two, and he wore blue pants that had been patched numerous times. One might just mistake him as Garr's younger brother.
He was carving a little wooden puppet when the group arrived, his back towards them. He merely spoke in a gruff voice without turning, "Who's there?"
Garr approached his brethren, his voice quiet. "It has been a long time… Gaist."
He stopped at once and glanced over a shoulder at him. "…Garr?" His eyes were narrowed with suspicion.
"Why do I feel like this isn't exactly a very brotherly reunion?" Rei muttered under his breath.
Nina shook her head.
"So, finally someone comes searching for me…" Gaist set his tools down and stood up, stretching his wings. "What do you want? I doubt you're just here for a little chat."
The larger Guardian stayed silent for a moment before replying, "Before that, Gaist, there is someone you should meet."
"Oh? It's rare for you to introduce someone to me." He faced them, gazing at each of them one-by-one.
"This is Ryu…" Garr gestured to one of his companions. "…possibly the last of the Dragonkin."
Gaist's eyes widened in shock, his blue eyes focused on Ryu.
Ryu drew back uneasily, finding himself unable to gaze straight at him with his fierce eyes focused on him.
Soon, the smaller Guardian recomposed himself. "...well, I didn't expect this, Garr… you brought a progeny of the Brood here to see me?"
He nodded curtly, his eyes dull with remorse. "At the Goddess' command, we mercilessly killed the Brood…" He lowered his eyes. "I… wish to know if it had been the right thing to do, and he is the key to the answer…"
"Are you still sprouting that nonsense?" he scorned, shaking his head. "If you doubt the word of the Goddess, you should just run away… like I did."
Garr could find no words to answer him.
"What were you thinking, anyway? Bringing him here like this?" Gaist waved a hand as he spoke. "You want to help him avenge the Brood?! He's just one little boy! What do you think he can do all alone?!"
All alone… all alone…
These two words rang loudly through Ryu's mind, once again reminding him that he would never see any of his family again. He bowed his head, despair washing over him.
Nina saw this and raised her voice, stepping towards the two Guardians. "He's not alone! He's got me, and he's got all of us!"
Gaist glanced at her. "Tch, he's still the last of the Brood. The only one left." He turned to his brethren. "So, Garr, why did you bring him here?"
"I wish to know the truth…" Garr shook his head, his eyes sorrowful. "Why? Why must the Brood die?"
He flung his arms in the air in exasperation. "Bah! You haven't changed at all, Garr, asking those stupid questions…" He sat down once again and picked up his tools, his back towards them. "Anyway… what does the high-and-mighty Garr want with me? To recruit me for your little cause?"
"No… I will ask that not of you if you are unwilling." Back to his usual self, he continued, "We wish to free Deis… only then can we meet with the Goddess."
"Deis, eh? Well, I suppose I'm the right one to talk to about that…" He paused, thinking deeply, then he stood up once more and faced them. "All right, I'll help you. But before I do–" He pointed a finger at Ryu. "–I want to have a little chat with our Dragon friend here…" He turned his eyes over the others. "…alone."
"What?" Ryu said.
"…all right." Garr spun around, nodding towards the rest of his companions, and left the chamber.
Rei shrugged and Momo nodded, then both of them left, with Peco bouncing after them. Nina gave him a quick smile before she, too, left, leaving Ryu alone with the smaller Guardian.
After a few silent seconds, Gaist started, "I'm sure you heard from Garr about how we Guardians fought the Brood…" He closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "…we killed countless Dragons… something I feel really bad about now…"
Ryu nodded understandingly. He's like Garr in that sense…
He shook his head slowly. "But, it's all over and done with." He gazed at the young man intently. "Unless you want to dig up all those skeletons of the past."
"…I…" He bowed his head. "…I don't intent to seek revenge… I just want to find out about the truth… what exactly happened…"
"That's what I thought… that's the way the Brood always were."
He was surprised. "R-really…?"
He nodded. "Even though they had such power, they didn't fight back…" He turned away, facing the furnace. "The world thinks it was the Brood who started the war… but they didn't…" He clenched his fist. "We hunted them down and killed them."
The young man froze, as memories of blood and fire flashed across his mind, a dull ache once again forming in his head.
No… they were…
MASSACRED.
That word roared itself in his mind, over and over.
"Eventually…" the Guardian continued, his voice filled with remorse and regret. "I couldn't take it any longer, so I ran away…" He shook his head. "Garr kept his faith in the Goddess and fought to the end… but I bet somewhere deep in his heart, he had his doubts."
"I… see…"
He spun around towards him again. "So you see, it's not that I don't understand what he's feeling… I was just never as serious as he is." He waved a hand in the air. "I don't care about the Goddess or the truth. It's too much trouble for me to bother with, you know? That's why I want you to think this over." He sat down on the mat, grabbing his tools, his back towards him. "And, if you're really serious… if you really want to do this… come back here alone. Take as much time as you need."
He nodded. "Um… okay."
Gaist swung a hand in the air. "All right, now get outta here."
"…thank you." Not wanting to defy this Guardian, Ryu immediately obeyed, heading back outside.
A short distance from the cave, on a small cliff, his companions were waiting for him. When he neared, they looked up and approached him, curious to see what Gaist had said to him.
"What happened in there, Ryu?" Nina questioned him first.
"Nothing much really…" he replied, rubbing his head. "He wants me to think this over. If I'm really serious about learning the truth, he wants me to see him again, alone."
"What?" Rei shook his head. "Why does he want to do that?"
"Hm…" Garr held his chin in his hand, deep in thoughts. "I believe Gaist wishes to test you, Ryu."
Momo blinked. "Huh? How do you know that?"
"As long as I have known him, Gaist acts not until he is convinced it is what he has to do." He gazed at the blue-haired man intently. "Perhaps he wishes to know how serious you are in your search for truth… how far you will go for it."
Ryu lowered his head. "I see…"
"Your strength… the blood in your veins… your desire to know the truth… the truth behind the Goddess and this war…" He crossed his arms. "Is it enough to convince Gaist?"
"I…" He turned away, gazing at the surface of the rolling sea.
Did he truly want to know the truth? To learn why he had such destructive powers? To find out why his brethrens were mercilessly slaughtered? Or did he just want to forget he was a Dragon and just live like an ordinary person all his life? To run away from it just like Gaist did?
Part of him encouraged him to escape, to not learn about the truth at all… yet another part of him wanted badly to find out what exactly happened five hundred years ago.
Then, he remembered Sara… the voices of Deis and Ladon in the past… how Ladon had always assisted him…
…and a deep feeling, a feeling he was here to serve a purpose, rose from within him.
The reason why he survived the massacre, why he was the last Dragon, was to fulfil this purpose.
There was only one way to discover what this purpose is.
"I… must know the truth," he answered quietly. "Why we, the Brood, are this powerful, and why the Goddess wants to destroy us…" He faced his companions once more. "This is something Garr and I must know, but all of you are in this just as much as we are… we all deserved to learn the truth."
Nina smiled. "Ryu…"
Garr smiled slightly. "It gladdens me to hear that, Ryu."
Ryu nodded, suddenly feeling fearful, suddenly weary.
I want to know the truth… but somehow, I'm also afraid of learning about it…
As soon as she saw this, Nina immediately shook her head. "Why don't you go and see Gaist tomorrow morning instead? Even if you want to know the truth, you should be mentally and physically prepared for it."
"She's right." The half-tiger shrugged. "I mean, no point getting all fired up about it but failing the test because you're tired, right?"
"Don't worry!" Momo said cheerfully. "I'm sure everything could wait one more day while you rest!"
Smiling, the winged man nodded. "They speak the truth, you do need to rest."
"Pui pui!" Peco agreed, jumping up and down.
"Huh? But…" Ryu shook his head.
"Being a bad boy, eh?" Grinning slyly, Rei folded his striped arms across his chest. "You don't want to be blasted with Momo's cannon, do you?"
Upon hearing that, Momo grinned and whipped out her weapon, aiming it at Ryu. "Don't forget it hurts!"
"And don't forget about me!" Nina cried, waving her now-glowing wand.
"Whoa!" He jumped back and quickly said, "Okay, okay, I'll rest tonight and see him tomorrow!" He shook his head, grinning. "There, happy now?"
Rei gave him a thumbs-up. "Yeah, perfectly happy!"
And everyone laughed.
Ryu felt at ease now, knowing that his companions still treated him equally despite the fact that they knew he was a Dragon… he certainly had great friends, and he would have to repay them someday.
.
-o-o-o-o-o-
.
The next morning, Gaist was, once again, carving the puppet, except that it now clearly had the shape of a Dragon. He barely looked up when he heard Ryu's footsteps echoing in the cave.
"Well then…" his gruff voice spoke. "Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes, I have." The young man's voice held quiet strength and confidence, a look of determination on his face. "I want the truth."
The Guardian put down his tools. "Heh, I thought you'd say that, I had you figured as the serious type…" Slowly, he stood up and spun around, stretching his wings. "So, shall we begin?"
He nodded. "I'm ready."
"All right then." He gestured behind Ryu. "Stand there… between the two braziers."
He blinked. "Huh? Okay." Obeying, he walked over to the bright braziers and stood between them, wondering if he was going to take part in a ceremonious spell-casting.
Gaist nodded. "That's fine." With that, he grabbed a great halberd that stood against a nearby wall. "All right now… this may seem old-fashioned to you, but it's the only thing I know how to do, all right?"
Suddenly, sparkling embers came from the flames on the braziers and travelled in a stream towards the Guardian, circling him.
"W-what…?" Ryu muttered, taking a step back.
"I need you to fight me, Dragon!" he cried, and gave a ferocious roar as he threw his head upwards.
In a flash of light, suddenly Gaist was no longer there, but in his place was a gigantic red humanoid demon, at least three times his original size. Large dark horns pointed frontward from his head, great crimson wings spread from his back, and green eyes gleamed as they glared onto his target.
Ryu stared at him in horror. "N-no…"
"No time to gape like that!" the demon growled as he struck with a gigantic fist.
He jumped back, avoiding it easily. "No! I don't want to fight you!"
"Get into your Dragon form and fight back!" He attacked with the other fist. "If you don't, then I see no reason to help you free Deis!"
He leaped sideways, the attack missing him, but a look of despair showed clearly on his face. "I don't want to use this power to hurt anyone… but…" He drew back, his body shining a dazzling white light as he closed his eyes. "I guess I have no choice."
Gaist roared as he lashed out again, though the moment his fist was inches away from his target, a flash of light covered the cave, momentarily blinding him. But when his eyesight restored, he realised with a start that Ryu was no longer there… but above him!
In reflex, the demon threw a wave of crimson white flames towards him, very similar to Ryu's own Flame Breath, but Ryu flicked easily out of the way, much faster than the flames could travel. If the young man was still in his human form, he would certainly burn to his death, but now he was in his Warrior Dragon form, fast and versatile, and that meant that he had more than enough power to counter.
But he did not. There was an opening for a fraction of a second as Gaist stopped breathing flames at him, but he did not take the offensive. He merely floated in midair, his eyes narrowed, awaiting the next attack.
Gaist took the hint and sent everything he had at him; punches, flame breath, Fire-elemental spells, halberd thrusts… everything missed. Ryu evaded each one with resolute calmness on his human face, his golden hair billowing behind him, without a counter.
It was a power he refused to hurt people with, yet in order to free Lady Deis, he had to fight back…
And it was clear that Gaist was quickly losing his patience.
The demon roared furiously into the ceiling, his wings spread to the corners of his rocky chamber, and then unleashed the biggest wave of flames Ryu had ever seen.
Ryu jumped at the chance.
He, too, roared, the great cry of a magnificent being. His dark wings spread to his sides, like a great curtain of darkness. A bright blue light shielded him, like a grand serpentine creature sworn to protect its master.
And, as his arms thrust forward, a rage of frost and ice burst from his scaled, clawed hands, like a freezing explosion from a cold volcano.
Yet, the power was simply too strong for Gaist – his wave of flames was quickly pushed back by the sheer force of the Frost Breath, forcing him back against the wall of his cave. Determined to prevail, he held on with all of his strength, but he ultimately failed.
He roared in pain as the frost overwhelmed him, blanketing him with its shining white-blue colour. A mountain of ice formed around him, imprisoning him for a long second, then shattered into a million pieces in another burst of light, his voice echoing loudly along the cavern wall.
When both magical ice and light faded away slowly, he staggered backwards and collapsed onto his back, reverting back to his original form with his halberd fallen at his side.
Ryu's golden eyes widened, and he rushed forward, also reverting to his human form. He had intended to strike when Gaist unleashed all of his might, hoping that his toned-down Dragon power would be offset by the flame wave and not hurt his opponent too much… had he underestimated his own strength?
Apparently so.
"Ugh…" Gaist groaned. "So this is… a Dragon's true strength…"
Ryu knelt beside the Guardian, a worried expression, mixed with guilt, showing plainly on his face. "Are you… okay?"
To his surprise, Gaist chuckled softly. "Heh, if you stay that defensive all the time, you'll never survive out there…"
He bowed his head. "I'm sorry… I just don't want to hurt others with this power…"
"You'll face a lot of difficulties with that kind of attitude…"
It was just then when all of his companions came running in, after hearing all the loud sounds, and they stared in horror at the smaller Guardian's fallen form.
"Gaist…?!" Garr immediately rushed to his comrade's side, with a look of panic that was quite unlike his usual calm self.
Nina, on the other hand, went to the azure-haired man. "Ryu! Are you okay? What happened?"
Ryu did not answer, his eyes focused on the floor.
"Don't worry, young lady…" Gaist chuckled again. "Your Dragon friend here would emerge unscathed even against a whole battalion of us Guardians…"
Garr shook his head slowly. "This is… did you have to do this, Gaist…?"
"I'm afraid so, Garr…" He gazed at Ryu, his eyes growing serious. "Ryu… that's your name, isn't it…?" When he received a nod as a reply, he closed his eyes. "I need you to return to that Dragon form you took earlier… and freeze me with that same ice breath you did earlier."
Everyone else gasped, and Ryu's eyes widened in horror. "W-what…?!"
"What're you saying?!" the half-tiger cried. "You're asking him to kill you?!"
Nina shook her head quickly. "No! You can't ask him to do that!"
"Gaist…" The larger Guardian shook his head slowly.
"This is the only way… because you see…" Gaist heaved a sigh. "…the seal that keeps Deis trapped couldn't be released… as long as I'm alive…"
Ryu gritted his teeth. "Even so… I…"
"Don't feel bad about it… I died the day I became a Guardian… and besides…" He looked up at the blue-haired man. "During the war, I killed so many Dragons… it seems only fair that I in turn have my life taken by the Brood…"
"But…" Momo bowed her head. "To ask for death…"
"Ryu." Gaist's voice was firm. "Kill me now."
Ryu drew back in fear. "N-no…"
"It's the only way…"
"I-I won't…!" D-don't ask me to kill someone!
Garr sighed softly. "Ryu…"
He shook his head quickly, his eyes shut tightly. "I… I-I won't kill you!" Please! Don't!
Then, Gaist raised his voice with the last of his strength. "Ryu! Do you not want to learn the truth?!"
The young man sank to his knees, despaired. "…I-I…"
"Ryu…" the winged girl muttered.
Garr closed his eyes. "Ryu… would you rather let him suffer with his life full of regrets, pain and sorrow? Would you rather deny him of a chance to seek freedom?
Ryu turned his head towards the ground, clenching his fists tightly. He felt like crying, he simply did not know what to do…
I… I don't want to kill him…
"Sometimes one doesn't have a choice, Ryu…" Ladon's voice whispered in his ear, a gust of wind blowing in the cave. "But you'll make him feel better if you do it."
I-I can't… please don't make me…
"Ryu… this is the very reason why he wanted you to think it through… you wanted the truth, didn't you?"
I do… but this…
"He has felt what you're feeling now for nearly five-hundred years… it's tormenting, isn't it?"
…yeah… it is…
"Then free him from it." Ladon's voice was not commanding. "Free him from the pain and sorrow."
"…your wish is my command…" Ryu murmured, beginning to glow once again.
As his body was engulfed in a bright white light, his hair grew longer, claws appeared on his arms and legs, a tail swished behind him, and great wings spread from his back. Once the light faded away, his golden eyes still dull with despair, blue light surrounded his arms as a blizzard covered Gaist.
"…thank you… Ryu…" the smaller Guardian spoke, just as ice encased his clawed feet and spread up his legs. "I wonder… is this the power that the Goddess feared so much…? Or…" He gazed up at the ceiling, as the ice covered his waist. "…is the real power of the Brood the ability to make allies out of enemies…?"
"Gaist…" Garr shut his eyes, despair washing over his face.
He chuckled with a heavy tone, the ice spreading to his chest. "Too bad it had to be this way… I would've liked to go with you…" He gazed up at his brethren. "Garr… it's up to you now…"
And then, he was fully encased in the ice.
Garr shook his head quickly. "Gaist…!"
Then, the ice shattered in a flash of light, into a million pieces, and Gaist's body turned into dust that was gradually blown away in a strong gust of wind.
Momo gasped. "No…"
Rei slammed a fist into the wall. "Dammit…"
Nina buried her face in her hands, trying to stop her tears from falling.
Peco remained still, as Honey, seated on him, shook her head sadly.
Ryu stayed quiet as he reverted to his human form, his eyes closed.
For a long time, all Garr did was to stay by the last remains of Gaist's dust-turned body, stunned into silence, a pained expression on his face. When he finally did speak, his voice was close to a whisper.
"…all these years… he understood…" He slowly picked up the halberd his fallen brethren had left behind. "I had thought he was merely brushing my claims away… yet… it had been I who had never once understood him…"
Momo shook her head. "Garr…"
"…Gaist, you may have but continued on in body, but your spirit shall join us." With that, the remaining Guardian gripped the halberd tightly and stood up, raising the weapon above his head. "With your Beast Spear, Gaist, we shall discover the truth together!"
Just then, a strong gust of wind entered the cave, weaving unusually around the cliffs to enter the cave and caused the coals in the braziers to glow a red-hot crimson colour.
And they all felt the presence the wind brought along with it… the presence of the fallen Guardian.
Gaist.
Garr lowered the spear, gripping it with both hands, relief on his face. "Thank you… thank you, Gaist, for the chance to make amends with you… for understanding you not in the past."
With that, he looked up at his companions – Ryu, Nina, Rei, Momo and Peco – who all nodded at him; they all understood what they had to do.
"Now, let us go…" His expression hardened. "Let us go to meet our elusive Goddess."
"Yeah." Ryu clenched his fist, fury gleaming in his cerulean blue eyes. "She has a lot of explaining to do."
.
End of Chapter Twenty.
Author's Note:
Sorry for the one day delay! I had an exam yesterday afternoon (yes, even though it's a Saturday…), and I sorta kaputed when I went home… not to mention I was unable to access today until now (darn ISP). So sorry for that. T_T
Here's a notice: the next chapter is the time when I start deviating from the main storyline, i.e. the "truth". But events that happen in the game, such as getting on the boat and travelling around, will still occur. I hope it goes well though, I'm a bit nervous. o_o
Update:
Thanks to Ferane and RedemptionWarrior who asked about the Beast Spear, it made me realise I had to tweak some things. Actually, I did include the spear, which Garr picked up from the floor… except I merely called it Gaist's spear and left it at that. I didn't realise the emotional impact it would have on Garr. Rather remiss of me. x_x
But it's all tweaked now, both the death scene and part of the battle with Gaist (it's a little longer now, thanks to Ferane for mentioning it). Hopefully they're better this way!
Review Replies for Chapter Nineteen:
.
To ZoharKnight:
Glad that you like the (still-developing) relationship between Ryu and Nina! Though in BoF2, Nina 1 only said that she married "someone out of her own clan", she didn't say it was Ryu though it's strongly hinted so. I believe they didn't really get together in the end, since she said the Wing Clan lost their wings because of that (if you're interested, you can read my "Dragons influence evolution" theory that I wrote in Chapter 18, as a review reply to RedemptionWarrior). That's just me though. o_o
In BoF4 I can't remember much either, but I'm inclined to think they're a little close (though not as much as BoF3), and that Nina likes Cray. In BoF5, they're extremely close, though it seems more of a sibling relationship rather than a romantic one (Ryu being the overprotective older brother, Nina being the younger, more innocent sister). Sadly, they never did officially say that both Ryu and Nina are together… hopefully in BoF6?
Ladon is an amusing guy, I like putting him in. xP
Thanks for reviewing!
-.-.-.-.-
To RedemptionWarrior:
Thanks, good to see this chapter is up to your expectations! You're right, this chapter follows the game scenes closely but with more scenes… it's easily one of the chapters with the most sections copied and pasted from the game script. o_o
Thanks for the review!
-.-.-.-.-
To Ferane:
Haha, the Your Tallness part is hilarious… poor Rei never did get it right in the end. xP And since the game's binary code came out as garbage after conversion, I replaced it with my own!
Ryu's too dense to really realise her feelings for Nina… he knew he cares about her, but sadly, he's still too dense to figure it out; too bad he's still in the "No way! No how!" stage! But while it's sad that I had to take the clichéd way of interrupting the confession scene with a funny and embarrassing scene, I decided that it's still way too soon for a confession. Sure, both of them may have already realised they cared a lot about each other, but I still feel it hasn't… developed enough. But don't worry, I'll get to it eventually. :D
Oh, and the hiccup… nope, no hidden meaning behind it. Some people I know get hiccups after a grand laughing session, so I decided to incorporate it into the story. I'm too direct to put a hidden meaning (innocuous words?) into my story… so don't expect much of it. xP
Thanks for reviewing!
-.-.-.-.-
To drake202:
Thanks, glad you like it! It's thanks to RedemptionWarrior who gave me the idea of fusing Ryu and someone else instead of just giving Ryu the Hybrid form like how the game does, and I was about to forego the whole Hybrid Dragon thing… and sadly, I'm a little stumped as to Peco's Hybrid form, no idea where to put it in yet. x_x
Thanks for the review!
-.-.-.-.-
To Airess Byrd:
Thanks! While I've nothing against the Queen for wanting Nina to stay and perform her princess duties well, I always thought her actions are counterproductive… Nina doesn't like her duties, sure, but Sheila just doesn't try to understand her. That's kinda why I dislike her. x_x
Glad that you like the part about Nina's grandfather (I never did find out if he's really her grandfather) and that you still love Honey. :D
Thanks for the review!
-.-.-.-.-
To Nina Windia:
Haha, I can pretty much guess why you like this chapter… because of your fanfic. xP
It's great to know that you like the changes I've made to the storyline! I've always wondered who that old man in the dining room was… he had wings, so he had to be part of the Wyndian royal family, right? He's old and he's funny… so I made him Nina's grandfather. :D
What? Sheila's funny? I just think she's a bit of an oddball, but not funny. xP Though I find the king's situation a little sad… it's probably hard for him to divide his duty and his love for his daughter, not to mention his overbearing wife… and I agree with you that he's softer than what the game shows. I mean, usually in stories and real life, having such a fierce wife would mean the husband is pretty close to being her floor mat… not all cases are like this, of course, but it does make me think that way. x_x
I'm glad you like that sentence! I was feeling a little poetic at the time, and I was playing the scene in my head with some… uh, imaginary music and stuff. Glad it worked. :D
Haha, I love Ryu and Nina's relationship too! Sometimes a little conflict in relationships are interesting (I know because I read romance manga for fun xP), with all the triangle love and what not, but even a near conflict-less relationship like this is good! They're really sweet when they're so innocent. xP
Thanks for reviewing!
-.-.-.-.-
To Dragoon Cecilia:
Haha, I love that scene too! Rei is a funny character. xD
Thanks for the review!