Breath of Fire III: Of Gods and Dragons
Chapter Twenty-One: A Tale that Transcends Time
Written by Estrelita Farr
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The silence was deafening throughout their two-day journey back to Angel Tower. Everyone was still shaken by the events that had unfolded in Cliff, their feelings further darkened by the black clouds that covered the sky as they arrived at the tower.
The watchmen blinked when they saw the whole group arriving again, but only greeted them without any questions when they approached. The Guardian nodded silently and strode past them, leading his companions around the side of the tower, instead of ascending the staircase as they had done previously, and descended another set of staircase leading underground. Not quite knowing what to expect, the others followed him apprehensively.
"Therein is but Deis' imprisonment chamber," Garr explained, his eyes focused forward.
As everyone gathered at the bottom of the steps, they observed their surroundings. The walls of the imprisonment chamber had similar designs to the ones in the interior of Angel Tower, with strange dark characters and patterns carved on moss green bricks. The square floor had similar patterns around its edge, framing cluster of plain green tiles.
And, in the centre of the room, was a pyramid of rainbow light, its light flashing brightly in the otherwise dark room. Inside, a woman lay as though sleeping, her long blue hair spread on the ground around her like a fan, and there was nary a piece of clothing on her.
Nina gasped.
Ryu turned away quickly, his face a bright crimson colour.
"Holy damn!" Rei exclaimed as he turned around completely, turning red. "Why didn't you guys put some clothes on her before you imprisoned her?"
"But it does make you wonder if she's cold in there…" Momo commented.
The others stared at her.
Garr, his expression unreadable, merely gazed at the pyramid barrier.
Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, making everyone but Garr step back, as sparks shot out from the base of the barrier, and again as the pyramid began rotating. It moved slowly at first, then faster and faster, spinning furiously, as the flashes of light grew more and more frequent. Faster and faster, brighter and brighter… then abruptly, the light stopped and the pyramid faded away.
Deis, suddenly finding herself free, rose slowly to her feet, stretching, and tested her limbs by clenching and unclenching her fists with a blank expression on her face. When she was satisfied, she turned towards the group and gestured towards Garr.
"Guardian…" she spoke, with the same soft voice they had heard at the top of Angel Tower days ago. "Come closer…"
The winged man, evidently surprised, obeyed without questions and approached her slowly. As he drew closer, she smiled sweetly, looking as though she was about to kiss him for freeing her…
Or not.
No sooner than he was a foot away from her, the smile disappeared, replaced by a look of seething anger, of utmost fury. She gave a cry as she leaned forward and punched him hard on the stomach, followed by a fury of punches. Her strength was unfathomable; Garr, who was well-known for his great endurance, was actually reeling from the hits. He was even knocked off his feet with an uppercut to his jaw and sent flying to the wall with a great kick to his chest.
His companions gasped, shocked by the sudden outburst. They stared first at the Guardian, then at the woman they had freed.
She was someone they would never want to double-cross.
"You big oaf! You bone-headed Guardian!" she yelled as she straightened, her fists still clenched. "What did you think you were doing, entombing me in this temple for four hundred years?" She punched a fist into the other hand furiously. "I've half a mind to BLAST you into oblivion!"
Garr said nothing as he got slowly to his feet, rubbing his sore jaw.
"So." Calmer now, she crossed her arms. "I guess the fact that you've released me shows that you're finally willing to listen to what I have to say?"
"I…" he started, approaching her once more.
Abruptly, she punched him hard on the stomach. "It's TOO LATE, idiot!"
This time he withstood it, standing firm while he took the hit, an expression of regret and remorse on his face, tinted with quiet determination.
She gazed at him, leaning a hand on her waist, smirking. "Well, maybe you're not completely hopeless… but you do know what you did wrong, don't you?"
Garr did not reply.
"Well, in case you forgot–" She raised a hand forward. "–let's refresh our minds on what I tried to tell you, shall we?"
Another bright light filled the room as images and voices entered everyone's mind.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Garr impaled his weapon into the lungs of an adolescent Dragon, unflinching at its strangled roar as it collapsed onto the ground, lifeless. Just a few feet away, Gaist mercilessly slashed at a tiny Dragon whelp, and then at the throat of its mother.
"What have you done?" a voice shrieked.
Both Guardians turned, wondering who it was, and they saw a blue-haired woman, with the tail of a snake instead of legs, approaching them.
"What do you think you're doing?" she shouted at them, swinging an arm in anger. "You idiots! MORONS!"
Garr shook his head slowly. "Our Goddess has told us that they are wicked and evil, that is why–"
"And you never thought she might be wrong, you imbecile?" She pointed a finger at them. "I'll take you to meet your fool Goddess!"
"Deis!" Gaist cried, aiming his spear at her. "Show more respect for our Goddess, or else!"
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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Ryu blinked as the voices faded away. A headache did not plague him with this memory from the past, so it had to be Deis' memory…
"If each and every last member of the Brood is dead, all would've been lost," Deis spoke, her voice bringing him back to reality, and turned towards him, smiling. "But at least you're still alive, Ryu."
With a start, Ryu realised that she was just standing in front of him. He quickly shut his eyes, his cheeks growing hot. "L-Lady Deis, please at least p-put some clothes on…"
She laughed. "I told you so many times to just call me Deis! No need for all the formalities!" Crossing her arms, she gazed at him. "You haven't changed much all these years, have you, Ryu?"
Nina seemed upset when she saw her too close to Ryu, and she lodged herself between them. "W-wait, you know him?"
She stepped back to put some space between them, chuckling lightly. "Of course I do! Which Dragon wouldn't know him?" She shook her head. "Though technically I'm not exactly a Dragon, but that doesn't matter, does it?"
"Deis," Garr called, still looking serious. "What of the… Goddess?"
She shrugged nonchalantly. "She still wouldn't come to see you, Guardian. But first things first." She waved a hand in the air. "The spirits of the fallen Dragons are too strong here, so we need to go someplace else."
"But where?" Rei asked.
She pointed towards the west. "There should be a cave at the base of the volcano west from here, I'll meet you there." She winked at Ryu. "You know where it is, so it shouldn't be any trouble to you, should it, my little Dragon?"
"N-n-no, I d-don't think so…" Ryu stammered, desperately trying to keep his eyes tightly closed and not to look at her.
She laughed again as she began to glow. "It's still so fun to tease you, Ryu!"
With that, she transformed into a sphere of pale yellow light, which shot through the walls of the chamber, towards the west.
Nina folded her arms across her chest, still looking rather upset. "I wish she would wear some clothes, or at least stop parading around like that!"
The older girl shook her head, looking at her in surprise. "Um, Nina… why are you upset?"
"I… I'm not upset!"
Rei rubbed the back of his head. "Man… doesn't this just beat all?"
Peco appeared confused. "Pyu?"
The Guardian only looked on, without saying a word.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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That night, despite after a whole day's worth of journeying, Ryu found that he could not sleep. He was tired, certainly, but apparently not enough to sleep, even after a short walk outside.
Breathing in the cool night air, he sat on a large boulder, leaning back and watching the full moon glowing secretively in the starry sky. All the time he was awake that day, his thoughts kept on wandering to the fact that he would soon meet the Goddess and learn the truth from someone that he knew in the past. Every time he thought of it, it brought a feeling of nervousness, excitement and doubt inside him.
The answer to who he was. Why he had so many memories that did not add up together. Why he had such great power. Why he survived when other Dragons did not.
The answer to his purpose.
"Couldn't sleep, Ryu?" Nina's sweet voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Huh?" He turned, seeing Nina standing beside the boulder he was sitting on. "Oh, yeah. For some reason I couldn't, so I came out."
"I see, me too." With the gracefulness of a swan, she leaped lightly onto the boulder and sat beside him. "It's probably because we're going to learn everything tomorrow."
He nodded. "I think so too." He closed his eyes as a gentle breeze waved in and out of their hair. "After so long, I'm finally going to find out who I really am…"
She smiled, leaning a little closer to him. "I'm really glad. It means you won't feel so lost anymore."
Suddenly very aware of the closeness between them, Ryu felt his cheeks burning, though he tried not to show it. He had always known that Nina was someone special to her, even from the start when he first met her, but he still did not know why he felt this strong attraction for her.
But… it's a nice feeling…
Upon getting that thought, he felt even more embarrassed and reacted by suddenly standing stiffly, nervousness overwhelming him.
Nina was startled. "Huh? Ryu?"
"N-Nina," he stammered, not looking at her. "I think we should h-head back in, it's getting k-kind of late."
"Um, okay…" She sounded a little disappointed.
With that, he took a step back towards the tent, but in his haste and nervousness, he had completely forgotten that he was on top of a large boulder and ended up marching OFF it.
The result was, of course, a loud thud as he landed hard on the ground with a yell.
"Ryu!" Nina, a little frantic, leaped off the boulder to his side. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?"
"Y-yeah, I'm okay, Nina… I just stumbled…"
And, some distance away, hiding behind another large boulder were their companions.
"Geez, that idiot!" Rei slapped his forehead in exasperation. "He had the perfect chance and he didn't do it!"
"Pui pui!" Peco cried, jumping up and down excitedly.
Honey shrugged and shook her head, also in exasperation.
Momo thought hard. "So it means they like each other, but Ryu wouldn't tell her?"
The half-tiger nodded. "More like he keeps fumbling up and missing his chances." He rubbed his head. "Dammit! How dense could he be?"
"Perchance more awareness can be summoned…" Garr turned and began to stride back towards the tent. "Because it seems they are but returning."
"What?" Rei took a glance and quickly ushered the rest back. "Quick, get inside and pretend to be asleep or something!"
After some great but silent hustle and bustle, the others made it into the tent in time to make it look as though they had been sleeping all along, while Ryu and Nina were outside.
Both of them certainly had no idea what exactly were going on in the minds of their companions.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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The excitement that occurred last night was quickly forgotten, however, for half a day later, they soon arrived at the Rhapalan end of the road around Mt. Zublo. All that remained on their minds was their soon-to-come meeting with their Goddess, and that their journey would soon end.
Their journey would soon end… that fact had a sad ring to it.
"Okay, we're here," Momo said, as they stepped down from the stone path around Mt. Zublo. "But where is it?"
"You do know where it is, right, Ryu?" Nina asked, turning towards him. "I mean, Deis did say that you do…"
The young man hesitated for a moment before replying, "I think so, I've been in the cave once before, when we passed by ten years ago… I'm pretty sure it's called the Cave of Ages."
The half-tiger swished his tail. "Well, it really beats me how you know things that we don't…"
He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, it beats me too."
The double doors to the volcano shrine were wide open, as though to welcome them with open hands, and inside, the stone Dragon statue watched them majestically, like a wealthy host of a party greeting his guests. The dark green tiles of the floor led to the grey stone wall at the end, dimly lit by blazing torches on the side walls. The strange characters carved onto the stone wall were incomprehensive to them, but for Ryu, it was something he found familiar.
"Is this the place?" Rei asked.
Momo shook her head. "But… there's nobody here."
Ryu nodded. "This is the place, although…" Slowly, he strode towards the grey wall at the back. "…her room's beyond this wall."
The princess went to his side. "Behind? How do we get there?"
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded towards his companions. "It's quite simple – all we have to do is to touch these nine characters and read them aloud. Like this…" He ran a hand along a particular string of characters, then spoke firmly and clearly, his voice echoing in the small room. "Deis vorastrix urathear ocuir, gethrisj persvek arideisokarthel!"
To everyone's surprise, wisps appeared from the wall and circled them, like spirits guiding them to the next world. A bright light came from the wall, forcing them to cover their eyes as a gentle power washed over them. A strange sensation came over them, as though they were floating in midair, and after a moment, their feet touched ground once more.
When they opened their eyes, they saw that they were no longer in the small shrine, but in a room so dark that there was no way to tell how big it actually was. The only visible spot they could see was a small square raised platform before them, which was mysteriously lit by an unseen lantern.
A dull ache formed in Ryu's head, just as he recalled memories of this place.
I've… been here before… here as an adult, speaking to Lady Deis… but she's been imprisoned for four hundred years, so how's that possible…?
"Goddammit, Ryu!" Rei exclaimed, shaking him from his thoughts. "Whatever you did back there, can't you at least warn us first?"
Embarrassed, Ryu replied quickly, "Sorry!"
"But wow, what was that you did, Ryu?" the princess asked, awed.
He half-shrugged. "Nothing really… I just spoke in ancient Dragon tongue… but since it's so old, even I don't remember what it means anymore."
At that very moment, Deis' voice resonated in the darkness.
"Ah, there you are, my little Dragon…" she said, sounding like a doting parent upon the return of her child, as she stepped into the light.
This time her long blue hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and she wore violet clothes that exposed her stomach and shoulders. However, instead of legs, she had a long snake-like tail with gleaming green scales, which made her slither rather than walk, yet she still stood straight like a perfectly ordinary human.
"I hope you didn't find it too hard to come here," she remarked lightly.
Ryu was not exactly surprised to find that she was not human. He remembered now that this was exactly what she usually looked like. His partners, when they laid their eyes on her, however, were stunned.
"W-what are you?" Rei exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Snake woman?"
She chuckled at his surprise. "Well, you could say I'm something like a Dragon, though I'm not technically one. Don't worry about it, this is what I really look like, so I'll leave it at that." She slithered easily onto the raised platform. "You see, in that form earlier, the one I was imprisoned in… I'm not able to fully utilise my powers." She faced Ryu. "You remember that, don't you?"
Ryu nodded. "I do, but…" He shook his head slowly, hesitating.
He had been searching for answers, ever since he lost Rei and Teepo in that incident ten years ago… however, now that he was faced with the chance to finally gain some answers, he had no idea how to ask the questions he had been wanting to for a long time.
He closed his eyes.
…I must… learn the truth… why I'm here…
He took a deep breath and looked up firmly at Deis.
Deis' expression was serious, as though she knew he had something to ask.
"Lady Deis… I really don't understand what's going on… even though I know I haven't met you before… even though you've been imprisoned before I was even born…" He shook his head. "Why? Why do I already remember you?" He lowered his head, despair washing over him. "Not only that, I… I remember things I know I haven't done… memories that don't up with what happened to me…"
Nina placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, concerned. "Ryu…"
Deis' expression was unreadable. "I thought you might ask that very question the moment you came…" She gazed at Ryu. "You do know it hurts every time you remember something, don't you? If you were to remember everything at once… the pain will be unimaginable."
The young man bowed his head and closed his eyes. "…I…"
Her eyes grew serious. "Knowing that, are you truly ready to hear the answer?"
"I… I want to know everything… why the Goddess started the war… why I survived… why I have this power…" Ryu clenched his fists as he burned with determination. "What my purpose is."
His companions remained silent, waiting for the answer in anticipation.
Deis thought for a long time, looking as though she was debating to tell him or not. After some time, she finally nodded. "All right. You've come a long way in search of answers… it seems you're prepared to do anything."
Ryu nodded.
She raised a hand towards them, now glowing, and a blue wand materialised in her hand. As she waved it once, the star on its end began shining.
"W-whoa!" Rei cried, drawing back. "What are you going to do?"
"It's much easier to show you instead of tell you what happened years ago… it wouldn't register well in your mind, tested and proven." She raised the wand above her head. "So I'll show you some memories. YAAH!"
With that, a great burst of light shone from the star on her wand, obscuring all sight.
Then, images began to flood into their minds.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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A beautiful world, of vast grassland covered in the warm sunlight, of azure mountains framing the distant horizon. A world that has known no strife, a world of everlasting happiness. A paradise humans had not known.
Gods' Realm.
A home to beings of power, beings of immortality, beings of eternal youth. Beings that humans could never hope to be compared to.
Gods. Goddesses.
Among these powerful beings, one stood out among the others. One goddess, whose golden hair shone in the sun, whose wings were as white as snow.
A goddess with the vision of conquering the human world.
She was merely a child, barely eight years of age if compared to a human's life, and she had seen the human world.
And she wanted it.
Just as a child would desire a new toy upon setting eyes on it.
Her wants were so strong, she would gladly discard her immortality by setting foot in the human world.
And there she headed, her wings as white as snow, her hair as golden as the sun.
But she had no compassion for these humans. They were merely her new playthings; to her, they were as lifeless as dolls.
She tried many methods of letting herself known as the goddess, the leader of the world, yet, even as a full month passed, they would not call her one.
She was but a mere child with wings, after all; they would revere her as a magical being, but not a goddess.
Then, in a fit of anger, she released a gigantic ball of energy towards the earth, shattering and incinerating a whole down with one blast. Countless people died, barely any survived.
And a wave of shock resonated around the world.
Satisfied with her results, she began to do the same with a few more towns. If destruction would make them accept her as their ruler, so be it.
And it was fun to see how easily the human towns could be destroyed, to see the extent of her power.
She was given the name, the Goddess of Destruction.
The beings of Gods' Realm, upon seeing her actions, were stunned into silence, but they would not lift a finger to change it.
It was forbidden for these beings to meddle in the affairs of the human world – and they were afraid to intervene for fear of losing their power and immortality. They would rather let the human world be conquered than to reduce themselves to mere humans.
But not the Brood.
The Brood, a race of gods with the power of transformation, to take on the forms of magnificent beasts they call Dragons.
They were infuriated to see the powerless, innocent humans become the playmate of an uncompassionate goddess. Enraged.
Like how the Goddess of Destruction embraced mortality to conquer a world, the Brood embraced mortality to protect the world from her.
With a cry of fury, they transformed into Dragons and crossed the border of the two worlds in great numbers, like birds of flight migrating across countries.
Only one remained in Gods' Realm.
Ladon, the last of the Dragon Gods. The leader of the Dragons, with his hand guiding his clan to victory.
And it was by his guidance that the Dragons began the first war with the Goddess of Destruction.
The Goddess War.
Day after day, month after month, year after year. The Brood fought relentlessly against the Goddess, to prevent any further destruction of the human world.
The humans, grateful to their saviours, then called them their gods.
The Goddess was furious. She was the goddess to the world, not them.
But the damage was done. The humans would rather take arms against her than to join her. The Dragons were their gods.
This sparked a rage in the Goddess. Unable to contain her emotions, she unleashed all of her power upon the world.
If the world was denied from her… then she would destroy it.
The Brood drew back, yet a great number of them perished. Against the full power of the Goddess, they were unable to fight back, for she, even in Gods' Realm, was one of the most powerful.
That was when Deis intervened.
Unlike the rest of the gods, she had chosen to fight. Alongside the Dragons, she had crossed the border to enter this world.
All to go against the Goddess.
With his power that transcended the border of the worlds, Ladon temporarily sealed the power of the Goddess, increasing her vulnerability.
With the combined power of both Deis and the Dragons, they sealed the Goddess away into oblivion.
And, with the Goddess of Destruction gone, the world was peaceful once more.
Deis and the Brood chose to remain in this human world, should there come a time to protect it from the Goddess once more.
But Ladon was worried. They had barely prevailed over the Goddess; would they be victorious against her should she rise once more?
It was for that reason that Ladon, with all of his power, summoned a warrior into the human world, to lead the Dragons and fight against the Goddess.
It was because of his leadership that the Brood prevailed against the Goddess in the subsequent wars, thus sealing her once again.
This had continued for thousands of years to come. There had been ten wars against the Goddess, with Ladon's warrior leading the Brood for nine of those times.
And, among these long wars, the warrior had failed once.
Four hundred years ago, the end of the Dragon War.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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As suddenly as it had begun, the images were swept away from everyone's minds, causing them to stumble dazedly as though they had been hit by a huge object.
Garr was the first to speak, his voice trembling.
"…it had been the Dragonkin who had ignited not the war…" He lowered his head. "…it had been the Goddess…"
"I never knew that the history of the Dragons stretched further than just five hundred years ago…" Momo shook her head. "Does it mean they were here before the Techno Age?"
"Man…" Rei rubbed the back of his head. "It's more complicated than I thought…"
"Pyu…" Peco said.
"Ryu?" Nina called, moving to his side. "You've been quiet…"
"All of this…" Ryu closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "…they're all so familiar… but I don't remember any o–"
Suddenly, his eyes widened as partial memories attacked his mind. With a cry of pain he fell weakly to his knees, his eyes shut tightly, his teeth gritted in pain.
Incomprehensive memories, all garbled together as though they had been thrown into a mixer, yet they were past memories that sent stabs of pain to his head.
None of it made sense to him.
"Ryu!" the princess exclaimed, kneeling by his side.
"H-hey, are you okay?" Rei cried.
Momo shook her head. "Ryu!"
While Ryu's companions were panicking over him, Deis slithered off the platform and approached him. She raised a hand towards the others, gesturing towards them to quieten down, and she knelt in front of him.
"Ryu… there's still one more thing I haven't told you… do you still want to continue?" Placing her hands onto his shoulders, a look of worry and sadness washed over her face. "The pain is unbearable enough as it is, so if I continue, you may lose your mind…"
"…of course…" Through his gritted teeth, his voice was trembling with pain. "That's what I came for… that's what I wanted to do for so long…"
"…very well."
She stood up and stepped away, turning her back to him so she would not have to see the pain he was in. For a moment her calm composure faltered, but she took a deep breath and remained firm once more, knowing what she had to do.
"Ryu, the warrior who defeated the Goddess since the Goddess War… was you."
Pain.
He pressed his hand harder onto his temple, trying to suppress the pain.
I'm… I'm Lord Ladon's warrior…?
Now he knew why he kept hearing voices from Lord Ladon… why the Dragon God had always guided him.
But why him…?
"This is your tenth life, Ryu, but…" Deis hesitated, he hand trembling. "…you're not a real person…"
Pain.
N-not a real… person…?
Deis closed her eyes, faltering once more, but braced herself and continued. "…you're part of Ladon, Ryu…"
He froze.
"… the embodiment of his power, given a consciousness."
He trembled, both with pain and with shock.
"Your only purpose…" Deis spun around quickly, pain clearly on her face. "…is to defeat the Goddess!"
His eyes wide in disbelief, his face ashen, his body began to shake violently.
Pain raged in his head.
No… I-I… I'm real…! I… I…!
Then, at that very instant, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time, a stream of memories from his past nine lives erupted in his mind all at once.
Living in the village with his older sister Sara. Flying in the air as a Dragon, accompanying a formation of Great Birds. Searching for his missing sister Yua. Battling demons in the dead of the night. Sitting around a campfire with his companions, laughing, crying with them. Spreading his great wings, travelling through the air with his Dragon brethrens. Leading a great battalion of soldiers against another. Killing enemies against his will.
Rising against the great Goddess, the tip of his blade aiming for her heart.
The images flashed across his mind at high speed, one after another in a quick succession, the voices from the past all garbled together in their great haste. With each flash of memory, a pain greater than before shot through his head, and even as he gritted his teeth to endure it, the pain grew greater and greater, until it become unbearable.
Pain beyond comprehension.
And he could not take it anymore.
Screaming loudly, he doubled over in pain and held his head. His voice, filled with utmost agony, rang loudly through the dark room.
"Ryu?" his companions exclaimed.
"Ryu! What's wrong?" Nina shouted in alarm.
But he was beyond hearing.
He raised his head upwards towards the ceiling, his hands pressed hard against his head, but still the stabbing pain remained. Again and again he screamed, his body thrashing about like a fish out of water, an expression of utter pain on his face.
The others cried out his name, looking frantically for a way to help him.
Then, a great burst of light filled the room. Ryu, still thrashing about with his hands at his head, took on his Warrior Dragon form, then immediately spun around and fled from the room with a roar.
"RYU!" the winged girl cried and immediately pursued him, disappearing in another flash of light.
And a ferocious roar, a great roar that was filled with utmost pain, echoed in the deep darkness.
"Ryu! NINA!" Momo yelled, her hand extended as though trying to catch them.
"Quick! After them!" Rei cried, leaping forward.
Everyone made towards the exit in panic, but Deis' voice froze them in their tracks.
"Stop."
They turned slowly, facing her.
"Even if you go…" She shook her head slowly. "…there's nothing you can do to help him now."
"You mean…" Rei started, glaring at her. "We're supposed to just stand here and do nothing?"
"Yes… there's nothing you can do." She sighed softly, despair gleaming in her eyes. "It hurts him each time he recalls just a small piece of memory from one of his past lives… and now, he's remembering every memory he has ever had before, all at one go…" She spun around, away from them. "…he'll calm down after a while."
"Deis…" Momo gazed at her. "He's… like this every time you show him his memories, isn't he…?"
"…yes, he was." She closed her eyes. "Every single time."
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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"Ryu!" Nina shouted again, as she emerged from the small shrine. "RYU!"
All that replied her were roars of pain, roars that shook the very earth. Her eyes widened as she gazed into the sky.
Fear overwhelmed her.
Her companion, now a Force Dragon, was thrashing violently in the sky as he constantly threw jets of flames that burnt nothing but air. He flew about like a drunken creature, looking as though he was going to crash onto the earth like a meteor any time.
"No! Ryu!"
She tried to run faster, watching him going further and further from her, wishing desperately that she could fly so that she could go to his side, right now when he badly needed it.
Why…? Why can't I help him…?
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she continued running, following the Dragon towards the eastern coastal cliffs.
He's always been protecting me from everything… always… so why can't I protect him from pain now?
Gasping loudly for breath, she began to slow down, but she refused to stop, refused to stop running towards him, refused to let him out of her sight.
Ryu! Don't go! Don't leave me!
She skidded to a stop at the end of a high rocky cliff above the roaring sea, unable to go any further.
"RYUUUUUU!" she screamed, the tears dripping down to the ground like sparkling morning dew.
She never knew if it was coincidence or if he actually heard her, because just then, he turned towards her, writhing in the air just above the cliff where she stood, and dropped like a rock. The moment he touched the ground, a great flash of light blinded her, and his human body lay sprawled right in front of her.
"Ryu!" she exclaimed, kneeling at his side.
The young man was certainly in no shape to answer her – his eyes was still tightly shut in pain, his chest rising and falling in time with his quickened breathing, and cold sweat was trickling down his face.
He was clearly still in great pain.
"Oh, no… Ryu…" She held him tightly, tears dripping onto his shirt, afraid that he would suddenly slip away like sand. "What… what should I do…?"
Then, there was an abrupt but very swift rumble in the ground.
And again.
Was it just her imagination?
Glancing around quickly, as a low rumble filled the air, she realised in horror that the area of the cliff they were on was slowly crumbling, with cracks appearing the part that connected them to the rest of the continent. If she waited for too long, they would plunge fifty feet to their death.
"N-no! Ryu!"
She got up, firmly holding him by the upper arms, and tried to drag him towards the safer area of the cliff. She pulled with all of her might, determined to protect him, just as he did for her.
But there was simply no time.
Her shrill shriek echoed around the southern coast as the cliff collapsed, tossing them downward towards the roaring sea that was eager to swallow them whole.
Are we… are we going to die here like this…?
She clung onto Ryu, burying her tear-filled face in his shoulder in fear.
…no… I… I won't let it end like this!
With a burst of fiery determination, she spread her small wings, trying to catch the wind with them.
I won't fail you! Not after what you've done for me!
But her wings were too small; she could only sustain her own weight with them. However, she refused to give up, she kept beating her wings even as they neared the surface of the dangerous sea… even as they neared their death.
"I… I WON'T LET YOU DIE!"
Just as she screamed those words, momentary strength flowed in her wings, and a great torrent of magical wind, fuelled by her desire to protect, rushed from beneath her, lifting them just a few inches towards the rock face… and they landed hard on a small ledge at its side.
And, a split second later, there was a loud splash as the crumbled cliff crashed into the sea.
Nina remained lying on top of Ryu for a while, breathing quickly from the adrenaline, but as soon as she realised what had happened, she sat up quickly, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"We… we're safe?"
They were certainly safe and sound, without even a scratch on them.
Letting out a shout of happiness and relief, she held him again, crying with joy. Ryu, however, was still apparently filled with great pain, for there was nary a reaction from him. Even so, she was so happy with the fact that they were safe that she did not mind the silence she received.
I'm glad, Ryu… I'm glad you're still with me…
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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The rest of them sat on the floor at Deis' chamber, waiting for both Ryu and Nina to return, but after an hour or two had passed, Rei stood up abruptly, his striped face filled with frustration, and strode towards the wall that would lead him outside.
"Rei," the snake woman spoke, making him stop. "Where are you going?"
He spun around, glaring at her. "I can't just sit here and wait! I'm going out to look for them!"
The Guardian rose immediately. "Agreed, we should. We know not what can occur with Ryu in that condition…"
Momo got to her feet as well. "I'm coming along too!"
After a moment of silence, Deis nodded her approval. "Yes, I think that's the best course of action for now. I'll stay here in case they come back."
"All right." Garr turned to the onion. "Peco, perhaps you should stay as well."
"Puiiiiii!" Peco objected right away, jumping up and down and stamping his little feet.
The red-haired girl shook her head. "I'll bring him along with me, he could help to search too."
"The more the merrier." Rei's eyes narrowed with worry. "We'd better search fast, I've a feeling that something happened to them…"
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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The area where Ryu and Nina had fallen to was just a small ledge at the rock face of the cliff, just fifteen feet above the sea level, just outside the mouth of the cave. That cave was rather small, enclosed with walls of grey stone on three sides, but with plenty of room for the princess to move around. There was even a tiny spring at the back of the cave, where she could get water to drink.
It took a long time for her to move Ryu into the cave, since her strength was barely sufficient, and after making sure that he was warm and safe there, she attempted to fly upward to see if she could find the others to help. However, her wings were too small and tired for her to fly further than a mere three feet, so she was forced to float back to the cave opening each time she tried to reach the top.
It's… too high… I can't reach it…
When she searched the edge of the cliff, she saw that there was another ledge nearby, a bigger one with several plants that looked like some sort of seaweed. Happy to find something burnable, she flapped her wings and leaped lightly there, picking a few of the leaves as a substitute for firewood.
Now that she was able to start a fire to warm the cave, there was that issue of food. There was no animal near them, and they were too high from the sea for her to try any form of fishing, even if she could. The only plants in the area were those seaweed-like plants she used to start the fire.
What was there to be done?
She glanced at Ryu, who still remained still, and made up her mind immediately. Easy or difficult, there was no question to what she had to do.
She would protect him, no matter what.
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-o-o-o-o-o-
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However, despite searching until it grew too dark for her to see, Nina was forced to return to the cave without finding any food. Her attempts to get help were futile as well, for no one answered her shouts from the top of the cliff. Disappointed and worried, she strode inside and sat down heavily, feeling rather worn out.
She knew she shouldn't give up hope, but it was terribly difficult at a time like this.
I… don't know what to do…
It was just that very moment a soft voice spoke.
"…Nina…?"
She jumped lightly in surprise, her eyes widening the moment she realised.
"Ryu!" she exclaimed. "You're awake!"
True enough, Ryu was awake, his open eyes gazing dazedly at her from where he lay.
She smiled as she moved nearer to him, brushing his hair gently from his eyes. "How're you feeling?"
He closed his eyes. "Confused… really confused…" His voice was soft, weary and weak. "I remember things, but everything's all jumbled up… I don't know what happened when… not even what happened recently…"
Her spirits fell, but she continued to smile reassuringly. "Don't worry, just rest for now, okay?" Very gently, she raised his head and placed it on her lap, and raised the mouth of the water container to his lips. "Here, drink some water."
He obeyed, drinking thirstily as though he had been lost in a desert.
When he was done, she covered the water container once more, setting it aside. "Just rest and don't worry about anything, it'll all come back to you soon."
Nodding ever so slightly, he kept his eyes closed, his head still resting on her lap.
She continued watching him, as though she was the guardian to a child, and unconsciously her hand gently stroked his head.
"Ryu…" she murmured after a while.
He did not answer. Perhaps he had already fallen asleep.
As she watched him, she could not help but to feel that he seemed rather vulnerable this way, like a child that was unable to take care of himself.
Ryu… you've always protected me… I always thought that you're strong, but now… seeing you like this just makes me want to protect you from everything…
She smiled.
That's… how you felt about me, when you protected me, didn't you…?
She continued to watch his chest rise and fall.
…don't worry, Ryu… I'll take care of you… I promise…
Leaning over, she embraced him lightly, with his head still on her lap.
"Ryu… I…" She closed her eyes. "I… love you…"
All the reply she had was the sound of his steady breathing.
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End of Chapter Twenty-One.
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Author's Note:
(Drum roll and the 'chiang!' of a gong) And that's the main deviation of my novelisation! Stunned? You should be… what was a quick scene with Deis became the heck of a long scene spanning two chapters… though the "truth" that she explains is just a slight variation of the BoF trilogy (BoF1, BoF2 and BoF3). Also, it took a long time to edit it (which is why I'm late today… sorry for that). I'm not sure if the feel is there. x_x
For the confused; Bleu in BoF1 is actually called Deis in the Japanese version (and we've confirmed that it's the same person), and Tyr in BoF1 is actually Myria's other name. (salutes) I did my research!
Oh, and in case you're wondering what I made Ryu say before they could enter Deis' chamber (he said: "Deis vorastrix urathear ocuir, gethrisj persvek arideisokarthel!"), it actually means "I am here to see Lady Sorceress Deis, allow me to enter her chamber!" in Draconic, the version by a person called Sean K. Reynolds, which I've gotten from http (colon slash slash) www (dot) fantasist (dot) net (slash) draconic (dot) shtml. At least, I hope it means that when you translate back to English, my Draconic grammar is rather off. T_T
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Review Replies for Chapter Twenty:
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To Ferane:
Oh, uh, the Beast Spear is the spear that you get when you examine Gaist's remains. Garr picks it up in this chapter, though it's rather remiss of me not to display its name and stuff… I merely called it "Gaist's spear". It's probably because I actually don't use Garr in-game, which might explain why I didn't quite feel the weight of the meaning the spear carries. Noob. x_x
But thanks to you and RedemptionWarrior for pointing it out to me. I've tweaked the death scene a bit to include the name and some heavier meaning behind the spear. Hopefully it's better now!
Also, the battle with Gaist is slightly longer now. While I originally meant to show Ryu's strength against Gaist (however accidentally), I realise that making it short isn't really all that good an idea. Hopefully you like it more now. :D
It's sometimes hard to think of a tomboyish girl being maternal or at least fond of children… though I'm not quite sure if I made Nina tomboyish enough in this novelisation. But it seems to be okay at the moment, and it does make people want to bonk Ryu on the head for being such a dense guy. xP
And thanks for the vote of confidence, it's nice to know I have people supporting me and my novelisation! But don't worry; I do like the (slight?) storyline deviation, and I'm certainly having fun with writing this. :D
Thanks for the review!
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To Redemption Warrior:
Um, actually, I did include the spear in… it's the spear that you get when you examine Gaist's remains after the battle, right? In this chapter, Garr picked it up from the ground after Gaist died, but I neglected to name it and emphasise it enough… probably because I actually don't use Garr in-game, which might explain why I didn't quite feel the weight of the meaning the spear carries. Darn. x_x
But thanks to you and Ferane for pointing it out to me! I've tweaked the scene to include the name and the meaning behind the spear, though I won't make it as technical as it is in-game; the Beast Spear drains Garr's HP every round in battle, but here in my novelisation, I'll leave it as a symbolic meaning rather than a powerhouse weapon. o_o
And, uh, Nina and Peco's Hybrid Dragon forms… I have an idea when to use Nina's Hybrid form somewhere near the end of the game (though I'm still forming the idea), though I'm still not sure when to use Peco's. It'll probably be sometime after the Black Ship part, but just how, I haven't fully thought of it yet. Hopefully it'll come out well though. :D
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Lord Kain:
Sadly, there are loads of people who dislike children, but thankfully, Nina isn't one of them. That's just a little extra. xP
As for Gaist's death scene; the Ryu I've portrayed in this novelisation so far has an immense dislike of hurting other people, especially people who had done nothing wrong, like Gaist. Personally, I think Ryu would have tried to tone down his power (but he probably underestimated his own power) so that he wouldn't hurt Gaist too much, so the latter wouldn't die so easily from the battle… just injured enough to not battle for a while. At least this extended scene helps to reduce the amount of guilt from killing Gaist, at least clear-headed enough to receive the truth in the next chapter. At least, I think so. o_o
Anyways, I've fixed the battle scene a bit to make it slightly longer, hopefully it's a bit clearer now. But hey, at least you saw that Gaist's spear Garr picked up is the Beast Spear, and not just a random spear! I've tweaked the after-death scene too, so hopefully it's better!
But yeah, it's a little weird Garr's ultimate weapon appears so early in the game. And so easily gained too!
Oh, I've seen the omitted scenes (and read the English translation of the script) in BoF4. I still think Nina liked Cray for the first part of the game (even if he did like her sister), then later her feelings deviate from him to Ryu… though it's been a while since I played BoF4 (years!), so my idea of BoF4 is probably not as accurate it should be. Maybe I should play it again. x_x
Thanks for the review!
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To drake202:
Thanks! Actually, the battle with Gaist is one of the scariest battles for me… because he's so ugly in that form!
Uh, there's a slightly problem with your request… what Radiant Dragon form? Using the Radiance gene alone will give us the Light/Holy-elemental Whelp (just like how the Flame gene alone will give us the Fire-elemental Whelp), and the only other Dragon form I see that really needs the Radiance gene is the Infinity-Radiance-Trance Kaiser form. If you splice the Radiance gene with some other forms (Dragon, Warrior, etc), you'll get that same form but with Holy skills. So I'm not sure what form you're mentioning… but if you'll specify further, I'll be glad to fulfil your request… unless you want me to create my own Dragon form, which, in that case, I'll have to think about first. x_x
Thanks for reviewing!
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To Winged Golden Tiger:
Thanks, glad you like my novelisation! BoF3 is one of my favourite games (and my favourite among the BoF series, since I started with it first), and having the ability to transform into many Dragon forms is just great; especially since I love Dragons more than other fantasy creatures, and I like the fact they seem to portray Dragons as avians rather than reptiles like in some stories. :D
Though I owe the idea of the fusion Hybrid forms to RedemptionWarrior… I was originally going to omit the Hybrid forms altogether. x_x
Thanks for reviewing, and hopefully my next chapter will be up to your expectations!
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To Airess Byrd:
Haha, I didn't really quite like the coastal cave dungeon on the way to where Gaist was, and I didn't quite know how extend the dungeon area without making it boring, so… that's all you get for the dungeon. xP
Yeah, the little village Gaist is in is simply called Cliff in-game, I didn't really change the name or anything. o_o
The guard at the border between Wyndia and Rhapala regions is certainly funny, he still remembers the scene from ten years ago… I always found it hilarious, especially when Garr did it in a no-nonsense manner!
As for Deis… well, the next chapter is already up and running, so you'll see the answer to your question for yourself. xP
Thanks for the review!
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To Nina Windia:
I was half-thinking of leaving the baby scene out, but decided in the end to put it in. I thought it might seem too cheesy if a young girl likes playing with a baby and stuff… but I'm glad you find it cute; it puts me at ease. :D
Poor clueless Ryu, feeling all confused about his own feelings. I find it's how innocent he is (they are) that the relationship is interesting. xP
Thanks for reviewing!