Chapter 5: Heirs Of Fate 2: Realms Collide 1
Zack: I shall tell you a story of another realm that I will never forget. Shortly after Abigail took up Sky Erebus, a dragon's roar shook the town streets. If the town had residents before, they were nowhere to be seen now. The only people about were other children forced from their Deeprealms. To the east, a princess wandered with only her retainers for company. In the west, a callow butler encountered a knight errant upon her unruly horse. From nearby came the cry of a dragon crazed with grief... the wretched soul was none other then a second Abigail, this one a male, named George instead.
In a town square, George had transformed into a dragon.
"RRRAWWRRGGRR!" George roared.
"This isn't working, Phil!" the knight, a girl named Lil, said.
"This is the darndest thing. You'd think we'd be making SOME dent in him by now." the butler, a boy named Phil, said.
"I just don't have any other ideas but to try and knock some sense into him. Welp, it's worth one more try, at least!" Lil said. She then turned back to George and yelled "Hey, blockhead! Turn human again, already!".
She attacked George with her lance, but nothing happened.
"RRRAWWRRGGRR!" George roared.
"Oh no! Hitting him didn't make him any less angry... I'm out of ideas now. Your sure he wasn't a dragon when you first saw him, right?" Lil asked.
Phil nodded.
"Right. I saw this kid in the distance, hanging his head and sobbing. But as soon as I approached him, he started... glowing... and turned into that." Phil replied.
"What would make a dragon cry?" Lil asked.
"Maybe something sad happened to him. I wonder if he lost his parents, like us." Phil replied.
"Speak for yourself, buster! MY father isn't dead! We just got separated as I was escaping my Deeprealm. That's all. Didn't you say your mother stayed behind to make sure you got away, too? I refuse to believe their dead!" Lil asked.
"Well, there's no proof to the contrary. Last I saw my mother, she was swamped by so many enemies, it'd take a miracle to..." Phil started to reply.
"That's quitter talk, Phillip! One more word, and you get the poky end of my spear." Lil said.
"Th-That won't be necessary. Please don't hit me... I happen to like wearing clothes." Phil said nervously.
"Then quit with the silly talk! Our parents are alive. And We're going to rescue them. End of story! Just think about how great it'll be to catch up with them after all this time." Lil said.
"Alright, but let's not start daydreaming until we've dealt with this guy." Phil said.
"I'm used to having to wrestle Rocky into behaving, but this is a whole other story." Lil said.
"The real problem is, all this commotion is bound to draw attention. It won't be long now before those strange soldiers spot us here. After all the trouble we had getting away, now we're standing still waiting for death." Phil said. He then muttered "Darn you, mother. If I was going to die, I'd rather have done it fighting at your side.".
Meanwhile, in a grassy plain outside the town, the princess, who was named Kimi, was walking around with her retainers, who were girls named Wally and Nicole.
"Err... has anyone have any idea as to where we are?" Kimi asked.
"I don't recognize any of this. You sure your reading that thing right, Wally?" Nicole asked.
"The guidance of the sacred Starshine Quartz never falters. Nor does my impeccable interpretation of its divine mandate. We'll be fine. I have it on mystic authority that we're heading for the Southern Cross." Wally replied.
"That all sounds fine enough, and you do seem confident. But I'm starting to have second thoughts about trusting our fate to a plain ol' rock." Nicole said.
"Excuse you! This is no mere rock. It's an arcane jewel that grants second sight to those attuned to it, such as my..." Wally started to say angrily.
"Right, but to be clear, this is just the backstory you made up for it, right?" Nicole asked.
"Well... from a certain blinkered FACTUAL perspective, yes, but..." Wally started to reply.
"Oh dear." Kimi muttered.
"Argh! Then all these directions we've been following are made-up gobbledygook, too! This is hopeless. The three of us finally meet up only to go nowhere fast." Nicole said in frustration.
"I... I'm sorry." Wally said.
Kimi shook her head.
"No, don't be. Your directions were as fine as any other when we have no goal in mind. That's a lovely stone, Wally. You seem to set great store by it." Kimi said.
Wally smiled.
"Thank you. It was a gift from my father. He gave it to me as a good-luck charm as I was escaping my Deeprealm. He told me to go through first and not worry, since he'd follow soon after. He looked directly in my eyes as he said it, paying no heed to the enemies he fought... not even when he was surrounded on all sides did he ever flinch. It was... he was... so cool. It almost brought tears to my eyes." Wally said.
"Wally..." Kimi started to say.
"I believe with all my heart that he would never succumb, but... despite my best efforts, sometimes I can't help but allow doubt to creep in." Wally said.
"Don't let that little voice throw you, Wally. I'm sure he's fine. My story is another variation on yours. When the news of the war's end reached me, I hoped my parents would come claim me. But on the day I was due to leave for home, those monsters awaited me instead. Astride my noble horse as I rode for my life, I found Grim Razordark along the path. I can't imagine father would have cast it willingly aside. I fear the worst." Kimi said.
"Kimi..." Wally started to say.
Nicole frowned.
"C-Come on, you two! Don't let your imaginations run away with you. Did you actually SEE them die? No! So you can't lose hope! Look on the bright side: a father like mine won't be mourned much anyway." Nicole said.
"Don't be gauche, Nicole. It doesn't suit you." Kimi said.
"N-No, I mean it. There's no polite way to say "My dad was a selfish jerk". He hardly ever visited me until he suddenly got it into his head to risk his life for me. He's there for five seconds before yelling at me to leave while he covers my escape... being afraid he's dead is the most I've thought about him in years! This is so typical of him... nothing but bad news, every time!" Nicole explained.
"Nicole... I'm sorry. I spoke out of turn without taking your feelings into account." Kimi said.
"No need to apologize. Heck, I wish he'd helped Lord Hiro instead of saving me. Just think... then you'd never have had to go through all this!" Nicole said.
"Perish the thought! I don't know what I'd do without yours and Wally's company. You've been looking after me ever since the three of us set out. That's the last I want to hear about you wishing you hadn't been saved. Now, let's put our heads together and figure out a plan to save our parents." Kimi said.
"You got it, boss." Nicole said.
"RRRAWWRRGGRR!" George roared off in the distance.
"What the... was that a roar I just heard?" Kimi asked.
"Oh gosh! There's a dragon on the loose!" Wally replied.
"And it's not alone. I could count at least five of those no-good troops surrounding it." Nicole added.
"Y-You do? Where? How could my second sight have failed me?" Kimi asked.
"Don't beat yourself up over it. Us thieves are trained to spot things we shouldn't." Nicole replied.
"Some of those people around the dragon... I don't think their it's enemies. They may be in danger as well." Kimi said.
"The way things are going, their all going to get themselves killed." Nicole said.
"Hmm..." Kimi muttered.
"What's your call, Kimi? Save them or keep on walking? As your retainers, we'll follow your lead either way." Nicole asked.
"Though if you want my sage and cunning counsel, it would be better to help them." Wally added.
"Then that is what we shall do. Even in the face of such terrible opposition, we can't watch them die before our eyes. It would be a disgrace to the bloodline of Japan." Kimi said.
"Well put! Gird yourselves and prepare to do glorious battle for, er... Team Kimi!" Wally ordered.
"We'll be behind you all the way!" Nicole said.
"Very gracious of you. But please, don't strain yourselves on my behalf, okay?" Kimi asked.
"Whatever you say, boss!" Nicole replied.