Disclaimer: Record of Lodoss War belongs to Ryo Mizuno and is made by Studio Madhouse. Kamen Rider belongs to Shotaro Ishinomori and Toei.
Lodoss. It was name a given to the island that broke off from the main continent during the final clash between the armies of light and darkness. In its fiery birth, the island became known as the "Accursed Island," Millennia passed, and the island went through cycles of war and peace throughout the ages. In the fifty years following the infamous War of Heroes, peace has spread across the island's many kingdoms.
Unbeknownst to the island and its great heroes, a new war would come to its shores. A war that would come close to the great war that ended the Age of Gods so many thousands of years before…
Deedlit, or simply Deed, let a smile spread across her white face as she let the sand touch her bare feet and a soft breeze made her bright green dress billow. Despite all her centuries, as well as bearing three children, Deed still looked as youthful as she did since the end of the War of Heroes. She and her husband, Parn, had taken a liking to what would become their home. It was a small cottage near the shore of Lodoss, where they could have plenty of fertile land, food, and water.
That had been decades ago. An elf such herself, granted with untold longevity, had outlived her husband. Her three children had grown up and left, leaving her all alone…
"Grannnnyyyyyyy!"
Well, not completely alone.
Pushing aside a silky strand of hair, Deed looked to tall, young man calling to her from the tall of the nearby hills. He was the spitting image of her late husband, in spite of his blond hair, waving a long arm at her. With a slight frown on her pursed lips, Deed called out, "Thorn, what are you doing here?! You're supposed to be watching over the cottage!"
"I got bored!" called back the teen, who rushed down the hill to meet his grandma. "I was tired of just watching the clothes dry!"
Deed sighed as she hefted her basket on her forearm. "No wonder your parents sent you to me… What am I to do with you?"
Thorn, standing just a head shorter than his grandmother, chuckled. Deed offered her own smile before she playfully added, "You should head back home. And make sure to take down the laundry this time!"
"But granny..." Thorn started, but stopped and blinked past Deed. "What's that?"
Curious, Deed turned to the shore that her grandson was staring at. As the waves rolled into the sandy shores, the elf and her grandson caught sight a strange figure that stood out of the white sands. "A person!" Deed gasped aloud.
Dropping her basket of seashells, Deed ran to the body and pulled on a muscular arm. "Thorn, help me!" she called as she hefted the stranger's body.
Thorn obeyed without question. He went to the stranger's other side, and with his grandmother, hefted the body up to dry sand. The two turned the body over, and in the clear sun, they saw a man years older than Thorn. Sand covered his spiked up hair, light skin, and dark clothing. What stood out were the horrible scars all over the man's face.
Standing up, Thorn blinked his eyes at the unconscious man. "Just who is he?"
"Never mind that," Deed said, brushing aside as much sand. "We need to get him to the cottage, right away!"
Thorn was about to when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He looked and see something shining from the man's side. Thorn reached down and picked it up. His eyes widened when the water dripped off it of the object, revealing it to be...
A box. A simple, flat, and black box.
Thorn frowned a bit. He looked more at the box. The thing was small enough in his hands, but there did not seemed to be anything special about it. Why would anyone want this on them?
"Thorn!" Thorn looked back at grandmother's serious face. "Put that back, and help me with him."
"But he doesn't need it," Thorn said. "Besides, it doesn't look like it's worthy anything…"
Deed cut her grandson off with a piercing glare. Thorn had seen that plenty of times before to know when to listen to her. "Alright," he sighed, as he reached down to help.
Suddenly, something rose from the waters. There was no splash or even a sound as it emerged. Deed and Thorn saw it, and their eyes widened with fear as a red body slithered out of the water and into the air. Deed gasped at the wingless beast, recognizing its red scales, sharp claws, and snarling fangs to recognize what it was: a dragon.
The dragon snarled once more and let out a roar. Deed and Thorn covered their ears from the deafening sound for a few seconds until they stared down at the beast floating before them. Deed, a war hero and veteran, steeled herself for the upcoming battle. "Thorn, get ready to run," she whispered.
However, Thorn was frozen stiff with fear. Unlike his grandmother, he had never seen a dragon. In the face of the monster, Thorn could not move a single limb. Even his hand gripped tightly on the black box he had found.
Thorn was taken out of his shock when something grabbed his wrist. He looked down at a very conscious stranger, who tightened his hands on Thorn's hand holding onto the box. A pair of green eyes shivered slightly, barely able to keep themselves opened. "Use… it..." was all the stranger said before he closed his eyes and collapsed on the ground.
For a long moment, Thorn stared at the man. Another roar caught his attention, and he was staring back at the dragon. Now, the dragon lurched its body back before lancing towards the trio on the beach.
Thorn's eyes widened. This time, there was no fear. He had to protect himself. He had to protect his grandmother!
What happened next neither Thorn or Deed could explain it. Thorn, by some compulsion or second nature, rushed in front and held up the black box. The dragon continued its charge, headlong at the young boy. The minute its whiskers touched the surface of the black box, a spark lit up.
Then, everything went red.
Soft footsteps treaded on the barren wasteland that was once the great Kingdom of Marmo. A cold wind breezed through and made the figure's dark cloak billow softly. Under his hood, a pair of eyes glanced all around him.
To the traveler, Marmo seemed too bright to be the "land of darkness" he had heard so much about. Since the War of Heroes and the failed attempt to revive Kardis, Lodoss' Goddess of Destruction, light poured through the clouds more than ever and made the ground shine. To the goblins and monsters of the realm, the light was a curse. To the traveler, the light was a mere nuisance.
"So… this is Marmo..." he mused aloud as he kicked up some dirt. "Such a dreary place…"
Growls made the traveler stop. He turned to the small group of bodies lurking at him. They hid in the shadows, purposefully keeping away from the rays of light. Still, the travel could recognize the sharp ears, blood eyes, and horrible brown skin of goblins. No doubt, the poor saps had nothing to eat for days, and of course, they probably believed they found their latest meal.
As the goblins approached, the traveler's eyes flashed a hellish red for a moment. "Oscurid. Burn them," he simply ordered.
The goblins snarled and hissed, but their sounds were overwhelmed by a loud roar. Before any of the would-be hunters could react, the ground of them bursted as a massive, long body flew into the air. It coiled around, and the goblins yelled at the sight of a massive, wingless, and black dragon glaring at them with its blood red eyes. Any goblin with common sense immediately made a run for it, leaving only a few left. Either they were too stubborn or frightened to move, none of them had time as the dragon spat out a torrent black flames.
The goblins' screams were music to the traveler's ears. However, as he heard his dragon chase after the other goblins and incinerate them, the traveler turned his head away from the carnage. His hellish eyes stared past the cloudy skies of Marmo, and his senses felt a new presence lit up like a flame.
A breath of impatience and relief left the traveler. "At last, they are all here."
The black dragon, done with its prey, returned to its master's side, and growled, feeling the same presence as the traveler did."Don't worry, my friend, you'll have your chance," he said soothingly as he patted his dragon's head. "Once they find each other, it won't be long."
Though he sounded calm, the man was just as excited as was his dragon. The other twelve had gathered on Lodoss, and as he said, it would not be long. He could already envision the carnage that would soon follow once all thirteen of them, himself included, had gathered.
The Rider of the Black Dragon looked back to Marmo's burning plain and grinned at the possibilities.
All throughout Lodoss, rumors and whispers were beginning to spread. Those that spoke these rumors seemed crazed or even possessed, as they would go on to claim what they had seen:
In the deserts of Flaime, gazelle-like monsters roamed freely with a large white and blue striped tiger tailing behind, scaring away merchants and their goods…
Nearby the Temple of Marfa, pilgrims would report seeing a giant, pink stingray fly overhead…
A family of nobles in the beautiful kingdom of Valis woke up to the sound of cawing as a white swan flew over their lake…
Up north, where the old village of Parn, the Free Knight of Valis, rested, an old woman caught sight of a large crab waiting by the river…
In the once-great kingdom of Alania, many would barely notice a green reptile on the old king's throne before disappearing…
In the mountains of Kanon, the earth shook as a large rhinoceros destroyed a chunk of a mountain, startling nearby travelers…
Among the ruins of the fortress of Myce, no living soul was left to hear the hissing of purple cobra that slithered amongst the skeletons…
In the lost mines of the great dwarves, monstrous echoes roared with the large footsteps of a green minotaur…
The volcano that was once home to the dreaded dragon Shooting Star, became active as a golden phoenix burst forth and flew into the sky…
A loud screech was heard throughout the outskirts of Valis as a large bat soared across the night sky…
And on the shores of Lodoss, a boy stared at a black box, now embedded with the symbol of a golden dragon…
All of these rumors, however small they were, would travel all over Lodoss, even reaching the ears of the highest courts of kings and queens. Some would wave a hand away, dismissing such rumors as that: rumors. Others would listen with wonder and awe. Most just went about their day, unaware of the truth that happened under their very noses. The truth that would soon shake all of Lodoss…
The Rider War had begun.
AN: Man, was this a strange one to write! After watching the OVA of the fantasy Dungeons and Dragons-inspired Record of Lodoss War, I cooked up this idea by adding a fantasy twist on the whole Rider War from Kamen Rider Ryuki and putting it in the world of Lodoss. Looking back, it probably doesn't make much sense, but most of what I write doesn't anyway, so I guess it works. Either way, I hope it's still interesting enough for someone else to one day write.
Raika out.