The Dragon Campaign
by shike77
Chapter I
Enter the Dragoon
"Girl, come here!" Melbu Frahma shouted, his voice ringing through the halls.
"Yes?" I asked, kneeling in front of the Wingly Emperor. I loathed, and still loathe, the very thought of him, and couldn't wait to see the day his corpse rotted out in the sun in full view of thousands of freed slaves. That was the only dream I'd ever had for all of my 17 years.
"Get me a jug of water." He commanded.
Get it yourself I thought, daringly, but it gave me an excuse to leave the room. I stood and obeyed my orders.
What a jerk. I thought, walking towards the kitchen, when I heard shouts and screams. What's going on? I thought, and changed my direction so that I could see what was going on. I never thought that decision would change my life the way it did.
"Look out!" someone shouted and I was shoved aside. I screamed as flames scorched my cheeks, and landed with a thump on the body of a dead wingly. I held one hand to my wounded cheek, staring at the charred body that had cushioned my fall. I looked up to see what could have done this, and my heart skipped a beat.
It was a Dragon.
"Gods…" I whispered, scrambling backwards. I saw the boy who had shoved me aside holding a long blade in front of the beast, his deep gold hair littered with the ash and dirt of someone who worked to keep the castle fires blazing, a pit-boy.
"Make yourself useful!" he shouted, and I immediately wondered how. But then my hand grazed something metal. I looked down to find a blade, glinting with blood from my hand. I picked it up and rushed into battle along side the pit-boy.
I can't remember how long we fought, or if anyone saw us, but I was sliced countless times, wearing only thin leather shorts and tank-top that showed plenty of flesh for Wingly amusement. I was in considerable pain by the time we finished.
The pit-boy wore thick leather that covered all of his body except the arms. He was far more suited for the battle than I was. The blood on my hand made the blade slippery, and I often had to pause to pick it up or adjust my grip.
The pit-boy delt the last blow. I can't remember how, but he did. The Dragon crumpled and crashed into the ground, taking most of the hallway with him. I was too stunned to scream as we fell from the floating castle. I saw part of the Dragon's body detach from the rest and merge into a new Dragon. The new dragon flew off towards the horizon with little grace.
Am I….going to die? I wondered, seeing the charred bodies of fallen Winglies fall past me, Is this what I wanted?
I heard the pit-boy yell with half a mind, seeing with the other half the large chunk of debris falling towards me with incredible speed. Guess so. I thought. My only regrets at that moment were that I had never gotten to see that one corpse rotting in the sun, the parties that would come when Frahma was defeated.
"Flame Shot!" the pit-boy shouted, and the instrument of my Doom shattered into a thousand pieces.
"Wha…" I whispered, but that was all I got out as I was snatched out of thin air and I started to rise instead of fall.
"Don't worry, I'll get us there." He whispered, and we started to follow the newborn Dragon's path.
When we managed to land, I turned to look at him, and my mouth dropped wide open. He was wearing a bandanna around his head that was littered with jewels and priceless armor that I never could have dreamt of seeing in my life. What really amazed me was not the flaming sword he carried at his side, but a pair of wings that stretched out of the armor. They seemed graceful and strong all at the same time, and sent rainbow light patterns around the cave.
"Cool, huh?" He smiled, something I hadn't seen anyone but a Wingly ever do, "But I can't figure out how to change back."
"It's okay. You could probably do some serious damage, anyway." I began, but shivered once I realized how cold it was in the cave. He walked over to me, and held me tight for the whole night.
Why would he do this? I thought before I drifted off to sleep, Maybe he just doesn't want me to die…. And then I slept peacefully.
"Are you sure someone is in here?" someone asked from outside the cave. I looked at the pit-boy. He had changed back to human form, and had heard whoever was coming. We both melted into the shadows.
"Yes, I am! I saw them!"
"Really, now?" someone muttered as he walked in the door, followed by a young girl, fifteen or so, "See? No one's here."
"They are, you dolt!" she scolded and rapped him fiercely on the head.
"They are human." I whispered so only the pit-boy could hear me.
"I can see that." He whispered back, and we both stepped out of the shadows.
"Told you!" the girl scolded, then smiled at us, "Hi! My name's Damia, uh…" she cast a quick look at the battle scars we carried, "You guys okay?"
"We'll be fine, Damia." the pit-boy announced, smiling, "Can you take us to the village?"
"Zieg? Hey, I did not recognize you! You have to speak up sometimes when you see me!" Damia exclaimed, then turned and sprinted down the slope outside the cave.
"Who is Damia?" I asked Zieg as we followed behind.
"She is like a little sister to me, ever since her parents were killed for inter-species breeding."
"Wha-"
"Her mother was a mermaid, and the winglies are against that."
"The Winglies are against everything other than their own supreme rule." I pointed out, and he nodded in reply.
We walked a little way in silence, then he spoke again,
"I'm Zieg, if you haven't guessed."
"Rose." And then I saw the small town. It stood on the ground, and had very few people living in it, due to the number of houses. There were several boats at the dock, not enough to call a real fishing fleet, but even so, I had never seen a place without a single wingly in it in all of my life. I stood at the top of the hill, mouth slightly ajar, and Zieg laughed.
"It's not near as big as Vellweb, but I call it home." He announced and spread his arms wide, "Welcome to Fletz."
I sighed as I leaned back in my bath. The water was hot. Whenever I had a bath in Zenabatos, the water had always been used and cold. I sighed again and climbed out of the tub, leaving water for Damia.
"Miss Rose?" she asked as she knocked on the door. I wrapped a towel around my body and opened the door. "Oh, you are out. Anyway, These are some temporary clothes until you pick out your own. I thought they'd look good on you." She smiled sheepishly as she handed me some clothes.
"Thanks." I smiled, closed the door, and put them on.
"Make way for Emperor Diaz!" someone shouted, and I paused in the street. I moved to the side of the road, then turned to look back at this so-called "Emperor".
"It has been a while…" Zieg muttered as he came up behind me.
"What do you mean?" I asked, "Who is Emperor Diaz?"
"He is only the man who will lead the rebellion against the Winglies!" he explained, surprised I didn't know.
"I have been a slave all my life." I told him bluntly, then he muttered several apologies. I smiled and told him it wasn't necessary.
"Hello, people of Fletz." The emperor began, smiling as he was greeted by cheers from the crowd. “I have an important announcement to make.” The crowd immediately hushed, and he continued, ”We have resources that the wingly city, Zenebatos, has been attacked by a Dragon.” And that news was greeted with cheers and shouts of defiance amongst the crowd, “And.” He started, and the crowd yet again fell silent, “the Dragon met its demise. Along with it, it took a good amount of the wingly city. But, what really suprizes me, is the fact that there were two slaves who killed the dragon. Now, they would have fallen with the rest of the hallway, if one of the two had not completely changed their shape and flew away. We believe that they came somewhere around here. They could be in this very village! Does anyone have any idea where they are?”
“Run!” I whispered urgently in Zieg’s ear. He nodded and the both of us bolted.
“There they are!” someone shouted.
“No!” I heard Damia shout, but her voice was barely heard by the crowd’s roars of anger and rage. We ran through the alleys, always trying to lose them, but they kept on coming. Damia soon caught up with us, surprising for a half-mermaid, and guided us through a long series of streets to the town entrance.
“None shall pass, traitors!” the guards announced, and we were stuck.
“Zieg….” Damia whispered, scared for him, I could tell.
“I will be fine.” He announced bravely, though he was shaking slightly. I knew he didn’t want to do that again. He was scared of the power that he possessed.
“I will not let them hurt you.” I announced and drew my blade, the armor Damia gave me glinting in the sun.
“Rose, please.” Zieg put his hand on my shoulder, “I will have to help them understand.”
“So, boy, do you think you can defy your own race?” the Emperor asked, enjoying this. I wasn’t.
“No! We were saving thousands of lives, you dolt!” people gasped at that, “Do you forget the people trapped in that prison?!” without waiting for an answer, I continued, “And you call yourself an Emperor. The last Emperor I knew kills thousands of human children a day! In my eyes, you’re no better than him.” And I didn’t stop glaring at him. The crowds were silent.
Damia chose then to speak up, “He is not a bad person. Ever since my parents were killed, he has been a big brother to me. And he lived with you people, he taught some of you how to use a sword, and what are you giving him back?” her words, although quiet, seemed to echo throughout the small town, “I will go with him, whether you like it or not.”
“So, what will you do now, boy? What have you to say, or will you let mere women defend your cause?” Diaz asked, and I stepped towards him, blade drawn.
“I have plenty to say, but I will keep it simple.” Zieg began, gently keeping his arm in front of my chest to stop me from making a fool of myself, “I thought that you people were my family, but I guess I will just have to find another.” He announced, and we turned to leave the village.
“S-stop!” the guard shouted.
“Do you want us to bring forth the wrath of the Dragoon knight?” I asked, and they ran for it. We then walked out of the village.
“Rose, what’s a ‘Dragoon’?” Damia asked and I burst out laughing.
“I have no clue! I just made it up off the top of my head!” I managed through my laughter.
“Dragoon…It does have a nice ring to it…” Zieg muttered, actually considering the title.
“Why not keep it, then?” a voice from the shadows asked. We whirled around to find a girl our age, blonde hair accenting her features beautifully.
“Shirley, you scared us!” Damia exclaimed, shaking her head.
“You guys scared me. What did you do this time, Zieg?” she asked, cocking her head slightly in question
“It is really a long story…” Zieg muttered, “We should make camp. Rose and I will tell you then.” And that’s exactly what we did. I agreed to take the first watch, and then the rest of them went to sleep.
“Come…….”
“Who said that?” I asked, suddenly aware that our group was not alone in this little clearing.
“Come!” the voice shouted again, ringing through my ears.
“Where are you!?” I whispered urgently, clasping my hands to my head.
“Come, daughter of the goddess!” the voice ordered, and suddenly I screamed with pain.
“Rose, what’s going on?” Zieg asked.
“Help me!” I cried out, and sped through the trees.
“Rose!” he shouted, but the only thing that mattered in my mind was getting away from that clearing. I didn’t know that was exactly what he wanted.
I ran into another clearing, then stopped at the sight before me. There was a man, translucent, really, and shined a deep, commanding gold.
“Did you think you could disobey your creator!” he shouted, and I cringed with pain. He sighed and continued, “Such a pretty thing you are, much like your mother.”
“Who…are you?” I asked, and suddenly everything started to blur.
“I am Soa, your creator, half-mortal!” he shouted, and then everything went black.
Yes, I am weird
Flames and Darkness
"Mother, wake up!"
The woman in the mud remained still, never moving.
"Mother!!"
The rain pounded down, but yet the woman's eyes never moved.
"......Mother?"
"That is the price she paid, girl." the wingly emperor's face had a
smug grin upon it, his blade littered with the woman's blood, "You pathetic
humans will never learn. That is the price you will pay. All of you."
I bolted awake, a fine film of sweat covering my body. I looked around the room
I was in, and immediately recognized the patterns on the wall. Wingly style. at
first, I wondered if it all really happened, if it had all been just a dream,
but then I realized I was still wearing the armour Damia gave me. I didn't have
my blade, but I really didn't care at the moment. Weapons could be replaced.
"...Zeig?" I whispered, almost afraid that he wouldn't hear. When no
answer came, I was furious. I leaped out of the bed and struggled with the door,
which, to no avail, would not budge. I thrust my fists onto the oak wood, merely
resulting in splinters on my hands. When my fit ended, I leaned against the door,
taking into account all that had happened. If Soa wanted me, what for? And why
had he handed me over to the Winglies? Maybe he didn't hand me over...maybe he
just left me somewhere, and they found me. But...why? I then decided that it hadn't
been Soa, it was just a trick. A very good trick. I shook my head and tried the
door handle again.
Stupid door OPEN!!!!! I screamed mentally, then remembered that Wingly door handles
turned opposite to human's. I had trouble with the opposite when I first came
to Fletz, and Damia had explained as much. I cursed myself mentally for forgetting
such a small thing after being in Fletz for only a day. The door creaked open
with a loud sound that made me jump. I took a quick look around, saw there was
nothing there, and snuck down the passage.
I was nowhere close to halfway down the passage when someone jumped me, holding
me up against the wall by my neck.
"Wingly scum!" he hissed, and I instinctively kicked out. He made a
small squeak, then both of us crumpled to the ground. I shoved him off me, rubbing
my neck in pain, and noticed he was clutching between his legs, with a his mouth
a soundless O.
"Kanzas!" I heard a familiar shout ring down the halls. Shirley ran
in from around the corner, saw Kanzas lying on the floor, pulled out her bow,
then saw me.
"Rose!" she exclaimed, breathing hard as she put the weapon away, "Have
you seen Damia or Zeig?"
"I was hoping you did..." I whispered, a knot forming in my throat.
Kanzas (I assumed he was, anyway) managed a steady stream of curses aimed towards
me, then asked Shirley if I could be trusted, still clutching his wound.
"Yes, I can," I announced in an as-a-matter-of-fact sort of tone, "But
if you hadn't jumped me like that, then maybe I would have been able to tell you
that earlier!"
"This is not a good start..." Shirley muttered, waiting for Kanzas to
get to his feet, "But we have to find Damia and Zeig, fast!"
"Not if they treat me like she just did." Kanzas muttered, and I rolled
my eyes.
"Yes, we do." I announced, walking over to him and staring him straight
in the face, "Zeig is our only way out of here, and Damia's in real trouble
if we just leave her here."
Kanzas groaned, fixing the claws on his wrist into position, "I am stuck
in a Wingly fortress with a bunch of psychopaths..."
"Hurry up, Dorothy!" I shouted over my shoulder, already halfway down
the hall with my swift pace.
"DOROTHY?!?!?!" he shouted in question, and I merely laughed.
I found the Wingly armoury and tested several of the blades until I found my own.
They had cleaned the Dragon's blood off it, a thought which I despised. The pattern
was sort of attractive, and proved I had been through something harsh and survived.
But I would live.
Walking down the hall, we heard signs of conflict. I ran foreword, blade ready
and poised to kill.
"Look out!" a familiar voice shouted, and I was shoved to the side.
I recognized the small frame immediately.
"Damia!" I cried, glad to see she was okay.
Her sea green eyes sparkled with hope of escape as she announced, "Zeig is
here!" just after a large ball of flame shot itself past, carrying several
Wingly soldiers with it. I recognized that attack from the Dragon Zeig and I had
fought. Despite the intense heat from the flames, I shivered.
"Zeig!" I shouted, "Let's go!"
"I would not think about that if I were you."
I whirled around to face the Wingly Emperor, and I immediately cursed myself for
being so stupid. He had most likely been following us as we walked down the hall,
with reinforcements.
"What do you want?" Zeig hissed, and we immediately moved to protect
Damia.
He laughed, one of those cruel, mocking laughs all of the big bad guys in stories
have, and then he spoke, "I am not here for the mermaid, I am here for the
one holding the Spirit of the Virage Embryo!"
"The what?!" Zeig asked, and I easily saw the confusion on his face.
Without thinking, I moved the blade up towards my neck, drawing blood neatly as
I cried out, "Zeig, go!"
"What about you?" he asked, obviously determined not to leave.
"GO!!" I shouted, drawing even more blood so that the Wingly knew I
would kill myself if they harmed my friends, causing the cycle to go on, and them
to wait another 108 years.
Zeig looked at me, expression blank, as he spoke, "I will come back for you."
and then he left, with Damia, Shirley and Kanzas, who was raging because he did
not get enough kills in the battle.
"How pathetic you humans are." Frahma began, "But I have you anyway,
so what does it matter?" he pulled out a sphere, made of Crystal, and uttered
a few words I could not understand. Pain surged through my body and I crumpled
to the ground, whole body ringing with torture.
I could have sworn I died.
There was a woman pure silver with a pair of dragon's wings adorning her back.
She looked down, shook her head, and whispered, "It is not your time yet,
Rose."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that your destiny has already been set, and you must win the upcoming
war against the Winglies. then, for 11 000 years, you must continue to fight fate."
"I..."
"Please, listen, what I tell you is true. The Dragoons will be led by Zeig,
but that cannot be if you die, for he will not have the mind to fight properly."
"I do not understand."
The woman sighed, shaking her head, and then spoke again, "It is useless
to teach the future to one who is not willing to be taught. Just remember this;
You will come to meet many unexpected allies in time. Some you have already met.
But learn to trust your instincts. Soa has given up on you, but I have plans for
what you will learn to be."
And for the first time I had ever done so in a dream, I looked down at myself.
I saw black and purple armour, and I turned around to see a pair of Dragon's wings
coming out of my back.
"What...?" I managed, before I started to wake.
I thought nothing as I felt the air rush by me. I was too baffled and confused
to notice anything. I opened my eyes and saw blue sky and clouds falling past
me. Was I just in a.....Wingly Fortress? And then it hit me.
Oh Gods...I'm-
a rotting corpse sailed by me as I finished off the thought
Falling!!!
But how? There was only one way the Winglies would throw someone off a fortress,
and that was when...
Gods, I DIED!!!
But it didn't make any sense! I was here and alive!
"A-L-I-V-E! ALIVE! You hear that Frahma!? I AM ALIVE!!! YOU CAN TAKE YOUR
'SUPREME RULE' AND..."
"Rose!" I heard Zeig shout, and I turned my head over to him.
"Zeig!" I cried out, and felt colour rise to my cheeks as I realized
how stupid I must have sounded. He caught me without a problem, and started to
descend.
"What happened?" he asked, and I shook my head in a silent reply.
On the ground again, he morphed back from Dragoon form with ease, and I realized
he must have been practising. How long has it been? I looked at our surroundings
to ease my thoughts, and asked aloud, "Zeig, where are we?"
"The land of the Dragons." he announced, casting a quick glance around.
I wanted to ask him 'WHY?!' but decided against it. He could most likely only
be in Dragoon form for a short amount of time. I really did not want to hurt his
feelings.
"Come..." I froze as I heard the mental command ring through my head.
"Come..." I relaxed a little when I realized it was different than the
call of the Wingly 'Soa'.
"Rose, what is wrong?" Zeig's voice shook me out of my thoughts. I assured
him it was nothing, and we looked for somewhere to make camp.
"...Zeig?" I whispered urgently, groping for my blade and eyes most
likely wide as the bottom of saucers.
"...What?" he groaned, then opened his eyes, which immediately widened.
We were staring into the single, huge eye of the Darkness Dragon. It roared, realizing
it had been seen, and launched itself at the two of us. I defended myself against
him, and when he backed off preformed a rising slash to counter it. I gasped as
the blade glanced off the Dragon's scales as if they were mere pebbles.
"It did not do anything!" I exclaimed, and Zeig's mouth fell open in
shock.
"How can we defeat it?" He asked, just before the Dragon shoved me into
the rock face nearby, slicing open a deep gash in my forehead. Blood seeped from
the wound, threatening to cover my eyes. I wiped my forehead and tried for another
hit on the creature. Yet again, the blade bounced off the Dragon. I cursed the
Dragon heavily, wiping more blood from my eyes. I can't remember how long exactly
we fought, but it was enough to make me dizzy and disoriented with blood loss.
Zeig refused to give up, though I think I caught a view of him biting his lip
momentarily. Even I knew we could not win this, unless some miracle came along.
The Dragon took us both in its claws and swept us up into the air, and shot us
with a beam of light from its chest. I became completely confused, and aimed for
the wrong part of the Dragon's body. At first I wondered if it was just me, but
then Zeig yelled triumphantly and I knew it was true. The Dragon cringed. Zeig
then changed into his Dragoon form with a bright red flash, and launched himself
at the spot where I had been attacking. The Dragon Crumpled to the ground, and
Zeig became human again.
"Darkness Dragon," I begin as I walked foreword, "I'm sorry, we
don't have time. Winglies are mighty. Mighty enough to destroy us, and the entire
species. In order to liberate humans, we have to sacrifice you, Dragon. Now is
time to decide, extinction or war." I had no idea what I was saying, but
I said it anyway. The cloud of smoke that the Darkness Dragon had become began
to form a new shape, another Dragon, which began to call out for a reason I could
not understand.
"We choose war," Zeig announced coldly from beside me, then turned towards
me, and spoke again, "The Dragoon Spirit left behind by the Darkness Dragon
and this new-born Dragon will be the spearhead of the war." Then I remembered
vaguely my dream, about the strange silver woman.
I knelt down beside the young Dragon, who chirped at me, and I announced, "This
baby needs a name. Black Burst Dragon, Michael. How about Michael?"
"Rose’s Vassal Dragon, the Darkness Dragon, the Black Burst Dragon, Michael.
It's a good name." Zeig nodded, and very suddenly, I felt a wave of pain,
cried out, and fell to the ground. "Rose!" I heard Zeig cry, the sound
of hoof beats, Michael's worried cry, and then everything went black.
I woke to something very soft, squishy, and rotten smelling hitting my face.
I groaned and opened my eyes, finding myself chained to the bars of some portable
cage, meant for horses, and people in a crowd throwing rotten vegetables at me.
I shook what turned out to be a tomato from my face, and saw Zeig beside me, chained
up like I was, covered in green pepper.
"Awake, princess?" he teased, and I muttered some curse or other at
him in reply, shifting my weight to get more comfortable, barely avoiding an asparagus
as I did so.
"What happened back there?" I asked, and he sighed, wincing as he got
hit with some sort of old cherry.
"Rose, don't you remember yourself?"
"Well, I was kind of suffering from lack of blood."
"Right." he cleared his throat, looked at me, and announced, "Rose,
you are a Dragoon." I, of course, thought he was crazy. He was the only one
who was a Dragoon, right? Right? I couldn't even convince myself, so I decided
to go along with it. For now.
After being hit by several rotten tomatoes, oranges, apples, peppers of a rainbow
of colours (I lost track after a while), potatoes, peas, and an assortment of
other vegetables, I turned to Zeig and started to speak, "You know what?"
"What?"
"Right before the whole 'Dragoon' thing with me, I.....uh..." yes, I
had trouble telling Zeig I had a 'prophetic' dream, not knowing how exectly to
phrase it.
"What?"
I sighed, then continued, "I had a dream that I could fly"
He raised one eyebrow in question. Not the kind of reaction I thought I would
get, but I laughed and continued "No, with Dragoon armour and everything!"
The cage pulled to a stop in front of some big palace or other, and the guards
moved closer to the cage, unlocking it and escorting us up the steps...
People of Prejudice
"How do you
plead to the crime of saving a Wingly fortress from destruction and being Dragoons?"
Emperor Diaz asked, voice booming throughout the court.
I leaned over to Zeig and whispered "This is starting to sound
real familiar." causing him to smirk. I then added to the court "We did
not save a Wingly fortress from destruction, we were saving the thousands
of human slaves that lived there! And besides, do you sue the Gigantos because
they are Gigantos? The Minitos because they are Minitos? Mermen because they are
Mermen? People can't help being what they are..."
"Silence!" boomed Diaz, but I ignored him, continuing on with
my ranting. All the time, my eyes were darting around the court room, my throat
getting dry. I saw no easy way out of the situation we were in.
"...and, as far as we know, there's only two of us! Do you
really want to kill off an entire species?" I continued, soon to be interrupted
yet again by Diaz.
"Who do you think we are, Winglies?"
"You are acting like them." my last comment caused an uproar.
The worst thing you could call a human was a Wingly, and I had just done so to
one of the most powerful men in all of the human court. Oh well. He was going
to kill us anyway, why not make it sooner?
"Well, since you seem to think that you are in danger of extinction,
I shall have to put you both where you belong." Diaz hit his hammer down on the
pedestal and shouted, "Guards, take them away!"
Nice
Going. I thought to myself as I glared at the kid who threw a rock at me through
the bars. I'll kill him later, I thought as I fingered the small stone
that enabled me to become a Dragoon, at least as far as I knew. A Dragoon Spirit,
was that what Zeig called it?
They were most likely deciding our sentence now, and it was
most likely not a favourable outcome for us. Maybe it was death, maybe it was
eternal prison (whatever), maybe it was just a slap on the wrist and a warning
to be careful next time. The first two seemed much more likely than the latter.
"Zeig?" I asked, and he grunted in reply.
"Being a Dragoon, do we feel like this often?"
"Like what?"
"Like... I can feel each moment as time goes by."
He looked at me and nodded slowly, then resumed staring at
the people who walked by the cage, face clear of all emotions. He once considered
them his people, and he would have been willing to die for them, but look what
they had given him in return. Nothing. That is all I had ever gotten, all I ever
expected from someone else. The whole dilemma was harder on him than me.
"Your fate is decided," the Guard broke my train of thought
as he opened the door, "You are to fight to the death in the sea-side arena in
Fletz."
Great, I thought sarcasticly, I get to kill somebody
and die all in one go.
"Any
last words?" Diaz asked, days later at Fletz. I could think of several equally
(some if not better) rude comments, but decided to keep my mouth shut. The words
would have been lost in the wind, anyway, the storm so fierce I could just barely
see the outlines of the Arena. Suddenly, countless human soldiers crowded into
the arena and backed us up to the cliff edge.
"Why aren't we fighting?" I shouted to Zeig, although he was
standing right beside me.
"What would we be proving?" he shouted back, but it sounded
more like a whisper, the crowd's roars and the wind's howling over-powering every
other sound, "We should be on the same side!"
The army charged, and I held my blade at the ready. To my suprise,
Zeig leaped in front of me and tried to protect me, despite my protests. I swung
my rapier with expert ease, ease that I had plenty of time to practice in the
fight against the Darkness Dragon, killing none but only holding them back. They
laughed, taunting us, asking if that was the best the 'Great Dragoons' could do.
I rolled my eyes and shoved one such taunter into the army, and several more filled
his place.
"Can you swim?" Zeig asked, and I looked over at him, startled.
Before I could answer, he grabbed me and jumped off the cliff. He pulled a graceful
dive, whereas I fell awkwardly. my back slammed against the water, and I tried
paddling with my arms. I panicked when I reached the surface, the water shoving
me around like a dog with a rag doll clutched in its mouth. I felt my body slam
against a rock, knocking the breath out of me.
Blackness overwhelmed me.
I woke
to feel somebody's lips on mine. Without looking, I delivered a punch to
the assailant's nose, who cried out in pain and flung himself from me. "You broke
my nose!" he shouted, and I opened my eyes.
"That's what you get for trying to kiss me." I retorted as
I sat up, sick and tired of passing out every couple of days.
"Kiss you?! Why the hell would I want to do that?"
"They are your motives, not mine." I told him coldly as I stood
up, brushing the sand from my armour. I found my rapier on the beach and picked
it up, then checked the pouch where my Dragoon Spirit was kept, and I sighed with
relief when I felt the cold, welcome stone in its place.
"You were not breathing so I had to breathe for you! I saved
your life, for heaven's sake!" I barely heard him. I was looking around for Zeig.
"Did you see anyone else?" I demanded, and he shook his head.
I frowned and started to walk down the beach, looking out towards the ocean,
and I was suddenly struck with a wave of pain. I fell to my knees, breathing hard.
"Hey!" he shouted, and ran up to me, "You do not look too good.
I'll take you to my village, you can rest there." Rest sounded good at the moment.
The
village was no more than a few houses slapped together beside a cliff, with a
river running swiftly beside some of the houses, intertwining in the trees of
the lush tropics beyond. This is no where near Fletz... I thought, knowing
that the city itself was barren as a rock. The lush tropics could never be held
there!
"Where is this place?" I demanded, and he frowned at me.
"Rogue is the only village around here. Where else would you
be?"
"How far away is Rogue from Fletz?"
"Across the sea. Is that where you came from? Fletz?"
Across the sea... how had I survived the trip? It made no sense
at all. How could I get out of there...?
"...Hey! Are you listening?" his voice cut through my thoughts,
"What is your name?"
"Rose."
"Mine is Yasuo. Are you from Fletz?"
"No." As far as I knew, it was the truth.
"Where are you from, then?" he asked, but I never answered.
How could you tell someone you had just recently escaped from being a slave in
a Wingly fortress all of your life? Staying quiet was the best thing to do.
He shrugged hopelessly, then started walking towards one of
the few houses, gesturing with his hand for me to follow. He knocked on the door
of the house closest to the cliff, and a young girl answered. She had long golden
hair that spun and weaved around her shoulders down to her waist in curls, deep
green eyes that would make a emerald look pale, eyes filled with sorrow, pain
and hurt. She had pale, fair skin, which looked even more so because of the dark
clothes she was wearing. The few girls I had ever known who looked like that were
for the pleasure houses the Winglies so enjoyed.
"Hello, Serena, is the elder in?" Yasuo asked, and the girl
nodded. She stepped back from the door and let us in. Yasuo led me down a set
of stairs to a simple room where an old man was sitting. He looked up at Yasuo,
then at me, at Yasuo, then at me again. Grey brows relaxed and he smiled.
"Oh, Yasuo, it is really about time. I'm quite suprised that
you had not introduced me to this fine young woman beforehand. I can tell she
is quite the rare breed among humans. Her aura is somewhat different, almost dark...
Anyway, You could have told me beforehand that you wanted a wedding blessing,
but I respect that you wanted it private."
"Elder Kahaan, please!"
"I'm not marrying him! He nearly suffocated me!"
"It's called 'artificial respiration' Rose. I was not suffocating
you!"
"Uh huh, I believe you."
Elder Kahaan laughed, then coughed, and grinned. "It seems
I have thought wrong. Why have you brought a flower such as this one to see me,
Yasuo?"
"I found her on the beach, tried to help her and she broke
my nose. She needs a place to rest."
"I see. Tell me, flower from the sea, where did you come from?"
"I was in Fletz." I answered bluntly, earning a chuckle from
the elder.
"It seems that this flower has thorns," he grinned widely as
he spoke, "I see you bring a weapon to our village. May I ask what?"
"A rapier, sir." I answered. I almost felt that something was
different about this elder, something that made me feel uncomfortable.
As a Dragoon, my senses were heightened. I would have to be careful.
"Yasuo, I wish to speak to this flower from the wasteland alone."
Yasuo obediently left the room at the elder's command.
"What do you want?" I demanded, not wanting to be around here
any longer than was necessary.
He laughed cruelly, then looked up at me, "Has anyone ever
told you to respect your elders, lovely lilac?"
I glared at him as I spoke "No, and my name is Rose." I made
a mental note that I should change my name. I never liked it in the first place.
"Whatever you wish, One of the Rose Blossom." He laughed cruelly,
then continued "Visitors do not come here often, and I can assure you that they
do not leave."
I smirked, "This flower has more thorns than you know of, Kahaan.
I am a visitor- nothing more."
He gave me a cruel, haunting smile as he spoke "Maybe, but
even the wildest tigress can be tamed."
I glared at him, "Even the tame tigress can strike her Master
down." It was a Wingly saying often used in heated arguments I had heard. No humans
ever heard of it save for those not caught eavesdropping. To be an Elder, you
had to be well respected among people. Former slaves rarely lived long, and had
few friends. Where had he learned it?
"Yasuo, come in and show this tiger lily to your home. Give
her the extra room." his voice changed completely as he spoke to Yasuo, as if
our conversation had never happened.
I woke
suddenly, and I realized that someone was shaking me. I looked down to see the
young girl named Serena. Yasuo told me she was just Stupid, and the whole village
agreed. I asked them why, and the answer was that she couldn't speak. I frowned,
knowing that I had felt horrible and sworn revenge on every Wingly who called
me names just because of my species, this was no different.
"What's wrong?" I asked, getting back to reality. She pulled
on my hand, as if wanting me to follow her. I did, scanning the sky for the approximate
time. The sun was just beginning to rise, sending waves of deep reds throughout
the sky, as if someone had poured dye across it for a prank. 'Red sky at night,
sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor's warning.' I quoted in my mind
something I had over-heard someone saying while Zeig and I were being held captive.
This could not be good...
Serena made a quiet signal, pressing her index finger in front
of her mouth, and slowly opened the door to the elder's home. She knelt down at
the top of the stairs, and I followed her example. She cupped a hand to her ear,
and I listened hard. I caught snatches of the conversation, which sounded a little
one-sided to me.
"...mute is ready for transport... visitor has come... strong?
She looks it... tigress can be tamed... not worry... she suspects nothing... little
respect is all... raid will come tomorrow... good. I will be ready... will be
yours... plenty of children in the village... I have not failed you... yes, Lord
Melbu Frahma, best of luck to your lieutenants, not like they'll need it... God's
mercy on you, Emperor, for I deserve none."
I knew it, I thought, He is a Wingly. I have to get
out of here. I am not going back there. And Serena... most of the children
in the village had average looks or were crippled. Serena was the only one I was
really worried about. I have to get her out of here. I heard footsteps
coming up the stairs, and I pulled on Serena's shirt for her to follow me. We
ran out of the house, me half-dragging the young girl towards the cliff. I looked
around, wondering if I would make it out there with Serena.
Michael! I tried calling, although I knew it was
to no avail.
"It seems like the desert flower has unrooted itself." I heard
from behind me. I whirled around to face the Elder, who laughed.
"You will not get away with this, Wingly scum." I hissed, and
he laughed.
"Even the tigress sleeps, little lily." he laughed.
"Even the tamer has a final fantasy, whether he knows it or
not, Wingly."
"Not this tamer." he replied and threw something at us. Serena
fell to the ground with a thud, and I began to feel drowsy...
Sachet... I thought, but it was too late. I tried one
last futile attempt to slay the Wingly, but I soon fell into the merciless realm
of slumber.
"What's wrong?" Zeig asked Michael. He felt something was wrong as well. Rose... he thought, looking out of the cave and across the sea. She was in danger. Michael could feel it too. He winced as he moved his injured arm, which he had hit on a rock during the fall. He called upon the power of the Dragon, spread his wings, and flew, following the Black Burst Dragon.
I groaned
as I woke, wondering for a second if it all really happened.
"Finally awake?" Yasuo asked, and I bolted out of bed.
"Yasuo, get Serena out of here! Evacuate the village!"
"Slow down! What?"
"There's going to be a Wingly raid! They're after Serena!"
"No, the Winglies have not found us yet. Calm down."
"The Elder is a Wingly! Please, listen! I over-heard him talking
to Melbu-" I broke off when I realized my rapier was gone. I checked the pouch
where my Dragoon Spirit was supposed to be, but the stone was not there.
"Winglies!" the watch shouted, "We're under attack!"
"Stay here, Rose." Yasuo instructed, fixing his metal claws
onto his hand and running out the door.
Not like I have a choice, I thought harshly, My Dragoon
Spirit and my rapier are missing. I tried the dresser. Nothing. Where was
it...?
...here... I heard the call, the same call I heard from
the day I had fought the Darkness Dragon. I turned to the cupboard and walked
over to it. Locked. ...here...
The village was in trouble. Since when was a lock going
to stop me?
I backed up a few steps, then rammed my shoulder into the wood.
It was suprisingly weak and splintered with my first try. The blade and my Dragoon
Spirit were in there. I grabbed them both, not caring about how they got there,
and climbed out of the window to join the fight, the door being locked.
When
I came out, the first thing I saw was the cliff crumbling with the added weight
of all the Winglies. I saw Serena's golden locks among the Winglies' platinum
hair, ran towards the area and leaped into the air without a second's thought.
I let the wind whip my hair for a few moments, then summoned the power of the
Dragon. The Winglies around me stared in horror as a deep cloud of Darkness surrounded
me, halting my fall. I felt the Darkness run through my veins like it was my blood
itself, power unexplained rushed through my mind, my soul, the very essence of
my being. I felt wings sprout from my back, and I swung my new-forged blade to
test it. Yes, this would do. I looked over at the stunned Winglies and grinned
at them evilly.
"I have the mute!" I heard from below, so I folded my wings
and plummeted. I saw the Wingly who held her, a glowing blade in his hand. Every
instinct in my body told me to stay away from that sword, but I had to help Serena.
I dove towards them at a massive speed, raised my blade to meet his head -
- and his blade pierced clean through my shoulder. Serena squirmed
and her eyes widened as blood dropped onto her shoulder. My blood. To say
the Wingly was startled was an understatement. He could not have been more than
a private, and his blade had sliced through my armour like a hot knife through
butter. He dropped Serena, and I pulled myself away from the glowing sword. I
dove after Serena yet again, and I caught her with my injured arm painfully, fighting
off Winglies with my other, the one that held my blade. I placed Serena in the
forest far from the cliff edge, told her quickly to stay put, and flew off to
fight again, in spite of my injury. Even injured as I was, the winglies stood
no chance. I was an enraged Dragoon. I drove my blade into the chest of one, sliced
clean through his side to lop off the head of another. Blood splattered all over
me and his comrades, one of which flung himself at me in an attempt to get revenge.
I easily sliced off his torso, spun in the air to kill those who stood nearby,
and continued on my rampage.
I lost track of the death toll, but when a retreat was finally
called, I counted ten leaving, the last of which the sole Wingly who had injured
me, the blade in his hand. I wanted to pursue him, make him pay, but at the sight
of the blade, I felt so weak... I began to fall towards the ground, one wing and
arm rendered completely useless. I stared with half a heart at the tiny dots on
the ground that were supposed to be people, knowing at least that they were safe.
I felt my self hit something... but the ground was so far away... I looked up
and saw...
"...Zeig..." I whispered, relief running through me. I think
he tried to ask me something, but I had already passed out...