TEEN: - Complete Soul of a Dragon Prince (Breath of Fire 3) Chapter 22 up!

[CynthiaLover]

A new series is underway. While it isn't a good idea to divide one's focus with two completely different story series, I have to, otherwise the ideas will get mashed up together, as my brain works in strange ways. Anyway, enough of that, let's get the show on the road!

The Great War waged, killing nearly thousands, between the Guardians, led by their God... and the powerful Brood. The Brood... once a powerful and mighty race of dragons that existed over 400 years ago. But now they're gone, their remains having fossilized into crystal-like ore, as punishment for starting a war in ancient times. The Dragon Clan has ceased to exist, and the world sees them as the most terrifying and evil creatures of all. That will all change.

A sleeping prince, a quest for truth, a battle that has spanned countless lifetimes, it all comes down to this. New friends, new and old enemies, a new adventure awaits. The Brood will walk the earth once again, to finish what was started countless lifetimes ago.

Spoiler

Explosive Birth


Nestled in the mountains far to the northwest lay a mine. This mine was active, with several workers of all shapes and sizes tirelessly mining the strange crystal-like ore that formed in the depths of the earth. Deeper inside the mine was a large chunk of crystal, transparent blue, but something was curled up inside it. A man present pondered at the sight of the strange creature frozen within the crystal. He looked like a humanoid wolf, his strong body mostly covered in brown fur, which was further covered with work overalls and durable boots. Another joined him shortly, a short, stocky, mole-like being with large, sharp claws. He seemed to be making final checks on the status of the three sets of dynamite that was strapped to the large crystal.

The wolf-like man asked, “What is this? Some sort of egg?”

The mole man replied, “Yes, you run into these every so often. But nothing has ever happened when we’ve blasted them, so I doubt anything will happen now.”

“Well I’ll be…”

The mole man walked a short distance away, dropping to the ground, putting his claws over his head, as if bracing for something.

“Come on, let’s get to work,” he stated.

The wolf man nodded, placed down his backpack, and slowly walked away, dragging a fuse line. After he got to a safe distance, he lit the fuse, ducked down, and braced himself. The fuse reached the backpack, which caused it to release three lit fuses from its remains that struck the dynamite. With a loud KABOOM the dynamite detonated. It caused the crystal to shake and crackle. However, the small creature within started to stir. Finally the crystal exploded, shards and chunks flying everywhere, letting the small body drop down into the base of the crystal.

The two miners were about to breathe a sigh of relief when, without warning, the little creature stood up and gave a small screech, almost like a yawn. The two miners turned around quickly and, to their horror, were staring down the newly awakened creature.

The wolf man sputtered, “I-It can’t be! T-That thing is still alive! That dragon is still alive!!!”

The dragon tilted its head quizzically, trying to figure out what was going on.

The mole man choked, “W-WOAH!!!” and launched a claw swipe at it in a panic.

The claw slash left a small cut on the dragon’s cheek, startling it, but it quickly narrowed its eyes, gaining a dangerous look on its scaly face.

Threat… a threat… Must destroy…

The whelp of a dragon could feel its instincts kick in, its eyes gleaming threateningly. Inside its small body a flame started to churn. This flame pushed its way through its throat and into its mouth. It reared back, pulled back its head, and thrust it forward, releasing a powerful tongue of flames. The wolf man and mole man tried to block it, but they were easily overwhelmed by the flames. When the dragon’s fire breath finally dispersed, the two men were charred black, lying on the ground, not moving. With a jump from its powerful legs, the dragon whelp leapt off the base of the crystal it was born from, looking around, and started to make its way over the wooden planks that acted as walkways further into the mine.

When the dragon stepped out for the chamber, another miner, this time a human, quickly took notice of it. He instantly backed up, fear and panic in his eyes.

He sputtered, “A-Are you a… dragon?”

The dragon gave a small cry, as if confirming the man’s question. This caused the miner to back up before fleeing in a panic.

“D-D-D-DRAGOOOOOONNNNN!” his echoing cry in terror could be heard in the mine, running away as fast as his legs could carry him.

The dragon was a bit confused, but it started to make its way through the mine. It soon encountered two more miners, one with a pickaxe and one with a shovel.

The one holding the pickaxe stated, "Ha! I'm not afraid!"

He swung the pickaxe at the dragon, who barely dodged it. This made it very mad.

Threat… must destroy

Another flame started to churn within the dragon's body. It reared back, opened its mouth, and thrust its head forward, releasing another blast of fire. The two miners, now realizing their foolishness too late, were instantly charred, leaving behind blackened bodies.

The dragon, seemingly satisfied that the threat was dealt with, continued through the mine. As it did, it encountered several other miners, all of them cowering in terror, either too afraid to run or boxing themselves in unintentionally. However, they did not attack, unlike the first two, so the dragon merely ignored them, but kept a watchful eye on them as it passed, just in case. Eventually the little dragon entered another section of the mine. It was a large space with several wood platforms, support pillars, and some equipment such as a crane. Just behind the little dragon was a giant fossilized dragon skull, where the tunnel the little dragon had just emerged from was dug into.

What looked like a foreman quickly noticed the little green-scaled creature, and fear instantly took him over.

He choked, “A-A dragon!? A DRAGON!? T-Then what the other workers said is true!” he started to run, “DRAGON!”

The whelp merely let him and started to make its way down the long wooden platforms, passing a worker who was nervously standing near the crane’s controls. Suddenly, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching, catching the dragon’s attention. A being that resembled a fusion between an anthropomorphic ox and a muscle builder approached.

“What’s all this about a dragon, hmm?” He then laid eyes on the small creature, “Well, well, well…. Let’s take it alive.”

Hearing this, the dragon started to summon up the same flames from within its body, arched its head back, and prepared to blast him.

No! Stop!

The dragon’s attention was diverted to the large dragon fossil, as if wondering if that voice it heard in its head came from it. Looking up, a strange feeling started to well up inside of it.

Taking advantage of the dragon’s temporary distraction, the man working the crane controls stated, “Take THIS!”

Realizing its mistake, the dragon quickly turned only to receive a solid smack in the head from the crane, knocking it out cold. This allowed everyone within range to relax, and allowed the ox-like man to safely grab the downed dragon. After carrying the dragon up to the surface, several men locked it into a cage, attached it to a crane, and lowered it onto a flatbed car attached to a small one-person steam engine. After ensuring that the dragon’s cage was secure, the man at the controls of the train started to make his way down the tracks that wove around the mountains, taking the dragon with it. Eventually the train reached an area that was near a forest. It was at this time that something went wrong.

The dragon, coming to its senses, realized where it was. With a screech it started to slam into the cage, trying to either break out or knock it loose from the train car. It struggled and fought hard before the chains holding the cage down snapped, causing the cage to fall off the train and down into the woods below, much to the miner’s horror, who stopped the train right away.

“Oh no… now that dragon is loose. What should I do? Maybe I better get back to Dauna Mine and report this. I’m going to be in so much trouble…”

In the woods, a boar noisily trotted around, oinking and snorting. It didn’t know that it was being watched. A pair of intense eyes hidden behind some bushes watched, waiting for the right moment. The boar suddenly sensed it wasn’t alone, and started to look around. The hidden pair of eyes prepared to grab the two large daggers it wield, ready to strike.

CRASH!!!

A massive noise could be heard, spooking the boar, causing it to flee in fear. The hidden pair of eyes flared angrily, emerging from the bushes. They belonged to a tiger-like man. His body was muscular yet extremely agile, his skin having a tint of yellow, with large clawed hands and feet, a long, striped, furry tail swishing behind him, pointed, furry ears with black tips, and stripes on his cheeks. His clothes looked perfect for a swift fighter, consisting of a torn vest with no shirt under it, somewhat loose pants, and shoes that had no toes or heels. His long blonde hair was slightly obscuring his face, but it didn’t hide his frustration in his greenish-gold eyes.

He growled, “No! I don’t get many chances like that anymore! No, now what I’m I gonna do? Oh, come on, what’s causing that racket!?”

He swiftly moved deeper into the woods, trying to find the source of the noise. When he came to a certain point, he saw a strange sight. There was a boy, no older than eight, with azure hair, laying on the ground, without a strip of clothing. Next to him was a large cage, now open. But the worst part of the scene was the two creatures eyeing the boy hungrily. They look like wolves, but they had more demonic-colored fur and seemed to be breathing small flames. They looked like they were ready to pounce on the defenseless child, but the tiger man threw a dagger at them, lodging it into a tree, catching the wolf creatures’ attentions. He walked up to them, eyes staring intensely at them.

“Doesn’t this just beat all? Just what I needed.”

The wolf monsters prepared to strike, but the tiger man was much faster. With a swift motion using his remaining blade, he effortlessly cleaved the first creature’s head off.

“That’s for scaring off my dinner!”

The other wolf creature prepared to strike in order to avenge its fallen comrade, but it met the same swift fate from the tiger man’s blade.

“You too!”

With the two monsters now dead, the tiger man approached the tree, removing his dagger, before directing his attention to the boy.

“You’re lucky those Currs didn’t chew you to pieces. Who are you?” He started to walk away, but his conscience was nagging him, turning back to the boy, “I don’t have enough food to feed you. Even if I were to take you home…”

He tried to walk away again, but he heard a small voice whimpering. He turned to see the boy move slightly.

“M… Mommy…?” the boy whimpered softly.

Guilt overwhelmed the tiger, making him sigh in defeat, “All right, all right already. Uncle Rei will take you home. You’d better appreciate this, kid.”

He gently hoist the little boy onto his back, wrapping his tail around the kid for extra support, and started to walk further into the woods. As he walked, he looked back at the child.

“What were you doing out here by yourself, anyway?” Rei asked. “And without a strip of clothing, too?”

The boy did not respond, seemingly asleep, with what appeared to be a small look of content as he was held by Rei. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination. Near a small stream was a large wooden, two-story tree house. It was well-built all things considering, with what looked like a log wall wrapping around it, as if for protection. Rei used the winding path and part of the log wall to enter the tree house. Inside was another person.

He was a young boy, perhaps slightly older than the blue-haired child, with long purple hair, a round yet sharp face, and reddish eyes. He was fully dressed in purplish-blue clothes consisting of a long-sleeved tunic, long pants, grey boots, and armor on his torso and shoulders. He sat at the simple table, feeling his stomach complaining.

He whined, “Where’s Rei? I’m hungry.” Suddenly the door clicked, getting his attention, “He’s home!”

Rei entered the cabin-like tree house, holding the young boy.

The purple-haired boy exclaimed, “Welcome home, Rei! Is that dinner?”

Rei couldn’t help but chuckle, “Boy, you’ll eat anything, won’t you, Teepo.”

Teepo then got a good look at the small boy with Rei, “Who’s that?”

“I don’t know. Let’s get him into your bed for the time being.”

Though slightly upset about no food and having to share his bed, Teepo complied and helped Rei put the azure-haired boy in his bed, having also fetched a pair of pajamas for his naked state. The boy seemed to be sleeping comfortably, with Rei and Teepo watching over him.

Teepo asked again, “So, who is he?”

Rei shook his head, “I told you, I don’t know. I found him in the woods. He was nearly eaten by some Currs, who also ended up scaring off our dinner. An orphan, I guess. No surprise, it’s been a lean year. Let’s let him rest for now and head to the village. If we don’t find any food soon…”

The feline male walked out, leaving Teepo alone with the boy, “An orphan. Just like me… Did someone abandon you?”

He quickly followed Rei, but not before taking one last look at the sleeping boy, before leaving.

As the boy slept, a vivid dream danced in his head.

“You have to understand, you’re just like me!” a voice said strongly. “They’re weak! Pitiful and pathetic! You can’t be with them!”

Another, more soothing voice entered his head, that belonging to a woman.

“Ryu… my… Ryu…”

Shortly afterward, the boy awoke. He looked around, confused at his new surroundings, and got out of the bed. He started to make his way out of the tree house, seemingly being guided by an internal force, as if knowing what he was looking for. He wandered through the woods, observing everything with child-like innocence, before finally emerging from the dense forest. A short hike away was a small village. As he entered, wondering where he was, he heard a loud series of noises from one of the small cottages on the hill. Suddenly Rei emerged from one, moving swiftly, jumping off the incline and unknowingly landing in front of the boy, startling him, making him fall back. Just then Teepo emerged as well, being chased by an older woman with a broomstick.

He mocked, “Nya-nya! You can’t catch me!” He regrouped with Rei, “It’s no use Rei. Everyone’s keeping watch for us.”

Rei nodded, “No one’s got much food, either, thanks to the poor harvest.” He then noticed the boy, “Well, look at this Teepo.”

Teepo then noticed the boy, “Hey! You’re awake!”

Just then, much to the boy’s embarrassment, his stomach growled. Rei gained a depressed look.

“Well, doesn’t this just beat all? Now we have another mouth to feed.”

The boy said sheepishly, “S-Sorry…”

Teepo snapped his fingers, “Hey, Rei, I got an idea! How about we have him help us? No one in the village knows who he is, so he might have a better chance and stealing some food than us!”

This made the boy nervous, but Rei smiled, “Not a bad idea, Teepo. But first I think we should get him out of those pajamas. I’ll see if I can swipe some clothes and armor from the weapon shop.”

The boy followed the two other males to another building. This one was larger than the others, though not by much, with a sign next to the door that had a sword and shield design.

Teepo turned to the boy, “Don’t worry, Ryu. Rei will get you some stuff in no time.”

Ryu looked puzzled, “You… know my name?”

At that moment, Rei snuck into the shop, allowing Teepo to realize what he just said.

“Wait, I called you Ryu. Is that your name?”

Ryu nodded, making Teepo even more confused.

“Funny… how’d I know that? Did I dream it or something?”

Just then more crashing and banging could be heard. Rei quickly scrambled out of the building, clutching a moderately large sack.

He sputtered, “Uh-oh! Scram!”

Teepo was hot on his heels. Ryu, still unsure what to do, followed them instinctively.

A short time later Rei and Teepo were near a farm. There were several people working there, but the fields had a notable lack of crops. The cow pasture nearby was also lacking in cows.

Teepo puffed, “Whew, that was a close one. Wasn’t it, Rei?”

“Yeah, but at least we got him some clothes to wear,” Rei replied.

The purple-haired kid called out, “Hey! Ryu! Don’t be a slowpoke!”

Ryu, now fully dressed, somewhat awkwardly approached them. He was dressed in a beige and dark green tunic jumper shorts with a white undershirt and large, white and brown boots. He had round shoulder plates with red metal plates on them, brown fingerless gloves with battle tape under them, and a red scarf. Attached to his hip was a sword. He seemed to be a bit uncomfortable in his new getup.

Rei chuckled, “Not used to wearing armor, huh? You’ll get used to it quickly enough.”

Teepo asked, “So what should we do, Rei?”

Rei pondered for a moment before replying, “How about we head to Yraall Road? We might be able to get some ‘work’ done there.”

Ryu asked, puzzled, “Work?”

Teepo nodded, “Yeah. We hide out and when someone passes by, we mug them. It’s real easy. Even a beginner like you can do it!”

“But won’t we hurt them?” the blue-haired boy asked.

Rei shook his head, “We won’t hurt them. I’m not into hurting people, you know. So come on.”

Rei was leading the way, with Teepo right behind him. Not sure what to do, Ryu followed the two males past the fields and down the road.

Next Chapter: Chimera Chaos

It has begun. The start of a new era is upon us. The Brood will rise again. Tune in next time to find out what happens next.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Chapter 2 is now live! Actually it was finished a while ago, but it still needed proofreading. Anyway, on with the show.

Spoiler

Chimera Chaos


The trio of males made their way down the road. Rei was in the lead, with Teepo and Ryu behind him. Ryu was still uncertain about all this, but not knowing what else to do, he followed their lead. Suddenly, the bushes rustled, making Rei stop, his tiger ears flicking slightly.

He said, “Looks like we’ve got company. Be prepared you two. It might be a monster.”

Ryu gulped, “A… a monster?”

Teepo said confidently, “Relax, Ryu, the monsters around here are total pushovers. Even a beginner like you can deal with them. So draw your weapon and get ready.”

Rei drew his two daggers swiftly, while Teepo pulled out a short sword with the utmost confidence. Ryu struggled to draw his sword, fear in his heart, but he eventually held it in his hands. Suddenly something sprang from the bushes. Rather, three things did. They were very simple-looking creatures, being blue, somewhat gumdrop-shaped, creatures, made from goo, with a pair of eyes bouncing up and down off their gummy bodies.

Rei grinned, “Just a group of Eye Goos, nothing seriously threatening. But stay on your guard, as they like to travel in packs. Now… ATTACK!”

Rei made a swift motion with his large daggers, effortlessly spattering one of the Eye Goos like it was nothing more than a gnat. Teepo followed suit with a sword slash in a twirling motion, slaying the second. Ryu hesitated, closed his eyes, and blindly flailed his sword at the third. To his surprise, he not only succeeded in hitting it, but killed it. With the threat gone, the trio of boys retracted their weapons.

Teepo burst into laughter, “I can’t believe it! What a scardy-cat! You’re lucky that your sword actually HIT it, let alone killed it, Ryu. That blind flailing was hilarious!”

Ryu gained an embarrassed blush, but Rei stepped up.

“Don’t rub it in, Teepo. Ryu is new to this,” the tiger teen stated. “Remember when you first fought an Eye Goo? You were scared too, you know. I remember that scared look you had. It took a bit of time, but you got used to it. Ryu will, too, so don’t laugh. Considering it was probably Ryu’s first time using a sword, he didn’t do too badly. So let’s go and get to Yraall Road, unless you two don’t want to eat.”

Rei walked ahead, with Teepo following; Ryu bringing up the rear. As they did, they ran into a couple more packs of Eye Goos, along with small, green gremlin-like creatures. They were slightly tougher, but they seemed to lack the motivation to fight much, so the trio was able to dispatch the various packs of monsters. Ryu, however, was still terrified as he did, always struggling to get his sword out and flailing it blindly when he did. While Teepo laughed, Rei merely shrugged it off. It wasn’t long before they reached a T-junction in the road.

Teepo said, “This is Yraall Road. It heads all the way to Wyndia. This is where we work.” He looked to the sky, “Someday we’re gonna blow this joint and head to the big city like Wyndia. Right, Rei?”

Rei merely said, “Well, instead of worrying about that, let’s focus on getting some food first. In any case, we should find a place to hide.” He looked around before deciding on a spot, “Over there looks good, behind those bushes and near that tree. Follow me.”

He led the two young kids to the place he chose. After they were nestled behind the bushes, he turned to Ryu.

“So this is what we do. When someone walks on by, we jump out,” he swiftly drew his weapons, Teepo following suit, “Just like this! And we steal what we can grab.”

Ryu replied, “But isn’t that a bad thing?

Teepo looked at him oddly, “What’s with you, Ryu? Don’t get all soft on us now.”

“Don’t worry. We’re just a bunch of poor kids who are hungry. I’m sure whoever will forgive us, right?” Rei reassured the boy.

The blue-haired boy looked unsure, “A-Are you sure?”

Teepo brushed it off, “Relax, Ryu, it’ll be fine.”

Just then Rei turned his attention somewhere else, “Someone’s coming! Get ready!”

The three boys got into a position, though Ryu was still hesitant. A burly man with a shaggy beard, donning woodsman clothing, was making his way down the road, unknowingly heading in their direction.

Rei stated, “Okay, Ryu, show us what you’re made of! Go get him!”

Ryu protested, “B-But…!”

Teepo got behind Ryu, “Come on, don’t wimp out on us. It’s real easy. You just run at them… like THIS!”

He gave Ryu a swift kick, startling the boy enough that he unwittingly ran smack into the burly man, falling to the ground. The burly man barely flinched from the impact, but he looked down at the blue-haired boy, kneeling down to his level.

He asked, “What are you doing, little one?”

Ryu, highly intimidated, replied meekly, “M-Mugging you…?”

The man quirked an eyebrow, “Mugging me, hmm?” He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else nearby, before returning his attention to Ryu, “We have enough trouble with those two rascals Rei and Teepo running around. If you see them, tell them this. If I catch them… they’ll be sorry!”

He got up and started to walk away. Rei and Teepo had ducked for cover during the whole confrontation. Rei gained a sour look.

“Whoops. Figures it would be Bunyan…” he sighed.

Teepo gave a strong kick in anger, “Who does he think he is, anyway!? The nerve of him!”

Ryu quickly scrambled back to the other two boys, “S-Sorry…”

Rei shrugged, “Don’t worry about it, Ryu. Bunyan is a tough nut to crack, and just as strong, so don’t think about it too much.” Something then dawned on him, “Hold on! If old man Bunyan is here, then that means his house is deserted!”

Teepo gained a grin, “Perfect! We can steal some food from him! That’ll show ‘im! Come on, let’s get back to Cedar Woods and raid his place!”

Ryu thought grimly, “Why do I have a bad feeling about this…? I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

The trio of boys quickly head back to Cedar Woods, slaying any monsters they came across, though Ryu still wasn’t very confident in his swordsmanship just yet. Just a little more than an hour later, the three boys reached Cedar Woods. Rei, obviously knowing the way, led the two kids to a small cabin. He noticed the door was locked, but he smirked nonchalantly, effortlessly picking the lock with a claw. The trio entered the cabin, which was devoid of any other being.

Rei grinned, “Just as I thought, no one’s home.”

“Great! So let’s steal some of Bunyan’s food and split. That’ll teach him not to mess with us!” Teepo said smugly.

“Right, but do so quietly.”

Rei and Teepo entered the heart of the cabin first, slowly creeping along, looking for any food. Ryu hesitated, but when Rei’s tail unknowingly nudged a plate on the table, the boy lunged to catch it before it fell to the ground. He managed to catch it, but slammed onto the floor.

“SHHHHH!!!” Rei quietly hissed, “We have to be quiet, Ryu.”

Teepo nodded, “Yeah, don’t get so jittery. Now let’s split up and see if we can find anything.”

Ryu placed the plate back on the table and joined the other two boys in their search. He noticed a ladder leading to an underground cellar.

He said silently, “Maybe there’s something down there?”

He climbed down the ladder, entering the cellar. Inside were various piles of firewood and a pantry cupboard. Nervously, Ryu opened up the cupboard and found what looked like a fair amount of beef jerky. He cautiously took it. Just then Rei and Teepo climbed down the ladder, joining the blue-haired kid.

Teepo asked eagerly, “Did you find something, Ryu?”

Ryu nodded, “Y-Yeah, I found some beef jerky.”

Rei smiled, “Good work, Ryu. Now let’s get out of here before Bunyan returns.”

Too late. They could hear the door click open and the creaking of floorboards under a heavy weight. The three boys froze instantly.

“Uh-oh… old man Bunyan’s come home…” the tiger teen gulped.

Teepo, now showing nervousness, asked, “W-What should we do, Rei?”

The humanoid feline thought quickly before replying, “I’ll go up and see. If it is him, I’ll distract him while you two make a break for it.”

He cautiously climbed up the ladder and vanished from view. This left the two kids even more nervous.

Teepo stuttered, “D-Don’t worry, Ryu. Rei’s smart enough that he won’t get caught. So everything will be fine…”

However, contrary to his statement, a struggle could be heard above them, followed by a scream from a familiar source.

“I… I better go check it out…” the purple-haired kid gulped. As he made his way to the ladder, he said in a shaky voice, “E-Everything will be okay. D-Don’t worry…”

He climbed up into the main house and vanished from view. Shortly afterward, another loud struggle could be heard, making Ryu gulp in fear.

He said weakly, “I… I guess it’s my turn…”

With fear racking his body and mind, Ryu climbed out of the cellar. He slowly crept his way around to the front door, and slowly emerged. He was greeted by the sight of Rei and Teepo tied up. With his attention diverted, a sudden punch came his way, knocking the azure-haired boy down, Bunyan towering over him. Ryu was frozen with fear, so the woodsman had no resistance when he tied the boy up and tossed him next to his “partners-in-crime”.

He growled, “I knew you were up to no good. But I never thought you’d sink this low!” He cracked his knuckles threateningly, “At a time like this, when everyone’s suffering. Don’t you know that if you don’t work, you don’t eat.”

Teepo spat, “Shut up! We were working!”

“Stealing isn’t honest work. I have half a mind to chase you three out of the woods. However…” he voice softened slightly, “If you promise to change your ways, I may be able to forgive and forget.”

Rei asked, “What are you going to do with us, Bunyan?”

The woodsman pondered for a moment before approaching the feline teen.

“You’re a strong lad, Rei. I want you to go to Mt.Glaus. You know it, right? The big mountain to the north of Cedar Woods. You’ll know it when you see it. I want you to take care of something at that mountain.”

He untied Rei, allowing the tiger man to stand freely. Rei started to make his way, but turn around, looking at his two kid friends.

“What about them?” he asked.

Bunyan replied, “Oh, I have something planned for them.”

“So, you’re going to hold them as hostages so I’ll do as you say? Fine, I’ll go. Teepo, look after Ryu, got it?”

As Rei quickly made his way through the woods, Bunyan turned to the two remaining boys.

Teepo spat, “Hey, old man! What are you expecting us to do!?”

The woodsman replied sternly, “Work, Teepo. That’s what.”

He went back into the cabin briefly, returning with several piles of firewood. He then untied the two boys.

“This is what you’re going to do. You’re going to chop firewood. It’s very simple: Teepo holds the log and Ryu cuts it with his sword. If you cut a good amount of firewood quickly, then I’ll be satisfied with that.”

The purple-haired kid laughed, “That’s all? Ha! We can do this in our sleep!” He turned to Ryu, “Come on, Ryu, let’s make this quick so we can get back to Rei.”

Ryu nodded nervously, “R-Right.”

Teepo positioned log after log on top of a stool, holding it steady for a moment, allowing Ryu to lash out his sword, cutting the logs in two. Ryu was surprised at how swiftly his sword cut the logs, wondering about his own strength. After about half an hour, they had chopped several pieces of firewood.

Bunyan stated, “That’s enough. Not too bad.”

Teepo smirked, “See? Told you it would be easy. Now you won’t get mad if we steal things, right?”

The woodsman gave the boy a stern look, “With an attitude like that, you’re bound to get into trouble sooner or later.”

Teepo gave a defiant kick, “Aw, who cares? One day we’re gonna leave this place and head to the city like Wyndia! So it doesn’t matter!” He turned to Ryu, “Come on, Ryu, let’s go find Rei.”

Ryu nodded, “R-Right, let’s go.” He then said silently, “I hope Rei’s okay…”

The two boys started to make their way out of the main woods and head toward a large mountain that loomed nearby. Teepo confidently led the way, Ryu following. Several monsters tried to attack them, but despite not having Rei around, the two boys managed to handle the monsters themselves without too much trouble. After about an hour and a half the two boys reached the base of the mountain.

It was a massive tower of dirt and rock, with a fast flowing river pouring out and around it. The two boys made their way, climbing the mountain. Newer creatures roamed the craggy domain, such as Eye Goo-like monsters that varied red and purple, Currs, and spiky floating orbs with hawk-like beaks. Despite that, the two boys managed to overcome these new monsters and continued their trek up the mountain. However, when they reached a certain point, dusk had started to fall, crows cawing in the distance.

Teepo looked around, “It’s getting dark, Ryu. Let’s call it a day.” He then noticed a cabin nearby, “We’ll rest there. I bet Rei is already there.”

Ryu nodded in agreement, obviously tired, following the other boy into the cabin. Inside was dark, but a familiar person was leaning against the wall.

Teepo exclaimed happily, “Rei! You’re safe! We were getting worried about you.”

Rei looked surprised, “Teepo? Ryu? What are you doing here?”

“Heh, we completed what old man Bunyan wanted, so we came after you. Aren’t you happy to see us?”

“Well, yeah, of course I am. But you shouldn’t be here.”

Teepo staggered briefly, “W-What do you mean? We were worried about you, so we had to come.”

Rei scratched the back of his head, “Well… I think the reason Bunyan sent me up here alone was because he was worried about you.”

Ryu asked, “Worried… about us? What do you mean, Rei? Is everything okay?”

Teepo nodded, now confused, “Yeah, wasn’t Bunyan holding us hostage so you do as he said? Why would he be worried about us?”

Just then they heard a loud, rippling howl echoing all over the mountain, catching their attention. Their bodies became tense.

Rei explained, “Have you heard of the rumors? About a powerful monster lurking in this mountain. Bunyan wanted me to kill it.”

Teepo, perplexed, asked, “But why would he send just you? I mean, isn’t it strong?”

Rei’s eyes shifted away, “Yeah, but I’m stronger… if I was alone… But now that you two are here… I can’t use…” He trailed off, looking out the window, confusing the two boys.

Ryu asked, “Use what, Rei?”

“Oh, never mind. We might as well get some rest, as we have a busy day tomorrow. Doesn’t this just beat all?”

Not knowing what else to do, Ryu and Teepo made themselves comfortable in the old cabin, slowing drifting off. Rei took one last look outside, gently gnawing his lower lip.

“I can’t… I can’t use it…” he whispered. “Not with those two around… my… my only family… I’ll just have to do this the old-fashioned way. I just hope Teepo and Ryu are ready for this.”

Finally, he silenced his thoughts, got comfortable, and eventually dozed off, but his ears stayed alert throughout the night.

Dawn barely broke, but the rippling howl could be heard. Rei was quickest to awaken, instinctively bracing himself. Teepo started to roughly shake Ryu awake.

He hissed, “Ryu! Ryu, wake up! He’s here!”

Ryu awoke, but was dreading what was about to happen. Making sure his sword was with him, the blue-haired boy stood up, bracing himself for battle.

Rei led the two boys outside, and there they heard another howl, one that was much closer. They looked up, and perched on the ledge above them was a formidable creature. It had the mane of a lion, the body and face of a monkey, several snake heads for a tail, and sharp claws and teeth. It leapt down to their level, snarling.

“Well… he’s sure up bright and early…” Teepo stated, trying to hide his nervousness.

Rei growled, “So the rumors were true. It’s a Nue chimera! It’s the cause of the poor harvest and lack of food in the entire area. I guess we have to do what we were sent up here for. Prepare for battle!”

He swiftly drew his two large daggers, Teepo and Ryu following suit with their swords, though Ryu was a bit slower out of nervousness. But they were ready, and so was the Nue.

It struck first, lashing out a large hand-like claw at them. Ryu and Teepo dove out of the way while Rei swiftly charged in. With two powerful swipes from his daggers, he managed to make deep wounds on the Nue’s flank, making it howl in agony. It turned to face Rei, but before it could raise a claw, it was suddenly engulfed in a fiery bomb-like burst. It roared angrily, its fur and skin burnt, directing its attention to Teepo, whose hand was outstretched.

He smirked, “Didn’t like that, did ya? Didn’t like my Simoon spell at all, did you, ugly?”

The Nue looked livid. It quickly jumped out of range of Rei’s daggers before charging in toward Teepo.

Whether it was hidden courage, adrenalin, or just not thinking, Ryu jumped in and gave his sword a slash, leaving a deep wound on the Nue’s left arm, stopping its charge toward Teepo.

The Nue looked at the three boys, each on at different positions, boxing it in between them. This gave them the opening then needed.

Rei gave another swift strike from his daggers near the Nue’s hindquarters, leaving two gashes with blood slowly oozing out. The Nue turned its attention to Rei, but in doing so gave the other two boys an opening. Teepo held out his hand, magical energy generating from it, stating an incantation of sorts.

“Simoon!” he cried out.

The Nue was engulfed in another bomb-like blast from underneath, further burning it and increasing the pain it already had from the previous strikes. As it turned its attention to Teepo, it gave the others another opening.

Ryu ran in, and although fear screamed inside his mind, he gave his short sword another strong swing. This one had even more power than before; leaving a very deep gash on the Nue’s other flank, causing blood to ooze out.

The Nue realized it was boxed in, so with a powerful jump from its four legs, it leapt to the higher area and disappeared.

Rei stated, “Come on! It’s retreating! We can’t let it get away!”

As the two boys followed the tiger teen, Ryu looked at his hands. They seemed to be giving off tremendous strength despite their small size.

“How… how did I do that much damage?” he asked internally. “I’m… I’m weak… and scared… but somehow… somehow I managed to overcome that and… I fought with strength I didn’t know I had. Is this my inner strength? The strength needed to protect what matters most?”

The strength needed to protect what matters most…

It’s as if something was slowly awaking within him, those words echoing deep within his very being, causing a strong force to stir from its slumber.

Ryu returned his attention to the matter at hand. The trio of boys entered the cave at the top of the mountain. As they entered, they noticed blood on the ground. Rei took a closer look.

He stated, “Yep, it’s the Nue’s blood. Let’s follow its trial and finish what we’ve started.”

Nodding, though nervous, the two boys dutifully followed their older companion. The followed the trail of blood deeper into the cave. However, when they came to a swift moving waterfall and river, the trail stopped just shy of the water.

Ryu looked concerned, “D-Did we lose it? Does that mean it’ll be back?”

Rei gave a deep sigh, “We’re gonna find it and finish it off. We can’t let it run loose anymore, as it’s caused enough damage. Let’s head back to the main part of the cavern and think of our next plan of action.”

As they returned to the main pathway, Teepo walked slightly ahead of the other two, grinning.

“Heheheh, okay, I think I got it.” He turned back to his companions, “The Nue jumped into the water in order to make us lose its trail. Yeah, that’s it.”

Rei and Ryu exchanged glances before returning their attention to Teepo.

The tiger man asked, “Okay, so if that’s true, then how do we get to it? It couldn’t have swum up that fast current, not in its current state. So where is it?”

A pause followed before Teepo replied, “…I dunno…”

Ryu then noticed that the cavern went deeper. Thinking about it first, something dawned on him before turning to his companions.

“Well, maybe if we go deeper into the cavern, we might find a way to get to the Nue. I think I saw a small cave under that waterfall, but I’m not sure. If that cave is the Nue’s nest, then maybe if we go in a bit deeper we might find another way in or something.”

Rei turned to his newest companion, surprised, but a smile formed on his face.

“It’s our best bet, so let’s try it,” he stated. Turning back to Ryu, he pat the boy on the head, “Good thinking, Ryu. It might be our only hope in finding and killing that Nue before it recovers. But that was some pretty slick thinking. And it’s only been one day since you joined forces with us. I must say, I’m impressed. Now let’s move out and see if you’re right.”

Feeling a sense of pride welled up inside Ryu, making his blue eyes twinkle brightly. But he kept the feeling down and out of the way: they have work to do. So, following Rei’s lead, the trio of boys walked deeper into the cavern. Other than small bat-like monsters, there wasn’t much else in the cavern.

The young boy thought, “Probably because they know that the Nue would eat them. Only those bat monsters can stay out of the way enough to avoid being its next meal.”

They finally came to a dead-end. It was a small ledge that looked over the fast-moving stream. Teepo balled up his fist and gently slammed it into his palm.

He said, “Okay, okay, this time I really got now. We jump in from here, let the current take us down to that spot we saw before, and we’ll land on that ugly brute’s front door, where he can’t run.”

Rei turned to Ryu, “What do you think, Ryu? Is Teepo right?”

Ryu pondered for a moment before replying, “Yeah, I believe he is.”

The tiger teen nodded, “Okay then… you go first.”

This startled the boy, “B-B-But…!”

Teepo stated, “Come on, Ryu, don’t be a wimp. Just jump in. We’ll be right behind you. Nothing will go wrong.”

Ryu silently whimpered, “I wish I was so sure about this.”

Taking a deep breath, the boy jumped from the ledge, landing in the flowing water. He managed to get his head to the surface in time to see Rei and Teepo follow him. The three of them coast down the current. It wasn’t long before they saw the top of the short waterfall. Bracing himself, Ryu went down first, but, to his relief, landed on a partly submerged rock, almost like a platform, before quickly scrambling in to the cave behind it. Shortly afterward, Rei and Teepo followed him in. All three of them were soaking wet, but Teepo had a satisfied smirk on his face.

He grinned, “See? I knew I was right.”

Rei shook himself dry before replying, “Yeah, this time. But what would’ve happened if we missed the mark and kept on going? We’d be back at square one.”

“Hey, if it works, it works. Don’t argue with the method and the ‘what if’s’. It worked, that’s all that matters.”

He and Ryu shook themselves dry before the trio noticed the same trail of blood leading deeper into the cave. The three boys only had to travel a short distance before they heard a growl. Looking ahead, there was a small cave, and inside was a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

Rei instructed, “Brace yourselves, here he comes.”

The Nue jumped out of the small cave, gave them an intimidating look, then jumped into a battle position. However, it was obvious that the Nue was getting worn out, and the wounds it has received were taking a toll on it.

Teepo grinned, “Looks like the big guy is getting worn out. Let’s finish him off!”

The battle begun.

The Nue tried to jump on top of the boys, hoping to pin at least one of them, but they managed to get out of the way for it to land on just the stone. Rei took the first strike, slashing out with his daggers, carving even more gashes on the creature’s body. It howled in pain. It tried to lash out a claw at the feline, but Teepo was prepared.

“Simoon!” he roared!

The Nue was blasted by the same bomb-like burst of fire and wind, severely burning its already battered and bloody body. It howled in rage and tried to lunge at Teepo.

Ryu, with surprising swiftness, charged in, slashing the Nue’s left hind leg, causing it to stop charging at Teepo and stumble. It then howled in fury, raised a claw up into the air, and seemed to be waiting for something. It wasn’t long before the boys learned what it had done.

A trio of moderately-weak lightning bolts suddenly rained down upon the three boys, striking them hard. However, Ryu and Teepo managed to get back up without much consequence, but Rei looked like he had taken the worst of it.

Ryu, seeing Rei in pain, his fur smoldering a bit, turned to Teepo, “Try another Simoon, Teepo. I have an idea to help Rei!”

Teepo, although confused, complied, generating more magical energy in his hand. Ryu quickly ran over to the tuckered out Rei, and started to channel his own magical energy through his sword. He then released it on Rei.

“Heal!”

Glowing sparkles of different colored light partly engulfed the tiger man. In a matter of moments, the wounds Rei had received from the lightning bolt were gone, allowing him to stand upright again.

“Whew, that’s much better,” he said, turning to the blue-haired boy. “Nice work, Ryu. Didn’t know you knew healing magic.”

At that moment the Nue roared in pain as another Simoon engulfed its body. Taking that as an opening, Rei and Ryu charged in, though Ryu still felt a degree of nervousness as he did. The battle waged on for a few more minutes before the Nue finally collapsed.

Rei was about to withdraw his weapons when the Nue suddenly sprung up, got into a standing position, and partly blocked the back cave, arms outstretched. The boys braced themselves again, but after that sudden motion, the Nue became motionless. A long pause followed before Rei retracted his weapons.

“It’s dead…” he said.

Ryu looked amazed, “It died on its feet? But why did it try to block that back cave?”

Teepo gestured, “Let’s check it out.”

Though the Nue partly blocked the back cave, the three boys managed to squeeze their way past in and into the back cave. It was there they met with a surprising sight.

Three cubs in a nest made of straw were there. However, they weren’t moving. Their bodies lay motionless, no signs of life in them, and they looked like they had been this way for quite some time.

Guilt, remorse, and sorrow washed over the three boys as they looked at the nest of dead cubs, realizing what the Nue was trying to do all this time.

Teepo gave a halfhearted laugh, “Heh, it wasn’t too bright, was it? I mean, its cubs were already dead.”

Rei sighed, “Doesn’t this just beat all? All it was doing was trying to feed its cubs. But… it must’ve not realized they were dead and kept bringing food back to them.”

Ryu could feel tears welling up in his eyes, “It was just trying to be a good mom… and we had to kill her for that…”

With heavy weights in their hearts, the three boys left the nest, squeezed past the Nue’s body, and with one final plunge, dove into the river. It washed them out of the cave and back to the foot of Mt.Glaus. After climbing out of the river and shaking themselves dry, they were greeted by a surprising sight.

Bunyan huffed, “So, how do you boys like doing hard work for a change?” He turned to the sky, “Come spring, the animals and wildlife will return, making it easier for everyone. Good work.”

However, as he started to walk away, Rei ran up to him, “Hold on! You knew that the Nue was only stealing food to feed her cubs! Why did you have us go and kill her!?”

He turned back to the boys, “If you knew she had cubs… would you have let her live?”

This shocked the boys to their cores: realizing what Bunyan said was true. Bunyan merely walked away, leaving the boys alone with their thoughts.

Next Chapter: Heroes for Hire

And that's all for now, folks. What will happen next? Will McNeil Village finally accept the boys? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

The next chapter is on the air. What will happen to the trio of boys now that the Nue is gone? And what sort of "heroic deed" will Teepo want to execute again? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Heroes for Hire


The sun was shining brightly. The trees and flowers were blooming. Birds flew and sang their lovely songs. Rabbits hopped and scurried along. Foxes dozed under the shade of the full trees. Even the monsters seemed to be enjoying the day.

Spring had arrived.

Teepo was making his way back to his home, his arms full of food he found. When he reached the front door, with some difficulty, he managed to open in, pushed the door in, and entered. Sitting inside were his two “brothers”, Ryu and Rei, who seemed to be happy for Teepo’s return.

He said, “I’m home! I went searching the forest for any animals and berries, and check out what I found!”

He placed the large pile of food on the table; most of it was apples, catching Ryu’s attention instantly.

Rei smiled, “Good work, Teepo. Now we have plenty to eat.”

“Yeah. It’s nice to know that we don’t have to worry about food anymore. Not only can we find good fruits, berries, and nuts in the forest, but Ryu learned how to fish, so he can catch us good fish to eat. Plus the animals returned to the forest, such as rabbits, pheasants, and boars, giving us plenty of options to choose from. It was good that we killed that Nue, wasn’t it?”

At the memory of what happened three months ago, Ryu felt a weight settle in his heart again. His guilt for the death of the Nue coming back again, remembering what she was trying to do all that time.

Rei stretched, “Yeah, though I’m still a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Sure, it means we won’t go hungry again, and it means the village will now prosper with better harvests, but it’s not a fond memory.”

The purple-haired boy bushed it off, “Aw, it doesn’t matter, right? Hey! I got an idea! Let’s head to the village! Show ‘em who got rid of that Nue!”

Ryu spoke up, “Isn’t that… bragging, Teepo?”

“Yeah, it’s best not to brag, Teepo,” Rei simply said.

This caused Teepo to stumble, “B-But maybe now the village will respect us! We have to tell them!”

Ryu didn’t seem so sure, but Rei started to ponder for a moment.

“Well… I guess it wouldn’t hurt to find out what they’re saying about us. Might be interesting to know if they’re saying good things about us because we killed the Nue.”

This excited the purple-haired youth, “So, we can go? Great! Let’s go, go, go!”

As he zipped out of the house, Ryu and Rei exchanged odd looks, but nevertheless followed the excited boy out of their little home. After walking through the woods, dealing with any monsters they encountered, and a short hike from there, they reached McNeil Village.

When they got there, it was eerily quiet. Not a soul was around. Teepo looked around, surprised.

He said, “That’s strange. No one’s around. Even after I told them we’d be coming into the village.”

Rei, now upset, growled, “What! I knew it! I knew you were bragging!”

Ryu sighed, “Should’ve figured… But it does seem odd that no one’s around…”

That changed in a moment. They heard several doors click open. Young men exited their homes, holding various farming tools like scythes, hoes, and rakes. They started to surround the boys, much to their worry. Shortly afterward the women and elderly appeared, creating a ring around the trio, trapping them. The three boys got closer to each other, now nervous, not sure what was going to happen next.

Rei, who was normally calm, gulped, “Hey, Teepo… what’s going on?”

The purple-haired youth replied with equal nervousness, “I-I don’t know, Rei…”

Ryu, fear in his voice, asked worriedly, “T-They’re not going to attack us… are they?”

Suddenly a young man asked, “Hey! Rei! Is it true what they say? That you three killed the Nue?”

Rei gulped before replying, “Well… yeah, we did…”

Another man said, surprised, “So then what Bunyan said was true…”

An older woman asked, “So… you boys risked your lives… for us?”

“Well… I guess you can say that…” Rei answered, still nervous.

Whispering and gasping could be heard among the crowd, making the three boys even tenser, clustering closer together. Just then, one of the older men walked up to them. His response wasn’t what the trio was expecting.

“Well done!” he exclaimed!

This surprised the three boys. They became even more surprised at the cheering and exploding joy they received from the villagers.

“Looks like we misjudged you boys. We’re sorry… and thankful. Thanks to you, we never have to worry about that Nue again, which means our harvests will be plentiful. Now we’ll have more food than we will know what to do with.”

Another man, this time a worker, stated, “You boys will never have to steal again. If you need food, just ask.”

This caught the three boys completely off-guard, stunned at the offer. Many of the villagers walked up to them, eager to congratulate, praise, and thank the trio. Everyone wanted to shake hands with them with overwhelming gratitude. Ryu, Rei, and Teepo were utterly surprised at all the attention and praise, almost feeling out-of-place and awkward. The villagers couldn’t be happier. After several rounds of thanks, handshakes, pats on the back, and even hugs, the three boys were finally left alone.

Rei stated, still surprised, “Well what do you know? We’re heroes!”

Teepo nodded, grinning ear to ear, “I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty important.”

“Yeah, I guess we are. I never thought I’d see the day. What about you, Ryu? What do you think of all this?”

The azure-haired boy replied, obviously overwhelmed, “I-I think I’ll pass on all the excitement next time. That was a bit… too much to handle…”

Teepo looked shocked, “Come on, Ryu! Don’t be like that! We saved the village! Relax and enjoy all this! We never have to worry about anything again!”

“I… I’ll try…”

Just then a cloaked man approached them, “Heheheh, you boys sure are heroes. I mean it, you really are. I’m impressed. Really, I am. After all, no one was brave enough to go after the Nue. Yep, you boys are heroes. That’s for sure.”

“Umm… thanks?” Rei replied, quirking an eyebrow. “But who are you?”

“Hmm? I’m Loki. You guys are really something, to say the least. Yep, you three are heroes… which is why I need your help. But I can’t talk about it here. Meet me in the shack near the fields in a little bit. I have something I want to ask of you three.”

“Umm… okay… we’ll see you at the shack…”

Loki smiled from underneath his hood, walking away.

Ryu turned to Rei, “What was that all about? What do you think he wants from us, Rei?”

The tiger man shrugged, “Beats me, Ryu. But we might as well see what he wants. Not like our schedules are full or anything. So let’s head to that shack and see what Loki has to say.”

Each exchanging a nod, the three boys headed southeast out of town. They passed the fields, which were now full of crops, while the cow fields had new livestock roaming in it. They approached the shack near the lower end of the fields, where Loki was waiting. He gestured them to enter, which they did.

Rei asked, “Okay, Loki, what do you want?”

Loki replied, “Well, you’ve heard the rumors about McNeil, right?”

“You mean the rumors that say he’s greedy and cheap? Yeah, so? They’re lots of people like that.”

Now showing a bit of nervousness in his voice, Loki replied, “Well… that’s true. But don’t you think he’s a little too greedy? What if you boys were to do the village another favor and help ease their money woes?”

Rei started to catch on, “So, you want us ‘heroes’ to break into McNeil’s home and steal everything. Am I right?”

Ryu looked unsure, “Umm… I don’t think that’s a good idea. We just managed to remove our thief titles from the villagers. Wouldn’t breaking in McNeil’s home just make things worse for us?”

Loki replied, “Well, not steal everything. Just take back the tax money and give it to the villagers. If you do that…” but was interrupted.

“We’ll become even bigger heroes! Right?” Teepo exclaimed eagerly.

“Right! You’ve got it! Doing so will make the villagers REALLY respect you, as McNeil is almost taxing them out of house and home. So if you steal back the tax money, then everyone will see you as the greatest heroes McNeil Village has ever known!”

Teepo nodded eagerly, “We’ll do it!”

Rei sputtered, “T-Teepo!”

Loki looked elated, “You will? Thank you! You should wait until nightfall. So just hang out here. When night falls, I’ll come get you.”

He ran out of the shack, leaving a beaming Teepo and bewildered Ryu and Rei. Teepo seemed to be relishing the thought of being heroes again. Ryu and Rei didn’t seem so sure about all this.

Ryu turned to Rei, “What should we do, Rei?”

“I guess we have no choice now but to do it. So let’s just wait until nightfall and see what happens then.”

They waited patiently until nightfall. Teepo spent most of the time practicing his swordsmanship, Rei sharpened his daggers, and Ryu merely sat down and did nothing. By the time darkness covered the land, the rest of the villagers tucked away in their homes, Loki arrived.

He smiled, “Good, you three are still here. Follow me to McNeil Manor.”

He led the trio of boys to McNeil Manor. It was an impressive mansion surrounded by a stone wall. A strong gate blocked the way in from the front. Loki turned to the boys.

“You’ll have to find your own way in. I can’t help you there. But I’m sure warriors as resourceful as you three can figure it out. Shame you couldn’t have done this sooner, as McNeil just had a broken part of his wall fixed. But I know you’ll find a way. Good luck.”

He then dashed away, leaving the boys alone. Rei, who was getting more and more suspicious of the cloaked man, looked around before turning to Ryu and Teepo.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s split up and find a way in. Call if any of you find something that might help.”

The boys split up, roaming around the front of the estate. Rei was up in a tree, looking over the wall, though still hidden, eyeing what possible defenses lay behind it. Teepo was near the front gate, wondering if they could climb over it. Ryu roamed the outer wall, trying to find any sort of crack or hole they could use. He then approached a section of the wall that looked different. It was differently colored, the stones being darker when compared to the rest of the wall.

He said to himself, “Is this the section of the wall that they were working on? It doesn’t look too steady.” He then called out in a loud yet hushed voice, “Rei! Teepo! I think I found something!”

The two other boys ran up to him.

Teepo asked, “Whattya find, Ryu?”

“Umm… I’m not totally sure if it’ll work, but this part of the wall is different. It doesn’t seem too steady.”

Rei looked it over, “I think this was the section of the wall that was being repaired earlier.”

He leaned back against it casually, thinking things over. It moved slightly at his weight, but still didn’t alert the feline. But Ryu and Teepo noticed it. It started to push back a bit more, now alarming the two boys.

“Uh… Rei…” Teepo choked.

Rei looked up at them and at that exact moment, the section of the wall completely fell back, causing Rei to tumble backwards. The two younger boys ran up to Rei, worried.

Ryu asked, “Rei! Rei! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Rei got up, dusting himself off, “Yeah, no worries, I’m fine.”

Teepo noticed something, “Hey! We’re inside McNeil Manor!”

“Yeah… thanks to shoddy construction work…” Ryu observered. “Guess McNeil really IS that cheap, as he’s not willing to pay for a halfway decent repair job.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, Ryu,” Rei replied. “So much for the perfect repair job. Not exactly what I had planned but I’ll take any break I can get. Doesn’t this just beat all?”

The three boys entered the estate. Inside there were several night watchmen, but some of them seemed different. Some didn’t seem too eager to be doing their job, confirming in the minds of the boys that the rumors were, indeed, very true. As they tried to sneak past a guard, he flashed his lantern at them.

“Who goes there?” the guard stated.

Rei and the others were about to draw their weapons, expecting a fight, but to their surprise the guard merely lower his lantern.

“Oh, it’s just you Rei.”

This puzzled Rei, “Umm… you’re not going to fight us or report us?”

“No, not at all. After all, you three beat that Nue, so I stand no chance against you.”

“You’re a smart guy. We’re going in.”

The guard held out his hand, “If you give me 50 zenny, then I will pretend we never met.”

The three boys dug their hands into their pockets and managed to extract 50 gold coins, which they gave to the guard.

He smiled, “Heheh, thanks. Our salary isn’t very good, thanks to McNeil’s cheapness.” He then turned his back to them, “Go on in. I didn’t see anything.”

Rei turned to his partners, who shrugged in response, but they walked past the guard unopposed. There were still several guards with lanterns, giving them few options. When trying to find another way around the guards, Ryu’s foot nudged against something. Looking down, it looked like a wallet.

He asked, “What’s a wallet doing here?”

Rei shrugged, “Beats me. Someone must’ve dropped it. Hold on to it for now, maybe it could be useful.”

Ryu picked it up before the trio of boys resumed their attempt to enter the manor. However, they were suddenly blinded by a light.

“Who goes there!?”

“Yikes!” Rei sputtered.

“No!” Teepo choked.

Ryu instinctively held up his arms in defense, unwittingly holding up the wallet. This surprised the guard.

He sputtered, “Hey! That’s my wallet! I’ve been looking everywhere for that!”

Ryu nervously gave it to him, “W-We just found it over there. Since it’s yours, you take it back.”

The guard looked through the wallet, smiling, “Whew, that’s a relief. All of my money is still in here. My wife would’ve killed me if I lost all this.” He then backed away, “I know I really shouldn’t do this, but since you found my wallet… I’ll let you pass.”

Moving out of the way, he allowed the three boys to pass him, but he stopped Rei briefly.

“Oh, and one more thing. There are several more guards past here. Some are a bit more willing to do their jobs than most of us. So don’t get caught.”

Rei nodded, “Thanks for the tip. We’ll keep that in mind.”

The trio of boys continued to sneak around. True to the guard’s word, there were several more guards around almost every corner, some of which seemed more determined than the others. While sneaking around, Teepo climbed up a ladder, trying to see if there was anything up there. The only thing up there was a large gold bell.

Rei whispered, “Teepo! Get down from there!”

The boy replied, “No, I have an idea. I’m gonna kick this bell.”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!”

Too late. Teepo kicked the bell, making a reverberating ring. Rei and Ryu braced themselves to be caught, but to their surprise, something else happened.

A guard stated happily, “Quittin’ time!”

Another one said in an equally cheerful voice, “Let’s go!”

To their surprise, three of the guards walked off, leaving their sections clear. Ryu’s eyes were wide while Rei looked flabbergasted.

Teepo snickered as he came back down to ground level, “Heheh, see? I told you it would work.”

Ryu looked up a Rei, who merely shrugged, but the three boys continued deeper into the estate. They came across another guard who was lazily smoking a cigarette. When he saw them, however, he didn’t yell or challenge them.

He said, “I don’t know… If I let you pass, it’ll look like I’m not doing my job. Could you please take out the guard dog? Doing so would make it look like it’s the dog’s fault and not mine. So the dog would get all the blame.”

Rei smacked his forehead, “Doesn’t this just beat all? They’re all a bunch of goof-offs. But let’s get this over with.”

The three boys walked toward the front gate. There was a dog house with a brutish-looking bulldog. When it saw them, it started to snarl and growl.

Teepo gained a crooked smile, “Heh, doesn’t seem fair to pick on a little dog like this.”

Rei replied, “Would you say the same thing if it bit you in the butt while you were climbing over the wall?”

“N-No… I…”

“Then let’s deal with this so we can get going.”

He pulled out his daggers, started to chant, a sparkling energy forming around him.

“Jolt!” the tiger stated.

A moderately-weak lightning bolt struck the dog. The dog whimpered in pain, toppling over, stunned but not dead.

Ryu turned to Rei, “I didn’t know you knew magic. Is that the same spell that the Nue used on us?”

Rei nodded, “Yep, that was Jolt. Not too shabby, right?”

The trio of boys walked back toward the guard, who was still lazily smoking his cigarette. He merely waved.

He stated, “See? Now the dog will get all the blame. I’m off the hook. So go on in, I saw nothing.”

The three boys nodded, continuing their way through the estate, trying to find a way in. Teepo, however, lagged back a bit, spying on what looked like a maid and a servant. The appeared to be having a personal conversation.

The man stuttered, “M-Mina? W-Would you l-like to s-spend some time with m-me?”

Mina replied with uncertainty, “I… I don’t know…”

Ryu looked back, “Teepo, come on.”

Teepo gained a sore look, “Aw, come on, it was just getting good.”

Rei spotted something, “Over there. There’s some sort of hut there. Maybe we can use that as a means of getting in somehow. Maybe it has some tools we can borrow.”

There was a guard blocking the hut, but he seemed to be spacing out. When the three boys approached him, he looked up into the night sky.

“Mina… I wonder what she’s doing right now? Oh, Mina…”

The tiger quirked an eyebrow, “Looks like this guy is in la-la land over that servant girl.” An idea dawned upon him, “Wait, what if we tell him that Mina is with another man right now? It might make him leave his post.”

Teepo grinned, “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll tell him.” Teepo casually walked up to the guard, tugging his sleeve, “Hey, you’re wondering where Mina is, right? She’s over there, by the hedges… with another man.”

The guard looked surprised, “What?! Mina’s here!? With another man!? I won’t let that happen! Mina!!!” and he bolted from the spot, leaving the hut unguarded.

Teepo gestured Ryu and Rei to follow him, which they did, entering the hut. However, it turned out to be a chicken coop.

Ryu looked perplexed, “A… chicken coop?”

Rei replied, “Oh, yeah, that’s right. McNeil owns chickens that he uses for chicken fights. Plus some of them lay pretty good-tasting eggs I hear.”

Teepo walked up to a nest of eggs, “Since we can’t get in with all the guards, why don’t we just steal some eggs and go home?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t that setting your sights a little low, Teepo?”

Teepo plucked a bunch of eggs, but then noticed something, “Huh? WOAH!”

He quickly retreated back to the other two. At that moment, a giant rooster jumped down from above. It was larger than Rei himself, with glossy white feathers, a red crest, and a chain around its neck with a tag that read “Rocky”. It glared at them angrily.

“M-Maybe I should put the eggs back?”

Rei shook his head, “I don’t think that’ll make him happy. Here he comes!”

Rocky started lashing out his beak in a rapid-fire motion, forcing the boys to scatter. It then directed its attention to Rei, who was to his right, turned around, and started attacking again, this time with both its beak and sharp claws. Rei’s cat-like agility enabled him to dodge the attacks, but was unable to counterattack. Ryu bravely smacked the rooster with the side of his sword, aiming for the head, trying to help Rei, but this, instead, turned Rocky’s attention to him. Rocky started lashing out at Ryu, who barely dodged the attacks, but was forced to hit the ground due to the sheer speed of Rocky’s pecking.

“Simoon!” Teepo shouted!

Rocky was engulfed in a bomb-like burst of fire and wind, scorching his feathers and burning him. He glared at Teepo, now very angry, and tried to jump onto the purple-haired boy in an attempt to flatten him. Teepo scrambled to avoid being squashed by the giant rooster.

“Jolt!” Rei exclaimed.

A lightning bolt struck Rocky, further singing his feathers, making him even angrier. He started to lash out at Rei again, but like before, Rei’s cat-like reflexes and speed allowed him the ability to dodge the attacks. Ryu, once again, in a very brave attempt to save his “brother”, slammed the flat side of his sword against Rocky, this time actually hitting the rooster’s head. The rooster was dazed, giving Rei an idea.

Rei instructed, “Ryu! Keep him occupied for a moment. I have an idea on how we can beat him!”

Ryu gulped, “O-Okay…”

Rocky came to his senses, turned to Ryu, now livid, and started to peck at lightning speed. Ryu barely dodged the attacks, but was forced to duck for cover.

Rei instructed, “Teepo! Rocky doesn’t like being deep fried, so use Simoon again! I’ll use Jolt as well!”

Teepo nodded, “Got it!” He started to channel his magical energies before releasing them, “Simoon!”

Rocky was engulfed in another burst of fire and wind, making him caw in agony. Rei was already following it up with his own magical energies.

“Take this! Jolt!” the tiger male stated.

Another lightning bolt struck Rocky. He staggered and stumbled before finally falling to the ground, out cold.

Teepo sneered, “Extra crispy fried chicken, anyone?”

Just then, all the other chickens started to screech and scramble around. They started to stampede to the front door. Ryu, Rei, and Teepo had to jump out of the way in order to avoid getting scratched up by the rampaging chickens. By the time the last chicken had run out of the coop, the three boys gave a sigh of relief. They exited the coop and saw quite the sight.

One of the guards sputtered, “W-Woah! What’s going on!?”

Another one said, “The chickens are escaping!”

A third one choked, “Quick, close off all the exits! We have to catch the chickens!”

Mina’s scream could be heard, “EEEEKKKKK!”

Another guard grumbled, “Rocky’s acting up again. Quick, catch those chickens!”

The three boys were restraining themselves as best as they could, trying hard not to burst into heavy fits of laughter at the crazy scene of the guards chasing the chickens.

Teepo barely managed to say, “That worked out better than we could’ve planned. Now they’re all distracted!”

Rei, who was barely keeping himself together, nodded, “Yeah, this is just the opening we needed. Let’s go!”

Ryu nodded, a large grin on his face. The trio of boys quick dashed to a spot near the front door. But Rei stopped suddenly, causing Ryu and Teepo to bump into him. He looked around the corner and saw six guards blocking the front door.

“Even after all that commotion, there are still several guards blocking the front door.”

Teepo looked up, “So what should we do? Give up?”

“No, we’ll force our way in…” Rei said strongly.

Ryu looked worried, “Force? You mean we’re going to fight them?”

The tiger shook his head, “No, I’ll act as a decoy. I’ll lead them away, allowing you two to slip in unnoticed. I’ll meet you two on the roof. Good luck.”

Ryu and Teepo gulped, but nodded in agreement. Rei ran up to the six guards, flashed his daggers, and zipped off. This made the six guards chase after him, leaving the front door unguarded.

Ryu asked, “Will Rei be okay?”

Teepo nodded, “Yeah, Rei’s really good at running. Now’s our chance. Let’s go!”

The two boys quickly dashed to the front door, opened it, and zipped in, Ryu closing the door behind him. At that time, the six guards had cornered Rei.

One said, “We’ve got you now!”

Rei replied, “Oh? Is that so? Here goes nothing!”

With a powerful jump, Rei launched himself over the guards’ heads and disappeared on the roof.

Next Chapter: Ghost of a Chance

And that's all for now. Tune in next time to find out how well the "take-back" goes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Here we are. Chapter 4 is live. As Ryu and Teepo try to regroup with Rei inside McNeil Manor, it turns out that the house has more to it than originally thought. Will this little endeavor play into the trio's favor and make them even bigger heroes? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Ghost of a Chance


Ryu and Teepo had successfully entered McNeil Manor. It was a magnificent mansion, with luxurious rugs, comfortable beds, elegant doors, and beautiful fireplaces. The two boys were wondering what to do next.

Teepo said, “Okay, we got in. Now let’s find where McNeil stashes all his cash. Come on, Ryu.”

The two boys approached the double staircase, but when they got close, they were suddenly grabbed by an invisible force. Teepo flailed defiantly while Ryu hung a bit more passively. They were dropped onto the ground, looking around for whom or what grabbed them.

A voice growled, “You dare enter the sacred home of the McNeils? Your thieving days are over!”

Teepo, showing both nervousness and defiance, stated, “Who’s there!? Show yourself!”

Suddenly, something appeared. It looked like a small, round ghost with stubby limbs, a short tail, and a spooky face.

The ghost stated, “You will not trespass in our sacred domain. I, Torast, the fifth McNeil, shall put an end to you!”

“Ha! Are we supposed to be scared of you?” Teepo laughed. “We killed the Nue! You don’t scare us!”

“Do you think I’m the same as a wild animal? You can ponder over your misjudgment in the grave!”

Torast then transformed into a different looking ghost. It had a somewhat jester appearance, with a dome-shaped head, two curved horn-like structures, a frilled lower body, and two disembodied hands. It launched one of its hands toward the boys, it taking the form of a club. The two boys ducked out of the way. Teepo drew his sword and took a swing. To Ryu’s surprise, the attack connected, making the ghost screech in pain. Following it up, Ryu took a wild swing, still somewhat scared, striking Torast, who cried out in agony.

“Simoon!” Teepo shouted!

Torast was engulfed in a bomb-like blast, screeching in pain. Ryu took one last wild strike, slicing the ghost in two. It transformed into a will-o-wisp, briefly losing its brightness before regaining it.

“Curses! How could I have lost? Forgive me my brethren.”

The will-o-wisp fled, leaving the two boys alone.

Teepo said, “That was a ghost, right? I hope not, as I hate ghosts. They give me the creeps. Come on, let’s get going.”

Ryu nodded, “Right. I just hope Rei’s doing okay.”

The two boys continued to roam the manor, the winding maze that it was confused them from time to time. That wasn’t the only holdup. Every time they passed a dresser or chest, Teepo would eagerly opened it up and scrounge around.

Ryu hissed, “Teepo! Stop that! You can’t be looking around in other people’s drawers! You might regret what you’d find.”

Teepo replied, “Hey, relax, Ryu. I’m just trying to find anything interesting.”

As he said that, he unwittingly pulled out a very large pair of underwear. Ryu flinched in surprise, and when Teepo realized what he was holding, he quickly tossed it.

“Yikes! For once you were right. I did regret looking in that drawer! I guess McNeil could stand to lose a few dozen pounds, judging by the size of that.”

“Let’s just go…” Ryu sighed, obviously disturbed by Teepo’s “discovery”.

The two boys continued. Much to their confusion, a lot of the doors were locked tight, seemingly barricaded from the other side.

Ryu pondered, “Why would McNeil have almost all his doors locked like this? Is he afraid of something?”

Teepo stated smugly, “He’s probably afraid of heroes like us exposing him as a crook. Come on, let’s go.”

They turned a corner and saw something. It was an overweight man, dressed in a red tunic that was somehow able to cover his bulging belly, with a long-sleeved top with frilly edges, blue pants supported by a belt, and elegant shoes. His long, deep brown hair was tied in a plait, framing his rounded face, and a deceptive smile under a thin mustache.

He laughed, “Hohohoho, what have we here? I’m McNeil, the owner of this mansion.”

“Well, that makes this easy…” Teepo stated. He pointed a finger at McNeil, “You’re the villain we’ve been sent to find!”

“Hohohoho. Me? A villain? What makes me a villain? Because I collect taxes from my people? What’s wrong with that?”

Ryu sensed that something wasn’t right. McNeil had a cold, flickering, unholy light in his eyes. He lashed out his sword in a surprisingly bold manner. It phased right through McNeil.

“Teepo! Don’t listen to him! He’s an imposter!” Ryu stated.

“What!? An imposter!?” Teepo sputtered, drawing his weapon.

McNeil laughed, “Hohohoho. Me? An imposter? You’re mistaken, little boy. I am McNeil… I am Kassen, the spirit of the third McNeil!”

Kassen transformed into the same form as Torast, only his color was different. He transformed his two hands into axe blades and tried to cleave the boys in half. They dodged the attack. Ryu blindly lashed out his own sword at Kassen, striking him from behind, causing the ghost to cry out in pain.

“Eat this! Simoon!” Teepo roared.

Kassen was engulfed in the flaming sphere of magic, howling in agony. He turned around and tried to attack Teepo with both axe blades. Ryu rushed in, blocking the attack with his sword, allowing Teepo to jump over him and cleave the ghost in two. Kassen turned into a will-o-wisp as a result.

“I-Impossible! How could mere children defeat me!?”

The will-o-wisp tried to run away, but ran smack into a railing instead. It backed up slightly before fleeing in the opposite direction of the boys.

Teepo shivered, “No one told us this place was haunted!” He turned to Ryu, “Hey, Ryu? How come you’re such a crybaby, yet you’re not afraid of ghosts?”

Ryu turned away, seemingly embarrassed, “That’s quite an insulting thing to say, Teepo…” He regained his composure, “Let’s get going. We have to meet up with Rei and find the real McNeil.” He, however, said silently, “The more I think about it, the worse I feel about all this. Why do I have such a bad feeling that when this is all over, it won’t end well for us?”

The two boys continued their trek through the manor. Just as they were approaching a staircase, a voice could be heard.

“That’s far enough!”

Another ghost appeared, this one more reddish in color. Both Teepo and Ryu groaned.

“I congratulate you for getting this far. But this is as far as you’ll go. I, Galtel, the twelfth McNeil, shall put an end to your thievery.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever…” Teepo grumbled, pulling out his weapon. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Galtel transformed his left hand into a mace while his right one became a trident, and he charged in. Ryu and Teepo, knowing full well what to do, effortless dodged Galtel. Ryu lashed out his sword, striking Galtel on the side, causing him to shriek in pain.

“Have a taste of this! Iceblast!” Teepo roared.

A prism of ice suddenly formed from underneath the ghost, encasing it, freezing it solid. Then the ice magically shattered and disintegrated. Galtel screeched out in pain, his body shivering. Ryu took one last swing of his sword, bisecting Galtel, causing him to transform into another will-o-wisp. With a final flicker, the will-o-wisp fled.

Teepo said, “You know, I always thought ghosts were creepy. But if they’re all like the ones here, then they’re not scary at all.”

Ryu turned to Teepo, “Hey, when did you learn Iceblast, Teepo? That’s a new one.”

The purple-haired kid smiled smugly, “Not too long ago. Pretty impressive, right? Anyway, let’s get moving.”

The duo continued. They crept past the kitchen, though Ryu had to drag Teepo a bit in order to keep him away from the food pantries. They came to a hallway, and out of another door emerged another ghost, this one more yellowish.

“We’ve had it up to here with you meddling kids! I…” but was cut off.

Teepo groaned, “We get it, we get it. You’re a McNeil. Save the mumbo-jumbo for someone who cares. Let’s just trash this ghost.”

The new ghost transformed his hands, just like the last three. His left hand became a scythe while his right became a flaming sword. He charged in, weapons held high. Ryu and Teepo, obviously getting tired of all this, jumped out of the way, causing the ghost’s scythe to get stuck in the floor. While he struggled to get it free, Teepo and Ryu launched sword strike after sword strike before the final shot bisected the ghost. He transformed into yet another will-o-wisp and fled.

“Hmph… that was easy,” Teepo merely said. He then turned to Ryu, “Do you think, maybe, I should’ve let him tell us his name?”

Ryu gave his “brother” a look, “Yeah, I think you should have. Seems to make them happy when they do so.”

At that time, in an elegantly carpeted hall, the spirits of the McNeils were talking.

One said, “I can’t believe it. They got you, too, great-grandfather Doksen?”

Doksen huffed, “Hmph, they got me before I could even say my name.”

Another stated, “We have to do something.”

The fourth one growled, “Our only hope is the living McNeil, the thirteenth.”

A final, new spirit appeared, “I don’t think he’s up to it. I think we’ll have to do this… by giving those thieves a final sendoff. We must use… that power…”

The other four spirits gasped, but nodded in agreement.

At that time, Ryu and Teepo finally made it to the roof. They sat down, exhausted from all that transpired in the mansion.

Teepo puffed, “Ghosts, why did it have to be ghosts? Why not another Nue? No, it had to be ghosts. This place is one heck of a freak show.”

Ryu replied, “It doesn’t matter. Now we have to find Rei.” He then noticed something dangling from one of the windows, “Hmm… what’s that?”

He cautiously approached it, trying his best not to slip on the mossy roof. He managed to grab it and returned to Teepo. It was a rope with a grappling hook.

“What’s this thing doing up here?”

A voice said, “Hey! Teepo! Ryu!”

They turned to see Rei run up to them. He looked relieved.

“I was getting worried about you two. You took forever in there. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve gone in to check on you.”

Teepo shivered, “It was pretty spooky. There were ghosts all over the place. But we defeated them. But now what?”

Rei answered, “If I can just find my rope, then I can get us over to the other side. I saw smoke coming out of a chimney, which must mean that McNeil is there. But wow, you had to face ghosts? And I thought the Nue was bad. Now help me find my rope.”

Ryu held it up, “You mean this, Rei?”

“Yep, that’s it. Where’d you find it, I’ve been looking all over this moss-covered place for it.” He took it, “Well, no matter. I’ll get us over there in no time. Just sit back and let me handle this.”

He started to swing the rope with the grappling hook, trying to build up enough speed. But when he tried to throw it, he slipped on some moss, sending him running down the roof at high speed.

Teepo cried out, “Rei!”

With a mighty jump, Rei managed to make it to the other roof. He panted briefly before trying to cover it up.

“Whew, that was close. I’ll just pretend I did that on purpose. Yeah, that’s it.”

He turned around again, started to swing the rope and grappling hook, and finally threw it. It clamped onto Ryu’s and Teepo’s side, latching on firmly to a gutter. He then tied the other end to part of another chimney. He tested the strength of the rope and the strength of the connection before turning to the two kids.

“Okay! It’s steady! Give it a go!”

Nodding, Ryu and Teepo grabbed onto the rope and started to shimmy their way across the gap. Rei held onto his end just to make sure it would hold. After a few tense moments, the two boys were safely on the other side.

Teepo gave the tiger a scowl, “Real swift, Rei. And here I thought you had us do all the hard work. Fighting ghosts while you took it easy up here and having a good time by yourself.”

Rei stated defensively, “Hey, when the going gets tough, I’m there, right?”

Teepo continued, “And then jumping to the other roof. You better be careful not to strain yourself from working too hard, Rei.”

The tiger sighed, “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had to fight ghosts and everything. There, I said it. Are you happy now?”

Ryu shrugged, “Let’s just drop the whole conversation already. Ghosts or not, we’re fine, so let’s get this over with. Besides, Teepo, WE didn’t know we had to fight ghosts, either, so how could Rei ever know?”

“Thank you, Ryu,” Rei smiled.

Teepo waved his hand, “Whatever, let’s just beat up McNeil and get the money. I’m getting tired of this place.”

Nodding, the trio of boys roamed around the roof, trying to find a way in. They found a hidden staircase just shy of the chimney, so they entered it, arriving in another elegant room. They started to approach a door when they heard something. A woman’s scream. The trio burst in and was greeted with quite the sight.

There was McNeil, who was an overweight man, very similar to Kassen, with a matching outfit and hairstyle to boot. With him was a young, beautiful blonde woman in a tight-fitting blue dress.

She said, “Mr.McNeil, what are you doing?”

He replied, “Having a little fun.” He started to playfully chase her, “Heheheh, come here, little vixen. Heheheh, come here, little vixen.”

This sight revolted the three boys.

“Oh, brother… doesn’t this just beat all?” Rei grumbled.

Tired of all this, the three of them walked in, getting McNeil’s attention. He quickly lost his composure.

“W-W-Who are you?” he shivered in fear.

“Who cares who we are,” Teepo growled, “We’re here to take your money!”

He and Rei drew their weapons swiftly, though Ryu did so with more reluctance. This frightened McNeil, who hid behind the woman, turning her into a shield. This angered the blonde woman.

She shrieked, “I don’t have anything to do with this! Leave me out of it!”

She quickly fled, knocking McNeil onto his backside. He started to cower in fear at the three boys.

“W-W-What do you m-mean t-t-take back? I-I just… I just…”

Rei snarled, “Oh, come on Mr.McNeil, we know you’ve been cheating the villagers out of their money… just so you can have your fun, haven’t you?”

Suddenly a voice boomed, “You are a disgrace to the McNeils!”

One by one, five will-o-wisps appeared, alarming everyone present.

Teepo exclaimed, “That’s them! These are the ghosts I killed! The ghosts of the McNeils!”

Ryu protested, “Hey! I was there, too, you know!”

The center will-o-wisp huffed, “Hmph, you may have got us last time. But this is different. You’ll have to face our combined power, not this sorry excuse for a McNeil.”

All five started to fuse in a galactic-like portal. Before long something new was standing before them. The form of a new spirit.

This spirit had a round head, with several other spirits attached to its waist, arched arms, and a face with dark, hollow eyes, like a skeleton.

“Face our combined wrath! We have now taken the form of Amalgam! This will be the last form you’ll ever see!”

“Now THIS is a ghost!!!” Teepo sputtered.

Rei instructed, “Brace yourselves! Here it comes!”

Amalgam vanished briefly, confusing the three boys, before reappearing in front of Rei. It lashed out an arm at him, but Rei managed to dodge it quickly at the last second. He counterattacked with a swift dagger swipe, but this attack barely fazed it.

Teepo shouted, “Eat this! Simoon!”

The bomb-like blast of fire and wind engulfed Amalgam, but it barely flinched. It turned to Teepo, almost mocking him, making the purple-haired youth slink back a bit.

Rei choked, “Our attacks are barely scratching it! We need a new plan!”

Ryu thought, “There has to be a better way… I wonder…” He stared to channel energy through his sword before releasing it, “Rejuvenate!”

Similar to Heal, this technique was a flurry of sparkling lights. However, unlike Heal, the lights were far more clustered together, much larger, and gave off a brighter light. These sparkles engulfed Amalgam.

Teepo spat, “Ryu! You’re just healing it!”

However, contrary to that statement, Amalgam started to screech in agony, writhing in pain.

Rei looked flabbergasted, “I don’t believe it. Healing spells hurt it! Ryu! Do that again! You may be our best bet right now!”

Ryu nodded, “R-Right!” He started to channel even more energy through his sword, preparing for another spell.

Amalgam roared, “I won’t let you do that again! Astral Warp!”

It vanished from sight, but reappeared in front of Ryu. However, Rei’s swift motions managed to grab the back of Ryu’s collar and yank him back just in the nick of time. At that moment Ryu had finished his spell.

“Rejuvenate!”

The healing spell struck again, making Amalgam screech in pain, its body twisting and turning, as if trying to escape the sparkling light.

Rei turned to Teepo, “Use another spell, Teepo! We have to keep it occupied for Ryu to use Rejuvenate again!”

Teepo protested, “B-But my magic barely fazes it!”

“Just do it!”

“O-Okay!” he sputtered. He started to channel another spell before firing it, “Iceblast!”

The same magical ice pillar formed around Amalgam, encasing it, before the ice shattered. Amalgam managed to shake the attack off, seemingly unfazed. But when it directed its attention to Teepo, Ryu had finished chanting his next spell.

“Rejuvenate!” cried the azure-haired boy.

Amalgam screeched in pain as the healing spell rampaged throughout its body. Finally, it couldn’t take it anymore. It gave a loud scream, forcing everyone to cover their ears, before vanishing in a pillar of light.

Rei patted Ryu on the shoulder, “Well done, Ryu. That was some pretty slick thinking. Healing spells hurt ghosts. Guess you do learn something new every day.”

Ryu blushed sheepishly, “It was just a guess. B-But since healing spells are holy energy, I… kinda figured that ghosts wouldn’t like it. But I guess I was just lucky that it worked.”

“No, we’re lucky it worked,” Rei smiled warmly. “You pretty much saved the day, Ryu. And to think you were a scared little kid when we first found you. You’re growing-up quite quickly.”

McNeil, who was cowering by the bed, stammered, “W-W-W-What was THAT!? W-W-What’s going on!? I-I-I-I was just… I n-never did…”

Rei walked up to him, “Easy, old man. Those were your ancestors.” Seeing that McNeil didn’t understand anything he said, the tiger merely said, “Look, we’re just here to take your money, okay?”

Teepo sighed, “You’re pretty dumb, aren’t you?” He held out his blade, “Hurry up and show us where the money is!”

Ryu turned to him, “Isn’t that being a bit harsh, Teepo?”

McNeil, still cowering in fear, sputtered, “T-The money is over there. J-Just please, d-don’t kill me!”

He gestured to a back room, behind him. Rei and Teepo nodded and ran in. Ryu lingered behind.

He thought, “This bad feeling I’m getting. Why is it getting worse? Why do I feel that this is going to end really badly for us?”

Teepo called out, “Hey! Ryu! Come over here and check out all this dough!”

Not knowing what else to do, Ryu ran into the neighboring room, where Rei and Teepo were. The blonde woman then ran out, anger in her eyes.

“You wimp! What a jerk!” she spat. “Those robbers are more manly than you! I’m out of here! Wait until the rest of the staff hears this. You won’t be such a hotshot after that!” and she stormed off.

McNeil started to cry, “Ha, ha, ha, ha, waaah! Just you wait! We’ll see who gets the last laugh, you little brats!” He screamed into the night, “I’ll show you who the REAL power around here is!”

Next Chapter: Survival

And that's all for now. Will McNeil follow up on that last threat? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Ryu, Rei, and Teepo have successfully raided McNeil's home and distributed the tax money back. Will this grant them more fame and glory? Ryu doubts it. When the unthinkable happens, Ryu is force on his own. But what happens when the two beings who turned his life upside-down discover a secret even he doesn't know? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Survival


After the raid of McNeil’s home, Rei and his companions were just finishing up their distribution of the “recovered” tax money. Rei was making final checks of the amount of zenny inside one of the sacks.

“Okay, that’s the last coin.” He placed the sack on one of the home’s front porch, “That should take care of that.”

Teepo couldn’t help but grin broadly, “Heheh, just wait. When the villagers see what we’ve done, they’ll love us forever. We’ll never have to worry about anything ever again.”

“Yeah, sure looks that way,” the tiger nodded.

Ryu spoke up, “Rei? Teepo? This doesn’t seem right. While I don’t totally understand how taxes work, it doesn’t seem right for us to do this. I have a bad feeling that all this will backfire on us. I think Loki is leading us down the wrong path, and we’re going to pay for it.”

Teepo huffed, “Don’t go all soft on us, Ryu. It’s for the village. So don’t be a goodie-two-shoes. We’re heroes, plain and simple. Nothing bad will happen. After this, the villagers will always respect us, and we won’t have to worry ‘bout nothing for the rest of our lives.”

The azure-haired boy shook his head, “No, Teepo, this isn’t the way. While killing the Nue was necessary for everyone, this isn’t. We’ll just go back to being labeled as thieves and the village will hate us again.”

Rei shrugged, “Perhaps you’re right, and perhaps Teepo is right. But let’s not worry about that. It’s late, so let’s get home. But I have a feeling that everything will work out.”

As the trio of boys started to make their way back to their Cedar Woods cabin, guilt, doubt, and worry plagued Ryu’s mind.

“I wish I was as sure of all this…” he thought.

The trio of boys slept peacefully for the rest of the night, though Ryu still had his doubts. By morning, the three boys were up and eating breakfast.

Teepo smirked, “That was a lot of fun. Did you see the silly look on McNeil’s face? It was priceless. Now the village will really respect us.”

The tiger nodded, “Yeah, even they have to admit that we’re heroes.”

“Yeah! We killed the Nue, we haven’t stolen anything lately. We’re unbeatable! Right, Rei?” the purple-haired youth exclaimed happily.

Ryu said silently, “But we did just steal barely half a night ago…”

Rei turned to Teepo, “I wouldn’t go that far, Teepo. But we are on a roll.”

“Hey! Let’s head to the village! I can’t wait to see all their happy faces when we show them what we did!” Teepo stated excitedly.

Rei nodded and the two of them ran out, Ryu following. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of dread and worry that plagued his mind.

“Something tells me we’re in for a nasty surprise… please, intuition, be wrong for once…” Ryu begged inwardly.

As they entered the village, however, Ryu’s feelings were confirmed. The villagers gave the trio of boys the cold shoulder, occasionally giving them glares, and largely avoiding the three boys. This came as a surprise to Teepo, who was expecting more praise.

“M-Maybe they’re just too busy to thank us…?” Teepo suggested.

Ryu said meekly, “I tried to tell you… I knew this wasn’t going to work. Now we’re back to where we started.”

Rei looked at Ryu, “I hate to say it, but it looks like you were right. Let’s find Loki, he’ll clear things up.”

As the three boys headed for the fields, the feeling of dread intensified inside the azure-haired child. They found Loki near a cart at the field. As soon as he saw Rei, he began to sweat under his hood.

He stammered, “O-Oh, hey, Rei. N-Nice weather we’re having, right?”

Rei gave him a strong look, “Loki, we did what you said: we distributed the tax money back to the villagers. What’s going on here? Why does everyone seem to hate us again?”

“SHHHHH!!! Not so loud!” Loki sputtered, “If McNeil hear us, he’ll kill me!”

Teepo looked perplexed, “What’s with you? You were the one who said McNeil is the bad guy.”

“SHHHHHH!!! All right, I’ll talk, but not here. Meet me in the same shack as before. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Not knowing what else to do, the trio of boys walked further down the road and entered the shack. As they gathered in there, Teepo, for a change, was starting to worry.

“Rei…” he looked up at his older companion. “Something’s wrong here. I thought McNeil was the villain.”

“We’ll get that Loki guy to explain everything, so don’t worry,” Rei said reassuringly.

Ryu turned to the doorway, “Something tells me he won’t come. I think this whole thing was Loki’s plan.”

“I’m starting to think you’re right, Ryu…” the feline replied. “Maybe this whole thing wasn’t such a good idea.” His ears perked up, “I hear someone coming! Hopefully it’s Loki.”

However, it wasn’t Loki. To their horror, it was Bunyan, who was guiding a cow to be milked. He largely ignored the three boys, making them very tense.

Teepo sputtered, “B-Bunyan!?”

Rei asked, “Bunyan, where’s Loki?”

The woodsman replied gruffly, “I was hired to take care of the cows, so anything I say will be to the cows.”

“What’s going on? Where’s Loki?” the tiger insisted again.

“Hey, cow, did you hear? Loki thought he could have it easy by getting a hold of McNeil’s money. He didn’t know that McNeil is part of a rough gang who doesn’t like being stolen from. Sounds like dangerous dealings, doesn’t it cow?”

The cow mooed in response. While Teepo seemed confused, Rei and Ryu paled, the feeling of dread and fear building up inside of them.

Teepo asked, “Hey, Rei, what does Bunyan mean?”

Rei gulped, “It means… we shouldn’t be hanging around here too long. I think we should get back home, quick!”

The tiger quickly left, followed by Teepo, who now seemed worried. Ryu lingered briefly before following his two companions.

“I think it’s too late…” he thought grimly.

The three boys ran as fast as they could back to Cedar Woods, not bothering with any monsters they came across. As they got back to the forest, dusk was starting to settle. But when they reached a certain point, it was just the redness of dusk in the air.

Crimson flames. Burning fiercely. Destroying everything they touched. They arrived to a great horror. Their tree house was set ablaze.

Rei ran up to it, “W-What the…!? What’s happening!?”

Horror and fear were etched all over his face and eyes, watching their once-cozy home, now sitting in a blazing inferno.

“REI!!!” Teepo’s voice ripped through the air.

Rei quickly rejoined his two companions, and were now facing down two new faces. They both looked like anthropomorphic horses with a single horn on their heads. One had white, almost paste-colored, skin, with a matching, though somewhat darker colored Mohawk-like mane. The other was very similar, only with brown skin and a green Mohawk-like mane.

The brown one said, “I was wondering what our robbers would look like. They’re just a bunch of kids, bro.”

Teepo started to seethe with anger, his body trembling, “You mean… you…!”

The other horse brother nodded, “Yeah. You three are getting a bit big for your britches. Your game has gone on too long. So come over here for your spanking.”

Ryu, although fear was in his mind, reached for his sword, ready to fight. This amused the two horse brothers.

The brown one smirked, “Check it out, Balio. They actually want to fight.”

Balio shook his head, amused, “Kids, they just don’t want to do what they’re supposed to. Let’s teach them a lesson, Sunder. Time for a schooling. A lesson in the story of life.”

Rei, Teepo, and Ryu drew their weapons, ready to fight. Balio and Sunder looked highly amused as they prepared themselves as well.

The battle had begun.

Rei charged in, daggers held high, as he made an attempt to slash Balio. Balio, however, merely smirked and launched a rapid-fire kick. The strength of the kick, combined with the fact his foot was a hoof, struck Rei hard in the stomach, sending the tiger man flying back.

Teepo spat, “Eat this! Simoon!”

Balio was engulfed in a fiery blast, but to Teepo’s horror, merely shook himself and returned his attention to the battle, almost completely unharmed. Sunder then started to punch Teepo rapidly before sending him flying with an uppercut.

Ryu, his mind paralyzed in fear at the beating his friends were getting, charged in blindly, sword held high. He slammed it down upon Sunder’s leg, making the horse brother howl.

“Why you little brat!” the brown horse growled.

He gave Ryu a swift kick, sending the blue-haired boy flying. He crashed into Rei and Teepo, who were struggling to stand. Balio started to crackle with energy.

He grinned, “This won’t hurt a bit, brats. I won’t feel a thing… Lightning!”

A lightning bolt, far more powerful than Rei’s Jolt, slammed into the three boys, pummeling their bodies with intense electrical energy. When the attack had ended, all three were barely standing, smoldering badly.

Rei tried to attack weakly, but Sunder launched a powerful barrage of kicks that send the tiger teen flying, disappearing from sight.

Teepo made one last attempt to use a spell, but Balio grabbed the boy before he could finish, slammed him into the ground, and finally kicked him out of sight. This left a weakened Ryu alone.

Ryu tried one last valiant attempt to attack the brothers, but Balio started to crackle with energy once again.

“Night-night, kiddies. Lightning!”

Ryu was pummeled with even more power, his small body wasn’t able to handle the pain. He finally collapsed, everything going black, with the sound of burning lumber and neigh-like laughter in the background.

Ryu awoke with a start, sweat drenching his little body. He looked around wildly.

“W-Was it all just a dream?” he said to himself.

Suddenly, a powerful jolt of pain shot through his body, making him double over. He looked down and saw he was bandaged up, his armor and sword on the floor nearby. He looked around, his eyes widening at where he was.

“B-Bunyan’s cabin!? Wait! Where’s Rei!? And Teepo!?”

He tried to get out of the bed, but only succeeded in crashing to the floor, pain wrecking havoc in his body. Just then he heard a door click and heavy footsteps. He looked up to see Bunyan. Expecting a swift scolding, he was instead gently picked up and placed back in the bed. Bunyan, whose face usually showed gruffness, was surprisingly soft and gentle, pain in his eyes.

He said, “Good, you’re awake. I was beginning to worry.”

Ryu looked up at Bunyan, “W-What happened? Where’s Rei? Where’s Teepo?”

Sorrow washed over the woodsman’s face, “All I found was you… wounded and alone. There was no sign of Rei or Teepo. You’ve been unconscious for three days now.”

Tears threatened to escape from Ryu’s eyes, “B-But… Rei… Teepo… where are they?”

“I told you that you’d get into trouble one of these days… but I never imagined something like this would happen. I’m afraid that… Rei and Teepo are…”

He didn’t have to finish his sentence, as the last word was already echoing inside the child’s mind.

Dead…

Tears started to pour out of Ryu’s eyes, sorrow and misery overwhelming him. For all of Bunyan’s experience, he could do nothing more than pat the sobbing boy on the shoulder.

Two more days passed since then. Ryu was healing rapidly, much to the woodsman’s surprise. By the third day, he was up and fully healed. While sorrow still clung to his heart, a fire was in his eyes.

As he started to leave, Bunyan asked, “Where are you going?”

The boy replied, “I’m going to find Rei and Teepo. I… I know they’re still out there, so I’m going to find them.”

“Where, exactly, are you going to look?”

One word escaped Ryu’s lips, “Wyndia.”

The woodsman’s eyes widened, “Wyndia? Did you say Wyndia?”

“Y-Yes. Teepo always dreamed of heading to Wyndia. I’m going to Wyndia. I will find them, no matter what.”

“I… I see…” Bunyan replied.

Ryu waited for the woodsman to berate him for foolishness, but he was surprised at what he heard.

“You be careful. To get to Wyndia, head to Yraall Road and go east. You will have to climb Mt.Mynerg, so be careful out there.”

Ryu nodded, “Thank you, Bunyan, I will.”

He took a deep breath and started his way out of Cedar Woods. He quickly dashed through McNeil Village a short time later, hoping no one saw him, and within two hours had reached Yraall Road. He looked east, spotting the looming mountain, but even with the thought of facing the monsters and climbing that tower of stone, he pressed on.

He said to himself, “I will find you, Rei, Teepo. I know you’re out there, somewhere, and I’ll find you. My… my brothers…”

He was forced to rest when darkness blanketed the land, but he knew what he had to do. As he slept, nightmares reliving that horrendous day danced angrily in his mind. The flames. The fight. The sinister laughter. Everything played out over and over again.

He mumbled in his sleep, his eyes shut tightly, “I’ll find you… I’ll find you…”

Dawn broke. After a quick meal of fruit that he found in a nearby tree, the young boy continued his solemn march to Wyndia. It wasn’t long before he reached the foot of Mt.Mynerg.

As he bravely trekked the hostile mountain range, he would encounter new monsters. Small, almost doll-like creatures with acorn tops would oppose him, some wielding small swords, others with bows, and some with staves. They were tricky to hit, but Ryu managed, remembering what Rei taught him about how to hit fast enemies. Giant green birds with razor beaks also opposed him on this dangerous hike, but they also littered Cedar Woods, so Ryu knew of these flying monsters from past battles. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, but was probably no more than three hours, Ryu reached the top. However, he was greeted with a horrible sight. One that he wished he’d never have to see again.

Sunder.

The horse brother had his back to Ryu, doing something. Ryu didn’t want to find out what, so, as slowly and quietly as possible, tried to creep past the brute. Sunder, however, took notice.

“H-Hey! Wait a second, bro,” he stated, seemingly mistaking Ryu for Balio.

Ryu tried to move a bit faster, but whatever Sunder was doing, he was finished.

“Whew. Okay, let’s get going… huh?” He looked at Ryu, “You’re not my brother! Who are you!? Wait…” he took a closer look at the now extremely nervous Ryu, “Y-You’re supposed to be dead!” The horse brother started to scream, “GHOOOOOOST!!!”

This attracted Balio’s attention, who was just making his way toward his brother.

“Ghost!? What are you talking about, Sunder?” the white horse brother asked, perplexed.

Sunder led Balio to Ryu, “Here, come quick! He’s dead! I mean, he’s supposed to be!”

Balio’s eyes were wide when he saw Ryu, disbelief written on his face.

Sunder wailed, “He’s a zombieeeee!!!” before retreating behind a tree.

Balio looked Ryu over, “Is this kid really still alive? Did we not finish him off?”

Sunder continued to wail, “He’s a vampireeeee!!!”

As Balio continued to ponder over Ryu’s survival, Sunder slowly approached from behind, a blade in his hand. When the other brother was right behind Ryu, Balio smirked.

“No, he’s dead, you dummy.”

Before Ryu could react, a sudden sharp pain struck him from behind. He collapsed, a sword impaling him from behind.

Balio asked, “Did we get him this time?”

Sunder laughed, “I’m not afraid of a dead zombie! We got him good this time! We’re the strongest!”

The two horse brothers gave a neigh-like laugh, but then something caught their attention.

A heart beat could be heard. First faint, but then it got stronger, harder, and faster. They turned to Ryu, who was now pulsating, the heart beat emitting from him.

Balio choked, “I-Inconceivable!”

The sword then magically removed itself, and the small boy was engulfed in a blinding light. The two brothers could only stare in disbelief. When the light subsided, they were looking not at the blue-haired boy.

Lying before them was a green-scaled dragon whelp.

Sunder sputtered, “W-What is he!?”

Balio replied, “He’s not human. Is he invulnerable?”

“Let’s get out of here!” Sunder cried.

However, Balio continued to examine the dragon whelp, a sinister glimmer in his eyes.

“Wait, hold on, bro. I have an idea. I think we just found our golden egg.”

Next Chapter: Protector of the Princess

And that's all for now folks. Next time we encounter the newest main character. How will our little country boy react to meeting a much higher status individual? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Ryu's little secret is out, so Balio and Sunder hope to gain some quick cash on it. So they present the "dragon" to the Wyndian Royal Family, only it doesn't quite work out as planned. Taking pity, the young Princess Nina offers to help Ryu, only to get snagged by the horse brothers. Will Ryu have the courage to unlock his powers to protect Nina? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Protector of the Princess


Elegant. Graceful. Decorated. There were many ways to describe Castle Wyndia. Inside the marvelous and artistic construction of marble stone, the Wyndian Royal Family lived and worked. However, one Wyndian that resided in this luxurious building was about to experience something only told in storybooks.

A young girl, only eight years of age, was sitting at one of her desks. Despite her youth, she was quite beautiful. Her long blonde hair bound with a blue ribbon in a high ponytail perfectly complemented her supple skin and cerulean eyes. Her attire was one befitting for her status, consisting of a red and white dress that hung below her knees, a long ribbon sewn to the back of her dress, a pair of pale pink silk gloves and brown knee-high boots.

She was engaging in one of her lessons. Despite her status, she did her planned lessons without a single complaint. In fact, she enjoyed some of them. The current subject was history; the chapter in particular was about The Great War. This particular subject always got her attention. Fascinated by the dragons of ancient time, she wanted to know as much as possible. So she paid close attention. However, the lesson was cut short when a servant approached.

He bowed before the young girl, “Beg your pardon, Princess, but the King and Queen request your presence in the audience hall. It is apparently something of great seriousness.”

The princess turned up, “Great seriousness? What could it be?”

“If I may be so bold, I’m not sure how believable it may be. The ones who claimed they discovered something of great importance seem a bit… how should I put it… rough-looking, like thugs or conmen. But that’s my honest opinion. I’m sure the Royal Family will make the final judgment on the subject. But the King and Queen require your presence.”

The princess curtsied, “Thank you, Ludwig. You may take your leave.”

Ludwig bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Gently closing her book, the princess neatly put it away. She then made her way through the halls, each one just as elegant as the last, decorated with paintings, suits of armor, and royal crests. She eventually made it to the audience hall, where she stopped, fixed her composure, and elegantly walked out. The King and Queen – her parents – were waiting for her.

The King smiled, “Nina, you’ve come. How was your lesson?”

Nina replied, beaming, “It was good, daddy, just like always. I love learning about The Great War. The dragons seem so mythical, even if they’re evil. Too bad I’ll never see one.”

The Queen gave a somewhat gaudy laugh, “Oh, Nina, don’t think about such things. Dragons are not something that’s ‘fascinating’, they are dangerous creatures. They would destroy anything on a whim. It is most fortunate for us that they’re long gone. But enough of that. Please take your place.”

Though crestfallen at her personal opinion of dragons squandered by her mother’s negativity, Nina obeyed and took her place on her own throne. A guard then walked in.

“Pardon me, Your Majesties, but Balio and Sunder have arrived.”

The King replied, “Please, let them in.”

To everyone’s surprise, the two horse brothers trotted in, carrying a large steel cage covered by an equally large cloth. This intrigued Nina even more.

“What could be contained in a cage large enough to fit me into it?” she pondered silently.

Balio stated, “Your Majesties, I thank you for allowing this meeting. I am Balio. And this…” but was cut off.

“I’m Sunder!” Sunder replied with utmost eagerness.

Balio gave him a stern look before returning his attention to the Royal Family, “Your Majesties, we have made a grand discovery. We have found a creature of great power. A mythical creature long thought to be extinct. A dragon.”

Everyone in the hall gasped in shock. Nina was shocked, her eyes wide, and eagerness surging through her.

“A dragon!? An actual dragon!?” she sputtered mentally. “I can’t believe it! I’m about to get my wish! I’m going to see an actual dragon!” It then dawned upon her, “But if dragons were so powerful… how could a little cage hold even one?”

The King looked surprised, “A dragon, you say? If so, then this is a most serious matter.”

Balio nodded, “Indeed, Your Highness. They tried to destroy the world once.”

Sunder added eagerly, “Yes, a real dragon. No doubt.” He then whispered to Balio, “I think it’s gonna work.”

Balio walked over to the cage, grabbing the cloth, and dramatically pulled it off.

“Your Majesties, I present to you… the dragon!”

Everyone leaned in for a closer look, especially Nina. But, to their shock, a blue-haired boy was sitting in the cage. He looked like he was about to cry, terrified at what was happening.

Sunder sputtered, “Uh… bro… we have a problem…”

Balio looked at Sunder before directing his attention to the cage. To his horror, Ryu was sitting in it.

He choked, “Oh, no! He’s gone back to being a kid again!”

Sunder suggested, “Let’s try hitting him again.”

Balio nodded and the two started to bash the cage fiercely. The boy curled up and covered his head, tears coming out of his eyes.

“Hey, kid, why don’t you change!?” Balio spat.

This continued for a few minutes. The Queen hid her face behind her fan, Nina covered her eyes, and several maids turned away. The King’s temper was rising quickly. He finally lost control.

“ENOUGH! Explain yourself, you charlatans!”

Balio and Sunder back away from the cage, now nervous.

“Arrest these conmen and their ‘dragon’!”

Nina protested, “But you can’t! He’s just a kid! Can’t you see he’s scared?”

The King turned to her, “I’m sorry, Nina, but the boy may be in league with them. I cannot take any chances.”

Nina could only watch as Balio, Sunder, and the boy were tied up and carted away to the underground dungeons, pain and despair in her eyes. She jumped off her throne and ran off, tears in her eyes, leaving behind concerned parents.

Later on, Ryu was sitting in his cell, weeping lightly. Balio and Sunder were in the neighboring one. Balio was pacing impatiently while Sunder tapped his hoofed foot angrily.

The brown horse brother spat, “Stop yer crying, you brat! If you had just changed we wouldn’t be down here! Man, we’re gonna miss the Contest…”

Ryu stopped crying, wiping his eyes, thinking, “Why do they keep calling me a ‘dragon’? Am I really a dragon? No, I’m Ryu, not a dragon.” However uncertainty entered his heart, “…Am I?”

Just then he heard a clang along with soft footsteps. To his surprise, the princess was standing in front of his cell. He walked over to the bars slowly, unsure of what to do.

Nina gave him a shy smile, “Hi there. I’m Nina. Nina Wyndia.”

Ryu stammered slightly, “Y-You’re the princess, right?”

She nodded, “Yes, but you can just call me Nina. I’m not really fond of formalities.”

“W-What are you doing down here? Does the King and Queen know you’re here?”

She shook her head, “No, I came down here without them knowing.” She gained a sheepish smile, “I… I felt bad for you, being treated like some circus animal. So I’m here to set you free.”

Just then a voice exclaimed, “THANK YOU!!!” It came from Sunder, “Did you hear that, bro? She’s gonna let us out!”

Nina walked over to their cell, making Ryu concerned.

The princess stated, “Not you. If I let you out, you’ll just pick on him again.”

Sunder looked worried, but Balio replied, “We wouldn’t do that, Princess. We promise. So… could you let us out?”

Nina pondered over this for a moment, but Ryu didn’t like the vibe in Balio’s voice.

“Really? You promise?” the princess asked naively.

“Oh, yes, we promise, Princess.”

Sunder hastily nodded in agreement.

“All right,” she replied.

She unlocked their cell, allowing the two horse brothers out.

She turned to them, “You really promise not to pick on him again?”

Balio smirked, a devious look in his eyes, “Oh, we promise. We won’t pick on that kid again.”

Before Nina could react, Sunder hit her with a backhand slap, stunning her enough to knock her to the ground. The horse brothers gave a neigh-like laugh.

Sunder smiled, “Way to go, bro!”

Balio looked down at the princess, grinning darkly, “Besides, who wants that freak anyway. A princess is worth a lot more money. Think of the ransom she’ll fetch.”

They neighed again, making Ryu’s blood boil.

“Time to hit the road, right?” Sunder asked.

Balio replied, “Yep, you carry her.”

Sunder grabbed the stunned princess and they started to make their getaway deeper into the dungeons. Ryu could only watch in horror.

He thought desperately, “They’re getting away with her! I… I have to help her! But how? Should I call the guard…? No, he wouldn’t listen to me. Maybe I can break down the cell door?”

Nodding to himself, Ryu stepped back a bit and charged the cell door. He slammed into it, knocking himself back, but the door remained in place, not budging an inch.

He said to himself, “I… I can’t give up! I have to protect her from those fiends! One more time…”

He backed up a bit more, as far as he could in his cell. Taking a deep breath, he charged the door again. However, this time was different. Strength that he didn’t know he had seemed to erupt out of him, his body glowing white. When he slammed into the door, it flew off its hinges, falling to the ground with a clank.

“D-Did I really do that?” Banishing the thought, he stated, “I have to rescue the princess.”

He found his confiscated sword on a cupboard, near a sleeping guard, which he grabbed, quickly but silently, and charged down the hall. He could hear the faint clopping of the horse brothers’ hooves, as well as the defiant cries of Nina. He ran down two flights of stairs and found what he was looking for. Nina was struggling to break free of Sunder, who was smiling in an amused way, Balio mirroring the look.

“Let me go! Let me go, I said!” Nina cried angrily.

Sunder smirked, “Sorry, princess, not until we get our ransom money.”

Unable to control his anger, Ryu grabbed a chunk of broken stone from the wall and hurled it at them. It slammed into Balio’s head, who turned in anger, only to be surprised that Ryu was standing before them.

“You again!?” he spat.

Nina turned around, “Help me, please!”

Balio gave her a hard kick, sending her backwards into a wall. Sunder gained an ugly look.

“I’ve had it up to here with him!” the brown horse brother snarled.

Balio nodded in agreement, “Me too. Let’s finish him off!”

“But bro… what if he turns into a dragon again?”

“He won’t do anything stupid while we have the princess. This time we’ll kill him for sure!”

While they were talking, Ryu had started channeling a spell through him, and released it just as they finished.

“Rejuvenate!”

The healing magic bathed the princess in light, allowing her to regain consciousness. Before the two brothers could react, she fled.

“Dammit! Now he’s gone and done it!” Balio said in a rage. “You’re dead, kid!”

Ryu could feel a fire burning inside of him. A fire of great strength, yet one that seemed to be just blossoming. As he stared down the two horse brothers, he could feel that fire burning brighter and brighter.

“I have to protect her…” he said to himself, “with all the power I have. My fire will burn these two fiends to ashes!”

Just then he was bathed in a bright light, forcing Balio and Sunder to shield their eyes. Dread started to enter their minds.

Skin became scales, hands and feet became claws, hair became horns, a tail formed, wings grew. When the light subsided, standing before them was a dragon.

It was a small dragon, no bigger than Ryu himself, like a newborn, with crimson scales, a pale purple underbelly, tiny wings, sharp claws on both its hands and feet, and two short, sharp horns on the back of its head. Its eyes, yellow with red pupils, glared fiercely, sharp fangs ready to bite with the ferocity of a shark, a short, thick tail swishing behind it.

Sunder gulped, “Uh… bro, he just became a dragon…”

Balio dismissed it, “Bah, he’s just a shrimp. No way a little dragon like that could do any sort of damage.”

How wrong he was. With a fire churning within its belly, the dragon reared up, opened its mouth, and thrust its head forward. Crimson flames erupted from its small mouth, forcing the two horse brothers to scramble, but scorching them regardless. They ducked for cover, trying to avoid the flames. When the dragon stopped breathing fire, the two brothers emerged, but several parts of the stone walls were now charred.

Balio, still trying to act tough, stated, “Bah! We don’t have time for this! We’ve got more important things to do!”

He fled, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

Sunder sputtered, “Hey, wait for me, bro!”

He scrambled after his brother, leaving the dragon alone. Suddenly, the dragon seemed to gain awareness of itself. It looked in a small puddle of water, seeing its reflection, a shock of realization striking it.

“I’m… a dragon…!?”

Just then its body changed. Scales turned into skin, claws turned into hands and feet, horns turned into hair. Before long, Ryu was back to normal. He looked at his hands, which were claws just moments ago, disbelief in his eyes.

“I… I’m a dragon… a real dragon… But… but how? Why?” he said to himself.

Just then he heard soft footsteps. He turned sharply to see Nina emerge from someplace. She cautiously looked around, as if expecting to see Balio and Sunder again. Satisfied, she quickly ran over to Ryu, concern in her blue eyes.

She asked, “Are you okay? Did you get beat them?”

Ryu replied nervously, “Y-Yeah… at least for now. They may come back, but they’re gone right now.” He then begged inwardly, “Please tell me you didn’t see me turn into a dragon. Please…”

Nina gave a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness. I was afraid they’d kidnap me. But wow, you’re strong. You beat them single-handedly. I’m impressed.”

“T-Thank you, though I’m not entirely sure how…” he replied, hoping to cover up how he did it.

The princess gave him a polite bow, “Thank you very much. Because of your bravery, I’m safe.” She turned around, “Now, let’s get out of here. Let’s see… going through the castle would be a bad idea, as daddy would see you and you’d be locked up again. So let me think…” It dawned on her, “That’s right, there’s a hidden passageway through the catacombs that leads into the city. I’ll take you through it.”

Ryu stammered, “T-That’s not necessary, Nina. Just tell me which way and…” but was cut off.

“I’ll show you the way!” she insisted. “It’s the least I can do.”

“O-Okay…”

Smiling, Nina led him deeper into the lower levels of the dungeons. After a short time they came to a door. It would’ve still been standing, but it looked like it had been kicked down recently.

Ryu said, “Balio and Sunder must’ve been through here. If this is the only other way out without attracting the King’s and Queen’s attention, then they must be responsible for this.”

Nina nodded, “Most likely, yes, as the last time I saw this door it was still standing. So we’d better be careful, in case they’re lurking about down there. But let’s go.”

The two kids passed the dismantled door and entered a dark area. It looked like a massive graveyard, with large tombstones littered about here and there. Large chimneys attached to underground furnaces had fire burning from their tops, illuminating the place, giving it an eerie glow. As they wandered the catacombs, monsters would approach them in hopes of an easy meal. One breed looked like a static-filled blue cloud shaped like a devil’s head. It merely charged them with body blows, but weren’t a high threat. However, they were often accompanied by another, pinkish version, which were more threatening. They would often try to empower their blue-colored brethren before going on the offensive themselves, but they could still be dispatched with relative ease. Ryu was surprised to see that, despite being a princess, Nina was able to use offensive magic, making her a valuable asset to him in the winding labyrinths that lay below the city.

He said to himself, “She’s like Teepo. He could use offensive magic, too. She doesn’t seem too experienced, however, so I have to keep her safe. If she got hurt because of me… I could never forgive myself.”

With Nina’s help, Ryu was able to navigate the catacombs and reached the Wyndian Royal Family graveyard.

She turned to him, a bit tired but satisfied, “See? I told you I’d lead you out of the castle. Now we should get out of here before those bad men come after us again.”

Ryu stopped her, “Wait a second, Nina, I’m looking for some friends of mine. Have you seen them? Their names are Rei and Teepo. Rei is a tall, tiger-like guy, much older than me, while Teepo is a kid about my size and age with purple hair.”

Nina pondered for a moment before replying, “Rei and Teepo? Sorry, I don’t think I’ve heard of them. But I’ll help you find them.”

“T-That’s okay. I’ll just…” but was cut off again.

“No, really, it’s okay. As a member of the Royal Family, it’s my job to help. So let’s first get out of here and head for the main city. It’s a short walk from here, so let’s go!”

Not knowing what else to do, Ryu accepted and followed Nina out. As soon as they reached daylight, Ryu stumbled back.

Wyndia was a huge city. Its outer walls were made of white stone, giving it an almost fortress-like feel. The wind blew gently but strongly, turning the windmills that were attached to various buildings and homes, powering them. The homes, stores, and other buildings were tall and proud, yet had a feel of comfort to them. Women were bustling about, doing chores, men worked, children laughed and played, and travelers chatted.

“Woah!” Ryu said, awestruck.

“Welcome to Wyndia, the City of Wind!” Nina beamed.

“I-It’s nothing like McNeil Village. You could fit the entire village in just one corner of this place and still have plenty of room.”

She giggled in response, “Well, Wyndia is the central government on the continent, so it has to be big. This city is also a major traveler’s destination and has a large traders system, since we get supplies very easily, so many either stock up or do business here.”

Ryu then noticed how high everything was built, including the city itself.

He asked, “Everything is so high up. Doesn’t anyone here get afraid of such heights?”

“Well, our ancestors were said to be able to transform into giant birds, so we Wyndians have no fear of heights. It’s as natural to us as swimming is to fish. So we don’t ever worry about being in high places. In fact, we love it.”

“I see… wow, that’s amazing. But if that’s true, why don’t Wyndians have wings? I’ve always heard that wings were a Wyndian’s natural trait.”

Nina gave him a sad smile, “Our wings disappeared over time, so most Wyndians lack wings nowadays. But some still possess wings. My grandpa, for example, has wings, and daddy has a very small pair, though you can’t see them, as he wears his cape over them. According to grandpa, royal Wyndians have barely managed to hold onto that trait, so he expects that, when I get older, I’ll gain wings as well. I can’t wait to see if that’s true.”

Ryu briefly envisioned an older Nina with wings, though he couldn’t picture it completely. His thoughts were interrupted when the princess spoke.

“Anyway, let’s go ask around if anyone has seen a tiger-like teen or a purple-haired kid.”

“Huh? Oh, right. Thank you, Nina…” Ryu sputtered.

The princess led the way through the city, Ryu following her. They had asked around a bit, but no one had seen or heard of either Rei or Teepo. This made Ryu’s spirits fall a bit, hoping and praying that they were still alive.

Nina pondered, “I think we’re asking the wrong people… Maybe if we ask some kids they might have an idea. I mean, Teepo’s a kid, right? So maybe asking kids would be better than asking grown-ups.”

Ryu shrugged, “It’s worth a shot, I guess. Do you know where we might find some other kids?”

“I think near the fountain, by the inoculation station, might be a good place to start. I’ll lead the way.”

Replying with a nod, Ryu followed Nina down to the lower area of the city. True to her word, near the fountain, four kids, two boys and two girls, were running about and playing. Nina approached one of the boys, who looked like the leader.

“Excuse me, can you help us?” she asked. “We’re trying to find some friends.”

The boy replied, “Looking for some friends? I know! You’re playing Hide-and-Seek, right?”

This surprised Nina and puzzled Ryu.

“Hide-and-Seek?” he asked quizzically.

The boy then said, “Okay! Tag, you’re it! Cover your eyes and count to ten. Everyone, hide!”

Not knowing what else to do, the duo closed their eyes and counted to ten. After that, they looked around, seeing that the four other kids had run off.

“Um… Nina… what’s Hide-and-Seek?” asked the blue-haired boy, confusion in his cerulean eyes.

She turned to him, “It’s a game where one person has to find everyone else, who has gone and hidden somewhere. It’s a game a lot of kids like to play, or so I’ve been told, as I’ve never really played it either. I guess you’ve never played before. It’s really easy. Now that we’ve counted to ten, we have to find the other kids. If we do, we might find out if they’ve seen Rei or Teepo. So let’s go.”

It didn’t take long to find the other four youths. They had hidden in various spots in the lower area of the city, such as near the inoculation station, by the café, and near the weapon and item shops. Before long, all four of the other kids were found, allowing Ryu and Nina to speak to the leader.

He said, “Wow, you’re good. You found all of us.”

Nina nodded, “Thank you. Now maybe you can help us. We’re looking for some friends. One is a tiger-like guy and the other is a kid with purple hair, about the same age and size as Ryu. Have you seen them?”

The boy thought for a moment, “Well, I haven’t seen or heard of a tiger guy before, but I think I’ve seen a purple-haired kid once before. Let’s see… Oh, yeah, that’s right! A robber broke into a house over there. He was a kid about your size. He seemed pretty cocky.”

Ryu said mentally, “That sounds like Teepo, for sure.”

Nina asked, “What happened to the robber?”

The boy replied, “Well, he got beat up by the owner and took off. I think he headed toward Eygnock Road.”

Nina turned to Ryu, “Does that sound like Teepo, Ryu?”

He gave her a crooked smile, “Yeah, that sounds like him. No doubt.” Inside, however, his spirits lifted slightly, thinking, “If that is Teepo, then maybe Rei also survived as well. Please be true.”

Nina gave a slight bow, “Thank you very much. We’ll look there.” She turned to Ryu, “Come on, Ryu, let’s check out Eygnock Road.”

“A-Are you sure, Nina? Won’t your parents get worried about you?”

She smiled, “It’ll be fine. It’s not very far at all. Eygnock Road is barely an hour from the city gates, so we can look and return well before nightfall. So let’s give it a shot.”

“O-Okay…”

The duo headed for the front gates of the city and walked out into the open plains. Like Nina said, it was a short walk from the city gates to Eygnock Road, which was a four-way junction. Nina then noticed a small home near the corner of the road.

“Let’s ask there if anyone has seen Rei or Teepo.”

Nodding, Ryu followed Nina to the home. Nervously he knocked on the door.

A sweet voice replied, “Coming.” It was revealed to be an older lady, “Oh, my, what are some young children like you doing out here? Please, come in for a moment.”

Nina replied, “I’ll wait out here, Ryu, since you know the situation better than me.”

He nodded, “Okay, Nina, but be safe.”

As he entered, he saw an old man sitting at the table. He smiled as he saw the blue-haired child.

“Well now, it’s not often we get visitors. What can we do for you, lad?”

Ryu asked nervously, “I’m looking for some friends of mine. We got separated a little while ago. Have you seen them? One is Rei, who looks like a tiger, while the other is Teepo, who’s a kid about my size, only with long purple hair. Have you seen or heard of them?”

The old lady shook her head, “No, sorry, sonny, we haven’t, and we see a lot of people come and go. I’m sorry we can’t help you.”

Ryu, slightly crestfallen, replied, “It’s okay. Thank you for your help.”

Just as he got outside, closing the door behind him, he was greeted with a terrible sight. Balio and Sunder were standing before him, with Nina tied up.

She cried, “Ryu!”

He instinctively reached for his sword, but Balio gave him a sinister smirk.

“I don’t think so, my lizard friend. Unless you want us to hurt the princess.”

Ryu quaked in anger, but reluctantly took his hand off the sword hilt, obeying.

“Smart move. You see, we don’t really care about you…” Balio got closer to him, “But it would make things messy if you ratted us out.” He got in front of the blue-haired boy, “But it would be even messier if we tried to kill you and you changed into a dragon again. But don’t worry, we have it all figured out. Say goodnight, kid!”

He gave Ryu a strong kick in the head, making the boy collapse instantly.

Nina wailed, “No! RYUUUUUU!!!”

It did her no good, as Ryu was already unconscious.

Next Chapter: The Dragon Defender

And that's all for now folks. Tune in next time to see if Ryu and Nina escape their captors. Until then.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Ryu and Nina are determined to escape the clutches of Balio and Sunder. After seemingly finding help, they continue their escape. When boxed in, however, they perform a daring, and extremely dangerous, stunt to avoid escape. Will Ryu use his new-found powers to protect the princess? And how will she react to it?

Spoiler

The Dragon Defender


It took two days for Balio and Sunder to cart their catches to a different location. It was quite a bit south of Wyndia. Ryu and Nina could only watch from the back of the wagon they were in as the two horse brothers hauled them to their destination. It wasn’t long before the two eight-year-olds arrived.

Grabbing them roughly from behind, Balio and Sunder carried the tied-up kids into a tent. On the front was a sign that read “Fahl’s Pub”. Inside they saw two strange-looking individuals. One was very similar to a giant, humanoid armadillo or pangolin, with a heavily armored shell, a somewhat smallish head for his body, and large hands and feet. He was dressed in blue overalls with a red bowtie. The other was also a powerful-looking individual. He looked a lot like a dragon or gargoyle, with a massive, muscular body, thick arms, large four-fingered hands, talon-like feet, thick bat wings with a claw on each, a dragonic-like head, curved horns, and small but strong eyes. He was garbed in a somewhat oriental outfit with an open front, a waistcloth, battle tape, and a large blue bead necklace. Sunder roughly shoved the two kids behind a cloth barrier, out of sight from anyone.

Balio turned to the pangolin man, “Okay, Fahl, they’re yours.”

Fahl replied, “So all I gotta do is watch them, right?”

“Yes, you have to keep an eye on them… and your hands off the bottle. We’ve got more important things to worry about than a pair of kids.”

Fahl nodded, “Got it.”

Balio called to Ryu and Nina, “Hey, brats. You’ll get yours after the Contest, so just stay put and behave.”

As the white horse brother walked out, Sunder turned to the gargoyle man.

“You should take it easy, too, Garr. So you can be ready for the Contests.”

Garr merely said nothing in response. Seemingly satisfied regardless, Sunder followed Balio out of the pub. It wasn’t long, however, before Fahl started to guzzle down booze after the horse brothers left.

Nina turned to Ryu, “Ryu, what should we do? We have to get out of here.”

Ryu nodded, “Yeah, but how?”

“If only we could get out of these ropes…” the princess sighed.

An idea sparked in the blue-haired boy’s mind.

“I’ll chew through them!” he stated.

Nina quirked an eyebrow, “Chew through them? I don’t know. They’re pretty thick.”

Regardless, Ryu started to chew through the ropes, as if he was a dragon again. They tasted bitter and wiry in his mouth, but he managed to bite through them, much to Nina’s surprise.

“No way! You chewed all the way through!” she exclaimed. “That’s amazing!”

Ryu nodded sheepishly, a blush forming on his face, before chewing through Nina’s bindings. When both were free, they checked to see if they still had their weapons, which they did, before peaking around the cloth barrier. Nina observed Fahl drinking heavily, before turning back to Ryu.

“Looks like Balio and Sunder are gone. That Fahl guy is here, but it looks like he’s had too much to drink.”

Ryu gained a puzzled look, “Too much to drink? What does that mean?”

She replied, “That liquid, I think it’s called beer, is a drink that grown-ups sometimes drink. But it seems to affect their heads and make them do strange things.”

“Affects their heads? Do strange things? Why would anyone drink that stuff?”

She shrugged sheepishly, “I don’t know. But let’s focus on getting out of here. If we’re real quiet, we can probably sneak out unnoticed.”

The two kids gingerly and quietly snuck past Fahl. However, when they got past his counter and headed for the front, he took notice.

“Hey!” he spat. “Where do you think you’re going? …hic”

Both turned nervously toward Fahl, but they could see that the alcohol was well in effect.

Nina replied, “Uh… Nowhere! That’s where.”

Ryu looked perplexed, as did Fahl.

He replied in a drunken way, “Nowhere, huh? …hic”

“Right! Nowhere! We’ll be seeing you.”

The princess snuck out, Ryu gingerly following her, Fahl too drunk to understand or care. When the two got a safe distance from the pub entrance, Nina gave a sigh of relief.

“Whew…” she panted, “That was close. Let’s get out of here before he realizes that we’re gone.”

Ryu nodded, and the two kids started to make their way through the strange town.

This place was the opposite of Wyndia, with dirt streets, tents set up here and there, lots of strange people, and a large, somewhat fortress-like building as the central hub of the town. They decided it was better not to linger in such an odd place, so they quickly scrambled out of town and into the open wilderness. The landscape was somewhat barren and dry, despite a large, fast-moving river flowing nearby. The two kids scurried their way north, only to find that something was wrong. When they tried to cross one of the bridges that stretched over the river, they saw what looked like a toppled-over cart with all its contents scattered about. It was blocking the bridge.

One man cursed, “Damn! Thanks to that cart, no one can get through!”

Another one huffed, “That means the only way to Wyndia from here is crossing Mt.Boumore. But that’s a treacherous climb.”

Nina turned to Ryu, “I guess we have no choice but to cross Mt.Boumore. Let’s move, before Balio and Sunder realize we’re missing.”

It took about half a day for Ryu and Nina to reach Mt. Boumore, which was just east of where Balio and Sunder left them in the “watchful” care of Fahl. When the two kids reached the foot of the mountain, they knew they had quite the climb ahead of them. As they trekked up the mountain, Ryu couldn’t help but worry about Nina.

He said to himself, “I have to do everything I can to protect Nina. She’s not used to this, and it’s my fault she attracted Balio’s and Sunder’s attention and got caught in the first place. I have to do whatever I can to protect her, even…” he shivered slightly, “even if I have to use my hidden power. I… I just hope she can handle it… as I’m not sure if even I can…”

By the time they reached the top, dusk was starting to fall. To their relief, they found a small home with two workmen there. One of them took notice of them. He was somewhat round in the middle and was smoking a pipe.

He asked, “What are you two children doing up here? Well, it’s getting dark, so why don’t you come inside?”

It took roughly 20 minutes for Nina to explain the situation to the two workmen.

“So we’re trying to escape from the bad men that are following us...” she finished.

The man smoking his pipe replied, “I see. Who are the bad men chasing after you, little girl?”

Nina replied, “I think they’re Balio and Sunder. Yeah, that’s it!”

Both men looked surprised, gaining nervous expressions. Both Ryu and Nina took notice of this.

The princess asked, “Is everything okay, Mr.Mason? Do you know them?”

Mr. Mason replied, though nervousness could be slightly detected underneath his voice, “I wouldn’t worry about them. Whoever they are, they won’t come this far. Why don’t you stay here for tonight? We can take you on the lift tomorrow to get you to the other side of the mountain. You can use the room behind me.”

Nina curtsied, “Thank you, Mr.Mason.”

However, Ryu could sense that something wasn’t right.

He said silently, “Something tells me that Mr.Mason isn’t to be trusted.”

Nina led Ryu into the back room. She seemed relieved.

“It’s a good thing we met some nice people,” she smiled.

Ryu replied, “Yeah… I guess…”

“Well, we should get some rest.”

The two found a comfortable spot and slowly fell asleep. But inside Ryu’s mind, he could feel a bad vibe welling up.

While the two kids slept, Mr.Mason turned to his partner. He looked deeply worried.

Mr.Mason said, “You know what to do, right?”

His partner nodded, “Yes… I’ll be back in the morning…” and left the building.

As he did, Mr.Mason said silently, “Please… forgive me, children…”

When dawn broke the next day, Nina was the first to awaken. She got up, stretched, and looked around. She then gently shook Ryu.

“Ryu? Wake up, please. It’s morning.”

Ryu stirred from his slumber, looking up at Nina.

He replied, “Morning, Nina. Did you sleep okay? I know you’re not used to this, so I hope you’re doing okay.”

She replied with a warm smile, “I’m okay. It takes a little bit of adjustment, but I’m doing fine… as long as I’m near you.”

This made the azure-haired boy blush brightly. He got up, turning his head away, making the young princess giggle.

“Come on, let’s see if Mr.Mason will take us to the other side on the lift,” Nina stated.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Ryu hesitated, still having a nagging feeling deep within him.

However, as they approached the door, they realized it was locked. Nina was confused while Ryu’s feeling of dread increased.

Nina tried to open the door, “That’s odd… the door is locked.” She started to knock on it, “Mr.Mason? Mr.Mason? Can you open the door? Mr.Mason?”

A few moments later, Mr.Mason’s partner returned, stating, “He’s here…”

Just then Sunder’s loud voice could be heard, “So, you got them?”

Ryu and Nina gasped in shock.

“Oh-no! Those bad men are here!” the princess sputtered.

Ryu grabbed her hand, “We have no choice, Nina! We have to make a break for it! Let’s see if we can get the lift to work ourselves! Hurry!”

The two ran out the backdoor and saw the lift. It was a wood platform with some mechanisms attached to it on two long cables. They quickly ran to what looked like the control panel. Nina quickly looked it over.

She said, “This thing uses chrysm for power. I think I can get it to work. Ryu, get in the lift.”

He sputtered, “B-But what about you!?”

“I’ll be fine… I think… But get in, quickly!”

Back in the main building, Sunder asked, “So where are they?”

Mr. Mason merely gestured to the door to his left, making Sunder smirk.

“Heheh, you’ll live a good long life.”

As Sunder walked over, unlocked the door, and entered the other room, Mr.Mason bowed his head in shame.

“Please, children, forgive me. I don’t want any trouble…” he said grimly.

At that time, Ryu was in the lift and Nina was at the control panel.

She stated, “Chrysm energy is like magic. So if I hit this with my magic, it’ll start. When the lift starts moving, I’ll jump in.”

Ryu seemed extremely worried, “Are you sure this’ll work, Nina?”

At that moment Sunder appeared, “Aha! Found you, you pipsqueaks!” He looked at Nina, “Ah, you first, princess…”

As Sunder started to make his way toward Nina, Ryu charged out and gave him a swipe with his sword.

OOOOOOOUUUUUUUUCCCCCHHHHHH!!!” the horse brother howled.

Nina, knowing how desperate the situation was, said to herself, “It has to move. It just has to. MOVE!!!”

She released a magical burst from her wand, striking the panel. At first nothing happened. But then smoke started to leak out of it. It was then engulfed in flash of blinding light.

Sunder turned to Ryu, “You little brat! That hurt! Now I’m mad!”

He started to move toward Ryu, who backed up, stepping back onto the lift. It then suddenly started to move, startling him.

Sunder cried, “Oh no! It’s moving! If I can at least get the princess!”

Nina tried desperately to jump onto the lift, but it was starting to gain speed. Sunder was quickly approaching her, forcing her to run toward the end of the lift platform. She took a running start and jumped, Ryu desperately reaching out to her.

She thought, terrified, “I… I’m not going to make it!”

She braced herself for the worst, but a surge of relief struck her as Ryu managed to grab her hand.

“I got you!” he stated. “Just hang on!”

All Sunder could do was watch in horror and frustration as the lift got away with his two targets.

He wailed, “Oh no! Not again!”

A short time later, Ryu had managed to pull Nina up onto the lift. Both were panting heavily, their hearts beating fiercely in their chests, fear and adrenalin draining away from their bodies.

Nina managed to say, “Ha… we made it… See? I told you it would work.”

Ryu stood up, turning away slightly, trying to hide the tears threatening to come out of his eyes. Nina noticed this.

“You… you were worried about me, weren’t you?”

He nodded, “Of course… I… I thought you wouldn’t make it… and I was afraid I was going to lose another friend… to those fiends…”

Guilt started to well up inside Nina, seeing the fear and worry in his eyes.

She tilted her head down slightly, “I’m… I’m sorry, Ryu… I didn’t mean to worry you. But… even if something happened, I knew, somehow, you’d protect me.”

Ryu gained another blush, turning his head away slightly.

The lift clunked its way across the mountain. Taking advantage of this, Ryu and Nina used the time to relax and unwind a bit. They could see for miles from the high lift. And very far in the distance they could see Wyndia. As the duo took a chance to relax, Ryu looked toward Wyndia.

He said silently, “I’ll find you, Rei and Teepo. But first I have to protect Nina and get her back home safely. Then I’ll resume my search for you… my brothers…”

It took three hours for the lift to finally reach its destination. It started to slow down as it reached the other platform, before coming to a stop. Ryu gently held Nina’s hand as they walked off the lift, making her smile warmly. They looked around and with a nod, started to make their way down the mountain.

As they entered this new area, new creatures attacked them. One looked a lot like the blue Gongheads from back at Mt. Glaus, only they were brown in color. Another new creature looked like ugly humanoid pigs wearing armor and carrying a mace. Ryu did everything he could to keep both of them away from Nina, making her smile even more broadly. However, as they approached what looked like the way down the mountain, they saw that the double metal doors were locked shut.

Ryu looked concerned, “This pathway is shut tight. How do we get down from this mountain?”

Nina suggested, “Let’s look for another way down. There has to be at least one other path.”

Nodding, the two kids roamed around the mountain range. However, they were unable to find another pathway down. They eventually came to a dead-end high above a ravine.

Nina looked crestfallen, “It’s no use. We can’t get down.”

Just then a loud voice stated, “BINGO!!!”

They turned to see Sunder approach them, his ever-cocky grin on his face. Ryu stood between the horse brother and Nina, hand on his sword hilt, ready to fight. He could feel the flame inside of him burning brightly as the horse brother approached.

Sunder huffed, “Always playing the hero, eh, dragon boy? Give it up! I’ve got all my men blocking all the trails down! There’s no where left to run!”

Ryu could feel the flame inside of him burning even harder, as if ready to explode from his body. He could feel his anger rising as Sunder gave them another cocky smirk.

“You can try to run, but we always get our way in the end!” the horse brother sneered. “Face it, kids, that’s life… get used to it!”

Ryu could feel the urge of his hidden dragon powers clawing at him, desiring to be released. Desiring to burn down the evil man in front of him to cinders. His thoughts were interrupted by Nina’s voice.

“Oh, yeah? That’s what you think!” the princess stated, grabbing Ryu’s hand. “C’mon, Ryu, let’s jump down the mountain!”

This took Ryu completely by surprise, “J-Jump!?” But he hardened his resolve, “Let’s do it! It’s our only chance!”

Sunder sputtered, “W-W-W-What!?”

Nina pulled a face at Sunder as the two ran toward the side of the ledge, Ryu holding Nina close.

“No! If the princess dies, my brother will kill me!” Sunder cried in desperation.

Both kids took a deep breath and jumped off the ledge. Ryu could feel his body strike the side of the mountain. Pain shot through him, an audible crack being heard from his leg. But he clutched the princess tightly, doing everything he could to protect her. Pain rampaged throughout his body, but he held strong. The pain was becoming unbearable but he couldn’t give up, using his entire body as a shield to keep Nina safe and as unharmed as possible.

He said mentally, “I have to protect her! I have to protect her, no matter what! I need the power to protect her! I’m not losing someone else! I need the power to defend what matters most!”

The power to defend what matters most.

This desire echoed throughout his body, mind, and soul. The desire got stronger and stronger. Power then surged through his body. The power was even greater than before--as if another hidden ability was being awakened. The power to defend what matters most. He was engulfed in a bright light, followed by a familiar screech echoing in the air.

Skin turned to scales, hands and feet turned into claws, hair into horns, his body was transforming. When the light subsided, a green whelp was holding onto Nina, using its little body as a living shield. It gave a cry and slammed its feet into the ground, shooting into the air, before crashing to the ground, an audible crack behind heard from its body. Nina bounced off the dragon whelp’s body, crashing in a heap a short distance away.

A few minutes later, Nina started to stir. She felt sore, new bruises and cuts on her body. But she was alive. She shook her head, slightly dazed, but managed to come to her senses.

She panted, “Whew… we made it…” She then noticed something wasn’t right, “Ryu? Ryu!?”

And then she laid eyes on it. Nearby was the body of a dragon whelp. Blood oozing from its heavy wounds that the jagged rocks caused, its wings crumpled, its eyes shut, and it didn’t appear to be breathing. Her cerulean eyes widened in horror, knowing who the dragon was.

She shook the dragon’s body, “Ryu?” It didn’t respond, making her shake it even more, “Ryu!? Ryu!? Please, wake up! Ryu!!!”

Tears started to pour out of her eyes as her efforts to awaken the dragon ended in failure.

She wept, “Oh, Ryu… what have I done to you? If it meant getting caught again, I would rather have jumped. But now… look what I did to you… Ryu…” She then wailed into the sky, “RYYYYUUUUUUU!!!”

Just then she heard something: a light thump, like a heartbeat. It started to get louder. She looked around, but when it happened again, she realized it was coming from the dragon. The thumping got louder, faster, and stronger. She stepped back a bit. The dragon whelp was engulfed in a small but bright light as it started to change. When the light subsided, Ryu was sitting before her, slightly dazed, but seemingly fine.

Tears were pouring out of Nina’s eyes as she tackled him in a hug, “Ryu! You’re alive! I’m so relieved! I thought… I thought you…”

He replied, obviously flustered, “I-I’m okay, Nina. Don’t cry… but are you okay? Are you in any pain?”

She replied, wiping the tears out of her eyes, “I’m all right, because you turned into a dragon and broke my fall…”

He got nervous, “You… you found out…?”

“Yes, but…” she smiled warmly, “I know you’re a good dragon. You saved me so many times, so how could I be afraid of you? Besides, I find dragons fascinating.” She gave a grateful bow, “Thank you, Ryu. I don’t know how, but someday I’ll repay you…”

Ryu gained another blush, “Y-You’re welcome… Now let’s get out of here before they catch up to us again.”

Nina nodded, “Yes, I agree. We’ve managed to get this far, so let’s get out of here.”

She took his hand, making him blush again, but with a smile he led the way. They could feel their bond growing deeper and stronger. And deep within him, a strong force had been awakened. A defensive power, born from his desire to protect her, designed to defend what matters most.

The Defender Gene.

Next Chapter: The Genius Engineer

And that's all for now. Tune in next time to find out who this "genius engineer" is.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, chapter 8 is live. Truthfully, it was finished a while ago, but I haven't had much time to post it. But that changes now. Anyway, Ryu and Nina have managed to evade Balio and Sunder for the time being. They encounter a new friend who is willing to help them get back to Wyndia. How will this new friend help our heroes?

Spoiler

The Genius Engineer


Ryu and Nina had managed to put some distance between them and the horse brothers’ men. By the time they had left the mountain range and onto a back road, it was starting to get dark. Fog was also slowly creeping in. Ryu looked up into the sky, worried.

He turned to the princess, “I think we’re going to have to set up camp. It’s getting dark and the fog is getting thick. We might get lost if we keep wandering around.”

Nina looked surprised, “We’re going to camp out? I’ve never slept outside before. I’m actually kinda excited.”

Ryu gave a light chuckle, “Well, at least I’ve had some experience thanks to Rei and Teepo. So help me find some wood for a fire and some fruit to eat before the fog gets too thick. It won’t be much, but it’ll do for now.”

Nodding, the princess eagerly helped Ryu gather what they needed. It didn’t take them too long to gather some branches for a fire and some fruit and berries for dinner. As they sat around the campfire, eating apples and berries, Nina couldn’t help but feel excited. Before long the fruit was gone and darkness blanketed the land. Ryu and Nina drifted off, the princess nuzzling close to him, making him blush slightly at how close she was to him. Despite any discomfort, Nina didn’t utter a word of complaint, feeling content.

When dawn broke the next morning, the duo stirred from their slumber. As they got up and stretched, Ryu looked a bit further east and, to his surprise, saw a towering building a short distance away.

“Darn…” he said, snapping his fingers in frustration. “If we had only gone a little further, we would’ve reached that tower over there.”

Nina shrugged, “No big deal, Ryu. Besides, it was fun camping out like that. So on that note, let’s head for that tower. Maybe someone there can help us.”

Nodding, the two kids started to make their way toward the towering building. Within an hour they reached the foot of it. It was a massive structure of stone and metal. In the front was a large fountain, while several stairs led to the elevated front door.

“It’s a big house, isn’t it?” Nina observed. She turned to Ryu, “Let’s see if anyone can help us get back to Wyndia. I’m sure someone here might be willing to show us the way.”

Nodding, Ryu led the way up the front stairs. He first knocked on the large front door. No answer, so he gently pushed it open. Unlike the outside walls, which were more of a greyer color, the interior walls were more of a brownish-red. They entered a massive hallway, looking around for any signs of life. It was then Nina noticed a sign on the wall facing the door.

Ryu read it, “Danger, high-grade chrysm. There are a lot of monsters that have come looking for it, so enter at your own risk. Momo.” He turned to Nina, “I’m guessing Momo is the one who lives here.”

The princess pondered, “Sounds right. But what does this Momo do with all that chrysm? And why would monsters come looking for it?”

“Beats me,” Ryu shrugged. He then gestured to a door to their right, “Come on, let’s see if we can find this Momo. Maybe she can help us get back to Wyndia. And don’t worry; I’ll protect you from the monsters, Nina.”

Nina beamed, “I know you will, just like you always have.”

The two began their journey further into the tower. Despite being a building, there were indeed monsters roaming around, just like in the wilderness, along with strange floating robots. However, they were no match for Ryu’s improving swordsmanship and Nina’s powerful magic. After going up two levels, they were about to turn a corner when they heard a sudden crash and a shattering from the door just past the corner. At that moment something ran out.

It was a little robot, about the size of a doll. But unlike the other robots that roamed the tower, it didn’t look threatening. In fact, it looked rather cute, with its round, rust-colored body, short arms, legs, and head, and small face. It stopped at a certain point, and placed its hands on its head, as if bracing for something. It wasn’t long before they found out what.

A dazzling beam of yellow light came from the slightly ajar door, followed by an explosion that shook the tower, and finally a puff of black smoke. When everything seemed to be fine, the little robot walked back into the room.

“Um… What was that?” Nina wondered.

They nodded and peeked in the room. Inside was a total mess. The walls seemed to have been charred, the cupboard and shelves had items scattered about, and there were chunks of chrysm and glass all over the place. Standing at a counter near the back of the room was a young woman.

She looked like a late teen, about 18 or 19, with extremely long fiery red hair tied in two braids that brushed her ankles, supple skin, reddish eyes behind small round glasses, and a pair of feathery, slightly purple rabbit ears. Her outfit consisted of a loose blue and white robe over baggy pants, gloves, brown boots, and a blue scholar cap on her head. She hadn’t noticed Ryu and Nina walking into the room. The small robot, however, noticed them and started to tug at the woman’s robe.

The woman said to herself, “Hmm… I guess the key lies in somehow stabilizing the pure chrysm…” She adjusted her glasses just moments before an idea struck her, “That’s it! If the gasification pressure is kept down… huh?”

She turned to the robot, who gestured to Ryu and Nina.

Nina said, “Umm… hi. We just got here and we were hoping…”

“WHAT?” the woman said at the top of her lungs. “YOU!? YOU’RE FRIENDS OF HONEY? NICE TO MEET YOU. I’M MOMO.”

Nina turned to Ryu, who looked surprised at the woman’s volume level. The princess curtsied politely.

“Umm… Yes, it’s nice to meet you, too, but… um, you see, we’re not really…”

The woman yelled, “WHAT?”

“W-What we’re trying to say is that we’re not exactly friends of this… Honey… We were wondering if you could…” the princess tried again.

“WHAT? I’M SORRY. MY EARS ARE RINGING AFTER THAT EXPLOSION.” Momo stated loudly.

Ryu turned to Nina, an exasperated look on his face.

“Try yelling yourself. Maybe she’ll hear you then?” he suggested, though he sounded unsure.

Nina took a deep breath and shouted, “HELLO! CAN YOU PLEASE SHOW US THE ROAD TO WYNDIA?”

A pause followed, with the duo waiting for Momo’s response.

“WHAT?” Momo shouted.

Ryu smacked his face in exasperation, groaning.

A short time later, Momo was talking to Ryu and Nina.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “My ears are better now. So, you want to go to Wyndia?”

Ryu nodded, “Yes. We kinda got lost and we need to know the route back to Wyndia. We’re not quite familiar with this area. Can you show us the way?”

Momo beamed, “No problem! I’ll take you there myself.

“Wow, thank you very much!” Nina smiled. “But are you sure it’s not going out of your way?”

Momo shook her head, “No, I have to go to Wyndia anyway. I have errands to run there.” She then paused for a moment, “What were they, again?”

Honey, the little robot, who was sweeping the floor with a broom much larger than itself, shook its head, as if sighing at Momo.

Ryu said to himself, “She’s a bit… absent-minded…”

Momo put her hands on her hips, “Well, no matter. I’ll remember when I get there.”

Nina gave a slight bow, “Thank you for being willing to help us. I’ll be sure to make it up to you when we get to the castle.”

This statement seemed to penetrate Momo slowly, “Castle?” Realization washed over her face, “W-Wait a minute! When you say your name is Nina, you mean Princess Nina?” She started to bow repeatedly, “Y-Y-Y-Your highness! Please forgive me! I-I-I-I had no idea!”

Nina replied a bit nervously, “Um, no, it’s all right. You’re helping us, after all… please call me Nina, okay?”

This made Momo stop, “Oh, really? Okay then.” She returned to her cheery self, “As you know, I’m Momo, and this here is Honey,” she gestured to the robot, who was still sweeping the floor. “Honey is a machine soldier, but unlike other machine soldiers, she doesn’t seem to have any offensive capabilities. So I made her my helper. Plus she’s rather cute.”

“She is that,” Nina observed.

If she could, Honey would’ve blushed at the complements.

Momo turned to them, “Anyway, I have to get a few things first. So why don’t you two take a little rest while I get what I need. I won’t be long.”

Ryu nodded, “Okay, thank you, Momo.”

As Momo started to make her way to the door, she stopped by Honey, “C’mon, Honey, it’s time to go.”

Honey dropped the broom, jumped into Momo’s open palm, and sat in her pocket. On that note, Momo left the room, allowing Ryu and Nina to take a small break.

The princess smiled, “Momo’s a nice person, isn’t she? It’s nice meeting someone who we can trust.”

Ryu nodded, “Yeah. It’s a nice change of pace. Especially after all we’ve been through with Balio and Sunder.”

He sat down on a clean spot on the floor and took a moment to relax. Nina decided to do her hair, untying it from the blue ribbon that held her ponytail, fixing it. It only took a few minutes before the older girl returned, holding a small sack of items.

She smiled, “Thanks for waiting.” She then seemed unsure of something, “Say, you two aren’t being followed by some scruffy-looking guys, are you?”

“Scruffy-looking… guys?” Nina echoed. “No, I don’t think so.”

Momo scratched her head, “That’s funny… when I went out to buy something at the merchant, I saw some real rough-looking characters there…”

Ryu exclaimed, “Those must be Balio’s and Sunder’s men! We have to get out of here!”

“Oh no… how’d they catch up to us so quickly?” Nina replied, seemingly scared.

Momo noticed this and stated, “Hey, there’s no need to be afraid!” She gestured to the broken items on the counter, “I mean, inside this tower, I’ve been doing a lot of experiments, so there are lots of monsters here. Not to mention chrysm powered soldiers. Traps to protect me from them…” she them seemed proud, her ears twitching, “And all sorts of other things! Don’t worry, they won’t get up here so easily!”

Ryu and Nina exchanged nervous looks.

Nina replied somewhat nervously, “Umm… but Momo… we were able to get this far.”

Momo’s eyes widened, her ears shooting upward in realization.

“Oh, that’s right! How did you get up here anyway?”

Ryu gained an odd look.

“Um… let’s not worry about that now…” Nina stated, getting to her feet. “We have to get out of here!”

Momo nodded, “R-Right… wait…” she then thought for a moment before replying, “Well, since we can’t get out by going down, let’s go up!”

Ryu and Nina said in unison, “Huh?”

“Don’t worry!” Momo said, ushering them out of the room, “There’s a way out, I know it. C’mon, we have to hurry.”

Leading the way, the trio started their journey up the tower. As Momo had stated, there were plenty of monsters and chrysm robot soldiers roaming around. To their surprise, Momo had a very powerful weapon at her disposal: a chrysm-powered bazooka. While inaccurate a good portion of the time, when it did hit the target, it did so with a vengeance as great, if not greater, than Ryu’s sword or Nina’s magic. They were also surprised to see that Momo was a very capable magician as well, which made the trip easier. It wasn’t long before they reached a strange room.

There were four floating, oddly colored cubes on small pedestals in front of them, with a fifth one further back. The two kids looked at this oddly.

Momo smiled, “Ta-da! One of my finest traps!”

Ryu turned to her, “Trap? How is this a trap?”

“It’s so simple it’s ingenious. There are four cubes here and one over there. In the space between these four and the last one is a trapdoor that drops any target to a lower level. You have to figure out which of the two cubes in front of you are the same as the one further back. Here, I’ll show you.”

She pressed a switch on the second and fourth cubes. She then tapped her foot on the stone just behind them, which gave her no response, indicating that the trap had been disarmed.

“See? Isn’t it brilliant?” Momo beamed.

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Ryu said, unconvinced, but didn’t have the heart to say it. Momo missed his uncertainty.

“So let’s go! We still have a ways to go.” Momo smiled, leading the way.

Ryu and Nina exchanged looks before following the eccentric engineer. As they continued their climb, they encountered more and more puzzles, each one just as easy as the last. The two kids could agree that the puzzles and traps were simple enough that a child could figure them out, but they kept their thoughts to themselves, as Momo seemed rather proud of them. The puzzles ranged from colored tiles to moving platforms to chrysm energy beams, none of which required a lot of effort to figure out. After the last puzzle, they reached a large library. It was loaded with bookshelves, each one crammed with dozens upon dozens of books, a desk, some shelves, and a bed.

Momo smiled, “Well, we’re here. This is where my father used to work.”

Nina looked around, “There’s a hidden exit here? Cool.”

The engineer stood proud, her ears twitching, “You bet! My dad was really something! He was the greatest engineer in the whole world!” She then gained a sad smile, “And before he died, he told me he hid an escape device here in the tower.”

“So… where is it?” Ryu asked, still unsure of all this. “And what kind of escape device is it?”

“I have no idea…” Momo said truthfully. She then quickly added, seeing Ryu’s and Nina’s surprised looks, “But I do know where the switch is that reveals it! It’s just underneath that desk over there. So now’s a good enough time to give it a whirl!”

She walked over to the desk, fidgeted her hand underneath it, and managed to find the switch. She pressed it, causing the tower to shake, an alarm going off. Just then, several bookshelves started to move, revealing a large hole, which produced a massive bronze-colored rocket. Ryu’s and Nina’s eyes were wide, while Momo’s shined brightly at the rocket.

“Wow! Only my dad could’ve come up with something like this!” she exclaimed happily, her eyes twinkling eagerly.

Nina scratched her head, “But why would he build something to get away like this?”

Momo shrugged, “Just because, I guess. My dad loved machines.” She then started to grin, “C’mon, let’s take a look at it!”

The trio gathered around it, with Momo eagerly examining it, with the two children lacking the same enthusiasm.

“Let’s see, we ignite it here…” she muttered to herself. “I wonder what it does… I’m so excited! Oh boy!”

Ryu and Nina had the exact same thought, the same unenthused and worried look on their faces.

“Oh boy, indeed…” they thought in unison.

Ryu asked, “So, uh, do we board it now?”

Momo nodded, “Yes. Just hold on to those bars like a ladder!” She eagerly grabbed on, with the two kids doing so with greater reluctance. She put her hand on the ignition switch, “Okay! Taking off in three…”

“I’m not so sure about this…” Nina gulped.

“Two…”

Ryu’s body tensed up.

“One!” Momo grinned, “Blast off!”

She pressed the ignition switch. The rocket lurched slightly, white smoke filling the room from its tail, and it slowly started to ascend.

“I was expecting it to launch into the sky immediately…” Ryu said.

Just as he said that, the rocket suddenly had a burst of energy and speed. It plowed through the roof at high speed. Nina gave a cry of surprise at the sudden acceleration. It soared into the sky, taking their breath away for a few seconds. Then something happened.

The engine began to sputter. It started to lose speed. The engine then suddenly stopped, leaving it almost suspended in midair. It then started its rapid descent to the ground below, the trio screaming in fear and shock.

CRASH!!!

Dust rose from the ground. The rocket, now thoroughly wrecked, sitting nose-first in a crater. Its passengers were scattered nearby. Honey jumped out of Momo’s pocket and started to nudge her awake.

Momo slowly stirred, “Ah… ouch…” she sat up. “Looks like the landings… need some work… Huh? What’s this?”

She picked up an orange book as Honey nudged the princess awake. Ryu managed to come around on his own, groaning in pain. The two younger companions had regained their senses a few moments later.

Momo said, reading the book, “Oh! It’s the rocket’s instruction manual! Let’s see…”

After ensuring they weren’t hurt, Ryu and Nina looked at their older companion. As she read the book, a visible expression of embarrassment formed on her face. They knew it wasn’t good news.

“Whoops!” Momo said sheepishly, “It says there’s only supposed to be one passenger.”

Nina gained an odd look.

“It also says…” the engineer continued sheepishly, “to make sure to open the roof hatch before takeoff…”

Ryu smacked his face in exasperation.

“Well... aside from that, it worked, didn’t it?”

“No way!” the two kids exclaimed.

Momo picked up Honey, “All right. Let’s get going. They’ll catch up to us if we hang around here. So let’s get as far away as possible.”

Nodding, the trio left the crash site, eager to get to Wyndia safely.

Next Chapter: Down in the Dumps

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to find out what happens to our trio. Until then.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, chapter 9 is on the air. Truthfully, it's been ready for a while, I just haven't had much free time lately to post it. Anyway, enough yammering, let's move onto the main event.

Spoiler

Down in the Dumps


Ryu, Nina, and Momo were making their way down the road. They had long since left Momo’s tower and hoped that their pursuers were also very far behind. After a three-hour walk, they came to a sign. It was pointing up a winding slope. It read “Coffee Shop”, much to Ryu’s confusion.

“Coffee Shop?” he asked, perplexed. “What’s coffee?”

Momo explained, “It’s a hot beverage that most adults drink. It’s made from ground-up coffee beans. It’s similar to tea, only it has a stronger taste and more caffeine in it. Most people drink it in the morning as it is a nice pick-me-up drink.”

Nina said, “Why don’t we go there for a little break? I could use a drink.”

Nodding, the trio made their way up the winding slope to the top. It only took a few minutes to reach the building. It was a large building, almost like an inn, with several tables outside, and a very nice view of the area. The three adventures sat down at one of the tables. A waitress walked up to them.

“My, my, what darling children!” she said, making Ryu blush. “What can I get for you?” she asked.

Momo replied, “I’ll take some herbal tea, please.”

Nina smiled, “I’ll have an orange juice, please.”

Ryu seemed confused at what to get, having never heard of any drinks outside of water. Finally, he made up his mind.

“I-I’ll have an orange juice, too, miss.”

The waitress nodded, “Sure thing. Be right back.”

It didn’t take long for their drinks to arrive. Ryu was stunned; orange juice tasted good. Nina seemed to be enjoying hers, while Momo happily sipped her tea.

The waitress walked up to them, “Are you young folk stuck here as well?”

“Stuck?” Nina echoed, puzzled.

“No? Well I asked because there are some strange fellows blocking the road to Wyndia. No one can get through.” She merely smiled, “But that means more customers for us.”

As the waitress left, Momo observed, “Those must be the men who are looking for you.”

Ryu groaned, “Balio and Sunder… they’re always causing us trouble. Can’t they just give it a rest and leave us alone?”

“Well, I’m sure that they’ll give up sooner or later,” the engineer smiled.

Ryu and Nina were unconvinced, but didn’t say anything.

At a nearby table, a man noticed Momo, got up, and walked over to them. He was an older man, with a bald head, a white mustache and beard, and a white coat, indicating his was a researcher.

He said in a somewhat hoarse voice, “Excuse me, but… are you Momo? Long time no see. It’s me, Palet!”

Momo turned to him, “I’m Momo, but I don’t know who you are.”

As she returned to her drink, Palet looked a bit discouraged.

“It’s… it’s me, Palet. I’m the director of the plant you father built!”

At the word “plant”, Ryu became extremely confused, immediately envisioning trees and shrubs.

He asked himself, “Why would plants need a director?”

Momo noticed his confusion, “Before my father died, he came up with the idea of using chrysm to breed stronger crops. But he died before the plant was completed…”

“Yes, exactly!” Palet stated before heaving a heavy sigh “Ever since your father Repsol passed away, we’ve had nothing but trouble with the machines…”

“I’ll bet!” Momo grinned, “Only my father would be able to make and use a complex machine like that!”

Palet looked like he had been hit, flinching slightly, as if his pride had been damaged, before replying, “I won’t… or rather I can’t deny that…” He gazed at her, “That’s why I was wondering if you could help us? You’re familiar with your father’s work, aren’t you?”

Momo placed her hands on her hips, smiling proudly, “Yes, of course. I’m glad to help! So, can I have access to the machines, then?”

For a moment Palet looked triumphant, but he quickly covered it up, “Oh, thank you, Momo! I’ll see you at the plant!”

As he started to walk away, Ryu got a bad feeling from him. The same kind of feeling that made him distrust Loki back in McNeil Village.

He said mentally, “I don’t like this guy… something doesn’t seem right… but I better keep it to myself, so not to worry Nina or Momo. But something tells me that this Palet guy isn’t to be trusted.”

Nina turned to Momo, “Um, Momo, I’m not sure if I got all that.”

The engineer replied sheepishly, “Sorry, I guess I should’ve talked it out with you two first.” But she gained a smile, “But since they’re my father’s machines, I thought I’d lend a hand. It’s not like we’ll be going anywhere on the road for a while, right?”

“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Nina smiled sadly, but she quickly cheered up. “And who knows, maybe we’ll find a way past Balio and Sunder if we help out.”

After finishing their drinks and paying the waitress, the group of three left the coffee shop and headed slightly southwest. It wasn’t long before they saw the plant.

To Ryu’s and Nina’s surprise, it looked more like a farm than anything else, filled with fields of various vegetables, greenhouses, and people working, picking and tending to the crops. The only real difference was that there were several large machines near various greenhouses, all of which seemed to have a glowing chunk of chrysm partly within them. There were also large conveyer belts that lead deeper into the plant. Using them, the trio made their way to the heart of the plant.

“Now… where’s Palet?” Momo asked no one in particular.

On cue, a voice called, “Ah, Momo! We’ve been expecting you.”

They turned to see Palet standing before a small field of crops. The trio approached him, though the bad vibes Ryu felt from earlier were getting stronger.

Palet stated, “I tell you, it was pure luck to meet you there, Momo.” He then gestured to the machines, “As you know, I was your father’s assistant when he built these reactors, and…” but was cut off.

Momo shrugged, seemingly bored, “Whatever… now what machine needs fixing?”

Palet looked a little annoyed at being interrupted, but gave a low laugh, making Ryu feel even more uneasy.

“That laugh reminds me of Loki’s…” he muttered to himself, low enough so that neither Nina nor Momo heard him.

Palet replied, “Heheheh, well, I’ve been meaning to tell you that… we managed to fix the machines ourselves…”

“What?” Nina exclaimed, “They why did you need us here?”

He gestured behind him, a slightly sinister grin on his face, “Well, take a look at this…”

Near one of the vegetable patches was a massive onion. It was bigger than their heads, with a perfectly round brown body nestled inside leaves and a green sprout on top.

Momo took a look at it, “How cute! What is it?”

Palet looked stunned, “C-C-C-Cute? How can you say that?” Momo turned to him as he continued, “We can’t sell stuff like that. So we take it to the disposal area nearby. But several days ago, when we collected the crops to be processed and disposed of at the dump… well, um… how should I say it…”

Momo got the picture pretty quickly, “You found a mutant one like this?”

“Exactly! Now everyone’s afraid of it and won’t go near the dump anymore!”

“Hmm… what exactly happened?” The older girl rubbed her chin, “A plant got mixed in with the chrysm ore and became a monster?”

The director nodded in agreement, “We have no idea what we should do with it…”

Momo placed her hands on her hips, her ears twitching, “All right, we’ll take care of it! After all, this wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for my father’s reactors, right?”

“Hey! Don’t we get a say in this!?” Ryu protested.

“Thank you so much!” Palet cried. “The dump is to the west of here. I know you’ll take care of the problem properly.”

As the trio started to make their way out of the plant, Momo noticed the looks Ryu and Nina were giving her. She gained a sheepish expression.

“Sorry, I guess we should’ve talked it out first…” she said, blushing slightly. “But since we can’t go anywhere right now, and this is my father’s plant, I had to help. I mean, if my father’s brilliance is causing unwanted life to be born, then it’s my responsibility to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand. Isn’t that right?”

Nina shrugged, “I guess so. But I never knew chrysm could do something like that. So let’s get this over with and see if we can find an alternate route back to Wyndia afterward.”

Ryu still seemed unsure of all this, but he complied regardless. But he couldn’t help but still feel that Palet wasn’t trustworthy, but he kept it to himself.

It took less than ten minutes to reach the dump. It was deep within a large mountain, but unlike the winding caves of Mt.Glaus, this place was rather straightforward, so it wasn’t difficult to navigate. New creatures awaited them within its depths. One breed looked like flying spotted eggs with ugly faces, another two looked like weird plant-like finger puppets, but had slightly different colors to tell them apart, while another looked like a single eye wrapped in a small, scuttling body with thin, dreadlock-like leaves. As they got deeper into the mountain, they came to a pool of magma with a conveyer belt positioned in front of it.

Momo observed, “So it looks like they dispose of any failures in the magma by placing them on the conveyer belt, flipping the switch, and letting the magma take it from there. Pretty good setup, I must say. Now where’s this mutant Palet wanted us to deal with?”

Nina looked around before she spotted something, “I think over there! There’s a small cave just a little ways from the magma pool. There are a ton of vines coming out of it, so let’s check if that’s the place.”

Nodding, the trio approached the small cave. The peeked in before cautiously entering it. Inside was quite the sight.

Right in the center was a gigantic, partly humanoid creature. It had a pink hood-like head with shadows where its eyes would be, connected to a round pink and purple body, pink and red shoulder pad-like structures attached to its arms, ending in root-like hands. Its lower body was composed of several small pink and purple round segments in a chain-like structure, attached to the floor of the cavern. To their surprise, it was moving.

Ryu and Nina stared at the mutant with wide eyes, stunned that something like this could exist. Momo, on the other hand, was extremely excited, her eyes gleaming brightly.

“Wow!” was her reaction. “Look at thing! That thing is… moving! Who would’ve believed that chrysm energy could mutate a life form like this?”

Ryu and Nina had no comment, still unsure of what they were looking at.

“If my father was here to see this, what would he say? Too bad you never met him…” She then gained a sad smile, “Oh well, it’s a shame to get rid of it… but I suppose we should chop it up and toss it in the magma.”

Nothing could’ve prepared them for what happened next.

A voice slowly drifted from the mutant, small yellow headlight eyes appearing under its hood, “Who’s there?”

This stunned the three of them. Momo looked both shocked and amazed.

“It… it talked…” Ryu gasped.

Momo looked elated, “A mutant plant that moves and talks! What an incredible discovery!”

The mutant slowly said, “Mutant? Am I a ‘mutant’?”

“No! Well, actually…” Momo replied, “Some might say that, but I think you’re wonderful! It’s a shame that we have to dispose…” but she realized she said the wrong thing.

“…‘Dispose’? You mean you’re going to kill me?” Its body started to move violently, “No! Please don’t… please stop… I don’t want to die!”

The battle begun.

The mutant tried to lash out at them causing them to scatter slightly. It then started to release a purple haze that headed toward Nina and Momo.

Ryu said, “I have to defend them with my flame! If I don’t, I could never forgive myself!”

Inside his body something started to react.

Flame… Defender…

Ryu was engulfed in a bright light, his cry echoing throughout the dump. Before long a new dragon was standing before them.

Unlike the whelp, it was a large, magnificent dragon, at least three times the size of Ryu. Its reddish-orange scales gleamed even in the limited light of the cavern, with strong legs ending in sharp talons that could crush anything, smaller arms with equally sharp claws, a long, slender neck with a green frilled-like fin going down it, and a thick tail that could rend steel. Its large bat-like wings, each equipped with a sharp claw, easily showed strength and speed. Its head was more developed than the whelp, being sharper and slender, with two large rear-facing horns, glowing eyes with cat-like pupils, a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, and a snout that released steam.

The dragon gave a roar and with lightning speed managed to put itself in between the girls and the purple haze, defending them. Momo’s eyes were wide with shock, while Nina looked amazed.

Nina exclaimed, “That’s so cool, Ryu! You’re a totally new dragon now!”

Momo stammered, “D-Dragon!? Ryu’s a dragon!?”

The dragon inhaled deeply. Though doing so caused it to inhale the purple haze, making it give a small cry in pain, but it opened its mouth regardless, summoning up a large flame. It then launched a massive tongue of fire, even larger than what the whelp could produce, that nearly blanketed most of the cavern in white-hot flames. The flames engulfed the mutant, causing it to shriek in agony.

However, the purple haze from before was starting to rampage inside Ryu’s body, causing the dragon to give a cry of pain, quivering slightly, its breathing ragged.

Nina stated, “That purple stuff… it must’ve been Venom Breath! Ryu’s been poisoned! We have to do something!”

Momo started to chant, her bazooka having been transformed into magical energy, before she released it.

“Purify!” she stated.

Cleansing energy started to surge through the dragon. The poison was removed from its body, allowing it to relax and breathe normally. It gave its head a quick shake before directing its attention to the mutant. Most of the ivy and vines that littered the cavern had been burned to cinders, leaving only the mutant behind. Its lower body had been completely incinerated, but it still appeared to be alive. However, it also seemed calmer now, as it wasn’t striking back or spraying another Venom Breath at them. The dragon waited patiently for the mutant to make another move, but it didn’t. Seemingly satisfied, the dragon vanished in a bright light and was replaced by Ryu. He gave his head a shake, as if trying to clear it after the Venom Breath’s effects on his body.

Nina smiled, “That was so amazing, Ryu! I’ve never seen that dragon form before! Last time you were this little dragon, now you can become a bigger one! That’s amazing!”

Ryu realized what he just did, “I… I transformed!?” He turned to Momo, eyes wide, “I… Momo… I… Well…”

To his surprise, Momo beamed at him, “That was pretty sweet, Ryu. Who knew you could turn into a dragon like that. I’m very impressed. Guess there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

Ryu looked stunned, “Y-You mean… you’re not afraid? Even after what I just did?”

The engineer grinned, “No, not really. After all, you protected us from that Venom Breath, didn’t you? So that proves that you’re not to be feared.”

“R-Really? But please don’t tell anyone, Momo! Balio and Sunder already know and they’ve been out to get me since!”

Momo giggled, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone… if you allow me to study you.”

“S-Study?” Ryu asked, perplexed.

“Well, yeah, why not?” she shrugged. “Dragons are legendary creatures of ancient times. They’re powerful, too, and are the only creatures that can change forms rapidly without any drawbacks, needed spells, or dangerous chemicals. But they’re extinct, right? So the fact that we know a dragon is quite the discovery! But don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul about it.”

She then gave him a playful wink, confirming her promise.

Ryu gave a small smile, “Fair enough.”

Just then they heard a groan. They turned sharply to see the mutant groaning, its eyes flickering, as if it was blinking. The trio prepared for battle, but the mutant didn’t seem like it wanted to fight again.

The mutant said, “I’m sorry… my body moved on its own… I couldn’t control myself…”

“It’s… okay… we’re sorry, too…” Nina said woefully.

Ryu felt a surge of regret go through him.

“I used too much of my power on it…” he said silently.

“No worries!” Momo replied, her usual cheery self. “Besides, a mutant that can talk and move, it’s such an amazing discovery! If only my father could see this…”

Slowly the mutant replied, “…‘Discovery’? No… you cannot tell them about me!” It then hesitated before continuing, “Please, I have something to ask of you…”

A short time later, Ryu, Nina, and Momo had carried the mutant, with great difficulty, onto the conveyer belt. Sorrow and regret filled their eyes as they knew what was coming next. Ryu felt particularly bad about it, just like when he, Rei, and Teepo had to kill the Nue.

“Are you sure… you want to do this?” Momo asked uncertainly.

The mutant replied, “You came here to ‘dispose’ of the ‘mutant’, haven’t you…?”

“But… we didn’t know you were alive…” Nina replied sadly, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

“No, I should be destroyed… I was never meant to be born…” it turned its gazed to Ryu, “Please, turn on the conveyer belt…”

Ryu could feel sorrow and despair well up inside of him. At first he wanted to refuse, not wanting to end another life, but he managed to swallow it down and walked over to the blue switch. He pulled it down, causing the conveyer belt to move.

“Thank you… and farewell…” the mutant said sadly, but it seemed to be satisfied with what was about to happen.

The conveyer belt started to transport its passenger to the magma.

Momo them blurted out, “Wait! You don’t have to do this!” She started to move alongside the conveyer belt, “I promise I won’t tell anyone about you! Just let me study you!”

It shook its head slightly, “The desire to know is not necessarily wrong, but…” its voice trailed off briefly, as if struggling to say what was on its mind. “Remember that if you’re not careful… one mistake… and you’ll create… monsters… far worse… than I…”

This seemed to strike Momo harshly, causing her to stop dead in her tracks. They could only watch as the conveyer belt pushed the mutant into the lava pit, its body quickly being incinerated. Ryu stopped the conveyer belt, tears brimming in his blue eyes. Nina turned away, also ready to cry, while Momo looked like she’d had lost a loved one.

Ryu thought sadly, “Another innocent life… gone forever… Why can’t I do anything to change it…?”

“PukyuKYUUUUUUUU!!!”

This sudden strange noise snapped them all out of their sorrow. They looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. Just then, from the charred remains of the mutant, something sprung out of the magma. It landed with a heavy thud in between the trio. They all looked at it in shock.

It was just like the giant onion from before, only it had two large leaves in the shape of jester shoes acting as feet, a red sprout on its head, green leaves wrapped around its tan body, and a face with bright eyes and a curved, somewhat cat-like mouth.

And it was alive, shaking its onion head in confusion.

Momo sputtered, “It’s a cute little…”

“…Onion…” Nina finished.

“Pukiiiiii!” the onion stated angrily, jumping up and down and stamping its feet like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

Ryu gave it an odd look, which only seemed to make it more upset. It then tried to tackle him, causing Ryu to jump back and prepare his weapon.

The engineer, however, got in between them, “W-Wait, Ryu! I’m sure the mutant entrusted us with this…” she took a minute to think of the right word, “…this… baby to us!”

Ryu seem dumbfounded, “Huh?”

“I think I understand now…” she knelt down to the onion’s level. “He left you as a reminder to never make a monster like him, didn’t he?”

The onion seemed to understand, for it lowered its gaze to the ground, sadly saying, “Pukyu, kyu…”

“He can’t talk, can he?” Nina observed, kneeling down next to the onion.

“Doesn’t look like it…” Ryu said, removing his hand from his sword hilt, still unsure of all this.

“Why don’t we take him with us?” Momo proposed, “I’m sure the mutant would want that.”

Nina smiled, “That’s a good idea!”

“Um… okay, I guess…” Ryu replied.

Momo beamed, clapping her hands together, “Then that settles it!”

“He needs a name…” the princess mused. She took a moment before jumping up, “I know! Let’s call him Peco! I mean, he does look like an onion, right?”

“Great name, Nina!” Momo exclaimed happily. She turned to the onion, “Do you like the name Peco?”

The newly named Peco started to jump up and down happily, “Pukiiii!”

Ryu could only look at his companions.

He said to himself, “I’m with a child princess, an absent-minded engineer, and a mutant onion… Who would’ve guessed that just by leaving Cedar Woods all this would’ve happened?”

So with Peco in tow, the group of four started to make their way out of the dump.

Next Chapter: The Contest of Champions

And that's all for now folks. The end of one life gives birth to another. Anyway, tune in next time to find out what happens next. Until then.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay chapter 10 is live! What will happen next to Ryu and co? Read and find out.

Spoiler

The Contest of Champions


It didn’t take long before Ryu and his companions exited the Dump with the newest addition in tow. Peco happily bounced and hopped behind them, seemingly enjoying being around his new friends. Just then, however, he turned slightly southeast and sped off, as if something was calling him.

Momo stated, “Peco! Come back! Where are you going?”

Ryu, Nina, and Momo bolted after him. It wasn’t long before they managed to catch up to him. He had found a small grove-like forest just south of the Plant. It was beautiful and lush, filled with wildlife. In the center of the small forest was a mighty-looking tree. Peco was looking up at it, awe in his eyes, and seemed to be trying to communicate with it.

Momo panted, “Peco, don’t be charging off like that. You could get hurt.”

Ryu asked, “Where are we? Why did Peco come to this particular place?”

Nina looked around, then up at the tree, thinking hard.

“I know this… this tree is something special…” she said. It then dawned on her, “Oh, right! Now I remember! This tree is known as Yggdrasil, the Tree of Wisdom. It’s said to embody the wisdom of an ancient sage or something along those lines. It’s also known as the protector of the forest. I wonder why Peco would come here?”

Peco continued to gaze up at Yggdrasil, as if trying to communicate with it. It was then a wheezy voice drifted into Ryu’s head.

“Can you hear me?”

Ryu looked around, surprised, thinking, “Did I hear someone just now?”

The voice replied, “So you can hear me. I am Yggdrasil. My head… it’s so fuzzy… I cannot think straight… Do you have anything that might help?”

Ryu instinctively reached into his pockets, trying to find anything. He pulled out a strange golden-orange fruit. Momo noticed this.

“Hey… isn’t that a Wisdom Fruit?” she asked.

“Where’d you get that?” Nina questioned.

Ryu replied, “I found it before I met Nina, when I was making my way through the mountain to Wyndia, just before Balio and Sunder discovered my ‘little secret’. I’m surprised it still seems fresh even after all this time.”

Yggdrasil’s voice floated into Ryu’s mind, “Would you be willing to part with that Wisdom Fruit to help me?”

Peco turned to Ryu, as if asking him the same question, his eyes fixated on the Wisdom Fruit. Ryu, unsure of what would happen, placed the Wisdom Fruit at Yggdrasil’s roots. To everyone’s amazement, the fruit was levitated off the ground before vanishing in a small flurry of sparkles. This seemed to make the small forest glimmer, the leaves rustling, as if thanking them.

“Ahh… much better… my head is clear now. Thank you.”

Ryu looked up at the mighty tree, replying mentally, “How do you know me?”

“All in due time, Ryu. For now, dedicate your time to friends, laughter, and joy, as you are still too young to know what lies ahead. Now go and enjoy your life. When you are older, I will part with the information you need.”

The princess asked, “Ryu? Is everything okay? What happened to that Wisdom Fruit?”

Ryu shook his head, “I’m not entirely sure myself, but it was like Yggdrasil was… talking to me. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I guess I’ll know soon enough.” He gave a deep sigh, “I guess we should head back to the Plant for now.”

Momo smacked her forehead, “You’re right! I almost forgot! We have to tell Palet that we dealt with his little ‘problem’! So let’s go!”

The group started to make their way out of the small grove forest, but both Ryu and Peco took one last look at the mighty Yggdrasil tree before following their friends. It didn’t take them long to return to the Plant.

Palet, who was waiting for them at the front, smiled, “Ah, Momo! Did you take care of our little problem?”

Momo nodded, “Yeah, but I wouldn’t call it little!”

“How can we ever thank you, Momo?” Palet smiled.

“No need, as it was caused by my father’s reactors, so I had to do something to fix it. Okay, let’s get going, guys.”

But just as they were about to leave, Palet sputtered, “W-Where are you going? The road is still blocked.”

Nina protested, “But we have to get to Wyndia.”

Palet’s eyes widened, “You need to get to Wyndia?” He then gave a low laugh, making Ryu tense, “No problem, leave that to me. I have a plan. So why don’t you stay for the night while I prepare. I know how to get you to Wyndia, so just leave it to me.”

Momo replied, “I guess it’s our best bet. Okay, thank you, Palet.”

He guided them to a building. Inside held a small inn and a food stand where they sold some of the enhanced crops. As Ryu and Nina passed some of the crops, they couldn’t help but feel uneasy about them. Likewise, some of the people inside the building gave Peco an odd look, unsure of the bouncing onion. Ryu and Peco were given a room while Nina and Momo were given another. The rooms were fairly small and somewhat cramped, with two beds, a small bedside table between them, lamps, and surrounded by metal walls and floors, giving it a rather cold appearance. As Nina sat on her bed, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy with Ryu not next to her.

“I hope Palet comes up with a good plan…” Momo said, sitting on her bed. “If those guys are watching the road, it won’t be easy to smuggle us across. But we have to have faith.”

“I hope so… Balio and Sunder have been pretty determined to get us…” Nina sighed sadly. “I just worry what they might do to Ryu, as he’s been their biggest headache ever since they crossed paths. They know his hidden power, and they know he’s my protector, so I worry that they might try to kill him the moment they get their hands on him again.”

“Don’t worry, Nina,” Momo said cheerfully. “He’s a dragon. It’ll take a lot for those lowlifes to knock him down for good. Ryu’s really something, I have to say. Who would’ve guessed that, packed inside that little body of his, a legendary power surges through him.”

Nina smiled, “I’m glad you’re not afraid of him, Momo. And I’m glad you’re not going to tell anyone about his little secret.”

The engineer smiled again, “Don’t worry; his secret is safe with me. I’m just excited to have the opportunity to actually study a real dragon. I mean, they’re legendary creatures, but are also extinct, so this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Nina nodded, “In history lessons back at the castle, I was always taught that dragons were vile, evil creatures. Despite that, I always found them fascinating. But after meeting Ryu and spending time with him, I’m beginning to think that dragons were never evil. That history might be coloring them the wrong way.”

“Dad always told me that the dragons are just like every day people…” Momo replied. “Some are good while others are bad, just like any of the people of this world. He said I shouldn’t believe everything I’m told. Instead, I should experience it for myself and then make the final judgment on whatever the subject may be. He had a lot of wisdom like that.”

“Do you at all miss him, Momo?”

“Yes, quite often…” she smiled. “But I know he’s watching over me. And I have every intention of following his footsteps and becoming a great engineer one day.”

Nina then said silently, “I wonder if Ryu’s family is watching over him as well…”

After a good night’s rest, the group felt energized and ready to go. Breakfast consisted of a stew made from the enhanced crops. However, Ryu and Nina eyed it warily, as if expecting the vegetables to suddenly start moving. Momo, on the other hand, ate it without a second thought, surprising them. Peco also seemed uncertain of breakfast, so he merely pushed it away with his foot in rejection. Afterward they went outside. Palet was waiting for them. He was standing next to a large horse-drawn cart full of various vegetables and hay. A man wearing a cloak was standing next to the horse.

Palet smiled, “Ah, good, you’re here.” He then pointed to the cart, “This cart is taking some of the enhanced crops to Wyndia. You can smuggle yourselves inside.”

Momo asked, “But won’t they check the goods?”

Ryu nodded in agreement, a feeling of foreboding building up inside of him.

Palet gave a low laugh, “Heheheheh, don’t you worry about that. Just hide yourselves real good in there and everything will be fine.”

"I dunno…" Ryu said.

“I feel it might work, Ryu, so don’t worry about it!” Nina smiled.

Momo nodded, “Agreed. You do want to get to Wyndia, right Ryu?”

Ryu replied, “Well, yeah, I do, but I…” but was cut off.

“Then that settles it! Let’s give it a go. It’s our best chance.”

“Pukyukyu!” Peco stated, bouncing up and down.

Ryu heaved a sigh as he and his companions managed to nestle themselves into the cart, hiding as best as possible in the hay. When they were settled, they could feel the cart being pulled by the horse and onto the main road. However, as they left, Palet gave a low, sinister laugh.

“Hehehe… whew, I was lucky that the ones Balio and Sunder are after turned out to be Momo and her friends.” He gave his beard a stroke, grinning sinisterly, “Those two will take care of them for me… then no one will ever need to learn about the mutant plant.”

He then gave another low laugh.

It didn’t take long before the cart with the goods reached Eygnock Road. It came to a stop. Ryu and the others tensed up.

“I don’t think this is going to work…” Ryu said in a hushed voice.

Nina, who was obviously nervous, replied, “Well, Mr.Palet went to all the trouble to get us this cart. So I think we’ll be fine.”

Momo nodded, “Yeah, it’ll work. Just try to have faith, Ryu.”

Ryu said silently, “I still don’t trust Palet. I feel like we’ve been used.”

“Here they come…” the man outside whispered to the party.

Everyone quieted down, not even daring to breathe, waiting for the moment of truth.

“Hooooold it!” Sunder’s loud voice could be heard. “No one gets by here now!”

The hooded man replied nervously, “This… uh… is a shipment from the Plant to Wyndia…”

“Shipment, huh? Well you can go on home; I’ll take it from here!” Sunder neighed. “Now scram!”

The hooded man hastily ran off, making the party very tense.

“Don’t worry!” Sunder called out to him, “I’ll take good care of it.”

He then gave the cart a mighty kick so powerful that it completely turned the cart onto its side, even knocking the horse down with it. Crates of fruit, vegetables, and other contents spilled over, along with the group of four friends. Sunder signaled his men to surround them before roughly grabbing Ryu and Nina by the scruffs of their necks.

“You’re in for it now, you brat!” he grinned sinisterly, eyeing Ryu with hatred in his eyes. “You won’t get away this time.”

Ryu returned the hateful glare in full, thinking, “I could turn into a dragon and give them a taste of my flames, but I might hurt Nina, Momo, and Peco in doing so. Drat, they’ve got us pinned.”

Nina whimpered, “Oh no… Ryu…”

Momo was roughly grabbed, bemoaning, “I guess it didn’t work…”

The azure-haired boy sighed, “I knew it wouldn’t… it seemed too easy…”

It took another day for Sunder and his men to haul Ryu and the others back to Genmel. He marched them into the fortress-like building, all of them tied up. Over the front a sign read “The Contest of Champions”. Sunder had a strong sense of triumph as he led the party into the building.

“Just you wait, you brat. You’re in trouble now!” he sneered. “I’ve had it up to here with you!” He then shoved them into an office, “I’ve got them, bro!”

Balio was sitting at a desk, smiling, “Good work, I knew you could handle it.” He then gave a triumphant smirk, “So, kids… I hope this showed you how the world works.”

Ryu could feel the flame inside of him burning heavily, like a ranging inferno, seeking to annihilate anything that got in its way. His hatred for the horse brothers was reaching its peak, and he was itching to give them a taste of their own medicine.

He said mentally, “People like them deserve to be punished. Ever since we’ve cross paths, they’ve made me… and most importantly my friends, miserable, just for their own selfish gain. I wish I could just release the dragon inside of me and burn them to cinders for what they’ve done. But I can’t risk the safety of Nina and the others, as even I don’t know the full extent of my own power, so I could hurt my friends in the process.”

Sunder grinned, “It’s people like us who get what we want, right bro?”

Balio nodded, “The strong get what they want, and the weak can’t do anything about it… just like in the Contest of Champions.”

This caused a spark to flicker in Nina’s eyes as an idea bloomed. She gained a grin.

“So, if we enter and win, then we’ll be strong,” she stated. “And we can get what we want: to be set free!”

“What!?” Ryu and Momo sputtered, but their shock was nothing compared to Sunder’s.

He took a step closer to her, snarling, “WHAT? You want to enter the contest? Look here, we’ve been nice so far ‘cause you’re worth a lot ‘o money to us, but there’s a limit to how far we can be pushed!”

Ryu stepped in between him and Nina, his blue eyes showing fierce determination and anger. He didn’t care if he was tied up, he would protect Nina with everything he had.

“Look, just give up and stop struggling,” Sunder snarled at Ryu. “I’ve just about had it with you, brat. I would love to get rid of all of you once and for all. But don’t worry, Princess, I won’t touch you.”

“No way!” Nina stated boldly, “I won’t let you hurt anyone! Let us enter the Contest!”

Sunder looked livid, “They’re gettin’ all uppity, bro. I say we get rid of them now!”

However, to his surprise, Balio was thinking, a sinister smirk forming on his face.

“Wait, hold on a second, bro…” the white horse brother said. “It’s actually not a bad idea.”

“What!?” Sunder exclaimed. “You want them to enter the Contest! But no one will think they can win… huh? Wait a sec…”

Balio nodded, “Exactly, Sunder. No one will bet on them, which means if they do win, then we’ll make that much more money.” He turned to Nina, “Alright, princess, we’ll let you enter the Contest. I’ll even let you loose until it starts tomorrow.”

Ryu was dumbfounded at the sudden change of plans.

“You can train, buy stuff, do whatever you want,” Balio continued. His voice then lowered to a more menacing tone, “But don’t even think of trying to escape. We’ve got our men blocking the road, and we’ll keep one of you here as a hostage.”

At that note, he roughly grabbed Peco, making him cry out in shock, before tossing him into a large cage that was nearby, locking it up.

“Puiiiiiiiiii!” the onion cried.

“Peco!” Nina cried, but Momo held her back.

She said, “It’s okay, Nina. Peco will be okay. We can do this.”

Sunder neighed, “Great idea, bro! I would’ve never come up with this.”

Balio twirled the key around his finger, “You better put on a good show, as you’ve given us enough trouble. But if you lose…” his eyes narrowing, “It’s curtains for you, lizard lips.”

Ryu could feel his anger burning, but said nothing in response.

Ryu, Nina, and Momo were released from the office. This allowed them to explore the arena to get a better idea of what they were getting into. There were three halls for combat: the Hall of Fire, the Null Magic Hall, and the Hall of Kings, each one was different. The Hall of Fire consisted of two platforms over boiling lava. The Null Magic Hall was plainer compared to the Hall of Fire, but it had what looked like a sealing circle in the middle. Ryu and Nina felt drained just standing in the room. The Hall of Kings was the simplest in design, only consisting of a wide walkway over a dark pit.

As they explored, they saw several people checking out the different teams, arguing who to make bets on, and debating who had the best chance of winning. There were also several women in bunny girl outfits stationed in various places. Ryu felt slightly flustered whenever he’d see one, while Nina frowned disapprovingly at those women. As they heard the various men arguing about who to bet on, Ryu could feel his anger growing again.

“They’re all the same…” he said silently. “They’re all here, fueled by greed, to watch other people suffer. All for the sake of lining their pockets with zenny quickly.”

Nina noticed this, “Ryu? Are you okay? You’re awfully quiet. Well, quieter than usual, anyway.”

“Huh?” he said with a start. “Oh, sorry. I’m just thinking about tomorrow, that’s all.”

Nina had a look of uncertainty on her face, “Do you think we can win? Can we really win our freedom? I mean, poor Peco, who was just born, is now a hostage, just so Balio and Sunder can fill their pockets with zenny, using us as their cash cows. Do you think we can win?”

“Yeah, we can win!” Momo said, returning to her cheery self. “We have a dragon on our side, so these guys don’t stand a chance.”

“Actually, Momo, we don’t…” Ryu said, shifting his eyes to the ground. “I don’t want to scare off everyone by turning into a dragon. And it might complicate our situation even more.”

Realization washed over her face, “Oh, yeah, that’s a good point…”

Nina placed a hand on his shoulder, “Even without your dragon powers, we still have a chance to win this. You’re strong, no matter what. We’ll just have to take it as it comes, I guess. It’s the only option we have right now. But dragon form or not, I know you’ll pull us through this mess, Ryu.”

Ryu nodded, “Thanks, Nina. Well, let’s get a bit of practice in. It won’t ensure our victory, but it’s better than sitting around doing nothing.”

The next day seemed to arrive quickly. The Contest of Champions was already underway. After a quick breakfast at the inn, the trio visited Peco. Momo volunteered to be the temporary hostage so the onion could have his own breakfast. After that, Ryu, Nina, and Momo were examining a large chart by the entrance to the Hall of Kings.

Momo observed, “Let’s see… Our first fight will be in the Hall of Fire against Team Patrio. It won’t start right away, as there are a few other fights before us, so that gives us some time to plan and gather a battle strategy.”

“Hey, I just noticed something… why does our team say Team Ryu?” Ryu asked. “I’m not the leader…”

Nina beamed, “Yes, you are! You’re the strongest out of us!”

“B-But I had help from you guys!”

“Even so, Ryu, you’re our best bet,” Momo stated. “Even without your dragon form, you’re still the strongest of the three of us. So just accept the position, Ryu. Without you, we’re as good as finished.”

Ryu blushed, “Okay, okay, but I still think I’m not the leader. But whatever works, I guess.”

They waited patiently for their turn. They could only watch in horror as several teams were brutally beaten. The crowd’s cheering and booing at each result made the young boy’s blood boil. It wasn’t long before they were called up for their match.

A bunny girl was standing in their waiting room, making Ryu turn away, flustered, while Nina still had a frown of disapproval.

The bunny girl said, “Okay, here are the rules for the Hall of Fire. It’ll be a one-on-one, single elimination battle. When all members of one team are defeated, the battle is over. Now, who’s going first?”

Before Ryu could say anything, Momo stepped up, “I’ll go first.”

Nina looked at her, “Are you sure, Momo?”

Ryu added, “Shouldn’t I go first?”

The engineer turned to them, “Ryu is our best bet right now, so he needs to be the anchor of our team. He has to be the one we can fall back on in case things go sour. So I’ll go first, gauge the situation, and report back if I’m defeated… hopefully I can end this match before we need to do that. But that’s what we should do.”

Nina nodded nervously, “R-Right. Good luck, Momo.”

“And be careful…” Ryu added.

“I’ll do my best. Just don’t expect any miracles from me…” Momo replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

With a deep breath, Momo left the waiting room and entered the Hall of Fire. Ryu and Nina waited, tension and worry in their minds, praying for Momo’s success.

At first the crowd could be heard. But then it went silent, suggesting that the fight had begun. However, within a few moments, there was a loud KABOOM, startling the two kids. Ryu quickly took a peek out the door to the battlefield. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Momo was still standing, seemingly unhurt, while her opponent, a female cat burglar-like warrior, had been thrown and flattened over the door to her side, her face blackened. She coughed up a small amount of black smoke before collapsing to the ground, out cold.

The announcer, another bunny girl, stated, “And the winner of this round is Momo!”

As they heard this, Ryu and Nina gave a sigh of relief.

“One down…” Nina said.

They waited patiently for the next fight. As soon as the crowd’s cheering ended, they knew the battle had begun yet again. Shortly afterward, they heard another loud KABOOM. Ryu peeked out again. Like last time, Momo seemed unharmed, while her opponent, a fat magician, had been blasted above the door to his side, just like the previous opponent, his face black. He coughed up a puff of smoke before falling flat on his fat face, out cold.

“And the winner of this round is Momo!” the announcer stated.

Ryu and Nina gave another sigh of relief.

“Two down, one more to go…” Ryu said.

The final round began. Ryu and Nina waited patiently for the results. They heard another loud KABOOM, but this time neither bothered to look out, as they knew the results. Sure enough, Momo walked back into the room. She seemed relieved, but was also sweating, her trusty bazooka in hand.

“Whew…” she said, wiping her brow, “That Hall of Fire really is quite hot. But we won. For once my bazooka hit its mark. Three times in a row, no less, a new record.”

Nina cheered, “Great work, Momo!”

Ryu nodded, “Looks like I wasn’t needed for this round after all. But I knew we could count on you to kick things off with a bang.”

The engineer blushed, rubbing the back of her head, “Aw, you guys, you’re making me blush. But even if I had failed, I knew you two would pick up the slack and turn things around. But we’ve cleared the first hurdle. Now let’s keep the momentum going and win our freedom!”

A short time later, after the first round of combat had been completed, the trio decided to do some more training. However, when they passed a certain hall, Ryu noticed a purple-haired girl, younger than he was, clinging onto her mother’s clothes. Both of them were wearing clean clothes, but they seemed very old regardless, having been patched up several times.

The girl coughed, “Mommy? Daddy is going to win, right?” She then gave a violent cough.

The mother replied, “Yes, Lyla, he’ll win, that’s for sure. Then he can get the money needed for your operation.”

Ryu thought to himself, “Someone else is fighting for a loved one? I guess not everyone here is fueled by greed.”

He couldn’t think about it for too long, as Nina and Momo were way ahead of him, forcing him to run after them.

After some training, they visited Peco, who swapped places with Nina briefly so he could get some fresh air and food. Ryu stood patiently outside of Balio’s office, ready to spring into action if he heard even the faintest of noises from the princess. He was so focused that he didn’t notice someone approach him. When the person was just shy of the boy, Ryu turned his head so quickly it made a small crack, startled.

“Huh!? Oh, hello…” Ryu said.

The man was a tall and slender, with messy purple hair, tan skin, and was wearing heavily patched up, but clean clothes.

He asked, “Hello. Are you Ryu?”

“Yes, I’m Ryu. And who are you?”

“I’m Emitai. I’ll be your opponent tomorrow.” He then gained a sad expression, “I hate to ask you this, but I need a favor from you.”

“W-What kind of favor?” Ryu asked, now slightly nervous.

“Well, you see… my daughter is really sick, so I need to win the prize money in order to pay for an operation for her. If I don’t, then she’ll die…” Emitai said sorrowfully.

A lump formed in Ryu’s throat as he replied, “I… I’m sorry to hear that. Are you asking me the throw the match tomorrow?”

Emitai bowed his head down, “I know it’s hard to ask, but I need to get the money or she won’t survive. Will you please do that?” His hands started to glow, summoning two small boys, “I can easily win any of the other matches, but we’ll be fighting in the Null Magic Hall, where my magical powers are useless. Only my two golem boys here can fight in there.”

The golem boys said in unison, “Let Emitai win. Let Emitai win.”

Ryu turned his head away, a single tear leaking out of his eye, “I’m sorry… but I can’t do that… You see, a friend of mine is being held hostage, so we’re fighting for his, and our, freedom. So I can’t throw the match. I’m sorry…”

Emitai looked surprised, “Oh… I see… I’m sorry to hear that…” He started to walk away, saying to himself, “I’m sorry, Lyla… please forgive your old father…”

As he and the boys left Ryu alone, he couldn’t help but feel upset.

“I can’t throw the match, but I want to help his daughter… why is fate so cruel?”

Next Chapter: Championship Clash

And that's all for now folks. What will happen in the match between Ryu and Emitai? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Whoo, been a while, hasn't it? But I'm starting to come around. Still having some troubles, but I'm getting better. But enough of that, let's move onto the main event.

Spoiler

Championship Clash


The next day seemed to arrive quickly. Ryu, Nina, and Momo were making final preps for their match against Emitai. However, deep within, Ryu was waging an internal battle. He hadn’t disclosed what Emitai had said to him yesterday to Nina and Momo.

He said silently, “They’ve got enough to worry about… I can’t tell them that Emitai asked us to throw the match. But there’s a lot at stake for both sides. If we don’t win, Balio and Sunder will continue to torment us, and Nina will be used as their cash cow. But if we do win, then Emitai’s daughter might die.”

He looked at Nina and Momo, who were making final checks of everything.

“I have to win, or we’ll never see a better tomorrow. Balio and Sunder can do whatever they want to me, but I have to win to ensure that Nina, Momo, and Peco have good futures. So… I guess that means I have to win this fight. I’m sorry, Emitai, but you can’t fathom the peril my friends and I are in right now.”

In Emitai’s room, he was standing before his two Golem boys, his head hung.

“Life’s never easy, isn’t it…?” he said to himself. “I was hoping to use this for the final match, but I have no choice… Okay, boys, it’s time to get to work.”

He summoned a large sphere of light that rained down upon him and the two Golem boys.

At that time, Team Ryu was already in position in the Null Magic Hall. Ryu and Momo felt a bit drained by just standing on the field, while Nina felt completely powerless. She lingered close to Momo, while Ryu had positioned himself in the front of their “formation”, knowing he’d have to take the brunt of the battle for the girls.

The announcer, which was another bunny girl, looked confused at the absence of Emitai.

She pondered, “I wonder where Emitai is?” She called out to his room, “Mr.Emitai! The match is starting! Please enter the arena!”

Just then the ground started to shake, and after a burst of light, Emitai appeared, but he wasn’t alone. Standing in front of him were two gigantic Golems; green ogre-like creatures with bat faces. This stunned everyone, making Nina and Momo gulp a bit in fear.

Emitai stated, “I’m here. Like I said, I can’t do anything here. I just have to leave it to my boys.”

The announcer looked frightened, “B-Boys!?” She then hastily regained her composure, “A-Anyway, we’re out of time, so let’s begin.” She said with a loud voice, “Ladies and Gentleman! In this round, Team Ryu VS Team Emitai. Ready… fight!”

The battle began.

One of the Golems immediately charged toward Nina, who braced herself to be hit. Ryu was already on the case. He charged in, sword held high, and gave it a slash on the Golem’s arm, leaving a gash near its wrist. This got its and the other Golem’s attention. Ryu made a mocking face and started to run, the Golems charging after him, soon creating a wild goose chase all around the field. The announcer had to find a safe place to hide in order to avoid getting trampled. The crowd was now trying to add wagers, betting to see if Ryu’s superior speed could outlast the Golem’s stamina.

While Nina hid near Momo, the engineer was trying frantically to land a shot from her bazooka. While some of her attacks hit, most missed, making her very frustrated. And despite some hits landing, the Golems were still more interested in Ryu than anyone else.

She growled, “Oh, for the love of…! That’s it! I’m getting the accuracy on this thing recalibrated!”

She loaded up another shot, took aim, prayed, and fired. The shot sailed past the Golems, not even getting their attention. However, it instead slammed into Emitai’s face, sending him flying back before crashing to the ground in a heap, out cold. This created a new situation. The Golems then turned to each other and started to pummel each other with brutal punches, completely out of control. This allowed Ryu a chance to catch his breath. Everyone, including those in the audience, would flinch and recoil each time one of those punches would land, almost as if they could feel the ferocity of each punch. After a few minutes of the Golems beating the tar out of each other, they each launched one final punch. Each one had successfully slammed their fist into the other’s face before they collapsed, out cold. They then transformed back into the same small boys that they were before.

The crowd was stunned. Quiet at first, but then burst into cheers, though some who had bet against Ryu and the others booed. The announcer gingerly walked out back onto the field, cautiously eyeing the situation before standing straight up.

“And the winner of Round Two is Team Ryu! Congratulations! You advance to the next round!”

Nina and Momo breathed a sigh of relief and returned to their waiting room for a breather, but Ryu lingered a bit. He looked back at Emitai, who seemed to be coming to his senses.

The magician bemoaned, “Lyla… I’m sorry…”

Guilt started to well up inside Ryu, but he managed to turn his back to Emitai and walk back to his waiting room. Inside, Nina and Momo were relieved at the outcome, but they smiled warmly when Ryu entered.

Nina said happily, “I knew we could count on you, Ryu. Even without your ‘special power’ you proved to be the strongest and bravest of us, even against those brutes. I knew making you the team leader would work to our advantage.”

Ryu replied meekly, “L-Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet. We still have a ways to go. I just hope everything works out.”

Momo pat him on the back somewhat hard, “Relax, Ryu. We can do it. Just a few more rounds and we’ll be free. That’ll teach Balio and Sunder a thing or two. Come on, let’s get a victory lunch at the inn so we can be rested and recharged for our next skirmish.”

Ryu replied, “You two go on ahead, I’ll catch up. There’s one thing I want to check up on first. Then I’ll join you. It won’t take long, so I’ll meet you there.”

Nina noticed how dull Ryu’s normally vibrant cerulean eyes were, making her worried. But she obeyed her friend’s wishes and left with Momo.

In another room, Emitai, now with a bandaged head, was getting chewed out by his wife. His two Golems had returned to normal, and Lyla was standing next to her mother.

His wife snarled, “I can’t believe it! You lost! It’s bad enough that you lost in the Second Round, but to KIDS no less! Didn’t you give them that sob story that Lyla needed an expensive operation or she’d die!? If so, it wasn’t convincing enough! NOW how are we going to pay our mortgage!?”

Emitai countered, “Don’t blame me that I got stuck in the Null Magic Hall! I don’t plan these things! And how was I supposed to know that those kids wouldn’t buy my story? I worked against Muchi’s Team, but it didn’t work against their team.”

Just then they heard something drop. They turned around to see Ryu, his hands in a position that looked like he was holding something. Or rather had been holding something. A sack was sitting at his feet, full of zenny. However, it wasn’t the zenny that caught their attention. It was Ryu. His face showed shock which was turning into anger. He had heard every word.

Emitai gulped, “Oh… hey, Ryu. We didn’t know you were there…”

Ryu growled, “You… you were lying.”

“No, no, no!” Emitai replied hastily. “We really need…” but was cut off.

Ryu’s voice became menacing, “You lied to me and others! You’re no better than the people who wager money on other people’s suffering! You lied your way into the tournament, you lied to another team to get them to throw the match, and you lied to me! You’re just like everyone else here: only in this tournament for one thing… money. You’re horrible! People like you deserve to be punished!”

Emitai sputtered, “N-N-Now, now, Ryu. Let’s not get worked up.”

However, to his and his family’s horror, Ryu started to surge with energy, and after a powerful cry, standing before them was something they never wanted to see.

Standing before them was the Flame Dragon.

Emitai’s family retreated behind the con-artist magician, cowering in fear. Emitai was also frozen in pure terror. The Flame Dragon snarled angrily at them, eyes gleaming, steam leaking out of its jaws, embers flickering out of its nostrils, claws ready to slash and crush, teeth ready to rip flesh off of bone.

Emitai’s wife cried out in a panic, “We’re all going to die!”

The Flame Dragon’s glare intensified, but when it laid eyes upon Lyla, who was crying, it suddenly gained a softer expression, as if realizing what it was doing. A quick flash of light followed, taking the dragon with it, Ryu in its place. While he felt sorry for scaring Lyla, he still gave Emitai a cold look. He picked up the pouch of zenny that was initially going to Emitai, and walked out, slamming the door behind him. The entire Emitai family collapsed to their knees, still petrified in fear, but grateful to be alive.

Emitai managed to say, “W-We just faced a d-d-dragon… and lived… Maybe we need to rethink our conning strategy… in case there are any more dragons out there… W-We got lucky today, but that luck might not hold out next time…”

In the end, Ryu never told Nina and Momo about what happened between him and Emitai, but his inner hatred for this place had grown dramatically. He managed to keep it hidden from the girls by venting it on the monsters they practiced on, but inside, he desired to shut this place down once and for all, so no more lives would have to suffer.

He said inwardly, “Balio and Sunder… you are the sources of all this… all this pain and suffering… You will pay, that I promise.”

Another two days passed, with Ryu, Nina, and Momo advancing from one round to the other. They had gotten pretty popular. And true to Nina’s word, Ryu was the key factor in their victories. After their most recent skirmish in the Null Magic Hall, they got an unexpected visitor.

Sunder barged into the room, looking quite smug.

“Hey, brats! You’ve done well. You’ve actually made it all the way to the finals,” the horse brother smirked.

Nina snapped, “We don’t need your compliments! You just keep your promise!”

“Heheh, yeah, our promise…” the horse brother gained a sinister grin. “That is if Ryu can win against Garr in the final round. So you might as well admit defeat, as Garr hasn’t lost yet.”

Ryu replied acidly, “Well, there’s always a first. So don’t get too comfortable with your winnings, because once we’re through here, you two won’t have anything to be so smug about. You’ll be sorry.”

Sunder huffed, “Tough talk, dragon boy. We’ll see who will be sorry after the next match. But you might as well give your fans a good sendoff. Good luck, brats.”

With a final neigh, Sunder left the room. Ryu could feel his hatred for him and Balio growing even more. Nina and Momo gave him a thumbs-up, which he returned, but inside, he knew that the final fight could be his last.

“I… I have to win… if I don’t… my friends ultimately pay the price… I have to win… no matter what… even if it’s… Garr…” he said mentally.

Sunder had just returned to his and Balio’s office.

“Hey, bro, what’s up?” Sunder asked.

Balio smirked, “It must’ve been the battle with Emitai, but those runts have become really popular. Heh… I feel sorry for all the people who will be bidding on them in the next round.”

Sunder neighed, “Yeah, Ryu is up against Garr. This’ll be an easy win for him… and for us. And once the Contest is over with, we can do whatever we want to those brats, right?”

Both horse brothers neighed, sinister smirks on their faces.

Balio then said, “Still, I think it would be wise to give Garr the heads-up about Ryu. He hasn’t used it during the other matches, but with him containing dragonic powers, it might be a good idea to have Garr aware of it. Though, in reality, it won’t matter, but it never hurts to stack the odds in our favor. We’re gonna get a lot o’ money out of this one. And once lizard lips is done for, then we can cash in even more with that little princess.”

They both neighed again, almost elated at the thought of how much money they were going to get.

After a couple of hours rest, Ryu was ready to go. However, he was dreading this battle more than any of the others. He, Nina, and Momo were sitting in their waiting room, all knowing that the azure-haired boy was in for a rough fight.

At that time, Balio and Sunder were standing before Garr in his waiting room.

Balio asked, “What is it, Garr?”

Sunder added, “What would you do if someone caught on to us, huh?”

Garr wasn’t interested in that. His hand was around his chin, thinking deeply.

“That kid I’m going to be fighting…” he pondered. “Where did he come from? How did he get so strong?”

Balio replied, “Well… it’s like this… He looks like any other kid… but he’s really a dragon!”

Sunder chuckled, “Hey, he’s nothing for you to worry about, right? I mean… he’s just a kid, yeah?” He then turned to Balio, “Hey bro… D’you think Garr here’s… scared?”

Garr gave Sunder a look, his eyes gleaming threateningly. This alarmed Sunder, causing him to panic in fright.

“Whoa! H-Hold on! It was just a joke!”

Balio replied, though obviously nervous, “Now, now, Garr. We’s just telling you to be careful, see?”

Garr replied with interest, “A dragon…? Are you serious?”

“Yeah… But like we said. Nothing for you to worry about, right?”

A short time later Ryu was ushered into the Hall of Kings. Nina and Momo gave him good-luck signs, but deep down he was trembling.

The announcer, yet another bunny girl, stated, “Ladies and Gentlemen! The moment you’ve all be waiting for. Today’s BIG event! The world-famous Contest of Champions… Final Match! First, here’s our challenger! Believe it or not, our challenger today is a child! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome our ‘superboy’… Ryu!”

As Ryu entered the stage, he was greeted with several cheers. He swallowed his nervousness down as he stood at his designated spot.

The announcer continued, “And in this corner…! The one and only… The Wings of Death! The master of the blade! The champion of champions! Mister Dynamite – Garr!!”

As Garr entered the arena, several strobe lights flashed, giving off a vibrant lightshow, before a single white beam of light shone on Garr himself. After he approached his spot on the platform, he gave Ryu a strong look. Inside his body, Ryu could feel his dragonic powers quaking at the sight of Garr. But out of fear, anger, or anticipation he couldn’t tell.

Ryu thought grimly, “Of all the challengers in this tournament… my final opponent would have to be him…”

Garr stated strongly, “Ryu… let me tell you one thing. Don’t hold back. If you don’t fight with all you’ve got… I’ll kill you.”

This statement sent a massive chill through Ryu’s body, knowing that if he failed, this will be his last fight.

The announcer stated, “Did you hear that, ladies and gentlemen? The champion gives no quarter, even to a mere child! This is going to be a show-stopper of a fight, folks! Without further ado, allow me to present to you… The final match of The Contest of Champions! Readyyyyyy… FIGHT!”

Ryu and Garr drew their weapons, braced themselves, and the battle had begun.

Ryu charged in first, sword held high, and gave it a might swing. Garr blocked it with his halberd with ease. Ryu quickly pulled back and gave a low, sideways slash. This scratched Garr’s muscular stomach, but barely made him flinch. Garr then raised his halberd and tried to slam it down upon Ryu, who had dodged at the last second. This gave Ryu an opening. He charged in again, giving two powerful swipes of his sword. The attacks left small cuts on Garr’s tough hide, but enough to make him grunt. Garr then cloaked his halberd in flames and gave it a powerful swing. Ryu barely dodged it, but the heat from the flames grazed his face, feeling their intense heat.

As Garr wound up for another strike, Ryu swiftly got up close and slashed downward on Garr’s torso. It left only a minor cut, but it made Garr wince slightly, causing a delay in his attack. This granted Ryu another chance to strike, this time in a diagonal upward slash. This one also hit the mark, leaving another shallow cut, but it had the intended effect, forcing Garr to swat Ryu away with one of his wings in order to keep the boy from getting any more close-quarter strikes. Undeterred, Ryu charged in, hoping that superior speed could give him what he needed. However, Garr’s eyes gleamed, his halberd cloaked in flames once again. He gave a surprisingly fast strike that slammed into Ryu, knocking him back a great distance, severely hurting the boy.

He said to himself, “I… I can’t give up… my friends are counting on me! I have to win!”

He picked up his sword, though the battle itself and the damage he took from one shot was already taking its toll on him. Taking a deep breath, he held his short sword with both hands and charged in, his blue eyes trying to find a weak point. Garr held out his wing in front of him, blocking Ryu’s attack, which only left a small cut on it, before batting him back with it. As Ryu stumbled, this gave Garr the opening he needed. With a powerful strike, he slammed the blunt side of the halberd against Ryu’s head, sending the boy flying. He crashed into the stone above his side’s doorway, stuck for a moment, before popping off and crashing to the ground. He struggled to get up, but his pain was too great, and finally blacked out, a single tear leaking out of his eye.

“I’m… sorry… I… failed… Nina… Momo… Peco… please… forgive me…” he barely muttered before everything went dark.

A short time later, a healer was standing over Ryu. Nina and Momo were watching tensely, tears in the young princess’ eyes.

The healer then said, “He’ll be fine. His injuries aren’t life-threatening. I’ve pretty much taken care of all his physical wounds. He just needs to rest for a short time.”

Momo nodded, “Yes, we understand. Thank you for your help.” She turned to Nina, “See? He’ll be fine. It wasn’t even a bad concussion or anything like that. He’ll be up and about in no time. After all, he’s the toughest of us all. So you can stop crying now, Nina.”

Nina whimpered, “I’m so relieved. When that last attack hit him… I thought… I thought…” before she trailed off.

The healer nodded and left the room. Nina gently held Ryu’s hand, as if urging him to awaken. However, it was then that she and Momo noticed something. The originally cheering crowd had gone deafly silent. The two girls peeked out of their room to see Garr talking to Balio, who was the MC. Balio looked terrified at Garr’s icy glare.

The announcer, though obviously confused, said, “To the champion Garr… we award… Ryu and his friends!? I guess…”

This stunned the two girls, who both had the same thought, “WE’RE the prize?!”

Garr then approached their side before entering the waiting room. He looked at Ryu. Nina, however stood in between him and Ryu, a determined look on her face.

“No matter what… I will protect you, Ryu. Just like you’ve always protected me…” she said silently.

However, to their surprise, Garr’s expression softened, “How is he? I held back on purpose, so I hope he’s not too badly hurt.”

Nina said mentally, “Even if he held back, he hurt my best friend. I won’t let him get any closer!” Just then she heard a groan as Ryu’s eyes opened, making her squeal in delight, “Ryu! You’re awake! I was so worried about you!”

Garr gained a small smile, “Good, I’m glad I didn’t rough you up too much.” He then gained a more serious expression, “So, now I’m going to take care of you, understand?”

This made Ryu, Nina, and Momo nervous, but they had no choice but to accept it.

Garr then realized something, “Hmm… That’s right. There’s one more hostage, isn’t there? Meet me at Balio’s office. I think it’s time they cough up what they owe you.”

On that note, Garr walked out of the room, leaving the three friends alone.

Nina said, “We should go too, don’t you think? We have to make sure that Peco is safe. I’m not sure what all this is about, but at least this means we might finally be free.”

Freedom. The word sounded so sweet to all of them. After gathering his stuff, Ryu led Nina and Momo out of the arena and quickly made their way to Balio’s office. Inside they were greeted with quite the sight. Garr had both Balio and Sunder pinned to the wall in pure terror.

The dragonic man stated, “These kids are mine now, right? I’m taking them with me.”

He took the ring of keys off of Balio’s belt and tossed it to Ryu. The azure-haired boy quickly ran over to Peco’s cage, the mutant onion was bouncing around like a ball and crying happily, eager to be free. Ryu found the right key and unlocked the cage, allowing the happy onion to tackle him in a loving way.

Garr had his halberd out, pinning the two horse brothers to the wall, both complying in their fear.

The dragonic man stated, “I can do whatever I want with something that’s mine, right? All right, kids, you can all go now.”

Ryu, Nina, Momo, and Peco bolted from the office, eager to be free. Garr lingered behind.

He growled, “So that’s that. If I catch you harassing them again, you’ll be sorry.”

With a final huff, he walked out of the room.

Sunder weakly asked, “Hey, bro… what’s going on?”

Balio replied, “Beats me! I don’t know what Garr is up to…”

“Do you think Garr has turned on us?”

Balio replied grimly, “If so… things could get a little messy. We can’t just let them go. Not after all the trouble they put us through.”

Outside, Garr had confronted the party of four.

Nina asked, “Why did you help us, Mr. Garr?”

Garr replied, “Hmph… because… there is an ancient race that possesses an indomitable power… called the Brood. I helped you because Ryu… is Brood.”

Ryu sputtered, “B-But I never used my powers at all during this tournament! How did you find out!?”

Garr grinned, “You did an excellent job keeping it hidden. I found out through Balio himself, as it would appear he’s seen it before. So he clued me in on it. But moving on…” he took a few steps away, “Ryu… I won’t ask for anything in return. But if you want to know more about your kind, the Brood. There’s a place east of here called Angel Tower. Go there – I’ll be waiting for you.”

With a final nod, Garr walked away. This allowed Ryu a moment to fully absorb what the powerful warrior had said into his mind.

“I’m… I’m a member of the Brood?” he said silently. “That… explains a fair few things, actually. Maybe I should head for Angel Tower. But before that, I have to get Nina home safely. It’s my fault she got into this mess, so now it’s time to return her to where she belongs. I just hope the King won’t lock me up again…” He then said aloud, “Come on. We better get going. If we linger around, Balio and Sunder may try to pull something and recapture us. So let’s get out of this place and get to Wyndia before anything else happens.”

With a nod, the group of four friends quickly, but cheerfully, left Genmel, eager to put as much distance between them and the horse brothers. Happy to be free once again.

Next Chapter: Stallion Stampede

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to find out what happens next (though if you've played the game you probably already know). Later.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Got the next chapter up and running quickly. These chapters are easier to write, as the material is placed out in front of me. Plus they're not as overly strategic or detailed like my other series, which I will continue, mind you. I just need to get out of my funk first, which I'm making progress in. Anyway, moving on to the main event. Quick warning, this chapter is more violent and bloody than others, especially considering this is me writing we're talking about. Anyway, let's move on, shall we?

Spoiler

Stallion Stampede


Freedom. The word never sounded so sweet. Ryu and his friends were finally free. Leaving Genmel behind, they couldn’t wait to get back to Wyndia. Nina was skipping a bit, Momo humming, Peco happily bouncing, and Ryu simply felt relieved that the nightmare was over.

However, as they started their walk across the wooden bridge that spanned over Maekyss Gorge, Ryu was the first to notice something was waiting for them. Something most unpleasant. He quickly got in front of Nina, his hand on his sword hilt, making her stop.

“What’s wrong, Ryu?” the princess asked.

However, she looked ahead and got her answer. Balio and Sunder were standing before them. And they weren’t alone. They were accompanied by well over a dozen thugs, each ready to fight. Momo suddenly ran up to them.

“Ryu! Nina! There are some rough-looking guys behind… huh?” she then noticed the thugs in front of them. “Oh… I guess you already know about that.”

Honey, who was perched on Momo’s left shoulder, slapped her forehead, shaking her head.

Balio, who was lacking his usual confident smirk, stated, “Ryu, I’ve got to hand it to you. You’re one hell of a kid. Who knew you’d give us so much trouble. We’ve called in all our men from around the area. We’re not letting you get away, not after everything you put us through. Get them!”

Ryu, however, was already channeling his Brood energies during Balio’s speech.

“Flame… Defender…”

He gave a powerful cry, engulfed in an energy sphere, and out emerged the Flame Dragon. It gave commanding roar, causing several of the men to scramble away. Those who stayed seemed a bit uncertain, but stood their ground. Nina and Momo had already drawn their weapons, ready to fight, as they knew the men who stayed behind were either confident in their strength or dumb. The remaining men charged the party.

“Jolt!” Nina stated.

A sequence of thunderbolts rained down upon several thugs, hitting them with electrical power.

“Quake!” Momo commanded.

The ground underneath the men shook violently, striking them with seismic shockwaves. Ryu, as the Flame Dragon, barreled toward the men, swatting them with his wings and tail, sending them flying. Some of the men decided that flight was better than fight and fled, but a handful remained. However, Ryu would not be deterred by their foolish bravery. Some of the men tried to stab him, but his strong scales blocked the pitiful attempts before retaliating with vicious bites and claw slashes. The remaining men fled, fearing for their lives, before Ryu reverted back to his normal self.

Balio, though obviously upset, simply said, “These Brood are really something, eh, Sunder?”

Sunder nodded, “Yeah, but he can’t keep it up forever.” He gained a sinister grin, “We’ve got plenty of men behind you.”

They all turned when heavy footsteps could be heard on the wooden bridge. But it wasn’t a horde of thugs. It was Garr. He popped his neck, flexed his wings, and tightened his belt.

“Them?” he merely said. “They were in my way.”

To the horse brothers’ horror, the remaining men were scattered on the ground, not moving, making them unsure if they were simply unconscious or dead.

Sunder’s grin instantly vanished, “W-WHAT!?”

“Garr!” Balio growled, “Why are you doing this? Why are you betraying us?”

Garr huffed, “It’s my business. Anyway… didn’t I tell you not to bother them again? It would appear you betrayed me first, no?”

Realization and shock washed over the two horse brothers’ faces, remembering what Garr said back in Genmel.

Balio tried to salvage the situation, “Garr, the boss isn’t going to let you get away with this.”

The dragonic man merely replied, “So? I don’t care what your boss has to say about anything.”

“I… see…” the white horse brother said slowly. He then turned to Sunder, “All right, we’ll settle this here and now. Looks like the time has come to show them our true power, my brother…”

Sunder sputtered, “You mean we’re gonna…” But then his face twisted into a psychotic grin, “You’re all DEAD!”

The two horse brothers got close together and started to channel their energies. They roared into the sky as their bodies were engulfed in a pillar of light. When the light subsided, a new form was standing before them.

This being retained their horse-like appearance, towering over even Garr, with its muscular body mostly white with a red lower body. It had a mane made like metal arching from its forehead to the small of its back, with blue gems on each shoulder, and glowing eyes.

“Stallion Metamorphosis!” the being cried out with the combined voices of Balio and Sunder. “No one has seen this form and lived to tell the tale!”

Stallion charged in, hands in a karate-like stance, trying to take a chop at the group. They all scattered the best they could on the narrow planks of the bridge. Ryu began channeling his Brood energies once again.

“Flame… Defender…”

He gave a strong cry, his body engulfed in a sphere of energy, before the Flame Dragon emerged from it. He gave Stallion a formidable glare, which the fused horse returned. Ryu spread his wings, gave them a flap, and flew toward Stallion. As he approached the fusion form, his front claws were bathed in flames. Stallion tried to strike the dragon out of the sky, but with a swift turn the dragon instead got behind them. The scaled creature raised up both claws and slashed them upon Stallion’s body, each claw fully engulfed in fire. The strikes not only left large gashes in Stallion’s body, but they burned with crimson flames briefly, even a few moments after the attack landed. Stallion roared in pain, feeling not only the flesh wounds, but the burning sensation of the flames that lingered.

“Simoon!” Nina cried.

A bomb-like blast erupted underneath Stallion, burning him with fire and wind, making him howl in pain. Momo then fired several shots from her bazooka, each one landing on the mark, one in particular striking the fusion form in the face. Garr took the moment to lash out with his flaming halberd, leaving a gash across Stallion’s chest, the flames adding extra bite to the attack. Peco charged in at full speed, took a powerful jump, and headbutt Stallion in the face, causing him to stumble briefly. However, that didn’t last long.

“Jolt!” Stallion roared.

Thunderbolts rained down upon the party, striking them with moderately powerful electrical energy. This dazed the party, but not enough to stop them. Ryu was already back on the offensive. He flew right up to Stallion’s face before biting the horse fusion on the snout with a vice-like grip. Stallion tried frantically to remove the dragon from his face, but Ryu wasn’t done. His claws were cloaked in fire once again, slashing against Stallion’s chest, leaving not only gouges in his flesh, but lingering flames in their wake. Stallion grabbed Ryu by the throat, which caused the dragon to release his bite by a reflex, and tossed him aside. Ryu managed to land on his feet, coughing briefly before regaining his focus. However, to his horror, Stallion had Nina by the back of her dress.

Stallion laughed, “You’re so keen on protecting the princess. Protect her against THIS!!!”

With a toss, he hurled the small girl over the side of the bridge, toward the rapid-moving river below.

“Nina!!!”

Abandoning the fight, the Flame Dragon immediately dove after the falling princess, trying desperately to catch up to her before she hit the water. Nina screamed in terror as her small body rapidly approached the fast-moving river. With one final burst of speed, Ryu managed to snatch Nina in his front claws, do a barrel roll, his tail grazing the water, before shooting straight back up to the bridge. When Stallion happened to look down, Ryu swiftly flew past him, but not before giving the horse fusion a solid smack with his tail in retaliation for the stunt, stunning the gigantic horse briefly. Ryu landed a short distance away, gently cradling the frightened Nina in his claws, giving her a soothing growl, like a mother calming a child.

“T-Thank you, Ryu…” Nina whimpered, but gave her dragon friend a smile.

Ryu managed to smile with his reptilian mouth before gently putting her down. His eyes then flared dangerously, turning back to the battle, but saw that Garr and the others were struggling. Every time Momo tried to aim her bazooka, Stallion would swat her. Whenever Peco tried to headbutt him, the horse merely kicked the onion away. Only Garr seemed to have any sort of solid foundation against Stallion, holding his ground, leaving them in a deadlock.

Ryu growled at Nina, as if trying to communicate with her, though actual words did not leave his lips. However, Nina seemed to understand.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Help the others. I’ll provide support from here, out of the way. Just be careful, Ryu.”

Satisfied with that, Ryu turned around and flew toward Stallion, ramming into the massive horse fusion, knocking him off-balance.

“So, you want to play that way, lizard lips? Then let’s see how tough you are after THIS!!! Utmost Attack!”

Stallion positioned his arms in a strange formation. But the reason behind that was revealed shortly afterward. Rainbow colored beams of light erupted from his lower arms, barreling toward the party. Ryu realized the power of the attack, so he stood in front of Garr and the others, spread his wings, and raised up his head, closing his eyes. His plan worked. He took the brunt of the attack, blocking the worst of it from the others, but his body screamed in agony from the attack. When the attack ended, the Flame Dragon was in a great deal of pain, eyes closed tightly, gritting his fangs, his body trembling slightly. But even though his body demanded rest, he knew he had to fight. His anger and hatred toward Balio and Sunder had reached a zenith.

“I won’t let you hurt anyone ever AGAIN!!!”

With a sudden surge of newfound power, Ryu charged in at high speeds, slamming into Stallion, sending the fusion form flying back into a nearby wall of stone. This surprised the horse fusion, but Ryu didn’t stop there. He sunk his fangs into Stallion’s neck, pinning the massive being by the throat, while repeatedly slashing at him with flaming claws in a savage manner.

He didn’t care that each flaming slash left burning gashes in their wake. He didn’t care about the massive amount of blood spilling from Stallion. He didn’t care that the two brothers had defused, bodies riddled with wounds. He just wanted to inflict pain to them for all they did to him and his friends. He reared back, opened his mouth, and started to channel a massive amount of energy in his jaws. Balio and Sunder clutched each other, terrified, knowing that this attack would finish them.

Nina cried out, “Ryu! Stop!”

Her voice cut through the dragon’s mind like a hot knife through butter, stopping him dead in his tracks. It was just then that Ryu realized what he was doing.

“No… no… this is wrong! My power is to protect, not inflict pain.”

The energy in his fanged mouth started to wane, the orb slowly shrinking before it finally vanished. He then closed his mouth, stepped back a bit from the cowering horse brothers, making them confused. The dragon gave a snarl before vanishing in a flash of light, replaced with the normal Ryu. While his hatred for the horse brothers burned brightly, his eyes clearly showing that, he started to walk away from them. But he turned back to them briefly.

“Killing you won’t bring back all that I have lost…” he said. “It’ll make me no better than you two bottom-dwellers.”

He started to walk back to his friends, leaving a very confused Balio and Sunder. But the horse brothers were far from done.

Balio screamed, “You should’ve finished us off when you had the chance! Now you’re DEAD!!!”

Both he and Sunder drew swords and charged toward Ryu, despite their injuries. Ryu quickly turned around, but there was no time to transform again. He braced himself for the worst.

“Iceblast!” Nina cried out in desperation.

A massive chunk of ice formed just in front of Ryu, causing the horse duo to slam into it, keeping them from getting any closer to the azure-haired child. This dazed them briefly, but it was more than enough. Garr charged in, flaming halberd in hand, before giving it a powerful swipe. The attack slammed into Sunder, who then crashed into Balio, causing both of them to topple over the edge of the bridge. Ryu’s eyes widened in shock, but he quickly recovered. He ran to the side of the bridge to see what had happened to the horse duo.

Sunder was clinging onto part of the bridge with one hand, his sword in the other, while Balio hung on his brother’s leg. They were weakly dangling over the rapid-moving river, unable to pull themselves up. Ryu, although his hatred for them was burning bright, reached over the edge with his hand.

“Give me your hand!” the boy cried out.

“What!?” Sunder sputtered.

“Ryu!? What are you doing!?” Momo choked.

“Puki puki!” Peco added, also shocked at Ryu’s actions.

Garr asked quizzically, “Why are you trying to help them? Don’t you hate them for what they’ve done to you?”

Ryu replied, tears in his eyes, “Yes, I hate them for all their worth. But I can’t just let them die. I’d be no better than they are! So give me your hand!”

“Ryu…” Nina said softly.

Sunder roared, “No way! No way in hell, dragon freak! Take this!”

He swung his hand wielding the blade at the boy, causing him to stumble back in shock, landing in a sitting position. However, that was a critical mistake. The action caused Sunder’s hand to slip off the bridge, sending him and Balio plummeting toward the river below. Their screams cut through the air like a knife as they rapidly fell to their doom. When Ryu recovered his senses enough, he quickly looked over the bridge, but all he saw was the splash that the two horse brothers made. The boy scrambled to the other side, hoping to see if Balio and Sunder survived. However, all he saw was the fast moving river and nothing else. No signs of life could be seen in the rapids.

It was over. They were gone.

Ryu stared at the water in disbelief. They were gone. They were really gone. The two beings that tormented his life. The two people that destroyed his family. The two fiendish, money-hungry men who made his life hell were gone.

A mixture of emotions surged through Ryu’s mind. Relief to see them gone, sorrow at their demise, regret at not being able to save them, and dark satisfaction in seeing them pay for their crimes. He didn’t know what to think. Tears started to pour out of his eyes, his emotions knotted up, unsure what feeling to embrace. His simply cried.

The nightmare was over.

Next Chapter: Nina’s Plight

Whoo... quite the chapter, don't you think? Especially considering it's me, Mr. Softie, writing it. But it looks like the nightmare is over. But what will happen next? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Chapter 13 is live! Time for the next installment in Ryu's quest. What will happen this time? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Nina’s Plight


Ryu continued to look down at the Maekyss River, still hoping for signs of life that would indicate that Balio and Sunder survived. But to his dismay, all he saw was the fast moving water. But that wasn’t the only thing that was bothering him. He looked at his hand which had been claws just a short time ago. These hands brutalized someone without remorse. He used his hands to inflict intense pain and suffering to someone. And he did so with dark satisfaction.

“W… What’s wrong with me?” he asked himself. “I vowed to use my power only to protect, but I instead nearly slaughtered two lives with it. And… I think I enjoyed it. What’s wrong with me? Am… am I a monster?”

Nina approached him, “Ryu… you’re not a monster. You did exactly what you’ve always done: you used your powers to protect us… and me. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t finally be free from that nightmare. You may have caused pain, but you were doing it to keep Balio and Sunder from violating any more lives. It wasn’t the nicest thing to see, but you had to do it. For everyone’s sake.”

Momo nodded, “Nina’s right, Ryu. Your power is unfathomable, but you have always used it for the right cause. While I know you would’ve wanted to save Balio’s and Sunder’s lives, they choose not to allow it.” She then hesitated to say, “I think you did the right thing, letting them fall. The fact that you were willing to reach out to them, despite being your hated enemies, proves that you are nowhere near the level of a monster… or them. It proved that you take the higher path, not the path they took. That is a very noble thing to do, reaching out to one’s enemies. So you should just feel proud. Because of you, Balio and Sunder will never cause pain or destruction to anyone ever again. Like to your friends. I know that Balio and Sunder robbed you of your surrogate family, so I think this was for the best.”

“Pukyu…” Peco nodded sadly, obviously agreeing with everyone.

“Ryu…” Garr stated, directing the young boy’s attention to him. “For what purpose do you fight?”

Ryu replied, “To protect what matters most…”

“Then that is what you should fight for. If you fight for a cause like that, then you will always be a winner. You will always be taking the higher path. And you will never stoop to the level of those who fight for ill and greed. Don’t forget that. Balio and Sunder choose not to accept your help, and although it lead to their demise, it was their choice. So don’t dwell on it. You did what you thought was right, and in the end you probably have spared countless lives eternal torture by ending Balio’s and Sunder’s. Remember that if you fight from the heart, then you will always prevail.”

Ryu took a moment to think about it. He then wiped his eyes clear of any remaining tears, stood up, and smiled.

He said, “You’re right. Thank you, everyone, I needed that.”

Momo smiled, back to her usual cheery self, “That’s the Ryu we know and love!”

“Puki puki!” Peco happily bounced up and down.

Garr flexed his wings before continuing, “Anyway, moving on. We have to go to Angel Tower, which is to the east. But first I suggest we get the princess back home safely. Her family must be worried sick.”

Something just dawned in Nina’s mind, prompting her to ask, “Hold on, Garr! Ryu is looking for some friends. Rei and Teepo. Have you heard of them?”

The winged man took a moment to think before replying, “No, I haven’t. But I fear that you may not find them alive.”

Ryu’s eyes widened in shock as that last sentence echoed in his mind, his hopes shattering. This caused tears to leak out of his eyes at the thought of never seeing Rei or Teepo again.

“Garr! How can you say that!?” Nina scolded.

Garr stood his ground, “You do realize who you’re dealing with, don’t you? They are the kind of people who will kill anyone, no matter what. The only reason Ryu survived is because of his power, am I mistaken?”

This caused Nina to falter, “Y-Yes… But…!”

Ryu took a deep, calming breath before stating, “I know they’re out there. Somewhere. I don’t know where, but I know they’re alive. It may take some time, but I will find them. I just have to keep looking and eventually my search will yield results. It just may take some time. But I will find them.”

Garr smiled, “While this may be a lost cause, when one strengthens their resolve to complete a task, then only God knows what results it’ll reveal. But now, back to the matter at hand. We have to go to Wyndia, not just to return the princess, but we also need a passport to get to the eastern lands. Only the King can give us one, and with our precious cargo, Nina, safe and sound, I’m sure the King will be willing to help us. So let us go.”

However, just before they left the area, Ryu stopped. He looked around, as if trying to find something.

Momo asked, “What’s up, Ryu? Do you detect a threat like a stray thug?”

“No…” he replied. “No, I’m sensing something else. Something of great power, but trapped within something.” He closed his eyes briefly before snapping them open, “Yeah, something is calling me from nearby. I have to find it. Maybe it can help us in our quest.”

“Let’s be quick about it,” Garr stated. “Balio and Sunder may be gone, but some of their men may still be lurking about, waiting for a chance for revenge.”

However, their conversation was interrupted by Peco’s excited cries. They rushed over to him, as he was standing on a small ledge.

“Did you find something, Peco?” Nina asked.

“Puki puki!” the onion stated, gesturing to a lower ledge.

They all looked down and saw a bluish crystal ore sitting on a lower ledge. But something was inside of it, and it was flickering.

“That’s chrysm!” the princess exclaimed. “But something’s inside of it.”

As Ryu gazed upon it, he could hear a voice coming out of it. Quickly, but carefully, Ryu jumped down two ledges to where the crystal sat. He touched it, and could hear a voice enter his mind.

“Finally… you have located me, my brethren…”

Ryu replied mentally, “Who are you? Are you… a Brood?”

The voice replied, “Yes… or what’s left of me, anyway… My body has long since vanished, but my power remains. Please, my fellow Brood, use what I have left to right the sins of the past. Will you allow my power to become one with you?”

Ryu nodded, speaking mentally, “Yes, of course. I cannot just leave you here. And I’m sure that whatever is left of you will be more than enough for me.”

“Thank you… may my power serve you well… the power of the Frost Gene!”

The crystal shattered, releasing a sphere. Ryu touched the sphere and felt a new power flowing into him. A frigid, icy power that could freeze even the hottest magma. The power of the Frost Gene. He could feel it resonate with his two current genes before it activated. He vanished in a sphere of light, but was replaced by a new dragon.

This dragon had the same body shape and structure to that of the Flame Dragon, but instead of reddish-orange scales, it was covered in ice blue scales with a darker blue underbelly, a bluish-green frill tracing down his neck, light blue horns, and yellow eyes.

The Frost Dragon had arisen.

This new dragon opened its mouth and fired out several large hexagonal ice shards into the air. They shattered when they reached a certain point, but it created a small snow flurry in its wake. Nina watched, eyes as wide as saucers, at this new dragon. With one quick flap of his wings, the Frost Dragon landed next to his companions, followed by a quick burst of light, and Ryu now stood in its place. He could feel the icy energy flow through his body, but it was a welcoming feeling to him.

He said silently, “I have another Brood power in my heart and soul. And I love it. It makes me feel like I have a family. A family of my own kind. It’s… it’s a wonderful feeling.”

Momo was dumbstruck, “No way! That chrysm ore had a Brood power locked inside of it!? And it gave way to a new dragon? Amazing! I wonder how many other pieces of the Brood still exist in chunks of chrysm like that?”

Garr, however, was silent, his mind returning to a battle he fought long ago. But he returned his attention to the party.

“We should get going now,” he instructed. “It’ll still take at least a day to reach Wyndia from here, and the day grows short. So let us leave this place and find a suitable location to set up camp. But now everything will start falling into place, and we will get the answers we need soon. So let us leave this place and progress as far as we can before darkness falls.”

Nodding, the group followed Garr away from the Maekyss Gorge, eager to put what happened here behind them, but also eager to fully enjoy their newfound freedom.

By the time dusk had fallen, the party had set up camp. Momo and Garr were making final adjustments to the tent. Nina and Peco happily played a game of tag, while Ryu sat near the fire, gazing upon the stars. For the first time since leaving Cedar Woods, he could relax. And so could his friends. No more Balio and Sunder. No more dangers. No more worrying about their safety. His mind was finally at ease.

Garr approached him, sitting down next to the boy, slightly startling him, but he welcomed the large man’s presence.

“Thanks for everything, Garr…” Ryu said. “If it hadn’t been for you, we’d still be in those fiendish horse brothers’ grip.”

Garr replied, “Think nothing of it. I was planning on leaving anyway, and this gave me a good enough excuse to do so.” A silence followed before the dragonic man asked, “How long have you known about your Brood powers, Ryu?”

Ryu pondered for a moment, “Let me see. I think I got them when I encountered Balio and Sunder for the second time, on Mt.Mynerg I believe. They tried to kill me again, but that apparently failed and next thing I know I’m in a cage. That must be about when my power was awakened. I used it the first time when protecting Nina from those two. Though in that case I just sorta… activated it without thinking, becoming just a small dragon. But it was enough to repel them for the time being.”

Garr nodded, “I see. So that must’ve been when your first gene appeared. Which one was it?”

“It may have been the Flame Gene, as I felt a burning power surging through me when I first used it. But anyway, I managed to keep it a secret from Nina for a bit, but when we were forced to take a daring stunt to escape Sunder, I transformed again to soften her fall, but she found out because of that. Though… to my surprise, she wasn’t the slightest bit frightened. In fact, she loved it. That’s probably when the Defender Gene was unlocked, and I kinda learned on the fly how to combine them, like in the battle against the Mutant. Now I possess the Frost Gene. But I’ve only known about this power for a few weeks at most.”

“I see… so you activated your powers not for battle, but to protect the princess. Am I right?” Garr inquired.

Ryu blushed, “Yeah, I guess you can say that. I have since then used it to protect her, then Momo, and then Peco, from Balio and Sunder. I didn’t always use it, however, as I wasn’t sure the full extent of my power, so I didn’t take too many dangerous gambles out of fear. Fear that I would hurt my friends. While it does mean I got stuck in that situation, I’d rather it be that than accidentally hurting my friends.”

“I see…” Garr began to think silently, “He uses his power to protect, not for destruction. Even when given a chance to use it in certain situations, he refuses out of fear of possibly hurting his friends. The Brood… were very much like that… No… they sought to destroy the world. I must remember that.”

Ryu looked confused, “Garr? Is everything okay? You became awfully quiet.”

Garr waved it off, “Don’t mind me; I was just lost in thought. In any case, we must proceed to Angel Tower. There, you will learn all there is to know about the Brood. But we must first get the princess to safety, plus acquire a passport from His Majesty. We can do both at one time, so it all works out well for us. At our current location, we should reach Wyndia by midday or so tomorrow.”

Ryu nodded, going silent, but inside he was dreading facing the King and Queen of Wyndia. And he was dreading something else. He couldn’t figure out what it was, but deep within his heart, he knew that something was going to happen that would grant him great pain.

Morning came, and after a quick breakfast of fruit and bread, the group of five started to make their way to Wyndia. It wasn’t long before they reached Eygnock Road.

Momo beamed happily, “We’ve made it to Eygnock Road! Wyndia is just a hop, skip, and a leap away from here.”

Nina looked nervous, “I hope my family doesn’t think Ryu is a criminal, especially after what happened with Balio and Sunder. I don’t want to see him locked up again.”

Ryu reassured, “It’ll be okay, Nina. I’m sure they’ll listen to reason. After all, it’s your word versus Balio and Sunder, and they obviously value yours more than two money-grubbing crooks. It’ll be okay.”

Nina nodded, gaining a large grin. However, inside, Ryu felt the same worry she had growing in his heart.

By about midday they reached the massive walls of Wyndia. Everything looked just the same as it did before. Nina, although worried, led the party up to the castle door. The guard stationed there was elated to see her, quickly ushering them into the castle. Shortly afterward, the King and Queen appeared, and they happily embraced their daughter, tears in their eyes. The Queen, however, looked very pale, as if she was about to collapse at any moment. As such, she was forced to leave the room and return to her bed chamber for rest.

The King approached the party, “I must thank you for rescuing my daughter from those charlatans. You all have my deepest gratitude. On behalf of the Queen, I thank you again.”

“We are glad we could assist in the rescue of your daughter, Your Majesty,” Garr replied politely, giving a small bow with an arm crossed over his waist.

It was then the King laid eyes on Ryu, who slinked back a bit in fear. The King’s eyes narrowed as he examined the boy, recognizing that electric blue hair.

“You are that ‘dragon’ those cons brought in, aren’t you?” the King asked.

Nina immediately jumped to her friend’s rescue, “Daddy! Ryu was never associated with those bad men! He was just as much a victim as I was. But if it wasn’t for him, those bad men would’ve gotten away with me long ago and used me for a ransom. He’s been my loyal protector ever since. So don’t lock him up, Daddy, please?”

To everyone’s relief, the King’s expression softened, “My apologies, Master Ryu, for thinking you were one of those hoodlums. I can see I made a mistake in arresting an innocent child. So I do hope you accept my apologies, Master Ryu, especially since you’ve been protecting my dear daughter to the best of your ability against those lowly creatures.”

Ryu nodded meekly, “Y-Yes, Your Majesty, I can. I-It was an honest mistake. Y-You’re forced to make tough choices in the name of safety, so I c-cannot blame you for your decision, sir.”

The King’s expression turned into a smile, “Thank you, I appreciate your kind words, young lad.” He then stood straight up, “Please, won’t you join me for a meal? Enjoy our hospitality here in Castle Wyndia.”

Garr bowed again, “Thank you, Your Majesty, we’d appreciate that.”

It took Nina over 30 minutes to recap everything that had happened, though she left out parts about Ryu’s Brood powers at the time. The others merely ate in silence, only responding when they were asked a question or Nina said something specific about them. All except Peco, who slept in his seat.

The King’s eyes were wide, “My, that sounds like quite the adventure you had, Nina. For that I am very grateful for all your efforts in protecting my daughter. On behalf of the Queen, I thank you once more.”

A head knight holding a halberd, who looked like he was bursting to say something, asked, “But, sir, how could this be possible? How could a mere child perform such deeds?”

Nina stated, “Ryu’s not just any child! Father, Ryu is a dra—”

Garr made a fake cough to interrupt her.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty. But we do have a matter at hand. We seek to travel to the eastern lands.”

The King hardly noticed that Garr interrupted Nina on purpose, proclaiming, “Ah, I see. So you are in need of a passport. Since you are in a hurry, I will ensure you have one right away.”

Nina looked devastated, “W-What!? You’re leaving already!?”

Momo replied softly, “Nina… Princess… we’ll see each other again someday.”

The King nodded, “Yes, if your paths ever bring you here, you are most welcome here in Castle Wyndia.”

Nina looked heartbroken. Ryu noticed this and gently touched her hand.

He stated, though trying to hide his pain, “Nina… Princess… we’ll see you again real soon. Once we find out what we need, I’ll come back here to visit you. Okay?”

Nina sniffled, “I… I guess so…”

Shortly after the meal was finished, a soldier gave Garr the needed passport. With a bow, he lead the way out, followed by Momo and Peco, who both bowed a bit more awkwardly, leaving only Ryu. Both Ryu and Nina were holding back their tears the best they could, but with one final bow, Ryu turned around and followed his friends out, leaving a devastated princess in his wake. He moved quickly so no one could see the tears pouring out of his eyes. Nina then broke down into tears of her own and fled to her bedroom, leaving a concerned King in her wake.

Nina spent the next 30 minutes sobbing in her room, her pillow soaked in tears. Finally she started to calm down.

“Why…? Why did they have to leave so soon…?” she whimpered. She rubbed her eyes dry, “I guess if I went with them, I’d only get in the way. They don’t need a princess along… causing trouble…”

She took a few calming breaths before getting off her bed. She donned a smile.

“I know Ryu will visit me again, someday, so I guess it’s not the worst. At least I know he won’t be harmed by other bad men, not with Garr, Momo, and Peco with him.”

Feeling better, she left her room and entered the bathroom to wash her face. After drying it, she started to make her way through the castle. She noticed something about the castle, however.

“This place feels so… big and empty now,” the princess mused.

As Nina reached a certain point, she stopped short of her parents’ room. She remembered how pale her mother looked, so she decided to check up on her. She gingerly opened the door and saw two female servants near the bed, where the Queen was resting.

One of the servants said, “Princess Nina, when you disappeared, Queen Sheila was so overcome with grief she collapsed.”

Guilt started to well up inside the princess.

“R-Really…” Nina whispered, her voice full of remorse and guilt, “I’m sorry…”

She approached the bed, where Sheila was resting. The Queen turned her head toward Nina, a weak smile forming on her face.

“Oh, Nina, you have no idea how glad I am when you finally came home…” she said in a weakened voice.

Nina replied, trying to keep herself from crying, “I’m sorry, Mother… I made you worry too much…”

Sheila placed a hand on Nina’s, clutching it, “You’re my treasure, Nina… Wyndia’s treasure… Remember that always, and try not to do anything that would bring us grief…”

The princess forced a smile onto her face, “I’ll remember, Mother. Please rest, you need to get better.” However, she said inwardly, “I don’t want to be the princess… or Wyndia’s treasure… I want to be with my friends… and Ryu.”

Sheila gave a nod before closing her eyes again to rest, allowing Nina to leave her bedside and walk out of the room. She had to take a few calming breaths as she stood in the hallway. However, her thoughts were interrupted as a woman’s scream could be heard, along with something shattering.

“What was that!?” Nina sputtered.

She swiftly ran into the main part of the castle. She looked around briefly before entering the dining hall. There she found the source of the noise. One of the maids was standing still, seemingly frightened, a shattered plate at her feet. Nina approached the maid.

She inquired, “Is everything all right?”

The maid replied, “Oh, Princess, something hit my foot, startling me… and I dropped a plate…”

“Was it a rat?”

“No, it wasn’t a rat, it was something more… Eek! There it is again!”

Something bolted from under the table. Something small, round, and rust colored. Nina immediately knew what it was.

“That was Honey! Momo’s robot assistant!” the princess exclaimed.

She quickly bolted after Honey, only pausing to ask if anyone else saw where the robot ran to. After a few minutes of searching, she came to the wine cellar. There, Honey was huddled in a corner. Nina carefully approached the small robot.

“Oh, Honey! I knew it was you!” Nina said softly. “What’s the matter? Did you get left behind?”

Honey did not answer. Instead, she bolted from the spot, running away from Nina.

“Wait! Honey! Come back! Oh no, if the cooks see her, they may think she’s a rat and try to kill her!”

The princess ran as quickly as she could after the small robot, which was surprisingly fast for something so small. After a few more minutes, she found Honey near the long balcony outside of her own room.

“Honey! Wait!” she called out.

Honey bolted again, running toward the end of the balcony, startling several birds that were perched there.

Nina cautiously approached the robot, “Honey, it’s me, Nina… Don’t you remember me? I’m one of Momo’s friends.”

Honey jumped up onto the railing, ready to take a jump off the high balcony.

“Honey! No!” the princess cried out.

She made a grab for the robot, quickly leaning out to try to catch the jumping chrysm soldier. She barely managed to close her fingers around Honey, but in the process she had leaned over too far. Both were sent plummeting toward the ground below. Nina screamed in terror, knowing that there was no dragon to rescue her this time.

“Ryu! Help me!” she cried mentally.

However, at that moment, Honey gave a short zap, and a barrier of magical energy formed around her and the falling princess. This energy barrier started to slow their descent.

“We… we’re flying!?”

As they approached the ground, Honey’s energy continued to slow their descent, reducing their speed to the slowness of a soap bubble falling. About a foot away from the ground, the magical barrier vanished, but it had enough of an effect to lower the princess safely to the ground. She landed on her feet, happy to be alive and safe. She took a few calming breaths to ease her rapid heartbeat. Honey was clutched in her arms, but no longer glowing.

“Did you… did you do that, Honey?” the young princess asked.

Honey, however, was not moving.

Nina gently shook the robot, “Honey? Honey! What’s the matter!?”

The robot didn’t respond, lying limp and motionless in the young girl’s arms.

“She’s… not moving… What should I do? I can’t fix her myself. I need Momo’s help.”

She took a few minutes to debate on her next course of action. Finally, she decided. Clutching the small robot in her arms, she ran down to the plains, hoping and praying she was heading in the right direction.

Darkness had fallen. Ryu and Garr were sitting next to a large fire. Garr would occasionally feed the hungry fire a log. Ryu felt depressed.

“I… I knew we’d eventually have to part…” he said silently. “But this pain… it’s worse than when I lost Rei and Teepo. Nina… she’s been a huge part of my life… and now she’s gone…”

Just then Momo left the tent.

“Hey, has anyone seen Honey?”

Garr turned to her, “No. Is she not with you?”

Momo shook her head, “No. Where has she gotten off to this time?” She started to look around, cupping her hands around her mouth, “Honeeeey! Whereeee arrreeee yoooooouuuu?”

Knowing the pain of losing a friend, Ryu joined in on the search. He gently prodded bushes with his sword, trying to see if he could find the small robot. Just then his eyes caught sight of something approaching them. He prepared for battle, but to his shock and relief, Nina ran into the light of the campfire.

“Nina?” he said, surprised.

Nina panted, “Ryu? Garr?”

Inside, Ryu’s heart felt like it was about to explode in joy. He felt like hugging the young princess, his best friend. But he restrained himself, as he could see the frightened look on Nina’s face.

“What’s wrong, Nina?” he asked.

Momo then approached, “Nina? What are you doing here?”

Nina sputtered, “Momo! It’s Honey! I found her in the castle. But…”

It was then that both Ryu and Momo noticed Honey was lying motionlessly in the princess’ arms, almost as if she was dead. Momo quickly approached the tearful princess.

“I… I don’t know what’s wrong with her… Is she…?”

Momo took a moment to look the small robot over before smiling, “Don’t worry. She’s just run out of chrysm. Why don’t you bring her into the tent? I’ll have her up and running in no time.”

Relief washed over Nina’s face, “R-Really? Oh, thank you, Momo! I was worried that she…”

Momo patted the young girl’s shoulder, “No worries. It’s an easy fix. So bring her into the tent and I’ll get her up and running.”

Both girls entered the tent, leaving Ryu and Garr alone. Ryu was numb with confusion, not sure what to do. He started to approach the tent, but Garr’s voice stopped him.

The dragonic man said, “Leave this to Momo. She knows what’s best for Honey. More importantly, there is something I need to tell you before we reach Angel Tower.”

“Y-Yes? What is it?” Ryu asked.

Garr replied, “When we reach Angel Tower, you will learn all there is to know about the Brood… but…” At that moment, Nina exited the tent, the two males not noticing her, “There is a chance that you may die shortly afterward.”

Shock shot through Ryu’s mind and body, thinking, “If I go… I may die?”

Nina cried, “Die… you mean Ryu might die!?” She ran up to Ryu, “Why would you say such a horrible thing, Garr? He’s just going to learn about the dragons!”

Ryu was still numb in shock to fully register what Nina had just said.

Garr replied, “You have to understand. When you’re dealing with a force that can destroy the world, one must be prepared for anything.”

Nina protested, “No! He’s not a bad dragon! Ryu has always used his power to protect me! He’s a good dragon!”

“Nina…” Ryu smiled.

“I don’t deny that,” Garr merely said.

After a moment of thinking, the princess proclaimed, “I’m… I’m going with you!”

Ryu turned to her, “Nina… it might be dangerous.”

Tears were pouring out of the young girl’s eyes, “I don’t care! I don’t want anything to happen to you! I don’t want you to die somewhere alone, somewhere without me!”

The azure-haired boy smiled, “Nina…”

He gently embraced her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Before long he started to cry. But whether they were tears of joy at being with Nina or tears of fear no one could tell. At that moment, Momo left the tent, Honey perched on her shoulder. She was greeted by this unusual sight.

“Umm… did I miss something?” she asked quizzically.

Honey slapped Momo on the back of the head, shaking her own head in exasperation.

Next Chapter: Trouble at the Porter’s Guild

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see what happens to our band of heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, chapter 14 is on the air. It was actually finished last night, but it needed proofreading and I was pretty tired last night, so I'm posting it now. Yeah, you've probably noticed that this is my third chapter done in less than three days. Like I said, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, and these chapters are easy to write. ...Well, that and I've been playing these particular levels in my PSP Breath of Fire III, so the ideas are fresh. Anyway, let's move on, shall we?

Spoiler

Trouble at the Porter’s Guild


A day and a half had passed since Nina rejoined the group. The party of five was making their way to the checkpoint that separated the Wyndian Region with the Rhapala Region. They were also hoping that no royal guards would come looking for Nina, as by now they knew that her absence from the castle would be noticed.

While taking a break, Ryu turned to Nina, who seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Nina…” he said with uncertainty. “Are you sure you’re okay coming along? It will be dangerous, and your parents will probably be worried sick about you.”

Nina nodded, “Yes, Ryu, I’m coming along. I don’t want you to die, and I’m going to make sure of that. My mother and father will understand… I think. But this is more important to me. So I’m coming, despite any dangers, because I want to ensure that you’ll be okay.”

“Thanks, Nina, I appreciate that.”

The princess then turned to Momo, “What about you, Momo? You were really only going to help us go to Wyndia before we got into that mess with Balio and Sunder. Why are you sticking around? Not that I’m complaining.”

Momo smiled, “While that was true, I do know that the eastern lands hold lots of machines. My father would often head there to pick up machines and parts, so I want to see them for myself. Also, Rhapala has a steam boat, which has got me eager to see it in action for myself. And besides, an adventure with friends is more important and fun than cooping myself up in that old tower all the time, right?”

Ryu chuckled and Nina giggled, but nodded in agreement.

“Puki puki!” Peco stated happily, wanting in on the fun.

The next day the group arrived at the checkpoint. It consisted of a large building, most likely an inn and item shop, with two wooden walls that had an opening in between them, nestled in a small, rocky area.

Garr turned to the group, “Here we are. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble with our passport. However…” he gave Nina a look, causing her to gain a sheepish one, “We may have some trouble with our companion, the runaway princess.”

He led the party toward the gate, where two Wyndian guards were standing. They stopped him briefly, asking for his passport, which he presented.

One guard said, “Everything looks to be in order. Please proceed.”

Garr nodded and led the way, followed by Momo, Peco, then Ryu. Nina lowered her head, hoping that the guards wouldn’t recognize her. But she was stopped by one of them.

“Princess Nina?”

“Uh-oh…” Ryu muttered.

The guard turned to the group, “Excuse me, but who is this young lady?”

Garr turned around, “She’s my daughter. Is there a problem?”

Ryu and Momo stifled the urge to gasp, Peco gained a confused look, but the two guards were utterly stunned.

“D-D-D-Daughter!?” one choked. “By daughter, you mean she’s your child?”

The dragonic man gave them a rather intimidating leer, replying calmly, “Is there another meaning I don’t know?”

The guard hastily said, “N-Now that you mention it, she must take after her fath… I mean her mother! Yes! Very attractive.” He tried to regain his composure, “Sorry for the trouble. Please proceed.”

Garr nodded and led the party forward. When they were about halfway over the large, wooden bridge that crosses over part of the Inner Sea, they took a moment to calm themselves.

“Whew…” Momo sighed, wiping her brow, “For a moment I thought Nina was going to be caught right there and then.”

Ryu nodded, “Yeah, me too. That was a close one.”

“Pukyu…” Peco added, obviously relieved.

Nina turned to Garr, “Thank you, Garr, for covering for me like that.”

Garr turned to her, “I hear that Ryu would use his power to protect you, so I thought it would be necessary to have you come along.”

“What?” the princess stated, surprised, while Ryu became uncomfortable.

Garr continued his way across the bridge, “After all, if Ryu won’t use his powers, we’re just wasting time.”

Nina turned to the now-uncomfortable Ryu, “You mean you only use your powers because of me? To protect me?”

“W-Well…” Ryu replied nervously.

“If so, then I want to become stronger!” she stated strongly. “I want to learn how to fight! That way… that way you won’t have to use your powers, and you won’t get in trouble because of it.”

Ryu placed a hand on her shoulder, “Nina… it doesn’t matter. I would protect you whether you got stronger or not. While I admit it’s been pretty much the only reason I’ve used my powers up to this point, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll still protect you one way or another. Because you’re my friend, Nina, and friends look out for one another. So don’t feel you have to go out of your way to become stronger. So it’ll be okay.”

Nina gave him a nod, “I understand, but I still want to become stronger so you don’t have to always pay the price for my mistakes.”

“Fine. Now let’s catch up to Garr before he leaves us in the dust.”

After about 30 more minutes the party had crossed the bridge into the Rhapala Region. Unlike the Wyndian Region, which had a wider range of terrains, such as forests and canyons, the Rhapala Region consisted more of open plains and sandy beaches. It was also hotter here. However, as soon as the band of warriors was making their way across the plains, Ryu suddenly stopped.

Momo turned to him, “Is something wrong, Ryu?”

He looked a little ways north, replying, “I sense something. Something calling out to me. Just like in Maekyss Gorge.”

He then bolted from the spot, running quickly to wherever his senses were telling him to go. The gang quickly chased after him, but they seemed to have an idea of what was calling out to him. It wasn’t long before they reached their destination.

It was a small fishing shack nestled near the ocean on a shallow cliff. It looked empty, indicating that it was either abandoned or the owner was out. But the shack wasn’t what Ryu was interested in. Nestled in a corner on the lower level of the cliff, just shy of the ocean, was another chunk of chrysm ore. And like last time, there was something flickering inside of it.

“Another chrysm chunk,” Nina observed. “Does this one possess another Brood power within?”

Ryu walked over to the ore, “Yeah, I can hear a voice inside of it, just like at Maekyss Gorge.”

He then touched the chrysm, causing it to glow, and a voice entered his head.

“Can it be? A fellow Brood? I have waited a long time for something like this to happen.”

Ryu replied mentally, “So, you’ve been here a long time, huh? Then I’ll take you with me. You are my brethren, after all.”

“Thank you. I hope what is left of me will serve you well. Use my power to erase the nightmare that was caused many lifetimes ago. The power of the Thunder Gene. Use it wisely, my young friend.”

“I will, I promise. Now come to me…”

The chrysm ore shattered, releasing another sphere that was absorbed into Ryu. Ryu could feel a new power surging through him. A thunderous, electrical energy that could zap even the fiercest beings. The power of the Thunder Gene. It resonated with the other genes inside of him before activating, swallowing the young boy up in a sphere of energy, with a new dragon emerging.

Like the Flame and Frost Dragons, this one was built nearly identical to them. Its powerful body was coated in electric blue scales, with a yellowish-green frilled fin on the back of its neck, horns of a matching color, and silver eyes. It reared up its head, opened its mouth, and fired several electrical whips into the air, making the air crackle with power.

The Thunder Dragon had arisen.

Nina, Momo, and Peco watched in awe, while Garr started to reflect again about a battle he fought so long ago. The dragon gave a roar before vanishing, replaced by the young blue-haired child.

“Awesome!” Nina exclaimed. “A new dragon form! What was it this time, Ryu?”

Ryu replied, “The Thunder Dragon. That was the Thunder Gene. That gives me four Dragon Genes now. Wow, I feel like my power just went up several levels, just like last time.”

Garr observed, “It would appear that, with each gene you find, your senses and powers increase dramatically. And it’s not like your senses and powers were low to begin with. I wonder how many more genes like that still exist?”

It was then Momo noticed the sky was turning dark.

“We should find a place to set up camp, guys,” she stated. “We still have bit of a hike before we reach Rhapala, so let’s find a nice quiet spot to set up camp and call it a day. We’ve had a lot of excitement today, what with the checkpoint cover-up story and Ryu’s new power.”

“Puki puki puki!” Peco happily exclaimed, bouncing up and down like a ball.

After dawn broke the next day, the party finally made it to Rhapala. It was a massive port town full of sailors. Much to Momo’s excitement, there were also plenty of machines here and there, her eyes lighting up as she saw them.

Garr turned to the party, “We need to inquire for a ride on the ship here. That way we can get to the Urkan Region, where Angel Tower lies. We must find the Guildmaster in order to buy a ride on the ship.”

They entered what appeared to be the official building for the Porter’s Guild, as evident by the crest on the outside. The man in there directed them to the pub under the inn, telling them that the Guildmaster, Sinkar, often goes there. It didn’t take long before they found Sinkar in the pub.

Garr approached him, “Excuse me, sir, we would like to buy a ride on the ship, please.”

Sinkar replied, “You want a ride on the ship. Hmm… my daughter, Shadis is in charge of that. You can find her at the wharf.”

“Thank you, we’ll go talk to her.”

It didn’t take long to find where Shadis was. She was easily identified, being a very attractive woman in a tank top, cutoff shorts, and a bandana. However, when they approached her, she seemed rather upset. It was then they realized why. Not too far from her were three individuals. One was a bulky, muscular man wearing a red and white striped tank top, jeans, and boots. He seemed to be harassing a bookworm-like man with glasses. Next to the muscular man, seemingly in league with him, was a short monkey-like sailor, who was also harassing the same bespectacled man.

The monkey-like man sneered, “Besides, Sinkar already gave Zig his seal of approval.”

The bookworm-like man replied, “Maybe so, but as head of the Guild’s finances…” but was cut off when Zig, the muscular man, shoved him.

“Don’t worry, Beyd. The guild will be in good hands. Right, Shadis?”

He turned to the attractive young woman, who merely grumbled in response. But Zig blew it off with a hearty laugh.

“Hahahahaha! Don’t be like that, Shadis. We’ll make a great team, you and me.” He turned back to Beyd, “So that’s that, Beyd. See ya. Come on, Iggy, let’s go.”

Zig and Iggy left the area, but not before mocking Beyd one more time. Beyd sighed and approached the gang.

“I’m sorry about that,” he apologized. “My name is Beyd. How can I help you?”

Ryu answered, “We need a ride on the ship to the Urkan Region.”

“You need a ride on the ship? Well, you’ll have to talk to Miss Shadis over there.”

Shadis snapped angrily, “Everyone keeps asking me about the ship. The ship isn’t coming back! Oh, it gives me such a headache!”

Beyd seemed a bit flustered before approaching her, “Now, Shadis, just because you’re not feeling good doesn’t mean you can act like that in front of customers.”

She countered, “Not feeling good? And whose fault do you think that is, you… you doofus! You probably don’t care if I get married to someone like Zig!”

She then stormed off, leaving Beyd unsure what to do. He sighed in defeat and turned back to the group.

“I’m sorry about that…” he said sadly. “Shadis is a bit upset right now. But like she said, we don’t know when the ship will be back. I’m sorry we can’t help you.”

Momo asked, “What should we do, then?”

Ryu shrugged, “Let’s head back into town. Maybe we’ll get some info about another course of action there.”

As they left Beyd, they encountered Shadis near the front of the wharf, just before town. She stopped them, guilt in her eyes.

She said, “I’m sorry about back there. I’m just a little frustrated. So many things happening at once. First the lighthouse stops working, then it gets infested with monsters, and now the boat has disappeared. It hasn’t been easy.”

Nina replied, “It’s okay. It’s obvious that things have been rather tense lately. Do you have any suggestions on what we should do in order to head east?”

Shadis replied, “Well, you could talk to my father about using the road around Mt. Zublo. It’s the only other route east right now until the ship returns. I’m sorry I can’t help you, but maybe my father can. Good luck.”

With a nod the party returned to town and entered the pub. They found Sinkar in the same place as he was before. Ryu approached the Guildmaster.

“Excuse me, Mr. Sinkar. We would like to use the road to go east. Can you allow us to do that?”

Sinkar replied, “You want to use the road? Well… there’s a problem with that, too. You know the volcano Mt. Zublo? It erupted a short time ago, and the lava damaged the road, cutting it off.”

“What!?” everyone exclaimed.

“Yeah, it’s true. So the road is unusable right now. I won’t stop you from going to see it, but you won’t be able to get past it. So that means the only option is to wait for the ship to return. I’m sorry.”

Ryu turned back to the party, who all looked unsure what to do. Without any other choice, they left the pub, bought a few supplies, and headed back out into the plains to set up camp.

Night had fallen. After a dinner of wild boar that Garr caught, they sat around the fire, discussing what to do. Peco was playing tag with Honey, running around the party happily.

Momo grumbled, “You mean after coming all this way we can’t use the ship!?”

Garr tossed a log into the fire, “We can’t use the road, either.”

The engineer suggested, “Maybe if we fix the lighthouse, the ship will return.”

“I don’t think the guild will let anyone near the lighthouse, no matter how good they are with machines…” Garr replied.

“Then I guess we’re stuck here!”

Ryu remained silent, trying to figure out a plan, while Nina had been watching Peco and Honey. She then turned to the group.

“Say… do you think Shadis likes Beyd?” she asked.

The other party members gained odd looks.

“Well… maybe, but what does that have to do with anything?” Momo asked the princess.

Nina continued, “And Beyd is in love with Shadis, but is too shy to tell her.”

Momo and Garr exchanged looks, wondering where Nina was going with this.

Ryu turned to Nina, “What are you saying, Nina?”

She sat down next to him, “I’m going to tell Beyd what he has to do. I mean, it’s not fair to Shadis if he doesn’t do anything.”

Momo and Garr exchanged looks again, with Garr sighing, tossing another log into the hungry flames.

Ryu said silently, “I hope Nina knows what she’s doing. Playing matchmaker isn’t always a safe thing to do.”

The next day came quickly. The party returned to Rhapala. Garr turned to them.

“I’ll leave this to you,” he stated. “I’m going to see if there are any other options available to us. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, Nina.”

Nina nodded, “Don’t worry, I do. Good luck, Garr.”

After the dragonic man left the group, Nina led the remaining members to the wharf. She stopped briefly to turn to her friends.

“Okay, I’m going to tell Beyd what he needs to do,” she stated strongly.

She started to make her way down the wharf. Momo and Ryu exchanged looks before running to catch up to her. They found Beyd, Zig, Iggy, and Shadis in the same place as before. Zig seemed to boasting, flexing his muscles to no one in particular, while Iggy cheered him on. Nina approached Beyd.

“Oh, hello,” Beyd smiled. “What can I do for you?”

Nina stated in response, “Beyd, you’re in love with Shadis, right?”

This caused Beyd to turn bright red, becoming instantly flustered.

“Wh-wh-wh-what, what!? What do you mean?” he sputtered.

“Don’t be shy. I’m sure Shadis likes you, too.”

This seemed to get the attention of Shadis and Zig, making Beyd even more flustered.

“W-Wait a minute,” he sputtered. “Let’s talk about this someplace else.”

After a short walk, Beyd confronted the party.

“What do you mean? Of course I like Shadis. We’re friends.”

Nina replied, “Yes, but you’re in love with her. You should propose to her, as I’m sure she feels the same way.”

“P-P-P-P-Propose!?” Beyd choked. “No, no, I can’t do that. I mean, look at me. Shadis needs someone strong to support her.”

The princess was undeterred, “So, all you have to do is get strong. I mean, if I can do it, then you can, too.”

“That’s easier said than done…” the bookkeeper replied glumly.

“So, we’ll help you train!”

“Train!?” He then started to walk away, saying sadly, “I’m… going back to work…”

After he left, Nina turned to her friends.

She asked, “Did I say something wrong, maybe?”

Momo shook her head, “No… it’s just going to take him time to face the truth. But in any case, we’re out of options. So what should we do now?”

Ryu turned to the sea before stating, “Well, we could do some fishing to pass the time until Garr returns.”

Nina turned to Ryu, “Fishing? You know how to fish?”

“Yeah. I used to fish back when Rei, Teepo, and I were back in Cedar Woods. It was an easy way of getting food for us during those times. However, I lost my rod and lures when Balio and Sunder burned down our home. But I noticed that, in the item shop, they were selling rods and lures. So maybe we can do some fishing to pass the time, as well as get us some tasty dinner.”

Momo smiled, “It’s better than doing nothing. And I haven’t had a fish dinner in a while. So let’s do it.”

To Nina’s and Momo’s surprise, Ryu seemed to know exactly what kind of rod and lures were the best. After purchasing some equipment, they walked toward the end of the wharf and Ryu started to do some fishing. It wasn’t long before Ryu had gotten a bite.

“Oomph!” he grunted. “This one’s a fighter. Not like the piranhas and rainbow trout back near Cedar Woods. I guess ocean fish pack a bigger punch than fresh water fish.”

He skillfully managed to reel in the fish, though it took a bit of effort. Nina’s eyes were wide when he reeled in a large sea bass.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. “That’s a big fish, Ryu! I can’t wait to see how tasty it is.”

Momo smiled, “Looks like you’re a pretty skilled fisherman, Ryu, even though you’ve only caught smaller fish in the past. Keep this up and we’ll have a really nice dinner tonight.”

After managing to wrestle the fish so it would lie motionlessly, Ryu tossed his line out again. It didn’t take long for another fish to take the bait. With some more effort, he managed to reel in another sea bass, though this one was a bit smaller. After subduing it like the last one, he tossed his line back in. This time, however, it was taking longer for another fish to take the bait.

Nina asked, “What’s taking so long? Why aren’t the fish biting again?”

Ryu chuckled, “Fishing is a waiting game, Nina. We got lucky the first two times, but fishing requires patience. The fish here may not be as eager to take the bait as much as the piranhas back near Cedar Woods. They were almost too eager, but Rei and Teepo didn’t complain. But fishing requires patience, so it’s not going to happen right away.”

Momo giggled, “Ryu’s right, Nina. Fishing isn’t easy, as it requires patience and time. But the reward makes up for it. We should consider ourselves lucky that Ryu caught two sea bass already. But don’t worry; we’ll have plenty of good fish for dinner tonight.”

Just as she said that, Ryu’s rod started to pull again. This got his attention, and he started to reel in his catch. It took a bit more effort than before, but after a struggle, he managed to catch a third sea bass. However, shortly after that, they all heard a booming voice, startling them.

“What was that!?” Nina sputtered.

Gathering up the fish and fishing equipment, the party dashed over to the source of the noise. There, they saw Zig blowing kisses to Shadis, who was trying to keep him away the best she could, while Iggy clapped, encouraging the situation. Just after that they noticed Beyd on the ground, who looked like he had been shoved. Nina quickly ran over to him.

“Beyd! Are you okay?” she asked, concerned.

He replied sadly, “Zig is going to the lighthouse.”

They all turned to see Zig still blowing kisses at Shadis, who seemed disgusted.

Zig laughed, “You might as well get your wedding dress fitted, Shadis! I’ll have the lighthouse fixed before you can say ‘I do’!”

Shadis spat, “All right, just get away from me!”

Beyd sighed sadly, “If Zig manages to defeat the monsters and fix the lighthouse, there will be no doubt he is the strongest man around and the best choice for Guildmaster.”

Nina added, “And that means… Shadis will marry Zig.”

Beyd stood up, his eyes showing determination, “Please, train me. I can’t give up, not without trying. If I can fix the lighthouse before Zig, then I can help Shadis.”

The princess stated, “We’d be glad to, Beyd! I knew you’d come around!”

He turned to them, “Thank you. I’ve never used a sword before. I’ll give you 1,000 zenny. Please get me some equipment, but make sure it’s not too heavy. I think I can use anything Ryu can. When you do, meet me after work in the town square tonight.”

He gave them a pouch of zenny, but despite his voice showing nervousness, his eyes showed pure determination. With a nod, the party left to get the equipment.

After a fish dinner, the party gathered in the town square. Ryu was carrying some armor and a sword as they waited for Beyd. By the time darkness had fallen, Beyd finally arrived.

He smiled, “Thanks for waiting. Did you get the equipment I asked for?”

Ryu presented it to him, “Here you go. I got the lightest I could find. I hope it helps.”

Beyd reached out for the armor, but once Ryu let go, the armor dropped to the ground, taking Beyd with it. He struggled to pick it up, his legs quaking under the weight with each attempt. Finally, he managed to get it on, though his legs looked like they were about to give out under him. He then tried to pick up the sword, but like with the armor, he struggled. With a final attempt, he hoisted the sword, but it arced over his head, making him fall backward. The sword then clanged to the ground, near where Peco was standing, scaring the onion witless. In a flash, Peco was hiding behind Garr, knowing that he was safer there. Beyd was still struggling to stand with his sword and armor. Momo and Garr looked away, sighing, while Nina and Ryu exchanged odd looks.

“This is gonna be a long night…” Ryu said mentally.

Next Chapter: Lighthouse Fight

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see who goes to the lighthouse!

 

[CynthiaLover]

Chapter 15 is now live! What will happen next in Ryu's quest? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Lighthouse Fight


For the next three consecutive nights, Ryu helped Beyd train. Although he still seemed weak, Beyd was very eager to complete his training. In fact, every so often he would even catch Ryu off-guard, nearly injuring the boy with his sword.

Fortunately, despite the fact that Zig wanted to impress Shadis by fixing the lighthouse, he kept putting it off in order to woo her, giving Beyd the time he needed to get prepared. Every day Beyd would watch Zig harass Shadis, tight lipped, resisting the urge to give Zig a punch in the face. However, by the fourth day, that would all change.

Zig was on his way to woo Shadis once again. But today he had a stride to his step. His flunky, Iggy, seemed eager to see what was going to happen next. Beyd could tell that something was going to happen.

Zig approached Shadis, “Hey, Shadis, why don’t we get a room, hmm?”

Iggy cheered, “Yeah, work your mojo, Zig!”

Shadis looked like she was going to explode, “No way! You get one yourself! Leave me out of it!”

The muscular sailor smirked, “Come on, Shadis, we could make some beautiful music together.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, wrapping his other arm around her slender waist. She was close enough to smell his breath.

“Whattya say, Shadis?” he purred, raising and lowering his eyebrows in a flirtatious manner.

The woman spat, “No way! Get away from me, you animal!”

Beyd could no longer tolerate it. Without a second thought, the bookkeeper charged in, ignoring Ryu’s protests, and with a surprising burst of strength, managed to pull Zig away from Shadis. This surprised both Zig and Shadis.

“Beyd!? What the hell are you doing?” Zig spat.

Beyd replied strongly, “I won’t tolerate you harassing Shadis any longer, Zig! Can’t you see she wants nothing to do with you? Charming a woman doesn’t mean forcing her against her will to do as you please! I won’t allow it!”

Shadis’ eyes started to glimmer, “Beyd…”

Iggy growled, “What do you know about being charming, Beyd? So just butt out.”

Beyd stood his ground, “No, I won’t allow it. I’m going to the lighthouse! If you have a problem with that, then I challenge you to a duel! The winner goes to the lighthouse… and wins Shadis. Do you accept?”

Zig laughed, “Bwahahaha! You versus me!? This’ll be worth a good laugh! Fine, I accept your little challenge, you little bookworm. Town square, tonight. Be there!”

He and Iggy left, laughing, leaving a heavily breathing Beyd and a shocked Shadis. The party approached them.

Shadis started, “Beyd! What are you thinking!? You’re actually going to FIGHT Zig!? Did you hit your head or something? You’ve never been this bold before.”

Beyd replied, a fire in his eyes, “It’s not something I want to do, but I’ll do anything if it keeps Zig away from you. I’m not going to let him treat my oldest friend like his personal toy. No, this ends now. One way or another, I will stop Zig and his lecherous advances, and this may be the only solution. Besides, I’ve been training with Ryu, because I want to protect what matters most to me.”

Shadis’ eyes started to glimmer again, “Beyd…”

Nina stated, “You can do it, Beyd! You’ve been preparing for this very situation. Go for it! Show Zig what you’re made of!”

Momo smiled, “And know we’re behind you all the way. Zig’s got nothing against you.”

“Pukyukiiii!” Peco cried, bouncing up and down eagerly.

Garr flexed his wings, “After what we’ve had to see these past few days, I have to agree that Zig needs to be taught a lesson. He’s been taking his ‘advances’ further and further, and it’s obvious Shadis hates them. And like Nina said, you’ve been preparing for this very moment. So it’s time to end this once and for all.”

Beyd nodded, smiling, “Thank you. I don’t know what will happen next, but one way or another, this will end tonight.”

Ryu, however, remained silent.

“Even with the training, Beyd has only gotten marginally better…” the boy thought. “Zig is still in a league in his own compared to Beyd. However…” he looked at Beyd, who was burning with determination, “as Garr once said to me, even if it’s a lost cause, if one solidifies their resolve, then anything can happen. And there’s nothing more noble than fighting for someone you love. I just hope everything works out, but seeing how Nina and I have gotten stronger in a short period of time, then anything can happen.”

Night had fallen. The moon was full, projecting its light upon the town of Rhapala. In the town square, Beyd, Zig, Shadis, and Iggy were making final preps for the duel. Ryu and his friends were also there. But they weren’t the only ones. Word spread like the plague that Zig and Beyd were going to fight and it caused every sailor to come and watch. Some even brought food and drink, as if it was a spectator sport.

Iggy declared, “All right! Tonight we’re going to see who goes to fix the lighthouse, Beyd or the Boss.”

Zig cracked his knuckles, “Hey, Beyd, this is your last chance to back out.”

Beyd held his sword bravely, “No, I’m not backing down, Zig. This ends tonight.”

Shadis was sitting on the sidelines, her face clearly showing fear and worry.

Iggy declared, “All right. Ready… FIGHT!”

Zig charged in the second Iggy had finished, before Beyd could even react. Zig punched Beyd in the head, then the stomach, then the chin, and lastly the cheek. This dazed Beyd. The sailors all booed, many of them urging Beyd to counterattack, while Shadis looked horrified at the sight.

Iggy cheered, “Yeah, that’s the way, Boss! Teach that bookworm a thing or two!”

Zig cracked his knuckles again, “Want some more?”

Beyd growled, undeterred, “Bring it.”

Zig launched several more punches, each one landing the mark, but Beyd remained standing, despite his increasing amount of injuries. Zig, thinking he had this in the bag, turned to Shadis, waving at her.

Shadis ignored him, calling out, “Come on, Beyd! Don’t give up! Please!”

This motivated Beyd. He clutched his sword tightly, took a deep breath, and prepared to strike.

“Take this, Zig!” he roared.

Zig didn’t even notice Beyd charging in. He was too busy waving to Shadis. Beyd held his sword high, as if ready to slice Zig. Everyone watched tensely. Suddenly, Beyd tripped, making everyone groan. However, much to everyone’s shock, when Zig turned around to gloat, the flat side of Beyd’s sword slammed onto his head with a loud CLANG. Even though Beyd hit the ground, Zig stood perfectly still, completely dazed. He started to sway a bit, a dopey look forming on his face, before he started to fall backward. For a moment it looked like Zig was floating in the air before hitting the stone with a THUD. Beyd looked up, his glasses cracked, watching Zig crash to the ground. Everyone sat there breathlessly, waiting to see if Zig would get back up. But he lay motionlessly on the ground, out cold. Beyd staggered to stand, his eyes wide.

“I… I won…” he said.

The entire town erupted in cheers. Cheers that shook the very earth itself. Iggy was in disbelief, while Shadis looked both relieved and excited. Beyd collapsed into a sitting position, battered, bruised, and exhausted, but felt proud. Shadis quickly ran over to him, the party following suit.

“Beyd!” she cried, tears in her eyes. “Look at you, you’re all beat up. Please tell me you’ll be okay!”

Beyd turned to her, smiling, despite his pain, “I’ll be okay, Shadis.”

Iggy was trying desperately to wake Zig, “Boss! Boss! Wake up! How could big old Zig here lose to Beyd!?”

The bookkeeper turned to his childhood friend, “I want to help you, Shadis… Let’s take care of the guild, together…”

Shadis cried, hugging him tearfully, “Beyd! You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that!”

Iggy tried again to wake Zig, “Boss! Boss, did you hear that!? Boss!”

However, his attempts were futile, as Zig was beyond reach in his unconscious state.

Beyd turned to the party, “Thank you, thank you for everything… If you hadn’t convinced me to fight Zig, then I would’ve remained the same old Beyd, a 98-pound weakling…”

Nina shook her head, “No, Beyd, it was all you. We just gave you a push.”

Ryu nodded, “Yeah, Nina’s right. It was the love you had for Shadis that granted you the strength you needed to win the day. We just pointed it in the right direction, you took it from there.”

Beyd smiled, “Thank you, but you all still had a hand in this. You showed me the light, and for that I am forever grateful. I think Shadis and I can get along well together and keep the guild running smoothly.” He turned to Shadis, “Shadis… I hope you can put up with me for the rest of our lives.”

Shadis kissed him, “Beyd, there is nothing to put up with, so I see no problems. And I’m sorry that I took you for granted and underestimated you. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, Shadis. I can understand why, as I doubted my own ability, too. But now… now it doesn’t matter. So let’s make the Porter’s Guild the best ever.”

She hugged him, “Yes, let’s make this guild the best in the world, together!”

Garr smiled, “Now that everything is in place, I suggest you get some rest, Beyd.”

Shadis helped Beyd up, replying, “Yes, I agree. And I have to help patch him up. But thank you, all of you, for making things right for us.”

As she helped Beyd out of the town square, all the other sailors left, satisfied at the results, leaving Zig and Iggy alone. Iggy was still trying in vain to awaken Zig, but his efforts yielded no results. No one was remotely interested in helping, either, having lost respect for Zig. Even Ryu felt no urge to help, despite his usual desire to help someone in need.

“Boss! BOSS!!!” Iggy’s cries echoed in the night.

When morning arrived, the sun seemed extra bright today, as if it was satisfied at what transpired last night. The sailors were all chatting and laughing, still discussing the events of last night’s duel. Ryu and his friends made their way to the wharf, wanting to check up on Beyd and Shadis. They found them at their usual spot.

Beyd was bandaged up pretty extensively. His head was partly wrapped in gauze, his left arm was bandaged, and his right arm was in a sling, and there were probably more injuries under his clothes. Shadis seemed elated to help Beyd in any shape or form she could. They turned when they say the band of warriors approach them.

Beyd smiled, “Oh, hello. Thank you again for everything you did for us.”

Nina looked concerned, “We’re glad we could help, but what about you? Those injuries look like they hurt!”

“These? I’m okay. I’m just not used to fighting, so…” however, he recoiled in pain when he moved his arm too much, “Ouch!”

Shadis gained a sad smile, “The problem is now Beyd is in no condition to fix the lighthouse, so we’re not sure what to do.”

Momo sensed an opportunity, stating, “Well, we were wondering… since fixing the lighthouse might help the ship return faster… maybe we can repair it.”

“Oh brother…” Ryu sighed.

Honey, who was perched on his shoulder, seemed to be thinking the same thing, shaking her own head.

However, Beyd and Shadis seemed to consider the idea viable.

Beyd stated, “You would do that? After all you’ve already done for us?”

Nina shrugged, “Well, we don’t have much else to do. And Momo is great with machines, one of the best engineers out there, so we’d gladly do it if it helps the guild run smoother.”

The new couple turned to each other, silently debating the idea, before turning back to the group.

Shadis smiled, “You know, that would be wonderful. We need all the help we can get right now. So if you’re willing to face the monsters in that place, then we’ll leave this to you.”

Beyd started to rummage in his pocket with his free hand, “But we have to give you something first. We’ve closed off the lighthouse to the public due to the monsters, so only members of the guild are allowed anywhere near it. So take this…” he held out a badge. “This is a Porter’s Guild Badge. It’ll inform anyone that you’re an associate with the guild, which will tell the guard to let you pass. Be warned, however, as the monsters there are vicious.”

Ryu took the badge, “Thank you, we’ll be careful. You just rest up. We’ll take care of the monsters for you.”

Shadis smiled, “We know you will. Thank you, and good luck.”

The band of warriors approached the dock that lead to the lighthouse. At first the sailor stationed there tried to stop them, but after showing him the badge, he allowed them to pass, but gave them one last warning.

The lighthouse was a massive building composed of several stone sections piled up in a somewhat pyramid shape. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, as they approached, the party could see that something was amiss. There was a layer of dust on the ground, despite the ocean wind, indicating that no one has stepped foot here for a while, and it was eerily quiet. No humming of machines and devoid of life. Knowing they had a job to do, the party proceeded into the main building.

Inside, the lighthouse was actually a maze of corridors and stairs. And at every turn and corner there were machines. Momo’s eyes were shining brightly at all these machines, eager to mess with each and every one of them.

“Woah! Look at all of these machines!” she said in an elated tone. “I could spend all day here! I wonder what this does? And what about this? Oh boy!”

Garr cleared his throat, “Momo, perhaps we better stay focused on the task at hand. We did, after all, volunteer to help, so you may have to put your fascination aside for now.”

“Huh? Oh, right, yeah, let’s do this!” she replied, as if remembering why they were here from the get-go.

As they navigated the corridors, battling the monsters that lurked inside, Momo’s attention kept getting diverted to any sort of machine she happened to lay eyes on. This caused her to walk into several things, ranging from pipes to walls and everything in between. Fortunately, the rest of the warriors were a bit more alert to their surroundings, trying their best to keep Momo from getting hurt. Even Honey had to yank the engineer by the ear every few moments to keep her focused on reality.

They finally came to a large room that was almost completely filled with a massive machine. Momo’s eyes were wide as she examined this device. She climbed up on the ladder nearby to take a closer look before finding a manual. She quickly started to flip through it, leaving the others wondering what she was doing.

Nina asked, “Uh, Momo, what’s that you’re reading?”

The redhead turned to the princess, “It’s the instruction manual, probably for new employees. According to this, this machine is the boiler, and it runs on Flame Chrysm energy.”

“Wait, so the lighthouse runs on Flame Chrysm?” Ryu asked.

“Yep. According to this, we place a chunk of chrysm into this hatch here, then flip the switch when the pressure stabilizes. According to this, there should be a crate of extra Flame Chrysm somewhere nearby.”

“Puki!” Peco called out.

They all turned to where the onion was calling from. He was standing in front of a large crate. Ryu walked over to it and opened it up, revealing a whole pile of red chrysm.

“Good work, Peco!” Nina said, patting the onion on his head.

“Pukyu,” Peco replied, loving the praise.

Ryu picked up a piece of Flame Chrysm and walked it over to Momo. She took the ore, opened the hatch, placed the chunk of crystal in it, and walked over to the control panel. The machine started to hum, first quietly, but then it started to pick up. At a certain point, Momo flipped the switch, which caused the hum to become constant, and the metal pipes started to glow with reddish energy.

Momo smiled, “Okay, that takes care of this part. Now, according to the manual, we have to climb to the top of the lighthouse and flip the switch there to turn it on. Once we do that, the lighthouse will be fully operational.”

Garr looked around, “All this seems a bit easy. Too easy. The guild was frightened away from here, but the monsters here are only a moderate threat at most. Were they over-exaggerating about the monsters? Or is there some sort of head honcho we have yet to see?”

Nina pondered, “You’ve got a point, Garr. Even I can handle these monsters, and I’m not iron woman in the slightest bit, so strong sailors and workmen can certainly take on these monsters without much of a problem.”

Ryu replied, “Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s head for the main staircase, as I’m guessing that leads to the top of the lighthouse. But be alert. Since we’ve gotten everything running, if there is a big boss monster here, it may now be alert to us being here.”

Nodding, the group of five returned to the main hallway. It was there that they were greeted with a strange sight.

Standing in the middle of the hallway was a lizard-like creature. It was no taller than Momo, with a green body, a long whip-like tail, and small eyes on its reptilian face. It was standing perfectly still, its arms raised in a manner like a pedestal.

“What is that?” the azure-haired boy asked.

“Could that be what’s been keeping the sailors and mechanics from coming here?” Garr pondered.

Nina tilted her head, “It doesn’t look threatening.”

Momo nodded, “Yeah, it’s actually kinda cute.”

Ryu gave her an odd look before saying, “Well… seeing how it’s not going to stop us, let’s move on.”

The band of warriors continued toward the large staircase. However, just before Ryu could place one foot on the steps, a loud CLUNK could be heard. This stopped everyone briefly, looking around for the source. Then another CLUNK could be heard, followed by several more, and they were getting louder. Ryu looked up the stairs and instantly paled.

A giant orb made of crimson eyeballs was bouncing down toward them.

“RUN!!!” the boy cried, the others doing so without a second thought.

The party scrambled as fast as they could away from the massive eyeball thing. Each time it bounced, it left a dent in the floor. When they passed the lizard from before, it caught the eyeball, breathing heavily, straining under its weight, but now obviously very much active.

“You know… on second thought, that thing isn’t very cute after all…” Momo said nervously.

“I guess we found our head honcho monster…” Nina gulped.

“And here it comes!” Ryu cried.

The largest eye on the creature started to generate energy before firing it in a beam form. Everyone managed to dodge it, but they could feel the intensity of the beam as it flew past them. Garr coated his halberd in flames before charging in. His flaming blade stabbed the largest eye right in the iris, causing it to give off an unearthly howl in pain.

“Simoon!” Nina cried.

The bomb-like burst of fire and wind erupted underneath the monster, causing it to roar in pain. Momo followed it up with several shots from her bazooka, striking many of the smaller eyes.

“Pukiiii!!!” Peco cried out, charging in and headbutting the creature’s leg.

The creature barely flinched, so Peco repeatedly headbutted the monster’s leg, as if trying to weaken them. The center eye started to generate energy, taking aim at the onion. Garr, with surprising swiftness, grabbed the onion before the beam could fry him.

“Lightning!” the princess cried.

A powerful bolt of lightning struck the eyeball monster, causing it to howl. All of its eyes focused on Nina for a moment before, with great effort, the lizard hurled it into the air, ready to crush the young girl under it.

“Nina!” Ryu cried, immediately channeling his Brood powers.

“Flame… Defender…”

After a quick burst of energy, the Flame Dragon appeared. With speed superior to that of a cheetah, the Flame Dragon snatched Nina just moments before the massive eye could flatten her, leaving a large crack in the floor where she was just a few seconds ago. The dragon held her by the back of her dress in his jaws, flying her to safety.

“Thanks, Ryu, I owe you another one,” Nina sighed in relief.

Ryu growled in response before placing her on his back. He then flew in close to the eyeball monster and slashed it with flaming claws, gouging several of the eyes. The creature gave an unearthly howl, recoiling in great pain, before trying to fire another beam. But Ryu had already swerved out of the way before the beam could get anywhere near him.

Nina observed, “It doesn’t like fire…” She then called out, “That thing is weak to fire! Hit it with fire-based attacks!”

Garr started to channel more fire into his halberd, causing it to glow.

“Pyrokinesis!” he roared.

The now supercharged flaming halberd slashed across the creature’s largest eye, leaving a flaming aftereffect. This caused the beast to roar in agony. Ryu then swooped in again, claws burning brightly, before slashing it in an X-shaped attack, leaving flames in its wake. Momo loaded up some Flame Chrysm into her bazooka.

“Heh, which such a large target, even I can’t miss!” she smirked.

She fired several shots from her bazooka, each one striking a different eye, causing the creature to roar.

“Simoon!” Nina cried out again.

The bomb-like blast erupted under the beast, causing it to stagger. Ryu swooped in one last time, claws coated in fire, before giving the eyeball monster one last final slash. The creature howled in agony, engulfed in a bright light, before vanishing. Ryu landed on the ground, gently taking Nina off his back and back onto the floor before reverting to his normal self.

Momo wiped her brow, “Whew… now we know why the sailors were so afraid to come here. Now with that thing gone, the rest of the monsters should leave, making this place safe again.”

Garr pondered for a moment, “But why was that thing even here in the first place? It was obviously guarding the lighthouse. So who or what would instruct it to do so?”

“Puku…” Peco pondered as well.

Nina replied, “Guess we’ll find out soon enough. Come on, let’s finish the job.”

Nodding in agreement, the band of warriors walked up the long, large staircase to the top of the lighthouse. When they arrived, it seemed very peaceful. Seagulls were squawking, the wind was gently blowing, and the afternoon sun was shining. They noticed a large bulb contained in a crystal, and just beyond it was a control panel.

Momo took a moment to look everything over before turning to the rest of the party, “Okay, with the power flowing through the lighthouse, all we have to do is flip this switch and it should turn back on. I just hope it’ll work, since it’s been inactive for so long.”

She flipped the switch. The bulb within the crystal started to shine brightly, the crystal amplifying its light, though in the afternoon sun it wasn’t as bright as it would be at night.

Suddenly a voice cried out, “NOOOOOOO!!!”

Something came swooping past them, forcing the party to duck. They all looked around wildly, trying to find out what just flew by.

“Turn the lighthouse off!!!” the voice cried again.

They all turned to see a faerie, a minute-sized girl with purple wings and orange hair that flowed to her ankles, float over the control panel. She was holding a wooden club.

“I said turn it off!” she roared.

She tried to knock the switch back down with the club, but instead jammed the lever in place. The control panel started to spark and crackle, making everyone back up nervously.

“Oh, no!” the faerie wailed.

She tossed the club toward them, barely missing Garr’s head and wing, before flailing her arms and legs in the air like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

“Dummies! This is all your fault! I hate you! And after all the trouble we went through to have Gazer guard the lighthouse!”

The party immediately realized that “Gazer” was the eyeball monster that they just fought.

Ryu asked, “Umm… why are you so upset about the lighthouse? And why would you have a monster guard it?”

The faerie snapped, “Dummies, dummies, dummies! You’d better make up for this! Here, take this!”

She tossed a crystal tiara toward Nina. It was very pretty to look at.

“What’s this?” Nina asked.

“That’s a Faerie Tiara. Use that in any flower ring you find in the country to come to our world. You’d better come, or you’ll be sorry.”

With a final huff, the faerie flew off, leaving a confused party behind.

“Did we do something wrong?” the princess asked.

Ryu sighed, “This little adventure just gets weirder and weirder. We just want a boat ride, but one thing leads to another.”

Garr merely replied, “Well, we might as well find out now. With the lighthouse fixed, it’ll still take some time for the boat to return. So let’s tell Beyd and Shadis and then see what’s got that faerie’s wings in a wringer.”

Not knowing what else to do, the band of five started to make their way back to Rhapala.

Next Chapter: Faerie Fiasco

And that's all for now, folks. Tune in next time to see what happens to our heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, chapter 16 is on the air! What will Ryu and co have to do to appease the faeries? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Faerie Fiasco


As the party made their way back to the wharf, they noticed that, with Gazer gone, the rest of the monsters were leaving the lighthouse, making it safe again for anyone to approach. Satisfied with that, the group returned to Shadis and Beyd.

Shadis smiled, “Thank you. You fixed the lighthouse. How can we ever repay you?”

Momo beamed, “No problem! We also took care of the big boss monster there, too, so only the weaker ones remain, and they’re already high-tailing it out of there. So anyone can approach the lighthouse safely now.”

Ryu then added, “But the lever got jammed in place by accident. Is that fixable?”

“Yes, of course it is,” Beyd nodded. “With the monsters gone, our mechanics can take it from there. We can’t thank you enough. With the lighthouse fixed, it shouldn’t take very long for the ship to return. And when it does, we’ll take you anywhere as a token of our appreciation.”

Garr replied, “We were glad to assist. We’ll check back later to see if the ship has returned. Right now, we have some other… issues to take care of. We’ll be back when everything is said and done.”

Nina beamed, “You two take care of each other now, you hear me?”

Beyd and Shadis blushed lightly, but both were donning large smiles, nodding in agreement. The party returned to town and then back into the plains. They started to look for any signs of a flower ring.

Ryu asked, “So we have to find a flower ring in order to meet up with the faeries, right? I wonder why that faerie was so intent on keeping the lighthouse shut off that she’d recruit that Gazer to the cause?”

Momo shrugged, “We’ll find out soon enough, Ryu. Right now let’s find a flower ring and move on from there.”

“Pukyu!” Peco cried out.

They all turned to see him hopping around a large ring of flowers just a short distance away from them. Nodding, they approached the ring of flowers. It was large enough to fit all of them, including Garr, inside, with room to spare. So they all stepped into the ring and waited. Nothing happened.

“That faerie said we had to find a flower ring and use that Faerie Tiara to go to their world, right? So why isn’t this working?” Ryu asked.

Momo pondered, “Well, tiaras are worn, so maybe we have to wear it.”

Nina nodded, “I’m on it.”

She placed the Faerie Tiara on her head. It was a bit larger than her head, so it hung loosely. But it immediately started to glow after it came to a rest on the princess’ head. They were all swallowed up by a blinding light and vanished.

They reappeared in another flower ring, but in a very unfamiliar place. It was a small cliff-like area near the ocean. They took a moment to look around before venturing in further. A bit further in they found a somewhat rundown shack, and floating in front of it was the orange-haired faerie.

She snapped, “It’s about time you got here!”

Ryu muttered bitterly, “Be thankful we came at all…”

Two more faeries then floated out of the shack. One had blue hair with pink wings while the other hand purple hair with red wings.

This is strange!” Momo said, shaking her head. “This is the faerie world, yet it’s on the other side of the lighthouse?”

“That’s right, and that’s why I told you not to turn it on! By the way, I’m Cadis, and these two are Elkhair and Mayfly. You have to fix the mess that the lighthouse causes!”

“But why does the lighthouse bother you so much?” Nina asked, puzzled. “I mean, you have a house, so it won’t shine on you at night.”

Elkhair, the blue-haired faerie wailed, “The lighthouse causes a monster to appear!”

Mayfly added, “He said if we didn’t turn the lighthouse off, he’d eat us!”

Cadis put her hands on her hips, “So you see, that’s our problem. So what are you going to do about it?”

Garr placed a hand on his chin, “Well… we could get rid of the monster for you, if it means ending this nonsense.”

Cadis nodded, “Good idea! It comes out at night from the ocean. So wait down by the beach until nightfall for it.”

Momo shrugged, “I don’t know what this is all about, but we might as well do it. The boat won’t be back for at least a night, and if it keeps the faeries from knocking the lighthouse out of commission again, then we might as well take care of this monster for them.”

“Not like our schedules are full right now, what with us waiting for the boat…” Ryu sighed. “So let’s get this over with.”

The party head down to the shore. It spread a fair distance, which meant they had a lot of beach to cover. They decided to wait until this “monster” appeared.

Night had fallen. The lighthouse could be seen in the distance, its light shining in the darkness. Ryu was leaning against a rock, resting and waiting. He was with Nina and Momo at the moment, with Garr and Peco combing another section of the beach. Nina approached Ryu, sitting down next to him.

“Zenny for your thoughts, Ryu?” she asked.

Ryu turned to her, “I’m just wondering if I should use my power to scare off this monster. As you know, I don’t like to kill unless it’s absolutely necessary, like with Gazer, so I don’t know if I should just change into a dragon and chase it off. On top of that, I still haven’t found any clues on the whereabouts of Rei and Teepo, which was the whole point of me leaving Cedar Woods. So I’m worried that I’ll never see them again.”

Nina gently clutched his hand, “I know you’ll find them, Ryu. And I know you’ll know what to do when this monster appears. You’ve always used your power to protect us, especially me, so I know you’ll do the right thing here. And like I said before, you’ll find Rei and Teepo, I just know it. I don’t know when or where, but you’ll find them.”

“Thanks, Nina, I appreciate that…”

Momo then stated, “Hey, guys! I see something approaching!”

Ryu and Nina jumped to their feet. They looked out into the ocean. There they saw what looked like a pinkish dorsal fin cutting through the water.

“A pink fin? Is that the monster?” Nina pondered.

Ryu said silently, “Garr and Peco aren’t nearby right now, so if it’s the monster, I have to protect Nina and Momo. Well… no time like the present.”

He placed a hand on his sword hilt, ready to strike. The fin kept circling around a bit before it started to make its way toward the beach. Just when it was no more than a foot away, Ryu lashed out his sword. It struck the hidden creature, but his sword made a CLANG like it hit something made of metal. But it was enough of a force to cause the creature to emerge and hit the sand. To their surprise, it was a pink dolphin.

Momo looked perplexed, “This is the monster? A dolphin?”

The dolphin shook its head before stating, “Ow! What was that for?”

“It talks!?” Ryu sputtered.

Momo replied, “We’re sorry. We were just told that a monster would be coming, so we… well…”

The dolphin smiled, “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. No worries. Why don’t you tell me about this monster?”

Nina smiled, “He’s a nice dolphin. I wonder if he’s what the faeries are afraid of?”

“Let’s go and ask them,” Momo suggested.

The two girls started to make their way back to the shack. But when they were out of range, the dolphin gained a sinister look. The second Ryu turned back to it, it squirt him with a dousing shot of water.

“Hey!” Ryu protested, shaking himself dry.

“Oi, what’s your problem, hitting me like that earlier?” the dolphin spat.

“We were told that…” but was cut off.

The dolphin replied in a bored tone, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I was only being nice ‘cause the chicks were here, but if it’s just you? I won’t hold back.”

“I think we found our monster…” Ryu grumbled silently.

The dolphin squirt Ryu several more times, drenching him, before continuing, “And what’s with the lighthouse, anyway? Bloody nuisance!” He squirt Ryu even more, “I can’t get a wink of sleep with it shining on all night! Go on, get rid of it! Or I’ll have to get rough with you!”

Just at that moment, Nina and Momo returned with the three faeries, with Garr and Peco following shortly afterward. Nina looked surprised to see Ryu sopping wet.

“Ryu! What happened? You’re all wet!” she said.

Cadis stated, “That’s him! That’s the monster!”

The dolphin started to play innocent.

“This is the monster?” Momo asked.

Cadis nodded, “Yeah. He said if we didn’t turn off the lighthouse, he’d eat us! Can you believe it?”

The dolphin replied sweetly, “Hey, it’s bright, you know? I can’t get any sleep with it on. So could you, like, shut it off?”

Elkhair snapped, “Turn it off yourself, dummy!”

The dolphin frowned.

Mayfly added, “That’s right, you dummy! Why do you have to bully us about it!?”

The frown got bigger, and his eyes got narrower.

Cadis floated down, “If you want it off, do it yourself, you big dumb dolphin."

That was the final straw. The dolphin lunged out of the water angrily. A golden horn had sprouted from its forehead, while its body was composed of armor that looked a lot like a lobster. The faeries were scared out of their wits, quickly retreating to safer ground.

“SHADDUP!” he roared. “Runts! I should just fry you in oil and have you for a midnight snack!” He then turned to everyone else, “That’s it! You’re all DEAD!”

Ryu, though still wet, had already started channeling his Brood powers.

“Thunder… Defender…”

He was engulfed in a sphere of energy, and out emerged the Thunder Dragon.

Nina spat, “You’re not hurting anyone! Lightning!”

As the massive lightning bolt charged down from the sky, Ryu opened his mouth and fired several electrical energy whips. They fused with Nina’s spell, amplifying the attack, causing it to strike the dolphin hard. The dolphin cried out in agony, his slick, wet body only increasing the damage he took from the electrical attack. The attack finally subsided, leaving the dolphin charred and dazed. Garr approached the creature, his halberd burning, and placed the blade under the dolphin’s throat. The dolphin gave him an ugly look as it felt the heat on the tender flesh of its throat.

Garr said calmly, “You have two choices here. You can either leave and never return, or…” he raised his halberd up more, the blade touching the tender flesh, the heat from it was becoming unbearable, “you can face death right here and right now.”

The dolphin glared at Garr before looking toward Nina, who had her wand out. It was glowing, indicating she already had a spell ready. It then turned its attention to the Thunder Dragon, whose mouth was open, revealing more electrical energy generated inside of it. The dolphin gritted its teeth.

“Fine!” he spat. “I’ll leave and never return. But mark my words, one day, I’ll make you pay for this! You haven’t seen the last of me!”

With a swift motion, the dolphin turned around and dove back into the water, drenching everyone in the process. They watched attentively as its shadow and fin got further and further away before neither could be seen. Nina lowered her wand, ending the prepared spell, while the Thunder Dragon vanished, Ryu replacing it.

“Well… hopefully that ends that,” Momo said, squeezing out the water from her sleeves.

Nina started to dry her hair, “Yeah, same here. But now the faeries can live in peace and never have to worry about the lighthouse causing problems again.”

Garr huffed, “Let’s hope so, as we went through enough trouble already to get that thing up and running. So the last thing we need is them meddling with it again.”

Ryu shook himself dry before stating, “We’d better tell the faeries that the dolphin is gone for good, so they’re free to live their lives without fear. C’mon, let’s go.”

The group returned to the small shack. Inside, the three faeries seemed eager for the report.

Mayfly flew over to Ryu, “Thank you SOOO much! Here’s a reward for you!”

She grabbed his face and gave him a rather violent lip lock, stunning the blue-haired boy, paralyzing him in surprise. When she finished, he collapsed to the floor, dazed and stunned, almost dizzy. Nina felt a twinge shot through her, but she was unsure what it was.

Cadis smiled, “Thank you for taking care of that mean dolphin.”

“We were happy to help,” Momo beamed. “Now it’s okay to leave the lighthouse on, right?”

“Right!” Cadis nodded. “Because of him, we were unable to make any new friends. But with him gone we can now have lots of friends over.”

Elkhair added, “Since it’s so late, why don’t you stay here for the night?”

Garr tightened his belt and flexed his wings, “We might as well. Hopefully we gave the boat enough time to return.”

Ryu staggered to his feet, still somewhat dazed, “Yeah, let’s hope. And I’ve had enough excitement for one day. So let’s get some rest.”

Next Chapter: Magma Mayhem

And that's all for now, folks. And just to set the record, I hate this way of spelling "faerie". It always drives me mad at how, I guess "mangled" it seems to me. I guess because I was raised on the f-a-i-r-y spelling, but I'm being as faithful to the games as possible, so I have no choice but to spell it this way. But that should be the end of it. But now you know. Anyway, tune in next time to find out what happens to our band of heroes.

 

[CynthiaLover]

And chapter 17 is now live! What will our band of heroes do? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Magma Mayhem


Morning came, and everyone was well rested up. After bidding farewell to the faeries, the party entered the flower ring and returned to the Rhapala Region. It took a moment to get their bearings, but they returned to Rhapala. However, there was a feeling of gloom in the air.

“Uh-oh…” Ryu looked worried. “I have a bad feeling that the boat hasn’t returned yet.”

Momo replied, “Well, let’s check with Beyd and Shadis before we jump to any conclusions. Come on, they’re probably at their usual spot.”

However, as they approached the couple, they could see that Beyd and Shadis didn’t look too happy. The couple turned when they saw Ryu and everyone approaching.

Beyd gave a sad sigh, “I’m sorry, everyone, but the boat isn’t back yet.”

Shadis sighed, “It must’ve run into trouble somewhere. So I’m afraid we can’t give you a ride anywhere. I’m sorry.”

“So now what do we do?” Nina asked.

“You can try talking to my father,” Shadis suggested. “He might have a solution for you. I’m sorry we can’t be of any help, especially after all the trouble you went through fixing the lighthouse. But maybe my father can help.”

Garr sighed, “We don’t have much of a choice. Let’s head back to the pub and see if Sinkar will offer us an alternative route. Especially, if memory serves, the road was damaged by an eruption not too long ago. But let’s see if Sinkar has another idea.”

Not knowing what else to do, the party returned to the main town and entered the pub. Sinkar was sitting at his usual spot when the party approached him.

Ryu asked, “Mr.Sinkar, sir, we need to go east. Do you have any suggestions for us?”

“Well, as you can see, the boat isn’t back yet…” Sinkar replied. “And the road is cut off by the lava, thanks to Mt.Zublo erupting. But… since you helped us fix the lighthouse, I do have an alternative route that you can take.”

Nina looked up, “Really? There’s another route east!?”

Sinkar nodded, “Yeah, though it’s dangerous. You see, before there was a road, the only way east, other than by boat, was to go through the volcano itself. The Porter’s Guild would often use the road that cuts through Mt.Zublo as an alternative route. Once the road was built around it, there was no need to use the secret route. But, seeing how you defeated the monsters in the lighthouse, I don’t think you’ll have too much trouble using our secret route.”

“Through the volcano itself!?” Momo sputtered. “I didn’t know there was a route through Mt.Zublo. So the Porter’s Guild would use that route instead of the boat from time to time? Sounds treacherous.”

The Guildmaster nodded, “Yes, it is, but you are a resourceful and capable bunch, so I don’t think you’ll have much trouble. Fortunately, despite the danger, the route through the volcano is very straightforward. It’s hard to get lost. There are a few dead-ends here and there, but in general the path is very much a straight shot through the volcano. Here,” he handed them a letter, “take this letter to the guards stationed there. It’ll inform them that you are allowed to use the Guild’s secret path. Good luck, and be careful.”

Ryu turned to the others, “Should we really use a road that leads through the volcano? That makes me worried. I think Garr and I can handle it, but what about you, Nina, Momo, and Peco? It will be dangerous.”

Momo stated, “We have little choice. But if sailors could do it, then so can we. We’re not helpless, after all, so we’ll manage. Besides, Nina is packing ice spells and I have a nice supply of Ice Chrysm on hand, so any monsters that lurk there will be in for a rude awakening if they try to attack us.”

Nina added, “Yeah, I agree. And like Momo said, if the sailors in olden days could manage the route, then so can we! So let’s stock up and get ready! It’s our best bet right now.”

“Puki puki!” Peco nodded in agreement.

Garr grinned, “Well, there you have it. At least we have a route east now. So let’s get some supplies and head on out. It’ll take a couple of days to reach Mt.Zublo anyway, so we best get prepared for what we’ll be facing in there.”

Ryu sighed, “All right. It’s at least something to work with. I just hope everything will be okay.”

Nina beamed, “It will be, I just know it! So let’s stock up and get ready.”

It didn’t take long for the band of five to gather up what they needed. Ryu was still unsure about allowing Nina, and to a lesser degree Momo and Peco, into the volcano with him and Garr, but he knew they wouldn’t take no for an answer. After gathering up any supplies they would need, they started to make their way to the east, where Mt.Zublo lay, waiting for them.

It took another two days to reach the foot of the volcano. It was a massive tower of earth in a somewhat flattened cone shape. There was a stone road weaving around it, but they could see that part of it was cut off by lava. There was also some sort of shrine or small temple near the base of the volcano. As they passed it, Ryu could sense a great importance from within it, but they ignored it for now.

One of the guards tried to stop them, but Garr presented the letter they had received from Sinkar. After reading it over, and with reluctance, the guard allowed them to pass. It didn’t take long for the party to find the entrance to the secret pathway. Ryu stopped Nina just before they entered.

“Wait a second, Nina, there’s something I need to say,” he said.

Nina turned to him, “Ryu, I’m not turning back, not after coming all this way. I plan to go the whole distance.”

“That’s not what I was going to say. I knew that there would be no stopping you, so I wanted to give you something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out something, “I want you to have this for protection.”

It was a gold and red ring with a flame-shaped piece on front, and a ruby red gem in the center of the flame.

Nina took it from him, “It’s very pretty. What is it?”

He responded, “It’s called a Ring of Fire. I found it a short time ago, near where I found the Thunder Gene. It’s said to absorb fire and flame energies and convert it into healing properties. In short, it protects the wearer from any sort of fire attack and magic and instead uses it to heal the wearer. I don’t think it’ll work on lava, but I want you to have it for a precaution.”

Nina smiled broadly, “Thank you, Ryu. I’ll never take it off. You’re always looking out for me. I feel unworthy of your friendship. But thank you, Ryu, I’ll be sure to wear it.”

She placed it on her right index finger, as the ring would be too big for any other finger. She took a moment to admire it. She then gave Ryu a loving hug, making him blush. Momo, Peco, and Garr couldn’t help but smile at their touching friendship. After Nina let go, they proceeded into Mt.Zublo.

Inside the volcano, it was understandably hot. But there were also creatures that lurked within this dangerous domain. Such as centaur-like lizard warriors with swords and shields, creatures made from lava with claws and a single eye that got stronger when touching fire or lava, and boulder-like, somewhat volcano-shaped monsters that awoke and attacked when provoked with flames. Much to Ryu’s relief, the Ring of Fire was living up to its name, as every time a creature tried to use fire on Nina, the ring would not only shield her, but keep her stamina up, allowing her to safely traverse this hostile environment. Her ice magic, such as Iceblast, and Momo’s bazooka, when equipped with Ice Chrysm, were also very effective weapons. Even Peco, despite the discomfort, was able to manage.

Momo fanned herself with her cap, “Whew, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it’s hot in a volcano. But so far so good. Like Sinkar said, it appears that the road through this volcano is a straightforward one. So that makes it easy to navigate.”

Nina nodded, “Yeah, and we’re managing well enough, despite any discomfort. Even Peco seems to be doing okay.”

“Puku,” the onion replied, seemingly happy enough.

Garr stopped them briefly, “We may have hit a snag…”

They looked just beyond him to see that part of the road was blocked by a small patch of lava. Garr took a moment to survey the situation before turning back to the others.

“We can’t walk across that, we’d be burned to cinders. Even I, who is naturally resistant to heat and fire, would suffer severe consequences.”

Momo protested, “But we can’t turn back now! We have to find a way!”

Ryu turned to them, “I got an idea. I think my Frost Dragon form can freeze that patch of lava, making it safe just long enough for us to bypass it.”

“Great idea, Ryu! I knew you’d think of something!” Nina beamed.

Garr turned to the azure-haired child, “Well, let’s hope it works. If you would be so kind?”

Ryu started to channel his Brood energies.

“Frost… Defender…”

He was engulfed in an energy sphere, and the Frost Dragon emerged from it. It opened its mouth, generated freezing energy, and fired several hexagonal ice chunks at the lava. The ice attack struck the lava. At first it appeared to be unaffected, but within a few moments the lava started to freeze over. After about a minute of this, the lava had been frozen solid. Ryu gingerly approached the frozen molten rock and stepped on it with a large claw. It supported his weight and felt cool to the touch. After walking over it, the Frost Dragon gave the now icy patch one last blast of cold breath to ensure it would stay safe. The Frost Dragon gave some growls, but the group could understand what he was suggesting.

Garr stepped up first, “I’ll proceed first to be sure it’s safe.”

The dragonic man walked over to the frozen lava and stepped on it cautiously. It felt cool, no signs of immediate heat. He then walked across it before turning back to the others.

“It’s safe to cross. You may proceed, but be quick, as I’m not sure how long that ice will last.”

Nodding, the three remaining members of the team quickly but cautiously crossed over the icy patch. Peco was the last to cross, but they all made it safely. Nina hugged the Frost Dragon around the middle.

“Thank you, Ryu! I knew you’d figure something out!” she smiled.

The Frost Dragon managed to smile with his reptilian mouth. An idea then dawned upon him. He opened his mouth and released another blast of icy air. This time, however, it wasn’t composed of ice chunks, but more like a cool breeze. Nina and the others took a moment to enjoy this burst of cool air, feeling refreshed. Satisfied, the Frost Dragon vanished in a flash of light, and Ryu returned to his normal self.

Momo smiled, “Ah, that feels much better. Good thinking, Ryu. We need that nice blast of cool air. I feel refreshed and much cooler.”

Ryu blushed, “Well… I figured, since I was a Frost Dragon, maybe I could use my power to cool everyone off, even if the feeling only lasts a short time.”

Garr pondered silently, “He continues to use his Brood heritage to protect and care, not to destroy and annihilate. He may have inflicted pain upon others with it, such as Balio and Sunder, but other than those few exceptions, he has used his powers solely for the purpose of protection. The Brood… was very much like that.”

Nina looked up, “Hmm? Garr, are you okay? You seem awfully quiet.”

The dragonic man replied, “Don’t mind me, just lost in thought. We best proceed, as lingering in this place could be dangerous.”

Nodding, the group of five continued their way deeper into Mt.Zublo. They entered a massive chamber of the volcano, possibly the heart of it. It was the largest of all, with multiple sections filled with boiling lava, but there was still a route that guided them safely. However, as they approached a certain point, Ryu stopped. He started to look around, sensing something.

Momo turned to him, “Is everything all right, Ryu?”

He replied, “I think I hear the voice of another Brood somewhere in this chamber. It’s very close, almost as if we’re on top of it.”

Nina turned around, “I think I see something! Over there, on the ledge below us, just before a pool of lava. I think there’s a chunk of chrysm sitting there!”

True enough, there was indeed a chunk of chrysm sitting on a ledge just below them. It was near a pool of lava, but a safe enough distance from it. And inside it something was flickering. Ryu cautiously slid down the short slop toward the chrysm chunk.

“Be careful!” the princess called out.

Ryu nodded in response as he approached the chunk of ore. He could sense it, the voice of the Brood sealed within, calling him. He touched the ore and a voice floated into his head.

“I have waited a long time for someone to find me. Young one, I sense great promise with you. You may be the one who can end the nightmare that began so long ago.”

“Nightmare? I know there was a great war a long time ago, but was it worse than described?” Ryu replied mentally.

“Oh, far worse, my young friend. It has spanned for countless lifetimes, but only in the past 400 or so years has it escalated, to the point where all hope seemed lost. But you may be able to reverse that. I can feel it inside of you. And I would like to help you in your quest.”

“I would be glad to have you assist me. I don’t know exactly what happened or why, but I will be honored to have you fight on my side.”

“Music to my ears. Draw out my power… the power of the Miracle Gene. Use it wisely, but I know it’ll serve you well.”

The chrysm shattered, allowing a glowing sphere to appear. It was absorbed into the boy, allowing a brand new power to awaken. A power that could make the earth shake with each step. The power of the Miracle Gene. It resonated with the other genes before activating. Ryu was engulfed in a sphere of energy, and out emerged a new dragon.

Unlike the long-necked, somewhat elegant dragons Ryu has transformed into previously, this one was more oval shaped, like a rock-shelled tortoise, with four large horns jutting from its sides and heading upward. Its “shell” was composed of yellowish-green armored scales, as large as shields, with a somewhat lighter colored underbelly. It had large, somewhat sunken eyes under thick scaled eyebrows, two bowl-shaped nostrils in the middle of its face, and a large, gaping mouth full of sharp teeth, though these teeth were not made for biting. Each short, thick leg ended in five toed claws, and at the end of a moderate length tail was a club-like structure, similar to a dinosaur. It gave a low growl similar to that of a bull, smoke puffing out of its nostrils.

The Mammoth Dragon walked the earth once more.

Nina, Momo, and Peco were staring at this new dragon in shock and awe. The princess in particular was impressed, despite this dragon’s somewhat odd appearance, her eyes sparkling like gems. The Mammoth Dragon slowly stomped up the small ledge, returning to the same level as the others, before vanishing, Ryu standing where it was just moments before.

“That’s certainly a new one,” Momo stated. “Compared to your past forms, that one was certainly different. What was it?”

Ryu replied, “The Mammoth Dragon. A dragon built for defense and durability. I must admit, however, I didn’t know that dragons could vary so much. But I guess like any other creature, there are different types for different situations and environments. But I feel like a fortress could be effortlessly knocked down with that form. But as always, I’ll only use it to protect what matters most.”

“That’s the Ryu we know and love, right Nina?” Momo beamed.

Nina nodded, “Yeah, you bet! And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Puki puki puku!” Peco added, jumping up and down eagerly.

Garr cleared his throat, “Ahem, we must keep moving. We’re almost out of the volcano, and lingering in a domain where the monsters gain a home field advantage isn’t the wisest idea. So let’s go before something happens.”

Ryu nodded, “Yeah, you’re right, Garr. We are in hostile territory, so we best get out of here as soon as we can.”

Nodding, the group of five continued following the path. But when they came to a certain section, they stopped.

It was a narrow strip of earth and stone with two massive pools of bubbling lava on each side. The strip of land that ran smack in between was only slightly wider than Garr was. Knowing they would have to be careful, they started to approach it. But then they heard something.

“Hee-hee-hee…” a voice cackled.

The first looked around before looking ahead. There, slowly making his way toward them was an old, crazy-looking man. He hobbled toward them, laughing in an ominous manner.

The old man cackled, “Hee-hee-hee… so you followed me this far, have you? Well this is as far as you’ll go. I owe it to all who sleep in the tower to stop you.”

Momo asked, perplexed, “What do you mean? We’re not following you. We’re just going to Angel Tower.”

The old man cackled again, “Hee-hee-hee… I know that. But I can hear their voices in that tower. They call out for vengeance. I will make sure their calls are appeased! Heed me, Scylla! Heed me, Charybdis!”

At his command, a section in each pool of lava started to bubble and froth. Something was lurking inside each pool, and they were approaching from underneath the lava. When they became level with the old man, the creatures shot out, creating pillars of lava in their wake. To everyone’s horror, two new creatures emerged, ready to fight.

Both Scylla and Charybdis looked like a fusion between a serpentine dragon and a worm. Their long bodies were protected by hard armor-like scales. Each of their heads looked like a dragon’s head fused with a cannon, having a barrel-like snout, glowing eyes, a cylinder shaped head with armor plating on top, and six mandibles on each chin.

The old man cackled, “Hahahaha! Die! Die!”

Everyone drew their weapons, though Peco hid behind Garr, frightened at the sight of these creatures.

Momo loaded up some Ice Chrysm, “I don’t know what this guy’s deal is, but if we don’t fight back, we’re worm food! So take this!”

She fired a shot from her bazooka. It hit the mark, striking Scylla with the freezing power of the Ice Chrysm. It gave a screech in pain.

“Iceblast!” Nina cried.

A pillar of ice formed around Charybdis, freezing it briefly before it shattered, causing the worm-like creature to screech in agony. Garr followed up by lashing out with his halberd, striking Charybdis across the neck.

Ryu said silently, “What should I do? I don’t want to kill that old man, whoever he is, but he’s not giving us much of a choice. Should I use the Frost Dragon to fight back? It would have the advantage against those fire worms, but I’m not sure if would do the job completely.”

Suddenly, three of his genes inside of him started to resonate, as if trying to tell him what to do. Deciding what to do, Ryu started to channel his Brood powers.

“Flame… Frost… Thunder…”

He was engulfed in an energy sphere, and out emerged a new dragon. Like the Flame, Frost, and Thunder Dragons, this one was identical in physical build. However, it seemed somewhat larger than the other three, covered in gold scales with a pinkish-cream colored underbelly, an emerald green fin going down its neck, brownish horns, and yellow eyes. It opened up its mouth into the air and released flames, ice shards, and lightning, all at once.

The Trygon had been reborn.

Nina said in awe, “No way! That dragon can breathe fire, ice, and lightning all at the same time! It must be some sort of triple elemental dragon! Awesome!”

The Trygon glared at the two worm monsters and their “boss”, as if angry that they would dare threaten his friends. He opened his mouth and fired his triple breath attack composed of fire, ice, and lightning, striking all three with a vengeance. The ice part of the attack hit the hardest, causing Scylla and Charybdis to screech in agony, but the combination of all three elements made for a painful attack.

“Hey! Don’t leave us out! Take this! Quake!” Momo stated.

An earthquake shook even the lava that the two worm-like creatures and the old man were standing on, causing them pain.

“Here, have another Iceblast!” the princess stated strongly.

Another pillar of ice formed, this time around Scylla, freezing it briefly before it shattered, causing it great pain. Garr then swung his halberd out again, striking Charybdis in the throat again, causing it to screech. Ryu opened his mouth again and fired the triple element breath attack once more. This was the final attack, as both Scylla and Charybdis screeched as they plummeted back into the lava, sinking below the surface, finally dead, while the old man seemed to be staggering to stand.

The old man laughed, “I will be avenged! The dead that sleep in that tower will have their desires for vengeance answered, even if I’m not the one doing it! Hahahaha!”

He then toppled over to one side, falling into the lava, much to everyone’s horror. They Trygon was about to go after him, but Garr held him back, shaking his head, as it was too late by that point. A tear came to the Trygon’s eye, feeling regret for not saving the old man, despite him trying to kill them. A few tears leaked out of Nina’s eyes as well, while Momo and Peco gained solemn looks. The Trygon bowed his head before vanishing in a burst of light, a sad Ryu standing in its place.

“I… I went too far with that last attack…” the boy whimpered. “The worm beasts are one thing, but that old man was another. I… I should’ve held back…”

Garr replied solemnly, “Ryu, it was for the best. Whoever he was, he was out to kill anyone who got in his way. I didn’t like what he had to say about Angel Tower, and it was obvious he wasn’t in his right mind, but it’s for the best. Just like with Balio and Sunder. You ultimately spared him death though your powers, but he took his own life through another method. It’s not worth brooding over, as it was obvious he was out for revenge of some sort, and those who fight for revenge will never succeed in their quest. So don’t let it bother you.”

“I… I guess you’re right, Garr… but I wish I could’ve saved him. I… I don’t like to kill anyone or anything unless I have absolutely no choice.” He wiped away his tears, “But… but you’re right. You have to make hard choices in life… I just wish there was another way…”

Momo placed a hand on his shoulder, “I agree with Garr, it was for the best. Whoever he was, he was dangerous, and if he wasn’t stopped, he might’ve hurt someone else. It wasn’t a fate I’d wish upon anyone, but it was for the best. The fact that, once again, you wanted to reach out to your enemy just proves what a noble person you are, Ryu. Just like what happened with Balio and Sunder. But Garr’s right, so don’t let it bother you, okay?”

Nina nodded, “Yeah, what you did just proves that you’re someone who will always take the higher path. It wasn’t an easy thing to allow, but it was for the best. I’m not happy about it either, as every life if precious, but I don’t think it would’ve been smart to let him continue to run amok. If there was another way, I know you would’ve found it.”

“Pukyu…” Peco nodded.

“I… I’ll try to keep that in mind, guys,” Ryu replied. “But thank you for your support, it means a lot to me.”

Nina then perked up, “But in any case, that was a new dragon form you took. What was it? It was so cool, with the ability to breathe fire, ice, and lightning all at once. That’s certainly a new one.”

“It was the Trygon, composed of the Flame, Frost, and Thunder Genes, making it a triple element dragon. I was thinking of using the Frost Dragon here, but those three genes seemed to tell me to combine them instead, so I did. I must admit, it was quite a useful combination.”

Garr pondered, “So your genes can be spliced in multiple ways. That means the combinations could be limitless. But enough of that, we best proceed. I see a light at the end of that tunnel, just beyond where that old man was guarding. Which means we must be near the exit to this inferno-ridden place. So we best get moving before something else happens.”

Nodding in agreement, the band of five warriors continued their trek, but took great caution in crossing the narrow strip of rock that led past the two pools of lava. After they crossed it, they entered a short tunnel, and just beyond it was sunlight. They emerged into the fresh air, happy to be out of that volcano.

“We made it! We actually traveled inside a volcano and came out of it almost completely unscathed!” Momo beamed.

“Puki puki!” Peco exclaimed, bouncing up and down like a ball.

Nina turned to Ryu, “Ryu, thank you for this Ring of Fire. It was a huge help, especially against those Lavamen monsters. I won’t ever take it off. But thank you for always looking out for me.”

Ryu blushed, “I… I’m glad it worked so well. And y-you’re welcome, Nina.”

Garr pointed to the distance, “Angel Tower is just east from here. But we must first go to Urkan Tapa, as we need permission from the Patriarch first, otherwise we won’t be allowed inside. But after that trip through Mt. Zublo, I suggest we get set of camp first. Urkan Tapa is just slightly north of Angel Tower, but we’d best rest after that trek.”

However, deep down, Ryu could feel his dragon genes quiver, as if sensing something, making him worried.

“Something tells me that Angel Tower won’t be a pleasant trip…” the boy thought.

Next Chapter: Angel Tower

And that's all for now, folks. What has gotten Ryu's dragon energies so upset about Angel Tower? Tune in next time to find out.

 

[CynthiaLover]

Chapter 18 is on the air. What will happen now that the party has reached Angel Tower? Read and find out.

Spoiler

Angel Tower


It took another day and a half to reach Urkan Tapa. It was an oddly constructed city, composed of square sections in an awkward pyramid shape, similar to the lighthouse, only more maze-like. There were many people here, most of them talking, cleansing themselves in purified water, and praying to the Urkan God. As Ryu and the others explored this town, the azure-haired boy couldn’t help but feel uneasy here.

“Why does it feel like everyone here is my enemy?” he pondered in silence. “My powers are not responding well here, as if they’re either angry or afraid, I can’t quite tell which. But why is that? I’ve never seen anyone from here before, so why do my Brood energies feel so uneasy?”

As the band of five continued to roam, they came across a room with something strange inside of it. There was a stone statue sitting in the middle of the room. It looked a lot like Garr, only with some subtle differences.

“Hey, Garr, this statue looks like it could be your brother,” Momo observed.

However, Garr gained a distant look and continued his way through the town.

“Did I say something wrong?” the engineer asked.

Nina shrugged, “I dunno, Momo, but I don’t think you were being insulting or anything, at least not intentionally. Let’s just follow Garr and see where he’s leading us.”

Garr led them to another section of the stone city. A woman was standing next to a large boulder. She turned when Garr approached.

She said, “The Patriarch is meditating right now. But I’m sure he would be glad to see you, Guardian Garr. Please proceed.”

Garr nodded and effortlessly shoved the boulder aside. He led the party into the room. Sitting on a small altar was an old man. His head was mostly bald with the exception of a very long beard. He was wearing somewhat regal robes, and appeared to be deep in meditation. However, he seemed to sense that someone had entered the room.

He asked, “Is that you, Guardian Garr?”

Garr nodded, “Yes, Patriarch, it’s me.”

The patriarch smiled, “It’s good to see you again, Garr. So, is it true? Is there no more evil in the world?”

“Perhaps, I have detected none in quite some time.”

“Hmm… then it looks like your intuition was wrong. So, do you plan to join your comrades?”

Garr nodded, “Something like that.”

The patriarch smiled, “Very well, Garr. Go to Angel Tower. I will tell the guards you are coming. Thank you for all your years of service, and farewell.”

Garr gave a polite bow before guiding the party out. Everyone seemed very confused at what had just transpired.

Nina asked, “Uh, Garr, what exactly just happened in there?”

Garr replied, “Patriarch Sumada is our current leader. He governs Urkan Tapa, guiding our people with the word of God. We needed his permission to access Angel Tower. It’ll all be clear soon enough. But, for now, let us leave, as the day grows short. We will reach Angel Tower tomorrow.”

Garr led them out of the city, but Ryu had a nagging feeling inside of him.

“He’s hiding something…” the boy thought.

Night had fallen, and the party had set up camp. Garr and Ryu were sitting around the fire. Garr would occasionally toss a log into the flames. Ryu could no longer keep quiet.

“Garr…” he said. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but who or what are you, anyway? Why did they call you ‘Guardian Garr’ back in that place? What’s a ‘Guardian’?”

Garr replied, “I am one of them. Although I look different, I too am an Urkan. As for why they call me a Guardian, it is what Urkan warriors are called. We fight for justice, purging the world of evil, on behalf of our God. I am one of the oldest warriors of the Urkan people, having fought countless battles in the name of God.”

“I see… Garr, why is Angel Tower such a big deal to the Urkans? What kind of a role did it play during the Great War? Again, I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I don’t quite understand all this. How come Angel Tower played such a large role in the war? Why does it hold knowledge about the Brood?”

Garr merely said, “You’ll know when we get there. It’s hard to explain without getting long-winded, but it played a key role in the Great War. It’s a holy ground to us Urkans, so we don’t generally disclose such info to others outside of it. You’ll know what its purpose is when we get there.”

Nina then came out of the tent, surprised to see the two males still up.

“Ryu? Garr? You’re still up? You should get some rest,” she said, obviously tired.

Ryu nodded, “Right, be there in a moment, Nina.”

The princess walked back into the tent. Ryu started to follow her, but Garr stopped him.

“About what I said,” he began. “That you may die soon after learning about the Brood…”

“Y… Yeah…?” the boy asked nervously.

“…Oh, never mind. You’ll understand when we get there.”

Ryu could feel a feeling of dread and foreboding building up inside of him, as if frightened to know what lay within Angel Tower.

The next day came quickly. Garr led the party to Angel Tower. It was a tall pyramid that seemed to be corroding with age, as many sections were worn and crumbling. The guards graciously allow Garr and the others to proceed to the tower. However, instead of going up to the top, the Guardian guided them into an opening that led inside the tower.

The inside of Angel Tower was old and dark, but enough light shown to allow safe passage. It was a winding maze that seemed to travel deeper and deeper into the earth. Also, for some strange reason, despite being a holy place, there were monsters that roamed the catacombs of the tower. Skeleton-like monsters wearing robes that wielded bows and flaming arrows, darker furred versions of Currs, ghostly entities that drained magical energies, and the same centaur-like lizard warriors from Mt.Zublo, all roamed the halls of the tower.

As the party continued their descent into the depths of Angel Tower, the feeling of dread and foreboding inside Ryu was growing stronger and stronger. His dragon genes were also reacting negatively here, quivering and shaking. But if it was fear or anger Ryu couldn’t tell. All he knew was, as they got closer and closer to the bottom of the tower, he was afraid of what he was going to find.

Nina also seemed nervous, not because of the monsters, but something about this place didn’t resonate well with her, either.

Nina whispered to Ryu, “Ryu, I don’t really like this place. Something about it feels off, like there’s a dark secret hidden within this place. Do you get that feeling, too?”

Ryu replied in a hushed voice, “Yes, and it’s causing my dragon genes to respond negatively. It’s like there’s something down here that makes them angry or afraid. I’m not sure which, but something about this place gives me a very bad feeling.”

Momo whispered to them, “Well, we’ll find out soon enough. But for now, be respectful, as this place is a holy ground to Garr’s people. I don’t know exactly what this place is, but like you, it feels like a dark secret is buried here. But we have to respect Garr’s wishes about coming here.”

After a little while longer of exploring the tower, they finally came to a staircase that led to the very bottom. Garr, however, stopped everyone just before reaching this staircase.

He turned to the party, “I’m sorry, but please allow only Ryu and me to proceed any deeper.”

“W-What!?” Nina sputtered. “You’re taking only Ryu down further? Why?”

Garr replied, “It is something that only concerns him right now. Please wait for us up here. We won’t be long.”

And on that note the dragonic man proceeded further into the tower’s depths. Ryu gulped as he started to approach the stairs, but Nina stopped him.

“Ryu! You can’t really be going down there without us?” she protested.

He turned to her, “I have to. I’m not sure what awaits me down there, but I have to.”

Tears started to form in the princess’ eyes, “But what if you don’t come back? I won’t let you!”

Ryu placed a hand on her shoulder, “Nina, you said you wanted to become stronger. So please be strong right now. I know you can do it. I’ll be back. I’m not going to die today. And if something happens, I’ll return to you eventually. Okay?”

She sniffled, “O-Okay… just be careful…”

Ryu flashed her a smile before proceeding into the deepest part of the tower. Nina touched the Ring of Fire on her finger, a strong feeling of sorrow and dread in her heart.

“Why do I feel like I just saw his last smile…?” she said silently.

Ryu rejoined Garr at the bottom of the stairs. Here, in this strange chamber, he could feel his sense of dread and foreboding growing even stronger. Garr gestured him to follow, which the boy complied. In the center of the chamber was a large tower, almost like a miniature version of the outside of Angel Tower, with four tablets stationed at each side. Garr silently gestured Ryu to look at these tablets. They young boy looked at them one by one. The first three said:

Guardian Gaist

234

Guardian Gaw

198

Guardian Gatz

201

Ryu turned to Garr, “These are the names of your comrades, right?”

Garr said nothing, but his silence was enough. Ryu approached the last tablet and read it.

Guardian Garr

299

Garr broke his silence, “On these tablets are the names of us Guardians… also known as dragon-slayers.”

Ryu could feel his heart freeze at those last words. Suddenly, whips of light formed around them, revealing the very bottom of the chamber.

It made the young boy’s blood run cold.

Dragon skeletons. Hundreds of them. Littered all over the floor of the chamber.

Garr continued, “The number written below my name is the number of dragons I killed during the war.”

“So… this is why I’m going to die…?” Ryu said mentally. “Because you’re going to kill me…?”

Garr stated, “Ryu… let me tell you what happened to your people. What happened to the Brood. Over 400 years ago, the savage and malevolent Brood threatened to destroy the world.”

“N-No! That can’t be true!” Ryu stammered.

“The Brood was powerful and awesome,” Garr continued, almost ignoring Ryu. “The people of this world prayed to God, seeking salvation. God bestowed Her holy powers into the Guardians. After a fierce fight, the last of the Brood was defeated, and their bones lay here.”

“No! This can’t be true! It’s a lie!” Ryu cried out, horrified.

Garr drew his blade, turning back to Ryu, “Ryu, you are the last of the Brood. Once you are dealt with, my purpose will be complete. Prepare yourself… for death.”

“No! I won’t fight you!”

Inside of his body, the five dragon genes were quivering, but Ryu now understood why. They were both angry and afraid. Angry at what transpired all those years ago, and afraid because of what happened to their eradicated people. At that moment, wisps of light swirled all around, and voices of the dead Brood could be heard.

“Avenge us!”

“Kill him!”

“Eradicate our enemy!”

“Bring him death!”

Garr stated strongly, raising his halberd, “Fight me, Ryu, or you will die right here and now.”

“I… I can’t! I won’t!” Ryu protested.

“Then you leave me no choice. Farewell, last of the Brood.”

Garr charged in, his blade burning. Ryu wanted to run, but he couldn’t move. By instinct, he drew his sword and swung it almost blindly. He felt a surge of power flow through him as he did, empowered by the five genes that resided in his body. His blade clashed with Garr’s, but much to Garr’s shock, Ryu’s strength triumphed, sending the Guardian back. Garr reared back again and charged in. Ryu, driven by his dragonic instinct, countered again. The five genes granted him even more power, allowing him to overpower Garr again and strike him with a devastating blow. Injured but not defeated, Garr took one last charge at Ryu. Still driven by instinct, Ryu took one last swing, overpowering Garr again, hitting him with a powerful blow, causing the Guardian to be thrown back.

Garr fell to his knees, panting and grunting in pain, but something about him was different now.

“Oof… just as I suspected… We were no match for their true power…” he grunted.

Ryu came to his senses, “Garr! Are you okay?”

Garr continued, “But… why? Why did the Brood let us kill them?”

“Garr, please, you don’t have to do this,” Ryu stated.

The Guardian turned to the boy, “What? Why don’t you finish me off?”

“Why would I kill someone I trust!? It’s not right!” the boy cried. “I can’t kill someone! Especially someone I trust! We don’t have to do this, Garr! This isn’t the way! There has to be another answer to this problem, there just has to!”

However, the voices of the dead Brood started to speak again.

“Why won’t you kill him!?”

“He is our hated enemy!”

“Avenge us by destroying him!”

“No! I won’t!” Ryu cried out, clutching his head.

Another, more powerful voice echoed through the young boy’s mind.

“No! He is not the enemy!”

Ryu clutched his head, his mind was being overwhelmed by the voices of the Brood and his own feelings. His body started to release a large amount of energy. A pillar of light formed around him before his body was elevated off the ground. His was encased in a sphere of light, his hair flowing, his eyes becoming glassy, and his body glowing. Garr’s eyes widened as a magnificent energy erupted from the boy. And a new dragon appeared before him.

It was by far the most elegant and magnificent dragon of all. Its long neck and tail arched like a serpent, its horns shining like crimson jewels. Its muscular body shown in a brilliant golden light, its legs made for speed on the ground and its energy-like feather wings made for the air. And its eyes, its beautiful eyes, were a deep cerulean, showing both power and grace.

Garr looked at this magnificent dragon, his jaw having dropped, his eyes wide. A dragon he had only heard of in stories.

“Kaiser… Dragon…?” he barely managed to say.

The Kaiser Dragon roared, the power of its voice shaking the very foundation of the tower. It then roared again, this time in a much angrier tone, as if ready to fight. It suddenly flew upward, smashing through part of the tower, alerting Nina, Momo, and Peco. Chunks of the tower fell, one striking the already weakened Guardian on the head, knocking him unconscious. Despite the danger, Nina broke free of Momo’s grip and ran toward the dragon.

“No! Ryu!” she cried. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me!” She fell to her knees, sobbing loudly, before screaming, “RYUUUUUUUUU!!!”

However, the only answer she got was the distant roar of a dragon.

Next Chapter: Darkness

And that's all for now. What will happen next?

 

[CynthiaLover]

Chapter 19 is on the air. This is actually an interlude chapter, so it'll be pretty short. It was also finished yesterday, but forum rules prevented me from posting it right away (which I obey). But enough of that, time for the next chapter.

Spoiler

Darkness


A dragon prince searching for answers.

A lonely princess trying to find her destiny.

An engineer searching for clues on the age of machines.

A mutant plant who’s more than meets the eye.

A Guardian with questions and doubts about his purpose.

Their fates are intertwined in a way that changes the flow of destiny.

Garr managed to come around, shaking his head groggily. He was met with the stares of Nina, Momo, and Peco. Nina’s eyes were red, having been crying for some time, still hiccupping slightly. At the sight of her, guilt started to well up inside the Guardian.

Momo asked, “Garr… what happened? What was that dragon?”

Nina cried, “And where’s Ryu? Please, tell me where he is!?”

“Pukyu…” Peco added.

Garr got to his feet, but did not answer, remorse showing in his eyes. He guided them out of the tower, not saying a word.

“Garr! Tell me where Ryu is!” Nina cried, tears forming in her eyes again.

Momo placed a hand on her shoulder, “Nina… we’re just going to have to trust Garr. I don’t know what happened down there, but whatever that dragon was, and whatever happened to Ryu, we’re just going to have to accept.”

The princess shook her head, “No! I won’t accept that! My best friend is gone! Please, Garr, tell me where Ryu is! Please!”

Garr silence was deafening, but his eyes held more emotions then he was ever known for. This made Nina sob even harder, clutching the Ring of Fire on her finger, the last piece she had of her friend. Momo and Peco gained solemn looks, tears threatening to escape their eyes as well, while the guilt inside the powerful Guardian was crushing him. But he remained steadfast, continuing to guide the others out of the now-damaged Angel Tower.

Darkness. It surrounded him. A void without the faintest trace of light. He ran, ran as fast as he could, hoping to escape this darkness. His sheath was empty, his weapon long since lost. His legs were weak, his knees buckling, but he kept running. Running… in hopes of escaping the darkness that surrounded him.

Wisps of light appeared, but they were not an escape route from the darkness. No, they were the spirits of the lost. They were chasing him through the darkness, calling out to him. He did not heed their calls, his mind overflowing with fear and panic. But no matter how fast he ran, no matter how far he went, the wisps followed persistently.

The voices demanded him to respond, calling him to take action. But he did not. He just kept running. Running desperately in the depths of the darkness, hoping and praying for a means of escape.

A new, more powerful voice could be heard in the darkness. One that was commanding, yet more soothing compared to the others.

“Why? Why do you run?” it asked.

But he kept running. Unable to cope with the darkness, he just kept running. Something appeared before him. Hoping it was salvation. But it was instead the form of a purple-haired young man. His crimson eyes pierced the darkness, pierced the very soul.

“We are not like them…” he stated, his voice crisp and sharp. “We’re not supposed to be with them!”

But the lost soul kept running. Running away from this man.

“You have to embrace the blood that flows through your veins!” the man shouted. “We are not the same as all the others! They are weak! Pitiful and pathetic! Abandon your ties to them! It’s the only solution.”

But the lost soul kept running. No matter how far he had to run, he wanted to escape the darkness. His form started to change.

Skin turned into scales, hair turned into horns, hands and feet turned into claws, wings grew, a tail swished behind him. A small green dragon appeared.

It gave a cry into the darkness, as if crying for help. But the darkness remained. So the dragon ran. Ran as fast as its legs could carry it.

And the wheels of time continued to rotate. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, they raced on without pause. And the dragon raced along with them.

Next Chapter: A True Dragon

And that's all for now. What happens next? Will Ryu ever return to his friends?

 

[CynthiaLover]

Okay, chapter 20 is now live. You know the drill, get reading!

Spoiler

A True Dragon


A dragon whelp scampered over the wooden planks deep within a mine, its green scales gleaming even in the limited light. It looked around warily, looking for any signs of a threat. For it knew that it was a target to someone. It listened, waiting for any sound. Nothing at first. But then something struck.

A shining halberd lashed out at the dragon, scaring it. Garr was its owner, his mind focused on his mission. The dragon whelp backed up a bit, but not out of fear. It instead reared back and spewed a wave of crimson flames that could melt even chrysm ore.

Garr shielded himself with his wing, his tough hide blocking the flames, unaffected. This surprised the dragon whelp. Knowing that its opponent was not an ordinary foe, the dragon backed up and ran.

“Tch,” Garr grunted, moving away into the darkness.

The dragon whelp looked around again, checking for its opponent. But its sharp eyes detected no threat. It listened to any sounds, but it heard none. Relaxing a bit, the dragon moved more slowly to a certain spot. It stared at an empty spot in the mine, where a chrysm crystal once was. The crystal had long since been harvested, but something about this spot seemed familiar to it.

Suddenly, Garr lashed out at the dragon again, spooking it. In retaliation, the dragon breathed more powerful flames, but Garr’s wing easily endured it. While the dragon tried to defend itself with its fire breath, Garr raised up his halberd and struck the dragon on the head with the blunt side of the blade. The dragon collapsed to the ground, knocked out.

For a moment Garr waited, but he didn’t deliver the killing blow. Withdrawing his halberd, he waited, his heart hoping and praying. Then, the dragon started to glow.

Scales turned into skin, horns turned into hair, claws turned into hands and feet, its wings vanished, its tail disappearing. Before long, a person lay before the Guardian.

He was a young adult, around 18, with slightly tan skin. His athletic yet muscular body showed strength and agility, and he was without a strip of clothing. The most notable part of this man was his hair; electric blue.

In his heart, Garr felt relieved as his search was now over. He knelt down to the blue-haired young man.

“Ryu…? Do you recognize me?” he asked with caution.

Dazed, the young man was slowly coming around, his cerulean eyes showing confusion. But the dragonic man’s voice was familiar.

“…Garr? Is that… you?” Ryu replied, surprised at how his own voice had changed.

Garr gained a soft smile, “Ryu… I’ve been looking for you for ten years. Ever since you disappeared at Angel Tower.”

“…Ten years? It’s been ten years?” Ryu asked, still somewhat disoriented.

The Guardian nodded, “Yes, and it’s been a long search. But… when I heard rumors about a dragon running amok in a mine, I hoped and prayed it was you.” He then knelt down, “…Ryu… can you forgive me for what happened?”

The azure-haired man gained a smile, “Yes, Garr, of course. I know that you didn’t do all you did by choice, so I cannot be angry at you.”

Garr gained a smile, “Ryu… thank you.” He then deposited a moderately large sack and a sword before Ryu, “I bought this gear for you… just in case I found you. When you’re ready, meet me in the next room.”

The Guardian walked out of the room, leaving Ryu alone. The young man looked at himself briefly, surprised at how he had changed.

“Ten years, huh?” he said to himself. “Has it really been ten years?” He tried getting up, but only succeeded in falling flat on his face, “Ow! This new body may take some getting used to.”

It took a couple of minutes, but Ryu was finally fully dressed. He was now wearing a blue-gray and red breastplate under a white long vest, with a large baggy olive green pants, a thick belt and brown boots. He also had a yellow scarf and red shoulder guards, along with fingerless gloves and battle tape. He picked up the sword, which was a long sword with a jewel on the hilt. He took a moment to get a feel for it before attaching it to his belt.

He started to make his way back to Garr, but was still not used to his new, longer limbs, so he stumbled a bit. He took a minute or two to try to gain a feel for his new body, but still had trouble. By the time he returned to Garr, he was walking somewhat normally.

“Sorry I took so long. I still feel like I have a smaller body…” Ryu said sheepishly.

Garr waved it off, “Think nothing of it.” His eyes then filled with remorse, “Ryu, if you want to kill me, you have the power and probably the right to do so. But you didn’t, just like the Brood didn’t nearly 500 years ago.”

Ryu replied, “Garr, I could never kill anyone, especially a friend. Even after your attempt to end my life, I could never use my blade to take yours.”

Garr looked at the walls, remorse and sorrow filling his eyes, “If the Brood had fought back, it would be me and my fellow Guardians that would’ve turned into chrysm, not them.” He then shouted into the darkness, “But why? Why did the Brood let us kill them!? Why did God see fit to destroy the Brood!?”

“Garr…”

“I may not have the right to ask this, but I want to know the truth,” Garr stated. “Which is why I ask… that you let me live long enough until then.”

Ryu smiled, “Of course, Garr. I have no intention of ever harming you, so you’re free to live your life as long as you want. I will never take your life, so you’ll live as long as you need and want.”

Garr gained a smile, “Ryu… thank you. Thank you very much. Now… let’s get out of this mine, eh?”

Nodding in agreement, Ryu and Garr started to make their way out of the mine. Ryu was still having some trouble with his larger body, stumbling every so often, but Garr spared him any embarrassment, helping him whenever he could. As the duo traveled through the mine, Ryu felt as if this place was familiar to him.

“I feel like I know this place…” Ryu said. “I vaguely remember seeing this place before. I remember traveling down this very tunnel before awakening in Rei’s and Teepo’s cabin.”

“Then this must be where you were born,” Garr replied.

“I’m guessing so, as this place is vaguely familiar.”

Garr then pushed a button on a control panel, which caused an elevator to descend to them. The two of them entered it and prepared to return to the surface.

The Guardian observed, “The Brood energies here must’ve called you here.”

As the elevator rose, what they didn’t know was that a shadowy energy appeared where they were standing a few moments ago.

“That’s right… I called out to him…”

They arrived in another section of the mine. This place was, unfortunately, littered with monsters. Giant cockroaches that scuttled and tackled their prey, various types of zombie creatures, and small pinkish slugs that breathed fire. As these creatures attacked them, Ryu stumbled during battle, having not quite regained his battle intuition. Fortunately, Garr was there to cover his mistakes, allowing the young man to slowly but surely regain his battle rhythm.

After ending another fight, Ryu tripped over some pickaxes, crashing to the ground.

“Ow!” he grunted. “Sorry, I still feel like I have a smaller body, so I haven’t quite gotten used to my new and possibly improved self yet.”

Garr replied, “I can understand. It has been ten years, and you’ve probably been running around in that dragon body of yours for all that time, so you’re not used to the change in yourself.”

Ryu turned to the Guardian, “By the way… what happened to Nina and the others? Do… do they think I’m dead?”

“No, they do not. They were pretty adamant in trying to find you, but I had to send them on their way. Nina, however, despite feeling you were still alive, was utterly devastated.” Guilt started to build in his eyes, “I never disclosed anything that had happened to the others, but they wanted to find you. Nina in particular was ready to search every corner of the globe in hopes of finding you, but she has her duties as a princess to fulfill, so I couldn’t allow it.”

“I see… it was probably for the best…” the azure-haired man replied. However, inside he said, “Seeing Nina again, however, would’ve been a real treat. But she does have her duties, and she probably worried her family sick, so I guess I just have to hope I’ll encounter her again someday.” He suddenly tripped over a shovel, “Gah! This is getting ridiculous.”

Garr helped him up, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll regain everything soon enough. Now…” he gestured to a tunnel, “I came in through there, so we can take the same route back.”

Suddenly, a voice hissed, “Where are you taking him, Guardian?”

Ryu and Garr looked around wildly before laying eyes on a shadowy energy forming on a small ledge.

“W-Who are you?”

The voice spoke again, this time in a more respectful tone, “…Ryu…”

Garr asked, “How do you know Ryu’s name?”

“Ryu… why do you let him live? Why do you let our enemy live?”

At the words “our enemy”, both Ryu and Garr pieced everything.

“A dragon…?” the Guardian pondered.

The shadowy energy suddenly burst, causing Ryu and Garr to recoil by reflex. When they looked again, they were horrified at what they saw.

A huge pool of blood had formed.

The voice hissed, “Can you not hear it, Guardian? Can you not hear our spilt blood crying for vengeance?”

Suddenly, something started to emerge from the pool of blood. Much to Ryu’s horror, a skeleton dragon zombie appeared.

Compared to some of Ryu’s previous forms, such as the Trygon, this one had a shorter neck and a larger head, easily as big as Garr himself, full of somewhat lopsided, yet strong teeth. It stood on all four legs, each ending in massive claws with three shining nails per claw. Its bony tail swished behind it, and on each elbow was a flat bone in a somewhat wing-shape, which was all that remained of its wings, and a glowing green sphere inside its mouth.

The dragon zombie hissed, “Guardian, it’s been… how long? 400 years? Maybe 500? You who tried to exterminate us! Where do you intend to take Ryu?”

“I… I am taking him to meet our God,” Garr struggled to say, his voice filled with remorse.

“H-Huh?!” Ryu sputtered.

“Why?” the dragon zombie asked. “To make but a sacrificial offering of the last dragon?”

Ryu froze.

Garr shook his head, a pained expression on his face, “To learn the truth. To learn if the war we fought was right.”

“Ha!” the skeleton laughed. “Kill him, Ryu! Avenge our people’s memories! They destroyed us! They tried to kill us all!”

Ryu took a moment to reply as he gazed upon the dragon zombie, “…No, I won’t kill him.”

“No!? Don’t you despise him? Don’t you hate him?”

Ryu was about to reply when another voice floated into the room.

“No, you must not hate.”

The dragon zombie roared in response, “SILENCE! You have no right!” It turned to Ryu, “Ryu, you disgust me. The Guardian has clearly poisoned your mind and judgment. Very well, you two will die here!”

With another roar, the battle had begun. The dragon zombie lashed out one of its blood-dripping claws at them. Ryu and Garr scattered, dodging the attack. The dragon zombie then tried extending its neck to bite Garr, but he deflected the attack with his halberd. Ryu started to channel a spell in his hands before releasing it.

“Eat this! Restore!” he spat.

Like Heal and Rejuvenate before it, this was also a healing spell, but it was far brighter and stronger than either of the other two. The spell struck the dragon zombie, causing it to roar out as its undead body was wracked with holy energies. Garr took this as an opportunity to strike.

“Have a taste of my Pyrokinesis!” the Guardian roared.

His supercharged flaming halberd slashed the dragon zombie on the side, causing it to roar in pain. Garr quickly retreated when the skeleton dragon tried to lash out at him with a sharp claw.

“Here’s a second helping for you! Restore!” Ryu called out.

The same healing spell from before rampaged in the dragon zombie’s body, making it writhe and flail in pain. The dragon zombie turned to Ryu, an ugly look on its bony face.

“We offer you our servitude, our powers, and this is how you repay us!? What kind of prince are you, treating us like that!?”

It then started to breathe a toxic miasma from its mouth toward Ryu. Though not quite back to his usual reflexes just yet, Ryu managed to dodge the miasma breath, but stumbled a bit regardless. Garr quickly covered for him.

“Pyrokinesis!” the Guardian roared.

The flaming halberd struck the dragon zombie hard near the shoulder, causing it to stumble and recoil. This gave both Ryu and Garr a chance to get out of range. The dragon zombie then started to slam its claws on the ground, causing strange bones that emit an evil energy to fall from above.

“You want to play rough, huh? Then let’s see how tough you are after my Bone Dance attack!”

Ryu and Garr were forced to defend themselves from the cursed bones, slashing and swatting them the best they could. After the attack subsided, Ryu had started channeling another spell. The dragon zombie wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Oh, no you don’t! You won’t get me with that trick a third time in a row!”

It started to spew the purplish-black miasma from its mouth right at Ryu. Garr stepped in front of Ryu and started to spin his halberd like a propeller. This was just enough to block the attack, allowing Ryu to finish channeling his spell.

“Restore!” the azure-haired warrior cried.

The Restore spell ravaged the dragon zombie, causing it to scream and twist in pain. This also ended the breath attack, allowing Garr a chance to strike. He raised up his halberd and slammed it into the dragon zombie’s mouth, right in the green orb of light. This was the final blow. It caused the dragon zombie to collapse to the ground, defeated.

It growled, “Reviled one! Why must you always interfere? Why must you restrain us!?”

A flash of light followed, and to both Ryu’s and Garr’s surprise, the dragon zombie and the pool of blood were gone. In its place was an ebony glass-like orb. It clanged to the ground and rolled to Ryu’s feet. Ryu gingerly touched it, causing it to be absorbed into him.

Hatred. Anger. Rage. Pain. Evil.

These emotions rampaged inside Ryu, overwhelming him. He clutched his head, screaming, as this malevolent energy flowed through his veins. The power of the Shadow Gene had been released. This new gene started to activate, his mind overflowing with these negative emotions. He was engulfed in a sphere of energy, and out emerged a new dragon.

It was a large, long serpentine dragon, its body coiled like a rope as it floated off the ground, covered in bluish-green scales. It only had two arms, each ending in sharp claws, and the horns on its head were covered in crimson flames that took the form of wings.

The Tiamat Dragon was born.

The dragon glared at Garr, as if ready to strike him down, but it seemed to be struggling to do so.

“I will open your eyes to the truth, Ryu! Now kill him!”

Inside, Ryu cried out, “No! I won’t let you!”

This was causing an internal battle inside the Tiamat’s body and mind. This struggle for control caused the Tiamat to flail and thrash wildly. It struck anything and everything, from mine carts to boulders to crates, in a wild attempt for both sides to gain control of the dragon. Garr was forced to step back a fair distance in order to avoid getting struck by the rampaging dragon.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill the Guardian! Avenge our people by destroying our destroyer!”

“No! I won’t kill him and neither will you!” Ryu roared. “I know you’re angry, but I won’t let you harm him! It’s not his fault! He is not the enemy! So I won’t let you take control of me!”

This final surge of mental will from Ryu caused the Tiamat to stop thrashing wildly. It started to calm down, breathing heavily, before it crashed in a heap on the ground. Garr gingerly approached the downed dragon, as if waiting for it to do something. The Tiamat opened its eyes, gave its head a shake, and looked at Garr. The Guardian could see calmness in the dragon’s eyes, not the previous anger and hatred.

“…Ryu? Is that you in there?” Garr asked cautiously.

Tiamat nodded slowly before vanishing in a flash of light, Ryu in its place, panting heavily.

“Ryu!” the Guardian choked. “Are you okay?”

The young man panted, “Yeah… yeah, I’ll be okay. I… I think I managed to quell that form, at least for now. But what about you? I didn’t hit you or anything, did I?”

“No, I’m fine, not a scratch on me. You had me worried there. What happened?”

Ryu managed to stand, “That gene… the Shadow Gene… it was full of negative energies and emotions. It was trying to take control of me, trying to turn me against you. But I managed to calm it, at least for the moment. I’m not feeling the same surge of dark emotions as when I first touched it. No… it’s more like a whisper now compared to before. But I’ll be okay, I’m just glad I didn’t hurt you in that struggle for control.”

Suddenly, both warriors saw another flash of light, startling them. They prepared for battle, but what they saw was a blue-haired woman with dragon wings on her back. She gave them a warm smile, making both of them retract their weapons.

She said soothingly, “Tiamat has been calmed. It will no longer cause you trouble. But that was not a true dragon.”

Garr asked, puzzled, “Are you one of the Brood?”

The woman pointed to Ryu, “He is a true dragon.”

She then suddenly transformed into another orb, this one was a greenish-blue color, before it shot itself toward Ryu. Ryu absorbed it, feeling a new energy flow through him.

Joy. Warmth. Love. Friendship.

This new gene resonated well inside of him, giving him a calming feeling, especially compared to the Shadow Gene. This energy also seemed to calm the Shadow Gene even further, reducing its malevolence to just a trickle. Just a mere, tiny fragment of its previous energy, further calming Ryu.

Garr turned to Ryu, “Ryu… what was that? Was she also a Brood? And what did she mean by a ‘true dragon’?”

“I’m not really sure, Garr,” Ryu replied. “But I think it means that a true dragon would fight to protect, not for vengeance or to inflict pain. But that’s just a guess.”

“I see… Anyway, let’s get out of here before something else happens.”

Ryu nodded in agreement, “Yeah, let’s go. The sooner we get out of here the better.”

Garr led the way, guiding Ryu out of the mine. After about a half an hour of walking through the mine, they reached daylight. Outside, there were several miners, either talking or digging holes to pass the time. As Garr and Ryu walked further outside, a voice called out them.

“Ah! Mr. Garr!”

The voice belonged to a foreman. He was wearing boots, tan pants, a helmet, and a towel around his neck, and was bare-chested. Garr approached him, Ryu in tow.

The foreman asked, “So, Mr. Garr, did you take care of that dragon?” He then noticed Ryu, “Hmm? Who’s this young lad?”

Garr brushed it off, “Don’t worry about him. More importantly, I took care of the dragon. It’s gone.”

“Really?” the foreman exclaimed. “Well that’s great news! That dragon… it ran around spewing fire everywhere…”

Ryu inhaled sharply as memories of what he did in his whelp form suddenly entered his mind. Memories of fire, death, and destruction, making his eyes widen in horror.

“…killed some of my men, destroyed our machines, and just made a big mess of things.”

“No!” Ryu cried mentally, now remembering what had happened during his bout of blind madness.

He fell to his knees, eyes closed tightly, clutching his head, another hand steadying himself as he hit the ground. Guilt, horror, and remorse filled his heart. Garr knelt down next to him, concerned, while confusing the foreman.

“What’s wrong?” the foreman asked.

Garr replied, “Don’t worry, he’s just tired.”

Both Ryu and Garr knew that it wasn’t entirely a lie. The foreman seemed to accept this excuse.

“Hmm… Well, anyway, go down to the office to pick up your payment from the boss.”

Garr nodded and helped guide Ryu away from the foreman. When they were a fair enough distance, he turned to his blue-haired companion.

“This may not help, but don’t worry about it too much. You’re not in complete control in dragon form,” he said.

Ryu nodded weakly, “I… I’ll try… I just can’t believe I did all that… That’s not like me at all… senselessly killing and destroying things… but I’ll try…”

Accepting that, Garr led Ryu to the office. Inside the boss was waiting for him, a pouch of zenny on the table.

“Ah! Mr. Garr! So you took care of that dragon, huh?” he asked.

“Yes, the dragon is gone for good,” Garr nodded.

“Glad to hear it. Your payment is right here.”

Garr took the pouch of money and was prepared to leave, but the boss stopped him.

“Say, Mr. Garr, why don’t you stay here, in case any more dragons show up.”

Garr shook his head, “I’m sorry, but no. Besides, I know that no more dragons will return.”

“All right, but I’d feel better if you did.”

“You have nothing to worry about. Thank you for the payment.”

“Oh, by the way, Mr. Garr. Be careful on Ogre Road. There’s rumor that a monster has been attacking people there,” the boss stated.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for the tip. We must be going,” Garr replied.

On that note, Ryu and Garr left the office, leaving the head miner, and one of his colleagues behind.

The head miner shrugged, “I guess he’s not afraid. After all, he did take care of that dragon.”

Outside, Ryu took a moment to regain his bearings, still trying to block out the memories of his rampage in the mines. Garr understood his pain, but gestured them to leave. Without saying a word, Ryu followed Garr out of the area and into the world once again.

Next Chapter: For a Friend

And that's all for now folks.