The Legend of Dragoon II, pt. 1

To make this easier on me, I'm going to upload in sections, otherwise I'm going to be doing this thirty times today...

The Legend of Dragoon II
part one

Disclaimer: This subject is owned by Sony Computer Entertainment of Japan (yes, Japan. That's where the story originated). I am merely borrowing this subject as to do a sequel, which I have wanted to do for some time now. If you recognize the names of the made up characters of mine from somewhere, I'm sorry. I'm trying to make up the names for originality.

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Prologue:

    Many years following the fall of the Moon that Never Sets, the lands had calmed and settled and crime fell to a surprising low. The end of the world threat opened the eyes of many. The winglies came out of seclusion and offered alliance with the humans, who humbly agreed, no longer seeing them as an enemy. The winglies also decided not to try to push their god onto the humans, since the god of the race of man had turned his back with one simple act.

    All talk of the "Black Monster" ceased, since the fact that the people realized that it was a "Hero", not a "Demon". Histories containing the "Black Savior", the new name, were rewritten so future generations would know the truth. Since every 108th year was known for the birth of the "Moon Child", it was instead celebrated for the triumph of new hope of the Dragoons. In legends that stated that the creator, Soa, meant for the Moon that Never Sets to give birth to the last 108th fruit, the last specie, the Virage Embryo, with the Divine Tree, many believed that it happened, but instead of the Virage, they say it was the birth of the race of true heroes, the Dragoons, "Dragon Knights".

    Religious matters were a completely different story. Churches and altars dedicated to Soa, the divine creator, were burned and destroyed. Statues were toppled, faith of him was lost. If the almighty was so willing to destroy his followers, than why should they follow him anymore? The only trouble that ever arose was from a small group, still faithful to Soa, who said that all what they heard was a lie. They left behind a noticable trademark in the villages they plundered, for their cause. It was of the Moon that Never Sets resting on the Divine Tree, seared onto all of the houses still standing. Their main cause for following was that, if enough faithful servants remained, and worshipped his holiness, Soa would sew the Divine Tree once again and the Moon that Never Sets return to the sky, for hopes of the world being blessed with the "Moon Child".

    As for the heroes, the Dragoons, the deceased were remembered and honored, and the living were praised. The heroics of the four Dragoons who lost their souls to the void were put into epics, depicting their heroism. "The Rebel", Lloyd, though at first an antagonist to the heroes and slayer of a Dragoon, was honored for the just cause for his actions in the end, and helping to destroy the menace threatening the peace, Melbu Frahma. Rose, "The Hero of the Night" was finally taken to light of her attempts to stop the Moon Child. The countries of the world forgave her for the destruction she caused, knowing that the disaster would have happened sooner if not for her wrath. Lavits, "The Loyal Guardian Knight" was loved for being the protector of the people. Bed-time rhymes were even written so that children would sleep through the night without fright, knowing that "Brave Sir Lavitz" wouldn't let them be hurt. And Zieg, though not much was known about him, he was mainly honored by his son, Dart. With knowledge of the bloodline, he was minimally honored by the rest of the world, even though he harbored the malicious spirit of Melbu Frahma, His deeds were revealed and helped to eventually stop Soa's will.

    Those still alive had achieved high positions among the people. King Albert was not only hailed as King, but also as Uniter of Serdio. Upon his return to the Indels Capital in Bale, the Ambassador of the South of Serdio offered terms of reconcile and to join as one union. Miranda went to live on in Mille Seseau with her other "sisters". She opened a combat school to train the people to fight, if ever something should arise again. With her reputation and the situation, she had to ask more than half of the people who showed up on opening day to come back for the next term. Meru became the village Elder and Sage for the winglies. Her bravery of going to the outside world of humans made the people think her wise. And being out of seclusion, she offered advice, to winglies and humans, and any other intelligable creature alive. Kongol remained with Haschel and trained at the dojo. It was rumored that he had a love in his life, though not Giganto. He was the last. With Haschel getting on in years, he needed someone to teach the others of Rogue to fight. Even though he decided he was through with adventures, he left the dojo, completely trusting Kongol, to find the school that Miranda had started. His style was too harsh for his aged bones, so he wanted to help Miranda with her combat teachings, however he could. Dart remained in Seles with Shana. Many travelers from all over the world came to see him and to learn from him, and the world also forgave Shana, because of the trauma she went through and the fact that she had no intentions of harming anyone. Shana's parents stepped down as Mayor of Seles, offering the job to Dart, saying, "If he and his friends can help to save the world, then gosh! Think of what he could do for our little village!"
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Chapter 1) Past, Present, and Future.

    The year was now 1079 of the New Age of Revelations, almost two months remained until the new year. The legendary battle between Melbu Frahma and the Dragoons became common knowledge of the elderly, making them great storytellers. The clash was also called "The Second Dragon Campaign". Stories of the heroic clash were passed down through generations, and told by the storytellers of each village.

    The heritage lines of the heroes of yore, the Dragoons, had seemed to have disappeared, along with the fabled Dragoon Spirits. Either the dragoons themselves hid them, to prevent the power from falling into wrong hands again, or they disappeared with the sands of time. All would have seemed just like some wonderful dream, if it hadn't been for the Soanites, the followers of the Great Creator. The masses had increased trifold since the beginning of the New Age. They continued plundering for the cause of the creator to refulfill his will. The peace and calmness that came when the Dragoons fought for the survival of the world had nearly diminished. Tensions were flaring, and harbored angers were coming out to the open. The world was on the brink of war.

    The geography of the world had changed a bit, to the point of the barrens becoming a scene of lush greenery, thanks to Nello, the gardener in Fletz, and some of the unforgiving Death Frontier turning into an oasis paradise, with the unusual rain amounts going to it. Situations in Fletz, in Tiberoa, were uncertain, for the rains also came there, making the town flood often. The area in the Death Frontier was settled by groups of migrants from the cold Mille Seasau, seeking more warmth. The capital city of the desert/oasis was still small, but more people came every day. The town that served as capital was called Heidra, and it was a bustling center of commerce. Many cities formed around it, including Madant, Corni, Urup, Liily, and Gerth. One city was located only miles from the site of the battle of "The Second Dragon Campaign", the Divine Tree ruins. It was named Dranc, after the exploring migrant who founded it. It became known as "The City of Children", since expecting mothers traveled there. The situation of the city was perfect for child upbringing. Pure water, moist soil, and the freshest air were all attributed to it.

    On a morning, almost like any other, a boy of about age 16 named Orrin, garbed in a white/green desert traveling turban and gown, wandered out of the city of Dranc, in search of some valuables, which had recently started to be uncovered in the sands. He was of medium height and had short, dusty blonde hair. Orrin would have stopped to look around, but today, something dragged him onward. He didn't know what, but it kept a firm grip. After walking about seven miles in the desert area, he thought he started to see mirages. He could have sworn he saw a lake, and a single tree standing over it. The force kept dragging him towards the lake.

    He reached the lake within minutes, and upon arrival, he squatted next to the lake and took many handfuls of water. Orrin immediately noticed that the water had a taste unlike anything before. It tasted so pure, it made the water of his village taste like mud. There also seemed to be a magical essence coming from the wavering pool. When Orrin got up and looked around, he noticed the lone tree again. This time, he realized that this was the site where the Divine Tree once stood, with the Moon that Never Sets in its arms. He learned this from the village storyteller, who often went into fine detail about the subject. He walked toward the tree, not realizing that the force was dragging him there, but when he tried to stop, he found he was still moving, so whatever led him out here was by that tree.

    The tree seemed to be only fifteen feet high. If what the storyteller told him was true, there would have been about eleven other "trees" and be at least forty feet high. Orrin finally reasoned that it must've been sand drifts, seeing no other reasonable option. The next thing Orrin felt was a compellingness to dig. To dig and keep digging until he found something. But, before he fully squatted, he thought, "Maybe this would be easier if there was a wind to blow away the s....." His thought was cut off as a giant downburst made him fall on his back. The giant burst of wind had burrowed beneath many layers of sand, leading to something that was about twenty or thirty feet down. Curious, Orrin slid down the slope, to whatever would meet him at the bottom. As he reached the bottom, he found two dusty stones, one more colorful than the other. He wanted to wipe the dust off of himself, but the revelation of the stones shocked him into paralysis. In his right hand, he held a polished red stone, and in his left, a polished purple, almost black, stone. It made him immidiately begin to think of a story he had heard from the storyteller.

    "The great heroes of the second campaign each had a very finely polished stone. That was the source of their great power, what made them Dragoons. The souls of the dragons inside the stones chose each of them to be their weilder. The heroes would hold their stone in their hands, and it would glow, it would glow brightly, like a new sun!"........ As the thoughts echoed in Orrin's head, he thought if a force made him find the stones, maybe he could use one. First he tried the left hand. The purple caught his attention more, but it was to no avail, the stone didn't shine. Then he went to the right hand, but that one wouldn't shine either. A little disheartened, Orrin pocketed the stones and began to remember something else he had heard the storyteller say. "You may think I know alot, but nobody knows more than the ruler of the Crystal Palace of Deningrad in Mille Seseau."

    Orrin knew what he had to do. He had to go to the land of his ancestors, and learn more about the Dragoons. Little did he know, the war was about to break out in the main countries. The war would be so fierce, that no one would be able to stop it after it began. Orrin climbed out of the hole using the tree, and started his way back home to start packing and to find anyone to accompany him to Mille Seseau.
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Chapter 2) The first steps of adventure.

    Orrin reached home. His clothes were all travel-dirtied, as if he'd been gone for quite a while, the white was now grey, and the green was darker. When he entered his house, his frantic mother closed her arms around him, unable to let go, she had evidently been worried since he hadn't returned all day. When he was finally able to breath, he took the stones from his pocket and showed them to his mother. As she fell back into a chair that was nearby, obviously realising the meaning of the stones, he softly said, "You know what I must do, mother. I remember what "Ol' Murday" said about them." After looking a bit shocked for a few moments, Orrin's mother collected herself and said, "I don't know if you can get anyone to come with you on your voyage, but, it wouldn't hurt to try. First, you should go to Heidra." She gave him a medium sized sack of gold. "Take this and hire someone to escort you to Mille Seseau. With all of this tension in the world, the animals are sure to be riled up. When you deliver those, I want you to come straight home. Do you understand?" After Orrin assured her, he went to his room to pack for the journey.

    Orrin arrived at the town of Heidra, wearing his favorite jade green tunic and black pants. He carried a knapsack of supplies on a sharpened stick, which he could easily use as a spear. He walked down alleys, searching for an escort, cautious of who to trust with such powerful objects as the stones. The words rang in his head, of the last words his mother said upon departure. "Just think, honey. If you succeed, you'll be considered a hero out here." That had put a smile on his face. He felt as if fate were just handing him everything he needed to succeed. But, before he knew it, he had bumped into two shady characters. Bandits, both in dark brown clothing and one taller than the other, who had been conversing amongst themselves, something about the town being "easy pickin's". When they turned around and saw that he was just a kid, they jumped on him and one said, "You're gonna regret the day you were born. I mean, come on, who goes around bumping into people?"  The shorter one shoved a knife at his neck with the taller one demanding a 100 gold "fee" for "disturbing their peace".

    The first thing Orrin could think of doing was fighting back. He sent his foot straight into the air, catching the crotch of the smaller bandit on its rise. Although it got the bandit off of him, his neck was cut by the knife, not deep, but enough to draw blood. The tall bandit stood dumbstruck that someone defied them, of all bandits. It gave Orrin enough time to get up, unsling his knapsack and wield his sharpened stick. But, before he could make a move, a large burly man with coarse, brown hair and a squinted face, dressed in a brown outfit, rushed to the scene. In doing so, he rushed his fist to meet the face of the tall bandit. The man shouted at the bandits, "GET OUT! Bandits are NOT allowed in this town! Leave and consider yerselves lucky the kid and I didn't kill you!" Orrin realized the value of the complement, and relief flooded him, as someone stood up for him. Walking to the man who saved him, Orrin watched as the bandits left the city, cursing loudly. When the crowd dispersed, the man turned to Orrin and said, "Ya'alright now?"

    The man, Aljandro, as he had introduced himself to Orrin and vise versa, finished wrapping the bandages around Orrin's throat to stop the bleeding. "Yer quick thinking would be highly regarded in the Peace Enforcement here. Although a blow below the belt isn't as highly regarded, ya did good, kid." Aljandro's words sunk deep into Orrin. He thought, "Maybe he's a good choice to escort me. We're already on first name terms" Out loud, he asked Aljandro, "Is there anywhere we can go that's free of 'overlarge ears', Aljandro?" He replied, "Yeah, I know the best place, but ya can call me Al." As Orrin was led to Al's house, he completely forgot he still had any bandages, he got quite used to them.

    "So, Orrin, how old are ya? Where ya from?" Al asked Orrin at his house, making them both dinner. Orrin replied gratefully, "I'm 16 and from the city of Dranc." Then seriously, "but, do you think you could shut the blinds? I don't think any prying eyes should see what I have to show you." Al lowered all the blinds in the kitchen, as they were seated at the table. Orrin took the two stones out of his pockets, setting them on the table in front of Al. "I need to get these to the Mille Seseau capital, Deningrad. I ask that you escort me there. You are skilled at fighting, as I saw earlier, and I thought you could be trustworthy." Orrin then curtly added, "If you require any gold, I could give you some for the trouble." Al looked with shock as figments of legend sat there on his kitchen table in front of him. he could not speak for a few moments, but when he did, he said, "I shall not require money, if it is to help a legend continue. I'd be honored to help in yer journey." Relieved, Orrin asked another question. "Is there anyone else you think can help?" After a few moments of consideration, Al thought of somebody. "I know, Rashe'm. He's this guy I know, pretty handy with a sword. We can go see him tomorrow after ya rest up a bit. It must've been a rough day for ya, I'm sure." With that, Al led Orrin to the spare bedroom to spend the night, and Al walked back to his own bed.
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Chapter 3) The swordsman and the desert

    When Orrin woke in the morning, smells of breakfast wafted in the air, sausage, bacon, pancakes, almost anything assosciated with breakfast. He redressed and went downstairs, Aljandro greeting him with a hearty smile. "Eat up!" he said, "I suppose after we see Rashe'm, we'll be heading for Mille Seseau. It'll be quite awhile before we can eat normally again." Orrin thought as he sat at the table and began to eat. "So, I guess I made a good choice with him. He can fight AND cook! At least we won't go hungry." At the same moment, Al began to pack kitchen items and spices.

    As the two set out the door, heading for the swordsman's house, Orrin wore the same Jade tunic and black pants, while Al wore something resembling a uniform, that varied in hues of brown. He also carried something resembling a small axe. He had reasoned to Orrin that it was too big to fit in the sack of kitchen supplies. The two looked really odd walking together. A really tall, bulky man, was walking next to a twig of a kid in comparison. While walking, Orrin decided to ask, "You mentioned the "Peace Enforcement" yesterday. Is that what they wear?" He pointed at Al's clothes. Al replied, "In fact, it is! It also happens to be my favorite color, so I would have worn it anyway."

    After about a half hour of walking, Al halted Orrin in front of a house. "We're here." he said deeply. When Orrin placed his hands in his pockets, Al said, "No, don't show him those! He's a "recovering thief", I guess ya could say. I know him because I'm the one who stopped him. Showing him those could set him off to his old ways." Orrin thought for a second. "Then how are we going to explain our journey?" Al turned to face the door and knocked on it. "Trust me, I've got something in mind." Before the door swung open, revealing a man in his twenties, Orrin remembered to take his hands out of his pockets, to avoid the man's suspicion. The man immediately recognized Aljandro. "Hey, Al! I haven't seen you in a while!" Al came in the door, "In a way, I guess that's good," he said. They both laughed heartily, and Orrin entered and shut the door behind him.

    The inside looked almost like Al's house, but the only difference was the multitude of scratches in the walls, evidence of practiced swordplay. Rashe'm invited the two to sit in his living room, and asked, brushing his striking black hair with his fingers, "So, what brings you and the kid here, Aljandro? " After another good laugh, Al said, "I told ya, ya can call me Al. And the kid is a kid of a friend of mine. He has relatives in Mille Seseau, and while his mother's sick, she asked me if I could take him to her sister's until she got better. I was wondering if ya'd like to come along. Ya know, catch up on lost time, get a little action in our non-active lives. So, how about it? Ya in?" Rashe'm took a few moments to think about it. Sarcastically, he replied, "And give up the fine livings I've got here?" He continued, "....... Sure, I'm in! But I'd like to visit the weaponry store before we set off."

    Orrin and Al waited for Rashe'm outside the weaponry store or some ten minutes. Orrin brought up suddenly, "How are you gonna explain to him once we get there? It'll look suspicious to him if we get there and say 'Oh, we forgot to say, he doesn't have an aunt'. How are you going to get out of that one?" Al laughed and said, "I told you, I got it covered. What, don't you trust me, Orrin?" That's what this world had come to, Trust. Orrin had to be careful about the stones. If they got into the wrong hands, instead of helping the world, they would destroy it. Rashe'm came out of the store with a new sword, a broad sword. He was wearing red clothes, and he had shoulder, knee, and chest plates, useful for any fights. "All right, ninnies. Let's move!" The three headed towards the edge of the city, but Al stopped short. "OH!, sorry, I almost forgot. I have to report to work, tell them I'll be off duty for awhile. Ya both could wait here or come with me. Either way, they have to know, or they'll think I'm dead." Both Orrin and Rashe'm decided to stay on the edge of town. Orrin wanted to learn more about Rashe'm, and vise versa. "Ok, I'll be right back. Don't go off without me." As he faded out of sight into the crowd, Rashe'm started to want to start off anyways, just to see Aljandro's reaction.

    Beginning conversation, Rashe'm asked, "What's your aunt's name? I want to know to be polite when we get there." Since Orrin didn't have an aunt, he had to activate his imagination. "Umm.... Carroll. Yeah, auntie Carroll." came out of Orrin's mouth. Rashe'm looked skeptic, but brushed it away. "What's your mom sick of?" Orrin replied, "I don't know, the doctor said it, but I can't recall right now." Rashe'm then asked, "Your dad taking care of your mom?" This struck the pit of Orrin's stomache. No one had mentioned his father for five years, since the accident. His father had gone to the well to get some water for dinner, but never came back. The well was outside of Dranc, and his father had been attacked by bandits, apparently for mouthing off. There was blood at the scene, but no body. It was rumored that he was carried off by the bandits. This was what caused Orrin to take up practicing with a sharpened stick. He was too young to get a real weapon. Once again, Orrin had to lie. "Yeah, he's home taking care of her." Then, taking advantage of the quiet moment, "What about you? Al told me you used to be a thief?" Rashe'm rubbed his hand behind his head. "Yeah, I guess I was, but I didn't get off cheaply." He pointed at his right ear, or what would have been his right ear. Orrin hadn't noticed it at the house at all. "I completely robbed a house. I owed a loanshark some money, and that was the fastest way to pay off. They only cut off my ear because just before I sold the stuff, that damned conscience kicked in, and I returned it all. Luckily, that's when I met Aljandro. He felt I did the right thing," Rashe'm then went sentimental, "and then I told him my problem. He insisted on paying the tab, but I told him it wasn't all that big of a deal. He's a great guy, always looking out for his friends. Your mom's lucky, I guess." Seriously, he continued, "So, all in all, I still have all ten fingers. Normally, those would go fir....." Orrin cut in "Eight. You have all eight fingers." After a quizzical look from Rashe'm, he explained. "My town's doctor figured out that the thumbs aren't fingers. They don't move the same way as them."

    Al returned as it bagan to grow dark. The three ventured out into the desert, even though night fast approached, heading Northwest to Mille Seseau. "We'll go until it's almost pitch black." Al said. "Then we'll set up camp and a fire." Orrin was intrigued to talk to Al about the incident with Rashe'm, but now wasn't the time. Then Orrin considered showing the gems to Rashe'm, knowing that he probably wouldn't steal them, but then again, that would unravel the web of lies. So, he just dropped the subject in his mind.

    The desert became colder as the night grew denser. Orrin remembered the cold from his trip to Heidra, only this time, it was colder. Al finally stopped and announced, "Okay, time to set up camp. Rashe'm, set out the blankets, Orrin, find something dry to be able to make a fire with. I'll try to find some water, if there's a nearby oasis, and if not, then from a cactus, to be able to make something to eat." With the orders set, the three got to work. It wasn't easy for Orrin to find anything burnable. There were mainly weeds. Rashe'm decided to help after he set up the beds, and by the time they all got back, Al had a pot of water, waiting with some flint, and Rashe'm and Orrin each had an armful of weeds. It was enough for a fire that would last about a half hour, perhaps longer.

    The fire was going, water was boiling, and the three sat waiting around the fire. Al added some ingredients for a stew, the traveler's food. They waited for their stew, listening to the night sounds that can't be heard from the city. Even the stars seemed to shine more brightly. Once the stew was finished, they began small talk around the dying light of the fire, filling their stomaches and warming their bodies. Orrin was about to swallow another spoonful, but then Al started acting very odd. He kept looking back and forth, side to side, as if searching for something. "Quiet, I hear something." he whispered to the others. Silence pervaded once again, only with the crackle of fire, but then Orrin heard it, too. Something was hissing, loudly. Al grabbed his mini-axe and Rashe'm grabbed his sword. Following suit, Orrin took his sack off of his sharpened stick. Whatever was coming was going to attack.

    The three stood in a circle, backs to backs, Rashe'm suggested it. Before Orrin realized it, there were some twenty scorpions surrounding them. They stood a foot off the ground, going up to about two feet, and their tail stingers were level with Orrin's eyes. Everything stood still, until one of the scorpions struck. It would have hit Al, if he hadn't brought his cleaver down on the end of the oncoming tail. The creature shrieked foully, piercing the night. The others attacked, trampeling the fallen scorpion, but before Orrin could even blink, Rashe'm had killed six of them. Orrin used the wooden spear to parry the blows of the scorpions coming at him, it was pretty much all he could do. Even though he had trained for five years, he still never really had an opponent, at least, not that big. Al had brought down three more with his axe, leaving about ten. Feeling unproven, Orrin lunged at a scorpion, piercing its back. But its tail came lashing at him. He would have been dead, but Rashe'm cut off the tail before it could kill him. "Watch yourself next time! And now you owe me!" Rashe'm shouted.

    There were three left, each without a tail. They attacked using their pinser-claws, since their trump cards were hacked off. Orrin, Al, and Rashe'm literally had to be on their toes. The last scorpions split up and each took their target. With one swift synchronized action, the last three scorpions met their doom by the traveling trio of "warriors". Before they returned to the fire, they rounded up all of the bodies of the scorpions. "I don't see why we're doing this." Orrin complained exhaustedly, but Rashe'm cut in just as Al was about to explain. "If we shuck all of these scorpions, we'll have food for a few days, and burning fuel as well. And if we leave them here, more animals will come, see us, and we'll start the cycle all over again." Orrin was going to return to the camp after his savage survival lesson, but he suddenly heard a faint hiss, right near him. He was standing next to Rashe'm when the thing hissed, and when the scorpion revealed itself, it came after Rashe'm. Orrin thought quickly. He didn't know why, but something spurred him. With a quick jab, he struck the scorpion, before it could strike Rashe'm. Slowly pulling out his spear, Orrin told Rashe'm, "Now we're even!" A smile quickly spread accross Rashe'm's surprised face.

    The battle had been dragged away from the campsite to avoid loss of sleeping spots, and they were glad when they had returned. Two tarps were placed out, and they began to shuck the scorpions, a messy job. Orrin asked out to the open, "Why'd the scorpions attack anyway?" as he shucked off the outer skin of a carcass. A bashful smile crossed Al's face. "I guess it's my fault, really. As I was looking for a spring, I stumbled into a scorpion nest. I couldn't tell, but I thought I heard a squish. I didn't see any scorpions around, so I walked on, pretending it didn't happen. They must have follewed my scent." Rashe'm and Orrin both gave Al dirty looks. Rashe'm said, "Maybe you should look where you're going next time! Just watch, tomorrow, you're going to get a hoard of Canbrian Dayflies after us!" When the conversation died, and their shucking deeds were finished, Al tamped out the fire and the three drifted to sleep.
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Chapter 4) Arrival

    It had been another week, out in the desert. According to Al, they were almost to Mille Seseau's borders. It was evident, as a row of pines, still insignificant, popped up on the horizon. It was Orrin's turn to pack up camp, when his thoughts turned to occurrances of the past week. They had in fact been attacked by the Canbrian Dayflies, just as Rashe'm predicted. Although it was a coincidence, they gained some more experience of battle, and they all laughed about it until they fell asleep that night. And, when Al and Rashe'm got into an arguement over the last bit of stew one night, they were up and ready to fight. Al threw the first punch, which was responded with a forceful blow from Rashe'm. Oddly enough, Orrin noticed that at the same time, the campfire surged exponentially, incinerating what was left of the stew. Seeing the flare of emotions from Rashe'm at the same time as the literal flare, he had gotten to thinking. He fought himself over whether it was another uncanny coincidence, or if it was like when he had found the stones, and the gust of wind blew away the sand. In his thoughts, Orrin had completely stopped putting up camp. He didn't realize it until Rashe'm came up behind him, put his sword to Orrin's head, and hissed. It was a dirty joke that almost cost Orrin his life, but instead, he thanked Rashe'm for snapping him out of it. "Hurry up, or we're leaving you behind, Squirt." Rashe'm added.

    That was another thing that had happened during the week. Rashe'm referred to Orrin as "Squirt" a majority of the time. Not knowing what caused it, he stuck to it. It didn't bother him, but he wasn't exactly used to it either. Orrin finished packing up camp, putting the flint in its case, rolling the beds, leaving no evidence of fire. That was a big tip of Al's, "don't leave anything that proves ya were there. Then, people can't track ya." As Orrin bundled all of the supplies together, Al came up and told him, "I told Rashe'm that we may need to stay longer in Mille Seseau than planned. I'll tell him the truth when we get to Deningrad. We're almost there, a day's hike through the forest, and then a straight travel to Deningrad." Orrin nodded, signifying that he understood.

    It was about mid-day when the three made it to the forest border. The only thing left to traverse was a gorge twenty yards wide and about 14 feet down. There was no way to jump over, and it would take a few more days to find a way around the gorge. Al told the other two, "I'll go down first." Then, taking out the mini-axe, "I'll make some hand holds, to make it easier to climb down." He lumbered down awkwardly, holding onto the ledge first, then making multiple horizontal slashes in the hard-packed earth. He continued this way until he reached the bottom. He turned around and shouted to Rashe'm, "Toss me down the supplies. Yer a better throw." Obediently, Rashe'm tossed down the packs, one by one, until they were all in the gorge. Orrin went down into the gorge first, and at the same time, Al carried the supply packs to the other side, getting ready to get them up to the other ledge. He put down the supplies, then started his awkward climb up while making hand-made hand holds.

    When Al got to the top, he talked down to Rashe'm, now near the end of the gorge, "Now ya gotta throw the packs up to me." Rashe'm thought in his head at that moment, "Why don'y YOU come down here and throw these up, you lummox? You're five times bigger than me!" Instead, he chucked the packs to Al. He got to the last pack, which was a little more hefty than the others. He had also had trouble tossing it down to Al a half hour earlier, it was full of the cookware, and knives. Rashe'm had to change his stance for the pack he was getting ready to throw. When he was comfortable, he took hold of the pack, and under his breath, he whispered "One......., two........., THREE!" but the "three" came out loudly, so Al would be ready. Orrin stood near to Rashe'm after the toss, and he watched as the pack soared through the air. He couldn't help but feel that something was about to go wrong. Al stood on the ledge, getting ready to catch, but he noticed that it wasn't going to reach his height, so he kneeled. He put out his hands ready to catch it, and he did, but barely. With a sigh of relief, Al started tugging at the pack. In an instant, the pack came undone, and its contents went flying back down to the two observers at the bottom, who had no time to get out of the way. Realizing what was about to happen, Al's eyes went wide, and he pounded the ledge with his fist, shouting "NO!!!"

    Two feet above the heads of Orrin and Rashe'm, a piece of earth half a foot thick came out of the gorge wall, right next to the hand holds that Al had created. Before that had happened, Orrin ducked, covering his head and bracing for impact with the knives. Rashe'm had decided to watch, wanting to know what was going to kill him. Numerous thuds were heard as knifes stuck into the earth slab, and the pots all bounced off of it, back onto the gorge floor. Amazed that they weren't shishkabobs, Rashe'm nudged Orrin, saying, "We're not dead,.... yet. Get up. I'll climb the wall, retrieve the knives, and you pick up the pots and pans and throw them up to Al." Orrin looked up and saw the slab. He also saw that the earth beneath Al had gone down, he was in a tiny rutt. Meanwhile, Al sat there, in awe that his friends weren't dead. But he didn't have time to wonder if he made the slab or not, because Orrin was yelling up to him to catch the pots and pans, which he caught with an immediate grace. His composure was back, and he was glad for it. He didn't want his friends to think he was terribly shaken by the near fatal accident.

    Rashe'm was pulling himself up again to the ledge, holding all of the knives. He set them on the ledge so that he could pull himself up with both of his hands. Al took the knives from the ground, put them in the pack that they came out of, and tied it again, so that nobody would step on them. Then, Orrin came up the make-shift earth ladder, Rashe'm helping him up to the solid ground. Al told the other the two, "Ok, we should try to get through this forest before night hits. There could be some dangerous animals in there." Setting off, they all wanted to talk about what had just occurred in the gorge. That is, all except for Rashe'm, who thought that Al's weight made the earth come out the way it did. Orrin had seen all of the odd coincidences, first it being the wind, then the fire, and now the earth. There was something going on, or they were just in fact coincidences. Al had only seen the earth and the fire coincidences, but he didn't want to talk about it, since the others might think he was crazy. That was also Orrin's reason for not talking. As Orrin walked a premade path that the trio found a little ways away, he felt the coldness of forest in a burst, realizing that they were now in Mille Seseau.
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Chapter 5) The winding path

    The first path that the three travelers found after leaving the desert took them a few miles into the forest. Trees towered over the path, about thirty or thirty-five feet high, making it nearly dark within, except for a narrow crack, just above the paths. The fir trees surrounding them were very old, but none seemed to be dead. They were hardy trees, strong enough to withstand a blizzard. Originally, the path they first took went due east, but it took a turn southward, so they needed to find the first path that would take them more north. They found another path that took them east again, later finding a north-east path, although it seemed a little odd. That path led them straight for about an hour, but it soon began to curve, back and forth. Al remarked, "I should find the dumbass who made this trail and kick him so hard that his family feels it, too! What, was his steed blind?"

    Since they had been from the warm desert oasis area, the cold really got to them. Al was cold, but tried not to show it, and Rashe'm didn't even seem to notice that the climate had changed. Orrin looked at him and thought, "Man, he's gotta be crazy, or something." even though he knew him better than that. The cold became so taxing, that they had to stop for a while, to regain their strength. Al had thought ahead and packed three jackets, not completely warming, but enough to get the job done in the cold. He distributed them as they sat around a small fire, huddling close so that the wind didn't make it die. After a good half hour, the three were ready to continue on their path. While walking again, Rashe'm spoke up, the first time since they entered the forest. "Where are all the animals? I noticed some spiders, squirrels and such on the paths before, but as soon as this one started curving, there weren't any."

    Orrin, who hadn't taken notice of the animals, didn't feel too surprised, but Al took it as a big shock. "If there aren't any animals in an area, that's not good. Not good at all." he said, still walking. The situation became more ominous when Al spotted an opening in the left side trees of the path. Not waiting to find out, he ran, his jacket flapping with each step. Frantic, he turned around, saying, "Okay, the situation has become more dire. We need to find a divergence off of this path, or who knows what may become of us. Orrin still didn't understand what the fuss was about. "Okay, so there's no animals here, and that's good, right? And someone cleared trees away without making a path. What's so wrong with....." but he never finished that thought. He looked at the place where Al saw the cleared area, and he froze with fear. Trees had been knocked down or bent, making the "unfinished path", as Orrin thought it at first, like a cylindrical object had stormed through it. Rashe'm took out his sword, and Al his axe, when the ground seemed to begin to thunder. Al turned to the other two shouting, "RUN, NOW!" and both he and Rashe'm took off, Orrin stuck in place. When Rashe'm realized that they were one short, he ran back to Orrin, smacked him upside the head, and said, "Are you dense, or what? He said run, now RUN!" Coming back to his senses, Orrin looked around, and then ran without further hesitation.

    Orrin and Rashe'm finally caught back up with Al, but nothing was said about the lag. Orrin was glad about that, but he was still focusing on running away from whatever seemed to be coming. The path finally straightened out again, passing another path of destroyed trees like before, except on the right. Further up, what Al had been waiting for finally came, there was a left turn as the path continued straight. Al turned back to tell the others, "Turn left, turn left!" at the same time seeing what pursued them. All he could see was something that resembled a snake head, since it was from the front, but it was eight feet high. Cursing, Al turned back around in time to make the left turn. Lucky for them, the snake continued on the straight path, as if uninterested. The three stopped, huffing and wheezing as they watched the rest of the snake pass by. All in all, Rashe'm said it had to be at least sixty feet, and that the snake was why there were no animals around. Either they had been smart enough to stay away, or too dumb to realize something was wrong before they became lunch. Relief swept over them, knowing that the danger had passed, for now.

    They followed the path for about an hour, and then it turned eastward, as told by Al. Orrin asked, "Well, how do you know that? I thought you didn't have a compass with you." Al laughed heartily and replied, "That's no reason to get cheeky. Look at the trees. See that moss?" Orrin looked at the trees on the right he was passing, the moss grew towards the path, and on the left, it grew away. Al continued, "Moss grows on the north side of trees. It's a good tip if you get lost where trees are near." Al always seemed to be full of good tips, Orrin even thought he could write a book about tips, that is, if Al knew how to read and write. He wasn't sure, he never asked. He was about to, but something on the path caught his attention. Except, it wasn't really what was on the path, it was what wasn't on it.

    There, the three stopped on the path, the right side overlooking on a cliff. It was something so foreign to Orrin, he had to stop and stare in amazement. There was enough clearing to see the sky and to say that night was coming rapidly. Upset about not meeting the goal, Al said, "Okay, we're gonna set up camp, we'll just have to get out of here tomorrow. I brought some water in a skin, which was supposed to be when we got out of here, but we'll just have to use it now for dinner." Orrin was glad for dinner, he was always famished by the end of the day. Al continued, "It won't be hard to find some kindling wood. We'll have to be able to find enough to last all night to scare away predators." Thus, the ritual of camp occurred, and after they finished with dinner, Al and Orrin went to sleep, Rashe'm was going to keep an eye out for anything that meant harm, like the snake.
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Chapter 6) Day two in the forest

    Morning came, and all were alive. The forest wasn't harsh enough to kill the three travelers while they slept. They had not seen the snake from yesterday, or even heard its tremors. It seemed to have forgotten about them. This was a good thing. The trio awoke around dawn, and after packing up, they set off again for Deningrad. Al was sure they were near, because the forest was part of the adventure of the "Second Dragon Campaign". The thought of reaching Deningrad actually saddened Orrin. He wouldn't have much more time with his friends, and it would be hard for him to part with the precious stones, still in his pocket. He felt obliged to protect them, as if they were a part of him in a way. During his guard duty the previous night, when he was sure Rashe'm was asleep, he tried again to see if they would shine for him. Once again, they remained energyless, he couldn't even feel their power.

    The trees on the trail seemed to be thinning, and the trail became wider. Soon, there was enough space to see much of the sky, there were only a few trees around. The trail the three were on ended, but ran into another trail. Al advised that Deningrad was toward the left, since it was more nortward, and he also knew that the Wingly forest was to the right. Also to the left, the was another path leading off. A sign stood in front of it with a guard station near that. Al read the sign as they neared it. "Danger, ferocious creatures. Do not enter. Mountain of the Mortal Dragon ahead." This answered Orrin's question that Al could read. In the guard station, an armed knight stood to make sure no one even tried to get to the forbidden mountain. This made Orrin smile, they were almost there. He began to run, when he felt the sting of sadness of journey's end, making him slow down. On slowing, he forgot to look where he was going, and he tripped over an uprooted tree root. He suddenly felt in shock, not from the fall, no, but what he heard and saw after the fall. When he heard the clink of something polished falling, and then rolling on the dirt. He thought, "Oh, no! That better not be....." but it was. The red stone fell out of his pocket, and began rolling to Rashe'm, who had stopped when Orrin fell. Al immediately hid his face in his hands, in embarrassment.

    Rashe'm bent down to pick up the polished stone which lay before him by his feet. He took it in his hand, but then began rolling it in his palm. He asked Orrin, "Say, what's this snazzy little thing here?" Orrin almost couldn't answer, but then a lie came to him. "A stone, I found it near my home before we left. I thought it was pretty cool and I was going to show my aunt........" He forgot what he called his aunt. In order to avoid any awkwardness, he reworded his sentance to not say the fake aunt's name. Re-examining the stone, Rashe'm finally said, "Your aunt Carroll is a lucky woman. And, I think this belongs to you." He started to hand over the stone. At the same time, Al was turning around, ready to head off again. Orrin looked from Al to Rashe'm, when in a flash, a blink of an eye, he saw something he couldn't believe. Rashe'm suddenly had fantastic red armor on. Intricate details displayed as if much work had been done on it. A green gem rested on the crest of the armor, and a red headband appeared on Rashe'm's head as well, with many more tiny green orbs, varying in size. To top the unbelievableness of the situation, he saw a pair of wings on Rashe'm's back, but the feathers, he supposed, weren't normal. They were made of light. But all of it happened in a flash, so Orrin didn't have time to ask himself if what he saw was real or not.

    Rashe'm turned around as if nothing had happened. It made Orrin believe that he was just seeing things. He was so confused, he forgot to stand up, he just remained there, laying on the ground with the stone in his hand. Rashe'm called back, "Hurry up, squirt! Your aunt would hate my guts if she didn't get to see her nephew because he layed on the path like easy prey!" Recollecting himself, he got on his feet. After brushing off his green shirt again, he looked up, only to see the knight at the guard station act very strangely. Apparently, he had seen something frightening, because he threw down his weapon, his shield and his armor, and ran towards the Mountain of the Mortal Dragon. Orrin thought "It must take alot to scare a knight." but he suddenly felt the ground tremor again, which was followed with thundering. He still hadn't moved from his spot, but he saw Rashe'm and Al running back towards where he was. They had seen it too, the snake was back, hungry this time.

    Al finally got back to where Orrin was, and he shouted over the thundering, "That damn snake is back! We're so close to Deningrad, we're just gonna have to stand our ground here!" Within moments, the snake came into full view, rearing its head. Al was right, there was no running from it this time, it was kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. Rashe'm once again brandished his sword, Al with his axe as well. Orrin took out his spear, even though he didn't think it would be much use in this situation. All three were armed, and the snake kept its menacing head reared, not sure which to attack first. It flicked its tongue into the air, and then hissed. Orrin was able to see its four vicious fangs. He wasn't sure if there was venom, but he reasoned that if anyone gets attacked by that thing, it wouldn't die of the poisoning, it would die of mutilation, bloodloss, or digestion.

    Everything seemed to stand still, even the birds fleeing the scene. Before Orrin could blink, the snake had picked its target, HIM! Everything remained slow, his movement, the movement of Rashe'm and Al going to attack, and the movement of the snake. Instinctively, he rolled to the side, avoiding the strike, but the snake kept going, banging its head into a tree. It was dazed, and Rashe'm took advantage of it. He jumped and slashed at the snake's neck. But the snake's skin was so thick, the sword didn't even leave a scratch. Rashe'm started to say, "Oh, fu...." but the snake snapped out of its daze, and swung its head like a club at his body. Orrin watched as Rashe'm flew through the air, and into a tree. Two blood curling thuds were heard, once as Rashe'm hit the tree, and then another as he hit the ground ten feet below. If it weren't for his armor, he probably would have had some broken bones, but two things were for sure, he had lost conscience and he would be very, very  "sore in the morning".

    Orrin, outraged that the snake had hurt his friend, jumped at the great beast. Since the snake was still recoiling from the blow it delivered, it had no time to react to its attacker. Orrin stuck his spear in the snake's left eye. The snake hissed and let out a ear breaking howl, it was in a lot of pain. Al took advantage then as the beast swung its head near the ground in pain. He leapt with his mini-axe in front of him, about to strike the other eye. If the beast was blind, there would be no reason to fight. But the snake began ascending its head, so Al missed, slicing into its face, towards the mouth. The snake responded with an even louder howl. It finally opened its one good eye, since the other was gushing with blood, and found the target which had attacked it with the axe. Orrin saw this, and was expecting the snake to attack him, since he destroyed its eye into a bloody mess. When he saw it come after Al, he ran towards his friend. Before Orrin could get there, a loud clang echoed in the forest. Al had blocked the snake's fang with his axe. He held it as long as he could, but then a crack appeared in the axe. Orrin still came charging towards Al, but he redirected to the snake. With a swift uppercut, he jammed his spear through the snake's mouth. Pain reflexes made the top of the snake's mouth close, thus making the spear come out the top of its mouth. It was shut tight, but the snake continued to struggle. In the struggle, the bottom handle of the spear broke off, as well as the top, meaning the only way Orrin could get the rest of his spear back was if the snake opened its mouth, which he didn't want.

    The snake continued struggling, but it became slower from blood loss. After almost two minutes, the snake finally lay on the ground, motionless. Al and Orrin remained still incase the monster rose again, but it didn't. The soul had left the body, but the two couldn't tell, so they remained. When they were sure it was dead, they remembered about Rashe'm, hoping that he wasn't. Climbing a small cliff, Al got to the top, then helped Orrin up. A few yards away lay their friend, bloody and bruised. They found him with his black hair matted with blood. They also found his sword nearby, cracked in half by the force of the blow. Orrin sat by Rashe'm's side, nearly at tears. Al at the time was trying to take off the jacket and the armor plates, to make it easier for Rashe'm to breathe. After getting the chestplate off, Al checked for a heartbeat. As soon as he touched Rashe'm's chest, Rashe'm jerked spasmodically, twitching every few seconds. There was a very sensitive bruise on his chest.

    Al spoke up, "We need to get him to Deningrad as soon as possible. We have to leave now, and we can't take anything with us. All of our weapons are bust, and he needs medical attention now." They tried to lift him, but the battle left Orrin without enough stamina. "Damn!" Al shouted, repeating it many times. Orrin had an idea during Al's curse rant. He took off his jacket, and told Al, "Give me your jacket too. Also, get any rope you have, we'll have to drag him to Deningrad. We'll tie the two jackets together so he can fit, and on the path to Deningrad, we'll have to take turns." Al would have smiled and laughed heartily that Orrin had come up with such a good plan, but now wasn't time for laughter and congratulations. A friend's life was at stake. He ran to where he dropped the packs, retrieving the rope. Orrin found the part of Rashe'm's sword with the hilt, and he cut two horizontal slices in his jacket, as well as Al's. His jacket had the slices at the top and Al's at the bottom, Al's jacket would be better for the majority of Rashe'm's body. Al returned with the rope, and Orrin sliced the rope into three, two to tie the jackets, and one to make a large handle.

    Together, after the carrier was finished, Al and Orrin put Rashe'm on the carrier, after putting it on the ground below. Al took the first turn of dragging Rashe'm. If he had been awake, Rashe'm would have been moaning and groaning. Soon, about an hour before midday, the three left the forest running towards Deningrad, one unconscious and bleeding.
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                                Continued in part two...................

Author's Note

I've been checking for errors, but if you see one, notify my please.