Fan Fiction ❯ A War of Three Nations ❯ Chapter Six: The Meaning of the Stones ( Chapter 6 )

 

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A War of Three Nations

 

Chapter Six: The Meaning of the Stones

 

"Damn it. Again! Again!" Nakamura shouted, slamming his fists into the walls around him.

"Cool down." Ishikawa said. "I'll track them again."

"Besides, it's not like it would've been a challenge. One neko-jin, two elves and an old bat."

"Slight problem." Ishikawa announced. "I can't pick up their energy anywhere."

"Damn it. I've got a freaking headache." Nakamura said, rubbing his temples.

"We'll wait. Until Ishikawa can find them again, we'll relax." Ka-Rosu said.

"Fine." Nakamura agreed, taking off his cape and balling it up like a pillow. "Let me know when that happens."

 

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Aceline whined, "Zephyr told me to keep an eye on her, but no, I let her go out of my sight!" She was flustered and flabbergasted. She silenced herself, and then spurred her horse on. The wind raced with her until an invisible shield stopped her horse forcefully. Lady General! the wind whispered to her, Milady, please listen! The youth you seek is within a hut just above the Cavern of Myths in the Forest of Avalon. Go three paces northeast, and then go east seventy paces from there. You will reach Preia of Fayrie if you take that path.

"My faithful Winds of the Wood, thank you!" Aceline did not lose hope then. Her two hands rose and formed a sort of cylic pattern. Her slit eyes extended sideways and turned red, her skin turned a light shiny emerald, and she summoned her dragon.

“Emerald-hued guardian,
receive my plead, my call:
I summon you from the Cave of Dragons,
please bequeath yourself to my beck and call!
I ask your help; come forth,
My great dragon, Exosivian!”

In a great flash of green light, the Emerald Dragon named 'Exosivian' appeared before her mistress. The dragon grinned slowly as she earth shook beneath and around her, trees suddenly dropping. You need something of me, Young Mistress? asked Exosivian telepathically. Aceline removed herself of her horse, and walked towards her dragon moving in long strides. She touched the scales of her dragon, carefully petting Exosivian as she whispered quietly in the dragon's ear,

"I need you to trace something for me, Sivian."

--~--~--

“Dragon of Dragons,
belonging to the Generals,
this Malonian calls upon your strength.
The scent of blood is in the
air-- I call on you now!
Vikirnoff, I summon you!”

Taariq Mozque grinned evilly as he watched his Ruby Dragon come forth in a burst of blood red light. Inside of him, Allarayne lay quietly sleeping, unaware that Taariq's personality had taken control. Lord General, purred Vikirnoff quietly. What is it you need?

Taariq's grin became more evident now as he raised his head to smile evilly at his dragon. "Lord Andreas has mischievously found a way for we demons to exit these gates. I need you, Vikirnoff, to check the skies if there is another possible route out..."

Within him, Allarayne's eyes opened as she felt the surge of energy that Vikirnoff let out as a way to show his glee and happiness. She roared with anger at being taken advantage of, and surpassed Taariq's strength. She suppressed him down with so much darkness that she had to lean on Vikirnoff to prevent her collapse. She gave him a sheepish grin, "Now, Vik. What was that general talking to you about?"

--~--~--

Bronzephire Dragons were not common to the people of Fayrie. But to Zephyr and his family, they were. After stepping out a little bit - he didn't want to just break the news to Preia's parents just yet - he summoned his most trusted companion after Alexavier, his dragon ever since it had been a hatchling, Svinsahdra:

“Svinsahdra, mighty Lady of Dragons,
Your friend and master, Zephyr,
awaits your arrival!
Come to me now, Svinsahdra,
assist me with my mission.
I summon you!”

A beautiful dragon with scales of sandy-brown and bright sapphire-like hues appeared from the Wind Stone that Alexavier carried. Zephyr! called Svinsahdra charmingly, her eyes glittering in the bright sunlight of Fayrie. How may I help you?

"I let Gaia's general and my little niece go off in an adventure," said Zephyr mischievously. "I don't trust the demons that have been able to escape from Malo's gates."

Svinsahdra immediately caught Zephyr's message, and bent her graceful neck. Then off to Gaia we go, Zephyr...

 

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Rye hesitated at the gypsy woman's question, glancing around wearily at the others gathered around him.

"My... Mother left it for me," he began slowly, looking around again. He continued after locking gazes briefly with Preia, the gypsy woman nodding her head in encouragement, “my sister gave it to me earlier this morning... before I ran into a young girl."

The gypsy nodded again, then turned to Preia, the elven girl jumping slightly in surprise to see the sharp grey eyes focused on her.

"And what of you, young elf? Where did you get yours?"

"... My uncle... well, I call him my uncle at least... Zephyr, gave me it when I was little." biting her lip quietly, Preia clutched the small yellow gem and blinked back sudden tears. "At the time, he had said that 'only one with such a pure heart should be the owner of this stone'... he never told me anything else about it..." The gypsy nodded softly, then the gypsy's face turned serious.

 

"Now listen closely to what I have to say. You two are the holders of two very powerful gems; the heart stones of light," she pointed to Preia, "and lightning," she finished, pointing to Rye.

"There are eleven heart stones in total, two held by the two of you, the wind stone disappeared into Fayrie years ago, darkness, fire, metal and stone have always dwelled in Malo, and the others are hidden among various places."

Staring hard at the Rye and Preia, the gypsy continued quietly so that only the two could hear. "The water stone is held by the Queen of the Naga in the Lake of Carnanthea, one by the name of Esmeralda. If you talk to her and get on her good side, she may aid you. The other three, the stones of ice, wood and earth, are held by dragons in the Caves of Lost Treasures. You must seek out these stones and resurrect Etaine before the demons can resurrect Shafira!" Rye and Preia jumped, gaping at her.

"Resurrect Etaine?!" they both exclaimed, glancing at each other. What had they gotten in to?

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"TODAY IS THE DAY!" Fires burst up from the empty colanders on either side of the demonic thrown room, Andreas standing at his throne with a smirk.

"GO PAST THE GATES AND FIND ME THOSE OTHER STONES! SHAFIRA SHALL RISE ONCE MORE!"

 

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Listening in intently, Saleh picked up how Rye had come about attaining his stone. As soon as Preia had begun to talk, he could already assume what she would say, for he already knew the story behind it.

 

Rye turned his head to look at the heart stone again, dangling on his shoulder.

"Tell me," he began. "How do you know so much? What kind of powers do these stones possess? There's so many questions running through my head right now and you're telling us to risk our lives to gather more? Why were we chosen?"

 

"I know so much because I have long been the keeper of the legends," the gypsy replied, "the stones hold certain powers relating to their elements, and fate chose you. That is the only explanation."

Rye looked at Preia and then at the Gypsy. In a softer voice he said, "She's just a young, innocent girl. She doesn't deserve to go through all this."

He didn't mind putting his life on the line to save the people of Gaia and Fayrie, but he didn't want to see such a young, gentle girl in the same situation.

 

Hearing Rye's words, Preia whirled on the male, her eyebrows creased.

"I'm not as young as you might think, Rye Netherdrake!" she huffed, crossing her arms and looking away, blushing slightly at her out burst. "I was chosen just as you were; if it wasn't meant to be, Uncle Zephyr never would've given me the stone. I can fend for myself, and besides, I'm not leaving you to do it all by yourself," glancing up at the taller man, Preia turned pink again.

"Despite what you want, we're in this together now."

 

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Beyond that wood, Young Mistress, Exosivian whispered mentally. I feel the one you look for there. Aceline pet Exosivian's scales and urged her to fly faster. Exosivian was right; even she could feel the familiar surge of energy Preia emitted. What made her eyes narrow; however, were the several floating energies that surrounded her. Those energies...

As she felt an energy come and burst forth to her right, her head turned quickly. Her eyes widened then at the sight of the marvelous dragon before her, and even more at the dragon's rider. "Z--Zephyr!?"

The general beside her smirked. "Aceline."

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That woman. Her dragon knows where Preia is, Zephyr, Svinsahdra murmured rapidly to Zephyr as they landed next to Aceline gracefully. Is it safe to question your... 'niece's' whereabouts and discuss within this forest... where there is a possibility of demons lurking around and searching for Alexavier?

As long as I am around, I will never give up Alexavier, said Zephyr proudly. To Aceline, he said, "Svinsahdra tells me you know where Preia is, General?"

Aceline looked very surprised as she muttered clumsily, "R--right above your... Cavern of Myths, Zephyr."

"Then take flight with me and Svinsahdra, Aceline!" Without any warning, Svinsahdra's wings beat on the ground heavily, the wind surrounding her despite the clear, open sky, and sped hastily towards the direction of the Cavern. Aceline, nearly shocked speechless, could do nothing but follow with her dragon.

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"Stop here," commanded Aceline. "Her energy is strongest below here."

Zephyr nodded at Aceline, who, in turn, called her dragon back into her weapons. Zephyr called his own dragon back into his sword, and alighted in front of an old hut. He immediately recognized Preia's voice within the hut, and he opened the door to find his 'niece', along with several others. "Would someone care to explain what's going on?"

 

Zephyr unsheathed his sword, and his Wind Stone.

"I wondered if you were talking about these precious jewels," said Zephyr to the old gypsy woman, referring to Alexavier's Wind Stone, the sword humming. "Would you care to explain what you wish to do with these... other than resurrect Lady Etaine?"

 

Preia had jumped when her 'uncle' had first entered the room, immensely surprised to see him. But now, as he held his sword out to the gypsy, she was just confused.

"Aye, tis the wind heart stone. So you be the one it hid with, General Zephyr." The gypsy smiled, then laughed before turning sober. "Listen carefully, ye generals. Young Miss Preia is the holder of the light stone, though I'm sure you both know it, and Mister Rye Netherdrake here possesses the lightning stone. Besides needing to resurrect Etaine, demons be after the stones as well, and ye need to protect the stones from 'em."

Preia turned and walked over to Zephyr, looking up at him. "Its true uncle Zephyr, demons are after them. They attacked us in Gaia and tried to take the stones from me and Rye."

 

"Had I not known that, madam, I would not have had Svinsahdra to protect it," Zephyr responded.

 

"After Lady Etaine had been sealed, and when I had reached my status - usually, most wielders of the Stone should feel it - I felt the stone enter Alexavier, which had just been handed to me. I had been overwhelmed with the strength it provided me; to control Svinsahdra, my little hatchling of a dragon, and to control Wind, my strongest element apart from Ice. Why else would she have been born a Bronzephire dragon?"

 

He paused in revealing the story of his Wind Stone, looking Preia, the gypsy, and then Aceline in the eye one after the other. "Just to let you know, bearing the burden of these Stones is not easy. Preia, I'm sure you haven't felt it yet, the challenges that shall and will undergo. I'm surprised that the Stone didn't question your authority when I had Ronin give it to you. In fact," and here he paused to chuckle at a memory, "it nearly burned your father's hand when he touched the gem!"

He swept Preia in a hug, and then stepped outside with Aceline after letting go. He left the door open, however: "You'll never know," he said with a smile. "Those demons might lurk in this forest as well. Not even Avalon is impenetrable."

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Aceline listened to Zephyr's reminiscent speech thoroughly. If what he said was true, then the demons that had attacked Gaia before they came to Fayrie were no joke. The stones were definitely important, and now that there were three of the precious gems in one section of the Forest of Avalon, she feared the coming of the monsters. She felt relieved when Zephyr offered to guard the hut - with the door left open, just to make sure that those inside were safe. Her head upturned in surprise, however, when she heard and saw the roaring flames of fire, and the smoke rising up.

"Z--Zephyr!" she called worriedly. She pointed off to where the sun was setting, and Zephyr turned west.

"Svinsahdra!" Zephyr called frantically. "Svin! Help me!"

Aceline was summoning her dragon as well as soon as she fled back inside the house. "Exosivian! Preia, madam gypsy, everyone - get out of there!"

Zephyr commanded Svinsahdra as he raised his hand. "Frozen Dome!"

The others watched as a large dome of ice built itself around the fire. However, it was quickly broken by another blast of strong fire...

...Vikirnoff had arrived.

 

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Dragons and heart stones and demons, oh my! XD The beginning of the action; lets see what'll happen!

 

Amariahellcat

 

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*grins* Finally, some action! (on my behalf… *cough*) Anyway, you know the drill.

 

With my (whatever's left),

 

I remain,

 

Snowy