Fan Fiction ❯ Blade of the Slayer: Three Warriors ❯ The Soldier ( Chapter 4 )

Blade of the Slayer

Chapter 4: The Soldier

After exercising, fencing, and a tune up, there was nothing left for me to do except sit around the base and go crazy with Ayla's Playstation games. She didn't have many games, and they were mostly role-playing games that she filled up all the save spots. It ticked me off, but I played the games anyway. I was bored, and I needed to get some stuff out of my mind.

I was getting used to the fact that I was an android, but trying to forget about my false memories was hard and painful. When I would miss my mom, dad, or friends, I reminded myself that they didn't exist. I fought back urges to get up early and get ready to go to class, because I didn't have a class to go to, and I never did. I sometimes thought about giving some of my friends a call, I had their phone numbers and I could, but they didn't know who I was. They never met me. I didn't exist in human society.

"Can you erase my memories?" I asked Ayla as she walked by me. I was pawing the Playstation controller, trying to win a battle I got caught in.

"Why would you want your memories erased?" she asked me with concern.

"Cause they aren't mine." I argued, fiercely tapping buttons with my thumb. "Cause they never happened. I want them gone." Ayla sat down next to me, and glanced at my face. I couldn't turn to look at her; I was busy playing.

"Those memories are there to remind you why we're fighting the dragonoids. They'll also be references."

"References?!" I growled because I was losing my game.

"When the dragonoids are dead, you'll get to live your own life, and do whatever you want. Move out, get a job, get married, whatever. Those memories provide the knowledge and skills you need to live a life."

"I'm not so sure about that. I'll bet you…AW, SON OF A BITCH!" I yelled as all my characters died and "Game Over" appeared on the screen. I threw the game controller to the ground and huffed angrily. "Damn that swamp snake thingie! That's the fifth time!"

"I didn't think Final Fantasy VII would be so hard for you." Ayla half-frowned. "The main characters a swordsman."

"Yeah, but he's not an android." I groaned, turning off the Playstation. "And his life's not as screwed up as mine."

"Nope." Ayla agreed. "His life is worse."

I could only smile at that. No one's life was worse than mine was.

***

"Another target, girls." The old man informed. "I've traced a dragonoid who's masquerading as a five year old. He's in Beach Town."

"That's pretty close." Ayla bit her lip.

"A five year old?" I wondered. "How could a 7-foot-tall dragonoid disguise itself as a five year old?"

"It must either be a child or a midget." Ayla shrugged.

"Plus, it's a die hard." The old man continued. "Tattooed forehead, relatively easy to spot." He put a hand on the hilt of his sword." I should go with you this time."

"I welcome the help." I nodded, remembering the last mission I went on. He had saved my life.

***

Caped in my black trenchcoat, I walked along the somewhat bustling streets of Beach Town. I had scanned the city twice, and there was no sign of a five-year-old kid with the dragonoid Royal Seal on his/her forehead. I had been looking for hours, and the trail was frozen cold.

Suddenly, my cell phone rang. I didn't hesitate to flip it open and push the talk button.

"What did you find?" I asked urgently.

"Ayla and I have a lead." The old man whispered in a hushed voice. He spoke so quietly, I had to turn up the volume. "The boardwalk is absolutely deserted, and it's not closed. Anyone who goes inside doesn't come back out."

"So where are you two?"

"Across the street from the entrance. We're waiting for you before we go in."

"Okay, I'm coming." I informed, hanging up.

***

The boardwalk looked alright from the outside the gate, but there was absolutely no one in there. The three of us walked in and saw why. The cement walkway was covered in blood shredded clothes, and the wooden piers were smashed in. If anyone escaped from the dragonoid, they were probably thrown into the ocean below, left for the riptides and sharks.

"It was a massacre." I evaluated.

"And what a place for one." Ayla sighed. "That monster must have been a kid in a candy store."

"I can't believe this." I growled, clutching a fist. "These people never had a chance." Ayla looked at me.

"Clara, tell me why you say this?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Tell me why you're upset about the deaths of these people." She pressed. I wasn't sure what she was trying to pull, but I answered the best I could.

"Well, none of these people deserved this. They were innocent. They had many more years to live."

"Think back to your memories." Ayla urged. "What do you see?" I thought back through the main points of my life: growing up, school, prom, graduation, and college. They seemed to go by so quickly.

"I see one of many lives, " I answered, "ruined by the dragonoids."

"You understand how important life is." Ayla pointed out. "You were created to destroy dragonoids. Uncle Magus and I realized that you needed a bigger purpose than that, or else your impulse to kill and destroy would get out of control…and cost human lives. The false memories you have are the only restraints of this impulse. Without them, you would never know what life is, and you would become a heartless murderer, spilling human blood left and right."

"I see." I nodded sadly.

"I know they hurt," Ayla sympathized, putting a hand on my shoulder, "but the sooner you complete you mission, the sooner you can get your own life."

"Thanks Ayla." I smiled at my friend. "Okay, okay, I don't want my memories erased anymore."

"Oh, is that what this is all about?" Magus butted in. "Well, let's worry about that later. We better look around."

***

Although we would have covered more ground by splitting up, we stuck together so that we could stay alive. We checked everywhere we could for any sign of the monster's whereabouts.

Nothing.

"I'm amazed that all the buildings and rides are intact." I pointed out. "They're virtually untouched."

"He only wanted to destroy humans, not buildings. A cunning, systematic killer." Magus theorized. "Probably attacks from behind." Ayla and I quickly turned around with a frightened gasp. "Don't get so tense, girls. There's only two hours left until nightfall. We shouldn't be in any danger."

"We should find him in two hours." I nodded.

***

We didn't.

"He's a good hider." I sighed as the three of us sat on a bench to rest. "Hey, don't I have anything that can track down the dragonoids, do I?"

"No." Ayla and the old man answered.

"So now what?"

"Well," Magus thought, looking up at the stars in the sky, "if we can't find him, then he'll come looking for us."

"I don't know about that plan, old man." I disapproved. "The last time I tried that, I got my arm bitten off."

"This time, you will know better." The old man advised. "Keep an eye on your back, and always face your enemy. Right?"

"Right." I nodded.

Suddenly, we heard crying. It sounded like the bawling of a baby. I stood up, and looked around. It sounded close by.

"The dragonoid." The old man growled, standing up with me. "Let's go."

***

The cries came from a walk-in spook house just across from us. I went in first, Ayla went after me, and Magus took up the rear. I didn't have to go in far to find the source of the crying. The shadows from an ultraviolet light hid an infant child. I cautiously walked towards it. The old man said it was a dragonoid, but my doubts were high. I crouched down to it, and stroked its small head.

"It's a newborn baby." I reported, kneeling by the tiny thing. It seemed to be naked, and wrapped in rags. There wasn't a scratch on it. "Its mother might have hidden it from the dragonoid."

"Awww…" Ayla sympathized sadly.

" 'Awww' nothing." The old man spat. "Clara, bring it here. I want to see it for myself."

"Okay." I complied, carefully picking up the baby. Shifting it carefully so that it was lying in my arms, I walked through the ultraviolet beam of light to get to Magus and Ayla. Suddenly, a flash of black on the corner of my eye stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked, and my eyes brought me to the baby's forehead. The light revealed a tattoo…of an entertwining knot shaped and spaced like a triangle. It was the dragonoid Royal Seal. "Uh…guys…"

"I knew it!" Magus blurted, pulling out his sword fiercely. "Clara, drop it! Quick!" Faster than my mechanical reflexes, the newborn suddenly sprouted teeth, and bit my neck. Suddenly, I was heaved against a wall, and pinned by the arms. I didn't even have time to scream.

Suddenly, I heard a sword blade stick into flesh, and the force pinning me shrieked, making the grip on my neck release. I moved my head to see what had a hold of me. The baby in my arms had somehow changed into a full sized dragonoid. Before I could beat myself up trying to figure it out, the dragonoid released my arms, and turned towards Magus as he pulled out the blade of his sword.

"The human vermin sends a machine to do all the fighting." It thrummed. "Typical, lazy…unoriginal."

"Don't you 'typical' me." I warned, taking out my sword and pressing the edge of the blade to his throat. "State your name and number."

"Why?" he questioned me, throwing me an unconcerned look, "Are you cataloging us, hunter? Are you using our heads for trophies? I will never give you my name, but my number is 60."

"Then tell me this:" I demanded, "how did you change your form so quickly? And from something that small?" The dragonoid flashed me a toothy grin.

"You don't know? Then I shall never tell you."

"You had better start talking," I threatened angrily, shoving the blade against his bulletproof skin, "cause your last words count."

"How's this for last words:" he offered calmly, "You may spill my blood, and take my life away, but you will never unlock my secrets."

"Paris!" the old man called me with my robot name. "Stop this! It'll get you nowhere! Kill him before it's too late!"

"I've got to get his name…" I growled.

"Look out!"

Too slow and too late.

I felt his tail slam into my back, and I fell away from him and landed on my stomach by Magus's feet. I flipped myself up to my feet, and pointed my sword at my mysterious enemy. He just spread his feet and four arms, and lowered his head. He was ready for battle.

Suddenly, it struck me.

"Hey, old man." I began over my shoulder. "Tell me something. You said the dragonoid was in the guise of a five-year-old child, and this one was in a newborn baby form. What the hell is going on here?"

"Either he's a shapeshifter," the old man explained, "which I doubt because they're all extinct, or…" he suddenly froze in fear of his second notion.

Suddenly, the wall behind us rumbled and crumbled away with a loud crash. I heard the roar of a dragonoid, and I spun towards the falling wall. I looked between the falling wall, and where the targeted dragonoid was standing, and screamed out Magus's second explanation:

"THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!"

***

We were forced to retreat, since the entire spook house was caving in. We got out just in time as the entire building collapsed like a house of cards, only louder. The two dragonoids easily dug themselves out of the debris, and walked towards us. The three of us pointed our swords at our slowly approaching attackers, hoping that we had safety in numbers.

I recalculated the odds. Both dragonoids were exactly alike, in strength and in looks. I figured that we, the good guys, outnumbered them, but the dragonoids outmatched us. Therefore, the good guys were going to lose.

"We can't fight them." I announced to Ayla and Magus. "It's too risky. We should run away."

"No." Ayla shook her head. "We can beat them. Dragonoids are stupid by nature, they'll make a mistake and we'll slit their throats."

"We heard that, lazy apes." Both dragonoids snarled in unison. "Allow us to prove you wrong."

"Bring it on!" Ayla dared. I prepared for a losing battle, and so did the old man. Now we had no choice but to fight. Both dragonoids jumped at us, but suddenly…

…a ninja star spun from out of nowhere and struck the second dragonoid in the head. Unbelievably, the dragonoid disappeared like a bad dream. It just vanished into thin air. The original dragonoid skidded on his feet to a stop, and propped himself up with one arm to look for the source of the star. Still in shock, I looked in the direction the star was pointing. On the bench where we were last sitting was a young man with long black hair, dressed in a tight black robe with a red sash tied around his waist. He looked Asian.

"What happened?" the dragonoid wondered.

"I happened, that's what." The man answered sternly. "Your soldier illusion tricks won't work on me. I know them all."

"Who the hell is that?" Ayla demanded herself. Magus shook his head in uncertainty. I stared in awe, I felt as though I knew him. The man drew a sword from a shieth on his back. It was a long, curved blade of a ninja or a samurai, I'm not too good with Asian styles. He looked at me with some sort of expectation.

"And what are you waiting for?" he asked me. Suddenly, it became clear what he wanted me to do. I turned to the dragonoid and I attacked. While his attention was fixed on the stranger, I swung my sword and chopped into his neck. I didn't slice his head off, but he screamed, and blood squirted out of his mouth. Hoping for better luck, I yanked my sword free of his flesh, and spun on the ball of my foot. The blade sank into flesh again, but I still didn't slice his head off. He started to topple foreword, so I freed my sword and leapt out of his way. He fell with a loud crash, and blood dripped out of his mouth. I stepped up to his head, and pointed the tip of my blade at the top of his skull.

"You might as well tell me your name now." I ordered. "Tell me before you die!" He shifted his head slightly to look at me with one eye, then he grinned.

"Never." He refused. "You have won this battle, hunter…" He parted his jaws, and a thick purple smoke blew out of his throat. I ignored it.

"But?" I prompted him to continue.

"Take my advice:" he began to cackle as the purple smoke enveloped him, "if you start a war against the dragonoids, you will lose!"

"He's getting away!" the mysterious man exclaimed in alarm. He jumped off the bench and up what seemed to be a hundred feet in the air. Raising his sword over his head, he dropped down into the smoke, causing it to disperse into thin clouds. When the smoke cleared, the stranger had struck only pavement, and the dragonoid was gone. "Damn you!" he yelled at me, "How could you let him escape?!"

"How was I suppost to know he'd do that?" I argued. The stranger glared at me so hard he could have shattered marble. He turned on his heel and ran away. "Hey wait!" I called after him. He didn't answer, he just kept running until he turned a corner and vanished from view. "Who are you?" I called to him, attempting to run after him.

No answer.