Desert Dragon

by Michael Rogers

  Sofia: "Hahehahe."

  Twortz: "And what's with your obsession with me?"

  Sofia: "You're a new player to the field." *She leant over Twortz's shoulder and smelt her neck.* "And you seem to skip past the levels."

  Twortz: *She nudged Sofia back.* "And you're really weird."

  Sofia: "Hahehahe." *She shrugged her shoulders, as if she didn't care.*

  Twortz: "These Unknown Territories, I've never seen the Consultants act so serious about something in all my time being a warrior. What is so special about them?"

  Sofia: "You think I would know? I'm just the number four ranked in the warriors?"

  Twortz: "..."

  Sofia: *She giggled and glanced at ten with her cold silver eyes, ensuring she wasn't listening.* "Well, good luck on your special sidequest, hahehahe." *She licked her lips and casually started to walk out of the room.*

  Twortz: (Weird-) *She paused in thought as Sofia flashstepped out of her sight.* (PKMY, I'm drawing closer and closer to executing my revenge.)

  *Twortz focused back on to the screen and watched red laser-like lines cross over each other, as they scanned blocks of an enormous continent.*

  Chapter 3: Guild's Request

  *Ginger leant over a polished, well maintained wooden bridge, which arched over a small lake.*

  Ginger: "Niklauseh.." *She whispered on her breath and stared at the running water, watching it glisten in between its magnificent stone prison.*

  *Thick cherry blossom trees filled the village with a vibrant pink colour, which complimented the expensive-looking gardens that mazed around foreign-like houses and pathways.*

  Ginger: *She glanced at her arm and noticed several blank spaces on her skin, triggering a flashback of her using the Rostical on Klaus.* (Ey, Niklauseh.. You aren't the only person that is hurting-)

  *A distinctive sound of bamboo hitting solid rock could be heard, causing Ginger to snap out of her train of thought.*

  Ginger: *She gracefully spun to the side and walked across the bridge, listening to the running water splash underneath it.* "If I-"

  *A woman sitting in a wooden wheelchair pushed herself across a polished wooden veranda, focusing her attention on Ginger.*

  ?????: "Ginger?" *She shouted out to Ginger while keeping her hands on the wheels.*

  Ginger: *She quickly looked to the side, staring at the woman in the wheelchair.* "Ey, Arcadia?"

  Arcadia: "What are thou doing out here?" *She noticed the damages on Ginger's face, causing her to wheel closer.* "What happened?"

  Ginger: *She walked around an expensive looking garden and towards the house, listening to the bamboo hit the rock again.* "Ey, Arcadia, that is not relevant."

  Arcadia: "It must be relevant enough if thou have chosen to seek refuge in Sakura Village."

  Ginger: *She looked up to the top of the wooden houses and admired their unusual and spectacular designs, which would give a visitor a strong foreign-like feeling.* "Perhaps I do not desire the restrictions under the ruler's order?"

  Arcadia: "Thy don't understand?"

  Ginger: *She squinted her eyes, watching pink leaves blow in the wind past her.* "If I stop brother's persistent dream, then he'll have nothing to chase after."

  Arcadia: "That makes no sense?"

  Ginger: *She stepped onto the wooden veranda, causing Arcadia to swivel the wheelchair around.* "If I beat Niklauseh in what he hopes to do, then he'll give back the planet-... It's only logical-"

  Arcadia: *She gasped with widening eyes.* "Thou mean to tell me, he has stolen the planet's Aurorions?!"

  Ginger: *She stopped in front of a green door with red flames engraved on it.* "Yes." *She touched the red markings, causing the door to burst into flames.*

  Arcadia: "Thy will need to inform The Wise immediately-"

  Ginger: "I would prefer if you didn't, ey Arcadia." *She watched the flames extinguish, allowing her to step into the house.*

  Arcadia: "This goes far beyond us, Ginger!" *She quickly wheeled into the house, causing a wave of flames to close the door behind her.*

  Ginger: "If you contact The Wise, they will send out The Sacred Knights."

  Arcadia: *She frowned with gritted teeth.* "Thy'm sorry, Ginger. Thy must do my duty as the Diareamer.."

  Ginger: "Yeoshh." *She frowned in disagreement and pushed opened a mat-like curtain, revealing a hidden room.*

  Arcadia: "They must know of this." *She watched Ginger lay on one of the many silk-like mattresses which were placed across the room.* "What are thou-?"

  Ginger: "Tell the winged beings-"

  Arcadia: "But?" *She sounded confused, wheeling by the bed Ginger rested on.*

  Ginger: "Take me with you." *She spoke in a stern-like manner and closed her eyes.*

  Arcadia: (So quick.. She knew thy could not betray The Wise, so she quickly compromised and-)

  Ginger: "Please respond?" *She spoke in a calm and relaxed tone, keeping her eyes closed.*

  Arcadia: "Hmph." *She smirked and closed her hazel and red eyes.* "Entering the dream state-"

  ----------

  *Trevour and Rachael ran through a grey rocky terrain, watching clouds sway across the sky.*

  Rachael: "Whereabouts are we?"

  Trevour: *He looked up.* "In a strange Spacial Funnel inside The Twilight Forest, boss."

  Rachael: *She smiled in response, before focusing back on her surroundings.* "You sure you know which Scoldrant drops the item?"

  Trevour: "Sure do! Heh heh." *He looked at Rachael with a smile and stepped over small pebbles, causing his armour to rattle.*

  Rachael: "I wonder how the others are going?"

  Trevour: *He enthusiastically nodded his head.* "My thoughts exactly, boss! We finally gather as a guild after those few years of training, and now we're back to our separate ways."

  Rachael: *She smiled again and noticed a large rock pillar blocking the small rocky path they ran across.* "Hehe, it won't be for long."

  Trevour: "I fear you're not wrong."

  Rachael: "Rock Pillar." *She punched to the side, causing the large rock pillar to crumble to one side.*

  Trevour: "Fantastic work, boss!"

  Rachael: "Hehe, thanks!"

  ----------

  Nathan: *He walked along a rocky ledge with his hands on his head.* "Why did I get stuck on this guild request?" *He spoke in a bored-like manner and stared at Luna and Karol's backs.*

  Luna: "This wasn't my ideal party either, dickhead."

  Nathan: "Okay.." *He spoke on his breath and looked up to the clear blue sky, as if he didn't care.*

  Karol: "We're not a party, we're a guild!" *He folded his arms and pouted, glancing at Luna.*

  Luna: "Wat's the difference? Same thing, aye?"

  Destiny: "Yeup?" *She meowed in agreement.*

  Karol: "Stahp!" *He covered his ears, implying he didn't want to hear Luna.*

  Nathan: "A party is the word used to describe a bunch of people-"

  Luna: "Usually involvin' alcohol and other stuff."

  Nathan: "What?"

  Luna: "Been to some crazy parties."

  Destiny: "Yeup?" *She meowed in confusion.*

  Nathan: "So.. A guild is much more than a group of people. It's about caring for those in your guild like they're your family."

  Luna: "Pssht, that's corny as shit."

  Karol: "It's trew!" *He looked at Luna as he continued to walk with them along the edge of a massive cliff.*

  Nathan: "You can join a party of strangers, you can even join the enemy's party, but a guild-"

  Luna: "OK, OK, I think I get it, aye."

  Karol: "Nee hee." *He smiled as if he was happy Luna understood what it meant to be in a guild.*

  Luna: "Still think it's lame, though." (But I'm grateful to know now.)

  Destiny: "Yeup." *She meowed in agreement, as if she knew what Luna thought to herself.*

  Nathan: "Man-" *He sighed and closed his eyes.* "I really wanted to pick the other quest."

  Karol:
"Nowh-" *He shook his head in disagreement.* "Waichael and Twevour's mission is in a rocky rev-rev-reveen and their Remenistal works great there."

  Nathan: *He opened his eyes and sighed again.* "But to rescue an animal from the top of a tree.."

  Luna: "Even though I agree, we already had this talk back in the city, aye. Besides, I thought you'd be all keen to save your little zoo animals."

  Nathan: "Yeah, that's why I chose to protect you."

  Luna: "Aha-" *She turned around and punched Nathan on the arm.* "You got me there."

  Nathan: "I know we already talked about this, but I can still complain about it, right?"

  Karol: "A wreal man doesn't complain about things."

  Luna: "Aha, he gotcha there."

  Nathan: "Hmph." *He mumbled with half a smirk and started to walk ahead.* "Let's go then!"

  ----------

  *Lezard sat on the outside of a circular table in the middle of a peaceful grassy meadow.*

  Grey: *He sat in his royal looking chair on top of a floating red glyph in the middle of the circular table.* "This is very, very concerning."

  Lezard: "I know."

  Grey: *He looked at Lezard in a worried-like manner.* "Is that all that happened?"

  Lezard: "That's all. He noticed the grass and said he failed, the Aurorions."

  Grey: "I see." *He mumbled in deep thought and concern.*

  Lezard: "Your majesty?"

  Grey: "Yes?"

  Lezard: "Is it as bad as I think it is?"

  Grey: "I'm not sure."

  Lezard: "Please.." *He looked down and tightly held his hands together.*

  Grey: "Yoh?" *He looked at Lezard in a curious-like manner.*

  Lezard: "Father monster.. He's a very busy fellow-"

  Grey: "Are you to imply I am not? Please respond."

  Lezard: "That's certainly not what I meant.. Let's face it-" *He looked up and smiled with slight sadness.* "I'm really annoying."

  Grey: "..."

  Lezard: "As much as I love my parents, I'm sure I'd get really annoying at times, so.. I don't want to bother him if it's not urgent."

  Grey: (So that's why-)

  Lezard: "If there's anyone that can help you, it's father monster.. With your permission, I'd like to see him."

  Grey: *He stared at Lezard and triggered flashbacks of Niklauseh and Ginger.* ".. I grant you permission."

  Lezard: "You-?" *He paused in confusion, as if he wasn't expecting permission so easily.* "Thankies! Many thankies!"

  Grey: "Head down to the research facility, Dawn will start tracking your Neuron signature."

  Lezard: "Flaming fish-cakes! That easy?"

  Grey: *He shook his head, as the glyph underneath him started to turn away.* "That's if he's not hiding his presence."

  Lezard: "One last thing, your majesty."

  Grey: *He glanced at Lezard, queuing the glyph to stop moving.* "Make it quick, I have a lot of research to do myself now."

  Lezard: "What are Aurorions?"

  Grey: *He purposely looked away with widening eyes.* "The strongest power."

  Lezard: "The strongest power?"

  Grey: "It's too early to explain such things."

  Lezard: "We're on the same side-"

  Grey: "The planet's Aurorions... To do something so far.. Am I a bad parent?" *He suddenly disappeared in a flash of purple light.*

  Lezard: *He paused and observed the empty meadow.* ".. He has children?"

  *Lezard hopped off the seat and started to walk away from the table.*

  Lezard: "Whatever these Aurorions are, father will know." *His image faded and rippled into the air, as he suddenly stepped into a large castle-like hallway.*

  *Lezard scanned the underground castle and sighed, as if he didn't want to walk anymore.*

  Lezard: "Lezard watched tubes of water swirl along the ceiling, as he made his way through the very expensive-..."

  *Lezard stopped in mid-sentence and thought to himself in realisation, as he continued to hobble down the hallway.*

  Lezard: "We have information, but why am I so sad?"

  ----------

  *Rachael and Trevour walked across the top of a large cliff on the side of a gigantic rocky spire.*

  Rachael: "This is as far as we can go-"

  *A small grey, wolf-like Scoldrant jumped on top of a pillar and looked down, growling at Rachael and Trevour.*

  Trevour: *He enthusiastically gasped with a smile and looked up.* "That's it, boss!"

  Rachael: "Alright!" *She punched her fists together and stood in a battle-ready pose.*

  Trevour: *He stood by Rachael's side and smiled, watching wolf-like Scoldrants appear all around them.* "This is a large pack, it could get temperamental."

  Rachael: "Hehe-, Piercing Land." *She kicked the ground, causing two dagger-shaped rocks to spiral next to her face.*

  Trevour: "Let's do this, boss!"

  Scoldrant: "Gerooo!" *It pounced off the rock pillar and sprinted towards Rachael.*

  Rachael: "Animals in this world are different-" *She spun around and dropped close to the ground, slashing one of the daggers through the wolf's neck.*

  Scoldrant: "Yeorp-" *It yelped and slid on its side past Rachael across the ground, lying motionless behind her.*

  Rachael: "Hehe-" *She spiralled back up and stabbed one of the daggers into a leaping Scoldrant, elegantly kicking it off the cliff.*

  Trevour: "DIRTCLOUD TALONS" *He spread his arms, causing strings of dirt to spiral out of his nails and towards a group of Scoldrants.*

  *The pack of Scoldrants quickly leapt in different directions, avoiding the exploding dirt strings.*

  Trevour: *He smiled and stepped to the side, back to back with Rachael.* "Different from your world? How so?"

  Rachael: "These are canines, but we treat them like rodents."

  Trevour: "Heh heh, these are Scoldrants that damage crops and kill off livestock-"

  Rachael: *She kicked the ground, causing a rock pillar to shoot up and stab a wolf through its entire body.* "I see-"

  Trevour: "I certainly hope you can, boss!" *He nudged his shoulder and knocked a leaping Scoldrant to the side.* "Heh heh, I'm only joking of course!"

  Rachael: *She smiled and punched a Scoldrant across the face, listening to its skull crack.* (That recoil feeling I get from my punches became almost non-existent in the past year or so-)

  *Rachael looked back and quickly elbowed behind her, cracking a Scoldrant's neck.*

  Rachael: *She turned around and watched the dead Scoldrants suddenly puff into tiny white orbs.* "How come these enemies turn into Roharnia? I thought people only did when they had a high level of Neurons."

  Trevour: "You're right, boss, but-" *He placed both hands on the ground, causing the rock to suddenly swirl into visible sand around him.*

  Scoldrant: "Geroo-" *It howled in defeat as it sunk into the sand.*

  Trevour: "These Scoldrants may not have significant Neurons, but in the manner they are born-"

  Rachael: "Behind you!-" *She threw the dagger past Trevour and into a pouncing Scoldrant in between the eyes.*

  Trevour: *He swayed to the side, watching the Scoldrant burst into tiny white orbs past him.* "Wow, that was lucky! Much appreciated, boss!"

  Rachael: "In what manner were they born?"

  Trevour: "It's how these Scoldrants became pests in the first place."

  Rachael: "And that is?"

  Trevour: "Is by how fast they reproduce-"

  Rachael: "Rock Pillar." *She bent her knees and punched to the side, pinning a Scoldrant against a wall.*

  Trevour: "The parents gather all their life Neurons and within a span of thirty minutes, reproduce thirty to forty spawns."

  *Trevour quickly punched downwards and upwards, causing a swirling wall of dirt to blast eight Scoldrants into the air.*

  Trevour: "DUST STORM"

  Rachael: "That doesn't seem right-" *She back flipped and rolled across the ground, allowing her to uppercut a Scoldrant in the th
roat.*

  Trevour: "By using their life Neurons, they can obtain a power they usually can't access. Of course, by doing this, the parents die."

  Rachael: *She watched the Scoldrants burst into tiny white orbs.* "It makes sense." *She raised her fists close to her face, readying herself for another attack.*

  Trevour: "Regardless, I think it's time we got serious."

  Rachael: "Hehe, how'd you know?"

  Trevour: "We've been training for almost three years, boss. It's something you pick up on."

  Rachael: "Alright, let's do this."

  Trevour: "Speaking of the training.. I also got an idea from you, too."

  Rachael: "Hey?" *She looked back, smiling with anticipation.*

  Trevour: *He ignored the growing pack around him.* "I taught you how to use a sand based Azure Burst, well, you unintentionally taught me how to manipulate my element as a weapon."

  Rachael: *She looked at her left hand, staring at a blood-covered rock dagger.* "Yeah?"

  Trevour: *He raised one hand up, causing two streams of sand to spiral up his arm.* "Temperamental sands, crush! SAND HAMMER"

  *Trevour jumped forward and watched a massive hammer made of sand block out the light around him.*

  Rachael: (The hammer's head is as big as his entire body!-)

  Trevour: "Feel my sturdiness!" *He shouted in determination and slammed the hammer on a pack of unsuspecting Scoldrants, listening to their bones crack in the exploding sand.*

  Rachael: "Wicked!" *She chuckled and focused her attention on several pouncing Scoldrants.*

  ----------

  *Nathan, Luna and Karol gathered around a large tree and observed the area around them.*

  Luna: "I don't get it, isn't this where we're meant to be?"

  Karol: "Y-Yheah!" *He touched the tree and looked confused.*

  Nathan: (We're meant to meet our client here, showing the way to his trapped Scoldrant-)

  *A man stumbled out from behind a nearby tree, happy to see the guild.*

  Man: "Thank the Astragons, you're here!"

  Luna: *She glanced to each side.* "Obviously."

  Man: *He noticed Luna's eyes.* "You're blind?"

  Luna: "Yet, I can still see more than you, aye."

  Destiny: "Yeup."

  Man: "How-?"

  Nathan: "About the request-" *He took a step forward, purposely interrupting.* "Where-?"