The setting was perfect for ominous happenings and disturbances. What with the clouds swirling black as pitch in an equally dark starless sky, and lightening striking in jagged streaks of blue white light to a scorched dead earth. Indefinitely, this was the place for bad dealings.
An impenetrable fortress had been situated in the middle of this cursed land, built like a mammoth claw with five defined spires reaching up towards the foreboding heavens. Raw,uncontrolled power radiated from the structure.
A pair of enormous doors had been opened wide, enabling themselves to swallow any one fool enough to enter.
Directly beyond the doors was a tremendous hall, decked with a variety of weapons along the walls, themselves done in some sort of sea green, marbled rock. All of which was softly lit by glowing fires concealed within eight gargoyle heads protruding from the walls, four to each side.
The illumination of flame flickered and shone in place of their eyes. From their gaping jaws flowed water, coming down in rich and steady falls. Plunging to the floor where the water collected. The architect of this habitation had purposely cut out parts of the floor for the water to pool up in and recede to elsewhere beneath the marble tiles. The artistry of it all was to simply have no borders between the tiles and the water. This did lead to some matter of spillage, but it was surprisingly minimal. Now, to the front of the hall was the most impressive of the sites. A massive dragon constructed completely out of stone, was positioned at the back of a raised floor. The creature had been so carefully and precisely manufactured with every detail included, that it looked all too real to the darting eye. It had been made to be in a lying type pose, it's grand forelegs stretched out in front of it, its tail curled around and cascaded down the small number stairs leading up to the stage. Its impressive head was bowed, touching its plated chest, giving it an overall appearance of being in a state of deep slumber.
Set before the sleeping dragon was a raised slab. It was rather plain in design, with no distinct markings of any sort. Around the base of the slab the floor had been opened up, the pillar in which the block rested on, lead down into a pit of gaping darkness. Fastened to the slab was a girl, who struggled while a man stood over her.
The girl was young, she looked no more than twelve years of age. Her clear blue eyes sparkled with tears and absolute fear. She stared up at the man, pleading with him to release her. The man was also young, although he appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He wore a strange gold pendent with several emeralds crafted into it and was dressed in long, white, priestly robes, somewhat unfitting for the setting the two of them were surrounded by.
The man looked down at the girl, his face genuinely sad and mixed with regret. He placed a hand to her pale forehead, brushing a lock of blonde hair from her face. He smiled remorsefully down at her. Then he turned away, and picked up a long jeweled dagger.
The girl gasped sharply, "No! Please! Let me go!" she screamed, and continued to struggle against her bonds.
The man placed his hand to her forehead again, "Hush now." he cooed, "This is for the betterment of all mankind."
"No, no, it's not! I don't know what you're doing, but it's not!"
He smiled gently, "Please, think of yourself as the one who shall go on to save the world."
"No! I don't want to. Choose some one else!"
"Shh, you are the one best suited for this. Have no fear, it shall be over soon."
The girl cried out and fought as best she could. But the restraints holding her down were too strong and held fast. The man frowned and looked down at her again. Their eyes met and the girl stopped, feeling a slight amount of hope go through her as she gazed into his soft brown eyes. They were so full of caring and suffering that the girl clung to the chance that he maybe reconsidering his action. A small smile came over her face and she opened her mouth to speak to him.
Her smile abruptly vanished as she felt a sharp pain strike her chest. Craning her neck she could see the dagger stabbed within her. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but looking up at him again, she could see that his eyes had closed, keeping in tears that just barely escaped his shut lashes.
The man then twisted the dagger while it was still within the girl. She let out a choked gurgle and her eyes glazed over. Her body went limp as the last breath flowed out of her.
"Forgive me." The man whispered as he closed her vacant, shocked eyes with his hand. He then took that same hand to wipe the tears out of his own eyes. He sighed deeply.
A number of footsteps sounded on the marble floor. They stopped quickly and a few gasps were heard. Then there was an aching long silence.
"Dravan." spoke a voice, breaking the quite, "What have you done?"
The man, now to be known as Dravan, turned to face a band of somewhat unlikely travelers. Smiling charmingly, he addressed a red-haired girl at the head of the group, "Ah Ms. Lina. How nice of you to come. I fear, however, that you are too late. The first phase has been completed, the life has been taken."
The girl, a Lina Inverse, sorceress supreme and bandit killer. Known 'Enemy To All Who Live' and 'Dragon Spooker'. Age seventeen, blood type A, hometown Zefielia and specialist in Offensive Black Magic and Shamanism Fire Magic. "You actually killed her?" she asked.
Dravan nodded, "It was necessary."
Another girl, one dressed in white with wide blue eyes and short black hair took a few steps forward. "Murder is never necessary! How can you call yourself a sorcerer in White Magic after what you've done?!" she shrieked, her voice wavering and sounding hurt.
"I can't." Dravan said bowing his head. "Not after what I've done and will do."
"We trusted you." the girl in white said faintly. She was the normally justice happy princess of Saillune, Amelia Wil Telsa Saillune. A specialist in White Magic, but is also quite adept in the areas of Shamanism Magic.
"I'm sorry." he said, just as quietly. He then raised his head. "But, this is the way it must be." and he ripped the dagger out of the girl. He turned and raised the blood soaked blade to the air. Outside thunder cracked and lightening struck, as it is prone to do when situations get worse.
"We're not going to just stand here while you resurrect that thing." shouted a man with strange blue stone skin. "Fireball!" hollered Zelgadiss Graywords, chimera made of 1/3 golem, 1/3 demon and 1/3 human, an expert in Shamanism Magic, and he let loose a rather massive ball of flame from his hands.
The burning orb of fire sped on towards Dravan, whose back was still turned to them and his hand still raised, the blood on the dagger dripping down his hand and arm.
The flame suddenly hit a powerful barrier and it's energy dissipated across it, then absorbed. Zelgadiss gaped in shock, as did the others.
"That barrier was made with some of the most strongest spells in the field of Protective White Magic." informed Dravan, not turning, "I suggest that you save your energies for another purpose."
"Light Come Forth!" called another man. This was the blonde, dense, Gourry Gabriev, swordsman of the group, and owner of the mysterious Sword of Light. The very sword which slew the beast Zanaffar with one strike.
Hearing the incantation, Dravan pivoted his head slightly out of curiosity. Gourry ran to the barrier, perhaps a silly thing to do, since the barrier could not be seen. But he managed to stop short of the blockade and slash it with a downward stroke from his blade of pure light.
The blade went through the field, but it quickly closed again and caught the sword within it. Perplexed, Gourry pulled on the sword, but it remained stuck, until suddenly the barrier pushed itself outward and threw Gourry and his sword from it, and sent them both crashing to the floor.
"Gourry!" Lina cried out. Gourry remained still for only a moment, and soon he was slowly picking himself up, feeling a little seared from the power the barrier had put out.
"That was a rather foolhardy move." said Dravan and resumed his sights on the dragon statue before him.
There was another blast of energy against the field. This one was made from a darker type of magic, it managed to shake the field, but wasn't powerful enough to have it break. Every one looked at the person who had thrown the blast without the chanting of a spell. The astonished look on his face was almost like their own, only more so.
He blinked his squinty purple eyes a couple of times then placed his outstretched hand behind his head. "Hm, I guess that didn't work much." he said, smiling as he was apt to do in any situation. Naturally he was Xelloss, Trickster Priest and Mazoku, under service to the Mazoku Lord, Great Beast Master Zelas-Metallium.
"What type of spell is he using? To stand through the Sword of Light and a blast of Mazoku power?" asked Amelia.
"Maybe he's using a mixture of spells. All involving a type of field or barrier." said Xelloss in response.
"Then we'll just have to beat him at his own game." said Lina. She looked to the others and they nodded in agreement. "Give him what ever you've got!"
There was a barrage of attacks, a Flare Arrow from Lina, Diem Wing from Amelia, Mono Volt from Zelgadiss, and some sort of dark energy blast from Xelloss. Gourry just stood in the background, since there wasn't much he could do in this situation.
There was a great deal of noise and somehow smoke when the powers collided with the barrier. When the smoke cleared they saw the field flicker and crackle with energy, but remain intact. And Dravan had turned to face them.
"What? This is impossible!" shouted Lina.
Dravan smiled, "Not if you have the power of a God protecting you. And that is precisely what I have. Now you may either go, or stay and witness the rebirth of the mighty Ryuka. It matters not." he then whirled around again, and began to recite a spell.
"I'm going to cast a Dragon Slave." said Lina quitely.
"And what good will that do?" inquired Zelgadiss, his arms crossed, "If he really has the power of a God protecting him, what would a Dragon Slave do, besides bring this temple down around our ears."
"We won't know until we try right?" she said with a smile and a wink. Zelgadiss continued to glare at her. "Don't bother." he said firmly.
"Then what are we supposed to do? Stand here and wait for this thing to be reborn? Whatever it is. We don't even know that much." she protested. Zelgadiss just turned away from her and looked up at the stage. Lina frowned and did the same, as did the other members of the party.
"... Sired by Mazoku. Conceived by Dragon. Born by Human. You who are of no race, who was granted the greatest of powers. You who was to rise to the state of Godliness and change this world to your own image. I call upon you. I call to you, glorious Dragon Mazoku Ryuka. Inhabit my form and merge with my being so that your desires, and mine, may be realized. Will you do so? Ryuka, I call to you! Cast away your stone form and become one with me!"
During this time a strong wind had somehow picked up within the temple walls. After Dravan's chant, it had suddenly died. The water coming from the gargoyles mouths stopped, and a silence and tension hung in the air so thick that a knife could have easily cut it.
Dravan looked around for some sort of sign. He found it when there was the sound of stone sliding against stone. He saw the Dragon's closed eyes opening, a golden light shining from out of them. The lids slid open and thundered with a dooming finality when they stopped.
The light suddenly formed gold beams which launched themselves at the gold and emerald pendent Dravan had been wearing. The pendent melted under the glow and was absorbed into the light. The beams then broke and covered Dravan's form. The light washed over him and suddenly he tossed his head back and screamed. Light pouring out of his eyes and mouth.
It all stopped quite quickly and without warning. The dragon's eyes remained open, but with only a soft dull glow within them. Dravan lowered his head and smiled. He spun about to face the group. He dropped the dagger and rose his hands.
"We have become one. Let the earth tremble under our devine power."
Chapter 2 | Fanfiction