It was morning already and Reis and Shin remained fast asleep in their beds. Kyla had already woken up. She had freshened up and prepared breakfast. Master Jin came down the stairs clothed in his Ranger uniform.
"Kyla, why are you not in your Ranger uniform already?" Master Jin asked.
"I did not want to stain it while preparing breakfast. I hope you understand Master Jin" Kyla said.
Master Jin smiled. "Kyla, you really respect your uniform, that's good" he said.
"Thanks Master" Kyla said with a smile.
"Now where are those two lazy bums?" Master Jin asked.
"Still sleeping" Kyla said.
"Wake them up. Right after breakfast, we're heading to HQ to deliver our report to the Dragonlord" Master Jin said.
"Y-yes Master" Kyla said sadly.
She climbed the stairs and walked to Shin and Reis' bedroom. She knocked thrice and placed her ear on the door to listen.
"Reis! Shin! Wake up!" Kyla yelled after there was no response.
Inside the room, Shin and Reis were awake and had in fact taken their baths using their teleportation abilities. Now Shin was thinking of a way to punish Kyla for the previous night. After Kyla left, he thought of a way to get Reis on his side.
"Reis, c'mon, I need your help. Can't you just help me put an end to that smart-mouth's smart-mouthedness?" Shin pleaded.
"Leave me out of this" Reis said.
"C'mon, do I have to say Simon says?" Shin pleaded some more.
"No, I have no interest in hurting Kyla's feelings. Your problems are yours alone to resolve" Reis said adamantly.
"Stingy!" Shin growled angrily.
"Stupid" Reis retorted.
"Y-Y-You're just like Kyla!" Shin yelled.
"That's not a bad thing is it?!" Reis shouted.
"Yes! It is a very bad thing!" Shin said.
"Shin, just forget it okay?" Reis sighed as he put on his old clothes.
Shin was soon in Ranger uniform.
Suddenly, Kyla burst into the room.
"Wake up you…!" Kyla paused as she saw Reis and Shin fully dressed.
"Y-you're prepared" Kyla muttered in surprise.
"We'll be right down Kyla so please wait for us" Reis said with a smile.
"Okay Reis, but I'll wait for only two minutes and then, I'll be forced to take extreme measures" Kyla said seriously.
"I understand, but if you dare…Kyla! If you just dare…! Oh, there will be war and I assure you, I won't be the one laughing from the wrong side of my teeth" Shin threatened.
"Hmmpph! We'll see Shin, if you like…defy me!" Kyla said as she gave Shin the evil eye.
Shin was sweating profusely from fear and he was shivering uncontrollably.
"Shin, are you okay?" Reis asked after Kyla had left.
"Sh-she just gave me the evil eye didn't she?" Shin said in fear.
"Shin, don't tell me you're afraid of Kyla" Reis laughed.
"You don't understand Reis. The evil eye is the most diabolic curse a person can give you…" Shin said grimly.
"Wh-what?!" Reis was beginning to get scared himself.
"For some, it means death! For others, it means condemnation to a life of loneliness…but all that put together is nothing compared to the implication of Kyla using it!" Shin said fearfully.
"Much worse?!" Reis exclaimed.
"When Kyla uses it…when Kyla uses it…it means…no tasty food for a week!" Shin said fearfully.
"YOU IDIOT! DON'T GET ME WORKED UP OVER SOMETHING SO SILLY!" Reis roared angrily.
"TELL ME WHAT'S WORSE THAN EATING CHAFF FOR A WEEK!!!" Shin defended himself.
"Ayi-yi-yi, and you expect me to be more like you" Reis muttered under his breath.
Then, he left the room with Shin right behind him. Kyla was waiting for them downstairs. She counted the minutes anxiously. It was one minute, thirty seconds after Kyla had left their room when Shin and Reis reached the hall.
"I see you're early, what's wrong Shin? Scared of the evil eye?" Kyla teased.
"Don't get the wrong idea Kyla, I just didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble, besides, you know I could make you prepare a tasty meal whenever I want…even if you use the evil eye" Shin bluffed.
"You're bluffing! You wouldn't dare!" Kyla growled.
"Try me, and besides that, I'm sure I can think of tons of nasty stuff to make you do, like shave your hair bald for instance, cut your nails, paint your face, you name it" Shin threatened calmly.
It was Kyla's turn to be scared.
"Are you really capable of such evil?" Kyla stammered.
"As long as it involves you, I think I am. Besides, it's not nearly as evil as starving me and you know it" Shin said as he sat down to eat.
Reis joined and so did Kyla and Master Jin who had just descended the stairs after the argument.
After a while, they were done with breakfast.
"It's time to leave. Reis, we are going to meet the Dragonlord so act respectfully. That goes double for you Shin!" Master Jin cautioned.
"I hear you" Shin said as he rubbed his ears.
Sometime later, they were walking along the streets. They walked through the town with Reis beginning to feel uncomfortable. He felt as though all eyes were on him. Soon, they arrived at the Northernmost part of the village. There was a huge Stone Temple in front of them. It was held up by massive stone pillars and surrounded by guards.
"This is the Rangers' Headquarters. It's where all decisions regarding the guild are made. It is also the abode of the Dragonlord" Master Jin informed Reis.
Reis stared at the Temple in awe. As the four companions approached the guards, the guards stepped aside. The captain of the guards walked towards them.
"The Dragonlord has been expecting you" he said as he motioned for them to follow him. They followed the captain into the Temple. The Temple seemed to be bigger from the inside than from the outside. Reis stared around in awe. Dragon Rangers were training in the Temple. Seeing them use their individual elements in oneness made Reis feel determined to become stronger.
Soon, they reached a flight of stairs. They climbed the stairs and came to a corridor which was lighted with torches along the walls. Still they kept walking and soon arrived at another flight of stairs.
"How can this Temple be so huge?" Reis asked Kyla.
"I've never been able to understand it myself" Kyla answered.
At the top of the stairs was an even longer corridor. They turned right and kept walking straight and soon enough, they reached the end of the corridor. At the end of the corridor, there was a huge door. Above the door was a stone tablet with words imprinted on it. The words were in an unknown language. Reis narrowed his eyes as he tried to make meaning of the words. The captain noticed Reis' reaction.
"Don't bother, only the Dragonlord and the Dragons understand the language. It is an ancient dragon language that cannot be learnt or understood by the human mind" the captain said.
Reis ignored him. Somehow, the characters of the words and the language, seemed familiar to Reis. As Reis watched the words, in his eyes, they began to glow gold, then the words rearranged themselves and Reis smiled.
"The will of the heart is the key to destiny" he said aloud.
"Wh-what did you say?!" the captain as well as Master Jin, Kyla and Shin stared at him in shock.
"Well, that's what the words say. 'The will of the heart is the key to destiny'" Reis said with a smile.
"Y-you understand the language? How? Have you studied the language?" questions came from all directions.
"Nah, I just understand the language, that's all" Reis said with a nervous laugh.
"Who is this boy?" the captain wondered.
"Well, this is weird. First, Reis feels guilty about the dragon extinction, then the dragons call him Lord which they do not even refer to the Dragonlord as. Next, Reis uses the dragon parry technique and now he can understand the Drakan language?" Kyla whispered to Shin and Master Jin without Reis noticing.
"Let's enter now" Master Jin said.
The captain looked at him and nodded. Then he took in a deep breath and opened the door. As the door opened, a bright flash of light flooded the corridor. They all stared in awe at the Dragonlord's chamber. It was bright white as though lit by an angelic presence. Reis looked up to the ceiling and noticed that it was painted with the colours of the sky.
"COME IN!" a stern voice ordered.
The captain stepped in first, followed by Master Jin, then Shin, then Kyla and finally Reis. As Reis stepped in, murmurs began to fill the hall. Reis looked around and noticed that it was filled with many dragon rangers, who wore similar uniforms as Kyla's, Shin's and Master Jin's. All eyes were on Reis and he soon began to feel uncomfortable. Reis looked ahead and saw that, at the foremost corner of the hall was a throne, and on it sat a considerably aged man cloaked in white and surrounded by the elements.
"Jin, Kyla, Shin…Reis, draw closer" the man called.
"H-How does he know my name?" Reis asked in surprise.
"He's the Dragonlord. He sees everything that happens to every Ranger" Kyla explained.
Master Jin, Kyla, Shin and Reis drew closer to the Dragonlord. When they were close enough, Master Jin, Kyla and Shin knelt before the Dragonlord. Reis remained standing. All he could do was stare in awe.
"Reis, kneel down for goodness sake! Do you wanna get into trouble or something?!" Kyla whispered harshly as she pulled Reis to his knees.
"Jeez! You're so rough for crying out loud!" Reis complained.
The Dragonlord watched them in amusement.
"Jin, deliver your report on your recent mission to the borders of Saggeese" the Dragonlord said.
Master Jin stood up.
"Yes my lord" Master Jin said. "It all began when we arrived at the borders of Saggeese" Master Jin narrated the events.
Aurora and Darak listened intently. Reis listened too with rapt attention. Kyla and Shin lowered their eyes in shame and sorrow.
"My team was sent to infiltrate Saggeese and gain intel regarding the security system of the Saggeesian Castle. We gained the intel we needed successfully and learnt that their security was not as impregnable as we suspected but it was all a trap" Master Jin continued to narrate the story.
"What do you mean and…and where is my brother, Jared?!" Aurora questioned.
Master Jin shut his eyes as though he was in great pain, then he opened his eyes and looked down sadly.
"When we returned to our rendezvous point…we found every last ranger…dead! They were murdered by Di Devilli's men!" Master Jin said suddenly.
"N-no way, you mean Jared is…NO! I WON'T BELIEVE IT! JARED CAN'T BE…!!!" Aurora cried.
"That idiot! How could he get himself killed like that!" Darak yelled angrily.
"This can't be true!" another person yelled.
Then suddenly, there was an uproar. Reis stepped back.
"Sh-Shin, K-Kyla, you went through all that…I'm sorry" Reis said sadly.
Kyla turned to look at him. There were tears in her eyes but she forced a smile.
"Don't be Reis, you saved us. If not for you, we wouldn't be alive now" Kyla said.
"THE SAGGEESIANS MUST PAY! ALL OF THEM! THEY ARE NOTHING BUT SPINELESS COWARDS!!!" one ranger yelled angrily.
Reis turned in shock. The Dragonlord narrowed his eyes.
"The Saggeesians are not to be blamed. They are as much victims as we are. In fact, they may be in a worse situation than we are!" Master Jin defended.
"Stop talking nonsense! It's as much their fault as it is Di Devilli's, they support him or they would never obey him! If they didn't want him as their leader, they would have fought back! They are also trash!" another dragon ranger yelled.
Reis tightened his fist. Kyla, Shin and the Dragonlord noticed this.
"By what we saw, the Saggeesians are being oppressed by Erikkus Di Devilli. They never chose him as their king. He manipulated his way to the monarchy!" Master Jin argued defensively.
"How can we be sure that your team did not betray their comrades?! You were the only ones to return alive and not even one of you was killed or captured!" another dragon ranger yelled.
"The statement silenced Master Jin, Kyla and Shin. The Dragonlord was about to silence the angry rangers when Reis threw his fist forward.
"They are alive because they were saved by a Saggeesian…ME!!!" Reis yelled.
At this, angry roars arose from the crowd.
"R-Reis…"Kyla muttered in surprise.
"You shouldn't have…Reis. Now your life here might become unbearable" Shin said.
"Who cares about a happy life when his friends…no…when his family are being mistrusted by their own comrades…their own family!" Reis yelled angrily.
"Reis…" Shin and Kyla stared at him in shock.
"Honestly, when I first came here, I was glad. When I heard of the Dragon Rangers, I wanted to be one…but now…I am honestly disappointed!" Reis yelled.
"Who cares if you are disappointed in us! We never asked for your opinion and we never asked you to join us!" another ranger yelled.
"You should care! How dare you?! How dare you call yourselves Dragon Rangers when you treat your own comrades as though they are traitors! If the Dragons trusted each other so much to unite their spirits and create the Dragonheart, so much that their trust led to their extinction then…HOW DARE YOU NAME YOURSELVES AFTER THE DRAGONS?! WITHOUT THEIR SACRIFICE, THERE WOULDN'T BE A SAGGEESE OR NOVATIO!!!" Reis roared angrily.
This was enough to silence the Dragon Rangers. They all stared at Reis in shock.
"And don't act so innocent! The current state of Saggeese is your fault Novatians! But I don't blame you, and I hold no grudge, you haven't known the past like…I have" Reis said.
"Boy…who are you? Who are you to know such things?" an elderly dragon ranger asked.
"The name is…Reis Dragonhaart!" Reis declared fearlessly.
At this, there were murmurs from the crowd.
"You are right about everything you just said Reis. Forgive them, they are not always like this. Understand that a tragedy like this can change a person's state of mind. You of all people should understand" the Dragonlord said.
"I do, Sir" Reis said.
Then the Dragonlord stood up.
"I know this tragedy is too much to handle. It has created an irreparable wound in our hearts. We have lost people close to us, brothers, sisters, comrades…and friends. It may all be too much. But as Dragon Rangers, it is our duty…no, our destiny, to rise above the losses and triumph against the greater evil! It may take some time but we must move on! We owe that to our fallen comrades!" the Dragonlord said as a bright flash of light illuminated the Temple.
When the light disappeared, they found themselves in a clearing in a large forest.
"Let's honour our comrades by creating a memorial monument for them in this Forest Of Awakening, home of the surviving dragons!" the Dragonlord said.
"As a Dragon Ranger,
I will be an enforcer of Light!"
The dragon rangers called as they used their abilities to raise a huge mountain.
"I will be a protector of Dragons,
And follow the teachings of the Dragon Knights"
They recited as they used their fire abilities to melt the sides of the mountain.
"I will protect the weak and free the oppressed,
I will obey the Dragonlord!"
They recited as they shaped the mountain with their wind and psychic abilities.
"For I am a Dragon Ranger,
And a Dragon Ranger forever!"
As they recited the final part of the Dragon Ranger pledge, they bombarded the mountain with all their elements and when they had ended, in place of the mountain stood a rainbow coloured dragon statue monument.
"Well done Rangers! With this, let us all soar from this loss. When we lose something, we gain something new. We've lost our comrades but the God of the Heart has given us a new comrade. Consider this a blessing and treat him as one of us, for in times of great darkness, we will look to him for light" the Dragonlord advised.
The Dragon Rangers seemed to be ashamed of themselves.
"Jin, Kyla, Shin, we're sorry, but this is just…too much for us to handle and for a moment, we forgot you experienced this personally," one Dragon Ranger apologized.
Reis looked round and saw Aurora and Darak with their master. Aurora was weeping uncontrollably. Darak had a serious frown on his face as though he was blaming himself. Reis felt their pain and walked towards them. It wasn't his intention to but some unseen force seemed to draw him closer to them. He stopped when he reached them.
"H-Hi Aurora, Darak. I can tell you're going through a lot. I just want you to know I'm sorry…about Jared, I never knew him but then again, I never knew any of the rangers that… I just want you guys to…" Reis was saying when Aurora suddenly slapped him.
Reis looked shocked, he had just been slapped by someone he hardly knew.
"Don't you dare talk about Jared as if you knew him you Saggeesian jerk!" Aurora yelled angrily. "A Saggeesian like you can never understand how it feels like to lose someone you love because…you Saggeesians know no love!" Aurora insulted.
Reis opened his eyes in shock. He had never thought that the Novatians hated the Saggeesians with such intensity. Reis wanted to say something but he couldn't speak. Aurora took out all her pain and bitterness on Reis until her master laid a silencing hand on her shoulder. Aurora turned to face her. She shook her head with a disapproving smile.
"Don't let your anger lead you to hurt an innocent person, because you may never know when you might need him" she said.
Aurora lowered her head sadly.
"Please forgive her for her attitude young Saggeesian" Aurora and Darak's master who happened to be a woman in presumably her late twenties said.
Reis clenched his jaw and then he turned around and took to his heels. He didn't care where he was running to but he just kept running.
Shin saw Reis ran away from the monument and he followed close behind. Shin kept chasing Reis though Reis seemed to be quite far-off.
"Reis! Wait up!" Shin called but Reis ignored Shin's calls and he kept running.
They ran out of the forest with Shin behind Reis. Reis could feel warm tears flowing down his face but he didn't stop. He heard Shin calling desperately for him to stop but he ignored Shin's calls. They eventually ran out of the forest. They were now in the town, still Reis didn't stop. Shin caught up to him and pulled him down. They both fell on the ground and rolled a distance. When they finally stopped rolling, Shin stood up. Reis remained on the ground.
"I saw what happened, Reis, and I don't want to say I told you so but hey, I told you so" Shin attempted to cheer Reis up.
"Why? Why do the Novatians hate the Saggeesians so much when the Saggeesians have done nothing to hurt them? Why can't anyone accept me without judging me? In Saggeese, I was treated like a dark plague for no reason, I never had any friends…and just when I thought I'd found a family, this happens. It's worse here than in Saggeese!" Reis said as he wiped his tears.
"I think I understand how you feel. You want to be acknowledged for your own strength, you want to find a place where you belong…but everyone keeps telling you you're not needed" Shin said.
Reis opened his eyes in surprise. Shin had just summarized how he felt.
"Reis, if you think you're without purpose, then find a purpose! When people tell you you're not welcome and you don't belong…just prove them wrong! Face your fear and show them that you have the strength to forge your own path! For you too are a dragon ranger…and a dragon ranger forever!" Shin declared as he stretched out his hand to help Reis to his feet.
Reis grabbed his hand and stood up.
"You don't have to do this alone, you've got me, and Kyla, Master Jin and even the Dragonlord. But of course, you can count on Darak and Aurora to make your life miserable" Shin said.
Reis laughed.
"I know you'll overcome all your challenges and one day, just one day, you will be the light of all Dragon Rangers, no, the world, and everyone will say, let me tell you of the great Reis Dragonhaart, who changed the fate of Ryugaeia" Shin prophesied.
"Well, if you're saying it, I guess I can count on it to come to pass" Reis said.
Meanwhile, at the monument, the Dragonlord approached Master Jin.
"Jin, I need to speak with you in private" the Dragonlord said.
Kyla walked away from them. She stood quite a distance away and watched them. The Dragonlord spoke to Master Jin, who seemed surprised by what he said. Then Master Jin seemed to disagree with the Dragonlord but he eventually gave in.
"If Reis passes the written test, I will immediately initiate him as a Dragon Student and he will have his first field mission" the Dragonlord said.
"But Reis doesn't have a Dragon partner yet" Master Jin said worriedly.
"You and I both know that Reis does not need a Dragon partner, but I understand your worries, when the time comes, we will see what must be done" the Dragonlord said.
"Agreed" Master Jin gave his consent.
"Due to this incident, the Drakan Tournament will be postponed till further notice" the Dragonlord said.
"That is a very wise decision Dragonlord" Master Jin agreed.
It was already sunset. Reis and Shin had returned to the monument.
"Where have you guys been until now?" Kyla asked worriedly.
"Well, Reis had this little problem with Aurora. Actually…it was a big problem and it hurt him so bad that he ran away and I had to bring him back, see?" Shin summarized the events that had taken place.
"Oh Reis, you must be feeling really depressed right now" Kyla tried to comfort Reis.
"I'm okay Kyla. You don't need to worry about me" Reis said.
"That Aurora! Who does she think she is, treating you like dirt! I'm going to give her a piece of my mind!" Kyla said angrily.
"Kyla, stop, there's no need. I don't blame her and nothing you say can change the fact that she hates me. But it's okay, I've got you guys" Reis said.
At that moment, Master Jin walked up to them.
"It's getting really dark, let's go home" he said as he led them away from the monument.
They walked on in silence.
"H-Hey Master Jin, what did the Dragonlord want to talk about?" Kyla asked.
"Curious as always aren't you Kyla?" Master Jin laughed.
"Won't you tell us?" Shin asked.
"I'll tell you when we get home" Master Jin promised.
So they walked on till they reached their house. Master Jin unlocked the door and they went in.
"Okay, we're home now Master Jin so what's the big secret?" Kyla asked.
"Take your bath and eat first" Master Jin instructed.
After taking their baths, everyone assembled at the dining table. They prayed and ate silently. After eating, Kyla questioned Master Jin once again.
"Okay, I guess I can tell you now" Master Jin said.
"Alright!" Shin cheered.
"Reis, tomorrow, you'll be writing a Drakan promotional exam and if you pass, you'll immediately be promoted to Dragon Student" Master Jin said.
"Really?!" Reis exclaimed in joy.
"No fair!" Kyla and Shin protested.
"But Reis, if you fail…then you can forget about becoming a Dragon Ranger!" Master Jin said grimly.
"WHAT?!" Reis and Kyla exclaimed in shock.
"I should have known a condition like this was attached to this seeming blessing" Shin said in a bored, angry tone.
"After you have written your paper, it will be marked immediately and your results will be released the following day in front of all Dragon Rangers. If you pass, you will be initiated into the Ranger's Guild…but if you fail…it's back to Saggeese for you" Master Jin said.
Reis clenched his teeth.
"Reis" Kyla called worriedly.
Reis stood up.
"Then I will not fail. I'll pass this exam and become a Dragon Ranger. I promised the people of Tyron that I will free them from their bondage. This is the only way I can become stronger. I will definitely…definitely pass!" Reis declared with determination.