For many days, people from all over Saggeese, traders, came to purchase goods from the many ships arriving from Novatio. Among them were Dragon Rangers from all over Saggeese who came disguised as ordinary folk. They bought these goods and took them inland.
The Eagle's Eye Guild, the guild in which Teams Kira, Ayenhayze and Senshiiro were sent to aid, had decided to set up their stalls at the harbour away from their guild. Other guilds were setting up stalls in various towns, villages and cities all across Saggeese.
One morning, Reis and Aurora were invited by Sir Raphael to see the stalls. It was the day of the big event, the Trade Fair. Over the past few days, Sir Raphael had advised that it would not be wise to have the princess of Saggeese moving about freely in enemy territory so Aurora and Reis stayed in the guild with the younger team members to aid in teaching the Drakes while the older team members left with Sir Raphael to inspect the stalls every day. On this day however, everything had been set up so Reis and Aurora were invited to see the stalls with the rest of the team.
They walked a long way talking of the event and their expectations. As they approached the harbour, Reis was suddenly hit with a wave of fear. He looked around quickly,
"This feeling, there is another presence here. I know this feeling. It's a feeling I am utterly familiar with. We are being watched by Erikkus Di Devilli" Reis thought to himself.
He looked at the others. Mistress Kira, Master Jin, Mistress Suzuna, Shin and Effuien were also on edge however the Masters were more composed. Shin was just as shaken as Reis was and Effuien seemed to be wondering whether or not it was just his imagination. Aurora, Darak, Kyla and Ethan were slightly uneasy though they had not appeared to realize why.
Reis looked at Sir Raphael. His eyes were raised towards the sky and he seemed completely unperturbed. Reis stared in the direction Sir Raphael was looking at but saw nothing.
"For one with so many eyes, the enemy is astonishingly blind" Sir Raphael said with a slight growl.
"He knows we are being watched" Reis realized.
"I've heard about your bond with the Kaignis King Reis Dragonhaӓrt so it's understandable that you would notice this however it's nothing you should worry yourself about for now. If there is nothing you can do about it, it's futile to allow yourself to be oppressed by the enemy's presence" Sir Raphael said.
"What are you two talking about?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with for now. For now, we do not intend to make any suspicious moves so the Fair will continue undisturbed however you must all assume that the enemy knows our location" Sir Raphael said.
They arrived at the harbour in the afternoon. They managed to cut some time short when Reis summoned Kaignis Wolves to give them a ride part of the way. At the harbour everything seemed set. The event was set to begin at sunset.
Traders were already flocking into the harbour from everywhere to display their goods and set up their own stalls. The rangers couldn't help talking to the traders about Saggeese's long lost princess so the tales of Aurora's grace and strength spread amongst the traders at the harbour. The traders who had come to purchase goods to send inland to host their own Fairs would take these tales with them inland and little by little, like a seed, hope was being planted in the hearts of the Saggeesians. Hopes of a Saggeese restored to its former glory and of a time of great peace, justice and prosperity. Smiles and secret hopes would be carried from person to person and this hope would soon blossom into a great tree.
However, the enemy was not unaware of this hope and bided his time carefully waiting to put his most dangerous scheme into action.
Reis and Aurora, Shin and Erasa and Darak and Kyla sat at the docks quite close to where the ships were docked.
"Hey Reis, do you think the guilds are what Epsilon spoke of when he said he felt a gathering occurring with tremendous force?" Shin asked.
"So far, the guilds are the greatest event that have occurred since the appearing of Arӓlpheisl" Erasa noted.
Reis nodded.
"And I'd like for you all to ponder what this means" Reis said as he lifted his right hand.
The others stared at his Dragon Ring. Shin gasped.
"Figures you'd be the first to realize what I mean" Reis said with a teasing smile. "Symptoms" he quickly added.
"Are you implying that the sleeping Dragons have awakened? That the Great Extinction defying all reason has somehow been reversed?" Aurora asked with great excitement.
"All that stands between now and a sky filled with Dragons are those that wear these" Reis said with a smile. "They are yet to realize the significance of these rings. It's a part of the song my parents left behind, the part about…" Reis was saying when Shin interrupted him.
"Human and Divine" Shin said, then he sang the final part of 'The Heart That Destroys Darkness'.
"Add one more element
When these Two become One
They beckon to Him the Heart
For when Human meets Divine
He will be born.
The Heart that destroys Armageddon
And His name is Benedict"
Shin, Reis and Aurora sang the song together for Reis had taught Aurora the words and the melody.
"I look forward to that moment…a sky filled with Dragons" Kyla said with a nostalgic look in her eyes.
Reis stretched and lay on the ground.
"I'm so tired. Wake me up when the Fair begins" he said and shut his eyes.
Aurora laughed at him in contentment and watched over him while he slept. All this time, the enemy's eyes were on them.
"See how vulnerable you are my greatest archnemesis. How you even dare to sleep peacefully within my territory is a wonder I shall never comprehend. I could strike you right now if I so desired" he gloated.
Then in an instant, a momentary flash of blazing golden eyes permeated his mind and was gone in an instant.
"Wh-What was that just now?" he appeared visibly shaken.
"Though I am watching them with unyielding gaze…it feels as though I am the one being watched" the enemy wondered.
He scanned the area with his vision but found no one. Then in an instant, the powerful golden gaze flashed again within his mind and disappeared.
"Wh-What is th-this?" he wondered.
He looked around and found Sir Raphael speaking to one of the people in charge of the fireworks.
"Nothing seems out of place" the enemy thought.
Sir Raphael gazed into the sky and sat down watching over the teens from a distance. They were unaware that he was watching over them.
Within Reis' mind, Alpha, the Great Golden Dragon and Ruler of All Material Light waited patiently.
"Alpha, you're here again. Is it time for me to continue my lessons?" Reis asked.
"Yes it is young and noble Reis Dragonhaӓrt however this time I fear you might discover a bit of an obstacle in your path for an adversary has infiltrated Benedict's Ark. The one you refer to as Galigaos seeks to ruin Jinrai's legacy" Alpha said.
"My father's legacy?" Reis asked.
"Yes, within that legacy is a fated meeting your father arranged for you before he left Ryugaeia. A meeting with the man who is your predecessor. His memoires are necessary for Ryugaeia's continued survival for I fear the enemy is soon to implement a scheme that puts Truth itself on Trial. A scheme that will force many to deny the reality of their lives. It is a scheme he refers to as 'The Severing'. Remember these words Reis Dragonhaӓrt. 'The enemy does not mind losing to you in dreams as long as he can defeat you in reality'. Focus on the battle that must be fought and your vision will be unhindered" Alpha said. Then he added, "Journey into Benedict's Ark and discover your predecessor for 'The Heart that Destroys Darkness' and 'His Memoires' are one and the same".
Reis shut his eyes and opened them. He found himself in the Class Of Honours he had established.
"Reis! You came back!" the others exclaimed cheerfully.
"I hope I haven't missed anything significant while I was gone" Reis said.
At this, the looks on everyone's faces became solemn.
"The Kolmnid Farms were attacked by an unknown enemy. Michael left just before you arrived. He also said he had a feeling you would be arriving soon" Josec said.
"Now you're here what are we waiting for? Let us find out who attacked the Kolmnid farms!" Ayumi said as she punched her palm.
"Yeah, Atlanta left already" Andrea said.
The Class Of Honours accessed the teleportation crystal in their class and in an instant, they were transported to the Kolmnid Farms. The Farms were surprisingly intact. Reis breathed a sigh of relief.
"Violence is forbidden on Benedict's Ark. Students can only engage one another through special events called protocols and these events range from battles based almost entirely on knowledge to special skills called Talents. It must have been quite an unpleasant shock to Galigaos to discover that he was practically harmless aboard Benedict's Ark" Reis thought.
"Are you daydreaming Reis, come on!" Andrea beckoned.
"Yeah Reis get on with the program" Ayumi added.
"Sorry guys" Reis said as he followed them into one of the Tents.
Inside the Tent was an old man, a young boy and a girl about as old as Ryu and Michael were. Reis thought there might not be much of a difference between their ages. Michael, Ryu and Atlanta were also in the Tent.
"Hey Reis, you're back" Michael greeted.
Ryu slammed his hand on the table thus startling everyone. Atlanta slapped him on the back of his head.
"Don't cause an unnecessary ruckus Ryu" Atlanta warned.
"Repeat what you just said Tanya and go over it slowly" Ryu almost demanded.
"A man with blonde hair and crimson eyes arrived on the Farms. He demanded access to a legacy I believe is Ryuujinn's and demanded that the protectors of this legacy confront him in the Sanctum of the Water Kings. He said he was the founder of the Sanctum of Decadent Wyverns and that you would know what that means Reis Dragonhaӓrt" the girl called Tanya said.
"Founder of the Sanctum of Decadent Wyverns?! He can be none other than the man who developed the art of artificially engineering dragons, my father's archnemesis, Galigaos the Crimson Swordsman of Darkness!" Reis declared.
"What are 'Wyverns'?" Ryu asked.
"They are soulless Dragons" Reis informed him.
"In my world we call them Dark Mongerers but the classical name is 'Dark Dragons'" Ryu said.
"So that's what the Wyverns are! Galigaos was actually scheming to revive the Dark Dragons. However if the Dark Dragons are revived with Armageddon as their head, a clash between Dragons and Wyverns could spell another Drӓkan War for my homeland!" Reis declared.
"What else did Galigaos say?!" Reis demanded worriedly.
Ayumi slapped him on the back and motioned to Tanya. She was visibly shaken.
"I'm sorry Tanya but this is really important. I need to know everything he said" Reis said.
"The last thing he said was this, 'Delay long enough and I will begin to attack students aboard Benedict's Ark'" Tanya informed the others.
"Sheesh, Erikkus Di Devilli and Galigaos! It's always one or the other!" Reis said.
Ryu wore a frown and his fists were clenched at his sides.
"They will not get away with this!" he declared and stormed off.
"If someone is threatening students aboard the Academy, we must inform the Director" Reis said.
"We'll leave that to you Honours Prefect. Not everyone can just waltz in to see the Director you know?" Ayumi said with a thumbs up.
Moments later, Reis stood before the Director.
"So what you're trying to tell me is that someone infiltrated the Academy and is threatening harm on my students is that it?" the Director asked.
Reis nodded.
"I see, I had a suspicion something like that would happen soon. After all, a man who used to come into the Ark lost his key a while back and was unable to return to his world. He had intended to seal himself in the Ark with an old enemy in order to protect his son, as well as a prince and a princess who had to flee their kingdom however his nemesis snatched the key and escaped leaving him trapped in the Ark" the Director said.
Reis' heart beat in excitement.
"What was his name?" Reis asked.
"I believe his name was Jinrai Dragonhaӓrt" the Academy Director said.
"M-My father is aboard the Ark?" Reis exclaimed in joy and surprise.
"Yes he is. He is currently the guest of the one that forms the core of the Ark. I believe that man is your predecessor and the reason you were invited to the Ark in the first place" the Director said.
"Do you know who my predecessor is?" Reis asked.
"Yes I do but I cannot tell you. He made me promise not to say anything till the time was right" the Director said.
"I see" Reis said.
"For now I will grant you access to the Sanctum of the Water Kings" the Director said as a new location appeared on Reis' crystal key.
"I will also grant you access to the protocol 'Excalibur' which will allow you to expel this foe from the Ark when you come into contact with him.
Then Reis slowly opened his eyes and awakened from his dream.
"Reis" he heard Aurora calling gently to him.
Reis sat up. It was night time and the harbour was lit with many lights from both ships and stalls.
"The Fair has begun" Aurora said.
"I see that. Wow, this place sure is busy!" Reis exclaimed in joy.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"They all left to enjoy the Fair" Aurora explained.
"Then what are we doing here? Sorry to keep you waiting Aurora but I'm ready now. Let's be sure to enjoy this night. This sort of thing doesn't happen all the time you know?" Reis said.
Aurora laughed.
"See who is in so much of a hurry after a good nap" she said.
Almost immediately after she had said that, a growling sound came from Reis' stomach.
"At least we know what we're going to start with" Aurora said.
The two walked around the harbour. There were many stalls selling kebabs and all manner of cooked meat. There were also stalls that sold sweets and drinks as well as pastries.
Reis and Aurora ran into Shin, Kyla, Erasa and Darak at the grounds set up for games. Shin was hurling daggers at targets. He was even hitting mobile targets. Then he requested a blindfold. The Phantom Thief was recalling his glory days. At that moment, Darak who had been watching him calmly decided he could not let Shin outshine him so he requested for daggers and the two began to compete.
"I think I'm going to try that too" Reis said.
"Then I'll go get you something to eat. What would you like?" Aurora asked him.
"Some Kaiser-wolf meat would be fine" Reis said.
"Hey hey, would Sabre-fang agree with you eating his brethren?" Shin asked with a mischievous grin.
"He understands that there is a certain circle of life and that includes a food chain. Kaisers eat what Kaisers eat and man eats what man eats. There're no hard feelings there but he seems to harbour a strong disregard for Darak" Reis said with a laugh.
"I wonder why that is" Darak said with a disinterested look on his face.
"In his own words, nature only consumes what is necessary but you went on an unnecessary killing spree in his forest and since you wasted what you did not even intend to consume the next aim he takes at your jugular will definitely not miss its mark" Reis said and everyone laughed.
"I never knew Kaisers could have such a sense of humour" Erasa said with a laugh.
"They are very fierce defenders of nature" Reis said seriously.
His seriousness made them laugh all the more.
"While you're at it Aurora bring me five sticks of Kaiser-wolf meat. I'll be sure to consume it all this time" Darak said with a smirk.
"No one asked you dumbass!" Aurora exclaimed in a pretend show of annoyance.
"I don't think you're taking anything I just said seriously enough" Reis said.
"Oh we have taken your message to heart Reis, don't worry" Shin said.
Kyla nodded.
"So you can tell Sabre-fang to relax. We'll be more careful with our eating habits" Kyla agreed.
Aurora left with Kyla and Erasa while the boys kept on with their target practice games. The girls on their part were interested in the beautiful woven clothes, the tie and dye clothes and other clothes on display at the Fair.
By the time they returned, the boys were absolutely famished.
"You arrived just in time. We were just one step away from death's dark door" Shin said.
Erasa handed him two sticks of meat.
"And I got three for you Darak. Five is a bit excessive" Kyla said.
"Too bad, I guess it will have to do. Thanks Ky" Darak said and took the meat.
"K-K-Ky?! When did he start calling you by a pet name Kyla?!" Reis and Shin exclaimed in shock.
"It is a bit surprising" Erasa said.
"No…it's downright shocking" Aurora said with an expression that showed that she was shocked to the point of expressionlessness.
"We started seeing each other after he almost got taken over by Armageddon and awakened as Darag-Arӧkna" Kyla explained.
"B-But Ky…?" Reis exclaimed in shock.
"Shut up Reis, only Darak is allowed to call me that" Kyla said seriously.
"Hmm, I'm a bit jealous here. Erasa and I haven't graduated to pet names yet" Shin said.
"And don't you even dare think of calling me Er Shin or I'll slap the living daylights out of you!" Erasa exclaimed.
"Well you did give me my name so I'm satisfied" Shin said with a smile.
Erasa blushed and smiled.
"Erasa named you? I really need to hear about that" Kyla said with a smirk.
"I'm not telling you about it anytime soon" Shin poked out his tongue at her.
"What of you Reis? Do you and Aurora call each other by pet names?" Erasa asked.
"We-ell, I wouldn't exactly call it a pet name" Reis said slowly.
"Sh-Shut up Reis! Don't you dare tell them!" Aurora exclaimed as her face suddenly turned red.
"And there you have it. It's between Aurora and I" Reis said.
"No fair! Spill!" Kyla and Shin demanded.
"Maybe one day but that day is definitely not today" Aurora declared firmly.
"Aww, too bad" the others sighed.
It was now late into the night and Aurora and Reis sat alone once more at the harbour. They were silent for a while and Aurora's head was on Reis' shoulder.
"You know, when I was much younger, I used to look out over the sea with Jared and dream of the future. I hoped I would find my Prince when the time was right. When I believed Jared was dead and with my promise to Sir Jinrai, that dream became a plague as I began to feel that day would never come. I always used to dream of the day I'd find my Prince but I found a King instead, my Arӓlpheisl" Aurora said.
"Your Arӓlpheisl…your First and Only King" Reis said as the profoundness of Aurora's love began to dawn on him.
Her love had given Arӓlpheisl's name a new meaning. It was an oath of love. Reis removed a book from within his clothes and handed it to Aurora.
"Aside from the Tragic Legend, there are many other tales my grandfather told me when I was a little boy and one of them I particularly enjoyed. I was able to buy a copy here. It is my gift to you and within its pages are what you mean to me" Reis said.
Aurora accepted the book. 'The Sleeping Dawn' was its title. Aurora burst into tears.
"Oh Reis" she cried for it was a story she knew very well.
"You are my Dawn…" Reis began to say.
"When you awaken, I too will be free" Aurora joined him and they recited the words together.
Images began to flash within Reis' mind. Memories of a boy with a bleeding fist standing upon holy ground. There were companions around him.
"I promise to develop a technique surpassing Gaiden's before the full alignment of the moons of Tristran or your vow will be reinstated" the boy said.
"Believe in Ryuujinn's Dragon Zone, the Light will balance out the darkness" an old man said to the boy.
Reis saw the boy flying on the back of a dragon. His companions rode dragons as well. The boy was staring at the sky. Above the sky was the white moon, partially surrounded by three blood red moons.
"Another demented one is that Tristran, what would inspire him to create such ugly moons" the boy said as his voice began to trail off and echo within Reis' mind.
"Ryu?" Reis thought to himself for the resemblance was uncanny.
Reis stared at the sky intently and noticed something odd.
"There are quite a number of stars out tonight aren't there?" Aurora said with a smile.
"They are not all stars" Reis said seriously.
"What do you mean?" Aurora asked.
"Look at those ones. They don't look like distant large bodies, they look like small bodies that are meant to look distant. They are well hidden among the stars but I know stars even if I don't know them by name. I have been looking at them all my life and those are no stars" Reis said.
Aurora looked closely.
"You're right. They don't blend well with the night" Aurora said.
"And now for the fireworks!" Reis heard Sir Raphael's voice within his mind. "Let the false stars fall!" Sir Raphael exclaimed and fireworks began to go off in the air.
The enemy had been watching them until that moment. When the fireworks went off, the light was blinding and it was enough to blind the enemy's vision. Reis saw what looked like a streak of fire smash into the foreign objects in the sky. It was moving with tremendous force. There were multiple breaking sounds mixed in with the sound of the fireworks and then the foreign objects crashed to the ground.
When the fireworks ended, the enemy realized that he was blinded to the events at the Fair.
"So you noticed my presence. But you are naïve. All I have to do is move a few of the multitude of 'eyes' scattered around Saggeese to your location.
In an instant, the intense golden gaze permeated his mind.
"I guess you could do that…assuming smashing a few 'eyes' is all I did" Sir Raphael said.
The enemy panicked. The person who had just destroyed his eyes could communicate directly to him.
"You should have noticed it by now, the lapses in your vision. I began by tearing down a few 'eyes' in multiple locations especially those where your presence was intensely focused. I tore down all of those in areas you gave almost no attention to. With the wideness of your vision, a few eyes at a time would make no significant difference and I gambled on the fact that you would think of it as a flaw in your own judgement. I returned to those places over time and tore down a few more eyes at a time and I am certain the other Dragon Knights have done so as well. Your oppressive presence is now far less felt in Saggeese and your foot soldiers should start to feel it soon; that the relayed orders are becoming less and less accurate and more and more delayed. Don't underestimate the Dragon Rangers!" the enemy heard a powerful voice permeate his mind accompanying the powerful golden gaze.
"Wh-Who are you?!" the enemy exclaimed in horror for he realized that what had just been said was true.
This strange presence had torn down his vision and now, his forces were completely isolated without anyone to coordinate them. They were practically defenceless and would be overwhelmed if the Dragon Rangers chose to strike now.
"A Dragon Ranger forever!" the voice exclaimed and then the golden blaze and voice were gone in an instant.
Reis looked into the sky.
"Th-They're all gone! The strange objects!" Aurora exclaimed.
"Yes they are and now the enemy shall feel a physical manifestation of his blindness" Sir Raphael's voice rang within Reis' mind.
Reis turned to Aurora and smiled.
"Alpha" Reis asked. "What were those images I just saw?"
Silently and calmly, the voice of the Dragon Sovereign spoke within Reis' mind.
"They are fragments of your predecessor's memoires. Fragments he chose to share with you and within 'His Memoires' dwell 'The Heart'" Alpha said.
Over time, what Sir Raphael said came to pass. The enemy's soldiers began to feel isolated since he could no longer effectively coordinate them without vision. As a result, there were a large number of defections and desertions on the enemy's side.