A DAY AFTER WITNESSING THE HISTORY OF DREAMS AND REALITY
Josec, Harry and Buern had awakened from their sleep. They shared their experiences with Estelle, Jason and the Masters. When the Students were all alone, Harry removed the stones he had received from defeating Aeros and Aesakal. Josec, Buern and Estelle removed the other three. The Masters had entrusted the stones to them.
"Don't you think these stones resemble those Zan and Master Ayumi retrieved from the Seven Souls Of Evil? The Masters told us earlier that these are needed to seal Souryu. Watching Zan and Master Ayumi's struggles, I found it quite coincidental that we also retrieved similar stones after the defeat of each of Souryu's Generals. Ironically each of Souryu's Generals is assigned to one of the Seven Continents of our homeworld" Harry said.
"What are you getting at Harry?" Estelle asked.
"I'm beginning to feel that the real ability to seal Souryu is not necessarily in these stones. The stones may be symbolic references to the ability to seal Souryu. If you think of the state of each of the continents before and after the defeat of each of the generals assigned to them, it makes perfect sense" Harry said.
"Then there are the words of Jo-lan and the Masters right before we began to confront these generals. They kept repeating that defeating the generals takes a lot of preparation and cannot be achieved through combat alone. Ryu also pointed out the fact that defeating the generals requires the power of fused psychorages. Then there is the issue of the Earth Suturing Seeds" Josec pointed out.
"Master Ayumi also mentioned that battles against Souryu are clashes of willpower and battles for territory with the domains of good and evil fluctuating between both sides endlessly. She also said the Black Dragon has a very specific battle style centred on crushing the spirits of its adversaries. The only way to combat the Black Dragon is to inspire our comrades raising their spirits and ensuring that they do not lose hope" Buern said.
Meanwhile, the Masters sat in a clearing away from the Students.
"We've received quite a few letters Fencer. One of them is from Jo-lan and the king of Avalon. The other two are quite a mystery" Master Luna said as she approached the other Masters.
The Masters opened the letter from Jo-lan and Estelle's father. It simply said that the engineers of Avalon had begun to head to the continent of Thunderstorms to begin setting up the lightning rods. It also stated that the setting up of the lightning rods and the vents would take quite a while so there was no need for the Masters and Students to rush to the continent of Thunderstorms.
"It's just the opposite" Master Fencer noted.
The other Masters nodded.
"There is no way to predict when Raichuu will attack so we have to be there to protect the engineers. We can at least intercept Raichuu's attacks" Master Fencer said.
The Masters opened the next letter. It read thus;
TO THE SEVEN MASTERS OF JO-LAN AND THE THREE SUCCESSORS OF THE PHOENIX CLAN
I am well aware of the fact that you have begun to confront Souryu's Seven Generals. Initially as you may very well have suspected, an overwhelming defeat awaited you at the end of your journey however due to unforeseen circumstances believed to have been triggered by the actions of a Bane, Souryu's power has begun to fail. There is an element of uncertainty to his ability to foresee your doom. Whatever it is you have done, I suggest you keep doing it. As a Successor to the Bane Clan, I am certain that your actions may have come to the attention of the Phoenix Clan. I suspected that you would need to make contact with them soon. For whatever reason, I do not know but they have expressed an interest in meeting you. Contained within this letter is a map to one of their Hidden Villages however, only a Successor Of The Phoenix Clan can read this map. That is all for now.
B.F.
"So even he has begun to move now. If that is so, then the damage to Souryu's power was quite significant. He would never have made a move if he wasn't certain that the Phoenix Successors are safe" Fencer said.
"You don't seem to doubt that he is an ally" Master Kyem said.
"He used his initials, his real name instead of that dreaded name Innovain calls him by. That is enough proof for me" Master Fencer said.
"He also aided in my escape. He is in a rather precarious situation. It's amazing how unfazed he has been all this while" Master Luna admitted.
"I doubt Innovain hasn't begun to suspect after all this while. Souryu isn't daft. I suspect Souryu intends to pit him against us. If one of us wiped out the other, our fighting strength would be crippled" Fencer said.
"However that man isn't daft either. If he were, the three successors would have been dead even before their journey began. Besides, the friendship between Harry Bane and Josec Fenix is proof of how clever he is. If he wanted to destroy the three successors, he would have aimed to sever that friendship first to ensure that the three Phoenix Successors would never unite" Master Kyem said.
"When you put it like that, there is a slight connotation that even Innovain hasn't completely lost his humanity to Souryu's malice. I'm certain that enrolling Buern in the same school as Harry and Josec might have been a way to keep track of their activities so I am certain that Innovain was well aware of the friendship between Josec Fenix and Harry Bane" Master Luna said.
"Well he may not have made a move because he might have been uncertain of the odds stacked up against him. Luna was always in contact with us six. If that man was also moving behind the scenes, then the three children would have had formidable protectors. Even Souryu would not be dumb enough to provoke the Seven Masters that beat his generals in the past but that's all a guess" Master Pheisl said with a sigh.
"Andrea, you and the five students should head for the Phoenix Clan's Hidden Village. The rest of us will head for the continent of Thunderstorms to intercept Raichuu's attacks while the engineers set up the lightning rods. We may need Josec's help quickly but for now we'll rely on Luna's Zone Of Absolute Defense" Master Fencer suggested.
The Masters agreed. Four days later, the Masters and Students were at the harbor. Master Andrea and the Students boarded one ship while the rest of the Masters boarded another ship headed for the continent of Thunderstorms.
AT NIGHT…TWO DAYS LATER
The five students lay on their beds in their cabin aboard the ship.
"According to what you've told us so far, the three of you will be summoned back to the Ark tonight. It's been a week since you were last summoned" Jason noted.
"That's right" Josec said seriously.
"I wonder what we'll be witnessing tonight" Buern said.
"The history of the third world that has its history aligning with our homeworld's and the first two worlds whose history we witnessed" Harry said.
The five students talked until they finally fell asleep. Once more, Josec, Harry and Buern found themselves lying on a grassy plain at night. Countless stars filled the sky and above them was the brilliant white moon. Then as they watched, the shadow of the Great Ship began to move slowly across the moon. They began to feel the great force of attraction acting on them, pulling them towards the Ship.
Almost immediately, they found themselves in Kolmnid Farms. Ryu stood waiting for them.
"You're here. It's finally time for you to witness the history of the third world currently in alignment with the previously mentioned worlds and your homeworld's history. It is the history of someone you three know very well" Ryu said.
The three students nodded.
RYUGAEIA'S HISTORY PART I: CALL TO THE KING AND THE DAWN
The first thing the three students noticed was what looked like the interior of a castle. Seated on two thrones were a King with bright orange hair and crimson eyes and a Queen with long blonde hair and the kindest blue eyes. A servant walked into their presence.
"Your majesty, you have a visitor" the servant announced.
"Who is this visitor?" the King asked.
"She calls herself Kamikaze the Dragon's eye" the servant announced.
"Call her in" the king said.
Moments later, a woman who appeared to be in her early fifties appeared before the King and Queen. The King stood up from his throne to greet her. She looked worn out and tired.
"I am sure you are famished. Servants! Bring this lady the finest food and wine we have!" the King ordered.
Lady Kamikaze tried to protest but the King and Queen were insistent. They offered her the best kind of hospitality.
A WEEK LATER…
"King Hiram, Queen Celestia, the surviving dragons have heard of your kindness. Alpha the Dragon Sovereign has sent me to you with this message. 'Exactly a year from now, Queen Celestia shall carry in her womb twins, the children of the King. Their destinies will be intertwined with the true Dragonhaӓrt's however…a while after their births tragedy will follow. Do not despair, for it will be by their faith in the Dragonhaӓrt that Ryugaeia will be 'Dragon Earth' again!" Lady Kamikaze announced.
The King and Queen were overjoyed. They never doubted Lady Kamikaze's words.
SIX YEARS LATER…
The next scene showed two five year old children playing in the fields behind the castle. The area they played in had quite a number of trees and highlands such that the field resembled a basin. The two children played a number of games ranging from tag to hide and seek. They raced, pranced and frolicked around the field till they were tired blissfully unaware that a sinister presence was watching them.
"Have you had enough play Jared and Aurora Saggeese?" a cold voice asked them.
They turned around and saw a man with infernal crimson eyes and blonde hair, clothed in crimson armour and holding two fiery swords that looked like demon swords.
"Have you had enough fun to leave you with no regrets in this world? Are you prepared to die, Aurora and Jared Saggeese?" the man asked with a sinister smile as he approached them.
The aura that emanated from his body was enough to petrify them. Aurora and Jared stood frozen. They could not even think of running. All they felt was the infernal aura emanating from the man's cold stare. Soon he stood before them.
"With your deaths, nothing can drive the Dragonhaӓrt to stop Armageddon" the man said as he raised his swords.
Just as he was about to slice through Aurora and Jared, a great force crashed between him and the young successors. The evil man leapt back and frowned. There was a great discharge of lightning and Aurora and Jared had to shield their eyes.
"Looks like I made it in time" a kind voice said.
"Are you alright, Aurora and Jared Saggeese?" the kind voice asked.
"That despicable form of lightning. It's you isn't it? Lightning Blade Jinrai!" the evil man roared.
Aurora and Jared opened their eyes and saw a man radiating with lightning standing before them. He held a sword that seemed to be charged with the power coming from his body. He had silver hair and broad shoulders and was clothed in silver armour.
"After all these years you haven't changed one bit, have you Galigaos?" the man called Jinrai said.
"Jinrai! I haven't forgotten how you ruined my plan to destroy the Village Of Shades thirteen years ago!" Galigaos growled.
"I always knew you were evil Galigaos but you're downright despicable. You would even go so far as to harm defenceless children!" Jinrai roared.
"Say that to me with your sword!" Galigaos challenged.
"Fine, I'll best you and prove to you just how low you've sank this time!" Jinrai said.
"JINRAI! DON'T THINK THIS BATTLE WILL GO LIKE THE LAST ONE!" Galigaos declared.
"I know you've become stronger Galigaos…but I'm not the same as I was then either!" Jinrai roared as he charged to attack Galigaos.
Galigaos lifted his sword just as Jinrai did and they clashed blades. The sound of the clash of their blades was as terrible as the clash of a thousand blades. Aurora and Jared had to cover their ears and shut their eyes as a huge amount of fire and lightning flew into the sky. Galigaos leapt back and charged in again. Jinrai raced towards Galigaos. Galigaos swung his first blade hoping to behead Jinrai but Jinrai ducked to evade and attempted to strike Galigaos in the side but Galigaos somersaulted over him, landed and performed a one-eighty degree reverse lateral strike. Jinrai did the same and their swords clashed again causing an explosion. When the explosion cleared, both men were nowhere to be seen but Aurora and Jared could still hear the clashes of their blades.
"Where did they go?" Aurora asked.
Jared listened to the clash of the swords.
"Above!" Jared pointed.
Aurora and Jared looked into the sky and saw multiple discharges of lightning and fire.
"Let's get out of here!" Jared ordered and the twins began to flee.
They hadn't gone far when Galigaos and Jinrai crashed in front of them.
"Do not move from there Aurora, Jared" Jinrai ordered.
The twins nodded.
"It is pointless to protect them! They will die here with you!" Galigaos declared.
"We'll see about that!" Jinrai declared as he suddenly appeared behind Galigaos and delivered a back fisted blow to the side of Galigaos' head.
Galigaos flew into the air and crashed into a tree. He stood up and spat out some blood.
"You really have grown stronger Jinrai" Galigaos said.
"If you're saying that now, then you've grown weaker Galigaos" Jinrai said with a serious glare.
"We'll see about that" Galigaos said as the flames surrounding his body turned black.
His hair grew dark as well and horns grew out of his head. His feet became like those of a lion and his nails became sharp claws. Two black bat-like wings grew out of his back.
"What's this?!" Jinrai exclaimed in shock.
"This is my blood resonance form, Ashkelon. No one has seen this form and lived to tell the tale. It is a form second only to Irik the Devil's blood resonance form. The demonic power that comes from this form is limitless. Why don't you try your strongest attack? The one from thirteen years ago" Galigaos said confidently.
"Fine, if that is your wish. Don't regret your decision" Jinrai said as fire began to escape from his body.
The flames from his body mingled with the lightning and flowed into his sword. Jinrai shut his eyes.
"I'm counting on you Sabre-fang" he thought.
Sabre-fang awakened within Jinrai and the flames around Jinrai's sword became intense.
"GET READY GALIGAOS! TAKE THIS! CRIMSON MOON KAIGNIS BARRAGE!" Jinrai roared as he raised his sword.
Darkness covered the sky and the moon became visible. The silver moon turned crimson and Sabre-fang's form overlapped with Jinrai's blade. Jinrai swung with all his might. All the energy escaped from his body and crashed into Galigaos but Galigaos simply absorbed all the energy.
"Darkness absorbs everything" he said coldly.
In a flash, Galigaos stood behind Jinrai. Jinrai realized this and attempted to strike Galigaos but Galigaos caught Jinrai's sword easily. Jinrai stared at Galigaos in shock as Galigaos stretched his other hand towards Jinrai's face.
"It's time for me to repay the favour Jinrai, take this, EXCELLION!" Galigaos roared as an intense beam of black flames engulfed Jinrai.
When the flames disappeared Jinrai was nowhere to be seen.
"Hmmph! Defeated so easily Jinrai? You are a disappointment" Galigaos said coldly.
"You've traded your humanity for power haven't you Galigaos?" Jinrai's voice sounded from above.
Galigaos stared in the direction of Jinrai's voice and saw him standing on a tree.
"I see, the one I incinerated was an illusion created by you. How shrewd" Galigaos said calmly.
Jinrai leapt from the tree.
"That power of yours…will be your undoing Galigaos" Jinrai said as an intense force began to engulf the area.
"TREMBLE BEFORE THE MIGHT OF HEAVEN!" Jinrai said as the air seemed to seethe with the pressure coming out of his body.
The earth quaked in response. To Aurora and Jared, it felt like an outpouring of great strength. To Galigaos, it felt like the horror of infernal torture.
"What are you doing?! Stop! Stop it at once!" Galigaos screamed.
"When I said I'd gotten stronger, I wasn't just talking about discovering a new technique. My spirit has also grown stronger!" Jinrai declared as a strong golden light caused Jinrai to levitate. As the light grew stronger, two beautiful white wings spread out in perfect symmetry. When the light disappeared, a mighty angelic warrior stood in place of Jinrai.
"Behold the Golden Drakengaӓrd! The hand of Divine Retribution!" Jinrai declared.
"Wow! An angel!" Aurora exclaimed in excitement.
"How can this be?! How can you always surpass me?! JINRAI!!!" Galigaos screamed in a rage as he flew to attack Jinrai.
Jinrai stared at Galigaos.
"Why do you always look at me like that?! Why do you look at me as though…you pity me! HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ME?!" Galigaos roared as he attempted to strike Jinrai with his claws.
"...." Jinrai said calmly.
Galigaos opened his eyes in shock as an intense beam of light from Jinrai overshadowed Galigaos.
Galigaos laughed maniacally.
"You cannot change me Jinrai! Behold! The Royal Family Of Saggeese has fallen. By now, Erikkus Di Devilli has slain them and taken control of Saggeese. I bet you didn't see that coming since…you've been under a terra illusion since the beginning of this fight. Witness your own failure and regret it for a lifetime!" Galigaos said as he disappeared.
The terrain suddenly changed and Jinrai saw the truth of Galigaos' words. Everything was engulfed in fire including the Saggeesian Castle. There were loud chants of victory. Jinrai quickly carried Aurora and Jared and flew towards the Saggeesian Castle.
When he arrived at the castle courtyard, he saw the people of Saggeese chanting.
"Hail lord Devilli! The King and Queen have fallen! By the fire of his flames Saggeese shall be born anew!" Aurora and Jared stared at the castle in shock and saw their parents lying dead outside the castle walls.
"Mother! Father! NOOO!!!" Aurora screamed.
"Put us down! Put us down!" Jared ordered.
"I cannot do that young heirs. You cannot die here. We must try to find people who still remain faithful to your parents. You must regain the trust of your people and fight for this fallen kingdom. Save my beloved home…from evil" Jinrai said as tears flowed down his face.
From then on, Jinrai, Jared and Aurora searched the whole of Saggeese but found no one who remained faithful to the Saggeesian Royal Family. Di Devilli had poisoned them all against Aurora and Jared's family. They underwent many trials. They were treated as outcasts and Jared fell so ill that he temporarily lost his ability to speak. Jinrai kept travelling with them all around Saggeese. They had to stay away from people. Then one day, Jinrai told Aurora and Jared about his family. He had just received a letter announcing the death of his wife. The letter stated that his son had become so traumatized that he had fallen into a coma. Jared and Aurora renounced the kingdom of Saggeese that day.
Jinrai went to see his son. Aurora and Jared followed them. There they met Jinrai's father at his son's bedside. On the third day, Jinrai's son regained consciousness however he had lost his memories of the past. Jinrai decided that he could not allow his son to relive the pain of losing his mother so just before he left with Aurora and Jared, Jinrai instructed his father to teach his son the way of the sword.
"When he comes of age, give him this blade" Jinrai said as he handed his sword to his father.
He also told his father not to tell his son of his whereabouts.
"If ever my son asks of me father, please tell him that I died with his mother" Jinrai said.
Over time, Aurora and Jared began to understand the depth of Jinrai's sacrifice. Eventually, Jinrai decided that Saggeese wasn't safe for Jared and Aurora so he wanted to bring them to the Dragon Rangers' Guild in Novatio. However, they were pursued relentlessly by Galigaos. It took them two years before they were finally able to leave Saggeese. Jinrai taught Jared and Aurora swordsmanship because he believed that their fates were intertwined with the Dragonheart's. Jared was serious with his swordsmanship but Aurora abandoned her swordsmanship because it was frustrating.
Just when they were finally approaching the Rangers' Guild, Galigaos confronted Jinrai again. Before confronting Galigaos, Jinrai spoke these words to Aurora.
"I am sorry for what I'm about to ask you Aurora. Since I rescued you and Jared, I've had to stay away from my family. It will not be long before the people of Saggeese begin to hate my son because I stood against Erikkus Di Devilli. I have no doubt that your paths will cross. When they do, please return to him, the joy he lost when he lost his parents. I'm counting on you Aurora. Follow your heart" Jinrai pleaded.
"I promise…Sir Jinrai, I will always be there for your son. I will protect him so please don't worry" Aurora promised.
"The Rangers' Guild is right over that hill. Run as fast as you can. Aurora, Jared, live on. For it will be by your faith in the Dragonhaärt that Ryugaeia will be Dragon Earth again" Jinrai said as he confronted Galigaos.
THE WORLD OF RYUGAEIA…
Long ago, there was a great war in the world of Ryugaeia known as… "The Drӓkan War." An evil Dark Dragon by the name of Armageddon sought to exterminate humans and rule Ryugaeia. To accomplish his dark purpose, Armageddon raised an army of Dark Dragons and waged war against the humans. The Dragon Knights fought back with their elemental Dragon Partners.
Countless lives were lost and Armageddon was winning the war. It was when all hope seemed lost that the surviving dragons combined their spirits and a Dragonhaӓrt was born. The Dragonheart being made of countless pure souls was supreme and defeated Armageddon in a duel of massive elemental display. Armageddon was sealed…but at a terrible price. Dragons suffered the Great Extinction and the Dragonheart, lost and without purpose…faded away.
In time, all this came to be known as "The Tragic Legend". Prophets and seers prophesied the return of the Dragonheart and the final defeat of Armageddon. But no one knew when the Dragonheart would return.
ROUGHLY TWELVE YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE SAGGEESIAN ROYAL FAMILY…
There was a boy who appeared to be lost in a dark forest. His name was Reis Dragonhaärt. He looked around for signs of familiarity but found none. He decided to walk on. He walked for quite a while but found himself in the same spot.
"Oh no, I've been moving in circles!" Reis exclaimed.
He dropped to the ground, tired.
"I can't find my way out, I'm lost," Reis admitted to himself.
"Life is just like your situation, sometimes you seem to be walking in circles but the answer to the right path lies deep within your heart" an omniscient voice said.
"Who's there?" Reis called.
Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light and Reis found himself floating in empty space.
"Reis Dragonhaärt, don't give up! Dragons will rise again! And it will be by your strength that Ryugaeia will be Dragon Earth again."
Reis opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around, he was in his bedroom.
"For days now I've been having the same dream, what's this supposed to mean?" Reis asked himself. Then he went and washed his face.
"Reis! Reis! Are you up?" Reis' grandfather called.
"Yes grandpa! I'm coming" Reis said as he walked out of the bathroom. "I'm here grandpa" Reis said as he walked out to meet his grandfather.
"There's no food for breakfast, think you can find something for us to eat?" Reis' grandfather asked.
"Sure, just let me get my father's sword and I'll hunt for something for us to eat" Reis said. Reis' grandfather laughed for a moment.
"You are still as impulsive as ever; your father's sword was mine, my father's and our ancestor's. It is a symbol of our family's honour; I can't allow you to use it for hunting" Reis grandfather said with a laugh.
"C'mon gramps! You know our ancestors won't mind if it means our survival" Reis said.
"You make a good point…but I still can't allow you to use your father's sword. You know Lord Devilli has forbidden swordsmanship in this town. If you are seen with a sword, you will be killed immediately" Reis grandfather said. "It's people like Erikkus Di Devilli that this sword fights against besides you know I won't allow anyone to see it with my new technique" Reis said.
"You idiot! Magic is more forbidden than swordsmanship!!!" Reis' grandfather scolded.
"What are you talking about? Humans don't have magic. I just call it my secret art" Reis said.
"I guess you're right. Okay you can take your dad's sword" Reis' grandfather said. "Now you're talking gramps!" Reis said as he removed his father's sword from his clothes.
"Reis! Don't tell me you planned on taking the sword even without my consent!" Reis' grandfather said.
"Ah you caught me," Reis said.
"Well I was never able to stop you anyway" Reis' grandfather said.
"Nope" Reis laughed.
Reis' grandfather frowned suddenly. "You know what to do right?" he said seriously.
Reis assumed a serious look.
"Yes, HERE I GO!" Reis said as he spun the sword three times. "ILLUSION RAY!!!" Reis called as a flash of light engulfed the sword. When the light disappeared the sword was no longer in Reis' hand. It had transformed into a staff.
"See? See? I did it. No one will know." Reis laughed.
"I must protect Reis! His destiny is too great" Reis' grandfather thought silently. Reis walked towards the outskirts of the town. He was not popular with the villagers so he was ignored and went unnoticed.
THE PREVIOUS DAY…
Lord Erikkus Di Devilli had organized an army. He was seated on the Saggeesian throne.
"General Osukow, I've heard rumours about a group known as the Dragon Rangers. I hope it's just a joke" Lord Devilli said.
"Regretfully…it is not a rumour, there really is a group known as the Dragon Rangers. I've heard that each of them possesses a unique dragon as well as dragon ability. I've never encountered them before but there have been complaints from my men" General Osukow confessed.
"Hmm, that's interesting, since you know where they will strike... ambush them" Lord Devilli said.
"Yes my Lord" General Osukow said as he turned to leave.
"Oh and Osukow... leave no survivors!" Lord Devilli ordered.
"Yes, my Lord" General Osukow said as he left the evil warlord's presence.
Meanwhile, twenty one Dragon Rangers were stationed at the borders of the Kingdom of Saggeese. Three of them were sent to scout the inner border of the kingdom. While they were gone, General Osukow ambushed the other eighteen and slaughtered them all. There was not a single survivor.
"Count them!" General Osukow ordered.
The bodies were counted and three were found to be missing.
"There are three missing bodies. There is only one place I know of in Saggeese where they might be safe" General Osukow said with a sly smile.
Meanwhile it was night time the three scouting Dragon Rangers who happened to be a Dragon Master and two Dragon students had returned from their scout.
"Master, what will we do once we deliver the information?" A female teenage Dragon Ranger asked.
"Can't you guess, Kyla?" the master questioned her.
"We'll attack of course, what did you think we'd do?" A teenage male Dragon Ranger answered her. "I'm not stupid Shin, I just wasn't sure" Kyla said angrily.
They soon arrived at their station only to find the bodies of their friends littering the place.
"What's this?!" their master exclaimed in shock as he ran around trying to find survivors, he found none.
"NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! GUYS WAKE UP!!!" Kyla screamed.
"They can't Kyla, they're dead" their master said.
"H-how could this happen?" Kyla wept. Shin tried to comfort her but he too couldn't stop shivering.
Suddenly, there were sounds of shattering like the breaking of glass and the Dragon rings of the dead rangers shattered and turned to dust.
"Their Dragon partners have returned to the Rangers guild." Their master informed them. "You lived brave and free lives, you died as heroes, rest in peace."
The master said as he used his Earth Dragon ability to create graves for the dead rangers. Shin used his Psychic Dragon ability to place each dead ranger in a grave and Kyla used her wind Dragon ability to cover the graves. Then the master erected a memorial stone for each ranger and Kyla and Shin etched the name of each ranger into their gravestones.
As they stood watching the graves, they were attacked again by General Osukow's men. They summoned their dragons and flew out of the area but they were wounded. They travelled out of range and unknowingly landed in the forest at the outskirts of Osukow village.
PRESENTLY…
Reis had entered the Tyron Forest. He looked around to make sure that no one was watching him. When he was sure that he was alone, he spun the staff three times and used it to strike the ground. In a flash of light, the staff transformed back into Reis' father's sword.
"Great, now all that's left is to find some animal for us to eat" Reis said to himself.
He walked on and on till he heard the leaves rustling. Being a master tracker and hunter, he stopped in his tracks to listen to the sounds. He looked closely at the ground and saw three pairs of footprints.
"These are human footprints. I wonder whose footprints these are" Reis said as he stretched his hand over the footprints and shut his eyes. Reis had psychic abilities that allowed him to see events that had happened by stretching his hands over the area. As Reis searched his mind, he began to see images. He saw a man and two teens; a boy and a girl wandering through the forest, they appeared to be injured. Then he saw another image, a huge Kaiser-wolf was tracking them.
"Oh no! They're in danger!" Reis exclaimed.
Almost suddenly he heard a piercing scream followed by a blood- curdling howl.
"Please hang on! I'll be right there!" Reis called as he rushed towards the source of the scream.
Meanwhile Kyla, Shin and their Master were being attacked by a giant Kaiser wolf. The wolf was red and fiery.
"Aaaaahhhh!!!" Kyla screamed.
"Not now, we're tired and injured, Master Jin, what do we do?" Shin asked.
"Our Dragon Partners must be tired too. We'll only put them in danger if we summon them. Our only chance is to fight with the little power we have left." Master Jin said.
"Can I even use my abilities in this state?" Kyla panted.
"We've got to!" Shin declared.
"Easy for you to say smartass!" Kyla shouted.
"He's right Kyla" Master Jin said.
The Kaiser-wolf opened its mouth and blew a jet of fire towards Kyla.
"Kyla!" Shin called as he pushed Kyla out of the way.
The fire missed both Kyla and Shin.
"Kyla, are you okay?" Shin asked.
"I-I think so" Kyla said.
"Great, now let's show him who he's messing with!" Shin said as he stretched his hands in front of him.
"PSYCHIC BLAST!!!" Shin called as a force of invisible energy blasted the Kaiser-wolf.
However, the Kaiser-wolf was unaffected.
"WIND SLASH!!!" Kyla called as a blade of wind struck the Kaiser-wolf.
Dust enveloped the area but as the dust cleared, the Kaiser-wolf was seen, unaffected by the slash.
"Now it's my turn! EARTH CRUSHER!!!" Master Jin called.
Huge blocks of earth arose and crushed the Kaiser-wolf but it was still unaffected.
"Impossible! How can it be so powerful" Master Jin exclaimed in shock. The Kaiser wolf was now mad with rage. It shot simultaneous blasts of fire towards the three Dragon Rangers.
"Is this our end?" Shin asked.
"S-Somebody, help us, p-please anyone, HELP!!!" Kyla called.
"TIDAL SLASH!!!" a voice yelled as a huge blade of wind knocked the Kaiser-wolf.
"Kyla, was that you?" Shin asked. Kyla shook her head and pointed towards a cluster of trees.
As they all watched, a boy of Kyla and Shin's age stepped out of the shadows. He wielded a flashing sword.
"You're dinner!" the boy said, and almost immediately, the Kaiser-wolf fell to the ground in pieces.
"I don't believe it! He took it down with just one blow!" Shin exclaimed.
"It is an amazing feat" Master Jin admitted.
"Hey you guys! Are you okay?" Reis called to the three strangers who seemed shocked by his strength.
"Thank you boy, you saved our lives" the adult said. "You guys should know better than to wander into the Tyron Forest." Reis said trying to sound important.
"Uh-well, we didn't know it was so dangerous" Kyla said nervously.
"You're not from around here are you?" Reis said looking at them closely.
"Uh-um" Kyla stammered.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me" Reis said with a sheepish grin.
"Thanks" Kyla said gratefully.
"Do you have a place to stay?" Reis asked.
"You don't even know our names, yet you offer us a place to stay. Either you are too kind or too foolish" Master Jin said.
"I'm a bit of both you see?" Reis said with a laugh.
"Actually, we do need a place to stay for awhile; can you take us to a doctor?" Shin asked.
At this, Reis smiled a sly smile and waved his hand over them. In a flash of light the three of them were transformed into sticks.
"I can't just bring you into the village as humans. If Erikkus Di Devilli finds you, he'll kill you for sure" Reis said as he bundled the three sticks, shrunk the Kaiser-wolf meat and carried it. He then walked all the way back to Tyron village.
When he entered the village, the people stared at him in wonder.
"Every day, he goes into the forest with a stick but comes back with meat" they murmured.
Reis ignored the murmuring and went to his grandfather's house.
"REIS!! You're late! Do you know what time it is?! It's already afternoon!" Reis' grandfather yelled.
"Aiiee!!! Sorry Gramps!" Reis said as he entered the kitchen and unshrunk the meat.
"Whoa! That's a big one! You've really outdone yourself this time" Reis' grandfather praised him as he turned to the three staffs leaning on the wall.
Soon he had set a fire at the fireplace.
"And you brought back some firewood too, you're such a thoughtful boy" Reis' grandfather said as he took the three staffs.
"Huh? Firewood? What firewood?" Reis wondered as he recalled turning Kyla and co into sticks.
At that moment, Reis' grandfather threw the three 'sticks' into the fire.
"Gramps! No!" Reis called as he hurriedly pulled the staffs from the fire, luckily, they had not yet caught fire.
"Phew! That was close," Reis panted.
"Why are you getting so worked up boy?" Reis' grandfather questioned him.
Reis looked around.
"Because of this!" he yelled as he stretched his hands over the staffs and in the next instant, three humans lay on the ground in place of the staffs.
"WHAAAAT?! REIS YOU…YOU…YOU IMBECILE!" Reis' grandfather shook his fists in a rage.
"What's going on here? I feel…strange," Kyla opened her eyes and murmured.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?! WHAT EVIL SPIRIT POSSESSED YOU TO TURN HUMANS INTO STICKS?!!" Reis' grandfather scolded him.
"HE DID WHAT?!" Kyla and Shin exclaimed in horror.
"I thought I told you that magic is more forbidden than swordsmanship, if you decided to break the rules, at least don't go breaking the most basic rules of magic!" Reis' grandfather yelled.
"Gramps, could you lower your voice a bit?" Reis pleaded.
"Don't ask me to lower my voice! AAH! You're just like your father, Dragon Knight that he was, he was always breaking the rules!" Reis' grandfather yelled.
"M-my father was a…" Reis stared in shock.
Reis' grandfather realized his mistake and kept silent.
"Gramps, you just said my father was a Dragon Knight," Reis questioned.
"Bah! I never said such a thing" Reis grandfather denied.
"Kyla, you heard him right?" Reis asked.
"Sorry Reis but I'm staying out of this," Kyla said.
"Let's prepare the meat before it goes to waste" Reis grandfather said.
"Jin? Is that what you're called? I'd like to speak with you in…private," Reis' grandfather said.
"Kyla, Shin, let's leave the grown-ups to prepare the meat while we have some fun. I know of this mountain that's got a killer view," Reis said.
"Sure…but don't turn us into sticks again," Kyla half pleaded-half warned.
Reis had made a careless mistake. After defeating the Kaiser wolf, he forgot to transform his sword into a staff. Though unnoticed by most of the villagers, it could not be hidden from the one person it was supposed to be hidden from, Lord Devilli's spy Kassim. Immediately after spotting the sheathed sword, Kassim hurried to Lord Devilli's castle. Kassim was admitted into Lord Devilli's presence. The evil warlord was being updated by his malicious general, General Osukow.
"Ah Kassim, I've been waiting for you, any new information?" Lord Devilli asked.
"You will be very pleased with my new discovery. This morning, a boy went into the Tyron forest with a staff but returned with a sword, three staffs and meat resembling the flesh of a Kaiser wolf," Kassim reported.
At this, General Osukow smiled slyly. Lord Devilli narrowed his eyes.
"Are you suggesting that…this boy not only broke the law concerning swordsmanship but magic as well?" Lord Devilli questioned.
"Lord Devilli, recall what I told you earlier, about the three missing Dragon Rangers," General Osukow reminded Lord Devilli.
"Three rangers…three staffs, how interesting. Who is this boy that defies my law?!" Lord Devilli roared angrily.
His eyes flashed with a strange red energy and an earthquake rocked the castle.
General Osukow and Kassim trembled in fear.
"My lord, his name is…Reis Dragonhaärt," Kassim reported.
At this, a look of fear flashed across Lord Devilli's face momentarily.
"So…my worst fear has become a reality" he thought silently.
"Tell me, this boy, is he silver-haired, green eyed and with a dragon-shaped scar on his right shoulder?" Lord Devilli asked.
"He has the first two features but I never noticed the third," Kassim said.
"You've done well Kassim, you will be rewarded. General Osukow, gather your men, we're going on a little raid," Lord Devilli said with an evil laugh.
Meanwhile, Reis, Shin and Kyla were on Colossal Mountain. Kyla and Shin were laughing merrily at Reis' jokes.
"Please stop Reis, my ribs hurt," Shin pleaded as he laughed to the point of tears.
"You should have seen Gramps that day. His face was red and so swollen with anger I thought he'd explode!" Reis narrated as he laughed himself.
"So what did you do Reis?" Kyla asked amidst laughter.
"What d'ya think? I fetched a bucket of water and emptied it on him. I was only eight then so it was natural to think he was on fire!" Reis said as he burst into laughter.
"Ppppph! HA HA HA HA HA!!!" Shin and Kyla laughed as they clutched their sides, trying to stifle the laughter but their efforts were all in vain.
After a while, they all regained their composure.
"Reis" Kyla called.
"Huh?" Reis looked at her.
They were all lying on top of the mountain, staring into the orange sunset.
"What do you think of dragons?" Kyla asked.
Reis sat up and remained silent for a while.
"Did I say something wrong?" Kyla asked worriedly.
"No, it's just that, ever since I heard about 'The Tragic Legend,' I've been feeling guilty. I don't know why but I just can't help blaming myself for the Great Extinction. I wish dragons didn't have to die out because of the Dragonheart. If only I could have been there to prevent it" Reis sighed.
Kyla looked at Shin. Shin nodded and Kyla nodded in response.
"Reis, it's true that dragons were driven to the brink of extinction but not all dragons died out. Some survived and are here even today," Kyla said.
"And to make you feel better, I SUMMON YOU DRACO!!!" Shin called as he raised his hand.
A flash of lightning announced the appearance of Shin's Dragon Partner Draco.
"I SUMMON YOU EHUM!!!" Kyla called as another flash of lightning coupled with a violent wind storm announced the appearance of Kyla's Dragon Partner Ehum. Reis stared at the dragons in awe.
"See? Some dragons did survive," Kyla said with a smile. The dragons seemed amazed to see Reis.
"Finally, you've returned, Lord Dragonhaärt!" they greeted.
"Lord Dragonhaärt?" Kyla questioned.
"It's best you know nothing for now," Ehum said.
"If you say so," Kyla reluctantly agreed.
A tear flowed down Reis' face.
"I don't know why but I feel relieved…like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders."
"We understand," Draco said.
"Ever heard of the Dragon Rangers?" Shin asked.
Reis shook his head ignorantly.
"The Dragon Rangers are a group that have dedicated their lives to protecting the surviving dragons." Shin informed Reis.
"We also fight evil wherever it breeds" Kyla added.
"We?" Reis asked.
"Yes, Shin, Master Jin and I are Dragon Rangers" Kyla told Reis.
"Great! Then you'd know what a Dragon Knight is," Reis looked expectant.
"It's not something that can be explained in words. You'll understand if you join us," Kyla said.
Reis seemed to think about it for a while.
"I can't, Gramps needs me," he said glumly.
"We understand Reis. Maybe one day, you'll become one of us," Shin tried to make Reis feel better.
Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke ascended into the sky.
"What's that?" Kyla asked.
"Oh no! The village is on fire!" Reis exclaimed in fear as he began to hurry down the mountain.
"Reis! I think it will be faster if we ride the dragons!" Kyla called.
Reis hesitated. Kyla and Shin mounted their Dragon Partners.
"What's wrong?" Kyla asked.
"I…uh…I…um…I'm afraid of heights," Reis confessed.
At this, Kyla and Shin began to laugh.
"It's not funny!" Reis yelled.
"We're sorry. It's just difficult to imagine that someone as powerful as you is scared of such a little thing as heights," Shin said while trying to keep himself from laughing.
Reis frowned, and then he got a diabolic idea and began to raise his hands.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Shin asked fearfully.
"Nothing much, I'm just going to turn you into stones so that you can't laugh," Reis said with a cunning smile.
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Kyla and Shin exclaimed in fear.
"Oh I am very serious" Reis said.
"Uh…Reis, c-calm down, the v-village is on f-fire remember?" Kyla stammered.
"I nearly forgot!" Reis said as he suddenly leapt unto Draco. Let's get to the village as quickly as possible!" Reis said.
"That's what we do" Shin said as Draco rose into the air. Ehum followed close behind.
"See? It's not so bad," Shin said.
"You're right! It feels great!" Reis exclaimed in joy.
Meanwhile, in Tyron village, Lord Devilli, General Osukow and a battalion of armed troops invaded Tyron. They demanded to know where Reis and the Dragon Rangers were.
"We are peaceful people Lord Devilli. We've never stood in your way, why do you attack our village like this?" one villager was brave enough to ask.
Reis' grandfather and Master Jin stood among the crowd of villagers.
"You think this is an attack? No, no, no no, this is not an attack…BUT THIS IS!" Lord Devilli roared as his eyes flamed.
In the next instant, the entire village was on fire! The villagers screamed in fear and confusion.
"Do not interfere," Reis' grandfather whispered to Master Jin.
Master Jin nodded. Reis' grandfather stepped forward.
"Lord Devilli! How dare you play with innocent lives?! You are just a creature of darkness! Your heart knows only hate! Leave us alone!" Reis grandfather challenged.
Lord Devilli narrowed his eyes in anger.
"How dare you challenge me old man?! Do you have some kind of death wish?!" Lord Devilli roared.
"What? You threaten to kill me? You are a fool Erikkus Di Devilli! Killing me would change nothing! I am an old man after all and I'll soon die anyway," Reis grandfather laughed.
Lord Devilli smiled.
"You're right old man, your life means nothing so…I'll kill the children!" Lord Devilli roared.
"What?! Are you so consumed by hatred that you'd dare to attack innocent children?!" Reis' grandfather yelled.
Lord Devilli looked around and saw a little girl, then he smiled and stretched his forefinger towards the girl.
"No! Please Lord Devilli! Not my daughter!" the mother of the girl pleaded.
"Goodbye, little one!" Lord Devilli laughed as he shot sparks of lightning from his finger but Reis' grandfather suddenly appeared in the way, shielding the girl and taking the damage instead.
"I see you don't value your life. At least, before you die, tell me where Reis Dragonhaärt is!" Lord Devilli ordered.
Reis' grandfather remained still.
"Pity, you died before you could be of any use to me," Lord Devilli said.
Almost immediately loud exclamations filled the air. Lord Devilli raised his head and stared into the sky. Two dragons raced towards the village.
"You want me?! Then you'll get me!!!" Reis roared as he leapt off Draco's back brandishing his father's sword.
Lord Devilli raised his sword in response to block the attack but Reis' strike was so powerful that it shattered Lord Devilli's sword and struck him on the shoulder.
"AAAARRRGGHHH!!!" Lord Devilli sceamed in pain as huge waves of electricity were discharged from his body. "You're strong Reis Dragonhaärt…but I'm even more powerful than you," Lord Devilli said as he disappeared.
"What's that supposed to mean! You're dead!" Reis growled.
"Foolish brat! You know nothing. That wasn't the real Lord Devilli. It was merely one of his shadows. It contained a thousandth of Lord Devilli's real power," General Osukow laughed as he led his men out of the village.
"Kyla! Shin! We have to save the village!" Reis ordered.
"I can't. Ehum and I have wind abilities. Wind only strengthens fire" Kyla admitted.
"And my Psychic abilities are only useful against living entities. I can't help you," Shin admitted.
"Reis…" Reis grandfather called weakly.
"Gramps!" Reis rushed to his grandfather's side.
"Gramps! What happened to you?!" Reis asked.
"Erikkus Di Devilli did," Reis' grandfather said weakly.
"I'll make him pay, I promise" Reis swore.
"Reis…unnh…maybe Kyla, Shin and Master Jin can't save the village but you can!" Reis' grandfather declared with absolute certainty.
"H-how gramps?" Reis asked.
"By believing in yourself and absolutely…"
"Absolutely what gramps?" Reis asked.
"Absolutely trashing Lord Devilli's law against 'your secret art'" Reis' grandfather said. Reis smiled.
"You're absolutely right gramps!" Reis said as he stood up.
"What are you going to do Reis?" Kyla asked him.
"I'm going to…listen to my heart and my blood," Reis said as he shut his eyes.
"Oh and Reis…have fun, you're already a Dragon Knight, just like your father was," Reis' grandfather said as he lost consciousness.
Reis shut his eyes and concentrated. He felt light like a leaf. He could feel power all around him.
"All I've got to do is bend the power to my will. I mustn't try to control it…I must flow with it" Reis murmured as he lifted his hands towards the sky.
He could feel a wave of gentle force rising from the ground into the air.
On the outside he was radiating with intense golden light. Reis focused on uniting all the droplets of water in the atmosphere. It was getting intense as Reis struggled to keep his powers from surging out of control.
"M-Master Jin! Reis is using an elemental ability! How is he doing it without the power of a dragon?" Kyla asked in shock.
"I don't know. It defies all logic," Master Jin admitted. "How can he be so powerful?" Shin asked.
"HHHAAAHHH!!!" Reis roared as all the vapour in the atmosphere condensed and began to fall as heavy rain.
In less than five minutes, all the flames were dowsed but Reis collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Reis' grandfather opened his eyes.
"Reis, you must go with them," he said.
"But I can't leave you Gramps" Reis said worriedly.
"Don't worry Reis, we'll take good care of him" the woman whose child Reis' grandfather had protected said.
"We're sorry for treating you like strangers for so long. We were deceived by Kassim. We know now that you're good people" another villager said.
"Become stronger for all of us and free us from Di Devilli once and for all," another villager said.
"I will…and soon, I promise!" Reis swore.
"Then I think it's time to leave. Right Reis?" Master Jin said with a smile.
"Sure, I've got a lot to learn and I want to begin as soon as possible," Reis said.
Meanwhile Lord Devilli had received all experiences concerning the raid at the very moment his shadow was defeated.
"Hmmm, very interesting Reis Dragonhaärt, very interesting indeed," Lord Devilli said as he burst into devilish laughter.
Reis, Kyla and Master Jin flew all through the night. At midnight, they crossed the border of Saggeese and flew over the sea. Three hours after midnight, they had entered the continent of Novatio. By dawn, they were over a dense forest. Soon, they saw what looked like a village in the middle of the forest. As the dragons reduced their altitude, Reis realized that it was a township and not a village.
"We're here Reis! This is the Rangers' Guild!" Kyla said.
"Wow! It's great! Reis said.
"Reis, this shall be…your new home," Master Jin said.
Reis felt thrilled.
Reis, Kyla, Shin and Master Jin had journeyed throughout the night and had finally made it to the Rangers' Guild. They descended at the gate leading into the Township.
"Master Jin! Kyla! Shin! You're back already? Where are the others? What happened?!" the sentries asked excitedly.
Kyla and Shin looked sad. They remained silent.
"I need to speak to the Dragonlord and the council, are they waiting for me?" Master Jin asked.
"The Dragonlord foresaw your return. He informed us to tell you to go home and rest and deliver your report tomorrow. He said he wanted you all, including the stranger you would be bringing in his presence tomorrow with all the Dragon Rangers" one sentry informed Master Jin.
"The Dragonlord is very considerate, we seek his wisdom to find light" Master Jin said.
"We seek his wisdom to find light" the others responded.
Reis simply watched them.
"Kyla, Shin, Reis, you heard them. Let's go home and rest" Master Jin said as he led them through the Township.
The Rangers' Guild was a well-developed Township with lots of tall stone buildings. It was quite a busy place bustling with people, all of whom were Dragon Rangers in one way or another. There was uniformity to some extent but the more privileged class of Dragon Rangers lived in mansions. One of which was the Ayenhayze residence, home to Master Jin, Kyla and Shin.
"This is where we live" Kyla informed Reis.
"And this is where you'll be living from now on" Master Jin said.
"Really?! It's such a big place! How many people live here?" Reis asked.
"Just us" Kyla said.
"I can tell it's going to be fun!" Reis laughed.
"It's mostly going to be studies for you" Master Jin said.
"Studies?" Reis asked in surprise.
"You need to catch up to Kyla and Shin as soon as possible so you will be entering The Academy Of Drakes" Master Jin said.
"School? That's great! I've always wondered how it would be like to be in school" Reis said excitedly.
"Let me explain how this works. In the Guild, we have a hierarchy of five classes. I'll start from the bottom. First from the bottom is the Drake, dragon pupils who learn about dragons. Once you pass the Dräkan Tournament and acquire a Dragon Partner, you advance to the next class which is Dragon Student, that's the class Shin and I belong to. After years of experience, you move on to Dragon Master, that's Master Jin's class. They oversee Dragon Students during field missions. Next in line is the Dragon Knight. At this level, you begin your own journey to conquer evil. And finally at the top is the Dragonlord, leader of the guild, supreme guardian of the dragons and…" Kyla was explaining when Shin interrupted her.
"A royal pain to be around" he complained.
"Shin! Show some respect!" Master Jin scolded.
"Seriously, all the guy ever does is to give orders. Naturally, we receive our missions from him" Shin complained some more.
Reis laughed. That means, you guys are one class ahead of me. You guys better watch out or I'll soon overtake you" Reis challenged.
"I'd like to see you try" Kyla accepted the challenge.
"Do whatever you want, I don't really care" Shin said.
"Shin really hates school" Kyla explained.
"I hope you understand the various classes" Master Jin said.
"Yep! I sure do!" Reis laughed.
"Hmm, what a smart boy" Master Jin praised as he entered the house.
"K-Kyla? Can you explain again 'cos I pretty much got nothing" Reis admitted.
Kyla and Shin nearly collapsed from surprise.
"Honestly Reis, you're one screwed up guy" Shin joked.
After they had all entered the house, Reis remained in the hall while Kyla and Shin prepared a room for him. He couldn't help staring around since he had never been in such a magnificent house before.
"Reis, now that we're alone, I want to give you a piece of advice" Master Jin said.
"Advice?" Reis wondered.
"Yes, in the whole world, not one person except for you can use elemental abilities without sharing the power of a dragon. That is very rare and may be considered by some as a bad omen. So I advise you not to use your abilities in public unless you have no other choice" Master Jin advised.
At that moment, Kyla and Shin came down the stairs.
"Kyla, Shin, why don't you show Reis around the Guild" Master Jin suggested.
"That would be great!" Reis exclaimed excitedly.
"Sure, we'll leave right away" Shin said.
"Come on Reis" Kyla called.
Kyla, Shin and Reis left the Ayenhayze residence. They walked around the guild. Kyla and Shin led Reis to all the popular sites in the guild such as the weapon and armour shops, Old Lady Kamikaze restaurant and many others. Next, they took Reis to the edge of a very dense forest.
"This is the Forest Of Awakening" Kyla said.
"The surviving dragons dwell at the heart of the forest in the Cave Of Shadows. You'll soon be sent to awaken the dragon that will choose you" Shin explained.
"I see" Reis said silently.
"Great! Now let's go to the park" Shin suggested.
"That's a great idea!" Kyla agreed and they went to the park.
It was a large green field with all sorts of entertaining structures.
"It's been quite a while. Let's have a mini Dräkan Tournament!" Shin suggested as he cracked his knuckles.
There were four other Dragon Rangers on the field about their age.
"A mini Dra-what?" Reis asked.
"A mini Dräkan Tournament, it's a duel and it's also practice for the main event that's coming on next week" Kyla explained.
"In this duel, two Dragon Students fight against each other at a time. The one that is knocked out or gives up first loses" Shin added.
"Great! Can I play?" Reis asked.
"But you don't have a Dragon Partner yet" Kyla said.
Reis recalled Master Jin's warning.
"You're right, I'll just watch" Reis said.
At that moment, they noticed a boy and girl about Reis' age approaching them. The boy had fiery red hair and he looked very serious. So serious in fact, that Reis thought he looked conceited. The girl on the other hand was very pretty, she had long flowing golden hair and pretty light blue eyes. Reis could not help but stare at her. Shin gave Reis a nudge on the shoulder.
"I know pal, she's pretty but she's not what she seems. She's as cold as ice" Shin said.
"Don't mind him Reis, he's just trying to put you off. She's quite nice once you get to know her" Kyla said.
"Can we play?" the boy asked.
"Sure Darak, but please take it easy on us, we're not as strong as you are" Kyla pleaded.
"Those are words for the weak, I want to have fun so I'm going all out" Darak said.
"Are you playing Aurora?" Kyla asked the girl.
"No, I'll just watch. You're playing, aren't you Kyla?" Aurora asked.
"Yes I am" Kyla said.
"Do your best Kyla" Aurora encouraged.
"Hey Aurora, since you're not playing, why don't you referee with Reis. He's new. He just came back with us" Kyla suggested.
"Hey Kyla, what of Jared, did he come back with you or is he still at the Saggeesian border?" Aurora asked.
"I'm not permitted to disclose any information concerning our recent mission" Kyla said.
"Oh" Aurora seemed disappointed.
"Okay, let's begin" Aurora said.
"Wait a minute!" Reis interrupted.
"Hey! Stop stalling the game already you jerk!" one boy yelled.
"I believe since I'm refereeing this tournament, it would be prudent for me to put everyone's safety first…" Reis was saying when he was interrupted again.
"Just get to the point already!" an impatient girl complained.
"If I see that any of you is pointlessly hurting another person, I'll end the match immediately and disqualify the offender, in which case the victim wins by default, got it?" Reis said with a serious look on his face.
So serious was he that some of the students gulped in fear, except for Darak.
"Hmmph! I'd like to see you try" Darak challenged.
"Now you can begin!" Reis said as Aurora called out the names of the first duelists.
They dueled fairly. Kyla, Shin and Darak won their fights quite easily. Soon, it reached a duel between Kyla and Shin.
"I've been waiting for this Kyla. I'm absolutely going to embarrass you" Shin declared.
"Haven't you ever heard of the saying 'empty barrels make the most noise'?" Kyla teased and some of the students began to laugh.
"Enough talk, let the action begin!" Shin declared.
"Ready? Begin!" Reis declared.
"I summon you Draco!" Shin called.
"I agree! I summon you Ehum!" Kyla called.
Draco and Ehum appeared in flashes of lightning and their respective elements.
"Ready Kyla?" Shin asked.
"Ready Shin?" Kyla mocked.
"HERE I COME! MIND CONFUSION RAY!!!" Shin called as a force of psychic light flew out from his hands and charged towards Kyla.
Kyla somersaulted out of the way and the confusion technique missed her.
"EHUM! ATTACK!" Kyla ordered.
Ehum charged to attack Shin.
"DRACO! PARRY EHUM'S ATTACK!" Shin ordered.
Draco charged to attack Ehum. He had to avoid being hit by the heavy breath of wind Ehum sent after him. When he reached Ehum's side, he grabbed Ehum's fore-leg and spun violently throwing Ehum completely off balance. Ehum crashed to the ground.
"Good going Draco! Now it's my turn!" Shin called as Kyla charged towards him.
"You're mine!" Kyla roared.
"It's actually the opposite, PSYCHIC CONFUSION HOMING BEAM!" Shin called as beams of light raced towards Kyla.
"Drat! I really hate that move!" Kyla yelled as she somersaulted out of the way but now, two beams were homing in on her from either side.
"What do I do now?!" she wondered. "Wind Element! Propelling push!" Kyla called as she focused all her wind energy on the ground.
The force propelled her into the air. The homing beams collided and dust enveloped the area.
"You've got to do better than that if you wish to defeat me!" Kyla yelled.
"Actually, I just did" Shin smiled slyly as a homing beam rose from the dust and struck Kyla.
"You're in my control now Kyla. Slowly descend" Shin instructed.
Kyla obeyed.
"Kyla say aaah" Shin instructed.
"Aaah" Kyla repeated.
"Kyla say…Kyla's an idiot and Shin is the greatest guy you've ever met" Shin instructed.
"K-Kyla's an idiot and Shin…you're the greatest guy I've ever met" Kyla said.
"Good girl Kyla, now say…I give up" Shin instructed.
"I-I…unnhh!" Kyla struggled.
"Don't try to fight it Kyla. Just say…I give up" Shin instructed.
"I-I g-g…I give up" Kyla sighed.
At that moment, the homing beam left her body and she collapsed.
"Winner! Shin!" Reis declared.
Everyone applauded.
"Now for the finals, it's Darak versus Shin!" Aurora declared.
"Hmmph…you should give up while you still have a chance" Darak said with a sly grin.
"You don't intimidate me in the least bit" Shin said with determination.
"Ready…" Aurora said.
Shin and Darak looked determined.
"START!" Reis declared.
"I'll give you the first attack. Don't waste it" Darak said coolly.
"Don't regret!" Shin said as he rushed to attack Darak.
"Take this! PSYCHIC CONFUSION BEAM!" Shin called.
Kyla regained consciousness at that moment.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"It's the finals, Shin is dueling Darak" Reis informed her.
At that moment, all Shin's confusion beams hit Darak.
"Shin! That idiot actually did it!" Kyla exclaimed excitedly.
"Darak say aaah" Shin instructed.
"Aaah, what a fool you are Shin" Darak said.
"What?!" Shin exclaimed in shock.
"You're the perfect idiot. Now feel my flame! PYRON BLAST!!!" Darak called as he released an intense flame and sent it racing towards Shin.
"OH NO!" Shin exclaimed as he tried to evade the attack but the flame kept chasing him.
"I think it's only fair that I too use a homing attack. Don't you think so, Shin?" Darak said in an annoyingly cool tone.
Shin ran, ducked, somersaulted and dived to get the flame off his tail but it continued to pursue him.
"Give up Shin!" Darak ordered.
"The students of Master Jin do not know the meaning of that phrase!" Shin said with a laugh.
"Shin" Kyla smiled.
"Is he doing okay?" Reis asked worriedly.
"Ever since I've known him, Shin always knew that his psychic abilities were considerably weaker than most of our elemental abilities but that didn't stop him from developing his potential" Kyla narrated. "Shin's doing fine. Besides, this is just a game" Kyla said with a smile.
"Shin! If you keep this up you're only going to end up hurt!" Darak said.
"Give up? No, not when I'm having so much fun. WHOO HOO!" Shin screamed in excitement.
"Shin, what are you up to now?" Kyla wondered.
"Are you crazy?! Do you want to die?!" Darak warned.
"Darak, you must be playing 'cos this attack isn't enough to even scratch me!" Shin laughed.
"Is that true Kyla?" Reis asked.
"If your friend keeps on underestimating Darak I assure you he is going to die." Aurora said suddenly.
"It's that serious?" Reis exclaimed.
"Darak is just toying with him" Aurora said.
Reis assumed a serious look.
"I think I'm warmed up" Shin said as he suddenly stopped and turned to face Darak's technique.
Just before the technique hit him Shin spread his arms apart.
"You idiot! What are you doing?!" Kyla yelled.
Suddenly, Darak's technique was dispelled.
"NO WAY!" Kyla exclaimed in shock.
"HOW?!" Aurora seemed shocked.
"I was disappointed when a psychic dragon chose me, I wanted what you had… a fire dragon. But Master Jin took me in and taught me…" Shin said.
"How could a weak psychic brat like yourself dispel my attack?" Darak asked.
"That's because of two reasons. One… you are a selfish brat, like myself and two…with psychic abilities the possibilities are endless!" Shin said with a confident smile.
"Good, since you are powerful there's no need to hold back. I SUMMON YOU! DRAGNARÖK!!!" Darak called.
There was a discharge of massive energy. Flames gushed out of Darak's ring and slowly took the form of a mighty Fire Dragon!
"I see you're taking me seriously now! Good! I SUMMON YOU! DRACO!!!"
Shin called as a blast of lightning coupled with psychic blasts announced the appearance of Draco.
"Dragnarök, don't hold back," Darak said.
"Draco, go all out." Shin said.
"Shin, why don't you and I have a hand to hand combat, just to prove who is stronger," Darak suggested. "Meanwhile, Dragnarök attack!"
"Go Draco!" Shin ordered. "Let's go" Shin shouted as he charged to attack Darak.
Darak cracked his knuckles. Shin threw a punch, Darak dodged to the left, Shin gave a high kick but Darak simply ducked to evade.
"Hmmph! What a reckless fighting style" Darak said as he gave a foot sweep, Shin fell to the ground. "It seems I overestimated you, you're nothing but a weak brat" Darak said.
"Say what?!" Shin growled.
"So I tell you what, I'll end this quickly" Darak said.
Shin stood up.
"I dare you to try" Shin said.
"Very well" Darak smiled cunningly as he suddenly disappeared.
"HUH? Where did you go" Shin called.
Suddenly Darak appeared right in front of him.
"Right here, feel my flame! PYRO FIST! Darak called as his fist flamed and he gave Shin amazingly fast successive punches. Shin screamed in pain and dropped to the ground.
"You…cheated" Shin said weakly.
"I said we should have a hand to hand duel I never mentioned not to use any elements, you're not only weak but you're stupid as well" Darak said.
"You're the fool, if there is no fairness in a fight then it is not a fight worth fighting. You can have your shameful victory. I give up" Shin said as he turned to leave.
"Winner, Darak!" Reis called but there were no cheers. Darak was fuming.
"You idiot! How dare you embarrass me?" Darak thought to himself.
Reis watched Darak closely. Flames seemed to engulf Darak.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT SHIN!" Darak roared as he suddenly disappeared.
"Shin! Watch out!" Kyla called.
"Darak stop! You won already!" Aurora called at the top of her voice.
Shin turned slowly, and then everything happened quickly.
Darak appeared behind Shin.
"PYRO…!!!" Darak called.
Suddenly, Reis disappeared.
"Shin! Look out!" Kyla screamed as she shut her eyes.
Darak's fist was heading towards Shin's chest as he turned around.
"…DEATH FIST!!!" Darak roared as his fists began to flame.
Suddenly, Reis appeared in front of Darak, he deflected Darak's fist with his fore and middle fingers together, then he spun and directed Darak's firepower through his body and shot it into the sky, then he gave Darak a foot sweep. As Darak reeled over, he grabbed Darak's hand. Darak grabbed his shoulder in return and tore off his sleeve, but Reis was faster. In a flash, he held Darak in a tight lock-hold.
"What just happened? How did that boy dispel Darak's Pyro Death Fist?" Aurora asked.
"IMPOSSIBLE! THAT BOY JUST USED THE DRAGON PARRY!" Dragnarök exclaimed in shock.
"What?! How is that even possible?!" Kyla and Aurora exclaimed in shock.
"You don't seem surprised Draco, why is that?" Dragnarök asked.
"Look closely at him, can't you recognize him?" Draco said.
Dragnarök examined Reis closely.
"Silver hair, green eyes and a dragon-shaped scar on his right shoulder, IT CAN'T BE!" Dragnarök exclaimed in shock.
"What's the matter Dragnarök?" Aurora asked.
"That explains everything!" Dragnarök exclaimed.
"Explains what?" Aurora seemed confused.
"Young humans, we are sorry but we cannot tell you. When the time is right, you will find out on your own" Draco said.
"All we can tell you is this, prepare yourselves for you are about to face a great evil, the likes of which you've never faced before" Dragnarök warned.
Kyla and Aurora stared at the dragons, then at Reis. They felt shocked, scared and excited at the same time.
Reis kept holding Darak tightly.
"LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME!" Darak yelled.
"Calm down Darak, you have to get a hold of yourself! You could have killed Shin!" Reis scolded.
"I'll kill you too if you don't let me go!" Darak threatened.
"I'm afraid that's not possible and if you think this is all I can do, heh heh, then you're severely mistaken" Reis said.
"Fine! I give up! Let me go now" Darak pleaded.
Reis let him go. Darak punched him in the face.
"That's for interfering!" Darak roared.
"I-I probably deserve that" Reis said.
He was stunned and could actually see birds flying around his head. He collapsed to the ground.
"Aurora, let's get going" Darak said in an angry tone.
"Okay, see you later Kyla, goodbye Shin. When Reis wakes up, tell him, he did a good job" Aurora said as she left with Darak.
"Don't congratulate that idiot!" Darak said angrily.
"You went too far Darak" Aurora said.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll try to control myself next time…maybe" Darak said.
Aurora couldn't help but giggle.
"You may not mean to but you're really funny" she said.
"Reis! Reis! Reis! Wake up!" Kyla called.
Reis stirred but he couldn't wake up.
"Sheesh, now we've got to carry him all the way home. It's already night and probably past our bedtime" Kyla complained.
Shin carried Reis on his back.
"Who're you calling an idiot" Reis mumbled.
"That, he heard" Kyla muttered.
The next scene showed the Reis, Kyla, Shin and Master Jin preparing to eat supper.
"Okay, now let's eat" Master Jin suggested.
"Wait a second. My grandfather always taught me to pray to the God of the Heart and the universe before eating or doing anything important" Reis said.
"Well, we've never heard of such a god. We only know how to pray to the Dragon God" Kyla said.
Reis laughed.
"That's just one of His many attributes. He is actually three in one, the God of the Heart, the God of the Mind and the God of the Spirit. He is the embodiment of all living beings that serve the light" Reis explained.
"How do you have knowledge of such things?" Master Jin asked in astonishment.
"My grandfather taught me to pray to the God of the Heart but my heart tells me of his other beings" Reis explained.
"I see" Master Jin said.
"Great, so let us pray" Reis said as he shut his eyes.
The others did the same.
"God of the Mind, Heart and Spirit, bless our meal and make it whole
Let it nourish the three parts of our soul
And make us stronger than the forces of evil, Amen."
Reis prayed.
Dinner was eaten in silence and after dinner, everyone went silently to bed. Reis and Shin entered their room and shut the door.
"Today has been a really crazy day hasn't it?" Reis said with a satisfied grin. Both boys lay on separate beds. Their beds were at two opposite ends of the room.
"Yeah, I still wish I could have put that jerk in his place though" Shin said angrily.
"No need for that, what's past cannot be changed. The only thing we can forge is the future so let's live the present" Reis said.
"Nice philosophy" Shin complimented.
"Thanks" Reis said.
"Yeah Reis, Aurora gave me a message to deliver to you" Shin said.
"Really?" Reis said excitedly as he sat up.
"What did she say?" Reis asked excitedly.
"She said 'good job'" Shin said.
Reis thought about the events of the day.
"Tomorrow's going to be great!" Reis exclaimed.
"Don't count on it Reis, tomorrow is going to be a very hard and bad day for all Dragon Rangers" Shin said sadly.
"Even Aurora?" Reis asked.
"Especially Aurora, and for you too" Shin said.
"Goodnight Reis" Shin said as he shut his eyes and went to sleep.
Reis remained awake, reflecting on Shin's words. They seemed like an ill-fated prophecy, but Reis knew deep in his heart that Shin's words were going to be true.