RYUGAEIA'S HISTORY PART III: THE KAIGNIS KING PART I: DAUGHTER OF THE CAPTAIN
A weekend had passed since Reis' initiation into the Ranger's Guild. It was the first day of the week, Dragnarök's day, and supposedly Reis' first day of school. Reis had woken up earlier than usual. It was still dawn. He finished clothing himself and woke Shin up. Shin took his bath and got dressed as well. They began to set the table for breakfast. Reis looked lost in thought.
"Reis, is everything okay?" Shin asked.
"I'm just nervous is all" Reis said quietly.
He was thinking of what Captain Hiru had told him of his family. He could not understand why but he had a bad feeling. Soon, Master Jin and Kyla were up as well. Kyla was shocked to see Shin and Reis up already and Shin nearly started an argument with Kyla but Reis saved the situation as usual. They ate breakfast while talking about their hopes and expectations for the day, but the more they talked, the more uneasy Reis felt. It was morning soon enough and Master Jin left for the Rangers' Headquarters. Kyla, Shin and Reis began to walk towards Dragon High.
"So it's going to be your first day at school right?" Shin asked.
"Right" Reis replied.
"You kept your promise and caught up to us in an instant" Kyla said.
"Yeah, I didn't even think about that" Reis said.
"But you kept it anyway" Shin said.
"I guess" Reis replied.
"Come on Reis. Don't be so modest all the time. School can be really unfair to modest guys" Kyla said.
"So what are your plans for the day?" Kyla asked.
"Well…I plan to study" Reis said plainly.
"Haha! Always the bookworm aren't ya?" Shin said, half depressed, half disappointed by Reis' answer.
"Don't you want to make new friends?" Kyla asked.
"I do…but no one wants me here except for you guys of course" Reis said sadly.
"Don't let it get to you" Shin encouraged.
As they walked on, they noticed an old lady trying to lift a heavy load. She seemed tired. Reis felt sorry for her.
"Hey, you guys go ahead without me. I'll catch up" Reis said as he approached the old lady.
Shin and Kyla walked away. Soon, they were out of sight.
"Excuse me ma'am but do you need any help with your load?" Reis asked nervously.
"I haven't seen you around here young boy, what's your name?" the old lady asked.
"My name's Reis Dragonhaӓrt ma'am" Reis said.
"Ah, so you're the infamous Reis Dragonhaӓrt everyone is talking about" the old lady said.
"So I'm infamous already huh?" Reis said sadly.
"But you don't seem like a bad person. I suppose this is your first day at school?" the old lady asked.
"Yes, it is" Reis said.
"Then you can't afford to be late. I hear the masters are strict" the old lady said.
"I wish I could just walk away but I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt because I refused to help" Reis said with determination.
"You really are a weird one, you know that?" the old lady asked rhetorically.
Reis nodded with a smile.
"But I like kids like you. If you insist on helping me, I'll accept your offer but don't strain yourself" the old lady said.
Reis tried to carry the load but it was too heavy. He dropped it, focused his mind and tried again. Now, it was as light as a feather. The old lady stared at him and smiled.
"So where are you headed ma'am?" Reis asked.
"Kamikaze Restaurant's the destination. The load you're carrying is full of supplies" the old lady said.
"I was at Kamikaze Restaurant on the Day Of Sum-Kebi" Reis said.
"I heard that you were the boy that performed that reckless trick" the old lady said.
Reis laughed, "Yep! That was me!" he said happily.
It took them quite a while to reach Kamikaze Restaurant. Reis entered with the old lady.
"Now, I will tell you a secret Reis. I am Old Lady Kamikaze, the owner of this restaurant" the old lady said.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What?!" Reis stammered.
"Don't be so nervous, you helped me. I will consider you a friend from now on. Don't hesitate to see me if you have any problems. And to show my appreciation, here, I'll give you six 'all you can eat' tickets. You and five friends of your choice can come here and eat for free for one whole day" Old Lady Kamikaze said.
"Wow! Shin will really love this! Thanks a lot Old Lady Kamikaze!" Reis said with a slight bow.
Waitress Diane came to help him with the load.
"I don't think you can carry this Miss Diane, let me" Reis said.
"Thank you Master Reis" Diane said.
"Just call me Reis, I hate formal titles" Reis said.
Reis carried the load to the restaurant's storeroom.
"Now hurry off to school before you are late" Old Lady Kamikaze told Reis.
"I nearly forgot! I'm really late!" Reis said as he took to his heels.
Soon, he was on the road that led to the outer forest. As he reached the turn that led to Dragon High, he heard the yelping of a distressed puppy. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. He couldn't see anything but felt a light tug on his trousers. He looked down. A small white puppy was pulling desperately on his trousers.
"I'm sorry boy but I can't play with you. I'll be late for…" Reis was saying when he noticed a dark red spot on the puppy's fur.
"Is that…blood?" Reis wondered as he touched the spot.
The red fluid came on his hand and he smelt it.
"Oh no! This is human blood!" Reis exclaimed as he hurriedly followed the puppy into the forest.
He ran through the forest, ignoring the thorny branches that pricked and scratched his skin. Soon, he could see someone on the ground ahead of him. He rushed into the clearing and came to the body. He turned the body so he could see who it was.
"It's…a girl" Reis said in surprise, then he noticed something else, "she's a Dragon Ranger!" Reis exclaimed as he lifted her unto his back. He then thought of something else. "If she loses too much blood, she might not make it back to the township" Reis thought as he put her back on the ground. It was then that Reis noticed that there was a stump of wood protruding from her back.
"She was shot by an arrow!" Reis exclaimed.
He began to hear a faint cracking sound. Reis knew what it was and knew that it was bad news.
"I have got to do something fast!" Reis exclaimed as he grabbed the arrow stump.
He tugged at it as gently as possible. The girl was groaning in pain.
"Just bear with me" Reis said as he pulled a bit harder.
The arrow began to come out slowly, then the arrow-head finally came out. But now, the girl was bleeding profusely.
"Oh no! What do I do?! I promised Master Jin not to use my powers!" Reis thought frantically.
More cracking sounds were heard.
"H-Help me, p-please" the girl struggled to say.
"No choice!" Reis said as he removed the bandana that covered his scar and tied it around his forehead. "I'm going to heal her!" Reis declared as he stretched his hands over her wound.
A faint green light began to ebb from his hands. Reis concentrated harder and the light grew stronger. At that moment, the girl opened her eyes. The light was so bright that Reis looked more like an angel than a man. She couldn't see his face but she did see the dragon scar on his right shoulder.
"I knew Guardian Angels were real" she said as she lost consciousness.
Her wound closed a moment later. The cracking sound stopped.
"Phew, I'm glad I did it" Reis said as he tied the bandanna around his scar again and carried the girl unto his back.
He took her to the township but he didn't know where the hospital was. He decided to go to Old Lady Kamikaze's but no one was at the restaurant so he searched around town. Soon, he found the hospital at the North Westernmost point of the town. He rushed into the hospital. A doctor was just on his way out and saw Reis.
"Please help this girl!" Reis pleaded.
He was worn out and panting very tiredly.
"What is wrong with…wait a minute, I know this girl" the doctor said in surprise.
"Doctor! You have to help her! She was wounded by an arrow but I pulled it out! I don't…" Reis was saying.
"You did what?! Then she must be bleeding severely. I need a stretcher over here!" the doctor called.
In less than a moment, two nurses ran out with a stretcher. Reis placed the girl gently on the stretcher and the nurses were off.
"Doctor, there is something else. That girl's dragon ring is cracking" Reis told the doctor.
"That's serious! That girl is on the brink of death. You did well boy" the doctor said.
"And one more thing doctor, I don't want anyone, not even her to know that, I was the one that brought her here" Reis said.
"That is…if she survives" the doctor said as he rushed into the hospital.
Reis smiled slightly, "you don't need to worry about that" Reis said silently as he walked away.
"Now to get to school! Oh man! I am so late!" Reis said worriedly as he took to his heels.
He looked around but nothing seemed familiar.
"Sheesh! I'm lost. I was so worried about that girl that I didn't take note of the directions" Reis sighed.
"Well, there is no one around so I guess I can use my hunting instincts" Reis said with a sly smile.
"Okay! Here I go! AFTER-IMAGE TECHNIQUE!" Reis called as his pupils became slits. He began to see images of events that had occurred on that road. He saw many Dragon Students walking to school.
"Now all I have to do is follow them" Reis said as he followed the images.
He was soon on the road to Dragon High.
Meanwhile, some interesting developments were taking place in Dragon High.
"Why is Reis so late?" Kyla asked worriedly
"Something must be delaying him" Shin said.
While Shin and Kyla were worried about Reis, others were plotting against him. Darak did not seem very interested in plotting against 'an amateur'. To him, Reis was just a silly, reckless amateur who only liked getting in his way.
"Sheesh that damn Reis Dragonwarts, I'll be sure to teach him a lesson" a boy called Dossou muttered angrily.
"Can you imagine the nerve he had to blame Novatians for the misfortunes of Saggeese?! What a Saggesian jerk!" Aurora muttered angrily.
"You're right Dossou! We'll teach that jerk a lesson!" a boy called Cudjoe agreed.
As they were talking, a very fearful looking boy approached them. He was tall and well-built and the look on his face could simply be described with two words, "utter destruction!" He had dark hair and wore a dark uniform with a skull and two crossbones imprinted on its chest and back.
"Just leave it to me!" the boy said as he cracked his knuckles and grinned wickedly.
"I-I-Its…" Dossou stammered.
"Evil Eghan!" Aurora exclaimed in shock.
Evil Eghan was the school's most feared bully. He was always ready to pick on anyone for the littlest excuses possible. He in turn feared Darak since Darak was the most powerful Dragon Student in the entire guild.
"I'd also like to punish him but…he's not worth my time" Darak said coolly.
As they sat plotting, Reis walked in through the gate. Just at that moment, the bell rang for break over. The students began to return to class. Kyla and Shin saw Reis and caught up to him.
"You're late Reis. What took you so long?" Shin asked.
"Our form mistress was really angry. You're in a tight spot now and honestly, I don't know how you're getting out of this one" Kyla said.
Soon, they were at the door that led to their classroom.
"Are you ready for trouble?" Kyla asked.
"I guess" Reis said worriedly.
Kyla opened the doors to the classroom and they walked inside.
Most of the students were already in the classroom and Mistress Kira sat patiently on her table.
"Sh-She's…Aurora and Darak's Dragon Master" Reis gulped.
"Kyla, Shin, take your seats. I need to have a word with Reis here" Mistress Kira said solemnly.
Reis felt a chill run up and down his spine.
"Good luck, Reis" Shin whispered as he and Kyla went to their seats.
"Now Reis Dragonhaӓrt, will you care to explain why you were late?" Mistress Kira asked.
"If I tell her about the girl I helped this morning, I'll draw unnecessary attention to myself" Reis thought silently.
"I'm waiting" Mistress Kira said impatiently.
"Ah-uh-well, I-uh-um-uh-I overslept" Reis lied.
It was the only excuse he could think of though he knew it would get him into trouble. Mistress Kira seemed angered by Reis' confession.
"One thing I will not tolerate in my class is lateness! Another is sloth! Since you have partaken in both, I have no other choice than to give you detention! After classes today, you will dust all the windows in this school, do you hear me?!" Mistress Kira said quite angrily.
"Yes ma'am. Thank you" Reis said with a respectful bow.
Mistress Kira was surprised and impressed by Reis' reaction.
"Class, as you already know, this is Reis Dragonhaӓrt, our newest ranger. He'll be taking part in class activities from now on. Reis, take a seat" Mistress Kira said in a more gentle tone.
Reis looked around for a seat. The students sat in rows of three. He looked around for Kyla and Shin but all the seats were taken. The only empty seat was beside Aurora and Darak's desk. Reis' heart sank. He knew his troubles had only begun. He walked towards Aurora and Darak's desk. Soon he stood beside them.
"Um…Aurora, Darak, can I sit here?" Reis asked nervously.
In the next instant, Aurora's hands were on the empty seat.
"Don't you dare! This seat is for Jared and only Jared! Don't think you can replace him so easily you Saggeesian jerk!" Aurora yelled angrily.
In the next instant, the entire class was jeering and booing at Reis.
Kyla and Shin were getting angry with the class.
"Silence everybody!" Mistress Kira ordered and the noise died down.
Reis walked sadly to Mistress Kira.
"Mistress, can I please take a desk from another class?" Reis said sadly.
"Go ahead Reis" Mistress Kira said sympathetically. "And I think you have already received your punishment so I revoke your detention" Mistress Kira said.
There were murmurs of dissatisfaction from the other students.
Meanwhile, Captain Hiru had received the message that his daughter had returned to the guild and was on the brink of death. He rushed to the hospital and met the nurses talking about his daughter's condition.
"Where is my daughter?! How is she?!" Captain Hiru asked hysterically.
Just at that moment, the doctor came down the stairs with a grim look on his face.
"Doctor! How is my daughter?!" Captain Hiru asked fearfully.
"Her dragon ring cracked" the doctor said.
"Don't tell me…?!" Captain Hiru exclaimed in fear.
"Relax Hiru, it was simply a crack. That means, she was supposed to die but somehow, she miraculously survived, and without a scratch too but her clothes indicate that she bled heavily" the doctor said.
Captain Hiru sighed in relief.
"I'm so glad" he said happily.
"You can see her now" the doctor said as he led Captain Hiru to the room where his daughter was being treated.
Captain Hiru opened the door and went in. His daughter was fast asleep. She was breathing calmly and looked peaceful.
"I'm so glad you're alright, Erasa" Captain Hiru said happily as tears of joy streamed down his face.
In Dragon High, classes were over and the students began to walk home except for the scheming ones. They waited patiently for Reis to come out so that they could teach him a lesson. Soon, Reis came out with Kyla and Shin.
"There he is" Dossou whispered to Evil Eghan.
Evil Eghan cracked his knuckles and smiled evilly.
"I'm going wild!" he said with a hideous laugh.
"Sheesh, that damn Aurora is beginning to get on my nerves! I feel like punching her in the gut!" Kyla growled angrily.
"Darak doesn't seem to agree with her actions but he doesn't oppose her either" Shin deduced.
"Doesn't it bother you, Reis? You also never oppose her and you endure it silently" Kyla said.
"It does bother me but I try to think that Aurora's pain is greater than mine, yet something keeps telling me that it isn't so" Reis said sadly.
"Going somewhere Reis Dragonjerk?!" a rude voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Th-that voice…it's…" Kyla stammered fearfully.
"Evil Eghan!" Shin completed her sentence.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Reis asked.
"Yes, you can take the hits I'm about to give you like a sissy!" Evil Eghan said with a sinister grin.
"TCH! The expression on this guy's face is a hundred percent fight" Reis thought to himself. "Kyla, Shin, go home, I'll catch up to you later on" Reis said seriously.
"Are you sure you can handle this guy?" Shin asked.
Reis remained silent.
"Stupid question, you single-handedly defeated a Kaiser-wolf" Shin said with a smile.
Kyla was still shocked by Evil Eghan's sudden appearance.
"Kyla, let's go, Reis can handle this" Shin said.
Kyla nodded and they left. Reis watched them till they were past the gate.
"If it's a fight you're looking for, then I'm sorry to disappoint you but I can't give you one" Reis said seriously.
Aurora and the other plotters were watching from a distance.
"What a wimp, he's even afraid to fight Evil Eghan" Aurora mocked.
"It's understandable, I wouldn't like to go up against Evil Eghan if I were in his shoes" Dossou said.
Reis noticed them and everything suddenly made sense. Aurora was the one that had stirred up this confrontation. Reis was saddened but he maintained his composure.
"Are you afraid to fight me?" Evil Eghan asked.
"No, but when I took up my father's sword, I promised to follow in his way of the sword. Firstly, I would never fight anyone weaker than myself and secondly, I would only fight to protect my beliefs and those I love" Reis declared.
Aurora gasped as a memory filled her mind.
"Princess Aurora, today, I will teach you my way of the sword. Never fight anyone weaker than yourself and fight only to protect your beliefs and those you love. Do this and you will be an honourable Swordswoman" a man with silver hair and blue eyes said to her.
"I will, Sir Jinrai" a younger Aurora responded.
Aurora's mind returned to the present.
"Are you saying I'm weaker than you?!" Evil Eghan roared angrily.
"Your body may be strong but your heart is weak" Reis said calmly.
"You'll pay for that!" Evil Eghan roared as he charged towards Reis.
Darak watched the battle with the other conspirators.
"Who do you think will win Darak?" Cudjoe asked.
"Reis is obviously stronger than Evil Eghan but…" Darak paused as Evil Eghan landed the first blow to Reis' face!
"He got him!" everyone exclaimed.
"The pride of an honourable swordsman can never be broken, not even by violence" Darak declared.
Reis got hit again. He didn't even make an effort to avoid the blows. Another memory flashed in Aurora's mind. The man from her memories was protecting her from an evil swordsman.
"Aurora, the Ranger's Guild is just over that mountain. You'll be safe if you can make it there. Run as fast as you can!" the man ordered.
"Sir Jinrai, what about you?" Aurora asked.
"You can't help me, young Aurora but…" the man spoke but Aurora could not recall his words.
Aurora snapped back to reality.
"Why am I remembering Sir Jinrai now? Why is Reis reminding me of him?" Aurora wondered.
At that moment, a kick from Evil Eghan sent Reis sprawling to the ground. Evil Eghan was still as relentless as ever, he continued to kick Reis in the side.
"Darak…why is Reis letting himself get beat up like this?" Aurora asked.
"I don't understand it myself. He could choose not to fight but that doesn't mean he can't evade Evil Eghan's attacks" Darak said.
Evil Eghan continued to kick Reis. He paused for a while and removed Reis' father's sword.
"You are getting beat up just because of this foolish sword and your foolish swordsman pride?" Evil Eghan laughed as he threw Reis' father's sword away.
Then he prepared to kick Reis again.
"Oh no! This is getting out of hand. I don't think Reis can take much more! All this…because of my stupid plot? I've got to help him!" Aurora thought to herself.
Darak sensed her thoughts and stopped her.
"There is nothing you can do now but to watch" Darak cautioned her.
"But Reis…!" Aurora tried to protest but Darak shook his head stubbornly.
Evil Eghan attempted to kick Reis again but Reis caught his foot easily.
"I don't mind being beat up…BUT…if you dared to disrespect my father's sword…then…THERE'S NO WAY I'LL FORGIVE YOU!" Reis roared angrily as a new energy filled his eyes.
He tripped Evil Eghan and kicked him away before he could fall down sending Evil Eghan falling a distance away from him. He then stood up and walked to his father's sword. He picked it up and sheathed it.
"I may be a swordsman but…I'm also a human being and just like any human being, my patience has limits. However, you Evil Eghan, have just fallen over the precipice of that infinite pool called my patience!" Reis roared angrily.
"P-please…no more Reis…I give up" Evil Eghan pleaded.
The look in Reis' eyes scared him like never before.
"I see. So you are the type that can dish out pain but can't take some huh?! You know what?" Reis said with an evil smile.
His eyes seemed to be flaring.
"AAAHHH!!! HELP ME! HE'S GONNA KILL ME!!!" Evil Eghan screamed in terror.
"I honestly hate your type however…I will not lower myself to your level" Reis said as he spat on the ground and wiped his bleeding lip.
Then, he turned and walked away. He only managed to take five steps when the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the ground. Aurora looked at Darak with pleading eyes. Darak nodded and she ran quickly to Reis' side.
"Reis, are you okay?" she asked.
"You got what you wanted. You should be happy" Reis said angrily as he stood up and walked away.
Aurora watched Reis as he struggled to walk home. She still didn't like Reis very much but there was something about his actions that made her feel guilty. Reis walked home, wounded. But strangely enough, every step he took made him feel more cheerful.
"I guess I landed myself in another double win situation. One, I defeated Evil Eghan without actually fighting and two…Aurora was worried about me" Reis said with an encouraging smile.
"I hope I wasn't too hard on her" Reis said worriedly.
Soon, he was outside the door of the Ayenhayze residence.
"I wonder what Shin and Kyla will say when they see me all beaten up" Reis sighed and knocked on the door.
"It's probably Reis coming back with another victory" Reis heard Shin say, and in the next instant, the door flew open.
Shin expected to see a cool looking Reis but boy was he surprised.
"R-Reis…why the hell do you look so beaten up?! You know I made a bet with Kyla that you'd win the fight! I bet two Novatian G's! Do you know how precious they are?!" Shin roared.
Kyla rushed to the door. "Pay up Shin!" she ordered.
Shin took out two Novatian Gs from his pocket and stared at them as though he was saying goodbye to his life.
Reis stared at them with a bored look on his face.
"Hmmph! Some caring siblings you turned out to be!" he scoffed.
"You'd better have a good excuse for losing!" Shin roared.
"Hmmph! Nothing in particular. I just felt like losing for entirely selfish reasons" Reis said with a dastardly smile.
"Don't you dare tell me it's a phrase beginning with a 'd!'" Shin glared angrily at Reis.
"So what if it is?" Reis said nonchalantly.
"'So what if it is?!' You just cost me two freaking Novatian Gs! Do you know how much work I had to do to get them?! I had to clean Kyla's room! Do you know how much torture that is?! And you lost simply because of a thing called 'a double win situation!' That's not only wicked, but pathetic!" Shin scolded Reis.
"First of all Shin, you didn't clean my room, you only cleaned a shoe rack! And secondly, I don't understand what you mean by 'double win situation!" Kyla roared.
"Plus it's really pathetic that you cleaned a girl's room for only two Novatian Gs" Reis added.
"Shut up Reis! Kyla, I'll tell you what a double win situation is. It is an invented term in Reis' vocabulary for an entirely stupid thing boys like Reis do to impress girls. It is a ridiculously twisted two plot victory which involves stupidly getting hurt to impress a girl!" Shin roared.
"Shin, you're useless. That's what girls call romantic!" Kyla said bluntly.
"Then I say girls are the weirdest creatures to ever walk this world!" Shin roared.
"Well, I think this time, I actually ended up being a jerk to Aurora" Reis said.
"Finally, you stood up to her" Kyla said with a satisfied smile.
"I guess…" Reis murmured. "But don't worry about my wounds, they heal pretty fast" Reis said.
He noticed the surprised expressions on Kyla and Shin's faces.
"Why are you guys staring at me like that?" he asked.
"Your wounds have healed already" Kyla said in amazement.
"So why were you really late for class? You took so long that Mistress Kira nearly fried her brains in anger" Shin asked.
At that moment, Master Jin walked in with a very grim look on his face.
"Master Jin! You're home!" Kyla exclaimed happily.
"Uh…is something wrong?" Shin asked worriedly.
"Something really bad has happened. You know Erasa Senshiiro, the daughter of Captain Hiru? She was brought to the village almost dead. Her dragon ring cracked" Master Jin said seriously.
"Don't tell me she's…?!" Shin exclaimed worriedly.
"She is still alive. It's strange but she miraculously survived" Master Jin said with a reassuring smile.
"That girl was Captain Hiru's daughter?" Reis murmured in surprise.
"Did you say something Reis?" Kyla asked.
"N-na-na-nuh-uh!" Reis shook his head.
"Then why are you so nervous?" Kyla asked with a suspicious look on her face.
"Y-you don't suspect I had anything to do with this, do you? Look…the girl was on a mission in who-knows-where?! Do you actually think I could hurt her or somehow through some unknown means save her?" Reis defended himself strongly.
"I guess not" Kyla said after scrutinizing Reis' face for a while.
"If you teens are done arguing, let's go see how Erasa's doing" Master Jin said.
"Yeah, let's go now!" Shin said with a determined look on his face.
"I honestly don't get why Shin's showing off so much spirit after calling girls weird creatures" Reis said.
"Just drop it! I already lost two Novatian Gs because of you!" Shin growled threateningly.
It didn't take them long to reach the hospital.
"Jeez, we're here so soon? I don't get why…" Reis stopped himself from saying more and eventually giving himself away.
"You don't get what?" Kyla asked suspiciously.
"Aiieee! Kyla's giving Reis the evil eye!" Shin said in fright.
"Hmmph! Two can play that game!" Reis said as he gave Kyla an evil glare in return.
"Aiieee! It's an evil eye lollapalooza!" Shin said with a scared look on his face.
"Okay, I guess you're clean Reis" Kyla said.
"Defeated her…like always" Reis thought with a mischievous sparkle in his eye.
Master Jin led them into the hospital. They climbed a flight of stairs and saw Captain Hiru talking to Mistress Kira. Aurora and Darak were there as well. Master Jin walked to Captain Hiru and they began to talk.
"So do you have any idea how she survived?" Master Jin asked.
"She keeps talking of a Guardian Angel who glowed with a strong, yet soft green light, and had a dragon-shaped scar on his shoulder" Captain Hiru said.
"Did she see the face of this…Guardian Angel?" Master Jin asked.
"No, the light hid his face but she says, his piercing eyes will remain in her heart for eternity and his eyes were as green as the light surrounding him" Captain Hiru said.
"Hmm, it seems your daughter has fallen in love with this so-called Guardian Angel" Mistress Kira teased.
"F-Falla-Fallo-Fallen in love? Now that's too much" Reis stammered nervously.
"I smell a rat named…uh-um…Rhys Drakanheart" Shin teased.
"Wat'cha talking about?!" Reis defended himself.
"Exactly, Reis may have green eyes but he has no Dragon powers to pull off a stunt like that" Aurora said arrogantly.
"She's already back to her usual snobbishness" Reis laughed nervously.
"You're right about that but he's got his secret art, am I right Reis?" Kyla asked with a smile.
"Hey, are you guys trying to blow my cover or something?!" Reis whispered harshly.
"Sorry about that. We just got a little carried away" Kyla apologized.
"Sorry for keeping you kids waiting. You can see Erasa now" Captain Hiru said.
"Thanks" Kyla said as she opened the door and walked in.
Aurora followed her, then Darak, Shin and Reis. Erasa was sleeping peacefully.
"She looks so peaceful now. It makes me feel happy" Reis said with a faraway smile.
Shin nudged him on the shoulder.
"Don't tell me you're changing your sights from Aurora to Erasa" Shin whispered with a sarcastic look on his face.
"Stop getting strange ideas!" Reis yelled angrily.
"Ssshhh!!!" the others silenced him.
Erasa began to stir, then she opened her eyes.
She had light brown eyes that went well with her dark brown hair.
"Hi there Erasa" Kyla greeted.
"You all came here to see me?" Erasa said excitedly.
Reis hid behind Shin and Darak. He didn't want Erasa to recognize him.
"Did a Guardian Angel really save your life Erasa?" Aurora asked, a little intrigued by the subject.
"Yes, you should have seen him. He was so handsome with the most beautiful piercing green eyes I've ever seen" Erasa said with a very loving look on her face.
Reis bent down a little so that he was totally concealed.
Erasa noticed his hands around Shin and Darak's necks.
"And who is that behind Darak and Shin?" Erasa asked with a laugh.
Darak and Shin stepped aside and Reis was exposed squatting halfway.
He quickly shut his eyes to prevent Erasa from recognizing him.
"He is a weird one, isn't he?" Erasa said with a giggle.
"He is just a Saggesian jerk" Aurora muttered angrily.
"Sheesh, Aurora's attitude hasn't changed one bit since this afternoon" Reis said sadly.
He didn't notice that he had opened his eyes.
"Tell us more about this Guardian Angel" Aurora asked.
"I didn't see much except that he had a dragon-shaped scar on his right shoulder" Erasa said with a sad sigh.
"I wonder if I will ever see him again. He…He saved my life and I never even got the chance to thank him" Erasa said with a sad look on her face.
"Erasa, since he is your Guardian Angel, he's close to you right? So if you say thanks to the wind, I'm sure he will hear you" Reis said.
"You really think so?" Erasa asked with a hopeful look in her eyes.
"I know so" Reis said with a certain smile.
"Thank you…uh…what's your name?" Erasa asked politely.
"I'm Reis Dragonhaärt" Reis introduced himself.
"Thank you Reis Dragonhaärt" Erasa said with a grateful smile.
"Well, we will let you get some rest Erasa" Kyla said thoughtfully.
"I'll see you in school tomorrow" Erasa said.
"Don't stress yourself Erasa. You need some rest" Aurora said.
"I'm strong enough. I will even be discharged today, so see you tomorrow" Erasa insisted.
"Fine then, tomorrow" Darak said coolly.
That night, in the bedroom, Shin once again questioned Reis about Erasa's miraculous recovery and Reis succumbed to Shin's questions.
"But don't tell anyone, not even Erasa" Reis pleaded with Shin to keep the secret.
"I don't get you at all. Erasa owes you her life and you don't even want a simple thank you?" Shin argued.
"It's not that. What I don't want is the attention and endless gratitude everyone will give me" Reis said.
"Goodnight Reis" Shin said as he covered himself with his blanket.
"Goodnight Shin" Reis said as he dozed into a deep slumber.
Erasa woke up the following morning feeling sad and worried about her mother and her teammates who had been captured by the bandits.
"They nearly killed me. I wonder how the others are doing? My dear guardian angel, if you can hear me, please save my mom, Ethan, and Effuien." Erasa said as she began to weep.
Captain Hiru walked into her room.
"Dad" Erasa said as she wiped her tears.
"Don't worry Erasa, I'll talk with the Dragonlord today and request to complete your mission, I will save your mother and the others so cheer up." Captain Hiru said.
Erasa smiled "I will prepare for school now dad." Erasa said.
Meanwhile, in the Ayenhayze residence, Reis was lost in the deepest abyss of dreamland. Shin was drooling and hugging his pillow tightly and Kyla was… oh here she comes with the pan lids.
"BANG! BANG!! BANG!!!" Kyla banged the pan lids.
"Bring it on Di Devilli! I am prepared!"
Reis jumped from his bed half asleep and attempted to punch Kyla. Kyla blocked with a pan lid and Reis' knuckles cracked. The shock of the pain awakened him.
"Good, one down, one to go" Kyla said as she brought the pan lids close to Shin's ears and bang!
In the next instant, Shin sprang up.
"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!!!" he yelled instinctively.
"Oh, it's just you Kyla" Shin said after completely waking up.
"Honestly, is fighting all boys ever dream about?" Kyla asked.
"Honestly, is romance all girls ever dream about?" Shin retorted.
"Here we go again" Reis sighed as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind.
Reis entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. He let the water flow down his face as memories of the previous day flooded his mind.
"I hope I'm doing the right thing by keeping that secret from Erasa" Reis said with a sigh. After Reis was sure he was completely clean, he towelled himself and came out of the bathroom. He walked to the room and opened the door a crack.
"Good, Kyla isn't around" Reis thought as he entered the room.
"You're done, I guess it's my turn" Shin said as he left the room.
Reis and the others had breakfast, and then Master Jin left for the Rangers HQ. Reis, Kyla and Shin began their walk to Dragon High. Reis looked worried.
"What's bothering you Reis?" Shin asked.
"It's Aurora. I wonder what she is up to this time. And I think I have to apologize to her about yesterday" Reis said.
"Reis…If you apologize to Aurora…I will kill you!" Kyla said as she gave Reis the evil eye.
"Oh it's on now!" Reis said as he gave Kyla the diabolic stare.
"Aiiee! Evil eye vs. diabolic stare, it's another evil eye lollapalooza" Shin said in awe.
Soon they reached Dragon High. They walked along the corridors until they reached their classrooms. They opened the door and walked in. Mistress Kira was not in the classroom.
"Whew, at least I made it early today" Reis sighed.
Kyla and Shin walked to their desks and sat down. Reis walked absent-mindedly towards his desk. He hadn't noticed that Erasa was sitting at his desk. He reached his desk and put his satchel beside it.
"What are you trying to do Reis?" Erasa questioned angrily.
"Oh…uh…umm…sorry, this is the desk I brought to the class yesterday and used so…uh…" Reis stammered.
"Okay, okay, I get it, it's your desk so I will just go and get one for myself" Erasa said as she stood up.
"Don't bother, you can sit here, I will just get another one for myself." Reis said as he walked away.
"Sheesh, her attitude towards me has already changed. I think Aurora has gotten to her already." Reis thought to himself as he walked out of the class.
In a few minutes, Reis returned with another desk. He had no other choice but to sit beside Erasa since the class was full and Aurora wouldn't let him sit on Jared's seat. Reis sat down quietly and removed a book from his satchel. It was a book on the history of the Rangers' guild. He found it interesting and soon he was completely immersed in the book. It however got to a point where the history began to confuse him and he put the book away. At that moment, the bell rang for classes to begin. Reis stared at the door nervously expecting Mistress Kira to come in any second. The door opened and Mistress Kira walked in.
"Good morning class" Mistress Kira greeted.
"Good morning Mistress Kira" everyone responded.
Mistress Kira walked around the class and finally came to Reis' desk.
"You are early today" she said.
Reis gulped.
"Good job Reis" Mistress Kira complimented.
"Uh…thanks" Reis said with a little uncertainty.
"So class, today we are starting our lessons with elemental control practice. Leave for the field immediately" Mistress Kira informed the class.
"YEE-HAH!" Everyone cheered.
Reis was quite unsure of what she meant by 'elemental control practice' but he followed everyone to the field.
At the field, he ran into Aurora.
"Reis, shouldn't you be in class? Last I checked, you can't control any element" Aurora mocked.
"You couldn't be further from the truth" Reis thought silently.
Erasa walked towards them.
"Hey Aurora! Over here!" Erasa called. "Uh…sorry, am I interrupting something?" Erasa asked.
"Sheesh Erasa, you know better than to suspect anything going on between Reis and I" Aurora said angrily.
"Sorry" Erasa apologized.
Reis silently slipped away when they were not paying attention to him.
Everyone formed a line across the field.
"Great! So each of you will have to demonstrate how far you've improved with your individual elements. Start by showing off your aura!" Mistress Kira ordered.
Everyone took in a deep breath and yelled as loudly as they could as they tried to extend their aura around their bodies. Their auras became visible and each had a distinct colour.
"Whoa! Darak's aura is really impressive!" Reis thought.
He didn't know why but he wanted to see Aurora's aura. It was probably so that he could find something to tease her with but when he saw her aura, he was really astounded, for Aurora's aura was just as intense as Darak's.
"Whoa! That's really impressive for a girl" Reis thought to himself.
Then he noticed Aurora smirking at him.
"Haha! I see she wants to use her power against me" Reis smiled nervously.
Aurora truly wanted to use her power against Reis and before he knew it, a huge dragon made of water was heading his way. Reis leapt out of the way and somersaulted to evade the water dragon's strike.
"Sheesh, Aurora is so mean!" Reis growled as he evaded subsequent attacks with the complex moves only an experienced swordsman could possess.
Everyone stared at the two of them in awe.
"Aurora! Stop that now!" Mistress Kira ordered.
Aurora dispelled her technique.
"Sorry Mistress Kira" Aurora apologized.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to" Mistress Kira said with a look of anger and disappointment in her eyes.
"What?! You want me to apologize to Reis?! I won't do it!" Aurora yelled.
"You will obey me Aurora!" Mistress Kira ordered.
"You can't make me do anything! You're not my mother!" Aurora yelled defiantly.
There were exclamations of shock.
"Honestly Aurora, I knew you despised me from the beginning but…I never thought you were this selfish!" Reis yelled as he stepped between Aurora and Mistress Kira.
"Shut up Reis! Stay out of this!" Aurora yelled back.
"No! You shut up Aurora! Do you think you're the only one that has lost a loved one?!" Reis yelled back.
Aurora was shocked by Reis' reaction.
"You were even lucky to know your parents and Jared! I never knew my parents…not even their names. You are lucky to have grown up around people who love you! I grew up around people who treated me like a plague! The only love I ever knew was that of my grandfather. Even now that I've gained a new family, I still have to deal with the contemptuous looks of everyone in this guild, especially yours, so grow up already and stop acting like a selfish spoilt brat!" Reis yelled.
Then he turned and walked away. Aurora stared at him in shock as tears flowed down her face.
"Reis!" Aurora called.
Reis stopped in his tracks.
"You'll pay for this! I'll make you pay for this if it's the last thing I ever do!" Aurora yelled.
"Fine! But at least apologize first and for the record, the first person you need to apologize to is yourself" Reis said as he headed for class.
Aurora smiled.
"I'm sorry for my ungratefulness Mistress Kira. You're a great mother" Aurora chuckled nervously but she was crying inside.
"I forgive you Aurora" Mistress Kira said with a comforting smile.
Aurora hugged Mistress Kira and burst into tears.
"Hmm, that Reis sure is an interesting person" Mistress Kira thought silently.
Just at that moment, the bell rang for break. Reis decided to stay in class just to avoid any more confrontations. Erasa came in after him.
"Reis" she called.
"Erasa, is there something I can do for you?" Reis asked as he turned around.
Erasa gasped in shock.
"Uh-uh-um…" Erasa stammered speechlessly.
Reis realized why.
"Erasa, I know I have green eyes but I'm not a Guardian Angel or anything of the sort and I certainly do not have dragon powers" Reis said with a smile.
Uncertain about Reis' words, Erasa glanced at his right shoulder and saw the red bandanna around his shoulder.
"Can I see your shoulder Reis?" Erasa asked.
"Uh…um…How do I get out of this one?" Reis thought nervously.
Suddenly, Kyla and Shin walked in.
"Hey Reis, come over here for a minute" Shin called.
"Excuse me Erasa" Reis bowed respectfully and walked away.
"Wow, how convenient for me" Reis sighed in relief.
"You did good out there. Not only did you strike a chord in Aurora's icicle of a heart but you really touched most of our hearts" Kyla said with a smile.
"I was just being honest and following my own heart" Reis said.
"So, does Erasa know that you're her so-called Guardian Angel?" Kyla asked.
"Shin?! I thought I told you not to tell anyone!" Reis glared at Shin in disappointment.
"She tortured it out of me!" Shin said with a look of depression.
"No, she doesn't know but I think she's beginning to suspect. Just before you called me, she asked to see my shoulder" Reis said.
"Maybe it's not such a bad thing for her to find out" Kyla suggested.
"Sure, it'll be just fine if she found out that I have powers that no dragon shared with me" Reis said in sarcasm.
"I see your point. It is kinda weird" Shin agreed.
Meanwhile, Evil Eghan was planning his revenge with Dossou and Cudjoe and they somehow managed to get Erasa involved. They knew that she suspected Reis to be her Guardian Angel so they came up with a diabolic plan to test Reis.
"The plan is simple. All you have to do is lure Reis to the Kaiser Lake. If you can get him into the water, all the better and if he manages to get hurt in the water, that's even much better. If the Kaiser-pentia comes out, we'll see just how much of a Guardian Angel Reis can be" Evil Eghan said with wicked pleasure.
(The Kaiser-pentia was a terrible water beast that resembled a sea-serpent. It was known for its strength and once caught by it, a victim was destined to be drowned at that very instant. No one had ever escaped its clutches.)
"But what happens if it isn't Reis. He'll end up seriously hurt or worse. I cannot be involved in something like this!" Erasa said seriously.
At that moment, Aurora walked up to them.
"Come on Erasa. You can't seriously be thinking that Reis is a Guardian Angel can you?" Aurora asked.
"I have my reasons. Besides, if he turns out to be one, I bet he could save my mom, Ethan and Effuien" Erasa said.
"Then go along with Evil Eghan's plan. You'll find out for yourself if Reis is your Guardian Angel and besides, it will be good payback for me" Aurora said with a smirk.
In the Rangers HQ, Captain Hiru stood before the Dragonlord and requested that he might complete Erasa's mission.
"I can't let you do that" the Dragonlord said plainly.
"Why not?!" Captain Hiru demanded an explanation.
"For two reasons. One, you are emotionally involved with this mission and that could result in you making irrational decisions and two, you are needed here. You are the captain of this Guild's entire security system and we cannot afford to lose you now" the Dragonlord said seriously.
"But they are my family! I can't abandon them!" Captain Hiru said desperately.
"I know. That is why I will send a team to rescue them. Don't worry Hiru, they are highly capable. I will appoint them personally" the Dragonlord assured Captain Hiru.
Captain Hiru sighed.
"The Dragonlord is very considerate, we seek his wisdom to find light" Captain Hiru said with a bow.
Back in Dragon High, classes had resumed. Mistress Kira had ordered the students to open their history textbooks. Reis took out his textbook and opened the prescribed page.
"Great, it's the one page I can't seem to understand" Reis rolled his eyes in boredom.
"Reis Dragonhaӓrt, will you care to tell us which kingdom first allied itself with the dragons?" Mistress Kira asked.
"Cool, there is no way he'll get the answer. This is a trick question" Aurora smirked.
"Excuse me ma'am. This must be a trick question because the people that first allied with the Dragons were not a kingdom since kingdoms did not exist in their time. They were more of a community, much like this guild" Reis answered confidently.
"What?! How could he know that?! It's not in any of our textbooks and I only learnt it from Mistress Kira. Who really is Reis Dragonhaӓrt?" Aurora wondered.
"Excuse me ma'am. You look so serious. Am I wrong?" Reis asked nervously.
Mistress Kira stared at Reis in surprise and intrigue.
"No Reis, you are right" she answered.
"Wow, Reis is so intelligent!" some of the students exclaimed.
"What a geek!" Evil Eghan's group teased.
Reis laughed nervously and sat down.
"Reis" Erasa called nervously.
"What's up Erasa?" Reis said in an attempt to sound cool.
"I'd like to speak with you after school. Can you wait for me?" Erasa asked.
"Okay, I'll wait for you" Reis laughed.
"Am I doing the right thing? Reis seems so…so innocent" Erasa thought silently.
"Uh Erasa? You look disappointed. Is that not the answer you wanted?" Reis asked.
"I'm not sure anymore" Erasa said silently.
Classes continued and by the next four hours, they were over. Reis packed all his stuff and walked out of class. Kyla and Shin were waiting for him outside.
"What are you waiting for Reis? Let's go home" Kyla said.
"Sorry guys but I can't. I already promised Erasa that I'd wait for her after classes" Reis informed them.
"So you really are changing your sights from Aurora to Erasa" Shin teased.
"Cut it out! It's nothing like that besides, I don't need to go around searching for love, love will come to me…or so I've heard" Reis said with a sheepish grin.
"You lost confidence in an instant. Fine, we'll just see you at home" Kyla said.
"Oh and one more thing Reis, if anyone asks you to go to the Kaiser Lake, don't go. It's probably a trap" Shin joked.
"I'll keep that in mind" Reis said as he waved them goodbye.
Soon, they were out of the school gate and out of sight. Reis remained standing in front of the school's main entrance. Soon, Erasa came out. Aurora, Evil Eghan and some other students followed close behind.
"Sorry Reis. Did I keep you waiting for too long?" Erasa asked politely.
"No, but I thought you said you wanted to speak to me in private" Reis said suspiciously.
"Actually, I need you to escort me somewhere. It's not far from the school field but…I'm terribly scared to go there alone" Erasa said nervously.
"But why me? You could have Darak or anyone else you know better than me, escort you there" Reis said seriously.
"It's because I trust you" Erasa said.
"Trust me? You barely know me" Reis became even more suspicious.
"What I mean is, I trust your eyes, they don't lie" Erasa said with a nervous laugh.
"Well, if you insist. So where is this place you want me to escort you to?" Reis asked.
"It's…the Kaiser Lake. I seem to have lost something precious there. It's a…a…um…" Erasa tried to come up with something.
She glanced behind Reis and saw Aurora and Evil Eghan hiding in the hedges. Aurora mouthed the words 'Sapphire ring'.
"It's a what?" Reis asked curiously.
"It's a sapphire ring my mom gave me. It has been missing for so long and I've been afraid to search for it since" Erasa told a half truth.
Reis recalled Shin's warning regarding the Kaiser Lake.
"Will you come with me please? I can't ask anyone else because they will call me a coward of a Dragon Ranger" Erasa pleaded.
Reis stared into her eyes. He could read her emotions. She wasn't being entirely honest but she was quite desperate. The sort of desperation that comes from a life or death situation. Reis smiled.
"Of course, I'll go with you. If a memento of my parents were to get missing, I'd be just as desperate as you are" Reis said.
"Thank you very much Reis" Erasa said but in her heart, she was really saying "I'm sorry Reis, please forgive me".
Erasa led Reis through the school field into the Kaiser forest behind the school. Aurora, Evil Eghan and the other conniving students followed quite close behind, yet concealed by the trees and the darkness of the forest. As they walked through Kaiser forest, they could hear the howls of the Kaiser-wolves. Erasa drew closer to Reis for protection. Reis felt uncomfortable with her closeness but he tried not to think about it.
"How far to the Kaiser Lake Erasa?" Reis asked.
"It's not too far now" Erasa said.
However, they walked for quite a distance before eventually leaving the forest.
"There is the lake!" Erasa said as she ran ahead of Reis.
They stood on a cliff and the lake was just below. The lake was quite wide but it seemed to be on a lower level than the surrounding land.
"Come on Reis, I'll race you!" Erasa said excitedly but as she neared the edge of the cliff, she tripped on a stone and began to tumble into the lake below.
"ERASA!" Reis called and in a flash, he was at the edge of the cliff.
He caught Erasa but her weight pulled him down. He knocked his arm on the jagged edge of the cliff dislocating it in the process but he held tightly to Erasa's hand and endured the pain and somehow managed to prevent both of them from tumbling into the lake.
"Th-this is bad!" Aurora exclaimed from her hiding place.
"Stay put and watch Aurora" Darak said firmly as he viewed the situation from behind a tree.
"Reis' speed was really impressive. I would say it was in fact unnatural for a person without a dragon bond to move that fast. It was just like back then" Darak said as he recalled his fight with Shin and Reis' dragon parry move. "There is much more to Reis than he is letting us see. I can feel he's hiding something" Darak said seriously.
"I agree" Aurora said.
Meanwhile Reis was still holding Erasa's hand tightly.
"Reis, you saved me" Erasa said gratefully.
"Erasa, I think I broke my arm. I'll stretch out my other hand. Hold on tight and I'll pull you up" Reis said as he stretched out his other hand.
As he stretched out his hand, the jagged edge of the cliff pierced his flesh and he began to bleed. Drops of his blood fell into the lake and that was bad news for no sooner had the first drop of blood touched the surface of the lake than the monster in the lake awakened! Reis struggled but he managed to pull Erasa to solid ground further dislocating his arm in the process. When Erasa was on safe ground, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she saw Reis' dislocated arm and guilt began to fill her. She burst into tears.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Reis. You got hurt trying to save me" Erasa wept.
"Stop crying Erasa, I can fix my arm" Reis said as he pulled his dislocated arm suddenly.
There was a cracking sound and Reis' arm looked good as new.
"See? My arm is alright" Reis said with a reassuring smile.
"I'm sorry Reis. It's all my fault. I lured you out here…" Erasa was saying.
"Lured me out here? What do you mean?" Reis asked but suddenly, a huge navy blue tail shot out of the water and divided the cliff in two!
Reis was standing on the safe side but Erasa fell into the lake.
"ERASA!" Reis screamed.
At that moment, Aurora, Darak, Evil Eghan and the others sprang out of their hiding places.
"I see! So this was another trap for me!" Reis yelled angrily.
"Can we resolve this later?" Aurora tried to avoid a direct confrontation.
The tail went back into the lake and in the next instant, a huge navy blue sea serpent with vicious fangs and terrible spikes running along its body arose from the lake.
"Oh no! That's not the Kaiser-pentia! It's…it's…" Aurora stared in fear.
"HELP ME! HELP!" Erasa screamed in fear.
"It's the king of Kaiser-pentias! It's the Kagua-Serpentia!" Evil Eghan exclaimed in shock.
"My power is useless against sea creatures!" Aurora exclaimed in fear.
"I'm at a disadvantage too! Damn! It just had to be this beast!" Darak exclaimed in exasperation.
"Stay out of this! You guys have done enough already!" Reis yelled angrily.
"Are you saying you'll deal with this creature?! You have no dragon abilities!" Darak yelled.
"No, I don't" Reis said as he unsheathed his sword.
"You're crazy! You'll die!" Aurora yelled.
"Even if it puts my life at risk…I won't let Erasa die! I may not have Dragon abilities…but I have…MY SECRET ART!" Reis declared as he ran to the edge of the cliff and dived into the lake.
Erasa was unconscious by then due to the shock and she began to sink. Reis brought her to the surface and struggled to pull her to level land while Aurora and Darak distracted the Kagua-Serpentia. The Kagua-Serpentia in a rage, shot multiple spikes at Aurora's gang. Some of the spikes headed towards Reis and in an effort to protect Erasa, Reis bandanna was ripped from his shoulder. Finally, Reis managed to bring Erasa to level ground. Reis pumped the water out of Erasa's lungs. Erasa began to cough and soon she had spewed out all the water. She opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she noticed was Reis' green eyes, then his dragon scar. She opened her eyes in joy and excitement.
"M-My Guardian Angel was you Reis" she said in surprise.
"Darak! Aurora! Take care of Erasa! I'll deal with the Kagua-Serpentia!" Reis said as he charged across the lake.
"I-IMPOSSIBLE! He's running on the lake!" Aurora exclaimed in shock.
The Kagua-Serpentia shot spikes from its body but Reis deflected all of them with his sword. In a rage, the Kagua-Serpentia shot out its tongue! Tentacles grew out of its tongue and headed towards Reis. Reis managed to block a few but there was clearly a difference between blocking something rigid and something flexible. One of the tentacles wrapped itself around Reis. The Kagua-Serpentia lifted Reis into the air and kindly used him to reshape the terrain.
"REIS!" Aurora and Erasa screamed in terror as Reis fell into the lake.
Reis stood up and began to laugh.
"Is that all you've got? You sure have some guts trying to hurt one of my friends! BRING IT ON YOU STUPID BEAST!!!" Reis screamed as he charged to attack the Kagua-Serpentia.
"His character sure changed all of a sudden" Aurora said with a funny expression on her face.
The Kagua-Serpentia sent its tongue after Reis once again.
Reis enforced his sword with lightning and sliced the Kagua-Serpentia's tongue in half.
"Don't you know it's impolite to poke your tongue at people?" Reis teased.
The Kagua-Serpentia hissed in pain.
"I've had enough of you. I'll end this battle with my next move!" Reis declared as he charged towards the Kagua-Serpentia.
The Kagua-Serpentia shot multiple spikes towards Reis! Reis evaded all of them.
"In the elemental balance, water is weak against lightning. I guess I'll have to thank Kyla for forcing me to study" Reis said with a confident smile as he came within range of the Kagua-Serpentia.
"TAKE THIS! RAIZINN STRIKE!!!" Reis roared as he focused as much lightning power as he could into his sword and slashed across the Kagua-Serpentia's head.
There was a great discharge of lightning that charged through the surrounding lake and converged on the Kagua-Serpentia. The shock from the attack caused the Kagua-Serpentia to collapse into the lake. The battle was finally over and the Kagua-Serpentia lay defeated at the surface of the lake.
Reis walked to Erasa. She could not look at him after all that had happened.
"I'm sorry Reis. I needed to find out whether you were my Guardian Angel or not" Erasa apologized.
"Why?" Reis asked.
"I know I've betrayed your trust but I've got a favour to ask. My mother, and teammates are being held hostage by bandits. It seems they work for a man called Erikkus Di Devilli. I beg you to save them" Erasa pleaded.
"We'll help too" Aurora volunteered.
"Sure" Darak agreed.
"Thanks guys" Erasa said gratefully.
"Reis, I guess we owe you an apology. We went too far this time" Aurora apologized.
"Yes, you did" Reis said as he helped Erasa stand up.
"I'll walk her home so I hope you guys don't have any more underhanded tricks up your sleeves" Reis said.
"No, at least not for today" Aurora smirked.
"So it's a Kagua-Serpentia today. I guess your next move will be a Kaignis-wolf" Reis said sarcastically as he walked away with Erasa.
"I think we've set enough traps for Reis and this one nearly backfired. We'll just have to find another way to make his life miserable" Aurora said with a smirk.
Meanwhile, Reis and Erasa had reached the school gate. They had walked from the Kaiser Lake in silence.
"Reis…I-I'm sorry for today. You saved my life and I was so selfish" Erasa apologized.
"No Erasa, you were selfless. You only wanted to discover the identity of your 'Guardian Angel' so that he could rescue your family. It was my fault. I never should have kept my identity secret from you" Reis said.
"But I put you in danger" Erasa said regretfully.
"I admire your faith in me but…I'm just as human as you are" Reis said.
"You are something more Reis. I will believe in you. You are so kind too. It's such a pity that Aurora doesn't see you for who you truly are" Erasa said.
They were nearing Erasa's house. It was sunset by then.
"I don't blame her. Jared's death really hurt her" Reis said.
By that time, they were at Erasa's house.
"We're here. This is my home Reis" Erasa said.
"Go and get some rest. Take a warm bath too. It will prevent you from catching a cold" Reis said with a caring smile.
"I'll be sure to do that" Erasa said.
"Okay, I'll see the Dragonlord tomorrow so goodbye for now" Reis said.
"See you tomorrow Mr Guardian Angel" Erasa waved.
"See ya later!" Reis waved back and soon, he was out of sight.
By the time Reis arrived home, it was night time.
"Where were you Reis! You're really late!" Kyla scolded.
Reis smiled.
"Thank you Kyla, you really saved my life!" Reis said as he hugged Kyla.
Kyla was surprised.
"What have you been up to? You better explain yourself before I smack the heavens out of your brains!" Kyla scolded him.
"We were really worried about you!" Shin joined.
"S-Sorry, I went to the Kaiser Lake with Erasa" Reis said.
"You're kidding right?" Kyla asked.
"No, I'm serious" Reis replied.
"Sheesh! So much for my warning! So were you attacked by the Kaiser-pentia?" Shin asked.
"No, I was attacked by the Kagua-Serpentia but don't worry, I already defeated it" Reis said coolly.
Kyla and Shin stared at him in shock.
"He-D-did he just say he defeated it?" Kyla stammered.
"So calmly too" Shin said in surprise.
They turned slowly to look at Reis as he ascended the stairs.
"Just how strong are you Reis?" Shin asked rhetorically.
"I'll leave that to your imagination" Reis said with a laugh.
He was so tired that he went straight to bed. Soon he was fast asleep. He felt satisfied with the day's events.