Fan Fiction ❯ Divine Flame ❯ Painful Memories ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Painful Memories

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Disclaimer: I do not own Renamon, Toei Animation, Fox Kids, and Saban or Bandai owns her. I use their characters in my stories for readers' enjoyment.

And no, I did not keep her name in this story; I changed it to Lunar, other than that she's about the same. (And there's no evolving.)

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The plain of Hagran was a beautiful place to be in. The golden grass stretched beyond view for miles beyond, seemingly endless, existing in prefect harmony with the crystal clear, cloudless blue sky above. The mountains in the distance provided a breath-taking backdrop to the scenery, and everywhere flowers bloomed in full glory, their colors shining in all their majesty in the bright afternoon sun. From somewhere further on, there was a calm mirror-like lake, its water clear and fresh. Rocks lay scattered all over the grass, seemingly mismatched with one another, but looking as though it truly belonged among the grass and flowers. The cool breeze blew upon the companions' backs, and they basked in full enjoyment of their surroundings.

Thgan was walking ahead of the others now, since he was the only one who knew the direction in which they should take. Ralin was close behind, not quite as grumpy as before, and actually making conversation with the light- hearted elf. Their weapons hung forgotten at their sides, nobody seemed to think they were in any form of threat from the enemy. Lunar strolled along by herself in the middle, the haughty air around her making the others feel cold and chilled even in the warm weather. Her face was expressionless, and she did not appear to even know that the others were there. She simply walked on and on, not talking at all. Arkeson took rear guard, the Sword of Raenas in his hands, his original sword back in its scabbard. His wounds felt considerably better, but he was still haunted by memories of what had happened back in the forest. Did Lunar hate him now? Arkeson found himself wondering that question as he dragged himself on, his heart heavy. The transparent blade caught and seemingly absorbed the sunlight, shining with a blue radiance of its own, and many a times Arkeson wondered if the sword had a life of its own.

Nobody spoke of the goblins or the dark mages, although the incident back in the forest still stuck to the back of their minds. Every once in a while the merry conversations would cease abruptly when the topic was accidentally brought up, and they would stare at each other darkly for a moment, trying to remove the thoughts from their disturbed minds. Try as they might, the best they could do was to banish the thoughts to the far corner of their minds.

"Where's the main fortress of the knights located?" Ralin asked sometime in the afternoon. Thgan pointed briefly to the east.

"About 3 or 4 days journey from here."

"Our provisions aren't going to last that long!" Ralin said in horror. Thgan shook his head, a smile on his face.

"There's a small town somewhere in this plains. Since the harvest here is so good, I don't doubt that there will be plenty of food there." Thgan said, laughing. Ralin nodded in satisfaction and began to walk at a slightly accelerated pace, dreaming of eating delicious food. Heyior, cheerful as always, tried to lighten the mood by telling jokes, although nobody paid any attention to the little elf. Lunar kept to herself, not acknowledging the others' presence, walking along with a cold calm. Her tail waved about smoothly as she walked, her fur was a brilliant gold in the sun. Arkeson walked with his head bowed, his mind filled with many thoughts. His hair was slightly ruffled, his clothing a little creased. He held the sword in his hand loosely, the glare of the light from it irritating his eyes.

The group continued on without resting.

~~~~~

Night fell upon the plains, covering the radiant grass with a warm, welcoming blanket of purple and silver. The group, fatigued from their long journey, sought shelter beneath a large rock that stood over them protectively. Not that it mattered. The plains were so cool, so pleasant that it seemed unlikely to their minds that there would be any danger here. Thgan sliced off a circular patch of grass, and the companions started a small fire, keeping them warm in the chilly night wind. Heyior offered to take watch, but Ralin had snorted dubiously and said that all Heyior would be able to do was to give them a ten second period to scream before they were mercilessly slaughtered. Somewhat hurt, Heyior went over to the wall of the tall rock and sat down against it, and was soon asleep. Ralin sat down on the ground next to the fire, and sighed contentedly, staring around sleepily for a few moments before drifting off into slumber himself. Thgan, who had been away looking for food while Ralin and Heyior argued, had no idea who was taking watch and presumed that somebody else was doing it, and thus he joined Heyior at the rock wall, using his arm as a cushion, his sword lying at his side.

Thus, it was up to either Lunar or Arkeson to take the watch. Not wanting to keep Lunar awake, Arkeson immediately went to the vintage point at the top of the rock, sitting down with his head hanging. He seemed a little depressed, although he was trying to hide it. Lunar wasn't really bothered by this, and she wasn't able to sleep. She wandered about, trying to get herself tired enough, but it was not working. Sighing in annoyance, she headed back to the rock, where she caught Arkeson whistling the tune of the song he was singing back in the woods. Scowling, she quickly went as far away as possible from the rock, and finally slept quietly among the grass.

Arkeson was seated alone on the rock, watching in silence as the last of the fire died, casting them in darkness. He turned his head back to the stars, bored. There was nothing around, and Lunar was nowhere in sight. Arkeson sighed again at the thought of Lunar. He loved her, but he was fairly certain that she hated him right now. He sighed dismally, and fell backwards onto the rock abruptly. He was just about to fall asleep himself when his eyes caught sight of something. He bolted up and stared into the sky, unblinking. At first there was nothing. Then he saw it. A ray of red light flashed across the sky briefly for a second, then it vanished. Arkeson blinked in surprise, wondering what it was, when there was a powerful burst of radiant blood-red light in the sky, illuminating the land around as bright as day. It was gone as quickly as it had come, and Arkeson was left wondering what it was all about. From somewhere deep in his mind, something seemed to occur to him, but it was so blurred that Arkeson couldn't quite place it, and he abandoned the thought. He shivered, despite the warmth of the last remnants of the fire rising from beneath him.

~~~~~

Morning greeted the sleepy dragon by shining a bright ray of light right into his eye, and he bolted up, swearing incoherently and rubbing his eyes painfully. Below, Thgan and Ralin, who were already awake, chuckled to themselves as they watched Arkeson hop about on the rock, shaking his fist at the sun. Eventually the dragon gave a great yawn, nearly toppled off the rock, and pushed himself onto the ground, where he yawned again, rubbing his aching neck, and awakening the elf. Heyior was, as usual, filled with vibrant energy, and when he awoke, he immediately jumped onto Arkeson's shoulders with a merry `Good morning!'. Muttering to himself, Arkeson pried the happy elf off, and looked around.

"Where's Lunar?" He asked, feigning indifference, even as he felt the cold stab of fear pierce his heart when he didn't see the vulpine figure anywhere. Everyone shrugged. Arkeson was just about to throttle each and every one of them when Lunar came up from behind him.

"I was looking about over there," She pointed vaguely in the direction they were heading, "I saw something resembling a small town a distance ahead." Thgan and Ralin's eyes brightened. They began to grab their bags, and once done, they immediately started to head off in the direction Lunar had pointed out. Heyior bounced along behind them, his shrill voice ringing clear through out the plains. Lunar turned around and started to leave as well, but then Arkeson, greatly daring, called out her name.

"What is it?" She said coldly, facing Arkeson.

"Um… About what happened back there in the forest…" Arkeson fidgeted, not daring to look at Lunar in the eye. "I'm s-sorry."

"I don't need, or want, your apologies," She scoffed, and her voice seemed to pick up just the slightest bit of anger. "What you did was immoral." Arkeson hung his head, an almost child-like look of shame and embarrassment on his young face.

A strange feeling stirred from within Lunar, but it was weak, and Lunar ignored it, although she found herself wondering what it was.

"Let's go." She added firmly, and she walked on, leaving Arkeson alone at the rock. He watched her wearily for a moment, and then sighed heavily as he grabbed his belongings and followed after the group. He didn't know it, but Lunar was feeling just as confused as he was. As she walked briskly along, confusion contorted her fox features for a brief moment. But Arkeson, too wrapped up in his feelings of despair, did not notice.

~~~~~

"Food… food… I need food… Damn! Why does that town have to be so far away?" Ralin cursed loudly. He walked along, his boots making the loudest sounds in the grass, his axe creating the most awful din whenever it knocked against his armor. The group could just barely make out a tiny dot in the distance, and they hurried towards it, but they did not seem to be making any progress. The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly upon them, and they wiped their streaming sweat off their faces every few moments, beginning to wish that they had never left the comfort of the cool rock.

"We should be able to reach the town by late afternoon," Thgan sighed, tightening the belt around his waist wistfully. "You're not the only one who's hungry, you know." The knight spoke truly. His face was flushed from walking in the sun; signs of a beard were beginning to form on his broad face. His arms swung about freely and carelessly, and once Ralin had to duck to avoid being knocked to the ground. Heyior was leading now, although he seemed to be filled with energy, he hopped with less vigor than usual, and he was unusually subdued. Even as he skipped along merrily, the elf tried his hardest to ignore the rumblings of his stomach. Their provisions were down to a bare minimal, the remainder of the food kept away in case they could not find the town. Ralin could have torn out his beard in frustration.

"Blasted town just had to be built so far away! Humph!" Ralin sniffed. "You'd think they would have built the town somewhere near the forest so travelers can rest, but no…" Thgan grinned.

"You can't have everything in the world." He said in a mock tone of wisdom. Ralin kicked him.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" Thgan demanded, rubbing his leg.

"Quit joking around! We're going to die from starvation, and all you can do is to be a stupid ass!" Ralin raged, poking the knight in his belly. Thgan grinned again, and from somewhere ahead, they could hear Heyior giggling to himself.

"C'mon, we're all hungry, I was just trying to lighten the mood," Thgan said, trying to mollify the dwarf. "Besides, we won't die so quickly."

"Yes, we will!" Ralin argued.

"You're too darn pessimistic."

"You're too darn much of a joker to be a knight." As the two continued to argue, Arkeson watched them in silence, a smile on his face. Knowing the two of them, their argument would probably last them all the way to the town. He peered intently at the horizon and was somewhat pleased to see that he could make out just the slightest details of the town ahead. It wasn't very large, but it was evident, even from afar, that its marketplace was a busy one. Arkeson could see lots of movement from the center of the town, and his smile widened. There would definitely be food there.

He switched his gaze from the town to the lone Lunaro. This time she wasn't walking with her usual haughty pride. Although she moved swiftly, her breathing was slowly turning heavy, and more than once, Arkeson thought he saw confusion flash across her lovely face. The dragon sighed dismally. He had hoped that Lunar would forgive him, but his hopes had been dashed at birth. Arkeson wanted to sit down somewhere and just be given some time to think matters over, but, as Arkeson noted grimly, he had to deal with the more important matters at hand first. He brought the Sword of Raenas up close to his face and looked at it intently, and he sighed again.

Lunar was having problems dealing with her own feelings. She was feeling slightly guilty for snapping at Arkeson back at the rock, and she had been rather taken aback when Arkeson displayed his shame openly. Nobody she had ever met in her life had done that. Not even herself. It seemed impossible, absurd, and yet the young dragon had done it. And she had pushed him away.

"What am I thinking? What is that dragon to me?" She muttered to herself, shaking her head slightly. "He's nothing…" A voice in the back of her head told her that it was not true. Lunar was confused. Never before had anyone caused her such emotion. It was… strange. Then she hardened her feelings. Whatever it was, the dragon had done her wrong. That was reality. And it could not be changed. Yet, deep inside her, her feelings stirred, and she sighed softly.

She never noticed Arkeson looking at her, his heart in his eyes.

And so, the group moved on, Ralin, Thgan and Heyior still talking animatedly, Lunar and Arkeson each walking by themselves, deep in thought.

~~~~~

"Food! Heavenly, delicious food!" Ralin exclaimed in joy as the sights of the town loomed before him. It was nearly evening, and the group was near exhaustion from lack of food. Therefore, when they arrived at town, the companions immediately raced about, with the exception of Lunar, who followed closely behind with her incredible agility. Ralin came to a stop in front of a food stand and stood there, staring at the amount of food before in rapt joy. Thgan had to drag the dwarf away by the beard.

"No… I need my food…" Ralin moaned. Then he tore away from Thgan and stared at the big man, his beard bristling. "What's up with you?" He demanded impatiently, stomping his foot on the stone pavement.

"Gee, we all know you're hungry, but we need a place to rest for the night, right?" Thgan explained, then jabbed a thumb at one of the darker alleyways. "You don't want to spend the night with the rats, do you?"

"I don't mind, as long as they have food." Ralin said stubbornly. Arkeson grinned ruefully.

"Let's go, before I have to drag you there myself." Arkeson raised his right hand in an attempt to place heavy emphasis on his words. Ralin immediately walked off in the direction of the only inn in town, grumbling and mumbling to himself fiercely. Heyior giggled and ran after Ralin, followed by Thgan and Arkeson, discussing the Sword of Raenas. As for Lunar, she had pulled off a bit of magic that made her vanish into thin air abruptly. Needless to say, that had completely stunned the others. It was only a while later that they realized she was at the inn. It involved a lot of screaming.

Arkeson and Thgan had been walking along briskly, talking and wondering where Lunar had gone, when there came an awful shriek from ahead, followed by what sounded like Heyior laughing at the top of his high-pitched voice. The dragon and the knight exchanged glances before breaking into a mad sprint towards the inn. Once there, they stopped, and stared in wide- mouthed wonder.

Ralin was toppled over in a heap at the entrance to the inn, Lunar standing next to him, staring at Ralin as one would stare most angrily at an irritating pest. Heyior was a short distance away, doubled over in laughter. People were beginning to gather, and most of them were pointing at Lunar, marveling, and wondering what race she belonged to.

"What happened?" Arkeson asked, running over to help the fainted dwarf. Lunar looked at him coldly and refused to answer. It was then Heyior spoke up.

"Oh, it was so funny, Arkeson! You see, Ralin was about to run into the inn, when Lunar appeared in front of him," Heyior spread his arms dramatically, "And then Ralin began to scream and yell about spooks, and he fainted." Heyior began to laugh again, and even the others, with the exception if Lunar, could not help but smile.

"Go on! Nothing to see here!" Thgan said firmly, waving his hands impatiently at the staring crowd. "Get a move on!" The crowd dispersed, muttering to themselves, grins on their faces. Thgan, Heyior and Arkeson then carried the dwarf inside the inn, which was not an easy task, considering the fact that the dwarf was very heavy. They dumped him most unceremoniously on the wooden floor and began to negotiate prices with the innkeeper. Eventually they got a room for a relatively low price, and they started up the stairs to the rooms above, half-carrying, half-dragging the comatose Ralin along.

Their room was not too large, just big enough for them. All it held was a simple table, some chairs and two beds. They dropped Ralin onto one of the beds, and proceeded down the stairs to get something to eat.

"What about Ralin?" Heyior inquired.

"We'll get some food for him later." Arkeson replied shortly.

They ate well that night, and they did indeed keep their promise of getting food for the dwarf, although Ralin complained that there was far too little to satisfy his hunger. Arkeson tossed him a wineskin in disgust, and the dwarf immediately lapsed into silence, enjoying his wine. Heyior sat with Thgan near Ralin, playing a game of chess (using small carved pieces of wood and an ornately carved chess table they had snatched from the main dining area, at a small price). Ralin watched with interest, breaking the silence at times to slur in a drunken stupor about the `silly moves' Thgan was making against the elf. In anger, Thgan grabbed the drunk dwarf and planted him firmly in the seat, demanding that the dwarf play in his place. The dwarf snorted in derision, pounded his chest and said that he would beat the elf. He promptly lost the game.

Lunar sat away from the laughing, noisy group in a dark corner, seated in a chair and seemingly asleep. Her soft breath ruffled her fur as she slept, and Arkeson's gaze often went to her. As for Arkeson, he was sitting on the wooden floor, packing more provisions for their journey, and getting a good laugh out of the chess game the other three were playing. Eventually they all fell into a deep slumber, not surprising, considering what they had just gone through.

That night, the town slept peacefully, quietly, having absolutely no idea of the horrors that awaited them in the shadows of the plains…

~~~~~Arkeson's Dream~~~~~

"Why, look, Arkeson!" A young teenager clambered up next to his companion, an equally young boy with stunningly blue hair. The latter turned to fix his friend with an inquisitive stare.

"What is it, Revlis?"

"It's the dragon constellation! It's never been so clear before!" Revlis exclaimed, hopping up and down on his feet. Arkeson grinned and looked at the night sky. He gasped. Revlis was right! The sky was pitch black, a river of dark violet slicing through the center, in it shining a myriad of stars. Amongst them, the dragon's head reared back, and seemed to be roaring in mighty majesty, shining with a radiance that surpassed all the light shining around it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arkeson's mother came up to them. The two boys nodded enthusiastically. Arkeson's mother suddenly knelt down and hugged her son tightly. Arkeson started at this show of affection, and Revlis began to snicker.

"My son… watch for this constellation in the sky… where you see it, our fair city will be nearby…" She whispered, tears streaming down her eyes.

~~~~~End of Dream~~~~~

Arkeson awoke with a hoarse cry. He hadn't meant to dream about that particular moment in his life. It brought swift pain to his heart, and he had tried to bury it, but it seemed that it would haunt him forever. He didn't want to return to sleep. So he remained wide awake instead, his fist clenched, the first forming of tears present in his azure eyes. The dragon constellation… Arkeson shook his head violently. Just thinking about it brought back painful memories.

Unknown to him, Lunar had been watching him from her corner silently, and she was mildly surprised at the display of emotions. She got up and walked over to the group leader.

"Are you alright?" She asked coolly. Arkeson jumped with a yelp, and Lunar smiled secretly.

"L-L-Lunar! What are you d-doing awake?" Arkeson stammered, hastily brushing away his tears, not wanting her to see him in his weakened state. He looked about frantically, looked for something to hide his face, but there was nothing.

"You looked…" Lunar never got to finish her words as Arkeson suddenly shot up his hand. His ear twitched. Then his eyes widened.

"Get down!" He screamed, shoving a startled Lunar to the side as one part of the inn suddenly exploded with terrible force, flinging Arkeson across the room and out into the dark corridor with a groan of pain. His two swords went flying after him, and embedded themselves in the floor right next to his hand. The others all awoke immediately.

"What the-" Thgan was flung off his feet as another explosion rocked the foundations of the inn. Everyone went sprawling to the floor. Ralin began flailing about, yelling incoherently, while Heyior struggled to his feet, which was not easy, considering that the inn was shaking violently. It seemed ready to fall apart anytime. Fires burst out all over the town as they stared through the smoking hole in the wall. Lunar stood up, cast a quick glance outside and left the room. She knelt down next to Arkeson, who was just slumped against the wall in a daze. She began to tap him lightly, impatiently.

"Come on, wake up! We have to leave the inn!" She called, slapping Arkeson across the face multiple times. Arkeson blinked, brought his hand up to his head with a soft moan, and finally got to his feet shakily. Then there came a third explosion, and the two were thrown down the stairs, and right onto a wooden table. Lunar lay still, her head spinning. Flames were erupting all around her, but she didn't notice. Everything was a blur. Then a tiny, timid voice broke through her dazed thoughts.

"Uh… Lunar…" Arkeson started. Everything snapped into focus.

"I'm fine." She snapped.

"That's great… but do you have to keep lying on me?" Arkeson asked in a tiny, embarrassed voice. Lunar snapped her head down and stared. It was only then she realized that the explosion had dropped her on top of the dragon. Blushing, she hopped off nimbly, while Arkeson got up slowly, gasping for breath. Black smoke billowed around the room, and the two instinctively ducked to avoid suffocating.

"What's happening?" Arkeson yelled.

"Don't look at me. How should I know?" Lunar replied irritably. Then a burst of flame spurted above their heads, and there came an agonized scream from behind. Twisting their bodies, they watched in horror as the innkeeper writhed in torment, his body a living torch. He gave one last scream and sank to the ground, his flesh glowing a sickly red. Arkeson felt ill, and stealing one glance at Lunar, he realized that Lunar felt that way as well. Then he heard a voice from the doorway.

"Make sure there are no survivors! I want the Sword of Raenas! Retrieve it at all costs!" It shrieked. A roar could be heard in the distance, followed by flashes of red light and sounds of flame eating at the town. Screams flew all over the town. Arkeson raised his head in fury and stared at the one who had spoken. It was a dark mage, seemingly of a higher class than ordinary mages. His black robes were adorned with arcane symbols; the sleeves were far longer than ordinary ones. He signaled, and a dark dragon burst in through the roof and into the inn, snarling, its red eyes flashing menacingly.

"Destroy!" The dark mage ordered the dragon. It blinked, and then fired its deadly breath all over the room, instantly killing those who were still standing, and trying to flee through the backdoor. Arkeson watched, his fury rising tremendously. Even Lunar was slightly taken aback as she saw the look of anger carved on the usually serene dragon's face. With a hoarse war cry, Arkeson leapt up onto the back of the dark dragon, and began slashing at it ferociously. It didn't seem to work at first, and then the sword began to glow once more, the symbols flashing. Each stroke left a clean slice across the dark dragon's body, and soon the dragon was thrashing about, trying to throw Arkeson off. More than once its long tail lashed at Arkeson, causing him to flinch in pain.

It turned its head towards him, the eyes narrowed in anger, its gaping mouth wide open in anticipation of the kill. A black orb formed at the tip of the dragon's snout, cackling with energy, growing in size every few moments. Arkeson realized too late that the dragon was preparing to fire its breath attack. Desperately, he swung the sword, but it missed the dragon's neck, and instead flew past the latter harmlessly. Arkeson cursed vilely under his breath, and did a flip over the dragon's head as the breath attack went slamming into the pavement outside, shattering the stone like glass. Arkeson landed on his feet, and stumbled on the debris, falling to the ground. The dark dragon roared in triumph, and was just about to finish Arkeson off when Lunar, done reciting her spell, fired a magnificent burst of energy into the dragon's eyes, effectively blinding it. The breath attack went awry and crashed through the stairs, where Ralin and the others were just about to run down. They began yelling in alarm and staggered back up the stairs, coughing and choking in the rapidly thickening smoke.

"Jump!" Arkeson yelled hoarsely, his throat dry. Ralin gave a brief nod, and with a deep cry, he threw himself off the stairs, and rolled outside the inn through a smoldering hole. Thgan followed, carrying the elf on his broad shoulders. He landed heavily on the ground next to Arkeson and set Heyior down. The elf promptly squeezed out through the tiny hole, which Ralin had rolled through, yelling about looking for the dwarf. Thgan drew his blade and turned to face the roaring dark dragon grimly. The dark dragon, although blind, was still as ferocious as ever, and being blind merely added to its anger and frustration. It fired breaths randomly, lashed its tail out in all directions. Within moments, the inn began to fall apart at a fearsome rate.

"We have to get out of here before we're buried alive!" Thgan bellowed.

"The dragon is blocking the way!" Arkeson returned angrily. The two faced each other and nodded. With a battle cry, they both charged at the dragon in separate directions, brandishing their swords. The Sword of Raenas glowed a fiery red as it sliced deep into the dragon's chest. Thgan finished the job by slamming his blade into the dragon's neck. With a final shriek of pain, it toppled to the ground and lay still, its black blood spilling. Arkeson grabbed Lunar, who was mildly exhausted, and dashed out of the inn after Thgan. Behind them, the inn collapsed in upon itself in a cloud of smoke and debris.

They had no time to look at the inn, however. Glancing around, they saw that the entire town was in flames. People ran down the streets, trying to flee the horror, but a group of three dark dragons stopped them dead in their paths. The deadly breaths killed those who tried to run in another direction. Several with fighting skills challenged the dark dragons, and they succeeded in slaying one, but they soon fell as well, when the mage came in, reciting powerful spells of destruction. Children fled through various means, and the companions cheered silently in their hearts when some of them managed to escape into the plains. Though their lives would be hard, at least they were spared the tortuous fate that had befallen many of their friends. Ralin and Heyior came dashing back, coughing in the smoke, while Arkeson watched, his face contorted in anger and grief, his fists tightly clenched. The companions were rather taken aback when they saw blood trickling down his hands.

"This people… they are dying for us!" He roared. "The enemy was looking for us! Us, damn it! Not the people! They were innocent!!" Arkeson sank to his knees. Before anyone could offer words of condolence, Arkeson gave a yell and sped madly down the burning streets at the two dark dragons, being held off by a group of six men. The men were badly singed and wounded, and still they fought to protect their families. Just when they thought it was all over, there was a mighty shout from behind the two dragons, and a man leapt high into the air above the dragons, his sword poised over his head. His eyes were nearly slits; they were filled with a deep blue that almost seemed to glow with a malevolent red. He brought his sword crashing down into the head of one of the dragons. The sword sliced neatly into its head, and it would have easily killed a man, but the dragon was seemingly desperate to hang on to the world of the living. It roared and flailed about, and with a swipe of its claw, it sent Arkeson flying into a crumbling wall. The wall exploded as Arkeson slammed into it with terrific strength, and the men winced, having seen many of their number die the same way.

"Arkeson!" The companions cried out, running forward. Then they stopped in surprise. As did the men, the dragons and the mage. Arkeson pulled himself out of the rubble, his eyes glowing, a crazed grin on his face. His dragon arm was glowing brightly as well as he balanced the Sword of Raenas in his claw.

The dragons snarled something to each other in their language, recognizing Arkeson as one of their kind. The mage's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger. He began to recite a spell. He easily recognized the symptoms of what was known as `dragon rage', and he was prepared to stop Arkeson in his tracks with his most devastating spell. Arkeson swung the sword, and it left a bright blue arc in its wake, the pavement cracking and heaving under the pressure of the air forced by the strength of the attack. A shockwave sent all of the men stumbling back, and they watched in open- mouthed fascination as Arkeson swung the blade again, creating a crescent wave of energy that sliced through the injured dragon. It slumped to the ground without even being given the chance to cry out. The second dragon cast a fearful glance at Arkeson, but the latter took no notice. He heard the chanting of a spell and he whirled around to face the source. Arkeson could feel the adrenaline within him fading quickly, and with the last of his power, he flung the sword through the air at the mage. The sword pierced through the air and embedded itself in the mage's hand. The mage let out a shriek of pain as the sword continued its path, pinning the hand to a wall.

Arkeson's eyes stopped glowing, his dragon arm vanished, replaced by a bleeding hand. He collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily, beads of sweat forming on his face.

"What… happened?" He panted as the companions ran up to him. They shook their heads and helped Arkeson to his feet. He stumbled a moment, then caught himself and looked around at the scene of carnage. His eyes fell upon the dead dragon.

"I… did that?" He whispered in awe. Then the second dragon, sensing Arkeson's weakness, lumbered forward, snarling, its claws aimed for Arkeson's chest. Ralin shouted out. Thgan dashed and pushed Arkeson to a side while Heyior fired an arrow at the dragon. It buried itself in the dragon's neck, but the latter, seemingly driven insane, did not notice. Ralin jumped to the side and swung his axe at the dragon as it passed. Lunar fired multiple spells at the dragon, considerably weakening it, but failing to slay it. Finally, as a desperate plan, the six men ran forward, yelling wildly, and threw themselves at the dragon, hacking and slashing without mercy. The dragon fought back with all its strength. Eventually it tired out, and crashed headlong into the burning wreck of a house next to it, its head flaring up in the inferno. The men got to their feet grimly, staring at the two of their comrades who would never wake up again.

Arkeson was silent. He watched the scene play out before him in stony silence. Then a chanting broke through his thoughts. Without thinking, he dashed at the mage. The mage, seeing that he had little time left, tried to speed up the spell. Arkeson yanked the sword out, and was just about to slash the mage when a fireball, flying from the mage's hands, sent him sailing through the air to land at his friends' feet. He leapt to his feet, cursing bitterly.

The companions watched as more dark dragons flew over the town, wrecking it further with their breaths. As they watched, they forgot all about the mage until Arkeson gave a yell of warning. A gigantic circle of symbols was widening beneath the mage, glowing an eerie black. It was soon easily the size of a house.

"Run!" Arkeson screamed, and the group bolted in all directions. Arkeson dashed madly down the streets, yelling at anyone still alive to get out of the town. Lunar followed closely behind, her face slightly pale. Thgan was lumbering down another street, doing the same thing, his armor and sword causing a din, which served his purpose well, for it, attracted people's attention. Heyior and Ralin were moving quickly towards the town gates, running down an empty street filled with death.

And behind them, the circle of symbols continued to grow in size. Finally, with a cry, the mage threw his hands up into the air and faded away into nothingness. The circle stopped growing and began to shine with a black light. The symbols flashed and escaped the confinements of the circle, spinning in the air around it, flashing. Then a pillar of pure dark energy burst through the circle, shattering it, and sped into the dark night sky. It expanded rapidly, engulfing everything, including the dark dragons that failed to steer away in time. Thgan, Ralin, Heyior and the surviving townspeople dashed and threw themselves behind a large rock some distance away from town, watching in silent terror. And then the dwarf, elf and knight realized that Arkeson and Lunar were still inside the town. They had stayed behind to look for any remaining survivors, according to those who had met the two. Thgan gave a low cry and started forward, but the others held him back.

"Let me go!" He roared.

"All you'll accomplish is to get killed. We'll just have to believe in the gods now." Ralin tried to keep his voice calm, although his face was filled with terrible grief. Thgan glared at him balefully and sank to the ground, a blank expression on his face.

"Please let them be safe…"

~~~~~

Arkeson called out to Lunar as they ran, trying to outrun the growing darkness behind them. They ran as they had never run before, until it seemed as though their lungs were on fire. And still they did not stop. The gates were in sight now; they could see freedom beyond the gates…

And then misfortune struck. Lunar slipped on a piece of debris and fell heavily to the ground. Arkeson gave a hoarse cry, whirled around and ran back to Lunar. He threw himself over her, shielding her body. And then the pillar of darkness engulfed them as well. At first they felt extreme pain, but then there was a crack, and they fell…

Fell into the seemingly endless darkness…

~~~~~

A drip of cold water fell upon Lunar's face, startling her. She woke up abruptly and sat up, looking around. She was in an underground cavern. It was dark, and water seemed to be dripping down from the ceiling. Or at least, where there was a ceiling. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, leaving a large, gaping hold some distance away from her. She assumed that the blast had knocked a hole open and dropped her into this cavern. There did not seem to be anyone near her.

Alone.

Lunar shuddered. Was she really alone? She… didn't want to be. Not after what had happened to her so long ago. She curled up in a ball miserably, and for a moment, she felt as though she was going to cry. She was too weak to use her magic to escape.

"I… don't want to be alone…" She whispered softly, her eyes shut tightly. Where was Arkeson? The last thing she remembered was him protecting her by staying above her as the spell struck. Then all was dark, and when she woke up, he was gone. Was he… dead? Lunar shuddered again. Then her eyes flared open and she straightened herself. This wasn't the way for her to act. She was strong… not weak! Fear made her weak. Emotions made her weak. She despised them. Turning around, she allowed her eyes to get accustomed to the darkness. The moon shone brightly above her, shining a single ray of silver light into the cavern. She looked around carefully, and thought she saw movement some distance away. Anything was better than nothing, she decided. Lunar made her way over to where she saw the movement, and saw a large rock. It was black and blasted; a sword was thrust deep into the ground next to it. The Sword of Raenas. Her throat dry, Lunar made her way around the large rock. There, seated dispiritedly on the edge of the rock, was Arkeson. He looked rather heavily injured. His hair was singed; his entire back was badly burnt and bleeding. His shirt had been ripped nearly apart, and his eyes were glazed as he stared blankly ahead. Lunar looked down at herself for a moment, and immediately felt a little guilty. There was nearly not a single cut or bruise on her. Arkeson had taken all the damage in her place.

Scowling slightly, she went over and tapped Arkeson on the shoulder with a small cough. The result was tremendous. Arkeson gave a great yell, bolted up from the rock, ran some distance before turning around to face Lunar, and when he recognized her, he gave a shuddering sob, dashed back over and very nearly hugged her.

"Good to see you!" He rasped. His voice was weak… filled with pain. But yet he tried his best not to show them to Lunar. His eyes were bright and shining once more, and Lunar was nearly lost as she looked into them. Then she snapped back and gently shoved Arkeson away. She stood back silently; pondering the strange and warm emotion she felt when Arkeson had expressed his joy at finding her. Then she heard Arkeson laughing. She turned to face him, and saw that he was laughing happily.

"What's so funny?" She snapped.

"We're alive!" He laughed. She stared at him as though he was insane for a moment, then the same warm feeling rushed through her again, and she couldn't help it.

Lunar began to laugh as well.

~~~~~

Arkeson still wore a smile on his face as he resumed sitting on the rock. The laughter had died out, the happiness had not. Lunar was seated next to him, using shreds of his shirt to form bandages around his many wounds. Though her face was carefully expressionless, deep inside, a voice told her `You're happy being around him'. She silently ordered the voice to remove itself, but it merely laughed. She began to feel slightly angry; she didn't want to hear that voice. But the voice remained, and her feelings hardened as she looked at Arkeson. And quite suddenly, without thinking, she reached out and grabbed Arkeson's collar.

"I thought I said I did not need your help." She said angrily, tensely. Arkeson stiffened in fear. Just when he thought he had managed to break through the barrier that guarded her soul, it was back up, stronger than before. He gulped.

"Answer me, dragon!" She said harshly, dropping Arkeson. Arkeson cringed visibly, and promptly fell off the rock with a cry. Lunar looked at him irritably. His face was beet red, he looked at her fearfully. Lunar immediately had the impression that she was taking out her anger on a child. She sighed, reached down her hand and pulled Arkeson to his feet.

"Thank… you." She muttered. Arkeson looked at her in surprise. Lunar felt her face turning a bright red as well. Arkeson grinned, and got back up on the rock and sat there quietly, swinging his legs, watching them. He seemed to be a little distracted. Then Lunar spotted something next to him. It was a tear-shaped jewel, shining a myriad of colors in the moonlight. She caught her breath as she gazed at it. It was beautiful. She picked it up, and held it in front of Arkeson.

"Is this yours?" She asked. Arkeson gasped, grabbed the jewel and quickly pocketed it. But Lunar had already seen the look of pain that flashed across his face when he saw the jewel. She assumed she had managed to strike a chord within the cheerful dragon. She watched Arkeson intently, being a reader of emotions. His face was pale; he stared fixedly at the ground, biting his lip. He trembled just a little, and Lunar was considerably shocked when she saw tears welling up at the corners of his eyes. Then his hair fell across his face, giving it a sad sort of beauty.

"That jewel… it must hold some key to a bad memory…" Lunar thought to herself. A sniffle broke through her thoughts. "He's… crying…?"

~~~~~

"No! How did she find it? How… did… she?" Arkeson thought wildly. The jewel brought back painful memories, memories of his previous home. He had not wanted to see it ever again, and thus had hidden it. And yet she had managed to find it. The jewel… that his mother had given to him long ago… His emotions came pouring back out, and he lost control of them completely. He gave way to them, and began to cry softly to himself, not noticing Lunar staring at him.

~~~~~

Lunar would never have guessed she would see the normally optimistic dragon act this way. He sat there, his head bowed, crying and sobbing to himself. Lunar felt sorry, and longed to know what had caused his pain. She wanted to… Wait. Lunar caught herself. When did she start worrying about a dragon? Why did she care? Then she realized that she had been worried when she couldn't find Arkeson earlier on. She realized that he was the first and only one who seemed to be concerned for her welfare. Nobody had done that much for her in the past. Why?

"Why are you so… protective?" She questioned softly. "Especially back there… in the town?" Arkeson looked up, his face streaked with tears.

"Because… I didn't want to lose anyone around me… ever again…" He choked. "Never again… I've already lost too much… My family… my friends…" His tears fell again.

Family… the word struck Lunar. What of his family? She had thought he had a good one, seeing that he was so happy… But here he said that he had lost them. Lost his family… just as she did. She laid a hand on Arkeson's shoulder soothingly. Arkeson trembled at her touch. His heart stirred, a war of emotions in his mind played out. He wanted to tell her his story… he wanted to release the pain from his heart… but he was not sure she would want to listen.

"Why does the jewel… affect you so much?" Lunar ventured further. "Tell me…"

Arkeson looked at her again, his eyes bloodshot. Softly, his voice breaking, he began to relate the story of his past…

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

Long ago, the dragons had lived in harmony with the rest of the world. But they eventually discovered that the world could not provide them with the life they sought. Leaving the world to its own conflicts, the dragons went to a secluded spot in the world, where no living thing could survive. On the surface, that is. The dragons tore the uncultivated lands from their resting place and cast powerful spells on them, enabling them to float high in the air. The magic kept the floating city warm, without any rain or snow. They changed the cracked soil into lush green pastures that surpassed even the greatest beauty that could be found on the surface. The waterfalls and rivers were crystal clear, and were purer and fresher than any on the surface. Mountains rose at the edge of the floating city in all sorts of mystical shapes.

The building of this city was done over multiple centuries, and in complete secrecy. No one ever saw it. The dragons who worked on it were unlike humans, however. They all did live to see the completed city, the centuries taken to build the city being nothing more than a brief twinkling to them.

The city started off with a large island. The buildings were carved out of blocks of pure gemstones, twisting and turning into wondrous shapes, yet seeming strangely in place with the scenery found around them. Juvenile dragons played in the land around them, never having the fear of falling off the island, for a powerful magical barrier had been cast around the city. Food was grown in a corner of the island, providing the dragons with an endless supply of food not found anywhere on the surface. The city expanded rapidly, finally branching out into five other islands, with the main island named as the capital of the floating city. Each of the other five islands was connected to the main island through a mystic orbit, never breaking off to drift away into the atmosphere. Dragons traveled to islands through special teleportation devices built in designated places.

Technology was without par in this city. The city was far more advanced than the human technology, discovering many forms of magic and science in the world when humans still thought that the sword was the ultimate weapon in the world. Education was limitless, the juvenile dragons learning of the world around them, and of the mystical forces that could be drawn upon and used to great heights.

This was Arkeson's home. The sky city of dragons, Dogar.

~~~~~

Arkeson was happy with his life on Dogar. He had everything: friends, family, happiness and fun. Life was perfect for him, although there were times he was bored. Revlis was his closest friend back in those days. The two played together, fought together and often shared their thoughts with one another. Their parents, being close friends themselves, watched their children grow with pride and honor.

But, unknown to the children, the parents of every juvenile dragon on Dogar lived with a dark secret, a secret their children would never want to hear…

~~~~~

That night was a night Arkeson would remember for all eternity.

"Why, look, Arkeson!" Revlis clambered up next to his companion, Arkeson. The latter turned to fix his friend with an inquisitive stare.

"What is it, Revlis?"

"It's the dragon constellation! It's never been so clear before!" Revlis exclaimed, hopping up and down on his feet. Arkeson grinned and looked at the night sky. He gasped. Revlis was right! The sky was pitch black, a river of dark violet slicing through the center, in it shining a myriad of stars. Amongst them, the dragon's head reared back, and seemed to be roaring in mighty majesty, shining with a radiance that surpassed all the light shining around it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Arkeson's mother came up to them. The two boys nodded enthusiastically. Arkeson's mother suddenly knelt down and hugged her son tightly. Arkeson started at this show of affection, and Revlis began to snicker.

"My son… watch for this constellation in the sky… where you see it, our fair city will be nearby…" She whispered, tears streaming down her eyes.

"M-mother?" Arkeson stammered, frightened. His mother was always so calm and serene, never before had he seen her cry. Then, his mother pressed a jewel into his hands. Arkeson looked at it and gasped. It was beautiful. Tear-shaped, shining the colors of a rainbow in the moonlight, Arkeson could tell at a glance that it was very valuable.

"This is a memento, Arkeson… Remember us…" His mother whispered brokenly.

Poor Arkeson remained clueless. And then the enormity of what his mother said struck him. He realized what was about to happen to him.

"No… NO!" Arkeson cried, tearing away from his mother, fleeing into the distance. The jewel dangled from his hand as he ran, tears blinding his eyes.

"Why?!" Arkeson raised his head to the heavens and screamed.

~~~~~

That night Arkeson was sent away was a gloomy one. The clouds covered the stars; the rain fell in gentle drops. The moon was hidden, the fire that burned in the dragons' homes were all extinguished, as was done whenever they sent a dragon in `exile'. Arkeson stood alone in front of the altar, tears still running down his young face, wrecked with grief.

Arkeson had pleaded with the elders, with his friends, with his family. He didn't want to leave. Not yet. But the elders were firm in their decision. He had to be sent down to the world. Whether he liked it or not. Arkeson was bitter. He looked into the crowd and saw Revlis standing at the front, watching in deep sorrow. Arkeson didn't want to leave his friend behind, but as the elders had said, it was not Revlis's time yet. Arkeson peered into the crowd, hoping to see his parents, but they were nowhere in sight. The hand grasping the jewel began to shake. The elders told Arkeson to step onto the platform.

"But… but…!" Arkeson trembled.

"This is the rule of the dragons, Arkeson. You have to understand." One of the elders, named Mynos, comforted Arkeson. Arkeson trembled at his touch, and he drew back, a growl on his face.

"I'm not sure I want to understand!" Arkeson snarled, shaking Mynos's hand off his shoulder. Mynos shrugged, and resumed his place in the circle of dragon elders, regarding Arkeson sadly. Arkeson's parents were both too grieved to appear at the ceremony. Arkeson hated them for that; hated them for not coming. In fact, at that moment, he suddenly hated the dragons, hated all of them. Why did they want to send him away? Arkeson couldn't understand, nor did he want to.

"Are you prepared, Arkeson?" Mynos asked gently. Arkeson didn't say anything. He simply stepped up onto the circular platform, at this point he was already too far beyond his emotions to care. He just wanted to leave. The stairs leading up to the platform suddenly vanished; the symbols and lines began to glow with a variety of colors, so bright that Arkeson couldn't tell what colors they were. The elders gathered around the shrine, uttering words of magic. The orb beneath Arkeson glowed brilliantly; the symbols rose from the platform and began to spin around Arkeson eerily. A pillar of light shot up from the platform, through the roof of the shrine and into the night sky with dazzling clarity. Arkeson felt as though he was being torn from the world, torn from the delicate fabric of life. There seemed to be nothing around him. He was falling… falling… falling for all eternity.

The pillar of light dispersed, the glowing ceased abruptly. Arkeson was no longer standing on the platform.

When Arkeson regained consciousness, he found himself at the edge of a pool, next to a thundering waterfall. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to his feet, grabbing his sword. He staggered through the woods, not sure where he was heading. Hatred ripped through his body, and he stopped for a moment at the edge of the woods, turning to face the dragon constellation in the sky. He spotted a bright silver star gleaming next to it. There it was - his home. Arkeson shut his eyes, allowing the tears to fall freely. Then anger boiled up from within him. He screamed, his voice filled with anger, spite and frustration.

And the jewel dangled, still, from his tightly clenched hands…

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~

Arkeson's voice trailed off, and he gave a sniffle and a shudder as he bowed his head again, his emotions overwhelming him. The jewel mysteriously dropped from his pocket, shining with a sad radiance, almost as though it was sharing the same feelings as the dragon.

Lunar listened to his story in awe. She had no idea… His cheerfulness was merely a mask, a mask to hide the pain beneath. Just like her coldness. She watched Arkeson cry pitifully, and her heart melted. Reaching out to the young dragon, she drew him close.

"I'm sorry…" She breathed. Arkeson shuddered, sobs wrecking through his body as he buried his face in his hands. Lunar suddenly felt a slight affection for Arkeson. After all, he had shared a similar past as she did. She wanted to comfort him, but at the same time, she wanted to run away. Arkeson took the jewel up gently and stared at it, his tears dripping onto it.

"Mother… Father…" He whispered, more to himself than to Lunar, and he clasped the jewel close to his face, his eyes shut, squeezing the tears out. Then he placed the jewel back in its place and smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry," He said, echoing Lunar's words. "You probably didn't want to hear that…"

"I know… how you feel." Lunar said softly, looking at him with her luminous eyes. Arkeson found himself lost in those eyes, and his smile widened just a little. But he felt a little confused as well.

"What do you mean?"

"Once… I had a sister. She was everything I was… and better than that. She was my parents' pride and joy… But then… one day… that all changed…" Lunar didn't know why she was telling him her story. She just felt that he would understand… and that was all she needed. Someone to understand how she felt.

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

A young golden Lunaro ran along the forest path, giggling and laughing as her friend came panting after. Lunar turned to face Reya, a smile on her face.

"Tired already?" She teased.

"I don't know how you can have so much energy…" Reya breathed heavily, slumping to the ground in exhaustion. "Let me rest for a moment." Lunar pouted and sat down on the leaf-strewn path next to Reya. Reya's fur was matted with sweat, her tail hung limp as she watched her energetic friend. Then she looked up at the rapidly darkening sky and frowned a little.

"C'mon Lunar. It's time to go home." The result was startling. Lunar instantly stopped smiling, her face darkened as she stared at the ground. Then she stood up and kicked at the leaves gloomily.

"I don't want to go home." She muttered.

"But…" Reya started.

"I said I don't want to go home! Father and Mother hate me! They hate me!" Lunar's voice rose to a high pitch. Then it softened. "They only care about Tylin…" Reya walked up to Lunar and rested a paw reassuringly on her shoulder.

"You know that's not true…"

"It is! Everything is about Tylin! It's never me! They don't even care…" Lunar felt tears well up in her eyes. "They don't care!!" Lunar turned around and ran. Reya immediately gave chase, calling for Lunar. But Lunar was far more agile, and she was soon out of sight. Reya stopped and leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. Then she hung her head for a moment, and headed back home, dreading it, almost as much as Lunar dreaded going back.

Far away, in a quiet spot by a pool of calm, still water, Lunar sat on a rock, staring blankly at her reflection. Then a single tear glistened on her face, and it fell. The water rippled as though the tear had shattered it, just as Lunar's heart had been utterly shattered…

~~~~~

Back in the past, the Lunaros were an open race, opening the forest to all travelers, welcoming the friendly, and helping the injured. Lunar's parents and Lunar's elder sister, Tylin, governed them in peace. The Lunaros were happy under their rule, and Lunar was always left out. She was therefore often frolicking with her childhood friend, Reya, and a few others. Lunar seemed happy, but deep inside, she was utterly crushed.

Everyone looked up to her sister. Everyone ignored her. Whenever she managed to accomplish something marvelous, such as mastering a difficult spell or solving a problem, her parents would often wave her aside with a brief nod or a wave of their hands. Anything Tylin did, whether large or tiny, caught their parents' eyes, and they were always full of praises for her. Lunar was tired of it all. Everyday she would have to sit and endure her parents' lectures.

"Why can't you be more like your sister, Lunar?" Her mother often scolded her. "She's always so serious with her work, and you…"

"Look at your sister, Lunar! She's good at everything, and yet you…" Her father grumbled. Lunar was heart-broken. She always tried to live up to her parents' expectations, but it was never enough. Nothing she did ever was. She was shunned aside, and even the guards snickered openly in her presence. She was often called a `strange one', because of the color of her fur. She was a beautiful sunset, molten gold, her sister was an autumn red. Their parents were both fiery orange. Her color was often outstanding among all the other Lunaros, and eventually Lunar began to avoid her people, hating the stares they threw at her whenever she passed.

She had only a small group of friends, and out of these, only a handful was truly loyal to her. Her best and most trusted friend was Reya, and Lunar often confided in her whenever she felt lonely and left out.

As for Tylin, everyone respected her. They sang songs of her, wrote stories of her achievements. Lunar was either never mentioned at all, or played a tiny role. She was called the weak one, always having to rely on her elder sister for help and protection. Even though people still respected her, they only did so because she was of the royal family. Tylin was somewhat friendly towards Lunar, but this was rare, and often Tylin walked past her sister without so much as a glance. Those times when Tylin actually talked to Lunar was when she was in an exceptionally good mood, and even then, she was prone to striking her sister, just like her parents.

And so Lunar grew up lonely, maturing far faster than other Lunaros.

Every night, unknown to everyone, even Reya, the Lunaro would quietly cry to herself in her room, wishing that someone could share her pain, take away the emptiness in her soul, and give her affection and happiness.

But it never came.

And one day… her life changed drastically.

~~~~~

Lunar and her friends were, as usual, playing on the forest path, their laughter and voices enabling Lunar to forget her pain for just a moment. Her parents, Tylin and several others had gone on some sort of expedition. Lunar didn't care, she was in fact happy to see them leave.

Lunar was just in the middle of a game when a guard came rushing up to her. His face was pale, and he hurriedly knelt beside Lunar and whispered something into her long ears urgently. Lunar gasped and looked at him unbelievably. The guard nodded grimly. Lunar fell to the ground abruptly, and all her friends came rushing over to her aid. The guard quickly withdrew.

"What's wrong, Lunar?" Reya inquired.

"They left me… alone…" Lunar gasped, tears falling again. "They left me!" Lunar fell forward, her fists tightly clenched, her fur bristling. Reya felt her body grow chill with fear.

"W-what do you mean?"

"My parents… and my s-sister were ambushed… by a g-group of w-w-wild goblins… They all d-died in battle…" Lunar shut her eyes, sobbing. "Why? Why do they always leave me alone? Why?"

Reya and the others simply stood quietly by her side, watching helplessly, feeling their friend's grief eat away at them…

~~~~~

Following her parents and sister's deaths, Lunar was the only remaining member of the royal family left alive, and according to protocol, she was to rule in their place. Lunar had changed startlingly overnight the day she was informed of her family's deaths. She became cold and distant, and even her close friends felt chilled around her. Only Reya truly understood her.

Lunar ruled well in her parents' places. She was the one to set up the barrier around their home, preventing a similar tragedy from ever occurring again. She governed over everything so well that her home prospered, and the people began to respect and love her. But she ignored them, did not want to receive their praises.

But she never once stopped yearning for someone to truly love her…

And by the time the companions came, her feelings had already been frozen in a hard block of ice.

~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~

Lunar ended her story and stared blankly ahead. She had vowed, long ago, never to cry again. But pain ate at her soul, and the pain was evident in her eyes. Arkeson saw it. Slowly, he reached out his hand, not sure how Lunar would react. But then he saw the silent plea for affection and love in the lovely Lunaro's eyes, and he drew her in, in a partial embrace. Lunar gasped, and stiffened at first. But then she relaxed, and she rested her head against Arkeson's chest. He was warm… Perhaps he was reaching out to her soul, trying to melt the block of ice that held her feelings in place… Lunar didn't mind anymore… All her thoughts vanished as she snuggled closer, wanting someone, anyone to share her feelings, her pain with her…

For once, Lunar finally allowed her emotions to surface. She was feeling considerably better now.

Arkeson was a little surprised when Lunar actually moved closer to him, but then he smiled again, this time no longer a smile of sadness. He was happy, for both of them. He now understood Lunar a whole lot better, and he was glad. Her past was just about the same as his, both had lost their families now…

But at least they had each other.

The two of them fell asleep, together, in the cavern, the jewel shining brightly from within Arkeson's shirt…

~~~~~

When Lunar woke up, at first she could not remember anything. Then memories of the previous night came back to her. Stretching luxuriously and yawning, Lunar got off the rock and peered around. The cavern looked very different in day, and she could see an opening not far away. Sunlight poured in from various holes in the ceiling, lighting up the entire cavern.

She turned around, and a smile instantly formed on her face. Arkeson was still fast asleep on the rock, snoring lightly. There was some color back in his previously deathly white face, and Lunar was secretly glad. As she watched, Arkeson turned about in his sleep, and finally rolled off the rock onto the ground with a groan. He got up slowly, rubbing the back of his head, trying to blink the sleep out of his eyes.

"It's m-m-morning already?" Arkeson tried to stifle a yawn and failed. Lunar cracked a smirk at the dragon.

"Yes, it is. Let's go look for the others." She pointed at the opening. Arkeson nodded and yawned again.

"Hold on… Let me go get my stuff…" Arkeson dragged himself over to the other side of the rock, yanked the Sword of Raenas out of the ground and promptly fell back onto the rock with a grunt of pain. Lunar started forward in concern as Arkeson began to mutter and grumble about the pains not having fully recovered yet. He hobbled forward, then slipped on the ground and collapsed.

"Guess I haven't recovered yet." He mumbled. Lunar came over to him and knelt on the ground next to Arkeson, and offered him a helping hand. Arkeson managed to get back on his feet, but he seemed to be in no condition to walk on his own.

"Come on, lean on my arm, we'll get out of here…" Lunar said, offering him her arm again. Arkeson looked a little horrified.

"But… you… I…" He spluttered, confused. Lunar smiled.

"It's okay." His eyes shimmered with admiration and joy for a moment, and he gratefully took her arm. Together, they managed to walk out of the cavern, where the sun greeted them cheerfully, the birds taking flight in the clear azure sky. The grass of the plains swayed in the breeze, and all seemed peaceful. But then they turned around and saw the blackened hole in the ground where the town once stood, and their faces darkened. For a moment, Arkeson looked as though he might break down again, and Lunar cast him a worried glance. But he smiled reassuringly at her, and she heaved a sigh of relief.

Both didn't say it, but they found comfort in each other's arms. Just for a second, they both stopped at the same time without thinking, and thought of remaining in the same position forever. But then they snapped back to reality and continued on their way, looking for their friends.

Maybe… just maybe… Arkeson would be the one to melt through Lunar's wall of ice, and free her from her cold confinements after so many years…

~~~~~

Thgan sat silently on a burnt wreckage, looking around without interest. He and the others, including the villagers, had tried searching the entire town for Arkeson and Lunar, but they failed to find anything. The villagers, already grieved with their enormous loss, decided that Arkeson and Lunar were either dead or gone and had given up the search, now focusing on rebuilding their once peaceful town. Ralin and Heyior had not given up and continued to search endlessly under the melted stone and the smoking debris. Thgan decided to take watch at the edge of town, in case Arkeson and Lunar had escaped.

But the entire night had already passed, and there was no sign of the two. Spirits began to dwindle, their confidence wavered. And finally, when dawn came, they gave up hope.

"Either they've already escaped long ago… or they died in the magic spell…" Ralin stated quietly, his voice hoarse. Heyior sat next to the dwarf, curled up in a ball miserably, subdued. He missed the cheerful leader, he missed the quiet Lunaros. When would they come back?

The villagers were just as miserable. They stood still, holding pieces of black rock in their hands, staring blankly into the sky, not sure what to do. Had the gods abandoned them, they wondered. Why did this have to happen to their fair town? Why? It just wasn't fair!

And then hope sprang out at the three companions.

Thgan was just about to fall asleep from exhaustion when he spotted two figures walking towards the devastated town. He gave a great roar and bounded to his feet, as did Ralin and Heyior. They stood there, watching, praying that their calls had been answered…

"It's Arkeson and Lunar!" Heyior cheered, hopping up and down in joy. "They're alive!" He began to run around the wreckage, shrilly calling out `They're alive!' over and over again. Ralin and Thgan peered at the two more intently. Then they both gasped. Ralin elbowed the big man.

"Is it me, or is Arkeson leaning on Lunar for support?" He muttered, thinking that perhaps he had gone mad.

"It's not you…" Thgan said in awe. Ralin nodded in what seemed like wisdom.

"Alright, that does it. I think we're both ready to retire from traveling." Thgan grinned and gave the dwarf a playful shove on the back. The dwarf gave a great yell and tumbled off the wreckage. But his yell attracted the attention of Arkeson and Lunar. They were quite near now, and they saw Thgan and the others clearly in the sunlight. They raised their heads.

And the three companions were all taken aback.

"Is Lunar actually smiling? With Arkeson?" Thgan muttered incredulously.

"I think the exhaustion has gotten to our heads…" Heyior whispered seriously, quite unlike his usual self.

From some distance away, the two heard the words, and they grinned.

~~~~~

The companions continued on their journey east, to the main castle of the knights. They had offered to stay behind and help to rebuild the town, but as the villagers said, it was hopeless. They would have to start anew in another place.

Their journey, while quiet, was a peaceful and happy one. Ralin stumbled along at the back, dreaming of the legendary wine he would be able to drink at the knights' capital. Thgan walked ahead of all of them, leading them back to the place he had left long ago. He was slightly moody, and nobody disturbed him as they traveled. Heyior was back to his usual self, moving around briskly and energetically, talking so rapidly that the companions eventually gave up trying to interpret what the elf was saying. Arkeson walked behind Thgan, a wide smile on his face, his long hair waving about in the gentle breeze. He had tried to make conversation with Lunar.

"Uh… About last night…" Arkeson ventured hopefully. Lunar threw him a warning glare.

"Don't say a word. Pretend last night never happened. I was weak." She said, her tone dripping with disgust at the word `weak'. Arkeson sighed, shrugged and returned to the head of the line, somewhat upset, thinking that Lunar had shut herself off again, but then he caught her smiling lightly at him, and his spirits went soaring into the heavens. The Sword of Raenas was sheathed in Arkeson's scabbard, his other sword wrapped tightly and packed into his backpack. The jewel hung from Arkeson's neck, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. The companions were confused as to what it was, and Arkeson refused to answer them, muttering something about a `long story'.

Lunar was far more pleasant than usual, actually making conversation with the others, including the grumpy old dwarf. The group was startled at her change, and they began to make speculations on what had really happened between Arkeson and Lunar. The two remained silent on the incident, exchanging glances with the others that stated quite clearly that further pursuing in the matter would result in pain. A lot of pain. Arkeson had cracked his knuckles to place heavy emphasis on that.

There was nothing to see in the plains, and the companions were soon very bored. Ralin and Thgan began to have a friendly argument, with Heyior throwing in rather inappropriate insults at all the wrong moments, resulting in a near fight. Arkeson, in frustration and desperation, jumped on the elf and dragged him to the back, where the two of them continued walking, the dragon keeping a watchful eye on the elf. Lunar walked alone in the middle, conversing with the others every once in a while, mostly with Arkeson.

None of them mentioned the incident that took place in the cavern.

It was not mentioned openly, but secretly the two thought of it deep in their minds.

~~~~~

"Is that what I think it is?" Ralin rasped, his throat dry. The group was standing on a cliff overlooking the remainder of the plains below them. After another few days of weary, eventless traveling, they had finally reached the edge of the Hagran plains. Their spirits were high, and they wore grins on their faces as they made their way up the cliff to inspect their surroundings. They were close to collapsing due to lack of water. And then the dwarf spotted a glowing some distance away.

"The knights' headquarters!" Thgan bellowed, waving his gigantic sword in the air triumphantly. The joy that came from knowing that they had arrived at their destination filled them like nice warm ale. Without hesitation, with only exchanged glances, the elf, dwarf and knight dashed down the cliff madly, yelling wildly.

"Wine! Ale! Food!" Ralin cheered, practically rolling down the pathway.

"Inns! A place to rest my aching back!" Thgan roared.

"Knights! I've always dreamed of visiting their capital!" Heyior breathed. The three were out of sight within seconds, leaving Arkeson and Lunar alone on the cliff, watching in amusement. With a small grunt, Arkeson lifted his backpack, hoisted the sword and started down the pathway as well, although lacking the large amount of enthusiasm displayed in the other three.

"Let's go." Arkeson called to Lunar, who nodded and came walking along smoothly beside him. She wore a tiny smile on her face, and the cold mask, while still up and protecting her, had vanished from her eyes. There was no longer any pain, just a wistful look. Arkeson felt comforted, knowing that she had finally managed to overcome the pain of her past, as he had. Her golden fur shone brilliantly in the evening sun, and Arkeson could not help but feel awed in her presence once again…

Ahead of them stood the majestic castle of the knights, built of white marble and gray stone. Graceful minarets rose to the sky, the banners of the knights fluttered in the wind. The gate was made of solid oak, and it stood towering over the town, imposing and seemingly invulnerable. Knights dressed in shining, polished armor patrolled all about, their swords in their hands. The town itself was filled with activity. People walked about on their daily business, children ran through the streets, their laughter ringing throughout the bricks and stones that formed the humble homes of the citizens. Marketplaces were filled with ladies purchasing food for their families, forgeries glowed as the blacksmiths toiled to forge swords for the army. Inns were packed with people enjoying a talk or a drink; item stores were filled with travelers purchasing their needs.

The town seemed so peaceful that all the companions forgot about the corruption that had spread throughout the knighthood. One of them, in particular, hoped that perhaps the matter had been resolved.

And so the group headed into the knights' capital, the city known to all as Setia.

From Arkeson's neck, the pendant glowed as night fell…



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Sorry for the lack of updates. I just returned from summer camp. Anyway, for the next chapter, the group finds themselves in big trouble the moment they set foot in the castle!

Also, many thanks to Comrade Terror AKA The §upreme Øverlord of Ðarkness for his help in this story. His help and contribution to this story has been great.

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