Dragon-Kin arc
4 Years Ago
["Do not forget what I have taught you, girl."].
["No! Master, please don't go! Stay! Stay with me! Please!" Sixteen year old Julia begged.].
Julia kept running after her master but no matter how fast she ran towards him, it felt like she wasn't getting any closer to closing the distance between them. Her master was only getting farther and farther away from her. Her master smiled at her.
["Julia." He said gently].
["MASTER!" Julia cried out].
["Jewel." He said in Ryoka's voice].
"Jewel." Ryoka said.
"Hey Jewel, wake up!" Ryoka shouted.
"JEWEL!" Ryoka shouted louder.
Modern Day
Julia gasped. Her colorless eyes opened widely as she awoke from her slumber.
"Hey Jewel. You okay?" Ryoka asked.
Julia heard Ryoka's voice above her. Julia had remembered that she had accidentally fallen asleep on Ryoka's lap last night. Not that ryoka minded at all. She actually enjoyed seeing her girlfriend drift away peacefully on her lap while she stroked her beautiful hair.
"Ryoka?" Julia asked as she looked up at Ryoka. She was still blind of course but did so anyway.
"That's me! Rise and shine sleepy head! We got a big day ahead of us today!" Ryoka said with excitement.
"Right." Julia said. She rose off Ryoka's lap and yawned. "What time is it?" Julia asked as she stretched her arms.
"About 5:30 A.M. You said you wanted to wake up early before we crossed the border, remember?" Ryoka asked. Julia rose up from the ground and got dressed.
"I do. Thank you." Julia said as she put her bag over her shoulder. Julia sounded fine but she looked sad. Ryoka was concerned. She grabbed onto her bag and went towards Julia.
"Hey Jewel, are you okay? The way you were stirring in your sleep, it looked like you had another nightmare. Was it...about your master again?" Ryoka asked with concern.
Julia stayed silent for a moment.
"Yes." Julia said. Ryoka gently grabbed onto Julia's hand.
"Hey if you need to talk I'm here for you. You know that right?" Ryoka asked while blushing.
Julia blushed and gave a sad smile towards Ryoka. Ryoka could be a ruthless and arrogant warrior but was still kind and gentle towards her girlfriend when she needed her to be. It was embarrassing to the prideful red-head to say the least.
"Thank you Ryoka. But I'm fine. We should be on our way. We can't miss this chance. Julia said.
"Well, as long as you are okay then that's what we'll do." Ryoka said.
"There's no need to worry. Seeing that cheeky smile of yours always lifts my spirits." Julia teased. Ryoka blushed but then grinned at her teasing.
"Oh really? And how can you tell that I'm smiling right now?" Ryoka asked.
"It's simple. I know you." Julia shot back.
"Touché." Ryoka said. She pulled Julia towards her and gave her a passionate kiss. Julia quickly gave in and kissed her back. After a moment or two Ryoka pulled back but gave Julia a quick peck on her nose and grinned at her blushing partner.
"Oh honestly." Julia looked away feeling embarrassed.
"And that's not all. Upsy daisy!" Ryoka suddenly scooped up Julia and carried her bridal style.
"Wha-Ryoka!" Julia shouted in surprise. Suddenly two big red wings grew from Ryoka's back.
"Hang on tight beautiful!" Ryoka shouted as she jumped and flew up into the air with Julia in her arms.
"Ryoka. You know I can fly right?" Julia asked.
"Too bad. You're taking the first class seat on the Ryoka express! Next stop, our prey!" Ryoka announced.
Julia sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" Julia said with a small smile.
***
Republic Warship
"Okay Jayden. This is the moment of truth. Every part of your training has led you to this very moment. If you fail, we all fail. Do you understand?" Ziera asked.
"Yeah. I understand." Jayden said.
"Are you sure? If you are uncertain then back out now. Because beyond this point there's no going back." Ziera said with a serious tone.
"No going back?" Jayden asked.
"No going back." Ziera reiterated.
"Then I'm ready! Let's do this, Ziera!" Jayden shouted with courage. Ziera smirked.
"That's what I like to hear. Okay then let's go! KILL THE BOSS, JAYDEN!" Ziera shouted as she tapped down on her video game controller.
"YES MA'AM!" Jayden shouted back and also tapped hard on his controller.
"MWAHAHAHAHA! Foolish children! I am the demon king, Baldur! No one on this planet, be it heaven or Hell, can withstand my power! Prepare yourselves for ANNIHILATION!" Baldur roared.
In case you are wondering, the two friends were currently playing a JRPG called "Ultra Trigger". A game Ziera had been playing on her own a year after she joined the republic. Since Jayden was a fan of the genre, Ziera invited him to her room to play with her.
The game is about a young boy who is actually the son of a legendary hero. The boy finds his father's legendary sword and leaves his village on a quest to save the world from the evil demon king, Balgor.
On his journey he meets a colorful cast of characters that become his party members and now here Jayden and Ziera are at the final stage ready to take on Balgor. Also the characters have names on the gaming guide but the players can give them their own names instead. Furthermore, in this game there's online multiplayer.
"Take this Balgor! Ultra Slash!" Jayden yelled out. Jayden's attack barely took off two health bars. Baldur responded with a slash attack that nearly killed Jayden's character in one shot. "Shit! My health!" Jayden cursed.
Jayden was playing the main character while Ziera played the heroine. A young sorceress who is later revealed to be the daughter of the demon king. Her character joined the hero to overthrow her father and save both the human and demon realms.
"Jayden, I already told you! Start out with a defense spell before you go swinging!" Ziera lectured.
"I got it! I got it! But heal me first!" Jayden responded.
"Okay! Healing spell: "Miracle!" Ziera shouted. Jayden's character regained all of his health.
The game continued on as both used everything in their arsenal to deal constant damage onto Baldur. But it proved to be quite challenging for even our young heroes.
"Damn! This guy is tough! Ziera! Any ideas?" Jayden asked.
"Yeah! Watch this!" Ziera said with a grin. Ziera rapidly started mashima commands and then suddenly Baldur's health was cut down to ten percent.
"WHOA! How did you do that!?" Jayden asked.
"I'll tell you after! Come on! Let's finish him off!" Ziera said.
"Right!" Jayden complied.
Both Jayden and Ziera relentlessly attacked Baldur. Throwing everything they had at him until they practically exhausted all of their MP (magic power) and items.
"Okay Jayden! It's time! Hit him with the ultimate skill!" Ziera shouted.
"OKAY! HERE IT COMES!" Jayden shouted.
"ULTRA SKILL: INFINITY!!!!"
Jayden's character's sword glowed multiple colors like a rainbow and slashed Baldur down, taking out his remaining health.
"RAAAAAHH! IMPOSSIBLE! Me the great Baldur, losing to mere children!?" Baldur cried out as he exploded into pixie dust.
YOU WIN!
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Jayden and Ziera received EXP, level ups, even new skills. Their characters along with the rest of their party cheered, celebrating their victory.
"YES! WE WON!" Jayden and Ziera shouted at the same time. "UP TOP!" Jayden shouted as he raised his hand up signaling for a high five. Ziera blushed and smiled brightly as she high fived Jayden.
"How did you do that skill Ziera? Was that a cheat code?" Jayden asked. Ziera winked at him and smiled.
"Guilty. An old friend back at the empire taught me that trick. I won many JRPG's by doing that." Ziera said.
"Damn. Is there nothing you don't know? And this friend of yours sounds awesome." Jayden said. Ziera looked down at the floor with a sad smile on her face.
"Yeah. She is." Ziera said. Jayden then slumped on the floor and stretched.
"Woo! Man, that boss was tough. I would have died a hundred times over if I fought that guy alone." Jayden said, wiping off the sweat from his head. Ziera stretched.
"That's why it's better to have your friends back you up when you're cornered. If you can't do it alone, then you rely on them to have your back. Just like in a real battle." Ziera said.
"Wait. Was this another training session?" Jayden asked.
"That's part of it. The first is I just really wanted to beat that boss. The second is you need to work on your strategies while in the midst of battle. Your fight against the draugr wasn't terrible and you had a good plan but you would have certainly died if I hadn't shown up in time. You need more experience first before you face a real opponent." Ziera said.
"Right. But who's going to be my first "real" opponent. I hope it's not you." Jayden said with a shiver. Ziera chuckled.
"Hehe. Me becoming your enemy? You better pray that never happens, Cortez." Ziera said.
"Hey don't even joke about that. I don't even want to think about fighting you for real." Jayden said with a frown.
"Sorry, just kidding. I'm just saying, you don't think you could eventually take me on in a real fight?" Ziera asked with a playful grin.
"As fun as that sounds, no thanks. Sparring is one thing but I'd never want to hurt you for real, Ziera." Jayden said.
Ziera lost her playful smirk and started thinking back. Back to her past when she was in the medical bay that day. She frowned and then moved closer to Jayden inches away from his face making him blush.
"Even if I became your enemy? What would you do then?" Ziera asked with hope in her eyes. Jayden was beyond nervous and couldn't think straight with Ziera so close to him. He always found her pretty but seeing her up in his personal space made his mind go numb. But he couldn't look away either. He didn't want to.
"I......" Jayden couldn't answer.
Just before things escalated, a knock can be heard from outside of Ziera's room. The automatic door opened and in came Emilia with a giant plate of chocolate cookies "Hey guys it's me! I brought snacks!" Emilia shouted cheerfully.
Emilia looked at the exchange before her. Ziera being really close to Jayden's blushing face. Ziera slowly turned her back towards Emilia with her face now red. Emilia went from a cheerful smile to her entire face being redder than a tomato while she stood there in complete silence.
"Um Em. This isn't what it looks li-." Jayden tried to say but he was swiftly interrupted by Emilia's screaming.
"AAAAAAH! OH MY GOSH! YOU TWO ARE HITTING IT OFF SO FAST! I DREAMED THIS DAY WOULD COME BUT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING NOW!" Emilia screamed with joy.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!? NOTHING IS HAPPENING AND IT NEVER WILL! AND WAIT YOU WERE DREAMING ABOUT THIS!?" Ziera questioned.
"OH DON'T YOU DENY IT SISTER! I SAW YOU MAKING YOUR MOVE! YOU GO GIRL! GET YOUR MAN!" Emilia shouted as she gave a thumbs up in approval. Ziera's face grew even redder than before.
"HE'S NOT....SHUT UP! STOP TALKING! LIKE I SAID NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN!" Ziera shouted in embarrassment.
"Wait nothing? I mean you never know." Jayden pointed out.
"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Ziera shouted.
"Aw come on Ziera there's no need to be embarrassed." Emilia put her hand on her shoulder. Ziera finally calmed down and just sighed.
"You're both so exhausting." Ziera said while facepalming herself. Jayden and Emilia chuckled.
Still I'm so glad Jayden and Ziera are growing closer. They hit it off immediately after they met. And while there were bumps along the way, they managed to open up to each other and now their bond is even stronger. They really bring out the best pin each other. Emilia thought.
Emilia looked towards both Jayden and Ziera with a sad smile.
Still I hate to think like this but....I'm kinda jealous. I wonder if there's someone out there like that for me. Someone who will bring out the best in me. Someone who.... Emilia thought as she blushed and placed her hand on her chest.
"Hey Em. You okay? Your cheeks are red." Jayden said. Emilia broke out of her thought process and felt embarrassed.
"Hm? Oh I'm fine just uh...". Emilia tried to say.
BEEP. BEEP. Out of nowhere a loud alarm echoed across the warship getting the group's attention.
"An alarm?" Jayden asked.
"Wait. It must be time then!" Ziera said.
"Time for what!?" Jayden questioned.
"Guys, let's head for the command center. We're about to cross the border!" Ziera said.
***
Republic Warship
The Command Center
Jayden and the rest of his friends arrived at the command center where Tenjin was waiting for them.
"Now that you're all here. We can get started. As you're well aware, our mission is to cross the border and dive right into the giant race's territory. The Kingdom of Titus. Once we pass we'll travel towards the capital where we will meet with King Ogun and negotiate with him on allowing us to obtain the kingdom's relic." Tenjin explained.
"You really think he's just gonna hand over a nuclear missile to you if you say pretty please?" Henro asked.
"We have good relations with the king. I'm sure we can come to an understanding. And if we can't...we'll cross that border when we get there. But back to the task at hand. In order for us to cross over the border, we have to go here." Tenjin pointed at the giant holographic screen in front of him. It displayed the Omni-Barrier surrounding the nation.
"The giant gaping hole in the Omni-Barrier." Jayden said.
"Yeah. It's our best shot at escaping the empire's territory. Once we cross it won't be easy for them to follow us." Tenjin said.
"And it won't be easy for us to even cross either. Not sure you noticed but there's an entire war going on in that sector of the barrier. Thousands of dragons are pouring in while the empire's fleet fends them off. You sending us on another suicide mission?" Henro asked with a frown.
"Calm down Henro. This isn't just Tenjin, this is my plan as well." Ziera said.
"And just like that, I feel worse! Thanks Ziera!" Henro mockingly said.
"Listen Henro. I get how you feel in regards to the last two missions I sent you on. But believe me that I wouldn't send you kids into a battle if I didn't think you could handle it. There's no other way to escape the empire and who knows how long that barrier will remain incomplete? I know it's risky but trust me. I'm not gonna let any one of you die." Tenjin said.
Henro was upset and for good reason. Emilia and the rest of them were nearly killed but Henro didn't blame Tenjin for the second mission as Henro wanted to save Luca and the forest from that draugr. It was even thanks to Tenjin's approval that he was able to do so and gave past. While he didn't always like Tenjin's decisions, Henro knew Tenjin was different from the rest of the order so he could put his faith in him.
As for Ziera, Henro grew to trust and respect her more after their mission together in the Azalea Forest. So he gave in.
"Tch. You give worse speeches than Jayden. But fine whatever." Henro said. Tenjin nodded.
"Alright now I'll be blunt. Henro is right tk be afraid, this mission won't be easy. Dragons and imperials are fighting in a chaotic aerial battle as we speak. The minute we enter we'll be caught in the crossfire. Or worse, they'll start targeting us next. And given that we have imperials looking for us already, that's all but a certainty. But there is good news. For one, there are no Crimson Knights within the area. Princess Zariah, the one leading the charge against the dragons, is off fighting defending various cities against the dragons that manage to invade the country." Tenjin explained.
Sister. Please be safe. Ziera thought.
"And that's not all. We'll be getting some help." Tenjin said.
"Help? From who? And where?" Jayden asked.
"You'll see soon enough. If they make it in time, escaping the empire will go much more smoothly. Now I'll let Ziera handle the rest on how we proceed. Ziera, you're up." Tenjin instructed. Ziera went towards the holoboard.
"Right. Thanks. Listen up! We're going to be in an aerial battle so it won't just be our fighters, we'll also be out there supporting them in the defense of this ship." Ziera said.
"So...we're not gonna just fight the empire but...DRAGONS TOO!?" Jayden questioned.
"What did I tell ya? Suicidal Ziera strikes again." Henro mocked.
"Look, I know it sounds crazy. It is. But listen and this especially goes for you Jayden. There are many types of fire dragons, one of them being the low tier types known as Wyverns. Those guys are much smaller than the average dragon and all you have to do is use that fire power of yours to keep them off the ship. Don't fight. Just defend. The same goes for the rest of you. Me and Tenjin can handle the big ones." Ziera instructed.
"But isn't that too risky? There's thousands of dragons out there!" Jayden pointed out.
"You're still too green to fight off a fully grown dragon. These guys can destroy warships and burn dawn cities. Not to mention their scales make them highly vulnerable to magic. Unless you're really really strong, a fellow dragon, a dragon slayer, or even a dragon-kin you wouldn't stand a chance the way you are now." Ziera explained.
Jayden gulped. "Uh right. No pressure." Jayden said.
"And unfortunately the same goes for you Emilia. No offense." Ziera said.
"None taken. I need more training before I reach that level." Emilia said humbly.
"As for you Henro, you're staying on board. Your magic is built more around defense rather than offense so use your shadows to defend the ship against the coming attacks in case the mana shields around this ship fail." Ziera instructed.
"Yessir captain ziera." Henro said while saluting.
"As for me I'll be fighting in the Omni-Fighter I took from the imperials back at Lockwood. With my powers, I'll add additional weapons to throw the dragons off this ship. And one last thing. I shouldn't have to repeat this but our objective is to escape. Not to fight. Understood?" Ziera asked.
The three nodded as they wore serious expressions on their faces. Ready for the battle ahead. Ziera smiled and nodded back at them.
"Looks like we're set, sir." Ziera said. Tenjin smiled.
"Then why are all standing around? Get to work you brats." Tenjin ordered.
"Yes sir!" The group said in unison.
***
The Republic Warship
The Border between Machina and Titus
In the sky above at the edge of the border was an ongoing battle between the machina empire's armada and the kingdom of ifrit's forces. Hundreds of imperial warships engaged in aerial combat against the dragons to keep them from entering their territory. But the battle proved to be extremely difficult for the empire.
The Dragon race is the strongest race in esos. Not even the angels from Heaven or the mightiest mages from Esos, would dare challenge their might. Their flames can decimate warships with ease and their skin makes them highly durable against their Omni-Cannons which are strong enough to level entire mountains.
Not to mention the more dragons the fleet managed to shoot down, the more dragons appeared from the rear to replace them. They had the fire power to barely contend with the dragons but their forces were being mowed down all the same. Right now it was a tug of war between the two forces. Between the most technologically advanced empire and the most powerful kingdom in the world. The only ones that can turn the tide of this battle are the crimson knights or Ifrit's very own Sun Dragon Knights. But more on them another time.
Right now our heroes have reached the border and witnessed the carnage before them. Jayden himself was in complete shock.
"I can't believe I'm saying this but...my gods." Jayden said. He had never seen such a destructive battle before in his life. He heard this war was bad but this is too much. Dozens of warships were falling from the sky, Omni-Fighters were being crushed and even eaten midair by fire dragons, wyverns were being shot through by lasers, fire dragons were being overwhelmed, etc. It was a bloodbath.
"Yep. Take a good look, hero. This is what war looks like." Henro said.
"It's terrible." Emilia said.
"I don't get it. Why did this war even have to happen? I may not like the empire or ifrit but this is wrong. Just wrong." Jayden said. Ziera put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know. The empire is my enemy but I once fought alongside these men. I don't like seeing them go out like this either. But right now we need to stay focused. It's now or never alright?" Ziera asked.
Jayden gripped his fist and took a breath. He may have hated the empire but no one deserved this. And the same goes for the dragons.
"Okay. Let's do this!" Jayden said as his gauntlet began to glow blue.
"RAGNAROK!" Jayden transformed into his mechanical suit and flew off into the sky. Emilia looked over to Henro.
"That kid needs to learn some patience." Tenjin said as he flew up after Jayden.
"Wish me luck?" Emilia asked with a smile.
"You won't need it." Henro said, smiling back.
"True." Emilia responded as she grew her wings and flew up into the air.
The top of Ziera's wrist opened up and out came a projection of a touchable holoscreen. Ziera pressed the button on the screen which activated the autopilot function on her Omni-Fighter and it flew out of the hangar. Ziera turned to Henro.
"See you when I see you." Ziera winked as she jumped off the roof and into her fighter. Flying off after the others. Henro watched them all fly into the distance.
"Yeah. Just don't die you idiots." Henro said.