The Blue Star, now called Earth by its inhabitants, flourished since its restoration. Technology had reached points not seen since before it was destroyed by Zophar, and humanity, despite many mistakes they had made shepherding their world, was beginning to learn from these mistakes and improve their ways. Six young people went on with their average lives, not expecting anything extraordinary to ever happen to them.
Kane was a bitter young man. Constantly dealt a bad lot in life, he was the orphan that no family would adopt, the child that no one would play with, and the student no school would accept. He had grown to hate the rest of humankind, and his only pleasure was in beating those weaker than himself. His ultimate pleasure would be revenge on the entire would for his predicament. That day may soon draw near...
Lia was busy studying hard for her final exams. The top student in her class, she was brilliant at everything she tried. Little did she realize that her brilliance would shine through in a new skill she would acquire very soon...
Alexis was the captain of her school fencing team. The only undefeated fencer in the history of her school, no one has ever even come close to matching her skills with a rapier. However, will even her skill with a sword be enough for the trial she must endure...
Luke always seemed to have a magic touch for healing. An expert at first aid, this beginning EMT aspired to be a doctor one day. Unknown to him, the science of medicine would not be where his true healing ability would be found...
Ken was an expert in many disciplines of the martial arts. This afternoon, he was working on perfecting the Jeet Kune Do techniques of the legendary Bruce Lee. This "Way of the Intercepting Fist" would soon prove itself very valuable when combined with his other techniques and one technique of sorts he has yet to discover...
Lou was a very unassuming person living in a very dull town. A close friend of Ken from school, the two of them however lived in two rather distant places. He often daydreamed of adventures and being a hero, only to realize that he was kidding nobody. Or was he...
Nall settled down to rest in his icy cave. It had been a long, yet enjoyable, day spent with his girlfriend Ruby. This White Dragon for the first time was beginning to feel one thousand years older than that Red Dragon, but he did not mind. He attributed his exhaustion to not getting enough sleep the previous night and settled down to relax. Suddenly, the silence of the cave was broken when a strange, dark figure appeared.
"Greetings Nall. I am not in the mood to socialize so let's get this over with," stated the figure.
"Who are you!?" screamed the Dragon. "How did you get into my cave!?"
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already. I thought several thousand years were nothing to a dragon such as yourself."
"No, it can't be you... Something is terribly wrong here!"
"No, not wrong. Things are finally turning out they way they should have all along. Now, I need your Dragon Aura to awaken my White Fiend and allow him to give his power to my Demonmaster! While I'm at it, I may as well imprison you in a crystal. That certainly was one of my favorite all-time tracks. Hahahahahaha!"
"Never! Aaaaaaaaaaaggggghhhhhh!"
A brilliant flash of light appeared and disappeared with no sign of either the dark figure or the White Dragon. Only a strange, glowing, white crystal remained...
Ruby was worried. Nall was supposed to have visited her volcanic cave over an hour ago but never showed up. This was not like him. He may be a jerk a lot of the time, but he was never late for an appointment. She was feeling that something terribly wrong was up with the White Dragon. Quickly, she made preparations to leave the cave and see what was up with Nall. She turned herself into a human form, using the same trick her boyfriend taught to her, and quickly gathered the stuff she would need in case the worst happened to him. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared at the entrance to her lair, the same figure that imprisoned Nall.
"Greetings Ruby. Fancy seeing you here on the Blue Star. Too bad you no longer have that boy Hiro around to protect you."
"Who are you? How do you know my name? I've never seen you before!"
"Yes you have, you just don't know it yet. Then again, you never did see the better part of me..."
"What are you talking about? I have never seen anyone wearing anything like that dark, twisted armor you have on!"
"Yes you have, though it was only a recording... Now, let's make this easy and I promise I this won't be too painful. You know, this is almost as fun as tormenting that brat Nall again..."
"What did you do to Nall! Aaaaaaaaaaa!"
Another bright flash of light appeared, and only a glowing red crystal was left...
This dark figure paid visits to both the Blue and Black Dragons next, neither of which were any more successful at defending themselves than the first two Dragons. The figure looked at the items he had collected. The auras of the White, Red, Blue, and Black Dragons shone in his hands. He now possessed all he needed to awaken the Four Fiends -- demonic analogs of the Four Dragons that once served Zophar. Once they are resurrected, they will serve him and his creation, the Demonmaster. Finally, he pulled out the item that held the key to the creation of the Demonmaster. A dark, twisted sword emanating the essence of pure evil, this would complete the power of his ultimate servant.
Kane awakened from his bed to a strange rumbling noise. He looked out his window and saw a shadowy object floating outside. This object boomed out, "Hello Kane. I've heard a lot about you and I think we have mutual goals that can be achieved if we work together..."
"Who are you?" questioned a terrified Kane.
"I was once known as the Magic Emperor, and I will be known as that again, with your help."
"What do you mean?"
"Come with me and find out!"
Kane was surrounded by a swirling light. When the light disappeared, he realized he was in the forest just outside his home town. The dark figure -- the same one that imprisoned the Four Dragons -- stepped forward and spoke, "Kane, I know you have hated mankind since you were very young due to what they have done to you. Well, now if you help me, I'll give you the opportunity you always desired. I too want to destroy humankind, and rule this world. In exchange for helping me, I'll make you my right hand man."
Kane replied, "Well, Emperor, you just got yourself an assistant. What do I have to do?"
"I knew you would accept my gracious offer. To quote an old adversary, 'I know a good man when I see one.' Now, first things first, I need you to do me a little favor. This can only be done by a human, and if you didn't notice it already, I'm not quite human..."
"Anything you want, boss!"
"Come with me then!"
The Magic Emperor then teleported the two of them to a location just outside the White Dragon Cave. "Now take this White Dragon Aura and place in on the ground there," ordered the Emperor. Kane did as he was told while the Emperor chanted an ancient spell in a bizarre tongue. The ground shook violently, and soon a hideous white demon arose from the depths of the earth.
"What is that!" shouted Kane.
"This is the White Fiend. Don't worry, he as an ally of our cause who serves only me, and soon you as well. White Fiend! I order you to bestow upon this human your power!"
The Fiend did as he was ordered. A strange, twisted, wing-like object appeared in front of Kane. "Take these Kane. These are the Demon Wings. They will give you power like you've never seen before while allowing you to teleport anywhere you've ever been in your life."
Kane picked up the Wings and immediately felt a surge of power in his body. Strange words formed in his mind, the words "Demon Storm." He pointed his hand towards a nearby tree and uttered these words. A bright flash of black lightning appeared, and all that was left of the tree was a large, smoldering crater.
"Whoa! How did I do that!?" exclaimed the confused Kane.
"Good. You definitely do have the right stuff for the job. That was your first spell, the Demon Storm. You have four more spells, and four more items to obtain before you become the Demonmaster, the ultimate instrument of mankind's destruction!"
The Emperor and the future Demonmaster visited sites outside the three remaining Dragon Caves, and from each Fiend they awakened, a new spell and piece of equipment was given to Kane. From the Red Fiend, he gained the Demon Shield and the Demon Torch spell. From the Blue Fiend, he acquired the Demon Helmet and the Demon Flood spell. Finally, from the Black Fiend he received the Demon Armor and the Demon Tremor spell. Kane lacked only one item to become a Demonmaster...
"Good work Kane," praised the Emperor, "I knew you would not fail me. Now you are ready to become your destiny. Eons ago, a god of evil named Zophar was destroyed by humans such as yourself. As a result of this battle, I realized that the only way to defeat the power of humanity was to use it yourself. I could not do it as I am not human, but you are. While I was slowly being resurrected as members of humankind throughout the ages performed acts of pure evil, I gathered the ashes of Zophar that remained after that battle. These ashes still contained part of his essence and with some of them I created this sword that I have named in his honor. Step forward and accept the Sword of Zophar, the mightiest weapon ever seen on this world!"
Kane stepped forward and took the sword from the Emperor's hand. A wave of dark power filled his body. A new spell, deadlier than any he had learned before formed in his mind. Finally, the Demonmaster was born!
The Emperor now had one last task to complete before his full assault on humanity could begin. "Demonmaster Kane," he proclaimed, "now come with me to the hidden Blue Star Tower, where the final obstacle to the destruction of mankind awaits!"
The two warlords of darkness teleported away to a strange tower hidden in a secret valley. It could not be reached by the ground nor seen from the air due to a protective rock formation that encloses it. They stormed the palace, decimating any defenders contained within, soon reaching the top. A strange, beautiful woman stood there, staring at a statue. She turned around to see the two figures entering her chambers.
"Who are you! Why are you here! I sense a great evil in my presence, one I haven't felt since..."
"You should recognize the evil you feel. It was you that helped create it after all when you defeated Zophar so long ago... Thanks to the death of Zophar and the assistance of your Four Dragons, who by the way are resting quite peacefully in their respective caves, I have created a Demonmaster. He is powerful enough to aid me in destroying your Blue Star!"
"I remember you now! How could this be! You died ages ago! Also, the last time I saw you, you were fighting to protect the world, not destroy it! Something is terribly wrong!"
"No, my dear Lucia, nothing is wrong. That fool Zophar mistakenly brought back the wrong half of me when he tried to destroy Lunar. I waited and waited all these millennia for the time when I too will be brought back and have my day to shine! Now that time has finally come. The evil that still lurks in the heart of many men was what brought me back from the abyss! Unfortunately for you, the protector of the Blue Star is my last obstacle to completing my mission of vengeance on Althena and total power. Sadly, Althena is no longer with us. However, you should do quite nicely in her place!"
"But Ghaleon, haven't you heard of the prophecies? Much as on Lunar, if the Blue Star or I should ever be in danger, four heroes and a Dragonmaster native to this world will arise to protect us."
"Ha! I've seen your pitiful excuses for heroes and frankly, I am not impressed. None of them can even use magic! And this Dragonmaster that is supposed to come to your rescue, he is the most feeble of them all! I'd be surprised if he can even hold up Althena's Sword, let alone use it in battle! I'm sure you'd be delighted to know though that I've already taken care of them in a way most appropriate to their destinies. I've sent my armies of monsters out to destroy them before they start to annoy me..."
"No! I will not let you! I can feel that there is one that can stop you from destroying the new heroes and the new Dragonmaster. One who can help them realize their destiny to save this world. If you can hear me, please come to our aid again to help us! Save my four heroes and my Dragonmaster please! I beg you!"
Magic Emperor Ghaleon cast the same spell he used to imprison the Four Dragons, only a much more powerful version of it. Soon Lucia was encased and asleep inside a large, green crystal, helpless to stop him. He then picked up a shining crest of some sort that Lucia had been carrying thinking that it may serve him some useful purpose. He then continued with his plan, knowing that the world was now his...
On a distant, lonely plain, far away from the Blue Star Tower, a hooded figure materialized. "What am I doing here? I thought my work was finished for sure. Who could have brought me back?" the figure thought to himself. Suddenly, a ghostly and familiar voice pierced the loneliness.
"Long ago, you helped defend Lunar from those that would destroy it. I ask you help me now in protecting the Blue Star from beings who seek to destroy this world. Sadly, your foe, who calls himself Magic Emperor Ghaleon, is most likely just as powerful as you are. However, I called you here not to fight him yourself, for that is not your destiny. On this world, there are five humans you must protect until they are ready to face and defeat the Magic Emperor and his creation, the Demonmaster. Four of them will become the Four Heroes of Lucia, who will aid me much like Althena's Four Heroes of old. The fifth human has a destiny no other human has had for many eons. Now that the power of Althena and the Four Dragons have reached levels equal to what they once were through my own growth, a new Dragonmaster can finally arise here on the Blue Star. I beg you to locate the Four Heroes and the Dragonmaster before the Magic Emperor does and get them started on their quest to fulfill their destinies!"
"Magic Emperor Ghaleon!?" exclaimed the hooded figure, "How can this be? He was killed by Dragonmaster Alex eons ago! Unless... No, it can't be true, but it must be! I never thought that HE would be resurrected, that he COULD be resurrected. But that's the only way it could be true. Very well then Lucia, I will do as you ask so that this evil can be stopped once and for all!"
With this, the hooded figure disappeared in search of the first of the five humans he must locate...
Lou had gone to a local shopping center in order to buy some supplies he needed for a camping trip he had been planning for a while. While searching for the sporting goods shop, he came across a store that happened to sell swords, among other things. For some strange reason, he felt a compelling urge to purchase a sword, even though he had no idea what he would do with one. He checked the amount of money hey had -- just enough to buy the sword and whatever supplies he would need for the trip. He walked into the store, and made the purchase. Strangely, the sword felt familiar in his hand, almost as if he knew how to use it. This turned out not to be the case however when the store was attacked by a gang of wyburns. They soon surrounded Lou, and he was left with no choice but to try to defend himself with his sword. He performed miserably, but he was able to kill several of the monsters before they moved in to the kill. Suddenly, the same hooded figure from the lonely plain appeared in the store. "Dragon Cannon!" he shouted, and the wyburns were decimated by an intense beam of light. "So, you're the first of the five," the figure said to Lou, "Funny, I thought you'd be more competent in battle. At least you already have a sword. Once we get out of here, I'll give you some pointers on how to use it. Perhaps then you will be able to hold your own in battle..." With that, the figure and Lou disappeared to the plain where he first arrived on this world.
Ken was working out in his local gym, and beginning to make progress in applying the philosophies of Jeet Kune Do to his own martial arts styles. He performed some practice kicks and punches on the stuffed dummy in the gym, and felt satisfied with what he had accomplished for the day. However, there was an unnatural rumbling noise in the background. A wall of the gym was caved in by a pack of demon wolves. Ken realized he had no choice but to try to fight these beasts out to tear the flesh from his bones. Fortunately for him, he was much more successful than his friend Lou in battle. He was fairly successful in keeping the wolves at bay until the hooded figure appeared to finish them off. The figure held a sword behind him and shouted "Schitzo Blade!" The magically-enhanced attack made quick work of the monsters. "Your skill is quite admirable. Definitely much better than that of the first person I saved. No matter, come with me!" With that, the two disappeared in a flash of swirling light.
Luke was watching some local youngsters play baseball. One of them had scraped himself rather badly sliding into second as he was nearing the field. Due to this, he offered to perform some minor first aid and decided to hang around until the end of the game. Four slimes entered the field from the nearby forest, terrifying the young children playing. Luke, feeling it was his responsibility to protect these young ones, picked up a nearby bat and started pounding the slimes with it, and having no effect. Once again, the hooded figure came to the rescue. "Nice try, but let me show you how it's done!" shouted the figure as he easily sliced the slimes with his sword before dematerializing with Luke.
Lia was in the library trying to prepare for her exam the next day. The sheer silence of the library was broken when albino baboons started to run amuck in the library. Lia took cover under a table, not knowing what to make of these strange creatures. They approached the table, forcing Lia to try to find some where else to take cover from the monsters. She picked up a bucket of cleaning solution left behind by one of the janitors during the attack and flung it at the pursuing monsters, blinding them. "Hmm, you certainly do have spirit!" shouted a voice from the shadows. "However, it'll take more than spirit to defeat the Magic Emperor. Thunder Bomb!" Lightning flashed inside the library, and the baboons were nothing more than a memory. "Now, follow me," ordered the figure before vanishing and taking Lia with him.
Alexis was perfecting her best fencing moves and trying out her brand-new rapier. The test dummy may as well have been a pincushion, as all of her lunges were deadly accurate. Her big meet was coming up the next week, and she was the favorite to come out champion. The championship would have to wait until the attacking flock of banshee fowl were dealt with, however. Alexis's deadly strikes were devastating to the strange birds, polishing them off one after another. Unexpectedly, the hooded figure appeared beside Alexis. "Not bad," it stated, "now let me show you how it's really done!" The figure pulled his sword out from under its cloak, finished the job Alexis started with ease. "Now, I think it's time you meant the other four people I saved from these monster attacks." With that, Alexis and the figure teleported away.
Lou and Ken looked at each other stunned with amazement, not fully sure what happened. Soon, Luke, Lia, and Alexis approached Ken and Lou hoping they would know what was happening.
"Hi, I'm Alexis. Who are you two, and are you behind all this?"
"Well, my friends call me Lou. I was minding my own business preparing for a camping trip when I was jumped by a bunch of gargoyle-things. Then some guy in a hood saved my neck and brought me here."
"That sounds like what happened to me, Lou. I'm Ken, and I've known Lou for a while from school. I was working on my martial arts when a pack of weird-looking wolves trashed my gym before that same hooded guy finished them off and brought me here."
"Well, my name is Lia. I was in the library when these deformed white monkeys trashed the joint and then came after me. I blinded them with soapy water, but that same weird guy in the hood took them out and got me out of there."
"Hmm, you already know my name is Alexis. I was practicing my fencing for a big meet next week when some birds with skulls for heads tried to turn me into their dinner. Luckily I was able to get them with my rapier before Mr. Hood came in and got me out of there. Damn, he was good with a sword though."
The hooded figure finally appeared on the plain. "I see you've all introduced yourselves to each other, and that all but two of you have weapons of some sort or another. Well, I decided to do some shopping and pick up some stuff for you, Ken, and you, Lia." The figure tossed a set of brass knuckles to Ken and a wooden staff to Lia. "These aren't much, but they'll get you started until you find better ones on your quest. Now, let me introduce myself and fill you in. My name is... Laike. I have brought you here because all of you have a destiny to protect this world from an evil that is planning to destroy it." Laike then proceeded to tell the party all about the legends of Lunar and the first destruction of the Blue Star, the background of the Magic Emperor, and the details of their quest.
Meanwhile, Magic Emperor Ghaleon and Demonmaster Kane discussed their plans in an ancient temple deep in the forests of South America.
"Kane," said the Emperor, "I need you to do me a favor. I want you to find mercenary scientists, inventors, and engineers who will do my bidding for power, not caring about the consequences."
"Why, my lord?" asked Kane.
"Despite the power of magic, I realized long ago that technology combined with magic is nearly invincible. Only one person was able to stop me long ago when I combined magic with the simple device called the steam engine to create a devastating mechanical castle called the Grindery. This person was called Alex, and he was the last true Dragonmaster. However, with the much more advanced technology of this world I can create magical machines that dwarf the power of the original Grindery, making me invincible! Behold my plans for the Neo Grindery! Over thirty stories high, powered by electricity elementals, made of the strongest materials on this world, and armed with the most powerful weapons of mass destruction on your planet, including your infamous nuclear weapons! I may not have control of the goddess this time around, but with her imprisoned and weakened and with the awesome power of your technology and my magic, I don't need her! Hahahahahahaha!"
"Incredible Emperor Ghaleon! I will set forth at once to get the people you need to realize the creation of the Neo Grindery!"
With that, stage two of the Magic Emperor's plans set forth in motion...
Laike used the remainder of the day until nightfall to train the five future heroes in the ways of battle. Alexis and Ken needed almost no training as they were already very skilled with their weapons. Luke's fighting skills were about as good as you can get using a baseball bat. Lia could not really fight with her staff, but she was able to learn how to keep monsters at bay with it. The most dramatic improvement was in the case of Lou. While still no where near as skilled with a sword as even Alexis, he had reached a point where he no longer had to fear various wandering monsters as he journeyed the world.
"Excellent work," proclaimed Laike, "Now comes the most important part of your training. If you want to defeat Ghaleon, you must learn how to perform magic. I have sensed that all of you have magical auras of various extents and types, but now I must awaken your abilities. When I bring out your magic power, words will form inside your mind that you must chant in order to cast your spells." After these words, Laike raised his arms and chanted in a strange tongue. All five members of the party felt a strange burning sensation in their minds and hearts. They finally had the ability to use magic! "Good, now show me what you got!" ordered Laike.
Alexis went first. She heard the words of her new spells forming in her head. She was able to cast three different spells and a magically enhanced sword attack right at the beginning. She cast her first spell, shouting out its name, "Ice Pick!" A large icy spear fell from the sky. She then tried another spell, "Ice Wall!" A freezing cold barrier of ice surrounded the rock she targeted the spell on. Her next spell proved even more devastating as she shouted the word "Blizzard!" A raging blizzard froze every object in the area that posed an even remote threat to her and the rest of the party. Finally, she tried her last spell. "Flash Blade!" With that, she was able to partially dematerialize and deliver a devastating blow on an old tree stump.
Ken had gained the ability to use magic to enhance his various martial arts attacks. With a yell of the word "Haduken!" he was able to lob fireballs from his fists. Even though this was the only spell he knew at this point, this one move added greatly to his arsenal and he knew he would soon be adding several more to his repertoire.
Luke decided to try his spells next. He first tried the Heal Litany spell on himself. Nothing happened except he felt much better for some reason. This, along with the name of the spell, led him to believe that his magic would be used to heal, not hurt. He was able to confirm his suspicious when his next spell, Calm Litany, had the same effects on the entire party that Heal Litany had on himself.
Lia proved to be the most powerful magician in the party. What she lacked in fighting skills, she more than made up for in magical ability. Not being tied down to a single magic element, she was able to cast Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire based magic. She also had various unique spells that drained an opponent's magical power and generated a protective shied in her area.
Lou was very disappointed in his magical ability. His one spell, Flame, was much weaker that the spells the others had in the party. Lia tried to cheer him up by telling him that at least he would be able to start campfires as they needed them with his magic, but this was to no avail. Lou just had a much weaker magic aura than everyone else at this point. Hopefully for him, his magical abilities will grow as his swordsmanship grows in the course of battle.
Laike woke the party up the next day at sunrise. He gave them the details of their quest. "Ghaleon imprisoned the Four Dragons that protect Lucia and placed one of the Four Fiends guarding the entrance to their lairs and their auras. Your quest is to visit the four Dragon caves and free each of the Dragons from their respective prisons. Once you free one, he or she will take you to an area close enough to the next cave for you to be able to reach it by foot. Currently we are only a few days away from the cave of the White Dragon, Nall. Along the way you will find new weapons that will be able to help you in your quest. I can not accompany you on your quest, as you must journey alone to gain the strength you need to defeat Ghaleon. However, I will be watching over you, and if you ever need me I will be there for you. Farewell, and good luck!"
The five adventurers started on their quest after bidding their own farewells to Laike. They started off for the distant White Dragon cave, hoping that Nall would have more answers to them, and that they would live long enough to ask them.