The Destiny floated through the Minea Sea towards the north. The giant steamship had just passed the cape that once led to the holy city of Pentagulia... and later Zophar's Domain.
Ronfar and the three water serpents stood on the deck. The gamblin' priest chewed on his weed as the drakes uneasily shifted back and forth.
"What exactly are you guys? You resemble that Blue Fiend thing we ran into twice before but, well, you don't seem as evil," Ronfar muttered aloud, not expecting or getting a response.
He shook his head as they stared back at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
Mauri, Ruby and Boomer were below decks, checking the stocked supplies of the Destiny. The beast-girl prepared a small meal for her companions and brought it on deck. It was nearly noon and all of their stomachs were growling.
The trip was uneventful and...
"Boring! All heck breaks loose this morning and now nothing is happening," Ruby sighed loudly as she nibbled on a fish of some sort.
Ronfar retorted, "Would you prefer us to get our butts kicked again, fluffy?"
The dragon cat puffed up.
"Would you prefer to be charbroiled or just cooked?"
Mauri interrupted. The boomerang lizard was perched on her shoulder.
"No need to fight amongst ourselves. If those wizards were able to procure the White Dragon Crest then we have much greater enemies to worry about. At least they didn't get your crest, Ruby."
The trio of blue drakes only looked on to the north... seeing something. They hissed loudly and got everyone's attention.
"Eh? What's with you three?" Ronfar quested.
Boomer floated down and began to growl in conversation with them. He snapped his head toward what they had seen. He could see very faint dark shapes in the clouds in the distance.
He began flapping his sharp 'wings' rapidly and motioned to Ruby with a claw.
"What?"
"It appears he sees something in the air and wants you to fly with him," Mauri remarked.
Ruby shook her head. "No way. Not after that stunt he pulled last night."
Ronfar pushed: "Oh go on. We can't understand a thing they growl so you better explain what they saw to us."
Ruby sighed and consented. The two winged animals flew as high as they could and started soaring to the north.
A Cannon Angel in a hefty suit of armor looked back at his battalion. Dozens of Fly-Boys and a group of elite Cannon Thugs were following his lead as they flew under cloud cover to the west.
Actually, he was also following something... a very large and odd looking metal insect of some sort. The mechanical creature had been presented to him by one of the priests back at the Mystic Ruins. Its wings batted faster than the eyes could see while it flew directly towards the mining town of Zaback. The insectoid had a large, nasty looking stinger and dozens of sharp pointed objects hanging on its body.
The aerial squadron’s captain didn't know where it came from... the priest only said that the ruins had some interesting items within them.
He shrugged and checked his weapon. The battalion had several missions to accomplish on this voyage. Reinforcements were already waiting near the city that was their goal. They had three tasks to complete.
First, and easily the most logical, was to strike at Zaback and cause as much commotion and confusion as possible. Smashing up the city was extra... but the Cannon Angel commander knew that was probably going to happen anyway.
Second, the winged soldiers were next to invade the Zaback mines and steal as many of those onyx crystals as possible. This mission was specified primarily by the priests of the Cult. It turned out that those stones possessed a sort of levitation magic (once used to float the city of Neo-Vane) that could prove VERY useful to the leaders of the Cult. Magic for flight didn't particularly impress him (wings seemed so much easier and safer) but a job was a job.
Lastly, as they were grabbing crystals, the squadron and company were to round up the only creatures that lived inside the Zaback Mines: Boomba Kids. This seemed the strangest of the missions as those living explosives could do only one thing... explode. First it seemed doubtful that they'd be able to collect so many defused Kids. He didn't know what use the priests could have for them either... other than mass destruction that is. He supposed that the only thing to do if one of those walking bombs lit itself in transit was to drop it on a city... a target of opportunity.
He smirked beneath his visor and continued to fly after the metal bug.
In the distance, Boomer strained his eyes to identify the shapes. Ruby had better vision as a dragon and could only barely make out the winged soldiers.
"I don't know who they are or what they're doing... it looks like they might be flying away from Meribia to the west though," the pink cat spoke. "I wonder why Blue and Blackie haven't seen or gone after them."
Boomer growled pleasantly in response.
The duo flew back to the Destiny.
Ruby explained that she had seen a horde of winged soldiers flying past Meribia and probably toward Zaback, Lionhead, Horam or Neo-Vane.
"Well that narrows it down," Ronfar replied with a frown.
Ruby glared and looked ready to lash out at him.
Mauri was simply examining one of the water drakes more closely, petting its head.
"There seems to be a lot of strange goings on now, eh?"
Ruby darted on to her shoulder and spoke.
"You don't even know the half of it. There's been plenty other weird stuff going on besides monsters everywhere."
"Such as?" Mauri responded.
Ruby cleared her throat and looked down at the blue serpent, then at Boomer.
"Well..."
The dragon cat began to explain what she recalled about the legends of the Dark Scimitar and Fifth Dragon... at least as much that Nall and the Star Dragon decided to tell to her. She then told them of the strange visitors she had heard about and seen: some human got past the Star Dragon and then Jean located a little dragon by the name of Frye.
Boomer and the drakes looked up with interest for a moment and listened intently when Frye's name was mentioned. Ronfar caught this spark of extreme attention and wondered what it could mean.
Ruby continued to inform them of the fact that a segment of a dragon aura was found in Frye's little body after very close inspection... but the fact that it appeared that he and the human came from the Blue Star was the surprising thing. Nall had just gone off to check some more commotion at the Blue Spire while she cleaned up her cave at Serak.
"I though the Blue Star is devoid of life... didn't Lucia say that?" Ronfar quested.
Ruby shrugged, "I don't know. We haven't seen Lucia anywhere around during all this. If the legends are really happening and there's either an evil sword or another dragon of Althena around here, you'd think she would have done something to prevent them from coming to Lunar. Then again, the Star Dragon was responsible for that too... even though he is one of us, I just don't trust that guy completely. It always seems like he's hiding something from our eyeballs."
Mauri was a bit fascinated.
"All that, monster attacks and movements and also these four strange creatures. I feel that great changes may be coming to Lunar," she said, pointing at the drakes and Boomer.
Ruby looked at one blue serpent.
"You know, there almost seems to be something familiar about them..."
A couple of hours later, the Destiny spotted the town of Meribia in the distance.
"Good. We're almost there," Ronfar noted, adjusting the control wheel and fingering the Red Dragon Crest.
Ruby spread her wings and began to hover.
"I think I'll fly ahead and see if I can locate Shade or Azuren before you get there. I'll ask if they noticed those flying freaks or anything else weird."
Mauri nodded and added, "Maybe you should take this lizard with you again... just in case you need a hand before we get there."
Boomer grinned at the dragon cat. Ruby only scowled back.
"Oh... all right. C'mon you sicko salamander."
With that, they flew off to the city.
Ronfar and Mauri stood together, appreciating the sudden quiet without Ruby's loud mouth, and shared a blissful moment as they looked at the splendid sky and shining waters around them.
The water drakes only coiled up around each other and rolled around... mimicking them hugging.
The priests ignored them in their embrace.
Ruby and Boomer flew into a dim alley.
"Okay. I'm going to do something weird. Some people won't take me seriously if they see a flying cat. I can't tell you how many times I get a sickly 'cute' response in return," Ruby remarked with a slight hiss.
Boomer nodded and watched.
A flash of light surrounded Ruby... and in the dragon cat's place now stood a teenage girl with pink hair, a crimson dress and a coiled flame whip (currently not aflame) at her side.
The boomerang lizard's mouth dropped.
The humanoid Ruby noticed this and grinned... until Boomer flew onto her shoulder and smiled right back.
"Damn... thought that might have driven you away..." Ruby sighed and walked out into the streets of Meribia.
She found a ton of commotion as guards blocked off the entry gate and surrounded Master Lunn's dojo. Soldiers bustled everywhere and guarded various guests and visitors from other towns.
Both of them stood with puzzled looks as the High Priest of Azado, looking very shaken, was rushed into a fortified building amidst his follower priests.
Ruby tried to get information from the regular townspeople and found out that an assassination had been attempted during the conference. She rushed to the dojo and was barred entrance by the guards. Shade and Azuren were nowhere to be found in any form.
She tapped her foot as Boomer settled onto her other shoulder and thought of ways to get into the dojo to see what occurred.
The information came to her in a sense. The building's main door opened and the tall figure of Master Lunn appeared. Before he shut the door, Ruby and Boomer could hear many voices and sounds of digging.
The humanoid Red Dragon moved to intercept him as he walked onto the street.
"Lunn. What is going on here?"
The hulking figure turned his head to regard the girl and the strange animal on her shoulder.
"An incident occurred during the talks... why do you address me so informally, as if you knew me?" He paused. "Your voice sounds very familiar, girl. Do I know you?"
Ruby decided to play with him.
"It's possible. I'm serving as an attendant to priests Ronfar and Mauri of Raculi. They will both be at the dock shortly. I was sent ahead to get news of the meeting," Ruby answered with a smirk.
"Ah. Then let me accompany you to the dock and inform all of you at once of our incident."
In about fifteen minutes, Ruby, Boomer and Lunn watched the DragonShip Destiny pull into the dock. Lunn was curious how this strange attendant could have arrived in Meribia before them if they were on the Destiny, but ignored the thought.
"Priestess Mauri. Priest Ronfar. Welcome to Meribia," Lunn announced. "You seem to have come too late for the conference though... it's has been postponed until an incident that occurred today is cleared up."
Ronfar and Mauri bowed. The water drakes slithered onto the dock beside them and looked at the master.
"First your attendant and now you have strange pets, Priestess."
Mauri looked at Ruby with a puzzled look. Ruby only mischievously grinned back.
"Master Lunn, what has transpired here?" Ronfar asked.
"During a break in the talks a strange magician was discovered to be an impostor in the High Priest's entourage from Azado. The mage attempted to assassinate the High Priest and stole the Goddess Crest. He then escaped into the sewers under the cover of other monsters laying siege to the dojo. Soldiers are currently trying to dig through the rubble that is blocking the path after him."
"He stole the crest and attempted to kill the High Priest? How horrible!" Mauri pondered aloud.
Ronfar spoke, "That makes two crests missing. Invaders at Serak Palace nearly got away with a third."
"What about the other way into the sewers? Have you sent any men that way?" Ruby interrupted.
Lunn stared at her. That voice was just too familiar.
"Another way?"
"Yes!" Ruby responded, flustered. "Did you send any soldiers down through Ramus' store?!"
Lunn stared at her, shook his head and relayed an order to one of the guards who had accompanied him. The armored man ran off to form a battalion to enter through the other way.
"Your friend Lemina was spotted heading that way earlier with several representatives of Horam, a few guests... and another strange pet... a golden bird of some sort. They haven't been seen since then."
Ronfar again noticed the interest displayed by the reptiles as Lunn mentioned the Junior Premier's 'strange pet'.
"Any thing we can do?" Mauri quested.
Lunn shook his head. "There's nothing that I can think of... unless you wish to go searching the surrounding countryside with the Destiny. If the mage escaped from Meribia, he couldn't have gotten far on foot. I'm staying here until the sewers and town are searched completely. The talks will have to eventually continue, so the guests and representatives must be guarded."
Ronfar guessed that searching the area around the town wasn't that bad an idea. If they didn't run into the attacker then they might at least find Lemina or Ruby's fellow dragons (who no one would recognize by sight in their humanoid forms except Ruby herself). Perhaps they had some information on the current events. He nodded to Lunn and they all boarded the Destiny again. Ronfar piloted it back into the water, then up the 'ramp' slope onto dry land before heading off to search.
Several strange figures stood at the opening of the secret cave located east of Takkar. The sunlight glinted off their bodies as they stood unmoving... until a roar was emitted from within the cavern.
The shapes cleared out from in front of the mouth just in time for a large beast to crawl out of the opening. It slowly moved in the sunlight and stood straight up... twenty feet tall at least. The creature resembled a giant yellow bipedal lizard. It had powerful back legs but relatively tiny 'arms' when compared to the rest of its body. Purple stripes adorned its back and head, upon which were seated a Cannon Thug and a Cult Priest. The head was frightening: large features (including somewhat clouded eyes) and a massive jaw filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Its tail was long and barbed, ending with a big scythe-like blade.
It snarled and began slowly to lumber to the west... picking up speed after it got used to walking once again.
The figures moved back in front of the cave without a single word.
Somewhere, deep inside the ruins that were hidden below the secret cave, a few strange beeping noises were heard... and something stirred...