Breath of Fire 1. The Journey Begins

Note: This is my first fic so please do review but please don't flame. "..."  
is for speech '...' is the name of something or thoughts. Notes are at the   
bottom. And I don't own any of the characters.  
  
Arcanus Iter Initium Facio  
  
"Ryu, do you remember that when we left Dogolany that the elders said  
that when when we reached the desert that these pants, shirt, and moccasins   
would be light enough that the heat will be survivable?" The smaller of the  
two Ryu, a blue-haired man whose lips were starting to turn as blue as  
his hair, responded with "Yes, Ryona and before you ask again, the only  
things we could have offended at the start of this journey are demons." Ryona  
, purple haired woman, just shivered and pulled the blanket she had around  
her closer to her. The pair were similarly dressed in tan canvas pants, a  
white cotton shirt, and leather moccasins. The only diference being that  
Ryona's clothing was larger and the shirt had sleeves. After a few minutes  
had passed Ryona started conversation again. "So Ryu, why's it that you won't  
even take this and use it for a cloak, even just for a little bit? And don't  
give me the same excuse from earlier." Ryu just sighed mournfully and said  
"The reason that I said earlier is the truth." Ryona looked disgusted and  
spat back "Ya well I think you're lying 'cuz there ain't no way that you   
could be one of the Tainted, you ain't deformed and don't act like one!"  
Ryu smiled wanly and replied "Well my deformity is corrected by my upkeeping  
the spell of Absolution and do you honestly think all the Tainted act like  
barbarians or act like Malos Fafnir?" Ryona kept silent as Ryu continued  
"And before you ask to see just how I'm warped, I won't show you but I will  
tell you just so as to not be incessantly asked. I have wings, a tail, and  
taloned feet and frankly even I despise my Tainted form." Thoroughly answered  
Ryona kept silent and it was an hour or so before Ryu spoke and broke the  
silence. "Dummy, dummy, dummy! Now why didn't I think of this before. Ryona  
stay here and wait for a little. I'll clear up the snowstorm in a flash." So  
saying, Ryu quickly ran ahead and stopped a little more than a mile away.  
A few moments later there was a huge flash and Ryu stood on top of a patch  
of glass in the middle of the desert sands. Behind him stood the charred   
corpse of a snow demon, at least that was what Ryona thought it was , only a  
few bones were left but the snowstom stopped. Ryona then ran to Ryu and asked  
the only reasonable question; "What the hells was that?" Calmly Ryu turned   
and said "The snow demon that caused the blizzard, what's left anyway."In  
responce "No the flash what the hells was that!" "Oh, that was the spell I  
developed 'Atomus Flamen.'" Ryona asked "Gee why didn't ya use it sooner?"   
Ryu whispered meekly "Because it'll hit everything in the blast area but me."  
Ryona would have asked more but she fainted from shock.  
  
Author's Notes: The titles are in Latin and title of the story translates to  
Two Dragons, Next Cycle. The chapter title means Mysterious Journey Begins  
. Atomus Flamen translates to Atom Blast.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Two~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ryu would not have chosen this particualr spot to set up camp but  
Ryona's faint demanded otherwise. 'Ryona,' he thought 'took that surprisingly  
well. Last time, Geas had a heart attack. And he was the sorcery teacher.'  
Of course, Ryu moved both Ryona and the campsite a few feet, since the  
prospect of sleeping on hot glass in the middle of the desert had very little  
appeal. 'Maybe I'll make the same deal with her as I did with so many others.  
Doubt that it'll be any different though.' For a few reasons that last  
thought made Ryu depressed. So he decided that he would only make that deal  
with Ryona if she pressed the point, which Ryu was almost certain of. That  
also hade him depressed because he didn't want to be ostracised again.  
  
Nightfall arrived quickly and with it the pair were off again. Ryu  
walked on in silence, hoping beyond reason that Ryona would not press the   
issue of his true form. 'She's nice but this is going to be another one of  
those times when her curiousness will get her in some trouble.' He let his  
mind wander back to a day in Dogolony when Ryona's curiousity got her in  
trouble. 'That day Ryona had found an ornate box in the streets. Such things   
are rare in Dogolony so naturally anyone would be curious. Ryona, however,   
had the type of curiousity that should have gotten her dead or at least  
severly mauled. The only thing that kept Ryona alive and, mostly, unmolested  
was having seen a bread-box sized Mimic attack and nearly kill her father.  
Since that incident the then eight year old Ryona was always very careful  
with boxes and usually brought any that she found to me, a Cleric, to be   
analyzed.I remember that day well for two reasons, one being that I turned  
thirteen;the other was that it was that day that I first transformed.I had  
been a full fleged Cleric for two years, having completed training and the  
rite of passage a year early than the usual four year period. The first part  
of learing to be a Cleric is learning to identify Mimics, who seem to like  
dragon-flesh. She found me rather easily since in Dogolony I wore an ice blue  
robe and kept the hood on and most knew that I was almost always in the slum  
part of Dogolony. Upon arriving she asked as sweetly as she could manage, if  
I could see if it was a Mimic. When the detecton spell came back a negative  
she opened it and to our surprise a full grown Barbury demon jumped out. I  
don't remember if Ryona had started her training as a Warrior but it really  
wouldn't have mattered. The demon slapped Ryona with its tail and kayoed her  
and slashed at me, nearly disembowling me yet I managed to stand. I clearly  
remember the transformation but I can't remember the shape or name of the  
form, only the seemingly limitless power. I remember using a spell to damage  
the demon and then attacking it and knocking it apart. My last act in this  
form was to repair the damage that the demon had caused to Ryona. Then,  
feeling no need to remain in my alterd form, I reverted. I haven't been able  
to transform into that form again but I found that I gained the abiltiy to  
use nearly any form I saw or had described to me. Well I guess that I owe  
Ryona a few favors for what she did for me.' With that Ryu fell asleep.  
  
Next Day  
  
Ryona awoke with a start, her mind still a bit fuzzy. She looked  
around the tent and saw that Ryu was already up because his sleeping bag was  
empty.'As usual, Ryu gets up before the sun does. Wonder how he developed  
an attack spell that powerful. He's a Cleric not a Mage so he shouldn't be  
able to learn a spell that powerful. I hope that he's in a good mood though.'  
After that thought Ryona rose, stretched, and changed into another set of  
clothes for desert travel. Ryona stepped out to find Ryu sitting on a rock   
with a strange smile on his face. It was different from his usual smile but  
he only smiled like that when he could help another person. So she walked up  
to him and asked "Ryu, why are you smiling like that." Ryu was a little  
startled because he hadn't noticed Ryona but he answered Ryona. "Oh, Ryona,  
didn't see ya but I'm smiling 'cause I was able to get ahold of some  
strawberry Spice Drops." Both dragons knew that anything but demon-flesh was  
a rare comodity in Dogolony and that Ryu's favorite treat was strawberry   
flavor Spice Drops. Ryona perfered Lemon Candy but she already had a few   
saved up that she brought with her. Then Ryu spoke again "Hey Ryona, I'm  
sorry about yesterday and if you want I'll show you what I really look like."  
At that Ryona was torn her common sense told her that Ryu probably had a good  
reason for keeping his Tainted form so secret but her couriosity said other-  
wise. So she ended up saying "Yes, I would like to see what you really look  
like." and upon hearing that Ryu said "All right, just let me change 'cause I  
don't want to ruin this shirt."  
  
Inside the tent Ryu took out a vest that had ties at the neck and   
waist and took off his shirt and put on the vest. "Form that was mine from  
birth/Which this spell has bound to Earth./Let the seals be shattered and  
mine form true/be mine anew." Considering the four line rhyme the  
transformation was very simple and caused little change. Most four line  
spells were much more impressive, like dust bunnies to Monty Python rabbits  
or man to giant golem but in this case a pair of dragon's wings slid out of  
Ryu's back, a tail appeared from just above his waist, and he gained claws  
on his hand and feet. 'Hmmm, claws are new. Well time for my grand entry.'  
  
Ryona was expecting a totally different sight from how Ryu described  
his Tainted form. He looked almost the exact same excepting the wings and  
tail and the claws and his hair standing on end. Then she made a mistake.  
She looked into his eyes. His eyes were different. One thing should be  
explained right now. If you look into a Dragon's eyes, you can learn a few  
things about the Dragon. Peering into a Dragon's eyes will tell how he feels  
and give you a good comparison of your power compaired to his greatest form's  
power, amoung other things. In the case of two Dragons it's like both were  
compairing full power. So when Ryona looked into Ryu's eyes she did not  
expect to feel like an ant in the middle of a Super Nova spell. Her first  
words were "Wow......so....powerful.I-i-in-incredable." Ryu took the  
incoherancy of Ryona as a good sign. Other than his parents most Dragons  
acted like head-less chickens and avoided him. Then again he and Ryona were  
related because Ryu's father was the brother of Ryona's grandfather. Dragons  
had odd relations like that because they lived for hundreds of years and  
could bear children up to age 365. So it was very possible to have an uncle  
or aunt that you were older than, especially during long peaces like Dogolony  
was having right now. While Ryu was thinking about the irony of his being her  
uncle and only four years older Ryona composed her self enough to start  
talking coherently. "Well Ryu that was very impressive. I don't see why you  
would keep such power hidden, tho'." Ryu smiled and responded "I have my  
reasons and we should be coming to where a friend I met a few years ago lives  
and he should help get us to Winda much faster." and with that the Dragons  
took up camp and started walking."  
  
AN: This is all I have for now so please review. Also if you want to  
be a proofreader, since I don't have any now, e-mail me at arispe2000ataol.com.  
Also I have included the first parts of the next chapter.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Three~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
The City Rhine, the newest of the Dragon cities and the one with the  
most diverse population. Of its near 255 people, 100 are Dragons, 74 are  
Worren, 50 are Grassrunners, 30 are Human, and one is a Demon. Most of the  
time, that is almost always, Dragons name their cities after an important  
location near-by. Rhine is no exception. The site of the city is divided  
in half by the Rhine River according to the Worrens that named it. A decade earlier a battle for  
the site of the city was won with help from two unlikely sources, a Tainted and a traitor Demon.   
They did most of the damage to the invading forces. That was why the Demon was able to set up   
residence when the city was first started.  
  
Entering from the South, a pair of travelers approached the gates.  
The guard at the gate recognised Ryu on sight and had the gate half open  
before the travelers actually got there. "Hey, Heros, good to be seein' ye  
'gain." In an amused tone of voice Ryu said "Good to see you again also."  
"Will ye be seein' Pensum?" "No, I've come to see Ruhr." At that the guard  
almost imperceptably flinched Ryona noted. The guard muttered some words in  
Worren and motioned for the gates to be opened. Of the major recognized clans only the Worren  
clan has kept their original language in common use. 


	2. Second Chapter

Two

Ryu would not have chosen this particualr spot to set up camp but Ryona's faint demanded otherwise. 'Ryona,' he thought 'took that surprisingly well. Last time, Geas had a heart attack. And he was the sorcery teacher'  
Of course, Ryu moved both Ryona and the campsite a few feet, since the prospect of sleeping on hot glass in the middle of the desert had very little appeal. 'Maybe I'll make the same deal with her as I did with so many others.  
Doubt that it'll be any different though.' For a few reasons that last thought made Ryu depressed. So he decided that he would only make that deal with Ryona if she pressed the point, which Ryu was almost certain of. That also hade him depressed because he didn't want to be ostracised again.

Nightfall arrived quickly and with it the pair were off again. Ryu walked on in silence, hoping beyond reason that Ryona would not press the issue of his true form. 'She's nice but this is going to be another one of those times when her curiousness will get her in some trouble.' He let his mind wander back to a day in Dogolony when Ryona's curiousity got her in trouble. 'That day Ryona had found an ornate box in the streets. Such things are rare in Dogolony so naturally anyone would be curious. Ryona, however, had the type of curiousity that should have gotten her dead or at least severly mauled. The only thing that kept Ryona alive and, mostly, unmolested was having seen a bread-box sized Mimic attack and nearly kill her father.  
Since that incident the then eight year old Ryona was always very careful with boxes and usually brought any that she found to me, a Cleric, to be analyzed.I remember that day well for two reasons, one being that I turned thirteen;the other was that it was that day that I first transformed.I had been a full fleged Cleric for two years, having completed training and the rite of passage a year early than the usual four year period. The first part of learing to be a Cleric is learning to identify Mimics, who seem to like dragon-flesh. She found me rather easily since in Dogolony I wore an ice blue robe and kept the hood on and most knew that I was almost always in the slum part of Dogolony. Upon arriving she asked as sweetly as she could manage, if I could see if it was a Mimic. When the detecton spell came back a negative she opened it and to our surprise a full grown Barbury demon jumped out. I don't remember if Ryona had started her training as a Warrior but it really wouldn't have mattered. The demon slapped Ryona with its tail and kayoed her and slashed at me, nearly disembowling me yet I managed to stand. I clearly remember the transformation but I can't remember the shape or name of the form, only the seemingly limitless power. I remember using a spell to damage the demon and then attacking it and knocking it apart. My last act in this form was to repair the damage that the demon had caused to Ryona. Then,  
feeling no need to remain in my alterd form, I reverted. I haven't been able to transform into that form again but I found that I gained the abiltiy to use nearly any form I saw or had described to me. Well I guess that I owe Ryona a few favors for what she did for me.' With that Ryu fell asleep.

Next Day

Ryona awoke with a start, her mind still a bit fuzzy. She looked around the tent and saw that Ryu was already up because his sleeping bag was empty.'As usual, Ryu gets up before the sun does. Wonder how he developed an attack spell that powerful. He's a Cleric not a Mage so he shouldn't be able to learn a spell that powerful. I hope that he's in a good mood though'  
After that thought Ryona rose, stretched, and changed into another set of clothes for desert travel. Ryona stepped out to find Ryu sitting on a rock with a strange smile on his face. It was different from his usual smile but he only smiled like that when he could help another person. So she walked up to him and asked "Ryu, why are you smiling like that." Ryu was a little startled because he hadn't noticed Ryona but he answered Ryona. "Oh, Ryona,  
didn't see ya but I'm smiling 'cause I was able to get ahold of some strawberry Spice Drops." Both dragons knew that anything but demon-flesh was a rare comodity in Dogolony and that Ryu's favorite treat was strawberry flavor Spice Drops. Ryona perfered Lemon Candy but she already had a few saved up that she brought with her. Then Ryu spoke again "Hey Ryona, I'm sorry about yesterday and if you want I'll show you what I really look like"  
At that Ryona was torn her common sense told her that Ryu probably had a good reason for keeping his Tainted form so secret but her couriosity said other-  
wise. So she ended up saying "Yes, I would like to see what you really look like." and upon hearing that Ryu said "All right, just let me change 'cause I don't want to ruin this shirt."

Inside the tent Ryu took out a vest that had ties at the neck and waist and took off his shirt and put on the vest. "Form that was mine from birth/Which this spell has bound to Earth./Let the seals be shattered and mine form true/be mine anew." Considering the four line rhyme the transformation was very simple and caused little change. Most four line spells were much more impressive, like dust bunnies to Monty Python rabbits or man to giant golem but in this case a pair of dragon's wings slid out of Ryu's back, a tail appeared from just above his waist, and he gained claws on his hand and feet. 'Hmmm, claws are new. Well time for my grand entry.'

Ryona was expecting a totally different sight from how Ryu described his Tainted form. He looked almost the exact same excepting the wings and tail and the claws and his hair standing on end. Then she made a mistake.  
She looked into his eyes. His eyes were different. One thing should be explained right now. If you look into a Dragon's eyes, you can learn a few things about the Dragon. Peering into a Dragon's eyes will tell how he feels and give you a good comparison of your power compaired to his greatest form's power, amoung other things. In the case of two Dragons it's like both were compairing full power. So when Ryona looked into Ryu's eyes she did not expect to feel like an ant in the middle of a Super Nova spell. Her first words were "Wow...so...powerful.I-i-in-incredable." Ryu took the incoherancy of Ryona as a good sign. Other than his parents most Dragons acted like head-less chickens and avoided him. Then again he and Ryona were related because Ryu's father was the brother of Ryona's grandfather. Dragons had odd relations like that because they lived for hundreds of years and could bear children up to age 365. So it was very possible to have an uncle or aunt that you were older than, especially during long peaces like Dogolony was having right now. While Ryu was thinking about the irony of his being her uncle and only four years older Ryona composed her self enough to start talking coherently. "Well Ryu that was very impressive. I don't see why you would keep such power hidden, tho'." Ryu smiled and responded "I have my reasons and we should be coming to where a friend I met a few years ago lives and he should help get us to Winda much faster." and with that the Dragons took up camp and started walking."

AN: This is all I have for now so please review. Also if you want to be a proofreader, since I don't have any now, e-mail me. For my e-mail address check my profile. 


	3. Chapter 3

Three:First Flickerings of Godhood

The City Rhine, the newest of the Dragon cities and the one with the most diverse population. Of its near 255 people, 100 are Ryuuzoku, 74 are Worren, 50 are Grassrunners, 30 are Human, and one is a Demon. Most of the time, that is almost always, Ryuuzoku name their cities after an important location near-by. Rhine is no exception. The site of the city is divided in half by the Rhine River according to the Worrens that named it. A decade earlier a battle for the site of the city was won with help from two unlikely sources, a Tainted Ryuuzoku and a traitor Mazoku. They did most of the damage to the invading forces. That was why the Mazoku was able to set up residence when the city was first started.

Entering from the South, a pair of travelers approached the gates. The guard at the gate recognised Ryu on sight and had the gate half open before the travelers actually got there. "Hey, good to be seein' ye 'gain." In an amused tone of voice Ryu said "Good to see you again also"  
"Will ye be seein' Pensum?" "No, I've come to see Ruhr." At that the guard almost imperceptably flinched Ryona noted. The guard muttered some words in Worren and motioned for the gates to be opened.  
Ryona was rather certain that whomever this Ruhr was that he would be as odd as she was or, worse, as odd as Ryu. 'If I' she thought 'am a prodigy as a warrior to have become an adult at the relative age of a baby, Ryu is an abberation. From that spell he used in the Demon Desert,  
he would be more skilled than the Elder Wizards, but he shouldn't be able to use any advanced attack magic. So how did he do it?' Admittedly both of the Dragons were unusually developed socially and mentally, which was why they were sent to Winda. It may have been his immense power, just the idea that Ryu knew more about both sides of the Ryuuzoku-Mazoku war than a group of the most informed on both sides, or his extreme secrecy, but it was well known that the Elders would not mind if he was unable to do certain things as an unfortunate side effect of the physical experiments. In fact the only reasons that Ryu could see for his continued good health were that he never told what he knew and instead acted on it and that he was powerful. Most Ryuuzoku just said that he was paranoid but he retorted by saying "Just because you are not paranoid does not mean that they are not out to get you." That and his 'second personality' was too well liked by the Eldest, the only other Ryuuzoku that could speak the old language.

The little hole-in-the-wall that, presumably, belonged to Ruhr looked out of place in the slum area that it was in the center of; mostly because it was much taller than the other shacks and was in good repair. The insanely cheerful pastel colors and flowers of literally every shape and color didn't hurt anything except the eyes. Ryona wondered how anything could stand to look at the house. She already had a migrane and was starting to feel film on her teeth. Ryu merely grimaced, having seen the place before, and silently vowed to scrub his teeth for a half hour.

After knocking on the thirteen foot high doors the two Ryuuzoku kept staring at the door until it was opened and they were left staring at a man. Well his waist anyway since he was an eleven foot tall behemoth. Somehow he did not seem to be the type of person whom would live in a place like this by choice. "Ah. Ryu. I see that you have come," the goliath rumbled out in a low, horse timber, seemingly pronouncing every single syllable. "Good. come inside." The pair did so and were treated to an interior that was less insanely cheerful and more natural and soothing. After seating themselves, the behemoth, whom was indeed Rhur, suddenly broke the silence that had formed while they were waiting for and serving the pot of tea. "Ryu. I hope that you were able to speak to the Eldest. And it affected your choice. I hope."

Ryona sat, stunned, as she almost literally could feel the change in Ryu. "Yes, I spoke with Sarahel and she merely convinced me that my choice is correct."

Deep in the bowels of the planet, who knows where, is the City of the Mazoku. A dark, hopless place filed to the brim with Mazoku and inequities of all types. It doesn't actually come into the plot for a while but it felt good to have introduced it. And even when it does come into the plot, it's mostly a minor role. Kinda like a Deus ex Mechina story device, but that just covers the city itself. The inhabitents are the important ones. And even the role is carried out by one of the inhabitents. It's just that that particular inhabitant shows up once and is never seen again, like the gate guard earlier on, and I count it as a part of the city instead. Back to the story.

Rhur, it seemed, reacted to the sight of a powerful, angry, psycho-dragon in the same manner as most intelligent beings. He did what he could to pacify the angry Ryuzoku. In this case it ment that he, Ruhr, would accompany them through the Tapa Mountain tunnels, over the rickety wooden bridge that was the only safe path over the watery nest of the demon squid, the Kraken, and to the Highest City, all while ensuring the health of the female dra-Ryuzoku, and staying alive under the assault of thousands of Mazoku. Cake, really.

In the hoours between then and sunset were spent gathering supplies, introducing everyone, and evading celebrating elderly. The elderly were happy that they could finally get the hideously colorful and cheerful house toned down a bit. The group had planned to leave much sooner but the elderly kept them there till sunset with unnecessarily long thank-yous. Rhur himself would have been insulted if he haden't hated the hous just as much as the elderly people did.

The two fire demons guarding the Tapa tunnels never expected for a man to walk up and kill them with a powerful fire attack. Neither did Rhur or Ryona but at least you couldn't tell from their expressions. You actually could but only for a little bit.

After several such powerful spells in all elements, the tunnels became very quiet. Several hours passed in eventless walking until the group came to a sign reading like below

Pleeze don kill us   
Mr. Dwagon+)  
+ ------------------------

Not even Rhur knew how the 'Mazoku' had managed to get the symbols together on such short notice nor how they made them hang in mid-air.

The group managed to come one Kraken away from an adventurer's dream. To go through an infested area full of strong demons and monsters and be unchallanged and unmolested.

Of all the Mazoku in the tunnels, Kraken was the most feared. Almost all of the Mazoku in the tunnels believed that no person deserved the title of demon more. Almost all of the Mazoku had no idea that Kraken was a bio-weapon with a taste for both Mazoku and dragon flesh.

When a giant black tendril shot out and grabbed Ryu, Rhur and Ryona knew that it was the end. Ryu was whisked out of reach and under the black river water. 


End file.

Breath of Fire