Breath of Fire 1. I

Breath of Fire - Vacant Wings by Dr. Gigyas  
  
"Adaptation - An alteration or adjustment in structure or habits, often hereditary, by which a species or individual improves its condition in relationship to its environment."  
  
- I -  
  
The rebellion was crushed swiftly; I know because I had been in the frontlines. The rebels' veins had been running so hard with Verotoxin that I had to shoot one of them in the head three times before he collapsed. Such brutal deaths, and I bet none of them even felt it because they were so full drugs. Used like a religion by the rebellion, Verotoxin so badly contorted their muscles that some of the rebels didn't even look physically human. I felt I was doing them a favor by ending it... Should I have felt that way?  
  
After the war against the rebels the job of exterminating the last remnants went to the individual city police. Only a few factions were left, but it did keep the police occupied. I had made high lieutenant in the army before they sent me to work with the police force in Kagen, my home town.  
  
My foster parents had moved to Wiava as soon as the rebellion started to stay away from the action. Before everything started I remember walking home from school one day and I saw a letter taped to our front door. It was addressed to my foster parents, sent by the government. I thought it might have something to do with the war so I opened it. It said that every first born over the age of fifteen had to register in the war against the rebellion, or we would be assumed traitors. Alec was their only child by relation, and the government was asking for him... he had just turned fifteen. I crumpled up the letter, threw it in the trash, and I registered in their name. I had saved Alec from seeing the things that I had seen. I am still thankful for that everyday.  
  
Kagen is a big city with skyscrapers, HVO railways or Hovies, and timid people. It was home, it has always felt like it. I leaned my head against the window of the Hovie; Hovies had been created to quell the pollution problem, they're similar to the old subways underground but their tracks were suspended in the air and wrapped around buildings. Anyone could go to almost any high-rise or even some none super-commercial buildings traveling on them. Not many people can afford the car taxes anymore, of course the taxes were exempt for police officers and other emergency sub-branches, so I had my license and my own vehicle. It was a standard issue KW9-08 motorcycle; they're fast, maneuverable, and have a compartment for firearms, not exactly a luxury ride.  
  
The Hovie slowed and stopped in front of police and government headquarters, the center of Kagen, and I stepped off. The crisp design on the building I have never liked, it seemed too gaudy, but everything about most government buildings were. The door slid open for me as I entered. The vestibule of the reception lobby was grandiose, but doubtfully that word is even strong enough to describe it with its tall pilasters plastered with relief sculptors and its overly elaborate ceiling fresco of the mythological god of Justice.  
  
Sarah, the conceited receptionist, greeted me from the desk. It must have been hard for her to pull her thoughts away from herself just to do her job because the smile barely touched her lips before it was gone. Maybe she didn't really even smile. "Police Headquarter's locker room," I told the elevator as I entered. The doors slid shut and I grabbed onto the rail as the elevator descended. I pushed myself off the floor adding to the momentary weight loss of drifting down the building. Sometimes I thought that if I just thought real hard that maybe I could stay like this-  
  
I was cut short as the door opened at the locker room. Scybias Voi, or Scy as we call him, met me as I entered. "General Koe dropped by earlier too bad you missed it," he told me as I opened my locker, "Gives a real powerful speech, that one." Scy pawed under his muzzle; he's a descendant of the Hound Clan which means he looks like a dog that walks around like a human. "Really, I think I'm coming down with something, Ryu. I mean my nose has been dry since yesterday."  
  
"Put some cream on it, you'll be fine," I told him. Scy's broad smile faded and his voice became serious.  
  
"Did you hear about what happened at the docks?"  
  
"I just got here," I said shaking my head.  
  
"Oh... well, they found schematics-" An alarm erupted through the building.  
  
"87-A has met with the enemy, support is needed.. Repeat, 87-A has met with the enemy, support is needed," the voice over the intercom blared. 


	2. II

- II -  
  
Squad 87-A had already been massacred by the rebels when we arrived. Their twisted bodies and broken frames showed that Verotoxin had been present in the battle. "Check for survivors quickly and survey the area, we don't want to have the same fate," I told my squad. Scy looked at me.  
  
"You think they'd hang around for us to show up?"  
  
"No, but I don't think we should take unnecessary risks. I've dealt with the users before..." Scy shivered and surveyed the corpses.  
  
"Could somebody really be capable of that?"  
  
"We've got one alive," a police officer yelled. We ran over to them. The downed officer's collar bones had been shattered inward like someone had grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed them together.  
  
"Wiav... a," he mumbled as he spit up blood.  
  
"What did you say?" Did he say Wiava?  
  
"Heading... to...," he hacked up blood again. Where were those damn ambulances? I turned to Scy.  
  
"Get headquarters on the phone, tell them to block the highway to Wiava," I yelled.  
  
"No... sub -" he convulsed suddenly and went limp.  
  
"Damn it, bring him back," I ordered. One of the officers felt the downed one's neck and grazed his hand over the chest area.  
  
"His ribcage has been shattered too. Resuscitation is impossible, its remarkable he was still alive, sir." Sub what? Subway? Were the rebels taking the subway instead of the highway? Is that what he had meant. I looked up at the old subway entrance across the street. Scy walked back and patted me on the shoulder.  
  
"They're on it, Ryu, it's out of our hands right now."  
  
"No, I don't think so. Get the squad together we're going to the old subway."  
  
It didn't take long to get the men together and get our gear ready. The ambulances never came. I turned the safety off on my semi-automatic. It had been years since the subway had been opened, it was the perfect way for them to go. I waved to my men, it was time.  
  
I pulled apart the old automatic door to the subway and took my first steps inside. Everyone turned their lights on and about twenty circles of light danced along the inside walls. Something flickered. Everyone's light jerked over to it. An old electrical wire swung gently. I ran my light along the wall, most of the wires had been cut. There was no power. I signaled for part of the group to stay behind and guard the entrance and for the rest to follow me into the subway. I looked up and down the old tunnels and Scy tapped me on the back. He pointed to an old sign  
  
***  
  
Wiava  
  
N. Track -  
  
Kagen Downtown  
  
------Central--------  
  
Suveria  
  
- S. Track  
  
***  
  
We started up the North Track on the raised platform against the wall, our footsteps echoing loudly along the old curving concrete and steel cylinder. I ran my light down along the track catching the glints of tiny eyes. Probably rats, I thought. We continued on for about a mile. I had been ordering the men to a halt every few minutes to listen for movement. Nothing every time. I stopped them again. A shuffling noise, that's all I could really relate the sound to. I waved for them to follow me quickly and to cut off their lights. We ran as silently as possible running our hands along the wall to stay with the path. I stopped them as we came around a curve. A light a little further down showed us what I was hoping to see.  
  
It looked like the entire band of rebels had set up a sort of resting point. They were gathered around an illuminated Lightcanister: in the army we had something very similar. I counted about twenty rebels in all. Only six were noticeably users. Then, I noticed something strange. A hooded white robed person sat a little from the center with their back facing us. The robe hung a little loosely off of the person like there wasn't much inside to hold it up. I tapped Scy and motioned for the night-vision binoculars. I zoomed in on the person. The way they sat emphasized something feminine so I assumed it was a woman, but wasn't too sure. She didn't have the markings of a faction leader but the way the men kept looking at her she seemed to be in control of this group. She stood suddenly and the others followed her lead. I zoomed in on her head hoping to get a good look. Maybe she was -  
  
She turned suddenly and looked right at me. I cut the binoculars off quickly and ducked behind the curve. Damn it! I gave the signal for the men get ready. Blackness filled my vision again. The Lightcanister had either given out or been cut off. I turned the binoculars on again and glanced back around. They were gone... No, wait... Something was moving -  
  
"Users!" In unison the spots of lights flickered on and frantically searched along the corridor. Short bursts of *rat-tat-tat* echoed as the users were located. Two - no three users! I lost track of the third one. I ran my light across the floor again as the other men kept firing. Where did he go? A jumper - I jerked my light to the ceiling. The third was hanging from the old electrical pipes. "Ceiling! There is another one on the ceiling!" A few bullets joined mine, but most were concentrated on the two climbing up to the platform. One of the old pipes broke sending the user to the ground with a hard thud. He didn't move. I kept my light on him. One of the users had made it to the platform. "Back away! Don't let them get a hold of you! Fall back!" Everyone took a few steps back. This user was huge. Nothing like I had ever seen before. I guessed about eight feet high, he towered over us. With one swing of his arm he slammed three officers into the wall; they fell limply to the ground. Another swing more officers were down. We fired at his head but it was like the massive size just absorbed everything. Something hit me from behind... I remembered the jumper just as consciousness failed me...  
  
***  
  
I awoke slowly on the hard dirt ground, opening my eyes to darkness. My arms and legs were chained together and a gag placed in my mouth. My chest hurt pretty bad, but I couldn't feel to see if a rib was broken. It was useless to struggle. Did they take me hostage? The rebels have never done that before to my knowledge. Desperate times, desperate measures.  
  
Someone was walking closer to me in the darkness, their footsteps crunched loudly on the dirt. A searing pain shot through my side as they picked me up and carried me away. Where were they taking me? Suddenly, I was thrown the ground hard. After wincing I looked around. A Lightcanister was lit and light poured over my surroundings. It was the rebels and from the looks of things I was still in the subway. The robed woman sat in front of me. I tried to roll over onto my side to get a better look, but someone's foot came down and clamped me down on my stomach. The robed woman pushed back her hood. Her face was feminine and thin like she hadn't had much to eat in a long time. Her blonde hair was cropped short not even reaching midway down her neck. "Name and rank, soldier," she said. A hand pulled the gag out of my mouth.  
  
"Hito, Ryu," I rasped quietly.  
  
"Rank."  
  
"Hito, Ryu."  
  
"Rank."  
  
"Hito, Ryu."  
  
"Rank."  
  
"Hito - " someone slapped me on my wound and I convulsed violently.  
  
"Rank."  
  
"...Hito, Ryu." More searing pain, then black... 


	3. III

-III-  
  
I had a dream... The stars and the moon circled viciously around the Earth, I stood in the center of it all. I tried to calm the heavens by calling out its name. "Ladon! Ladon," I screamed. This name seemed familiar... A deafening roar was my answer as the stars danced madly colliding into one another. The world was destroyed and I was flung into darkness. I drifted through the nothingness, until my feet touched the ground. It wasn't the Earth that I was standing on, it was blackness. Far away I could see a flickering light. I ran towards it. As I got closer to the light, I could see it was coming from a single torch, held up by a marble pedestal. Underneath, bathed in the iridescent light was the body of a human dressed in red robes. Something made me turn away, run as fast as I could away from the light. "Ladon..." I whispered.  
  
***  
  
I awoke sitting up, panting, and drenched in sweat. My side still ached, but I felt glad to be alive. I was sitting on a bed in the corner of a small room. There was a small vent in the corner, not big enough to fit through, and an old hinged door. I slid slowly out of bed and checked the door. Locked, just as I thought. I went back and sat on the bed. I wondered how long it had been since the attack. I figured we were in Wiava by now. I hoped that Scy and the others were still alive -  
  
The door creaked open suddenly and the woman walked in, still wearing the same robes. She brought a chair with her and sat directly across from me. Her blue eyes seemed relaxed and her voice was steady as she spoke. "I heard you yelling and decided I should come and check on you," she paused and waited for me to say something and when I said nothing she continued, "You called out a name, do you remember?"  
  
Ladon  
  
I grabbed my head and looked at her. "Who are you," I asked her.  
  
"Do you remember the name you called out last night?"  
  
Ladon!  
  
My body gave out and I fell back onto the bed. It felt like fingers were prodding around in my head. "Ladon, why?"  
  
"That's... not a very common name, do you know what it is associated with?" I turned my head to face her. She met my gaze levelly. "I see, you do not," then what she added made my mouth drop, "High Lieutenant." Was that her poking around in my head? Could she read my thoughts? I tried in vain to block her attempts. Then abruptly the probing stopped. She smiled lightly, "Don't worry, I left your dirty little secrets alone. I only needed a little information." She left and I heard the door latch behind her. I had never heard of anyone being able to read minds. If the rebels had more people like her they might be able to turn this conflict around.  
  
I rolled over and faced the wall. I thought about Alec and when we were younger. My parents had adopted me from the orphanage on 45th Street about two years before my mother got pregnant with Alec. It was a miracle for them, I was happy even knowing that I wouldn't be the center of attention anymore. I was about five when Alec was born which in most relationships causes a gap between siblings, but Alec and I had never had any problems. I really just wanted to go home.  
  
***  
  
A few days past, or at least I thought it was a few days. They brought me three meals everyday, they were not very harsh to me, it seemed their attitude had changed a little. Nina, the woman in robes had visited me on a few occasions. On her second visit she had told me her name and apologized for the ruff way they had treated me. She said that she sometimes forgot that the enemy were people too. I told her that I forgot myself sometimes, too, that all I really wanted was peace and that was the real reason I fought, to stop everything. She had looked at me funny, "You know this war won't stop other wars. The government will keep finding things to fight. Like in Gaderla - " She stopped abruptly and took a deep breath. "You've been good so far, but if you try to escape, we will kill you." She left and she only came once more after that but did not say anything, she just stared at me. I started to think she was messing around in my head again, but just as the thought occurred to me she left again. I haven't seen her since.  
  
I bolted awake as two rebel soldiers burst into my room and dragged me out into the hall. They threw me down in front of a videophone. I looked up and saw General Koe looking down at me. "Good, he's in descent shape, but I'm still not sure this is enough for us to release Aludrad," General Koe said calmly. "We really don't make deals with the enemy." They weren't going to trade me out. My heart stopped and my body felt cold. This is what they had been holding me for. They had no use for me if this didn't work. One of the soldiers kicked me in the chest. I screamed out in pain. My rib was still broken.  
  
"We will kill him, Koe," one of the rebels yelled at the screen. "We're not messing around here."  
  
"I know that, I know you're serious, but so am I. If we released Aludrad, this war will just get more severe. My final answer is no, traitors." The video went black. Koe had hung up. The soldier that had kicked me looked down and spit on me.  
  
"What do you think about that, soldier boy? He didn't even try to save your ass. The people who you were fighting for didn't give a - " The other soldier grabbed his arm.  
  
"Get him out of here." No, no, no! Damn it, Koe! I want to see my family again. He dragged me outside. The soldier tore a piece of his shirt off and handed it to me. I threw it on the ground. I was going to do this looking into his eyes. He cocked his gun and pointed it at my head. Alec, I'm glad I saved you from this.  
  
"You're not any better than them, you know that right," I said trying to stop him. He struck me across the mouth with the butt of his gun.  
  
"Shut up," he said and repositioned the gun against my forehead. I swallowed hard trying to keep calm.  
  
"I have a family - " he struck me again, harder this time.  
  
"I'm sorry about this, really I am, but they won't take us seriously otherwise." That made me angry.  
  
"You don't think they're taking you seriously? They waged war on you with fifteen-year-old boys! They pulled them away from their families to stop you! I say that you have done enough damage! And what about Verotoxin, huh? That's a nice way to fight clean! Crushing these children's ribcages into mush!"  
  
"You don't know much about this war, do you?"  
  
"No one does! Not even you!" The soldiers face hardened as he tensed ready to pull the trigger. "My name is Ryu Hito, my brothers name is Alec Hito, my mother's is - " he kicked me in the side and doubled over in pain. I tasted blood in my mouth, probably from before. I tried to glance up at him. He had his eyes shut trying to concentrate. I knew I was only stalling fate. I sat up and looked him in the face. "I hope you burn in hell," I said as I closed my eyes.  
  
I had had hope.. 


	4. IV

-IV-  
  
Something pulled from deep within me.  
  
Ladon.  
  
I felt helpless. The shot seconds away.  
  
Ladon!  
  
A low guttural growl escaped my lips.  
  
LADON!  
  
"What are you doing," my eyes jerked open. Nina was talking to the soldier.  
  
"Marcus told me to - " she cut him off abruptly.  
  
"Go inside and tell Marcus to stop kissing his own ass and to get on with the preparations." The soldier saluted her and released the hammer on his gun. The soldier paused for a second and glanced over at me and walked inside. I felt my whole body shudder as I realized that death wouldn't come just yet. Nina said something to me but I had been too caught up in the moment to hear her.  
  
"What," I asked.  
  
"Ladon, I heard you call out his name again. You have a real fondness with that name..." I looked at her a little perplexed.  
  
"No, I didn't." I didn't remember calling out any name. She turned to walk away and I tried to thank her, but I threw up and passed out.  
  
***  
  
I awoke on the cold hard floor of my too familiar cell. I stood up slowly and walked over to the bed and collapsed, just as I was drifting out of consciousness I heard the guards talking outside of my room.  
  
"Are you going tonight?"  
  
"No," came another voice, "are you?"  
  
"Yeah, they just got some more Verotoxin... Everyone is using it tonight. I just hope she can keep us in control..." their voices faded and there was only blackness.  
  
***  
  
Then there was light again. Dancing, swirling, brightly colored hues of it. Something deep inside of me told me that fate had been changed.  
  
***  
  
The rebels had stormed the high security prison in Suveria, where the man named Aludrad, the leader of the rebellion, was held. They succeeded in freeing him, from what I heard, but not without its costs. Nina had been injured and the users had gone ballistic, killing prisoners, army soldiers, and even themselves. Aludrad had calmed them and rescued Nina.  
  
Aludrad was here. Since I had heard, I have been planning to kill him. If I could kill him the war would be over. If I could only get to a gun or a knife -  
  
The door to my room opened. Two soldiers entered and then a man I didn't recognize: Aludrad.  
  
He was tall, about six feet, with swept back jet-black hair. His robes where similar to Nina's, they even hung off of him like hers. Then I saw a wrist slip out from under his sleeve as he ran his hand through his hair; it was the size of a child's. He looked at me with unsettling dark-green eyes. "Hello, Ryu Hito. My name is Aludrad Ectuvane."  
  
"I know who you are," I hissed.  
  
"There is no need for harshness. Especially if you want to live. Now, Mr. Hito, I want you to understand our cause."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"What do you know about your government? And I don't mean what they teach you in school," he waved a skinny finger as he said the last. I didn't want to, but I answered anyway.  
  
"The Emperor sends his ratifications through the council who oversees the process and thus a law is made -"  
  
"Not what your school books teach you. Let me go along a different line of questions. Do you know about Verotoxin," I clenched my fists tightly trying not to say anything that would get me killed, and Aludrad noticed, "I see you do. Do you know where it comes from?" I thought for a second and realized that I didn't. I shook my head.  
  
"Ten years ago your government started a program named Rebirth. It was started after the ruins outside of Waeva and Kagen were found."  
  
"The ruins of Wyndia and Drogen.?"  
  
"Ah, you know your history. Yes, those were their names. They found old texts describing the ancient clan of the Dragon; they were called the Broods by the Wyndians. They were warriors of phenomenal strength."  
  
"I've never heard of that." I was beginning to think he was lying.  
  
"Of course not. The program was started to try and breed the Broods back into our society to make a new race for their army. They took genes found in the bones of the gravesites around the Drogen area. And after several attempts to breed the Dragons, using DNA, they decided that it wasn't going to work. So they tried to alter humans, also failed experiments. Then they found something. If they recreated the blood from these dragons and injected it in humans the cells automatically attached themselves to the Verostream, the life blood in our bodies, creating temporary superhumans. But nevertheless, it was toxic it too. After several tries to fix the problem, they discovered that the blood was just to powerful for our frail bodies to handle. Some soldiers mutated, as you have most likely seen around here."  
  
"If it was a government program, then why do you have it?" Aludrad looked at the two guards, they saluted and left the room, shutting the door behind them.  
  
"The government gave up on the program."  
  
"Because it wasn't successful?"  
  
"Partly, but they came up with a better solution. You have to wonder now, if the Dragons' blood was more powerful that our own blood how could it have been extinguished out. It couldn't have possibly been through mating. Their chromosomes were just too powerful; they would have undoubtedly traveled onto their children, and their children's children."  
  
"Evolution," I said looking down.  
  
"You are very quick. Their theory is that the Brood's evolved beyond the need of their power or when they intertwined with the chromosomes from those of the Wyndians and the others their genes receded to wait for the others to catch up on the evolutionary track. Either way, the cells went dormant, or so the government thinks." He paused and glanced at me. "If you were the government, how would you try to awaken these dormant cells?" I thought for a second.  
  
"Some frogs in the jungles around the southern border can grow wings due to the stress from the environment; like the lack of food on the jungle floor or an increase of predators."  
  
"Very good, Mr. Hito, I am very impressed. Stress. That's the key. What causes a great deal of stress?" War, I thought. "That's right, war." I blinked in surprise. Was he like Nina? "You see the things about those frogs that you mentioned is that only younger frogs can adapt to the new environment, the older frogs just perish and die. The scientists in the government must have thought it out too." He looked at me. "Fifteen-year- olds, Ryu."  
  
"Are you saying that the government instigated this war?"  
  
"Not the one against us, but the one against Gaderlan."  
  
"There was never any war against Gaderlan."  
  
"No, because we stepped in to intervene."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense. If what you're saying is true, then, the government is still at war." He nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"I've told you what you need to know. These fifteen-year-olds are dying all over the place. All I can tell you is that you have the power to stop it." He smiled a light smile. "I can tell you will be a valued asset to our cause." What? He... I had no intention of joining them. He could be lying.  
  
***  
  
Time passed, maybe a day, maybe longer. I was tired. I wanted to go home. Maybe they would let me take a walk. My door opened suddenly and Nina walked in. "Did Aludrad talk to you?"  
  
"Yes, are you alright? I heard you were injured." She waved off the part about being injured.  
  
"What did he say to you?"  
  
"He told me about the Dragons and Wyndians, genetics programs in the government, Verotoxin, and about the fifteen-year-olds." She looked relieved. Approaching me she lifted her hand offering it to me.  
  
"You want to go on a walk, huh?" I didn't take her hand. "I won't hurt you, if I were going to I would have let Breody shoot you." That was true.  
  
"Listen, Nina. I know that the rebels are falling apart, but he really asked the wrong person to join him." She quirked her mouth.  
  
"Aludrad asked you to join us," she laughed. "I don't know why he would expect you..." She trailed off. "Do you want to take a walk or not?" I stood slowly still not taking her hand. "Good." We left my room and traveled down some corridors, some that I didn't recognize, until we came out into the daylight. Where we were seemed to be a courtyard, but I doubt that was its original purpose.  
  
"Can you do me a favor," I asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. It really depends on what it is."  
  
"What is the date?"  
  
"You have been here for about a month." That's not as long as I had expected. My family probably thought I was dead. I knew that the government did.  
  
"Is it my fate to die here?" She stopped walking and she looked at me.  
  
"Fate can be altered, but I'd say no."  
  
"How can fate be altered, doesn't that ruin the meaning of fate," I asked scratching my face. I had grown a good bit of facial hair because they didn't allow me to have a razor.  
  
"I don't know. I just know that it can," she looked at me scratching my beard, "I'll see if I can get you a razor. I think we can trust you enough to handle it." She paused for a second. "Why haven't you... done anything?"  
  
"You mean like try to run away?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I want to live to see my family again." She nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Sometimes," she sounded as if she wasn't sure she should say what she was, but she continued anyway, "Sometimes, I feel like I'm a bird trapped in a cage." 


	5. V

-V-

I hadn't asked Nina why she had felt the way she did and the rest of the walk had been quiet. Eventually, and reluctantly, I was returned to my cell. That night they brought me a razor and a washbowl full of water. Nina wasn't a bad person after all. I didn't think that most of the people were, they just had their difference of opinions, too bad it had to end in war. We had questioned rebels before back in the army. They said that they were fighting for freedom. From the oppression of the Emperor. That they just wanted to know that they could think and feel for themselves. I wonder if Aludrad had told them the real reason they were fighting.

Aludrad was planning something big, he had come into my cell and asked me if I wanted to participate. It had been bothering me how much he trusted me. If he was really like Nina did he sense something in me that even I wasn't aware of, or was that what he wanted me to think. I said no. He left without an argument.

Nina showed me a newspaper. It had my face on it. "POW Slaughtered by Rebels," is what it read. My family really thought I was dead now. The government was using me to promote their propaganda. It read:

"Early Yesterday morning the body of High Lieutenant Ryu Hito was found in a ditch outside of Wiava, off the 81st highway. Lt. Hito was reported by the government as a POW earlier this month. His parents, in tears, reportedly told General Koe to 'Get those bastards that did this to our son.' Let's all hope that this war ends soon."

I wasn't too angry, because there was no reason for them to think I was alive, but they outright lied about the body.

The rebels were moving their base, Wiava was no longer safe. They tied my hands together behind me and pushed me out the door. We started marching. Miles on end we marched, sometimes taking the subway, sometimes the abandoned highways. Eventually we came to our resting point, the old ruins of the city of Wyndia and they set up camp. The night was peaceful, not much happened. I was guarded all night, of course, but slept well for laying on an old cobblestone road in Wyndia with my hands bound behind me. No dreams that night.

I awoke slowly, it was daylight. Fear, I could feel fear. I jolted up and looked around. The rebels had all of their guns pointed at something – at Aludrad? No, Aludrad was halting someone.

"- don't step any closer, boy, you don't know what you're getting into," Aludrad was saying to a person that I couldn't see.

"You don't understand! I'm going to kill you all," the person shouted.

Nina was standing quietly behind Aludrad. Her face serenely focused on the trespasser.

"You are all criminals, animals, dirty bastard animals," it was the voice of a boy. There was something about that voice. "Get out of my head," he screamed. "No, you don't understand a damn thing! Who do you think you are?"

I pushed myself around the guards trying to see what was going on. It was a young army officer by the clothes. I couldn't get a good view of the face, though. Wait, I know him…

"Alec," I breathed.

Aludrad turned and caught my eyes for a moment before shouting, "He's going to fire," the rebels' guns came alive with thunder.

"No, stop," I screamed. "Stop firing." No one could hear me over the gun blasts. I ran forward pushing down a rebel with my shoulder. "Stop!"

"That's enough," Nina shouted and the guns stopped. Then, the mangled remains of Alec hit the ground.

Alec...

Ladon.

I ran to the body. I stared hard at the face trying to believe that it wasn't true.

Nina turned sharply and looked at me, fear stricken.

Alec...

Ladon!

I HAD SAVED ALEC FOR NOTHING!

I turned to Aludrad. "You murderer," I shouted. I walked towards him ready to kill, ready to destroy, but I stopped something called to me.

LADON!

Aludrad turned away slowly as I tore away from my ropes. I needed power, I needed strength, to kill him.

Something called out to me. I turned to a metal container. The Verotoxin?

I lunged at the container and ripped it open. I heard guns click behind me, but that didn't slow me down.

"No, wait," Aludrad said to his men. My body was convulsing.

LADON!!!

I pushed the needle into my skin. My veins turned red, muscles pumped – thoughts are becoming hard, erupting, HATE!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHH!

Power. Strength. Divinity.

Kill.

Stop this, a voice inside my head.

A woman shrieking. Men dying. Bullets ripping. Claws tearing.

Murder!

You will obey me, Mr. Hito.

Obey none, kill. KILL!

Stop killing? No, kill! REVENGE! Blood!

Stop killing!

Growl!

STOP KILLING!

RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!


	6. VI

-VI-  
  
Maybe if I thought real hard... maybe I could keep myself like this, forever.  
  
***  
  
I crashed back into reality. My eyes opened slowly. Darkness all around - wait not darkness... stars. A blade of grass swayed against my cheek as the wind blew. I was outside... Then, suddenly I was aware of a great amount pain. Running a finger along a large gaping wound on my side I groaned loudly.  
  
"You're alive..." someone said, startled. I turned my head wearily. Nina was sitting in the grass staring at me in obvious disbelief. "I couldn't feel you anymore. I tried to search for you, over and over, but you..."  
  
"What," I said clenching my teeth to the pain from my side.  
  
"You know," she said pointing to her head, "in here. You weren't there anymore."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You... are the missing link to the Brood, Ryu," she didn't seem happy about it. "I heard you when you cried out to Alec. I saw everything. I saw how you saved Alec in the woods that day after school. I saw how you saved him from joining the army. I saw how you saved your parents' only child. I saw that you were human. Then... you changed. Hair white like I'd never seen, red eyes, scales... You literally turned into a Brood, Ryu." All I could do was stare at her.  
  
"Am I like that," I winced again in pain, "now?"  
  
Shaking her head she said, "No, you're the same as you were before. Aludrad, he tried to control you..."  
  
"Control me? How could he control me?"  
  
"Aludrad and I are the same. My job was to control the people who used Verotoxin, just to keep them under control, without me they'd go berserk and kill everything. Aludrad can do that too. The thing is that we have to use the drug to enhance our power enough to force ourselves onto them. That is what he did to... you. You were killing so many of them... But Aludrad..." I was in shock. Not only could they read minds, they could control them. Aludrad was a very dangerous man. Looking around, I noticed we were alone. "You were dead, Ryu. Aludrad left without you."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I stayed behind, because what he did was wrong. I saw what happened to you after you saw Alec. I guess, I'm just questioning myself. I told him that I would catch up to them." She looked at me and smiled. "I was collecting rocks to bury you," she pointed over to a large pile of small stones.  
  
"Are you going to take me back to them?" She shook her head.  
  
"You're dead now." I didn't know what to think. I had changed into a Dragon? I tried to remember what happened, but couldn't. I felt dizzy, I had probably lost a lot of blood.  
  
"I need to get to a hospital." She nodded.  
  
"I will help you get there, but then I need to go back..." She stood and helped me to my feet, clenching my teeth the whole time. I wrapped my arm around her neck for support.  
  
"What about my brother," I said as I looked over at the ruins of Wyndia. I started to walk that way, but Nina stopped me.  
  
"Aludrad. He took your brother." What? Why would Aludrad take Alec? "Because, he thinks you are related, he said that you were too dangerous for us to take and so he took your brother's body."  
  
"What is he going to do.." Nina looked at me, but didn't say anything. "Afetorum galleto atena fomen," I said in prayer for Alec.  
  
"Afetorum galleto atena fomen," Nina repeated. We bowed our heads and then continued back toward Wiava along the road. 


	7. VII

-VII-

On the way to Wiava there is a small town called Redge, this is where we stopped. She left me to the hospitals care. She has been gone for three days now. I'm all alone in Redge afraid to contact anyone. Before she left we only talked of the Brood once. I explained to her that I couldn't remember anything at all. She said that after I had changed that…

----

"… you're mind became ecstatic, I couldn't follow your thoughts at all. Honestly I was scared of what you had become. So much power… Ryu. You tore through our men in seconds. Aludrad injected himself with Verotoxin to increase his own power… That's when he tried to grab hold of your mind; to control you, but... you were too powerful." She scrubbed her hand through her hair and touched my cheek. "Don't try to find me or us, it's best for you."

---

That was the last I had seen of her.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The steady pace of my heart monitor filled the room as the rain clicked against the window pane. Where can I go now? It was hard to think straight with all of these tubes pumping things into my body. My side wound had been cleaned and stapled shut, it really did feel clean compared to the hours I had spent picking away at the infection on the way here. Why was Alec out in the field? Suddenly, I remembered what he had been wearing when he was murdered; he had been wearing the colors of the Army… After all of my hell, he joined anyway! That stupid bastard… I fingered the hole on my arm where I had used that god-forsaken drug.

The door clicked open as one of the nurses opened the door. Calmly, as a person who was used to seeing injured people, she unhooked some of the tubes from my body and placed them aside. "I hope you are as comfortable as you can get, I know it is very difficult to be in this situation, but please try." She must have noticed that I had had my fists clenched. "But don't worry you'll be going home soon," she said as she left the room.

The rain had stopped I realized as I woke slowly in my hospital bed. It was night finally. Where would I be going to when I was "going home"? I couldn't go back and face my parents after… Damn it all to hell! What the hell have you done Alec? Despite myself I cried not wanting anymore to do with armies or Verotoxin, Brood or politics.

Mumbling outside my door woke me again. "Are you sure it's him, ma'am," a man was asking.

"Absolutely positive, why would you say that he had died? I can't believe he is alive myself, after what his body has been through, but he is very much alive. Identical to that picture in the paper too. Some sickly looking girl brought him here." Who was asking about me? "He's right in here, sir." I heard the door handle start to turn and then it stopped. "What's this about?" There was soft thud and I looked toward the door wearily. Something was seeping from under it. Blood. What the hell? The door handle started to turn again and I rolled off the side of the bed towards the window, pulling the remainder of the tubes out as I fell. My side ached badly but there was no time to worry as I thrust open the window and rolled back under the bed. Light flooded the room as the door swung open. I heard the man walk in and stop, probably taking a look around. Through his legs I could see the crumpled body of the calm nurse. I watched the man's feet as he walked around the bed towards the window. "Damn it," he whispered and he lunged out the window. I pulled myself out from under the bed and started for the door. "I'm sorry Mr. Hito, but I can't let you leave." My head jerked over my shoulder and I saw the man sitting on the window ledge. He's features were thin, almost hawk like. A small patch of blonde hair remained on the top of his head brushed back adding to his receding hairline… It was almost as if the hair was afraid to come any closer to his face. A toothy lifeless smile joined his angular nose as he said, "I'm glad you're alive." Wasting no time I ran for the door.

"What's going on," another nurse screamed as she met me at the door. She looked down at the crumpled nurse. "Willa," she screamed. I turned again and the man wasn't there. I looked back at the nurse and decided to run for it. "Security! Help, someone! Anybody!" Her voice turned into echoes as I ran down the corridor looking for an exit. I found a stairwell and jolted down them as fast as I could missing a couple of steps. Running out into the open lobby I saw two of the town police heading my way.

"Stop where you are," one of them shouted drawing his gun. The other stood back pulling out too. I just kept running towards them. They had no idea what I had been through; they couldn't stop me, not now. Anger welled up inside, as I pushed the first guards gun away from my face and slammed the butt of my hand into his nose with a sickening thud. The other one fired at me, the bullet tore at my flesh and entered my arm. I screamed in agony, but it couldn't stop me. I lunged at the other. It happened so fast that I couldn't even keep up with myself as I slammed him into the receptionist's desk. He crumpled to the floor and I ran out the door.

As the cold night wind hit me I realized that I was only wearing a hospital gown, but I didn't care and just kept running into the night.


End file.

Breath of Fire, Adventure, Drama