Dragon Quest Novel

by Melania Zveja

  The four carefully circled the last skeleton. Alice made a motion as if to attack but it was only a feint. The skeleton bit on the bait and left itself wide open to the other three. Its limbs were removed in short order. The four then further dismantled the skeletons to ensure they would not be able to come back and fight.

  "We have to be more careful as we turn corners," declared Suzanne. "That could have been disastrous."

  "Do you think we're almost there?" asked Alice.

  "Who knows?" asked Thomas. "We could only be a fraction of the way there."

  "We have to conserve our resources as much as possible," said Suzanne.

  "The corridors have been mostly empty so far," noted Ron. "Imagine how much worse it would be if the brave people of Alefgard weren't fighting most of Zoma's forces!"

  "Or there could be a hoard of them waiting for us," said Thomas darkly.

  "We have to keep our spirits up," realized Suzanne. "Despair empowers the Archfiend. Just think, after all this time we're finally nearing the end of our quest!"

  "I hear that!" said Ron. "Even I'm tired of all this fighting. When we're done with Zoma I'm going to take a nice, long vacation."

  "I wonder what Alefgard will be like when light returns to it," mused Alice. "Maybe it'll just be beautiful! Who knows how wonderful the sights will be after this?"

  "That's the spirit!" said Suzanne. "Now let's keep going. I'm anxious to see it myself!"

  The heroes continued onwards. The floor they were in had many hallways and branches. It was a labyrinth to be overcome. The four were very cautious turning every corner. Their caution was rewarded as there were monsters hiding around several of the corners. This floor had many more foes than the rest of Charlock Castle had thus far. Among the enemies there were even some more human enemies. They were powerful spellcasters wearing robes that obscured most of their bodies. The group made sure to close in as swiftly as possible against them so that they would not have to deal with their magic.

  Finally the group found another staircase leading downwards. At the bottom of a staircase they came to another staircase leading back up. However, this staircase was much wider and went up on a more gradual angle. At the top was a large, locked door. The Final Key made it irrelevant. Through the door was a very wide hallway. The floor was decorated with different tiles. The four proceeded through the hallway.

  The group turned and found a very long bridge stretching over a huge gap. At the bottom of the gap the four could just make out water far below. It was clear that if anything fell off the bridge it would find it nearly impossible to get back up. Fortunately, the bridge seemed quite sturdy and even had railings.

  The bridge looked like it went for almost a mile. With nothing on the bridge to obstruct their vision the heroes could just barely see two figures on the other side. One figure appeared to be a monster. It was difficult to study the monster from afar but it appeared to be a five-headed dragon, similar to the Orochi and several of the other five-headed dragons the group had fought. However, this dragon was bigger than even the Orochi and from a distance appeared to be colored purple, pink, and turquoise.

  The other figure was much smaller and thus far more difficult to see. However, it appeared to be a humanoid of some kind. The humanoid looked like it was wearing blue armor and wielded a sword. It soon became clear that the dragon and the humanoid were fighting.

  "Is that a…person up there?" asked Alice.

  "It looks like he's fighting that monster all alone!" said Ron. "We have to help whoever that is!" Before Ron had even finished talking Suzanne had begun to bolt forward. The other three soon took off in order to catch up. However, Suzanne sprinted forward with incredible speed. The other three found it difficult to keep up.

  "Susie, wait!" called Alice. "We need to stick together!"

  "She knows who that is," said Thomas in between breaths. "We won't be able to slow her down."

  "Ortega," panted Ron.

  The four were still too far out to be able to use their magic to aid Ortega. However, Ortega seemed to be quite capable on his own. His swordplay and athleticism were amazing. He rolled and flipped around the dragon, dodging most of its strikes. Unfortunately, he was still fighting a creature that was much bigger than he was and that had five heads to strike with. He would still get hit and pierced by the dragon's teeth. The wounds did not slow him down much. After taking a few blows Ortega would leap backward and a glint of light could be seen on him; likely indicating that Ortega was healing himself with a spell.

  For the wounds he took Ortega was able to wound the dragon as well. It was difficult to tell the extent of the damage but it was clear that Ortega's blade was digging into the dragon as he flipped and jumped around it. At one point he nearly severed one of the dragon's heads. The dragon turned so that the other four heads would be blocking its wounded head. Unfortunately, the group could see the grievous wound beginning to close; clearly this dragon's wounds naturally healed themselves much like the other five-headed dragons the four had fought.

  The heroes continued to run towards Ortega, still too far out for their magic to reach the fighters. It seemed as though Ortega and the dragon were locked in a stalemate with neither side giving the other any lasting wounds. Then they noticed Ortega take several hits in a row without healing himself. He continued to fight the dragon in melee, refusing to jump back and cast a spell.

  "Heal yourself, Ortega!" yelled Alice. "We're almost there!"

  "He can't hear you," said Thomas.

  "Why isn't he healing himself?" Ron asked.

  "He could be out of magic power," answered Thomas.

  Thomas was right. Ortega continued to fight up close instead of healing himself. His body took several more beatings because of it. It was clear that the two combatants had not noticed the four running towards them. They were too locked into combat. Finally the dragon was able to gain the advantage. Two of its heads slammed into Ortega and this time Ortega was unable to get back up. Defenseless, Ortega could do nothing as one of the heads engulfed Ortega and razor sharp teeth pierced his body, going all the way through. The dragon's five heads showed wicked smiles and the beast prepared to devour its prey.

  Huge bolts of lightning rained down in the area. A horrific thunderstorm had been conjured up with the dragon right in the middle. Bolt after bolt coursed through the dragon's body. However, the storm left Ortega untouched.

  Alice realized what it was. Suzanne, now quite some distance ahead of the rest of the group, had finally gotten in range to use her magic. She had cast a spell that she had yet to use. It had been a spell she had been working on, one that tapped into the mysterious power within her. Alice was so awestruck by the spell she had almost stopped running. She could not believe their leader had such power.

  The dragon finally noticed the four figures running its way. Wounded by Suzanne's spell and still carrying some remnants of wounds it took from Ortega it decided to flee. Suzanne briefly chased after it but when she realized it intended to leave the area she quickly went back to Ortega's body.

  Ortega was not looking good. His torso had been pierced by the dragon's teeth in numerous places. Large, gaping holes littered his body. His head had been sliced up; both his eyes and his ears had been destroyed. Suzanne desperately began casting healing spells on him. A beam of light came down from the ceiling and reached Ortega. However, even though the spell seemed successful it had no effect on Ortega. His wounds became no better.

  "I feel magic," said Ortega. "Someone is trying to heal me. Don't waste your magic. It's all over for me…"

  "No, father!" cried Suzanne. "Don't say that!" However, Ortega could not hear a word Suzanne said. He could not hear or see anything anymore. Suzanne knelt down and held her father in her arms.

  "Oh, traveler," said Ortega, unaware of who was holding him. "Please hear my dying words. I am Ortega of Aliahan. If you happen to go to Aliahan in your travels, please visit Suzanne and tell of what transpired here."

  Suz
anne began to cry. Unable to see the sorrow of who he was addressing, Ortega continued, "Ask her to forgive her father who could not bring peace to this world. Tell h…Aaah!"

  With that, Ortega succumbed to death. It was at that moment that the other three arrived.

  "Tom, you're up!" urged Ron.

  "There's nothing I can do," said Thomas sadly. "Even if he was somehow still alive there is no spell that can remedy damage to that extent."

  The three could only watch helplessly as their leader wept over her father's corpse. Finally, Thomas stepped forward and embraced Suzanne. Ron and Alice followed suit.

  "It's not fair!" cried Suzanne. "All this time, I thought he was already dead! Then I heard the rumors and there was hope he was alive! Now I finally find him only to see him truly die right before my very eyes!"

  The other three continued to comfort Suzanne. Ron raised his head up, watching for monsters that might try to ambush them. The motion seemed to alert Suzanne. She wiped the tears off her face and stood up.

  "When we began this journey I wanted to finish what my father started," said Suzanne, her sorrow replaced with determination. "Little did I know he was still at work. But now he's gone and the time for grief will have to wait. There are others that continue to fight for their lives. We have the chance to spare others of this sorrow. Let's go. We have a quest to finish."

  "Are you really okay, Susie?" asked Alice.

  "No," said Suzanne, not hiding anything from the others. "But I will have to put this from my mind for now. We have no choice. Zoma must be defeated today!"

  "That's what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Ron, trying to get the group's spirits back up.

  "Your father would be so proud of you right now," said Thomas. "You're right, Susie. Lead on."

  Disclaimer: Dragon Quest 3 does not belong to me in any way. It belongs to Square-Enix.

  Chapter 43: The Master Archfiend

  The four carried on through the depths underneath Charlock Castle. Ron and Alice did their best to raise the spirits of the group. However, it was clear that Ortega's death had shaken them all, especially Suzanne. And all were all too aware that their sorrow and despair were feeding the Master Archfiend. This knowledge caused them to press forward with an almost reckless haste.

  After the large bridge they had crossed was another wide hallway. One end of the hallway led to a dead end with only another statue of a muscular human. The heroes quickly left after determining it to be a dead end to keep from being attacked. A locked door partway up the hallway led to another dead end.

  However, another door was found around a corner and it led to a room with treasure chests in it. Alice used her magic to find that two of the chests were actually mimics. The group opened the other four chests and found a stone with a gem set inside it, another large crystalline stone on a string, a large leaf, and a ring. The group recognized the first stone as a Stone of Life, the ring as a Wizard's Ring, and the leaf as a Leaf of the World Tree.

  "Wow, this must be Zoma's vault!" exclaimed Ron. "These are all some powerful stuff!"

  "I wonder why Zoma wouldn't keep these things with it?" wondered Suzanne.

  "Perhaps it can't use these items," guessed Thomas. "If it gains its power from misery, pain, and suffering then perhaps these items, which deal with avoiding or removing such things, don't have their intended effect on the Archfiend."

  "Then why leave them here?" asked Ron. "Why not destroy them?"

  "Such powers and items work normally on other monsters," answered Thomas. "It might have been saving them for one of its underlings when the time is right."

  Alice had been examining the other stone they had found, the one they were not familiar with. It was then that Alice spoke up. "Oh my… you guys, this is a Sage's Stone!"

  "What's that?" asked Ron.

  "It spreads healing power over several individuals," answered Alice. "You know that powerful spell that Thomas has sometimes used which heals all of us at once? This stone can mimic its effects!"

  "That's incredible!" exclaimed Thomas. "Does one have to put magic into the stone for it to work?"

  "No," answered Alice. "It works like Ron's shield. Mortal peril is what draws power out of the stone."

  "Since it's a Sage's Stone does that mean you're the only one that can use it?" asked Suzanne.

  "I don't think so," said Alice. "The reason it has that name is because it is said sages of old were the ones who could create these objects. Only the greatest sages have ever made one, though. I certainly don't have a clue where to even begin!"

  "Nevertheless, how about you hang on to it, Alice," said Suzanne. "Tom is the only one who can heal all of us at once on his own. Having a second person with that capability could be of a great strategic advantage."

  The four used the Wizard's Ring to regain as much of their magic as they could before it crumbled. Then the heroes left the vault and continued onwards. The large hallway made another turn. There was another door on the side of the hallway that led to a dead end. The four were ambushed inside but came out no worse for the wear due to Alice's use of the Sage's Stone. They were attacked several more times by monsters as they traveled along the hallway. Suzanne, Ron, and Thomas were able to keep the monsters away from Alice while she continued to erase their wounds with the Sage's Stone. The hallway ended with a descending staircase.

  The staircase led to a large room with one exit leading to a staircase that went up a bit. Past the staircase the four could see nothing.

  "Alice, can you light the way for us?" asked Suzanne. Alice cast a spell to create a light. However, her light was eaten by the darkness and did not reveal anything beyond the top of the staircase.

  "Should we use the Sphere of Light?" asked Alice quietly.

  "Not yet," answered Suzanne. "Let's not tip off that we have it just yet."

  The group cautiously climbed to the top of the staircase. Darkness surrounded them on every side except the one they had just come from. After a moment some flames appeared on the ceiling and dissipated some of the darkness, revealing a portion of the area around them. Then a horrific voice began speaking into their minds.

  Suzanne! called Zoma. I bid you welcome to your altar of offering! It is I who will bring about the destruction of all things! All living beings shall be demolished by me and the entire world shall sink into despair. Commencing with your own demise, Suzanne! Come, my servants. Destroy them so that I may thrive on their suffering.

  After Zoma had finished speaking a five-headed dragon walked out of the darkness. The group recognized the dragon immediately as the same one that had killed Ortega.

  "Trust me on this," Suzanne whispered to the other three. She then immediately charged at her father's murderer. Three of the dragon's heads turned to meet her suicidal charge, each with a grin on its face as they waited for their next meal. However, Suzanne stopped herself and held up the Shield of Heroes. The dragon, thinking that Suzanne's anger had beaten her sense, had not bothered to launch a complicated attack against her. Suzanne was able to block two of its heads with the Shield of Heroes while the Armor of Radiance saved her from most of what the third head could do.

  The group's trust in each other was well rewarded after that. The other three knew after Suzanne had whispered that she had not given in to her rage. Suzanne's maneuver had left three of the dragon's heads open for attack. Alice cast a spell upon Ron to increase his strength. Thomas took out an eye on one of the heads. The head angrily snapped at Thomas, cutting into his shoulder and forcing him back. The attack cost it dearly as Ron with his increased strength separated that head from the rest of the body.

  Alice cast the same spell on Suzanne that she had cast on Ron. Suzanne reacted quickly, before either of the other two heads that attacked her could react. With a roll and a rising slash another of the dragon's heads fell to the ground.

  The dragon followed that up with some surprising agility. It whirled around so that its three remaining heads faced its enemies. One of the head
s breathed forward gales of flame, covering the four. The other one reached through the flames to bite at Suzanne. With her vision obscured by fire the dragon was able to slip past the Shield of Heroes and get some of her leg. Thomas cast a healing spell upon himself while Ron went for the dragon's torso. He managed to jump upon the dragon's back and bury his blade inside. The dragon knew it was in a dangerous position now. It wildly bucked and spun until Ron was thrown from its back, his sword still buried deep inside the dragon's torso.

  Alice held up the Sage's Stone and some of the four's wounds were healed. While the dragon had been so desperately focused on removing Ron from its back it had left no heads to pay attention to Suzanne. Suzanne ran forward and slashed deep into the dragon's side. A head came over to try and devour Suzanne but Suzanne was too aware and executed a subtle sidestep. Her move was performed flawlessly as she was then able to bring herself forward to take off another head before the dragon recovered.

  The dragon was near death now and it knew it. All sense had left it as it wildly thrashed at its enemies in a desperate attempt to hold them off before they could finish it. The four knew how to deal with it from there. Suzanne blocked another head while Ron dove to grab his sword out of the dragon's back. Then Ron and Thomas removed the head that had attacked Suzanne. Soon the last head was gone as well. The four made sure the cut the torso into pieces to make sure that the dragon was truly dead and would not simply regenerate from its wounds.

  Impressive, Suzanne, congratulated Zoma. I had thought your despair had consumed you for a moment.

  Some more fires appeared around the area, dissipating more of the darkness. However, the four still could not see the back of the room. Blue waves came out of the darkness, engulfing the group. The heroes felt a great chill run through them yet they were not harmed by the blue waves.