"KAZU!!!" Swiftant blasts his vocals at the lone shape falling from the black dragon.
Thinking: Naze (Why)... Hadn't he came to settle a death score with Swift? Did he not unsheathe his weapon against Swift? Were we too credulous in trusting... ourselves?
"Suzette, hayaku (hurry)!!" Swiftant flies the black dragon towards me, stretching out his hand for mine. Without hesitation, leaving no room for Shakura anymore, my heart in amalgamation with his, I make a wild grab for it and clambered onto the dragon, behind Swiftant.
I see his face looking down at the epic battle between the man and the dragon elites. It has taken on the color of a ghastly white. I can feel my own growing paler by the moment.
Gathering potential energy to take flight, the dragons bend their hind legs, Thrandos howling boisterously.
"No! It's me you want. Don't you want revenge? I made you look bad, and I just defied you and your precious Holiness!" the man challenges the roaring dragons, in an egoistic expression. In the whole event, all three of our faces light up in the darkness, atomistically disguising the difference of our situations. Thrandos turns to him, their eyes fostering impending bloodshed. By now, we are already too distant to comprehend their words.
A green dragon steps forward, her venomous beauty accentuating the danger of the night. I tear my gaze away from the zealous stranger's form when our dark fleeing friend soars beyond the mountains, across the valleys that follow.
"He was chivalrous, despite his appearance." Swift whispers, more calmly than I want. His words startles me, the surprise lifting my head in his direction.
Thinking: Oh Swift... Everything struck me so fast, it's never been more vacuous to me...
The rising sun bathes us in a purifying light of warmth, and I see my reflection in his eyes, before a background of shimmering greenery swaying merrily in a breeze. It is too enticing, I probably won't have regrets if I were lured to dying here.
Thinking: Am I that beautiful, Swift..? If only time would stop...
"We'll need to recon around as much as possible for information on Shakura. As we are, we don't even come close to her conniving might." Swiftant speaks, in a tone of all seriousness.
"I know someone from Shinkirou who may be able to provide assistance to us."
"Shinkirou? You mean the vanishing village of myth? It exists?"
"It's not a myth. Just as its name suggests, it only appears to people in adequately weakened states, as a mirage, though I may know a means of invading its invisible barrier."
"Are you sure about this?" Swiftant's eyes narrows.
"It was my homeland."
"... Sorry..."
"Swiftant..." a deep voice suddenly breaks the silence.
"Who's there?!" I erect my body, expecting Thrandos to pop out of nowhere.
"Relax Su, it's this dragon." Swiftant puts his hand on my shoulder in assurance.
"In Master Kazuhide's name, you shall inherit his legacy of possessing Fayuro, the dragon of blackness. I thereby vow an oath on the grave of the ancestors of this legacy, to pledge my allegiance and swear loyalty to Swiftant, until you command otherwise or are laid to sleep for all eternity..." growls our travel companion.
"Aha... I see... He's still helping us." Swiftant remarks softly.
"So this is a Universal Calling..." I exclaim in wonder.
Thinking: I've heard of this. When a dragon is passed from one rider's possession to another, it is given the temporary ability to communicate in a tongue of universal understanding.
"Su, before we embark any further, I want to ask a favour of you." Swiftant looks at me, his blue eyes encompassing my very being.
"Hmph, can't survive without me, can you?" I mock him teasingly.
"Please..."
I nod my head slowly, half-afraid and half-excited at the same time.
"Please, play a requiem for Kazuhide and everyone else who have died under the claws of the dragons. I want to say a prayer for them."
"Requiem? Kazuhide? Oh... Then that must mean..." My hands subconsciously close onto a flute I have been keeping beside my weapons. Holding it to my lips, my breath instinctively weaves a melody through it. The sound is unrivaled - it seems to keep pace with the breeze, the tune rebounding off the hovering leaves.
My eyes widen, I stop playing the flute. Swiftant has embraced me, his arms around my shoulder. From the beat of his heart, to his breathing, I realize so much about him.
"Don't stop, continue, please."
I close my eyes and resume the song. The alluring melody sweeps through the land, disperses the clouds, and raises the hopes in our spirits.
"To the lost souls amassed by the dragons..." Swiftant says, the peacefulness in his voice sings along my playing, "... we dedicate this to. It's okay now, we can handle ourselves; we'll pick up from where you left off. May you leave in peace, and be our bastions to grant us your blessings."
I lean onto Swiftant's chest, listening to his voice is enough to satisfy me. His words are vague, but somehow, they make all the sense in the world.
At once, I hear wails from our surroundings. They are not mournful, on the contrary, they remind me of my mother when she played the flute to me, a long time ago. And maybe...
My eyes well up with tears. Swiftant and I both stare at the skies; they are ablaze with the brightness of the Northern lights.
~ Simultaneously ~
Thinking: Sayonara Okasan.
Swift's thinking: Arigatou Kazu-san.
Sorry, can't write as well as I wanted to, kinda busy lately... Ciao then! ^^ SS we're still waiting! XD
Edited: Here may be a useful site:
Online English to Japanese to English Dictionary